Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and has had time to celebrate, catch up with friends, chill and recharge their batteries.

The run up to Christmas is my favourite more so than the actual day itself. Keeping with our family traditions of lunching in the Cotswolds, Christmas Eve drinks at the pub followed by fish and chips, seeing friends and family, decorating the house, wrapping presents and prepping for the Christmas day lunch gets us feeling very festive!

For most this is a busy time and trying to get everything done and trying to squeeze exercise in can seem near on impossible for some. If this is you then hopefully you haven’t been too hard on yourself?!

January is traditionally the time where people want a fresh start and embark on some kind of new 'healthy' regime. The internet and social media sites are full of influencers pushing their latest fitness craze, what they are cutting out from their diet, the magic supplements they are taking and publishing 'what they eat in a day' reels for us all to watch and compare ourselves to, making us feel a little bit rubbish. I’m not immune to this at all. I can get caught up in the hype too however I soon check myself and realise that I am a very different person and what works for them will not work for me.

Over the last few years I’ve learnt so much about what MY body needs to feel good and perform well. I don’t want to cut out chocolate or alcohol as I have it in moderation and when I do, I really enjoy it. I don’t want to eat the same food all the time as I enjoy going out and eating different cuisines and exploring different restaurants. I don’t want to work out for hours on end as I have lots of other things in my life that I need and want to give my time to. You get it! the list can go on and on!!

So basically what I am saying to you this January 2025 is

• Be kind to yourself. Instead of thinking what can you remove from your life, think what can I add. Can you add a lunchtime walk in? Can you add an extra portion of fruit and veg to your meal?

• Set a goal, I really believe having an aim is a great incentive to keep you on track, BUT!!! Be realistic!!!

• Make sure your goals can fit in with your lifestyle, start small so you aren't overwhelmed by what's ahead of you.

• Don’t compare yourself to others.

• If you don’t know where to start, reach out to an expert.

• Long term results come from consistency and pleasure not fads. If January is the best time for you to start go for it, but make sure it can fit in with your lifestyle.

• Finally, find something you enjoy, you’ll stick at it for much longer!