New Year, New You: Top Fitness Tips for 2024

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Happy New Year, everyone!

As we step into 2024, full of hope and resolutions, it's the perfect time to reflect on our health and fitness goals. I'm Vanessa, your friendly neighbourhood personal trainer, here to guide you through the maze of New Year's fitness resolutions with my favourite non-cliché fitness tips!

My Top Fitness Tips for All Fitness Levels

Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or just starting your fitness journey, this guide is packed with practical dos and don'ts to help you stay on track. From setting realistic goals to avoiding common pitfalls, I'll share insights drawn from my coaching experience! So grab your water bottle, and let's dive into a healthier, fitter year together! 💪🏋️‍♀️🌟

Healthy food doesn't mean bland and boring food! Try to always include some lean protein in most of your meals!

6 Fitness Dos:

Consume More Lean Protein:

• Instead of thinking "I need to eat less", think "I need consume more lean proteins"! Regardless of your fitness goal, protein will be your best friend🍗

• Some examples of protein are:

  • Lean chicken, duck, pork, beef

  • Seafood (fish, prawns, mussels etc)

  • Low fat milk, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese

  • Tempeh

  • Soy products (soy milk, tofu)

  • Seitan

  • Whey

Focus on What You Can Control:

• Focusing on what you can control helps you take ownership of your own fitness journey🎮. Instead of thinking "I can't cut out all alcohol", focus on what you CAN do: "I can limit my alcohol intake to 2 drinks a week!"

Look Beyond the Scale:

• The body that you're aiming for most likely has more muscle than you think. In order to get that fit and toned look, you have to build muscle💪.

• The number on the scale does not tell us what is happening inside our bodies. Two people who weigh the same can look completely different because of different body compositions!

• I recommend tracking a combination of weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, body measurements (with measuring tape), taking progress pictures, noticing how clothes fit to determine your progress.

Self love is important as you build your better self:

• Physique changes can take a while, so, in the meantime, celebrate every single win, no matter how small. For example, celebrate when you no longer have that usual nagging knee pain. Or when you have been able to sleep better than before😴.

• Recognise and appreciate the effort that you're putting in and celebrate your resilience and dedication! Because it's not easy and you haven't given up yet!

Be okay with being imperfect with your diet:

• Be good 70 - 80% of the time 🥗🍗🥦and allow yourself to indulge without guilt for the remaining 20 - 30%🍕🍦🥧! No one can be perfect all the time. We're humans after all.

• Allowing treats in moderation can also help you develop a healthier relationship with food. It encourages an understanding that all foods can have a place in a balanced diet, helping to avoid unhealthy patterns of thinking such as labeling foods as 'good' or 'bad'.

Slow and steady wins the race:

• We all know the feeling of going all in and giving up after a while, because it's simply too unsustainable! I suggest making small changes to your current routine so that you can do them long enough to build them into sustainable habits. Work on improving and building on these habits as you get better💪!

• For example, working on adding 1000 steps from your current step average instead of aiming for 10000 steps from the start👣!

6 Fitness Don'ts:

Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others:

• In today's social media-driven world, it's hard to avoid comparison. Learn to use these as encouragement for what's possible, instead of putting yourself down!

• Let's focus on becoming better than our previous selves💕!

Don’t Exercise for Punishment:

• From my experience, I notice that people who struggle with losing weight tend to view exercise as punishment or purely for burning calories. They have the misconception that they have to exercise to "earn" the food they eat🏃💨.

• On the other hand, people who stay fit most of their lives view food as fuel to build their dream bodies🏋🏻.

Don’t Demonise Food Groups:

• Food should be classified more on a spectrum of more or less suitable for the fitness goal, instead of being labelled as "good" and "bad" foods.

• All food have their place in a balanced diet👍!

Avoid Copying Influencers Blindly:

• Avoid copying an influencer's diet and workout routine from social media; they're often tailored for views, not practical training!

• Everyone's bodies are also different, so it's better to either learn how to plan a programme for yourself or invest in a personal trainer!

Don’t Quit After a Setback:

• Let's be honest, dieting is a skill. Fitness is a skill. Being disciplined is a skill. And all skills require practice. You WILL suck at first😵.

• Everyone experience setbacks, but I encourage you to keep trying. Learn from your mistakes and become better💪.

Don’t Sacrifice Sleep:

• Skipping sleep is like skipping leg day – a no-no! Adequate rest is the secret sauce to nailing your fitness goals😴!

• When we snooze, our bodies get busy repairing muscles, getting it ready to push hard again for the next workout. Try to aim for at least 7 - 9 hours of sleep every night!

Ready to Make 2024 Your Healthiest Year Yet?

There you have it, folks – your personal trainer’s guide to making the most of the New Year. Remember, whether you're lunging into fitness for the first time or you're a seasoned gym buff, it's all about balance, dedication, and a bit of self-love.

If you're feeling lost or simply want to expedite your results, why not join me for more personalised experience? As a personal trainer, I'm here to guide you through every squat, weigh-in, and protein shake! Let's smash those fitness goals together!

👉 Get in Touch: Drop me a message on my Contact Me page or simply follow me on social media @hourglassbleuprint for daily tips and inspiration. Your fitness journey is unique, and I'm here to support you every step of the way.

Let's make 2024 the year you shine brighter than ever! 💪✨