CHRISTMAS is over, New Year celebrations seem far in the distance and motivation to achieve anything more than a good night's sleep is at an all-time low.
For many of us, resolutions made for a new year are just another annual tradition which soon are forgotten about, tucked away for another year by mid-January.
According to several studies, January 12 is the day on which most people are likely to have given up on their resolutions for good and gone back to their old habits.
HANNAH RODGER looks at the best ways to stick to resolutions and make them a permanent life change instead.
Whether it is losing weight, saving money, or organising your life, New Years resolutions are a perfect opportunity to revamp elements of our lives which are in some way unsatisfying.
While it is easy to compile a plan while watching Boxing Day tv or having "just one more" mince pie on December 27, come January 1 putting that plan into practice can be a different matter entirely.
Experts talked to The Herald on Sunday about how best to achieve success and make the changes last for years to come
Get fit
The key to upping your exercise routine is to start slowly, according to Ross Stewart, a personal trainer from Glasgow.
Stewart, who has worked in the fitness industry for more than 10 years, said that while it is positive that some people are motivated to start working out five days a week, it is simply not possible for the majority of those who have done little or no exercise for months or years.
“I would recommend starting slow,” he explained. “That’s always my recommendation to anyone who has been out of the way of exercising, regardless of the time of year.
“People should aim for two or three workouts in the first week. That could be simply going running, going to the gym. It is important to give your body enough time to recover so you don’t end up in agony and hating the process.”
Stewart said that while a “workout” may be different for everyone, all that matters is ensuring your heart rate is raised and you do not overdo it initially.
Based at Improve Fitness in Tradeston, Stewart helps to train a whole range of people, from 18-year-olds to those in their late-60s. Everyone has a different regime which works best for them,
He said that those thinking of starting a new exercise routine should work out what their own fitness levels are and pace themselves.
Stewart explained: “It is irresponsible for a fitness professional to give a blanket recommendation to how long a workout should last. For someone who hasn’t done exercise for a long time, five to 10 minutes of gentle exercise such as sitting down on a chair, standing back up and holding a basic plank position is going to do them a lot more good than going to the gym for an hour and getting absolutely battered.
“That being said, if people have got a level of conditioning from sport or exercise regimes in the past, they could take things a bit harder. It is totally dependent on the individual.
“If people expect too much of themselves, they will end up demoralised. We say that people should aim to be at six out of 10. One out of 10 is sitting on the couch eating crisps, 10 is absolutely dying. People should aim for about a six, and then they can gradually work their way up every so often if they can.”
Finally, Stewart said, exercising with other people is more likely to encourage you to stick to the routine, so finding a class, running group or personal trainer who can keep you to your goals is advisable.
He explained: “People don’t want to let others down, so if you go to a class where other folk will notice if you are not there, you’re more likely to go and keep going. If you are just exercising alone, there is nobody to encourage you to keep it up.”
Save money
By Hannah Rodger
CHRISTMAS is over, New Year celebrations seem far in the distance and motivation to achieve anything more than a good night’s sleep is at an all-time low.
For many of us, the resolutions we make for a new year are just another annual tradition and are soon forgotten about, tucked away for another year by mid-January.
According to several studies, January 12 is the day on which most people are likely to have given up on their resolutions for good and gone back to their old habits.
Here, we look at the best ways to stick to resolutions and make them a permanent life change instead.
While it is easy to compile a plan while watching Boxing Day TV or having “just one more” mince pie on December 27, come January 1 putting that plan into practice can be a different matter entirely.
Experts talked to The Herald on Sunday about how best to achieve success and make the changes last for years to come.
Get fit
The key to upping your exercise routine is to start slowly, according to Ross Stewart, a personal trainer from Glasgow.
Stewart, who has worked in the fitness industry for more than 10 years, said that while it is positive that some people are motivated to start working out five days a week, it is simply not possible for the majority of those who have done little or no exercise for months or years.
“I would recommend starting slow,” he explained. “That’s always my recommendation to anyone who has been out of the way of exercising, regardless of the time of year.
“People should aim for two or three workouts in the first week. That could be simply going running, going to the gym. It is important to give your body enough time to recover so you don’t end up in agony and hating the process.”
Stewart said that while a “workout” may be different for everyone, all that matters is ensuring your heart rate is raised and you do not overdo it initially.
Based at Improve Fitness in Tradeston, Stewart helps to train a whole range of people, from 18-year-olds to those in their late-60s. Everyone has a different regime which works best for them,
He said that those thinking of starting a new exercise routine should work out what their own fitness levels are and pace themselves.
Stewart explained: “It is irresponsible for a fitness professional to give a blanket recommendation to how long a workout should last. For someone who hasn’t done exercise for a long time, five to 10 minutes of gentle exercise such as sitting down on a chair, standing back up and holding a basic plank position is going to do them a lot more good than going to the gym for an hour and getting absolutely battered.
“That being said, if people have got a level of conditioning from sport or exercise regimes in the past, they could take things a bit harder. It is totally dependent on the individual.
“If people expect too much of themselves, they will end up demoralised. We say that people should aim to be at six out of 10. One out of 10 is sitting on the couch eating crisps, 10 is absolutely dying. People should aim for about a six, and then they can gradually work their way up every so often if they can.”
Finally, Stewart said, exercising with other people is more likely to encourage you to stick to the routine, so finding a class, running group or personal trainer who can keep you to your goals is advisable.
He explained: “People don’t want to let others down, so if you go to a class where other folk will notice if you are not there, you’re more likely to go and keep going. If you are just exercising alone, there is nobody to encourage you to keep it up.”
Save money
CONSUMER affairs group Which? said that along with putting money aside regularly, many households could save up to £7,000 without even trying by haggling over bills.
Jenny Ross, editor of Which? Money said: “If you haven’t tried haggling before, it might sound tricky. But often, it’s just a case of simply calling your provider and asking the right questions. When we recently surveyed more than 2,000 people, we found six in 10 managed to negotiate a better deal by haggling.
“Check when your bills are due to come up for renewal, and mark the dates in your calendar. You can review hundreds of alternative offers using a price comparison site to find out what better deals are available. Once you know how much you could save by switching, contact your providers and ask if they can match or beat the lower price on offer. And if they can’t then vote with your feet and switch away to a better deal.”
Along with using old-fashioned bargaining tools, a range of apps and technology has sprung up in the past few years which can also help to put money back in your pocket. Automatic savings app Chip makes savings from your bank account every few days, calculating exactly how much you can afford to save without noticing, and puts it away in a separate account. Users can earn up to 5% interest on their savings, which is more than many traditional savings accounts.
The automatic savings method has also been taken up by a range of modern banks, according to Ross. She said: “A simple way to kick-start your
Get organised
Channel your inner Marie Kondo and her 'magical art of tidying up'. No, really. For those who have never heard of the Japanese tidying guru, she has created an organisation revolution in the past five years by encouraging people to bring joy back in to their lives and homes.
Using her 'KonMarie' method, she has a system of organising, decluttering and categorising items, room by room and type by type to help people downsize on junk and reorganise themselves. The key when considering whether or not to keep an item is to think about whether it "sparks joy". If it doesn't, it has to go. Kondo's techniques have been so successful that now certified KonMarie organisers are springing up across the UK, ready to help people unable to tidy their homes themselves. Netflix aired a programme last year starring Kondo, in which she helped American families tidy their homes, showing obligatory before and after scenes to viewers. Luckily the Japanese consultant has written four books, including The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying - for those who think hiring a professional organiser for their home is going a step too far, or doesn't fancy showing their junk-ridden cupboards on national television.
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