HOW IS IT WINTER ALREADY?

The end of the year can throw your fitness regime into a bit of turmoil. On the one hand, you don’t want to skip a beat and lose those dedication points you’ve spent the past 12 months earning. On the other, you’re tired and there are Christmas parties to go to. So there’s really no better time than now to shake up your training by simply slowing the hell down. We’re more career-driven and time-poor than ever, and we’ve seen a massive increase in highintensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. And while HIIT training definitely has its benefits – such as building a healthier heart by pushing into your anaerobic zone, enabling you to work out longer and more efficiently – it also comes with increased risk of injury. Southampton General Hospital has seen a fourfold rise in bone and joint damage in underthirties, injuries usually seen in elderly patients, in the last three years.

While 30-minute blastathons are great, if you’re not balancing them out with rest and recovery plus strength and flexibility training, you may be doing more harm than good. That’s why the festive season is a good time to slow things down, engage in some active R&R, form new habits and add diversity to your workout routine.

Is there an element of your workout that you struggle with? Take this month to focus on that one thing – practice makes perfect, after all. Break the exercise down and work hard at getting better at it, free from the distraction of having to move on to the next bit of a class at breakneck pace.

Baffling ‘motivational’ taglines such as ‘go hard or go home’ have led people to think that unless they end their workout on a defibrillator, they haven’t tried hard enough. Nonsense! Your workout doesn’t always have to be cardio – it’s important to challenge your body in different ways, like focusing on stretching and flexibility. If you know you always skip out on the cool-down part at class and wonder why you struggle to touch your toes, maybe make that your focus. There are lots of YouTube videos that can guide you through easy-to-follow stretch routines, Blogilates being one of the best. You’ll be like gymnast Simone

Biles in no time (possibly!).

This is also a season where time can be short and motivation can be low, but your body still needs you to move. Rather than pounding the pavements with an intense run, simply go for a walk. Better yet, borrow a friend’s dog and take them out so you both get some exercise. Studies show a brisk 30-minute walk boosts your immune system, so you’ll avoid all those yuletide lurgies that fly around.

With the New Year approaching, this is a perfect time to form a new routine to help make you stronger in body and mind. Let this month be guided by three simple yet effective words: adapt, change and prepare. 2017 won’t know what hit it.

‘LET THIS MONTH BE GUIDED BY THREE SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE WORDS: ADAPT, CHANGE AND PREPARE’