5 tips on how to bulletproof your new fitness plan

“Around the start of the year, people tend to be working on their resolutions, which sometimes includes making a fresh start. Motivation is high and what often happens is people rush to the gym without properly understanding their bodies or the science that goes into creating a proper fitness regimen. The saying goes “fail to plan, plan to fail” and this is usually the biggest contributing factor for falling off the healthy wagon. To really see results, avoid diving head first in. Try doing some research to really “understand the maths”. Are you trying to lose some weight, build muscle, tone up etc? Sit with a professional who will understand your body and its needs and can create a plan that will keep you on track and avoid situations that can knock you off. At The Lab, we have developed a tool called K8 which gets to know you, assess your physical capabilities in-depth, and uses scientific methods to Konfigurate (K8) a program just for you.”

“The lack of support can be a contributing factor to why many abandon their fitness goals within the first few weeks or months of starting. It’s human to feel demotivated sometimes, especially when your body is undergoing a lifestyle change, as a lot of things are affected. Seek out a community of like minded individuals, who understand the changes and can be that much needed support system.”

“From tracking heart rate to recording your sleep patterns, wearing fitness watches has helped us become more in-tune with our bodies and lifestyle routines. Most watches on the market sync with your smartphone, allowing you to view your progress and see things that aren’t easy to detect like recovery states or stress. You can then make necessary changes to help achieve your health and wellness goals.”

“Try for the month of January to set yourself a goal to go to sleep and wake at the same time daily. It can be a little rough for the first few days, but after this I personally feel my energy levels are sustainable throughout the day and I have mental clarity. Having a routine is vital for mental wellbeing. This overall positive feeling can really help you stay motivated with your training too, because quality sleep helps your body recover from those tough gym sessions. After a month you can tweak it, but try to maintain the same number of hours to keep the benefits, aim for a minimum of 7 hours, get 8 and you are really going to feel the positive effects.”

“American fitness expert, Jillian Michaels says “food quality does matter, but not the way you think.” Food quality is not about cutting out certain things like carbs, gluten, meat etc but about applying sensibility to food consumption. After a period of festive indulgence, it can be hard to get your eating habits back in check, which is why tracking calories and macronutrients can help get you back on track. Nutritics, a nutrition analysis program helps ensure that I’m not over-eating. It also tells me that whatever I consume is quality produce with nutritional value and helps to avoid processed foods and empty calories.”