insideKENT Magazine Issue 34 - January 2015 | Page 80

HEALTH+WELLNESS

New Year, New (Fitter) You
With 2014 coming to an end, so must the festive overindulgence. The Christmas
party binges have all but ended, the last of the turkey sandwiches have been
consumed, and all that remains is a tin of chocolates that nobody likes.
For many, the start of
the New Year will signal
the start of a new fitness
campaign. Getting fit
and losing weight are
two of the most
common New Year’s
resolutions, but
unfortunately, they are
also two of the most
commonly broken. To
avoid losing focus or
falling by the wayside
altogether, follow these
five simple rules:

1. Make Goals Specific
Be very specific about your goals;
don’t be vague. Make them
measureable. For example, instead
of saying ‘I want to lose weight’,
say ‘I want to drop two dress sizes’.

4. Tell People
Tell your friends, family and work
colleagues. The more people that
you tell about your new healthy
lifestyle, the more likely you are to
stick to it.

2. Be Realistic
Make sure your goals are attainable.
If you set the bar too high, you are
only setting yourself up for failure.

5. Take One Day at a Time
Take each 24-hour period as it
comes, and start afresh every day.
Don’t be tempted to write the rest
of the week off just because you
fell off the wagon on Tuesday; get
straight back on first thing
Wednesday morning, and any lapse
will soon be forgotten.

3. Break Down Long-term Goals
Set yourself a long-term goal, but
aim to achieve it by setting several
smaller short-term goals along the
way. Reward yourself at each
stepping stone to help keep you
motivated.

Your New Year exercise
programme should comprise of
two main components: a
cardiovascular aspect to
improve heart and lung function,
and a weight-bearing aspect to
target and strengthen the
muscles and bones. Each
exercise should focus on the
larger muscle groups of the
body for maximum calorie burn,
and each should be performed
just outside of your comfort
zone. At the perfect intensity,
you should be slightly
breathless, yet still able to hold
a conversation.

Try this simple workout to get you started. The programme includes three pairs of exercises, each pair containing one cardio
and one resistance exercise. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, alternating between resistance and cardio. This express
exercise programme twice a week will hit all of the major muscle groups and you will see results within a month.

Resistance

Cardiovascular
Squats (Lower Body)
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart,
bend your knees and push your bum
backwards as if sitting into a chair. Keep your
weight in your heels, your torso upright and
push your hands out in front for balance. When
you are parallel to the floor, push back up to
standing.

Step Ups
Step up onto a low
step with both feet.
Step back down.
Repeat. Lead with the
right leg for the first 15
seconds, and then
swap.

Press Ups (Upper Body)
From your hands and knees, drop your hips to form a flat body. Bend your
elbows to lower your chest to the floor and then push up through the heels
of the hands.

Jumping Jacks
With arms by your side and feet together, jump
up and extend your arms out to the side. Land
with legs wide and arms above your head. Jump
up and return to the start position.

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