It’s 2019 – CRAZY !!

Now that the festive season is over, many people set themselves New Years resolutions – most with a strong focus on health and fitness.

Weight loss, dry January, eating healthily, going Vegan, training every weekday, running – many people give themselves BIG challenging goals to achieve and stack them up !! They commit 100% until they just can’t do it anymore. Sound familiar?

I am more about the SUSTAINABILITY and lifestyle change – where I recommend setting goals but with a clear plan including smaller milestones along the way.

Small habit changes daily are more manageable and accumulatively amount to huge progress over time – all of which is sustainable!

So I have created a few health and lifestyle changes that you can start to adopt this January to help you create sustainable change that is realistic and achievable.

Mix Up Your Diet

In 2018 everyone was talking about gut health – pre-biotics, probiotics and digestive health.

So much information came out and so many products became more widely available in supermarkets and shops. The one change which everyone consistently recommended though was diversifying your diet.

So how can you do this? Consume a wider range of plant based foods. They have been proved to increase the diversity of your gut micro biome and support long term gut heath. So you could aim to try one new plant based food a week.

Get More Sleep

Sleep is SO important but is generally overlooked because our lives are so busy. Lack of sleep impacts not only our short term health and performance but our long term wellbeing.

To get immediate benefits – aim to get more sleep ! So I recommend aiming to add one hour to your daily sleep quantity. This can be done by getting to bed an hour earlier in the evening – something which is easier than you think once you start being regimented with disconnecting yourself from technology – super important (I need to do this MORE!)

Establish a Fitness Routine

This is one of the most common new years resolutions come January, but many people find it super tough!!

What is a fitness routine? How long should I work out? Should I be using weights? Do I need a gym membership? How do I progress over time?

There’s SO much to know and it can be confusing!!

At the Hunt Fitness Studio we help you establish an exercise routine, we educate you on progressive training, correct technique and how to have fun whilst exercising. We have an amazing community of men and women who are all on the same journey as you and will keep you accountable !

Take Time for You

Mindfulness was MASSIVE in 2018 and the benefits are huge not only for mental health but also physical wellbeing. Our lives are increasingly stressful therefore the value of taking a moment to connect with ourselves is SO important.

I recommend downloading the Calm app or Headspace and taking part in their free introductory courses. These include 7-10 minute daily meditations which teach you the basics and get you in a mindfulness routine. After the introductory course you can use the timed meditation tool to take yourself through daily practice. Release expectations of having to meditate for 20 minutes. I try aim for 3-5 minutes a day as this takes the pressure off and is realistic for me but see what works for you.

Drink Water

I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times – drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day!

We are made up of predominantly water and we need to be optimally hydrated to function adequately.

The easiest way I have found to increase my water intake is to carry a large reusable water bottle with me everywhere.

Aim for one which is 750ml or more in size, then you know you only need to drink it 2-3 times to reach your minimum daily water intake and always hydrate before you drink caffeine ! I definitely need to improve this one in this cold weather !!

So there you have it ! Hope these easy steps can help you to be healthier and happier this January.

Remember to set realistic and small steps that are easy to adopt to achieve sustainability.

Any questions and comments please get in touch – I’d love to hear from you!