February and March have long been months of longing for sun and making plans and spending time looking and booking summer holidays yet are often the months where New Year’s resolutions get discarded and fitness progress comes to a standstill.

Ideally we stay in reasonably good shape all year round but if you are just getting started that’s fine too as getting in shape for summer needs to start in the now as the later you leave it the higher the likelihood you’ll fall for some quick fix scheme which frankly just wont work. Here are my top five things for you to work on right now to make sure you will feel and look your best when the winter coats are replaced with the bikinis and swimming shorts.

1.     Walk before you can run – If you are new to exercise then getting going can be daunting so start with the most under appreciated form of exercise – walking. The foundation to exercise should be daily walking outside to get some free Vitamin D and time to clear your mind. There’s no need for any special equipment and all you need to do is get out the door for 15mins one way and 15mins back. Don't just saunter though, push a bit so it feels like more than walking. You may have this opportunity on your commute to work or on lunch break so don't let it pass you by. Getting as many steps in per day is the easiest and least stressful way I know to help you burn some calories and spend time in the calming effects of nature and the outdoors.

2.     Stiff muscles v’s flexible muscles – muscles that have become stiff and weak will find all activities difficult and stressful so take the time to read through our mobility guide here - this will help you address how well you move first so you can make day to day activities easier and decrease your chance of injury.

3.     Train the same, remain the same – we vary the workouts we program constantly as we understand that the body will only respond to two variables A) the right amount of training stress and B) variability. The former is something we manage using heart rate monitors and always asking how they feel before the session and the latter we work on through repetition without repetition i.e. we focus on doing the basics excellently but always in a different manner. This can be as simple as changing how you do e.g. squats for leg strength and tone by using different training repetitions (higher, lower reps), training tools (kettlebell, dumbbells, barbell) and tempo (how fast you lift/lower the weight, putting in pauses etc). Constantly change what you’re doing in training and if you’re new to training starting ANY form of training is enough of a novel stimulus to ask your body to adapt and make progress. If you aren’t a member of a gym there are still plenty of simple workouts you can do from home needing only a space to train and your runners.  Here is one for you.

4.     Health before aesthetic – We were finishing a training session recently and a client said - “I thought I was coming to get training to lose some weight but I realise now that learning new movements I didn’t think I could do and improving how well I move and feel is what excites me”. Too many people focus purely on how they look but you are more likely to maintain and continue to make progress through learning new skills and movements. With exercise you will lose weight, will get more toned and will feel fit but the benefits far outweigh that, protecting your health, keeping you mobile fit and happy, well in to your old age.

5.     The basics are the basics for a reason – Some simple changes you can make include drinking more water and getting to bed earlier. Many people don’t realise how water and sleep deprived they are. When it comes to nutrition most people need to make two simple changes - A) weekends are not a free for all to disregard calorie intake and eat 5,000 a day and B) you’re not a puppy, you don’t need to reward yourself with food for every gym or exercise victory. The people that make the most progress are always the ones that are the most consistent with their good eating habits. They have learnt how many calories roughly are in each food/meal without getting overly worried about it and in doing so know you can’t go off the rails at the weekends and get away with it. Remember the goal is not to make extreme changes as you are less likely you are to sustain it long term as well as feeling miserable. Start with the obvious stuff, too many sweets, crisps, chocolate and alcohol, up your fresh fruit and vegetable intake which will deliver more fibre into your diet and help your gut health.

Feel free to DM or Mail for any help on this.