Committing to a new exercise regime can be challenging to begin with. But girls, life begins at the end of your comfort zone! Everyone’s journey to a healthier lifestyle is unique, but we all start somewhere.

Here, I will take you some useful tips on building healthy habits. These are the key areas I focused on after my emergency bowel surgery this year. The surgery completely changed the trajectory of my life, but I am so grateful for the progress I have made (physically and mentally).

Less is more
I know it’s so exciting when you receive a new program - it can be tempting to go in all guns blazing! However, going too hard, too fast with a new program can lead to burn out. Overtraining can lead to injury, this is due to not giving your muscles enough time to recover between workouts (which is the opposite of what we want!). I strategically design my programs so that you girls are training at optimal capacity! Not only will you see progression in your training, but your body will also have enough time to recover properly in between sessions. You can try one of my 8 week programs! Don’t be tempted to overtrain with the thinking that more training will lead to better results. This is simply not the case and more often than not leads to injury, or abandonment of the program. Less is more, girls! 

Take it slow
Good things take time, babe! Trying to make too many changes at once won’t set you up for success. To have a better chance at creating habits that last, try to focus on one thing at time, master it like a boss, and then move onto the next. For example; for focus at first could be getting through each day on your training program. Once you’ve nailed this, you can put your energy towards focusing on something else.

Be kind to yourself
If there’s one thing that 2020 has taught us, it’s how to adapt. Things will inevitably not go to plan sometimes. What really matters is how we pivot and come back from these instances. Some weeks you may miss a workout or overindulge...and you know what, That’s okay, babe! You are only human. Let go of the guilt! You’ll find being kind to yourself will serve you much better in the long run. Life is about balance not perfection. If you find you’re being unkind to yourself take a step back and take a moment to breathe and reflect on your situation. Remember that you are resilient, strong and are capable of achieving anything you put your mind to. I like to write down three things about myself that I am grateful for when my inner mean girl tries to come out. It’s a great way to reframe your mind and set the tone for the day with positive vibes.

Set goals
As the saying goes ‘when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail’...set goals, ladies! Even if these are short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. Having a set plan in terms of goals will let you see the bigger picture, but also the steps you will need to take along the way to achieve these. Just like with making small changes, you need to make sure your goals are achievable. I recommend making goals that are SMART in nature.

Focus on form
You may have big aspirations for the strength gains you will make after starting a new program. You will get there in time! However, I strongly suggest that you work on absolutely nailing the form of an exercise before increasing your weight. Having correct form will ensure you are getting the most out of the exercise and targeting the correct muscles, but will also help to reduce your risk of injury. Perfect the form first, and the strength gains will come!! Check out the infographic below on how to properly perform bodyweight single leg squats.