01 January 2024 , 09:00
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Making New Year's resolutions is easy, but sticking to them can be a lot harder if they're not the right goals for you.
Whether it be exercising a certain amount of times a week or cutting back on our favourite treats, many of us are guilty of trying to suddenly restrict ourselves when it hits the first of January. But if you want to change your lifestyle in the long run, you should take a look at the goals you're setting.
Personal trainer Neve Cussen, who works at Nuffield Health & Wellbeing Gym, advises her clients not to set unrealistic targets in the New Year. She told The Mirror: "I think New Year's resolutions can be really good when they're the right kind. If they're too ambitious then people will just end up giving up."
Neve doesn't believe in restricting your diet or cutting out carbs and says walking is the best way to improve your general health (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)Neve continued: "Eating super healthy and coming to the gym every single day is a really big transition for some people and can be unrealistic, so I'd always advise setting little goals instead of huge ones." The 23-year-old PT recommends setting a daily step goal for your resolution and says walking is the best way to improve your general health and wellbeing.
Plus, it makes for an achievable resolution as you can hold yourself accountable on your phone or Fitbit every evening. If you prefer not to track your steps on a device, simply agree on a time or distance with yourself that you'd like to walk each day. "I walk 10,000 steps a day and always park further away from the place I want to go. I take the stairs and walk short distances instead of driving," Neve explained.
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If you've signed back up to the gym already but you're a little clueless about what to do when you get inside, Neve suggests asking for help. "I always advise nervous people to go into the weights section with someone who knows it well or get a PT for a few sessions," she said. "And remember that everyone is way more obsessed with looking at themselves than looking at you, even if it feels like they're staring."
While exercise plays a major role in living a balanced and healthy lifestyle, Neve believes nutrition comes at the forefront. "The most common question clients ask me is: 'Can I eat carbs?' - you absolutely can and I eat them with every meal," she explained. Whether it be chilli con carne with rice for lunch or chicken stir fry for tea, Neve has lots of carbohydrates to keep her energy levels up and help her muscles recover.
One thing that stops a lot of people from losing weight is a really strict diet "as you will just end up bingeing", she said. Neve is a confessed chocoholic and always makes room for a sweet treat, whether that's chocolate in her baked oats for breakfast or a Freddo for dessert. "I can never understand my clients when they cut it out," she said - so maybe that's where we're all going wrong.
Do you have a crazy New Year's resolution? Get in touch via [email protected].