The sustainable guide to building a body for life

Three-time Olympian and founder of Roar Fitness Sarah Lindsay reveals her steps to a healthier you

SET GOALS THAT AREN’T ROOTED IN AESTHETICS It can be difficult to monitor progression session to session if you’re focusing on the way you look, or how much you weigh. Instead, work towards deadlifting your own body weight, running a half marathon or doing a pull-up. PRACTISE AT HOME Fear of embarrassing yourself can stop you even getting through the gym doors to begin with. Practise moves you want to try at home in the mirror where you can monitor your form. Then, when you add weights on the gym floor, you’ll be a pro already. ASK FOR HELP This could be in the form of one-on-one sessions with a PT, but if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, don’t worry. Those trainers on the gym floor are there to make sure you’re carrying out moves safely. So, if you’re unsure about anything, ask them. DON’T BIN ANY FOODS Ditching entire food groups (refined sugar being the sole exception) will get you absolutely nowhere. In order to fuel any kind of exercise and build strength, you need a diet balanced in carbs, protein and fat.

FOCUS ON FUN Don’t keep doing a type of workout you really hate. If you loved sport as a kid, join a team; if you’ve always been a water baby, start swimming again. There’s more to fitness than HIIT and lifting weights – unless that’s your vibe, in which case, as you were. BUDDY UP

If you’re letting down a friend each time you bail on a workout, you’re less likely to cancel than if you’re going solo, so they can be a serious motivator. Plus, you’ll have someone there to cheer you on as you power through those final few reps.