Healthy’s New Year’s fitness resolutions

Make 2016 the year in which you finally take those pristine trainers out of their hiding place under your bed, don that sports bra that makes you look flat-chested and force yourself to exercise at least three times a week. Work your way through this list of fitness resolutions and it really won’t be long before you fall in love with your new active way of life.

1 Hire a personal trainer

If you need help reaching your fitness goals or are simply stuck in a bit of a rut, hiring a personal trainer for a couple of sessions is a great idea. They can be costly, but a qualified PT will be able to tell you where you are going wrong, whether you are exercising properly and help you to develop a doable training plan.

2 Take a fitness holiday

It’s important to take some quality me-time every now and again to de-stress and take care of yourself. Instead of flopping on a beach for a week, you could book an activity-based holiday as the perfect kick-start to your new fitness regime. Green Farm Fitness and New You Bootcamp both offer fantastic weekend fitness breaks.

3 Get fitted for a sports bra

Wearing a properly fitted sports bra when you exercise helps to protect the Cooper’s ligaments, which stop breasts from sagging. You can choose between an encapsulation bra or a compression bra, although the former normally offers the best support for larger breasts.

 4 Enter a charity event

Although it can be annoying when you are constantly being asked to sponsor your friends and colleagues for yet another charity sport event, it really is a great way to motivate yourself to get into exercise or try a new sport. If you’re always meaning to take up running, sign yourself up to a charity race and you’ll have no choice but to give those trainers an airing.

5 Get your running style analysed

Women are naturally wider at the hips which makes us pull our knees towards the centre of our body when we run, increasing risk of injury. If you’re a regular runner, having a gait analysis could potentially save you from encountering silly injuries. A physiotherapist or sports therapist will film you running and then examine your style to spot any issues, then show you some little changes you could make to your technique to lessen your risk of injury.

Once you’ve had your technique critiqued, follow these steps to become an all round better runner

6 Join a local club

If you struggle to get yourself motivated to exercise, joining a local club is the best way to make sure you get off that sofa and do it. Exercising with people is much easier than attempting to go it alone. Local sports clubs are also incredibly social and a great way of meeting new people.

7 Try something you’re scared of

Variety is good in every aspect of our lives, exercise included. Keep your fitness regime interesting by incorporating new sports and exercise classes into it every now and again. By swapping your Saturday morning Pilates class for Taekwondo or canoeing one week you may find something new that you absolutely love. And if you hate it? Well, just go back to Pilates next week.

8 Find a complementary exercise too

Different sports use different muscles and as such it’s always a great idea to practice a complimentary sport alongside your chosen favourite. As well as using different muscle types, varying what exercise you do also stops your body from becoming bored of your usual routine.

9 Do a team event

Signing up for a sporty event with a group of friends is a great way to make yourself do something that you probably never would have done alone as you will be eager not to let them down. There’s several fun (but really challenging) events out there to choose from, how about taking on a split marathon, Tough Mudder or a Zumbathon?

10 Learn to exercise mindfully

You don’t have to meditate to be in tune with your body, focusing on how your muscles work and how good exercise makes you feel will be enough to increase the amount of effort that you put in. It’s important not to focus solely on your final fitness goal but to enjoy the process of succeeding in getting there instead.

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Healthy's New Year's fitness resolutions

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Take inspiration from Healthy's top 10 fitness resolutions and discover a new, healthier you in 2016.

Author

Rosalind Ryan

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Healthy

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