We find ourselves in a very different situation to that we were in a year ago when many of us would be thinking about our plans and goals for the year, or at least the first few months. But if we look back, just briefly, last year has shown us how resilient we can be when faced with the unknown. It has also given us a chance to reflect on what truly is important to us. It’s taking all this into account that has driven me to write this month’s blog.
January is still an ideal time to set your intentions for the year, but last year has shown us that so many things can be removed from our control, so I invite you to focus on what always is in your control. For example, you are in control of your thoughts and how you react to things going on around you.
This year our goals should be set around general health, both physical and mental (which has been affected by recent events for many people for the first time), so that we are best able to cope with whatever unfolds. One of the things that we should definitely include in our new intentions is self-care in whatever form works best for each one of us. Last month we had a chance to try different things out, and now is time to incorporate our favourites into our weekly routine.
Talking about routine, we must commit to staying active. Whilst we can’t guarantee getting to in person classes week in, week out, there is a range of classes available live over zoom each week for you to book onto. Furthermore, if you’ve signed up to a membership with access to our on-demand classes, you’ll find an extensive choice of workouts, with a variety of instructors, so there’s no excuses.
One of the things we have all been missing from our lives, due to social distancing and other rules, is contact with others, whether it’s for a chat, or maybe it’s more motivational. I am encouraging everyone to get involved in the Fitness Fairy Forum in our members area. It’s our online community and anything you post is only viewable by other members; it’s like a closed Facebook group if you like social media, but nothing at all is public, not even your profile. I invite you to use this community as a support network, to reach out when you need someone to listen to you, to share your wins, to find accountability, and more.
To help you with accountability and motivation, I am going to set up an area in the Forum for you to find your own accountability partner/buddies, and you can build a stronger relationship with these people, as well as having the wider member community cheering you on, giving encouragement when you need it. Having a buddy will really help us reach our goals this year, as we struggle with ways to commit to things when we aren’t able to arrange to meet people physically as a commitment.
When talking about being healthy, it’s important to remember general activity, like walking or cycling, is also good for us, both physically and mentally, and could be a more family focused activity for the weekends. Whilst thinking about what we want to achieve this year, it’s a good idea to also include your partner, family or friends in your plans (obeying any rules of course)!
Finally, we already know being healthy isn’t just about exercise and activity, it’s also about eating well. This doesn’t have to be complicated; it can simply be making good food choices including avoiding too many processed foods, eating from all the major food groups, and having a colourful plate! There’s more information in previous blogs if you need to refresh your memory, or alternatively you could sign up for our Nutrition and Weight Management Course starting very soon if you’d like more support in this area.