How active are you on a daily basis? It’s a common theme that pops up in the media and the government regularly like to question our habits and inactivity, but for the people that aren’t in the majority and do workout; how productive is your time at the gym?
You might be surprised by the stats
There are 24 hours in a day (that’s 168 in a week). During this time, the two largest activities are sleeping and going to work. We can’t do anything about these and both are vital! The rest of the time is important and contributes significantly. If you go to the gym or take part in a fitness class one hour per week you will be using less than 2% of your week. That’s not a lot, is it?
Two hours will equal around 3.5% and 3 sessions per week (lasting 1 hour) is just 5% of your week!
So, if you want to make a bigger difference to your health, what else do you need to do?
You will have to start making other changes. Based on the fact it will take around two weeks to form a new habit, we suggest you start with the smaller things and build up. Here are a few ideas, just for starters:
- Walk a little more
- Drive a little less
- Cut out naughty eating habits
- Drink less alcohol
It will all accumulate to a big difference over time and you might benefit financially as well.
Are you ready for change?
People say they hate to exercise or cancel their gym membership because they start their fitness journey by doing things that are too detrimental to their personal life, physically hurt or have goals that are not realistically achievable with their current training plan. The gym is a lifestyle change that needs to evolve over time. Planning your day, taking your gym clothes to work, learning new things; they all add up to a huge commitment. Start with manageable changes and make things more challenging once you’re into a good routine.
We suggest that you start to make changes before you invest in a gym membership, expensive clothing or even a personal trainer. Form good habits and start to feel positive about what you do and feel. It is far more successful than throwing yourself into your first super high-intensity class and hurting for weeks afterwards.
Here’s how to train smart!
You need to look at your whole lifestyle to make a real difference to your overall health and fitness. Here are a few starters:
- Try at least three gym sessions per week (it’s still only 5% of your week!)
- Small and regular changes are needed and will work
- Make changes to your lifestyle and not just your workout routine e.g. eating habits, mental health, work/life balance
- Social activities can also be active!
- Don’t be tempted to smash yourself at the gym, 1 week before your next holiday, act now!
- Form healthy habits and you will see the benefits
But most of all, tell us how you get on. How much of your week are you dedicating to your health and wellbeing? Are you really doing enough? Or are you shocked to be spending just 1% of your week on your health and wellbeing? What changes will you be making to your lifestyle in 2020?
