New Years resolutions. We all make them and at some point or another one of those resolutions will probably be to join a gym or to eat healthy. Realistically most people don’t keep their resolutions and give up on them by the middle of January. So I thought what better post to write than some things that helped me when I made the same resolution this time last year.
- Shop around – don’t just join the first gym you find! Lots of gyms do free trials so you can decide if it is going to work for you. Picking a gym that’s convenient and easy to get to is a great idea for those times when you can’t really be bothered. Pick a gym thats close to work/uni or on your way home and take your gym stuff with you.
- Organise a gym induction – this will make you feel more comfortable when you go on your own.
- Plan your workout – so you don’t feel like a lost and headless chicken wondering around when you get there. It also gives you the opportunity to look up how to do exercises properly. There are so many free workouts out there which brings me to my next point…
- Follow a couple of motivational accounts on Instagram – great for workout ideas and keeping you motivated! A quick search for workouts will give you lots and lots of videos and posts with workouts you can do
- Invest in a couple of cute gym outfits – the saying look good feel good really does apply! You don’t have to break the bank, take advantage of the January sales or places like primark do cute gym wear for cheap.
- Get a gym buddy – not always possible but definitely motivational! When I joined the gym I joined with my housemate and for at least the first month we went together until I felt comfortable to go on my own
And if getting healthy is your goal….
- Drink lots of water – make it a target to drink more it will make a huge difference to how you feel and is a nice easy starting point to ease yourself in!
- You don’t need to eat chicken and veg for every meal! Mix it up, pick up a healthy recipe book and aim to make a couple of meals from this a week
- Download an app to help keep track of calories – one of the biggest issues people have is eating portions that are too big, tracking calories is an easy way to stay on track BUT don’t restrict yourself! If you want that chocolate bar then you eat that chocolate bar.
And finally….
DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP IF YOU “FALL OFF THE WAGON!” If you miss one workout or have that takeaway you said you wouldn’t don’t just give up. Life gets in the way and its important to enjoy life! You don’t have to be healthy all day everyday to make progress or feel better in yourself. Just keep at it and remember to enjoy yourself.
The gym should be enjoyed and shouldn’t feel like a chore. If it does you are way less likely to stick to it!
Happy New Year and best of luck sticking to your resolutions whatever they may be!
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What’s in my gym bag
My gym essentials. The things that live in my gym bag and I couldn’t live without them! As a new gym goer I had no clue what I needed and over time I’ve worked out what I need to have the best workout!
Gym bag item number 2 – BCAA’s. Now it took me a while to get on the BCAA train and I think it is very important to remember that supplements are NOT necessary to make progress. BCAA’s or branched chain amino acids are very popular within the fitness industry and you will see lots of fitness bloggers and the like promoting or talking about them. Your body doesn’t produce all the proteins your body needs, some of them have to come from your diet and BCAA’s contain 3 of those proteins which help to maintain and grow muscle. I drink them during my workout but you can have them before or after it just depends what you want to do. My favourite flavour so far (I’ve only tried 3 so it’s not that difficult a contest) is the MyProtien Tropical Storm flavour. I bought the smallest pouch nearly 6 months ago and I’m still not half way through it! I also bought this little tub from them to store it in instead of the pouch that it comes in because it is so much easier to transport. Fair warning though it makes a right mess trying to get it into the tub! I use the MyProtein active women mini shaker because 1 – it’s purple and 2 – its perfect size for a workout drink. Fair warning though the colour of your BCAA’s might end up staining the top of the lid…it comes off in a couple of washes though so it’s not the end of the world!
Gym music – I either love it or hate it. Some days they are playing all the tunes other days…not so much. For those days There is nothing better than a good pair of wireless headphones. I tried the wired ones…did not end well. I am lucky enough to own a pair of Beats and they are amazing but obviously a bit on the pricey side. There are plenty of cheaper options on Amazon if you shop around a bit. I also had an unfortunate incident where my headphones ran out mid workout. So I now keep my old pair in my gym bag as well as a spare pair should that happen again! These are great though they really block out all other sound so you can really focus on you and what you’re doing.
I know I’ve talked about this water bottle before but I honestly don’t go anywhere without it! If I’m doing quite a high intensity workout I need more than just my BCAA’s so this big water bottle comes in handy. I suppose I could just go to the fountain and back but that’s a lot of effort and I could lose my spot and I would definitely lose my rhythm and concentration (I’m easily distracted). The little hook means I can hold it on one finger as well so it’s easy to move around even though I also have my BCAA’s (all of the fluids – gotta stay hydrated).
Last but not least my final gym essential is my set of resistance bands. I love taking inspiration from other peoples workouts on Instagram and youtube and a resistance band is somewhat a must have. I can never workout where they are in the gym so I have found it easier to just bring my own. This pack contains 4 bands of varying strength – light, medium, strong and extra strong. Personally I use the medium and strong the most. Resistance bands are also great for at home workouts.
a blog by lottie 