A highly common new year’s resolution that you are sure to hear everywhere, is the desire to get fit and back into shape for the upcoming warmer months.

However, most of us tend to give up on our gym workouts and salad lunches tragically early in the new year. Typically, this is because we place unrealistic goals and expectations on ourselves.

If you want to become fitter and generally healthier in the long term, then moderation is going to be key. Whilst going to fitness classes every night of the week sounds super active and healthy, it probably isn’t realistic for the majority of us.

Some nights, you are just going to need to kick off your shoes and watch a good film, television series or play some no deposit slots. In fact, having an over the top fitness regime can actually do you more harm than good, so being sensible and realistic about your fitness goals is really important, though there is no doubt that regular exercise is good for us.

Not only does it benefit your body physically, but it has also been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress, which of course is super important. If you are wanting to set up a realistic, manageable fitness routine for 2020, then here are a small handful of tips to help you out:

Figure out What Sort of Exercise You Enjoy

First of all, you need to work out which types of exercise you really like, and which you just wouldn’t bother with again after trying once or twice. Most people instantaneously think of the gym when it comes to exercise regimes, but there are loads of other great options out there if the gym isn’t for you. Some people love fitness classes, such as Zumba, pilates, yoga and HIT (High-Intensity Training) classes. Other people simply love getting out for long walks, doing at home work-outs, jogging, swimming or playing a competitive sport as part of a team.

If you haven’t tried out many sports and classes before, then look out for taster sessions that you can sign up for or ask friends and family for their recommendations. Finding a type of exercise that you enjoy is completely crucial to staying motivated beyond mid-January.

Figure Out When You Are Going to Exercise

(And write it down!) If you don’t schedule regular time slots into your week for exercise, then the most likely outcome is that it just won’t happen, especially so if, like most people, you have a pretty hectic weekly timetable. Getting up even just twenty minutes sooner each, or just some, mornings would be a pretty easy way to free up some extra time for workouts.

Exercise with a Friend

If you can, finding a friend to work out with is ideal, as it helps to keep you motivated, and makes exercising generally much more fun and enjoyable. It is best if you are both starting out at a similar fitness level though, so that you can complete the same workouts and progress together.

Build Your Regime Up Gradually

Don’t throw yourself in at the deep end. You’ll only end up feeling tired, overwhelmed and perhaps even put off entirely. If your fitness goal is to run 10k, for example, but you have never really run before, then start off by half walking, half running one kilometer, and building yourself up gradually from there in small, manageable steps. Couch To 5K is a great programme set up by the NHS which can be really useful if you’re only just starting out on your fitness journey. 

Think Carefully about Nutrition

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is just as important for our health as exercise is, and without good nutrition, you may end up struggling to complete more strenuous exercise routines. A healthy diet for sport and exercise should contain plenty of starchy foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables, some protein foods and some dairy foods. Of course, drinking plenty of water is also very important, especially when working out intensely. Healthy meals can be a lot more exciting than just salads though. You can find lots of great recipes online, so finding nutritious meal ideas that you’ll love shouldn’t prove too difficult.

Setting up a good fitness regime for the new year isn’t always the easiest, especially in January when the weather is cold, and the days are short. However, if you are realistic with your fitness goals, and come up with a good plan of action, you shouldn’t have too much trouble staying on track this new year.