Happy New Year!

It’s been quite a while since my last post. I’ve been planning to write this blog post for a few days now, but keep getting side tracked.  I have also avoided writing this post as I didn’t want it to get lost, or worse caught up, in all the New Year hype.

I have observed over the past week a plethora of 2016 New Year ‘body blitz challenge’ / ‘detox’ / ‘commit to fit’ / ‘new year new me’ (you get the idea 🙂 ) advertisements, and as a fitness professional I momentarily considered jumping on the bandwagon and either offering, or participating in, something of the kind.

But that isn’t really how I roll.

I received an email today from a very good friend who had just come across a photo of me and my daughter taken about 9 years ago. The changes in both of us were so dramatic that he felt compelled to send it to me.  Seeing this photo for myself I knew I had to write this post now, as much for myself as anyone else.

You see it’s so easy during this busy holiday period and the lead up to Christmas to get out of routine and let good habits and good intentions slip.  But I believe that’s ok. I believe that it is normal and healthy to do so.  The trick is not letting these habits slip too far or for too long.

My daughter and I 2006 (age 35)

The photo sent to me today confirmed for me how well this approach works.  I am by no means perfect and certainly indulge from time to time, but the good habits I have developed over the last 4 years or so means that I am able to maintain my fitness and weight within a fairly consistent range.

Rather than kicking off the new year (or spring) by punishing yourself with an unsustainable detox/challenge/diet or exercise regime for 30-days/12-weeks, I believe that good healthy habits should last year round.

Over the past few weeks my routine hasn’t been 100% all of the time – we went on holidays, had graduations for both my daughter and myself and of course the frantic lead up to Christmas and Christmas itself.

Now that all the crazy has subsided and I am about to return to my usual work routine, I am now ready to focus again and pay more attention to myself.

I made the conscious effort to start shifting back to my usual routine and activities on New Year’s Eve – and I have to say it felt great.

Tonight I did some extra cooking and prepped lunch for the week – nothing fancy but easy, tasty and nutritious and in line with my goals.  I’ve got my training plan sorted for the week and some short term fitness goals set – all things I regularly do throughout the year – not just for 30 days or 12 weeks.

It’s likely to take me a few weeks to get back to where I was ‘pre-crazy-season’, but I am ok with that, as each year I am headed forward and improving my health and fitness – even at ‘my age’ 😉

My daughter and I 2015 (age: you do the math 😉 )

Being consistent over a longer period of time stops the ‘all or nothing’ approach to healthy living, the need to diet, or ‘need’ to be on some kind of ‘wagon’ only to keep ‘falling off’ it.

This picture  was taken in November this year at my daughter’s graduation – and I think shows that you’re never too old to make positive changes to your health and well being.