Ace's Top Tips for 2016!

Happy New Year! Following two weeks of Christmas holiday indulgence now is the time when pretty much everyone resolves to get fit and healthy and lose some weight. We all feel like we need to take our wellbeing seriously at this time of year to set a pattern for the months ahead. So here are some top tips to help you get on your way….

• First of all it might be an idea to consult a personal trainer who, if you can't afford to have on a weekly or biweekly basis could certainly point you in the right direction certainly as far as exercise and nutrition are concerned.

• Adopt a new High Intensity Impact Training regime and try and get two HIIT sessions into your weekly schedule. HIIT is all the craze right now and it can all be done with just your body weight so you don’t need to join a gym! You can do HIIT at home and there are tons of online resources to help you do it. Get your friends and family involved- if you commit to training with someone it will make it much more fun and there's less chance you'll miss one of your training sessions! (If you want to take part in a group HIIT session- check out ace’s on  our schedule  www.ace-london.com

• Get the right kit in! Use the sales to buy a new pair of trainers or some cool sports gear – it can help motivate you. Don’t let not having the right things stop you... if you find some good discounts you’ll be excited to test out your new things.

• There are so many diet plans our there make sure you chose one that is right for your body type and that you can stick to! Joining weight watchers or slimming world is in many ways the easiest way to achieve results and food plans are all done for you. Do not attempt to do any fad diets or cut out any food groups. This can not be held up long term and although you might see some short term weight loss results it is impossible to maintain and the weight will pile back on.

• My Fitness Pal is a great app - it will work out exactly how many calories you can have a day and you record every little detail. It's a really easy (and free!)  app to use, but the real success lies in carefully recording each and everything you eat as soon as it's gone in your mouth. So long as you do this and you are vigilant, you'll lose that extra holiday weight!

• Drink Drink Drink… and not the hard stuff! Water helps your body get rid of the toxins, improves skin, reduces fatigue, healthier teeth, bones and joints as well as increases your fat metabolism! So don't wait until you are thirsty- aim to drink at least 2-3 life's a day and watch the fat melt away!

• Sleep & Relaxation- people often don't realise quite how important sleep is! If you want to make some serious changes, both in your body and your general healthy & wellbeing, make sure you try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Let your body and muscles (especially if you are working out) recover and repair themselves. Try and schedule some sort of relaxation into your week. Cortisol (the stress hormone) and the adrenal system is complicated but high cortisol level are responsible for weight gain so try to keep those stress levels down by including some sort of meditation or yoga into your week.

• Last but not least – chose a plan. There is so much advice and information post Christmas  about healthy eating, exercise & fitness it can be completely daunting. Choose one or 2 people to listen to who offer ideas that are realistic and achievable and try to fade out the rest. A short term detox plan can help you get on your way but avoid anything too faddy that require an impossible number of ingredients in your cupboard and hours at your disposal. The best new years resolutions are ones that last more than a week so try and go for the long term lifestyle approach!