We are now entering the most challenging period of the year to stay on track with our health and fitness goals; however it is easier than you think to stay on track!
From now until the start of January we suggest that for the majority of people the target should be to maintain the health and fitness results that you have achieved so far. To do this there a few simple strategies we recommend that you try to get through December in a strong position and ready to kick on with your health and fitness plan in the New Year.
Stop & Think
Now is a great time to take stock and analyse how your fitness plan has gone in 2018. For many I hope when you do this you will be able to look back on the progress you have made over the past year with some pride and satisfaction. Often you don’t realise the progress and great habits you have adopted over the past few months until you stop and take stock of things.
If things have not gone as well as you would have liked, then use this as a chance to stop and give some thought to why you have failed, and maybe ask yourself what you have learned from the experiences you have had and what you can maybe do different in the future – remember: There is no failure, only feedback!
Set Your Mind For Success
With everything going on at this time of the year, your health and fitness goals can quickly slip down your level of importance and consciousness. When this happens you are a lot more likely to eat poorly and drink more alcohol as your goals are no longer as high on your agenda. Subconsciously this can cause you to act differently.
To prevent this from happening, write down what you want to achieve in 2019 with your health and fitness. Write a list of everything that will be great about achieving these goals. Now read these goals regularly and know that what you do now will have an impact on you achieving these goals.
Get excited about the things that you want to achieve next year and hopefully this will help you make better choices over the next few weeks and months.
Start Planning
I really don’t like cheesy quotes but I am going to use one anyway…..
When it comes to comes to the festive season and your health and fitness plans it is a case of:
“Fail to prepare – prepare to fail”
If you don’t look ahead and give some consideration to what you hope to do in December it can pass you by in a blur. So, when it comes to exercise be conservative with what you can achieve. Aim low and if you do more than you said that will be a bonus.
Too often we underestimate how busy we are going to be in December then we don’t manage the workouts we had scheduled, and this can have a negative impact on how we act and feel. Aim to stay positive in a positive mindset by hitting realistic targets: Maybe go for 2 to 3 thirty minute bodyweight circuits in the house per week for quickness.
When it comes to food and alcohol, having a plan can be important also. Pick when you are going to take some time off and eat and drink what you fancy with no guilt attached to it. If you do this a few times over the month of December, the damage is going to be minimum.
By contrast, many people see it as a weakness when they veer from their diets. They then throw the toys out of the pram and go on an eating / drinking binge for weeks, causing quite a bit of damage in their health and fitness plan. This makes you over-hungry and more likely to make unhealthy food choices.
So, to summarise:
- Take some time and plan what you want your festive season to look like.
- Keep it simple and don’t over commit yourself.
- Remember the occasional slip up is normal, so don’t beat yourself up about it.
- Write down what you want to achieve in 2019 and why you want to achieve it. Even try to get excited about it!
Thanks,
Paul
