It's pretty common for many of us to enter a New Year with the promise that we'll get fit. Having eaten too much over the Christmas period, it seems natural to think that we can now start losing weight and getting into shape.
Despite our best intentions, we may find it hard to meet our aims in the cold winter months. We may struggle for motivation and it's also likely that we'll be fighting a real battle. If we were particularly out of shape in the months before January, then it's likely that we have an enormous amount of hard work ahead of us.
This is why professional gyms often report that membership numbers tend to peak in January, but that a relatively small percentage of customers continue to make regular visits by the time that you get to March or April. This may sound like a familiar story to you!
So how can you avoid getting into this cycle? One option is to think about your fitness and health throughout the year. You'll find it easier to do a little bit of fitness work frequently, as opposed to desperately trying to do a lot of exercise in a relatively short period.
Building exercise into your daily routine will certainly help. Some people like to do this by buying a gym membership and spend thirty minutes each day doing a basic workout. Others prefer swimming or cycling. If you're worried that you won't have the motivation to leave home to exercise every day throughout the year, then think about how you can make things easier.
You could, for instance, consider buying some home fitness equipment. This can often work out to be extremely cost effective and means that you'll be able to keep in shape in the comfort of your own home. You may well find it easier to stay motivated as a result.
There are numerous home gym options available to you and many online retailers here in the UK sell such products at discount prices. You can even make use of discount codes and vouchers to ensure that you pay even less.
Think about how you can make exercise part of your daily routine throughout the year. By doing so, you'll be able to avoid the panic associated with trying to kick things into gear in the winter months.