So the holidays are over and we are back at work, how do we get that motivation back on track again?
We work hard to look good for summer holidays, maybe a beach body or simply to feel more comfortable when flashing some flesh in the hot summer weather. The downside is while we are on holiday we tend to let our fitness and nutrition slide a bit and that’s okay, we earned it right?
The problem now is after that great summer you have put on some unwanted body fat and need to shift it. But there is so much to do what with the kids going back to school, work seems to have just piled up while you were away and you can be left feeling a bit deflated. So with this post-summer melancholy, you are struggling to refocus and finding it difficult to get back into your old routine.
Tell me something I don’t know! I hear you say, well here it is…”You are not the only one!” I went away this year with a plan to work out every day; I even booked a hotel specifically because it had a gym! Well I went once - to look around it!
Now don’t get me wrong I still worked out but I chose to swim in the ocean and run, I also managed to do my open water diving course qualification (awesome btw!).
It was too hot to do anything else and it was, after all, a holiday. I tried lots of different types of food and because I was not watching my nutrition as carefully as normal and drank a few too many mojitos, I gained a few pounds (but what a holiday!)
Well there are only two times in the year that cause this issue, summer and Christmas. The bonus in September is that the gyms are quiet (unlike January what with New Year resolutions and so on.) The children are back at school, which means you may get more free time in the day, and if swimming is your thing, the pool will be clear of screaming, bombing kids.
For me I have changed up my workout routine to help me get back into it. I intend to add in more swimming and cycling as well as working out in the gym. Trying something new is the key to success in fitness; getting bored will mean you simply stop doing it. You might want to try some classes at the local gym or start walking in the countryside. Think about cross training for more functionality. If you are a runner, for example, try some swimming; it’s low impact but will provide an upper body workout as well as flexibility, CV strength and endurance. Maybe join a group or club within your sport - a cycling club or maybe a triathlon club. Meeting likeminded people will really help you get back on track!
If you don’t have any resistance training in your fitness regime, I highly recommend it. Resistance training can really help to change your body shape (with the correct nutrition of course.) Weight training has long been the domain of men but luckily today more women than ever flock to the gym to work out. Women’s Health Mag found that only two out of five women use weights but out of all surveyed, the women who included weights in their workout lost up to 40% more fat.
If you just want to get back into your old routine then make sure you get your workouts in the diary, prioritise yourself and be a little selfish. If you have a partner, try to work around each other’s commitments, that is of course if you can’t work out together. Be the first to contact your workout partner, don’t leave it to them or it may take a while! On a slightly negative point, think about whom you are working out with - are they positive, like minded and above all do they leave you hanging or consistently let you down?
If you are going to the gym or cycling or even running, now is a great time to reassess your goals - both short and long term. Most people’s goal leading up to summer is lose weight (should be body fat - remember the scale lies!) to look good on the beach. Think about positive goals and set new milestones on the way to those goals. Think about your equipment - is it still functional and if it was a really good summer does it still fit…? Have you been listening to the same playlist all year? Maybe it’s time to say good bye to your good old faithful or you can just add a new list (I have used the same playlist for years lol but you can’t beat a bit of 80s house… right?). We all work harder to our favourite tunes!
Obviously that just leaves nutrition and sleep, THE most important part to any fitness regime. Get back on the healthy eating train, after all, food is the fuel that keeps you moving. It’s your energy supply; if you eat rubbish you will feel rubbish. Keep eating that lean protein and hitting the fruit and veg. When thinking about your carbs, just stick to the healthy versions and control your portion sizes; stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Maybe now is the time to rekindle that love of cooking, these days recipes are all over the internet so try something new - it may be your favourite food and you just don’t know it yet!
If you think a specifically designed health and fitness programme including dietary advice is what you need, Solstice Fitness is a good place to start! At Solstice Fitness you would get an individually tailored one-to-one fat loss, health and fitness training programme with dietary advice and regular checks. Training takes place in private when you want to train; the one-to-one service means you get the trainer’s full attention.
Contact us for a FREE consultation where you can decide whether you want proceed and create a tailored package based around your needs. You and Mick will decide on what you need to do to move forward, this can be weight loss, gaining muscle, increasing fitness or just a chance to get private one to one training sessions that make you want more!
