Picture the scene \u2013 it\u2019s a familiar one.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 11.47 on New Year\u2019s Eve as we utter (OK, slur) these magic words as a significant other\/table of friends\/pub full of strangers cheer loudly: \u201cRight, next year I\u2019m going to (insert fitness related new year\u2019s resolution here) and this time I\u2019m going to stick to it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Now fast forward 6 \u2013 8 weeks, as we\u2019re saying, for at least the third day running, \u201cI\u2019m a bit tired\/busy\/not up for it today, but I\u2019m absolutely, definitely, going to get back to (insert fitness plan) tomorrow. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that, friends, is how even the best intentions wither and die. So, you\u2019re doubtless wondering, how to break the habit?<\/p>\n
Glad you asked. Here are a few tips to help you keep your resolve, and your resolutions. All based on tried, tested and personal experience (contrary to popular belief, Trainers are subject to the same motivational ebbs and flows as everyone else).<\/p>\n
A resolution made in the heat of the New Year moment is like a one night stand \u2013 quick, fun, but all too often doomed to failure. But, if you\u2019ve bitten the bullet, set your goals, arranged a start date and committed to your vows, your chances of a long-term successful outcome, (and your ability to withstand the odd setback) are so much greater.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not sure how to get to your goal (or even what your goal might be) then come and talk to us here at Ten \u2013 we\u2019re kind of good at figuring out that sort of thing, and we\u2019re always here to help.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all got one of those friends haven\u2019t we? Someone who tells it how it is no matter what. Annoying as they can be, they make brilliant workout buddies.<\/p>\n
If they spot even the first sign of slacking, they\u2019ll tell you. (Actually, they\u2019ll tell everyone else, too.) They\u2019ll treat all your excuses with undisguised contempt. And though you\u2019ll curse them at the time, you\u2019ll thank them for it afterwards.<\/p>\n
So buddy up for exercise, share your goal and your plan. And with tough-love on your side, a resolution shared is a resolution kept. Or else.<\/p>\n
Now, this doesn\u2019t mean posting every little run, plank, or lunge on your chosen form of social media (unless being de-friended on an epic scale is part of the programme). What I mean is incorporate a significant social element into your workout. We\u2019re social animals and if we can do something with a bunch of like-minded people, rather than alone, we\u2019ll usually do it better, more enthusiastically and more often.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s particularly true where exercise is concerned. Small classes are best, as they combine two of the things that we humans need to maintain our appetite for adherence to any program of behaviour change \u2013 social dynamics and personal attention.<\/p>\n
(Obviously I\u2019m tooting our own horn here, but I happen to think our classes here at Ten provide the best mix of the above two areas, in spades.)<\/p>\n
Still with me? No? OK, let me explain. In exercise as in all things, boredom is the enemy of motivation. For your workout, this means trying something different once in a while. Mentally it will stimulate you and keep you interested in exercise in general, and physically it will challenge your body, which is the key to changing it for the better.<\/p>\n