I like to think of September as the new Jan. A fresh start after a month (or three) of socialising which, for most, is paired with over-indulgence.
Others may have been ferrying offspring nonstop and not had a moment to think about themselves. Well here is your chance to reset and refocus.
We are just over a week in… so this post is more of a reminder than a plan. After all its common for resolutions to be dropped in the first ten days of setting them.
Here are some simple tips to regain control of your path while we exit the summer months.
Set a goal. It's hard to know which way to go if you have no clue where you’re trying to get to. Add a time to achieve your goal, make it measurable and achievable. Below are a few examples with time frames that won’t entail making drastic changes to your lifestyle:
Lose 4kg of bodyweight (6 weeks)
Run 5km in under 35 minutes (6 - 9weeks)
Save 10% of your income this month (4 weeks)
Below are some goals that don’t require any time. You can start today:
Eat 5 portions of fruit of veg a day
Walk 10,000 steps a day
Read 10 pages of a book a day
Make yourself accountable. Use habit tracker, set a reminder or have a partner or friend ask you the same question at the end of each week- 'Have you ticked all the boxes?' The difference in habit adherence is crazy when you let people know what you’re trying to achieve. You know yourself best, if physically ticking a box each day will give you a sense of progress, do it. You can buy a paper habit tracker on amazon. Making a group chat of friends that have similar goals to you will help you all stay accountable to a plan. Posting wins in the chat, creating a positive space to celebrate each others progress will only make the process easier.
Make it affordable. There is no need to pay for a personal trainer 3x a week, spending money that we will all evidently need this winter. Use free resources online, there is so much out there. Albeit abundant, it can breed confusion. So here are few sites we recommend here at Palm Rock. Nutrition (Advanced): https://www.livestrong.com/article/72387-low-carb-diet-vs.-calorie/ Simple and super effective: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/ Frankly, reducing alcohol intake to once a week, reducing processed sugars and eating more vegetables with each meal will have a drastic affect on your energy levels, weekly calorie intake and loads more! Training: There are legends out there, still releasing free workouts daily- post the lockdown boom. Youtube is a great resource that won’t cost you anything (apart from adverts). There is fruitful supply of coaches and workouts on there, meaning you can find a level of difficulty that suits you. You just have to take the time to find it. If you want some excellent production value, energy and consistency https://fiit.tv/ have a brilliant platform at a very competitive price. Couch to 5k: A popular running programme provided by the NHS. A progressive structure that will slowly build you up to a 5km distance over 9 weeks. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/running-and-aerobic-exercises/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/
Make most of the daylight hours. Although the rain has arrived more frequently, we are still having more daylight than in the coming months. Get outside when you can, whether that be a morning or evening walk around work timings, or a lunch time stroll to break up the day- increasing energy and reducing sugary-food cravings. If you can walk or cycle the kids to school in the morning, do it now! It will make a huge difference to your daily calorie expenditure and if weight loss/exercise more is your goal- this is the one for you.