If you started the new year full of hope for your fitness regime, then chances are you are now flagging a little in terms of enthusiasm and quantity of exercise. We’ve all been there- the thought of curling up on the sofa with a DVD and some sweets is much more appealing than going to that punishing circuits class with the hitler-esque instructor.

So, we’ve established that it’s not easy to stick to your regime, but what about the practicality of actually sticking to it?

Well my number one tip would be to choose a form of exercise that you actually like, and you give yourself a fighting chance. A friend of mine spent years trying to incorporate running into her regime when she didn’t actually enjoy running. Needless to say, she ended up missing sessions, finding excuses and generally feeling rubbish about her own dedication and exercise itself. Then a chance salsa session changed all that. Dragged along by a friend to a salsa taster session, she fell in love with salsa, decided to learn some other dancing styles and now attends high cardio dance classes 4 times a week, supplemented with pilates for toning.

One almost foolproof strategy is to work out with a friend, which alot of people do, but the trick is to choose the right type of friend. In successful fit friendships when one person is feeling lethargic and uninspired the other will encourage them to attend that class or go for that run and vice versa, or in others there is fierce competitiveness which makes people try harder and push themselves further. These are both positive relationships to have as they encourage you to be better and more dedicated, but if you choose the wrong type of work out buddy, such as a fellow sloth, then they can have a negative effect on your workouts and regime as a whole.

My final piece of advice is to remain positive! We’re all human and all susceptible to giving up r having a week off, but as long as you can overcome this and get back on track then all is not lost. Try and change the way you view slip ups, so rather than saying ” I had a week off, there’s no point continuing”, challenge yourself to do double next week or add some time onto the sessions you do. Another area where you should change your thinking is when it comes to excuses. If you’re aware of the stock excuses you use then you can combat them. So, for example, if you often miss an exercise class because you feel weak after skipping lunch at work, then keep a banana or cereal bar in your kit bag for an energy hit.

I hope these tips and hints help, and here’s to a fit, fun 2010.

Need to find a Cheshire gym ? Then why not take a look at Mere Golf & Country Club’s leisure club in Cheshire and the packages they offer.

Tags: Cheshire, exercise, fitness, gym, leisure, Travel and Leisure