2021 has been a crazy year. We have had to endure situations and challenges left, right and centre and expect ourselves to come out the other side un-scathed. As we move into another year, it’s important we reflect on 2021 and try to create some new goals for 2022. For me, these next three tips are the most impactful and will hopefully create the most positive change for the new year!
Be consistent
I read an article on consistency recently that used a brilliant analogy.
“We don’t brush our teeth for 20 minutes for one day a week and expect our teeth to be clean and healthy. We brush them for 2 minutes, morning and night because we know that’s what keeps our teeth clean and healthy. It’s not about for how long, it’s about consistency.”
This quote is absolutely spot on. It’s the same for our health! One long and intense gym session or workout once a week is not going to keep us mobile, strong or healthy. In fact, this type of training can increase risk of injuries. Instead, what we should be striving for is consistency!
Research shows that just 20-30 mins of movement a day is all our bodies need to stay nimble and healthy. Of course, we are also striving for varied types of movement throughout the week. Incorporating mobility, strength and cardio workouts throughout the week is ideal. Mixing up the style of training is also beneficial for the mind as we have to switch our concentration specifically to the type of workout we are doing. It’s a win for the body and a win for the mind! Being consistent is the top tip to put your health and fitness first for 2022.
Prioritise your health
Leading on from consistency is to prioritise your health. Not only physical health, but also mental health. The beauty of movement is that exercise releases endorphins that boost our mood, motivation, concentration etc. However, if we are constantly pushing our bodies to the extreme, movement no longer has the positive mental or physical effects.
Overtraining/overworking is so common and hard to recognise until you’ve completely burnt out. This year has been very exciting for me – working for three different Pilates and dance studios whilst starting my Diploma of Clinical Pilates. Between work and studying I had little to no ‘me’ time during the week and have become sick many times. Recently, I’ve been so unwell that one sickness turned into another and another until I was basically bedridden! It’s forced me to take a long hard look at my schedule and figure out where I’ve overcommitted so I can make adjustments.
The moral of the story is to listen to your body and to your gut. The human body is so wonderful and clever and will give you signs when you need to rest in order to keep functioning at its best. We often ignore these signs and push through. Prioritising your health is a great way to put your health and fitness first for 2022.
‘Non negotiable’ blocks of time within your schedule
The last tip is everyone’s dream – but it doesn’t have to be a dream! Whilst I was adjusting my schedule for 2022, my father gave me some really great advice.
He said
“work out your non-negotiable time blocks. That way, you will always have that time for you and you must say no to anything that will compromise that block of time. It’s yours, no one else’s”.
We often think, I’ll do that fun activity/read that book/cook that meal IF I have time. We need to take the IF part out of it and actually schedule time for fun – which is quite ironic! This way of thinking ensures that you create balance in your life. Creating non-negotiable time for yourself is another way to put your health and fitness first in the new year.
Conclusion
One last thing to remember is we are going to get it wrong from time to time. Sounds a bit dismal but it’s important to remember that we are all human and we make mistakes. But mistakes are just another way of learning and that’s how we become more efficient and amazing! Hopefully with being more consistent, prioritising our mental and physical health and also carving out time for the things in life that bring us joy, we can minimise stress and enjoying this beautiful thing called life!
Want more tips to kickstart your 2022? Read how you can have 365 days of Health & Wellness and 4 Health & Fitness tips for the New Year.
