Out & About Winter 2019

Out&About wellbeing

FITNESS

The winter months can be a challenging time of year as Christmas throws routine out of the window, exercise and nutrition are often challenged and habits broken. VICKI BROWN offers some tips to keep you on track

like, but at least you are more likely to achieve it. • Make sure you have a way to measure your progress – a lack of progress is a common reason of falling away from your goal, so make sure you are able to track and adjust when necessary. • Take lifestyle goals overall into account – most physical and wellbeing goals involve awareness of exercise, overall activity, nutrition, sleep and recovery, stress and happiness. Figure Out Which Habits Work For You • Think of the small choices you can make every day, regardless of the time of year. • Get yourself moving by doing whatever it is that you find fun, dancing while you are doing the ironing or jumping on a trampoline (not while you’re ironing!) – all these things count towards your daily activity. • What helps you relax? – think about the things that you like to do that make you feel more relaxed, maybe going for a walk, reading a book, having a bath. Try and incorporate these things into your weekly routine.

Tips to end 2019 and kickstart 2020 The Festive Season

• Be prepared to adapt – one of the biggest challenges faced by many at this time of year is all the events that change your usual routine. Consider working out in different ways or using other methods. If time is short, motivation lacking and you find it harder to get to the gym, you may need to look at different options – perhaps a home workout, increasing your walking or heading out locally for a jog. • Allow yourself to enjoy the festivities and have fun. The pleasures of this time of year are to be enjoyed, but remember the boring ‘moderation’ term really does help to keep your overall goals in reach. New Year Habits • Set yourself short-, medium- and long-term goals. • Be realistic – make sure your targets are appropriate to the time and energy you have to give to them. That may mean it takes longer to achieve a goal than you ideally would

Movements You Can Do Anywhere Anytime

Wall Sit/Squat Hold If you are near a wall, rest your back against it and sit down until the angle of your knees are at 90˚. You need to make sure your feet are far enough away from the wall for this to happen. Hold this position for as long as you can. If you’re not near a wall, place your feet hip width apart, sit back, chest up, core engaged and try and hold the position for as long as possible (you could hover just above a chair for safety).

Stand on one leg Ground through the floor, engage your core before lifting the opposite foot off the ground. (to take this to a more advanced level, raise your knee up level with your hips and then take your leg back, the movement will require greater control and test your balance more)

Plank Place elbows or hands, depending on level, directly under shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder width). Ground toes into the floor and squeeze glutes to stabilise your body and engage your core. Look at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands to maintain a neutral spine. Hold for as long as you can, maintaining good form.

I hope these tips help you with your choices over the coming months and you all have a wonderful end of 2019 and start to 2020. If you need any help at all with any of these goals, get in touch with LiveFitNow.

Vicki Brown runs: LiveFitNow, Wash Common, Newbury. Telephone: 07879 447829. www.LiveFitNow.co.uk

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O&A WINTER 2019