by Cindy Hughes (follow)

Advice (45)      Health (36)      Fitness (16)     

New Year’s Resolutions are a thing of the past. Here’s why.

New Year’s Resolutions. Three words that make us all cringe, and start hyperventilating- well, at least me, anyway. I have had the same resolution for the last 10 years, obviously something is not working. I have figured out what that pesky problem is- NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. A soon as you use those words, you are basically spelling FAILURE. Now I’m not here to make everyone feel down and upset during the most exciting holiday of the year, I’m here to raise your confidence, and provide you with a little bit of extra spirit during the festive season.

Please note: I am not a trained Dietician, Doctor, or Personal Trainer. This is based on my experiences and beliefs.

One of the most common ‘resolutions’ is to lose weight. I am guilty of this every single year. But not anymore. I am dropping it completely, along with the term ‘resolution’. From now on, I am making GOALS.



Did you know that we all make goals on a daily basis? Whether it be, to do a couple loads of washing while the children sleep, or finish off the report before the end of the day. We all know how to make goals, and make them achievable- on a short-term basis. What we need to start learning to do, is make goals achievable over the period of a year.

Let’s look at the popular ‘weight loss’ goal. The most important part of this goal is health and fitness. The weight loss should be treated as an added bonus. This makes the goal seem a lot more accommodating and achievable.

Health: Diet is a major factor of our health, we all know that. Sometimes it’s just easier to grab a pie, or go through the drive thru, for a quick and easy meal. But how do you feel afterwards? Tired? Sluggish? Bloated? A lot of fast food restaurants offer lighter meal options, such as salads, or wraps. But, if you cannot go past the burger, try having a bottle of water instead of soft drink, that will cut back a lot of the sugar, and you can still enjoy your meal. It usually takes just cutting back on one part of your diet to help see and feel results. The easiest thing to start with is drinking more water and limiting sugar drinks. Cutting back on foods first will be harder, as they are more satisfying. Once you feel you have kicked the sugary drinks to the kerb, it’s time to start cutting back on unhealthy foods, and replacing them with fresh, healthy food.

Fitness: Our fitness goals can start off small to begin with, and gradually increase as the year progresses. Try 30 minutes of yoga, or walking for 30 minutes. If you’re sitting at a desk all day, try and organise for a standing desk, it will help increase blood flow, and circulation.
Just a few months ago, I set myself the goal to run more often. I attend parkrun every week, but noticed that I wasn’t getting any faster, and running was not getting any easier. I set myself a goal to run 3km, three days a week. At first, it was really hard to get motivated, I didn’t want to get out of bed and put my runners on. I didn’t want to move at all. After a couple of weeks, I was able to increase my running from three days, to four days a week. This really helped build my fitness, and improve my parkrun times.



Of course, you can always join a gym. They have everything you need in the one building, and they often have Creche, which is perfect when we don’t have anyone to look after our children. But, they sometimes aren’t very cost effective, and the opening hours might not suit everyone. MEGA: Mums Exercise Group Australia has a branch in Adelaide. These exercise groups are run by volunteer mums, who are passionate about health and fitness, and want to share their passion with the community. Most of the sessions are free, and are located all around Adelaide, for your convenience. It is also a great way to meet new Mum friends.

Let’s not forget about Adelaide’s appointed ‘Fitness Guru’, Kayla Itsines. I’m sure we have all heard of her. The 26 year old, proud Adelaidean, has a multi-million dollar **BBG* (Bikini Body Guide) business, and too many fans and followers to count (including me). What is so great about Kayla’s BBG program, is that it costs less than $5.00 a week- much cheaper than a gym membership. Her workouts are designed for home, the park- pretty much anywhere you like. It uses minimal equipment, and they are only 30 minutes long. I do my workouts as soon as I put my twin toddlers to bed, and I still have enough time to write articles for Adelaide Mums Group.

By focussing on GOALS instead of RESOLUTIONS, we will find them much more achievable, and less scary. Just remember to start off small, and gradually work your way up to your final goal. Please keep in mind, that if your goal is to lose weight, it’s not about the way you look, it’s about the way you feel!


#Advice
#Health
#Fitness

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