Make the most of the grand stretch in the evenings with small adjustments to your routine

What a weekend! The sun was out, the clocks went forward and now that it’s brighter in the evening, people are in great form. You can’t beat it — not only is the weather beginning to get better, but it’s a really positive time of year. We get busy in the gym with new clients, current clients tend to work even harder and it’s easy to motivate people.

This week I thought I would bring you my guide to help put some spring into your step and kick-start your fitness.

Try these tips and remember, even the smallest change can help to make a big difference to your health over time.

WRITE IT DOWN

Take a pen and paper out and write down three small goals that you will commit to achieving this week. Nothing too crazy, just goals you know you can hit. Make it visible too, by placing it somewhere you can see it every single day.

SET UP A WHATSAPP GROUP

We all know friends that want to get fit so why not get them together and set up a group to help improve your focus and motivation. Working together makes it so much easier to stay on track.

CREATE GREEN ZONES

Anywhere you spend time you need to turn into a green zone. Look at your day and identify where you spend time. What can you do to turn this area into a healthy green zone to keep yourself on track? Make a list and get it done. For example, at your desk, ban sweets and have a bowl of fruit and a water bottle. Anything that aids your health is green, anything that is bad for your health is red. This applies for anywhere you spend time in your day: your office, your car or your home.

PLAN TO SUCCEED

Take out your diary or your schedule and now map out where you are going to get your sessions done. Commit to not moving those sessions and they will become the anchor of your week.

FOLLOW THOSE THAT MOTIVATE YOU, NOT BELITTLE YOU

Social media can be a great tool in improving your motivation. You should follow those who help to bolster your motivation and desire to get healthy, as well as having a positive influence on your day — as opposed to the “beautiful people” who use every trick in the book to make themselves look as good as they can. Between filters, angles and positioning, you are not seeing a real image. This can often have a negative influence on your day and make you feel inadequate.

FINALLY, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Believing you can do it is half the battle. Whether it’s weight loss or running a 5k, if you truly believe you can do it then no one will be able to knock you off track!

FITNESS TIP OF THE WEEK

Stand more. Our bodies were made to move, stand and generally work throughout the day. Yet modern life has become more and more sedentary. One simple change you can make is to stand more during the day. Standing more means that the body has to work harder all day long in terms of your core, your legs and pretty much all other parts of the body. Standing is a great way to add that extra health kick to your day.