Coming back to Fitness after a winters break.

The days are getting longer, the sun is shining brighter and winter is behind us for another year. It’s time to dust off that fitness training gear and spring back into action!
After a big lay off it can be hard to find momentum again with your fitness but if you follow these quick tips you will be out of the house and training in no time.
1. Goals
Goals are essential. Goals get you out of bed, goals help you lift that last rep when you think there is nothing left to give! Make sure you set smart goals that are achievable and in an acceptable timeframe. However the biggest part of any goal is to realize the reason why you want to achieve it. It’s all well and good to say “Look good and feel better” but will that be enough to motivate you when times are tough or you are feeling a bit sluggish and lazy? It could be to be able to keep up with growing kids or to have confidence to make a speech in front of the office or to limit the chance of heart disease. Smart goals always have an honest motivational reason why attached to them.
2. Enjoyment
There is nothing worse than rocking up to a training session that you are not passionate about. If you are a morning person then don’t train at night, if you love weights then don’t spend all day on the treadmill or if you train better in a group or with a partner or trainer then avoid training alone. Whether it’s boxing, strength, endurance, mixed conditioning, swimming or any other variation then I can tell you there is a way that variation you love will get you results.
3. Routine
Weekdays at 1:30pm are my training days. 1 hour before these sessions I have a small meal and after I have a protein shake and a banana. This has been my process for 5 years now and in those 5 years I have seen more results that I ever have. Now I don’t say this to gloat and it wasn’t always this way. I say this because there is a massive correlation between routine in your fitness and results. I appreciate that everyone’s lifestyle is different but I encourage you to think about a training day (or days) that you can get into the gym or out for a swim or a run and stick to it each week.
4. Mentality
If you have smart goals, are enjoying your training and in a solid routine then your training mentality will be more positive than it’s ever been. By this stage you will be well and truly back into your fitness lifestyle. However we don’t live in an ideal world and things can still get tough. You might have had a long work week or a late night or might be doing all of this but seeing minimal results and feeling down and out. The idea might be to binge and start fresh the next week or to skip a gym session because skipping one doesn’t matter right? Don’t let those thoughts fool you. Coming back after a break could lead to a longer break if you don’t stick with it. You might need an earlier night or to shorten your sessions with a higher intensity or to tweak your diet around or even to have a look at the reason behind your goals to give you motivation. Whatever the reason is it’s no need to stop but simply tweak a few things to get results, a better lifestyle and find that motivation. Nobody ticks all their fitness goals in 2 weeks so stick at it and you will surprise yourself with how far you can go.
If you use these small but essential tips then you will be out of your winter slump and back into training before you know it!