Let's Do This Together
A survival guide to the New Year
Welcome to 2023!
We hope last year was fabulous and that this year is even better – whatever ‘better’ might mean for you.
This year is different. This year it’s all about doing it together, for you.
We are taking all that we have learnt about ourselves up to this point and using it to make this year the best yet. Don’t like cardio? You don’t have to do it!
Focus = consistency, longevity, and community.
The first step to achieving your goals is enjoying the process so that you stick to them long-term. Let’s not try to set those oh so familiar unrealistic expectations at the start of the year that you know you will give up on exactly the third weekend of the new year…
Without further ado, here is our new year survival guide with a round-up of all that we have learnt to make this year the one for you:
Finding motivation and keeping it
Step one to starting out is finding the motivation. But more importantly – keeping it. We all know by now that the excitement of the new year never sticks around for too long. Time and time again, those who fail their New Year’s Resolutions are guilty of setting unrealistic goals.
Whilst the fresh start brings enough energy to kickstart 2023, it’s more important to focus on making those habits stick long-term once the excitement wears off.
If you need a little help showing up in the short-term, read our ‘Reducing Friction’ Pointer.
Homing in on healthy habits
So, you’re feeling motivated! Now onto the good stuff…
We all have different goals that are personal to us. When it comes to fitness, some people might feel they want to move more, start socialising or take time for themselves and their mental health.
Here is a selection of healthy habits in the form of our Places Pointers that you might want to find out more about when it comes to starting the new year on the right foot and implementing small changes that contribute towards a happier and healthier version of you.
- Sleep Hygiene: the importance of sleep hygiene and how to improve it.
- Gut Health: getting to grips with the gut.
- Improving your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis): small changes, big results.
- Journaling: why journaling is more powerful than you might think.
- Stretching: the far-reaching benefits that make stretching the perfect new year habit
Nutritional benefits
Don’t underestimate nutrition! It is just as important as exercise and can have a larger impact than most people know.
Controlling your macros can determine how much energy you bring to a workout, the time that you eat can make a difference to your sleep quality and what you eat has a whole host of effects including gut health – which is responsible for a number of different functions that we talk about in our Gut Health Pointer.
Top tip: eat what makes you feel good; before, during and after you eat them. Usually – these come in the form of gut-friendly, immune system-boosting foods, which we talk about here.
Mental wellbeing
Exercise isn’t limited to physical health. More and more people are discovering first-hand the impact that fitness has on mental health. We discuss all the positive implications that exercise has on mental health and a few tips and tricks in approaching a healthier lifestyle if something is holding you back:
Nurturing your mental health through exercise | Places Leisure – Places Leisure
Stress can also affect many areas of our lives and can show up in ways that might not be obvious until it becomes hard to control. Engaging in a healthy lifestyle is a form of self-care that offers time away from daily life to exert energy, elevate our mood and put our problems into perspective.
Managing stress | Places Leisure – Places Leisure
If the gym isn’t your jam…
We’re almost done. But we just want to make sure after reading this, you know what you’re doing. You’ve got the motivation, you know how to implement healthy habits, and you understand the impact these new goals will bring – but where to start?!
Whether you have visited our centres before or never – it can be overwhelming breaking that fourth wall and showing up, especially if you don’t know what you’re into.
It’s not all about the gym – our centres have a wide variety of sports and activities that cater to several different interests and abilities:
Swimming is ideal for those wanting to work out independently, at their own pace. It takes the pressure from joints and muscles for those who suffer physical conditions and burns more calories than the same movement on land.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of swimming sessions we offer.
Racket sports like badminton, table tennis, and squash are perfect for those looking to get sociable during their workouts. Offering several physical benefits, these sports are super accessible – allowing players to engage in group games or pick up the pace in a head-to-head challenge.
Our gymnastics and trampolining classes are both art forms in the context of sport! Our syllabus’ allow members of any age to learn these fantastic movements whilst picking up so many transferable skills along the way.
Find your nearest centre, see what we have available and get started today – your new hobby might be waiting for you!