Make exercise your priority

The dark nights are well and truly here. It’s damp, cold and it’s also the time of year when many people drop off the exercise radar.

As the sofa starts to become more inviting than the treadmill and your comfy pyjamas have greater appeal than your trainers, it’s all too easy to wind up your exercise routine prematurely ahead of Christmas and the new year.

Staying active now, will not only keep you trim and ready for your festive fun nights out, but it will also assist in lifting your mood at a time of year when, due to fewer hours of sunlight, some people find it harder to muster their get up and go.

In addition, if you keep your body moving now, you’ll have less work to do in January when it comes to shifting those Christmas pounds!

So with this in mind, in this week’s edition of my column I thought I’d share some tips to help you stay active and healthy at this time of year. First up, avoid the sofa. It’s so easy to come in from work and slump down onto the sofa, and once you’re there it’s very difficult to peel yourself up from it.

Even though it may feel challenging, the trick is to get your exercise done as soon as possible.

You may be lucky enough to have a lunch break that allows you to fit in a workout or an outdoor walk … if so grab that opportunity with both hands. If not, then be sure to prioritise exercise straight after work … before sinking into the sofa.

This could mean taking your gym kit to work and heading straight there before going home, or it could simply mean throwing on your fitness gear and trainers as soon as you get in and doing a quick 20-30 minute workout at home or getting out for a walk or run. Next on the list – food. It’s around this time of year that work places begin to fill with cakes, tins of chocolate and sweets and good old mince pies.

Now I’m not saying you have to say no to all festive treats, simply enjoy them in small amounts and make sure that your main meals are balanced, healthy, nutritious options …which is easier said than done in the winter.

On a cold night after a long day at work there won’t be many people getting home and craving a salad.

Instead we tend to seek out stodgy options, especially during that half an hour between getting in from work and tea being ready.

The answer … a slow cooker.

You can throw in some meat and veggies with a little stock on a morning and as if by magic it’s ready when you get home from work… eliminating the need to raid the cupboards while you’re cooking.

There is definitely more temptation to stray from a health-conscious and active lifestyle at this time of year, but it doesn’t mean that all efforts need to come to a stand still.

Give these tips a try and let’s continue to make the effort to be a fitter, healthier city all year round.

“The trick is to get your exercise done as soon as possible” KATIE BULMER-COOKE