Unleash Your Spring Bounce

Restore your energy levels and feel full of the joys of spring!

Healthy eating and exercise boost energy, but how can we exercise when we don’t have any energy? And once we’ve begun a diet and exercise plan, how do we find the motivation to maintain it?

Studies show it takes 15 to 254 days to form a new habit. It’s easy for the stresses of life to take over and before we know it, we’re comfort eating on the sofa again.

Thankfully there are ways to initiate and maintain a change from a sedentary to an active healthy lifestyle, says Dr Jeff Breckon, Reader in Exercise Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University.

“We love to fit in. If your friends are active and changing diets to enhance health, then you’re more likely to. Having someone to share the ups and downs of behaviour change with us is essential – it’s a positive ‘contamination effect.’ So join a club or find a workout partner.”

Learning something new can also be motivating, says Jeff. “Being competent in a new skill, or feeling you’re improving, can really help.” Get fit via something skilful that you learn over time, such as tennis or dancing.

Research has shown that having goals and noting down progress towards them also maintains motivation. Likewise doing something you enjoy, which makes you feel good afterwards, has been proven to keep you keen to exercise and live healthily, thus topping up your energy tank in the long term.