For many of us, fitness goals will be at the top of the “to do” list. But heres the thing, while new years resolutions are a fantastic way to focus on improvement, the truth of the matter is, they are usually short lived. We’ve all been there!
First week in January – Ready to take on the world,
First week in February – Resolutions are a distant memory!
To avoid falling into this common trap, here are 3 of my tips for making health and fitness commitments, something that you can stick to!
Be specific with your goals.
The problem I see so often, are the goals people set, are so generalised that it leaves them in No-Mans land. Be as specific as you possibly can. This prevents us from getting lost mid way through the journey.
“I want to get fitter”. Such a vague goal, with no real end point. What defines fitter? How is that measured? Break it down to a much more specific goal.
I want to increase my fitness by improving my 5k time to below 25 minutes.
Prioritise
Changing every aspect of your life seems tempting to many of us in January. But here’s the thing, if you try and change too much too quickly, chances are your on a one way path to failure.
Prioritise what you want to improve or work on first. Once this sis completed, then move onto goal no.2.
Go easy on yourself
We have a tendancy to be extremely hard on ourselves. And the truth is, this doesn’t help us in the slightest. Life happens, things will get in the way and the sooner we realise this, accept it, and learn from it the better!
If you fail to meet some of your goals due to external reasons, don’t beat yourself up!
That being said, if you notice this becoming a common occurence, then it may be worth noting why, so as to prevent this happening again!
Lets face it, Christmas is approaching, and with that, comes the high possibility of us over-indulging
But its Christmas, so we allow it, to a degree…
In this months blog, I am going to give you 3 top tips to get you through this month, your christmas party, and them hazy days between the 26th-30th where you are more likely to eat your fair share of celebrations and drink one too many bottles of beer…
Tip No.1
Remain Active.
Lets be real here for a second, nobody is expecting wonders from you in the weeks running up to Christmas, but don’t use that as an excuse to do nothing.
Remember, something is always better than nothing!
Why not use the time off to go for a walk, get that step count up, and listen to your favourite podcast.
If you happen to be lucky enough not to be working “from home” and happen to get the bus to work, then why not make a conscious effort to get off the bus a stop pr 2 early. Remember every little helps at a time where our activity levels tend to drop!
Tip No. 2
Be mindful of what your drinking
2020 has been a strange year, so I am definitely not going to sit on a pedestal here and tell anybody not to enjoy a drink over the Christmas. But being mindful of the calorie content per drink can help!
With a pint of beer containing anything between 200-400 calories, and a glass of wine containing much the same, it wouldn’t take much before your drinking your daily calories, and this is not to mention all the eating that comes with it.
That being said, I think we can all agree this year more than any year before, we deserve them! But its helpful to know the calories your drinking!
And while having a glass of water in between drinks may sound ridiculous, its going to help keep you hydrated and hangover free… which lets face it, we all struggle with over the Christmas period. Last thing we need when our over enthusiastic Aunty Susan arrives is to be dying with a hangover! (Trust me Ive been there!)
Tip No. 3
Plan Plan Plan
That period between the 26th and the 30th is usually a fuzzy time, where we almost forget what day it is, but if you can spend some time before then planning your days, things are going to seem a lot less cloudy when we get there!
If you know you’ve a night out with family or friends in the evening, aim to get some exercise in during the day, so that you can at least burn off some of the calories you will be having that night.
Every little helps remember…
Also, on the days you are planning on drinking, make sure your nutrition is 100% before then.
Fill up on protein, and vegetables!
Leave the majority of your carb intake to the alcohol.
We have all read at some stage in our lives that exercise is important in some way or another. But have you ever thought about exactly what exercise does for our bodies, from boosting your mood, to improving your sex life, everybody should be exercising.
The health benefits of regular exercise are undeniable. Regardless of age, sex, physical ability, everybody benefits from exercise.
Still on the fence?
Let me give you an insight into the potential exercise has on our lives.
Exercise boots your mental health and overall mood
Stuck in a rut in work? Having problems at home? Finding your day to day life stressful? Whether it’s a gym session, or a brisk walk around the park, a form of exercise has been shown to lift your mood.
How is this possible?
Exercising in any form causes our bodies to release chemicals called Endorphins. These endorphins then interact with the receptors in our brain that help reduce your perception of pain. Sounds crazy right? But this is true. Not only this, but the same endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to a patient been given morphine after a medical procedure!
While we all know how important our mental health is these days, some of us often over look how exercise can improve our state of mental health.
The effects of social media, and pressures we face on a daily basis can quite literally be altered by going out for a walk.
Exercise has been shown to help combat mental health illnesses such as depression ( A recent study done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. In addition to relieving depression symptoms, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing), and anxiety.
Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins. By the end of this blog post, we should be very familiar with the word of endorphins!!
Exercise combats health conditions
Whilst looking after our mental health is crucial, lets not forget out physical importance too.
If you are worried about heart problems, or lowering a high level of cholesterol, then exercise may be the chosen treatment for you.
For years, regular exercise has been shown to prevent us being linked to any of the following medical conditions:
Stroke
Metabolic syndrome
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Exercise can be an important social aspect of your life
Yes exercise is important for our mental health 100%, and equally important for our physical health. But lets not forget just how helpful it can be for our social lives.
Writing this blog post, I think back to when I started training, and realise that of all my friends right now, I’d say 50% of them, I’ve met through exercising. Whether that’s football training, or in a gym setting. You both have this common goal of improving yourself but also having fun. Two birds – One stone!
Exercise gives us a chance to un-wind. A chance to switch off and move for an hour or two. A chance to talk about a football match, or a soap drama your following, all while moving. Remember movement itself is the goal here, it does not need to be prefusely sweating in a dumbbell section of a testosterone filled gym. Exercise for you, may be a dance class!
Exercise also re-ignites (or further ignites!) your sex life
Feeling too tired or too uncomfortable in your body to enjoy physical intimacy ?
I think we can all agree that regular exercise, will improve your physical appearance, not to mention the enormous effect it will have on your confidence. This confidence, may be what your missing in your sex life.
So start enjoying exercise, and then start enjoying intimacy with the lights on!
Exercise boosts energy
Lets face it, todays world moves at a quick pace. We don’t really have time to sit around and wait for things to happen. But having a high level of energy is key to making “things happen”.
How does exercise directly link up to our energy levels ?
Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle them jobs, that tend to take the back-seat when the going gets tough.
…So the bottom line on exercise
Exercise, in whatever form you choose to undertake needs to be fun. It needs to be something you enjoy. And also, it needs to be something you see yourself sticking to. Consistency is key, remember that folks!
We all know that miserable feeling in the morning: you wake up feeling like a zombie, just on the verge of calling work off and rushing back to bed. Cork City winters haven’t made it any easier to *not* be lazy! But then, the first cup of coffee meets your mouth. You feel the exhaustion melt away from your body. Caffeine runs through your veins all of a sudden. You feel energized like never before. Time to seize the day!
Now, imagine yourself in the same state right before your workout. You know, when you feel way too logie to drag yourself to those dreaded machines and work up a sweat. Don’t you think coffee would have the same invigorating effect? It absolutely would!
For all the Cork City residents looking to get in shape for Summer 2k20 – we’re here to help you out with some solid coffee facts. In this article, we break down 4 Reasons To Have Coffee Right Before Your Workouts
It Can Improve Focus
Even if you haven’t slept properly the night before but want to ace your workout session – coffee can help tremendously. Studies have found that people who consumed caffeine before their workout were able to concentrate more during the workout, and hence devoted their full mental energy to the task at hand. The more focused, the more fit!
It Boosts Your Athletic Performance
There’s a reason why athletes all over the world are having caffeine before their matches: it makes them much faster! A Research Trial on marathon runners found that consuming just 5 mg of caffeine before a 5k helped the participants cut off 12 seconds from their run time. That’s a pretty remarkable effect, y’all. Think of the wonders it could do for *your* treadmill sessions!
It Can Quicken Muscle Recovery
Muscle Recovery must be a priority for anyone looking to bounce back from draining workouts with even more strength and energy. Coffee to the rescue! The American Physiological Society states that caffeine before (or after) your workout can aid in muscle recovery. Especially if it’s consumed with carbs.
It Improves Circulation
Get your heart pumping right! Research from Harvard University has shown that caffeine can improve blood flow by 30% over long workouts. The better your circulation, the more oxygen will reach your muscles during your workout, and the more muscle power you’ll be able to utilize.
Bottom Line:
With all those pricey pre-workout supplements we’re being sold today…..coffee really is the only solution we need! One Life Fitness understands the importance of pre-workout caffeine for gym goers. That’s why this premier Cork City Gym has a one-stop shop for different types of coffee and other beverages. What’s more: feel free to ask your One Life Fitness personal trainer for any nutritional or training advice. Sign up for a membership today and get some valuable free classes as a bonus. We’re truly hoping you’ll amp up your workouts after reading this article.
Happy Coffee Drinkin’!
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy
