It's no secret that the national lockdowns in both 2020 and 2021 have impacted our daily lives on many levels. Huge shifts in the way we now live have completely changed the way we approach work, social gatherings, and exercise.

The uncertainty and confusion of it all throws off your daily routine and inevitably makes it easy to develop bad habits with food and exercise. There's little to stop you from comfort eating and neglecting your fitness routine when you're cooped up inside for a long period of time. And even though we are now a couple of months out of hard lockdown, these habits can stick.

But fear not, there are many ways to slowly change your habits and get back to feeling healthier and fitter this Summer!

1. Start Small
   You don't need to run a marathon or start a new sport from scratch to make a difference. Picking something simple and achievable is much more effective as you're more likely to stick with it. At the end of the day, if you can maintain a regular routine over a long period of time you'll start to see results. It can be as small as doing a brisk walk for 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week. Remember to choose something you know you love!
   
   
2. Set Goals
   Aimlessly going to the gym with no plan or idea of what you want to achieve can leave you feeling disheartened and lost. The best way to get started is to figure out what you want to achieve from improving your fitness and overall health. Is it muscle development, relaxation, strength, weight loss, weight gain, discipline? This will help you to figure out what's needed to reach those goals.
   
   Setting some short-term and long-term goals helps to keep you motivated and reminds you why you're doing this!
   
   
3. Make Simple Swaps
   Improving your diet doesn't mean you need to necessarily adopt a completely new way of eating or cut out major food groups. Doing this can actually shock your body and have the opposite effect you want it to.
   
   It's much better to be kinder to your body and simply make a few swaps that are easily maintained. For example, opting for fresh fruit instead of dried fruit, swapping mayo for mustard, and sweetening your coffee with cinnamon instead of sugar. You can even make an open-faced sandwich instead of a closed one and you've instantly saved yourself some calories!
   
   The key is to stay consistent. The longer you can choose healthier options, the more effective results you will see!
   
   
4. Seek Expert Guidance
   Don't be afraid to speak up! It can be incredibly overwhelming and difficult to shift weight, set goals, make a fitness plan, and eventually see results. So instead of putting it off why don't you book in for a FREE 1-2-1 sit-down session with one of our Gym Gurus. You'll get the opportunity to come into the club to discuss your fitness goals, get recommendations on PTs and fitness classes, see our updated equipment, try out the gym, and benefit from expert guidance.
   
   Simply visit http://welcomegym.eventbrite.com to book a time slot at your local club today.

If you're looking for some additional guidance, the NHS Better Health campaign is a great resource for insightful support and guidance on your journey to improved wellbeing: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/ You've got this!