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Health, Fitness & Wellbeing Tips for Surviving the New Year

Health, Fitness & Wellbeing Tips for Surviving the New Year

Man running on ice covered land

It can be hard to keep up with fitness in the winter, especially after the festive ‘break’ from the usual routine. Six in 10 Brits say their mood is generally lower in winter than at any other time of the year, with dark mornings and evenings often making people feel lethargic. Also, the cold weather makes it hard to get outside, and icy pavements don’t go hand in hand with a brisk walk or a jog.

Here fitness and health expert Stuart Roberts recommends the following approach to keeping yourself and your wellness on track through the difficult winter months.

W – Watch what gets in the way of your motivation
I – Incentive
N – Nurture
T – Tune into the natural rhythm of the season
E – Explore new options
R – Reward

W – Watch what gets in the way of your motivation

With curiosity and not judgement notice what gets in the way of focusing on your health and fitness during the winter months.

Is it the thought of leaving a warm home on a cold night to get to the gym? Perhaps ask a friend to come along with you too so you can encourage each other when motivation is waning.

Have you convinced yourself that you may as well wait for the New Year before you start exercising or eating more healthily?

Remind yourself that long-term health is about incremental changes as they are far easier to sustain than drastic overnight changes on January 1st. For example, get into the habit of walking up the stairs rather than taking the lift. When the adverts come on television use the time to do some press-ups or some squats. When waiting for the kettle to boil do some stretches. If you work at a desk stand up whenever you take a call.

Have you got too many commitments and the stress of getting prepared for Christmas leaves no time for exercise?

Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which is time-efficient, highly effective and will help you to destress too!

Is it that you simply can’t be bothered? The Bach flower remedy Hornbeam is fabulous for a lack of motivation and procrastination. It helps to reinvigorate you with enthusiasm again.

I – Incentive

When the lure of the sofa is far more enticing than the thought of doing exercise, you need to focus on your why. Jot down the cost of not keeping your fitness goals on track during the winter months as well as all the benefits. Keep your notes handy. Inspiring pictures on a notice board or on your desk can also be a great way to keep focused on your why.

N – Nurture

Winter is definitely the time of the year for nurturing. Unfortunately, when it comes to health and fitness many of us have a “should” mentality that leaves us feeling guilty if we miss a fitness class or a trip to the gym. Focus on what you want to do rather than what you “should” do – it’s far more motivating.

Replace “I should be going to the gym tonight but I’ve had a really stressful day” with “I’m looking forward to the gym tonight. I’m going to take out my stressful day on the punch bag”. If you’re not feeling like going to the gym, then do something that’s nurturing or fun – snuggle up in front of the fire with a book, for example, or curl up with a favourite film.

Whatever you choose to do, immerse yourself and enjoy every moment – don’t feel guilty! The feelgood hormones you generate will probably do you far more good than a resentful trip to the gym.

T – Tune into the natural rhythm of the season

Winter seasonal veg is nature’s way of helping us to gain a few pounds to protect us from these colder months. Yet January is frequently diet season! So rather than beat yourself up for not sticking to a new diet, tune into the natural rhythm of the season.

After the indulgence of the rich food, we often eat at Christmas choose warming simpler soups and casseroles. To reduce the glycemic load, get in the habit of having a bowl of soup without bread. Rather than traditional mash on a Shepherd’s pie try cauliflower mash instead – it’s just as comforting.

As well as being in tune with the season it doesn’t give that feeling of being “on a diet” which can lower our spirits and stop us feeling fired up for exercise!

E – Explore new options

As winter is often the season for consolidation, we may not instinctively think about exploring new exercise options at this time of year. Yet trying something new can bring a new lease of life.

As well as helping with our motivation the new form of exercise will probably be using different muscle groups and so your overall fitness will benefit.

R – Reward

There’s no denying that keeping focused on our health and fitness can be more demanding during the winter months. Our brains tend to respond to acknowledgement far more than criticism so give yourself regular rewards for your efforts to help sustain your motivation and momentum.

Get Strong, Get Fit, Get Happy: A Life Manual For 40+ by Stuart Roberts is out to buy January 23 2020.

Cover of Get Strong, Get Fit, Get Happy: A Life Manual For 40+ by Stuart Roberts

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