Sticking to that New Year’s fitness resolution
DID your New Year resolution include signing up to gym? You would be one of dozens of New Year gym sign-ups as the healthy lifestyle resolution kicks in after the festive eating splurge.
But beware, do not fall off the tracks as the weeks turn into months, and the treadmill becomes the enemy.
Durban gym staff said that sticking to the plan, coupled with innovative strategies to keep gym-goers interested, were key to sustaining that New Year’s resolution.
Virgin Active’s Ceri Hannan, national product development manager, said there were several new fitness trends this year to keep people regulars at gym.
“Wearable fitness technology items, such as activity trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices are already big but will get even bigger in 2017,” said Hannan.
Also popular, she said, were body weight training programmes which involved minimal equipment. Here, you use your own body weight for resistance in pushes, pulls, squats, lunges, bends and twists.
“High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a top trend. Typically, it involves bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery and takes less than 30 minutes to perform, which makes it hugely popular for busy, time-stressed people. The Grid class at Virgin Active teaches you how to do six basic movements with effective intensity to build flexibility and fitness,” she said.
She also said lunchtimes were the best times to fit in some exercise.
“Grab a colleague and go for a walk outside, even if it’s just around the area. Even better, combine your walk with a 20-minute power workout on the circuit at your nearest club or gym. Walk for 20 minutes, pull in those abs, drop those tense shoulders, tighten up those glut-es and stop for 10 lunges along the way,” she said.
Kyle Daniel, manager at the eManzimtoti Muscle and Fitness branch, said the new year usually brought a crop of new gym members as well.
“New memberships pick up in early January. We promote the New Year as a time for people to take up a healthier lifestyle and join the gym. We show them the facilities and keep them motivated to reach their goals,” he said.
Barbara Wilkinson, owner of Curves Musgrave, a gym for women only, said they made sure there was always something new on offer.
“We definitely see an increase early in the year. Our approach is that we have events that keep our ladies interested in fitness and reaching their goals, which we monitor monthly. You can have a diet designed as well, and these all keep our members focused on what they want to achieve in the year,” she said.
Nutritional expert Patrick Holford, author of The Low GL Diet, said the ushering in of 2017 had come and gone, and time was a precious commodity.
“The entering of another year is a tangible reminder of time and a natural consequence is that our health and the quality of our lives become more of a priority. So with another year on Earth, make 2017 the year where your health and that of your loved ones takes a front seat. Being a healthier version of yourself equips you with not only the physical, but mental power to tackle all this year throws your way, ensuring 2017 is your best year yet,” he said.
Holford urged people to load up on fruit and vegetables, have a clove or two of garlic a day (this is naturally anti-viral and anti-bacterial), eat sufficient protein, and avoid sugar.
Fitness expert Lisa Raleigh said: “Motivation to get moving can be tough after the holidays. If you’re starting a new training programme, don’t knuckle down and shoot for hour-long, daily workouts. Ease in with a reasonable schedule. Once you’ve locked in this healthy habit, you can think of extending it further.”
She said eating fresh vegetables was key to being healthy, and people should aim to set weekly goals, instead of monthly ones.
And TV, she said, could be given a miss.
“Many of us consider ourselves low on extra hours, yet don’t identify gaps that could be used more constructively. If you watch TV but don’t have time to train, you might just have found your gap. I’m not saying throw all TV out the window, but swopping one or two hours a week for self-improvement will guarantee you more joy than screen-watching over time. Better yet – train in front of the TV! Home workouts and series make a perfect pair,” she said.