However, you still need to move and not fall into the trap of eating those heavy winter comfort foods that we love so much.
When you start your workout regime, keep these points in mind and they will help you to stay on track.
Firstly, you need variety – the more varied your workout the better. Secondly, you need consistency – do something active every day. And finally, make sure there’s intensity with at least three of your workouts each week – get out of your comfort zone by pushing yourself a little.
You don’t have to go crazy, but if you’re going for a walk as part of your fitness routine, make sure it’s not a gentle stroll!
In my app 28 by Sam Wood, I outline various exercises you can do each day with me for 28 minutes plus give tips on fitness.
To help get you inspired, here are 10 points for keeping in top shape:
TOP TIPS TO STAY IN SHAPE
1. Don’t look too far ahead
When you’re embarking on a fitness routine, remember baby steps are fine. The first few weeks are always the most difficult, so don’t try to go too hard. Make sure you have support and motivation around you. Have a few mantras up your sleeve which you can say to yourself to keep yourself going. At my personal training facility The Woodshed in Melbourne, we like to say “progress is not perfection” and our clients work in four week blocks.
2. Aim for 30 minutes’ exercise a day
Some people say that 30 minutes of exercise three times a week is enough. I think you should be aiming for around half an hour per day. We are designed to and need to keep moving. That’s what we recommend in my 28 by Sam Wood – a 28 minute different video workout with me everyday – I’ll let you shave two minutes off but I always encourage incidental activity wherever possible! There are lots of things you can do, like going for a walk or doing work in the garden.
3. Get a workout doing housework
It’s important to do something active that gets your heart rate up and makes your muscles work every day. However that doesn’t mean you have to become a gym junkie. You can still put a spring in your step whilst you’re doing housework, or by taking a quick run up the stairs.
4. Break up your fitness routine with short bursts
If you can’t find a half hour slot, then it’s fine to break up the activity by doing 10 minutes of exercise three times a day. This could be little things like doing a sprint to the train station when you’re heading to work, or taking the stairs up to your office instead of the lift. Making the most of those small opportunities wherever you can is really important.
5. Focus on your core and this includes your bum.
I often hear from women that the areas they most want to tone and strengthen are their thighs, tummy and bum. There are several great exercises for this such as squats, lunges, plank and leg lowers. Perform reps of each without stopping for 40 seconds. Try to have a minimal rest between each exercise and then at the end of the round give yourself a bit of a break and then proceed with four more rounds.
6. Build muscle when you can
Aside from cardio stuff, there also needs to be a resistance component to your workouts. From a bone density perspective, it’s important for women in particular to strengthen muscle. This will improve your posture, your tone, and make you more efficient at burning fat. You can strengthen and tone muscle with weights but you don’t have to. Bands, balls or bodyweight are a great alternative.
7. Use household items to tone up
You don’t need a lot of fancy gear. Bottles of water and cans of soup are good items to use as weights to tone your arms initially. As you build up your strength you can then invest in a light pair of dumbbells.
8. Push yourself when you’re ready
Start off slow, but once you feel confident, and have developed a solid fitness level, then don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and really get your heart rate up. Interval training which has a good work to rest ratio will produce results.
9. Set realistic goals
My mentality is to always set realistic and specific goals. Break up that big ultimate weight-loss objective down into mini goals. Through my program we work in 28 day blocks which is more than achievable and before you know it, 3 blocks have come and gone and you are so close to reaching your ultimate goal.
10. If you fall off the wagon, keep going!
If you have a little hiccup in your fitness journey, guess what. It makes you normal. Don’t drop your bundle! Just get back on the horse and keep going. It happens to everyone. If you make fitness a part of your life that you look forward to, then you won’t have trouble returning to it.
The Carousel would like to thank Sam Wood for his article. Check his website out here.
