‘Oh no it’s a new year and I’ve not changed!’ We say GOOD!
Whilst everyone is stressing about making, and keeping to the New Year’s Resolutions they’ve made, (10 days done 355 to go!) this week Sophie from doubleshot. and I, Aimee from SPRT, are here to tell you why you should chill out and sack the stress off! Put the kale down for two minutes and give our post a little read!?
Our tips!
1. Get those double shots in the diary! Make them part of seeing and spending time with friends and eating some hella-tasty food after.
Our thoughts: There is no need to be so black and white about health and fitness! You are still allowed to have fun! That’s definitely what it’s all about, if you’re not having fun then it’s not going to work or the changes will not stand the test of time! Laughing whilst sweating makes the best results!
2. Try to ignore the whole “New Year New You” rubbish!
You’re great because you are you! Don’t feel the need to reinvent yourself just because the calendar has ticked over! Put your emphasis into starting a good SLEEP routine – it is SO important!!!! After Christmas we’re all a bit shattered so focus on taking some time out and decide what’s on your priority list! How can you set new goals without reflecting on what goals you want to create in the first place!?
3. Consistency is key!
And this is so important in achieving goals one step at a time. Small changes in your lifestyle or daily routine can result in a huge difference as long as you continue to do them consistently. This could be anything, from fifteen minutes of exercise every day or cutting out that chocolate sugar hit you crave mid-afternoon! Any change in the new year, we believe has to be implemented sustainably and with the right, healthy mindset: Small changes are the perfect way to do this. Trying to do too much all at once is when it can all easily go wrong and become too much that you give up altogether!
4. Get some inspo!
Follow some positive people and messages on Instagram and unfollow the ones that don’t inspire you or make you feel negative about yourself! There’s nothing better than a new year cleanse and so why are you following people who don’t bring you joy? Remember, although social media is great and helps us stay connected, a lot of the content on Instagram isn’t a true and transparent reflection of everyday life! Instead, its an edited ‘best-bits’ version of life so don’t let yourself fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others and wishing you had someone else’s life.
5. Make exercise social!
Make sure you’re using the SPRT App and to find what’s going on in your area and to discover your next passion! Meet some new people to inject that bit of energy and motivation you need into you! Joining events is not only a lot of fun but people will also expect you to be there and that’s awesome to keep you motivated and accountable! Now SPRT will be putting on not one but TWO weekly events, so make sure you’ve downloaded the SPRT App to stay up to date and to take part in all of our great, free events.
6. Plan.
Half of the success is in the planning and preparation, so get your planner out and start scribbling! Put your workout in your diary as if it were a work meeting- that way there’s no excuse to miss it! And the same goes for making time for friends, the weekly Skype call with family or even food. Make a shopping list and plan your weekly shop before you hit the shops: don’t break the golden rule…NEVER go shopping when you’re hungry!?
No one’s perfect!
Both Sophie and I are definitely not immune to having our fair share of struggles with New Year’s Resolutions, and in the effort of transparency and openness of #teamsprt we thought we’d share with you some of our biggest fails! Maybe others can offer us some coaching, but we hope that some of you guys can identify with the things that have gone wrong with us in the past to try and work on and improve this year with us!
1. Making a giant list of resolutions.
We’ve all been there, getting to the end of our NY resolutions list and then realising there’s more than would ever be possible, so we often just sit there and don’t work on completing any of them! We’re not just talking specifically about health and fitness goals here either, there’s always such pressure for some resolutions to be this way inclined but actually, they don’t have to be! Sophie said, ‘I remember my best friend and I had three years running straight when we had our same lists up in our flat because we never did any of them! So this year we want to try and focus on a smaller number of things but really try to give them our all!’
2. This brings us to our next point- not being specific enough!
One of Sophie’s for instance for a long, long time was to ‘learn a language’, she said to me instead it should’ve been to ‘sign up for a Spanish conversation class and complete a B2 level test. I could definitely identify with this, I wanted to ‘get fitter and healthier’ for a long time but was never specific enough to be able to tick the box of achieving something, that’s why this year I’ve signed up for 2 half marathons to complete as a stepping stone to becoming, fitter and stronger!
Our important message: Don’t ever think that your resolution isn’t worthy enough. Forget skydiving over the grand canyon if your goal for the year is to run a 10km run then good for you! Don’t let anyone ever give you the impression that yours are anything less than worthy in their own right.
3. Don’t get too caught up with the ideas of ‘being healthy’ just being a specific appearance in your head -it’s not!
You could have a six pack and be shredded and not be able to run a 10k or touch your toes or have regulated hormones or good digestion or peace of mind! The list goes on but our point is that healthy looks different to everyone, so don’t categorise it and put it in an unrealistic box!
It really is never too late to set goals!
We’re only 10 days into a new year so if you’re only just starting to think about the things you’d like to achieve in 2019 then go for it and don’t let the date stop you. On the other side of the equation, if you are not setting resolutions, then all power to you! One thing doesn’t work for everyone so stick to your roots and do what you know is best for you!
