Top Three Exercises For Stress Relief

Posted on March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 by Anna Mayers

Whether coming from our jobs, personal life, incompetent drivers, or the soaring gas prices, stress seems to be all around us, bombarding us with an overload that has us overworked, cranky, and restless. The effects of prolonged stress on the human body can be devastating to our health resulting in migraines, muscle aches, insomnia, digestive problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, asthma, and heart disease along with a wide range of other health problems. Learning to effectively manage stress and adding regular exercise to your routine is a valuable part of stress relief which is vital to good health. But do not worry, you do not have to make time to go to the gym or worry if your fitness level is not up for that aerobic workout, here are three of the best exercises for stress relief than can be done by just about anyone at any fitness level, of course as always, before beginning any new exercise program you want to be sure that your health care provider has cleared you for exercise if you have any recent injuries or health care concerns.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is an ancient martial art form. This Chinese art has been practiced for centuries and is a perfect exercise for stress relief. Tai Chi uses very fluid and graceful movements that are slow and precise, focusing the mind and strengthening the body. It can be done just about anywhere by people of all ages and is fairly simple to learn. People who practice Tai Chi experience a better sense of balance, over all improvement in health, sleep better, and feel a sense of clarity and improved mental focus along with the stress relief.

Pilates

Pilates was originally developed as a method of rehabilitation for injured dancers and soldiers. Incorporating simple moves similar to yoga in parts, pilates stretches and lengthens your muscles, improves the strength and stability of your core (the torso), and is also very calming and soothing making it a great choice for stress relief. Stress relief is not the only benefit of pilates, you also get a longer, stronger spine, better posture, more graceful muscle tone, and stronger abs. And because a large portion of pilates can be done as a mat work out, it is great for people with special needs to consider that may make traditional exercise more difficult.

Water Aerobics

If you would like something to get your heart beat going and improve your overall tone and health, along with giving you stress relief, water aerobics is another great choice. Unlike traditional aerobic classes, being in the water lessens the impact of the movements on your joints, legs, and spine. Being in the water makes your motions effortless, yet the resistance of the water provides a better, stronger work out. The calming sensation of being in the water offers great stress relief and gives you a wonderful workout for your muscles, weight loss, and cardio building along with the stress relief. A water aerobics class that is becoming very popular now is Aqua Barre.

What is Cardio?

Posted on February 16, 2019February 16, 2019 by Anna Mayers

It may seem difficult to some, but you do a cardio workout every day. Walking, running, and cycling are all cardio workouts, helping your body and muscles get moving so you can perform more exercises, as well as burn calories. Other workouts you can attempt in the gym that count towards your cardio are: using a rowing machine, swimming, doing a Hiit workout, or even skipping, which can burn over 1000 calories per hour. It’s incredible how much cardio you could be doing without even realising it.

Some people say to do a dedicated hour of cardio 3 times a week, and some people say to do 30 minutes 5 times a week. It really is up to the individual, as well as the current workout routine. Your regular training session may contain a lot of cardio without you realising, so assess your personal situation and see what works best for you and how often you can squeeze in a session at the gym. Whatever works out for you, remember to always take a rest day each week to give your body time to rest and repair so that you will begin to see great results.

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil

Posted on February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 by Anna Mayers

1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body!

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism!

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy!

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil!

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not!

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and antiviral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking!

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!

2 Steps To Six Pack Abs

Posted on February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 by Anna Mayers

Step 1: Nutrition

This is the single most important part of the puzzle, hands down. You can have the most impressive set of abs, but if they're covered with a layer of fat, you won't see them! Break up your day with 5 or 6 mini-meals because this jump starts your metabolism. And stop eating the food that is preventing results: white bread, loads of pasta, soda, candy, fast food, hydrogenated oils, sugars and fructose corn syrup.

Instead, replace them with foods that will help you reach your goal: oatmeal, olive oil, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, natural peanut butter, chicken, fish, protein and water. Be realistic- you'll slip here and there, but make a conscious effort to radically improve your eating habits because getting a six pack will be impossible if you don't.

Step 2: Exercise

You need to concern yourself with 3 different exercises: cardio, weightlifting and ab exercises. And aim to workout 3- 4 times a week.

The cardio you do can be anything: walking, running, biking, swimming....whichever cardio you don't mind doing so that you'll stick with it. Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week.

Weightlifting is important because 3 pounds of added muscle burns as many calories as a 1 mile jog...and this is while you're just sitting around! Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week. If you're confused as to what exercises to do for each body part the Gym & Tonic fitness professionals have extensive knowledge and will happily share their tips.

The last exercise you need to incorporate into your workout is ab exercises. Aim to work your abs a minimum of 3 times a week. There are a ton of different ab exercises you can do so try to find 3 or so that you enjoy doing so you can mix it up. Click HERE for a good database of different ab exercises.

Tip: mix up your workout routine every 2 weeks to keep your body guessing and changing. Add or take away different weight or ab exercises, or at the very least, vary the weight, reps or form of cardio you do.

Should You Have a Gym Buddy?

Posted on January 14, 2019January 14, 2019 by Anna Mayers

Learn Something New

If you go to the gym on your own, you may get stuck doing the same things every time, worried to start new classes and routines as it’s new and out of your comfort zone. By having a friend with you, you can swap tips and routines, inspiring you to try new things but not feeling alone or awkward whilst doing it. Going to classes for the first time can be daunting but having someone with you can make it feel more natural and fun. Teach your gym buddy your favourite exercises, and they’ll do the same.

These are just a few short reasons explaining why having a friend at the gym can really help you get more work done and feel happy whilst doing it. You may be thinking how you can get a gym buddy, well, you could speak to a member of the staff at the gym and ask if they know of anyone looking for a friend at the gym, or even reach out to your friends and family members and ask if anyone of them wants to go to the gym with you. You may not find someone straight away, but you will find someone you get along with and motivates you to do better.

7 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE TRAINING

Posted on July 23, 2018July 23, 2018 by Alex Ledine

Dr Jinger Gottschall explains how to get the results you deserve.

Want to get the best results from the time you spend working out? Keep these seven tips front of mind.

Dr Jinger Gottschall is a university professor, studio owner, Les Mills instructor and former triathlete who has dedicated her career to academic fitness research. Here she shares some of her favorite fitness facts – highlighting exactly what it takes to shape a safe and effective training regime.

#1 CHOOSE THE RIGHT MOTIVATION

If you’re primarily motivated by external goals (how you look), it’s harder to maintain good exercise habits over time. You have a better chance of making a lifestyle change if you think about what internal factors motivate you. It might be lowering cholesterol, improving body composition, boosting energy, productivity and happiness. Choose internally-focused motivators like these and sticking to exercise will be much easier. Write your goals down. And if you want, share them. Sharing your goals with other like-minded people is proven to boost your chances of success through support.

#2 PROGRESSIVE TRAINING IS THE BEST BET

If you’re new to exercise or haven’t exercised regularly for over six months, studies show a slow, progressive training plan is the best way to build a habit and prevent burnout. Try not to do more than the plan specifies – by doing too much too soon you increase the risk of injury, not to mention frustration and the likelihood of giving up.

#3 VARIETY BRINGS RESULTS

The best results come when you follow a weekly regime that features a combination of cardio, strength and flexibility training. This was highlighted by a study involving 25 non-active, healthy adults who completed a training plan featuring a combination of LES MILLS™ workouts. After 30 weeks the exercisers saw an increase in lean tissue (+5 percent), a decrease in both body mass (-4 percent), and LDL cholesterol (-6 percent). And their cardiovascular fitness increased by an average of 50 percent. Thanks to results like these we can now confidently advise that a varied work out regime will significantly improve your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

#4 CHOOSE HIGH REP, STRENGTH TRAINING

Don’t shy away from lifting weights. Incorporating low load, high-repetition strength training can build strong, lean muscle and do amazing things for your fitness. We studied 20 non-active, healthy adults following a regime featuring three RPM™ cycling workouts and three BODYPUMP™ strength training sessions per week. After 24 weeks not only did cardiovascular fitness significantly increase, but bone density in the arms, legs, pelvis, and lumbar spine were statistically greater.

#5 LOW WEIGHTS MAXIMIZE CALORIE BURN

High repetition training with low weights can maximize calorie burn. Studies show the mean amount of energy expenditure during a BODYPUMP workout, using faster repetitions with lighter weights, is 29 percent greater than in the same duration of slower repetitions with heavier weights.

#6 ADD HIIT

If you already participate in three to five workouts per week, consider embracing the magic of high-intensity interval training. With the addition of just two 30-minute HIIT workouts a week you can see your health, fitness, and strength leap ahead. In a study of 84 healthy adults it took just six weeks of twice-weekly LES MILLS GRIT™ workouts for them to enjoy a decrease in body fat (-2 percent), a reduction in triglycerides (-16 percent), an increase in cardiovascular fitness (+6 percent) and improved back strength (+21 percent).

#7 DON’T FORGET YOUR CORE

Squeezing in the odd set of crunches isn’t going to give you the results you deserve. Core exercises that require shoulder (deltoid) and hip (glute) activity produce greater muscle activation in the abdominal muscles than exercises such as a crunch. Research shows that incorporating integrated core training into your workout regime can improve endurance, enhance stability and reduce injury.

Jinger Gottschall, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Penn State University, and former triathlete who learned first-hand the injury-inducing effects of doing nothing but cardio exercise. She has subsequently led numerous studies into the effectiveness of various exercise regimes and works closely with Bryce Hastings, Les Mills Head of Research, to test all sorts of exercise programming. When it comes to getting the best results from the time you spend working out, this woman knows the way to go.

This piece originally appeared on lesmills.com.

It Starts Today!

Posted on July 6, 2018July 6, 2018 by Alex Ledine

STAND UP

Sitting at a desk all day can get boring, so why not make it a little more exciting by standing up and walking around. It may seem silly but stretching your legs can help you feel better, as well as help you add some fitness to your workday. Instead of emailing a colleague, walk over to them, go on a short stroll outside on your lunchbreak, even if you just stand up and stretch for 30 seconds every hour, that’s something! It’s so much better for you to be stood up than sat down for most of the day.

ARE YOU REALLY HUNGRY?

One-way that people undo all the hard work they have put into their fitness routine is by snacking or eating too much. Obviously, if you’re hungry you need to eat, and you should be eating good, solid meals throughout the day to give you the energy to keep you going. However, snacking unhealthily or eating a lot when you think you’re hungry is counterproductive. If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, you’re not really hungry, you’re just bored. Always keep that in mind when you are feeling peckish and are heading over to the cupboard to grab something. Instead, go for a piece of fruit, and if you don’t fancy that, maybe you aren’t hungry after all.

USE THE STAIRS

When out and about, if you can, use the stairs instead of elevators or lifts. Climbing stairs raises your heart rate which is great cardio, as well as increases your core muscle strength. So, choose the stairs! It’s an easy workout to fit in without you even realising, and if you start now, whether out shopping or in a hotel, it will become second nature to use the stairs. It’s recommended that you walk at least 10,000 steps per day, so why not do something to help towards that goal!

Are you sure that’s healthy?

Posted on July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 by Alex Ledine

ITEMS THAT SAY ‘DIET’ OR ‘LIGHT’ ON THE PACKAGING

Items that pop up in the shops that are labelled as ‘diet’ can seem enticing, especially if we’re on a diet and we want to treat ourselves but don’t want to feel guilty about it. But have you ever looked at the ingredients for some of these products? Do you know what everything is? Instead of the normal item containing sugar, the ‘light’ version will be made from artificial products and other chemicals that aren’t really that great for us. Let’s take diet lemonade for example. Diet lemonade doesn’t have all the sugars that normal lemonade does, but the sugar will have been replaced by artificial sweeteners and chemical flavourings, so it tastes like the original. When you break down what is in diet products, it’s scary, and probably best to stick to a smaller amount of the original or skip it all together.

PRE-PREPARED FOODS

Ready meals and other foods that are all sorted for us make life so much easier, but they can often be full of ingredients no one has heard of before. Companies use flavour enhancers, cheap ingredients, preservatives, and all sorts of chemicals to add to the shelf-life of these foods. Always read the label before buying anything, and if you’re unsure on any of the ingredients, internet search them or put it back. With the time it takes to find something, you could’ve started making something a lot healthier anyway.

FRUIT JUICES

This probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but fruit juices contain so much sugar. Most juices do contain fruit, but many that line the supermarket shelves just contain chemicals that taste like fruit, so you’re basically drinking fruit-flavoured sugar water. That’s crazy! Even juices that are 100% fruit contain a lot of sugar from the fruit itself and the fiber that is great has been taken out. Treat fruit juices like fizzy drinks. They’re nice for a treat but stick to water.

SALAD DRESSINGS

Having a salad is great, and a great healthy option to go for. However, salads and vegetable dishes can be made unhealthy with on simple step of adding a salad dressing or sauce. So many dressings are loaded with sugar, vegetable oil, trans fats and a lot of artificial chemicals. By adding a dressing to your salad, you make it an unhealthy meal and might not get all the benefits that you would’ve done. Make sure to check the ingredients of whatever salad dressing you use, or even make your own. It’s super simple to do with items that you will already have.

CEREALS AND CEREAL BARS

Many cereal boxes boast that the product inside is ‘low in fat’ or has ‘low grain’, however when you look at the ingredients list, a lot of what’s listed is refined grains, sugar and artificial chemicals. So many people feel that they are getting a great product, but with what’s inside cereal, it’s scary to think about what we’re actually eating. Leading into cereal bars, these are also full of sugars and are often covered with chocolate or contain sugary pieces to make the bar look more appealing. Always look and think about what you’re buying, especially if you are getting cereal bars to eat after a workout or even to put in your children’s lunchboxes.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM THE SUPERMARKET

Finally, let’s look at someone hardly anyone would think about. Obviously, fruits and vegetables are the healthiest things you can eat, however produce can easily sit out in boxes or on shelves for weeks after it has been harvested. In this time, nutrients can deplete, meaning they are not as good for you as the day they were picked. A way around this is to pick your own fruit which can easily be done this time of year, or shop at farmers markets where products are fresh and organic, meaning they are better tasting and better for you.

You’re probably thinking that you’re a bit stuck after reading this, but you shouldn’t. Everything eaten in excess is unhealthy, but if you think about it, look at the ingredients, and really put some effort into what you’re doing, you will be eating healthily. The truly healthy foods are the ones that don’t need to claim that they’re healthy, and the real foods don’t need an ingredient list because the real food is the ingredient. Next time you go shopping, look before you buy, you will thank yourself for it.

How Much Should Workouts Hurt?

Posted on June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 by Alex Ledine

You need to be in tune with pain if you want to safely train.

THE NOT SO PAINFUL TRUTH ABOUT PAIN AND EXERCISE
By Emma Hogan

The transformative effects of exercise don’t come when you take it easy. But how much should you be suffering in order to get results?

We all know that you don’t get results when you sit in your comfort zone, but is there an ideal degree of “discomfort”? When it comes to how much exercise should hurt, says Bryce Hastings, Physiotherapist and Les Mills Head of Research, there are no hard and fast rules. For the most part it depends on the type of suffering – put simply, while it’s okay for exercise to feel uncomfortable, it should never be painful.

“Too often people don’t distinguish between the discomfort that comes from fatigue and the feeling of pain,” says Hastings.

Unfortunately, the confusion between fatigue and pain can be off-putting if you’re only at the beginning of your exercise journey. “When you’re just starting out you sweat, you get an increased heart rate and you feel uncomfortable – all of this is the stress response that comes from exercise,” says Hastings. It’s not until you become accustomed to regular training that you learn this stress and fatigue is part of the deal. Your body embraces it because you know that it goes away quickly.

Fatigue is your friend. Transformation happens when you push your body into the fatigue zone.

If you want to get gains in fitness or strength, fatigue is your friend. Transformation happens when you push your body into the fatigue zone. But should all workouts push you to the same level of fatigue?

Hastings explains there are five exercise intensity zones, and a sound weekly workout regime involves spending time in each zone. Ideally, you should be exercising at a moderate to hard intensity (where the discomfort of fatigue probably sits between 6.5 and 8.5 out of 10), as this will help improve aerobic fitness and promote fat burn. Pushing your body to its maximum training zone (where the discomfort of fatigue hits 8.5 to 10 out of 10) will help you develop maximum performance, but you only want these spikes of intensity a couple of times a week. He also cautions that feeling flogged during exercise is not the only measure of a workout’s value – while exercising at a very low intensity is unlikely to generate fatigue, low intensity activities like yoga and core training can improve overall health and help recovery.

If it’s not fatigue-based discomfort, it’s a pain.

When it comes to distinguishing between types of pain, there are two things you can do:
1) Mentally split yourself in half and evaluate where it hurts. If you have pain in the same place on both sides and it’s the same type of pain, then it’s probably delayed onset muscle soreness (or DOMS). In most cases this is nothing to worry about. You can check out some tips on how to deal with it here.

2) If you have a specific point of pain that’s on one side of your body but not on the other, and that pain is above 3 out of 10, and interfering with your function, then you’re possibly suffering an injury. In this situation we suggest you seek professional advice.

It’s the location of the pain that matters most

The benefits of your training come from discomfort in the muscles, not the joints. So if you’ve got any joint pressure or discomfort it’s an issue. Let’s take squats for example. Squats are all about working your quads and glutes, so if you’re squatting and your quads start getting sore that’s to be expected. But if you start to get a lot of pressure in your lower back that’s a warning sign, because that’s not the intended target. It indicates that no longer is the soreness born from muscle fatigue, it’s possibly pain coming from compressed joint tissue. It’s the same as if you’re doing the overhead press and suddenly your neck starts getting sore – that’s not the intended target, so could be an issue.

How much should you suffer?

The amount of suffering you subject your body to should depend on the exercise you’re doing. If you’re using a leg press machine all you need to worry about is pressing, so you are safe to go to volitional failure – which means going to the point where you actually can’t push anymore. But if you’re doing weighted squats it’s a different story. Fatigue will often make things more difficult when you’re at the bottom of the squat, which can be dangerous if you encounter failure at this point, so normally you might finish your set at 85 percent fatigue. You can push the fatigue point further out if you have a safety mechanism such as a spotter, someone who stands over you ready to take the load if needs be.

Warning signs: when to take action

The major warning signs are unilateral (one-sided) pain, any joint pressure or discomfort, and sudden onset sharp pain. And sometimes sudden onset weakness can be sign that something is not right.

Hastings says these are all warning signs: “Pressure in the front of the knee while you squat, pain in your elbows when you grip, pressure in your neck or upper back when you’re doing an overhead press, pain at top of the shoulder while you bench press.”

Of course muscle and joint pain are not the only discomfort people associate with exercise. I am thinking about that awful gasping sensation that comes when you just can’t get enough air in your lungs, or when you’ve raised your heart rate so high it feels like it will pump its way past your ribs and out of your chest. But Hastings says that if you’re fit and healthy you should be able to push your body to its max – reaching high levels of exertion without any significant concerns.

His advice? Don’t shy away from discomfort but always think about what your objective is, and if it feels slightly off, it probably is.

PAIN: WHAT YOU NEED TO REMEMBER
• It’s important to identify the difference between fatigue and pain.
• Fatigue is good – as transformation happens when your body hits the fatigue zone.
• It’s okay for exercise to cause discomfort in your muscles – but you shouldn’t feel any discomfort in your joints.
• Post-workout pain that is equal on both sides of the body is most likely delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
• If you suffer from one-sided pain, joint pain or sudden onset sharp pain seek professional advice.

Lost Your Fitness Mojo?

Posted on May 29, 2018May 29, 2018 by Alex Ledine

What?

What resolutions did you make at the start of the year? If you still have the same goals now, look over them again and really think about what you want to achieve and tell yourself that you will do it. If your plans have changed, change your resolutions too. It’s not too late to start! Write down what you want to achieve and put it somewhere you will always see it, whether that’s on a mirror, above your bed, or even as your phone lock screen. Keep reminding yourself of what your goals are.

Why?

Why did you choose these resolutions? Is it to lose weight, tone up, prepare for an event? Whatever it is, when you don’t feel in the mood for exercise, remind yourself of the reasons why you are doing this. Your goals must be important otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Tell your friends and family why you have chosen these resolutions, and that they need to remind you of those reasons when you tell them that you don’t want to do it later. Sometimes having someone else to push you on is more motivating than just yourself.

When?

When can you start? Now is best, but if not, take some time to plan a fitness routine that'll work best with you and your life. Whether that’s fitting in exercise when you wake up, after work, or over the weekend, figure out when works best for you and stick to that plan if you can. Obviously it may be difficult at first if you have other commitments or feel you can't reserve a certain time for fitness, but keep pushing yourself to find something that works. The more you stick to the routine, the more the routine will stick to you and it will become second nature to exercise at certain times of the day or head to the gym on certain days.

Where?

Where will you put your resolutions to play? Whether joining the gym or doing workouts at home, make sure you’re doing what’s best for your body and what will help you see the change you want to see. Nothing crazy will happen overnight as change takes time, so wherever you choose to be, put your body first and don't push yourself. Like we’ve said, it will take time, but stick at it and you will see the results you’re aiming for. Wherever you choose to bring your goals to life, make the most of the time you spend there. It can be so easy to get distracted, but get your head in the game and focus on what and why you have chosen the goals you have. Where you then choose to be should come quite naturally.

How?

How will you stick to your resolutions? Well, hopefully you’ll keep telling yourself why you have chosen to do what you’re doing, and with a weekly plan you follow, your resolutions will become part of your routine. Another thing to do is visit your local gym and speak to a personal trainer who will give you tips and help you reach your goals. They’re great motivators and might be the answer you’re looking for. If, however, you feel you will be fine on your own, that’s great. Follow your plan, and hopefully by the end of the year your resolutions will just be a part of your everyday life and you'll wonder why you ever stopped aiming towards your goals..