Experts reveal five tips to get back into fitness after the Christmas break and before the new year.
| After you relax with family and friends over the Christmas break, it can be hard to get back into your routine in the new year. Research reveals that December is the quietest calendar month at the gym but it is the perfect time to plan your fitness workout routine for the new year. Experts at Fitness Volt have highlighted five tips to ease yourself back into a workout routine after the festivities. Set specific times. Scheduling your workout time is a simple yet effective step. Getting back into the right frame of mind after the Christmas buzz is difficult. Without a gym schedule, it’s likely that you will make plenty of excuses to not partake in any exercise. Consider your day-to-day schedule and choose your workout slot based on where you have the most free time. You can mentally prepare yourself to avoid any excuses that you are too busy. Plus, a planned exercise slot will ensure that your workload won’t take over, as it’s a given that you will be getting back into a busy work routine, too. Don’t overexert yourself. While pushing yourself is usually encouraged in fitness, it’s sensible to not push yourself to the extreme, particularly after some time away from exercise. Whether it’s weightlifting or cardio, doing too much exercise can lead to overuse injuries including muscle strains and tendon injuries and can make you less capable of meeting your fitness goals. After some time off, it’s natural to not be able to lift heavy objects or run far. Don’t be discouraged. Stay consistent with your exercise. Overdoing it can lead to a burnout in the early stages and make you dread a workout as opposed to enjoy it. If you feel yourself giving up, commit to five minutes and finish your workout. If you don’t feel capable of doing anymore, follow the five-minute rule. It will motivate you to do more. Personalize your workout. Fitness lovers aren’t necessarily all gym-goers. There are plenty of ways to workout which don’t involve the gym. If you’re a nature enthusiast and wish to do more cardio exercises, go for a run – or even a walk – at your local beach, local park, or even around the block. Alternatively, if you’re into strength training but don’t enjoy the gym atmosphere, invest in equipment such as dumbbells and kettlebells to work out from the comfort of your own home. Partner up. Finding a friend with similar fitness goals is beneficial for many reasons, one being that it acts as motivation. For the days that you don’t feel like exercising, a fitness partner can motivate you to get ready and get it done – plus, during a workout, your partner can even push you to take it to the next level, such as lifting a slightly heavier weight or increasing the incline setting on the treadmill. Having a partner can also keep you accountable to stay on track of your fitness plan, and recognize any goals that are yet to be met. Better yet, it makes it a time to socialize so that you look forward to it more, not to mention your partner can spot you to make your workout safer. Set short term goals too. It’s always important to think of the long-term result; doing so allows you to plan your workout and figure out which exercises are best suited to your needs. However, having only a long-term goal can become frustrating when you aren’t seeing progress straight away, and can even result in you to give up completely – which is especially easy to do when you’re trying to get back into your routine. Therefore, it’s vital to set goals over shorter time frames that are manageable, as well as not just focusing on your appearance. For example, you may wish to become stronger, so a short-term goal for the end of a month could be to increase your squat load by 45 lbs. A spokesperson from Fitness Volt has commented: “When it comes to Christmas, the last thing that needs to be on our minds is working out – it’s a time that we wish to be spending with family and friends, and it’s important to make the most of that. However, it can be difficult to find our motivation to get back into it from some time off. Thankfully, there are simple steps that can increase your ambition again as well as make your workout more enjoyable to ensure that you can stick to your fitness routine in the new year and, as a result, enjoy the Christmas festivities without feeling guilty.” The research was conducted by Fitness Volt which is a comprehensive online resource dedicated to Strength Sports, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between. |
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