Beat The January Gym Rush

It's January and a New Year! I can tell.....You know how I can tell??? There's suddenly NO space in the car park at my gym, nor is there a locker or treadmill free!

Now I'm all for people bettering themselves and changing their lives etc....I mean that is what we are all there for, but I'm sure regular gym goers will agree with me its incredibly frustrating when there isn't a machine free!

So here are my ways to deal with the post Christmas rush:

* Change your schedule!

Yes I know its annoying but lets face it it is only for a few weeks! I've started going at 3:30pm to avoid the after work tea time rush! Now I know i'm lucky as I've finished work by this time, but if you're not as lucky try going early in the morning - there won't be that many people that are dedicated enough to go at that time!

Alternatively go later in the evening. Usually after 7:30pm is a good time as all the after work stragglers have gone home!

* Change Your Routine

A change is as good as a rest or so they tell us? Why not use January as the perfect time to get yourself out of an exercise rut and try use some of the other machines that you wouldn't necessarily use?

As a regular gym user you've got the benefit of your years of knowledge! 

Using a treadmill, cross trainer or bike is the easy option for the newbies. Why not use what you've learnt to do a cardio HIIT workout in a matted corner rather than waiting to get on your usual machine?

* Get Outside

If cardio is your thing, why not get outside? Yes it's colder than being inside, but grab some warm weather gear and hit the streets. You can still get in a good cardio workout at your own pace and avoid the masses.

* Offer to Help

Controversial I know but offer to help any new starters looking a little bit lost! Remember back to when you first set foot in your gym and remember how intimidating it was trying to find your way around all the equipment when the world and its wife already looks like the know what they are doing?

You'll feel good for helping and all being well by showing new starters how to use things properly it'll speed things up and you'll get on the equipment quicker! Win Win!

* Be Patient 

Probably the crappiest piece of advice anyone could ever give but it might actually work! After all this is January just 4 (long) weeks. By the end of the month resolutions will have ended and normal service will be resumed!

Do you have any January gym tips?

P.S Dry January still going strong! Not one drop of alcohol has touched my lips!

FIND ME AT THE CLAIRE DIARY

It's 2016 - Time for Resolutions

I can't believe it's 2016!

I also can't believe how long it has been since I lasted posted on this blog.

Christmas has been and gone in a flash, seriously it went by crazy fast. I ate and drank far too much and seriously enjoyed some family time with the kids!
I'm really gutted that the holiday period is over, it's been so nice not having to get up but it will be nice to get back into the normal work routine from tomorrow.

My New Years eve was spent at home with the kids having a quiet night - not a drop of alcohol touched my lips. New Years Eve has been spent this way for many years now and although I sit here looking at other peoples instagram shots wishing I was out having a party, I wouldn't change my New Years Eve for anything, and the added bonus no hangover for me on New Years Day!!! BOOM.

Whilst I was sat waiting for the New Years Fireworks to start I got to thinking about what my resolutions should be?
I try make them every year, but like most people I tend to fail so this year I decided to do something a little bit different.

Resolutions

My first resolution this year is simply to BE HAPPY - This is something that I seriously struggle with. I suffer with anxiety and depression and although I am working hard to sort through my issues happiness isn't something that comes easily to me.
As I'm sure anyone with depression will tell you allowing yourself to feel that you deserve to be happy is a really tough thing!
So this year I will be working on it. I'm well aware that it is going to take time, but hopefully more often than not there will be good days.

My second resolution this year is to stop trying to make year long resolutions. Overall I would like to be happier and healthier in 2016 so I plan on making 12 month long resolutions that will hopefully lead to healthier habits for the future.

So January will be dry January!
I know a lot of people are doing this as a detox after the festive season. I don't really tend to drink a lot but I'm as guilty as anyone of having a glass or two after a long day at work!

So wish me luck......January could be a seriously long month!

How do you feel about resolutions and have you made any?

FIND ME AT THE CLAIRE DIARY

Real Chick Fitness!

I can't believe its been nearly a month since I last posted.
Things have gotten busy in my little world but I will be back more regularly now. I've said it before but I do really miss blogging when I don't do it for a while. I find it a bit theraputic, and whether anyone is reading or not it does help me to get a few thoughts out of my head and to document what is going on in the right now!

Anyway.......

For the last few years i've been following Erica Fit Love on Insta!
I've seen her weight loss and seen how amazing she now looks.

Erica has her own program for women to sign up to and when I heard she was taking on clients I couldn't resist!

I will post official starting photos in another post but I am so excited to get started. You all know I lost a lot of weight over the last year or so but now I really want to step it up and lose the last amount.......

Fingers crossed here goes!

FIND ME AT THE CLAIRE DIARY

Weekend Happiness #3

This weekend was supposed to be another chilled one, it didn't really work out that way.
There were a few things planned for Saturday which meant that inevitably Saturday became a whirlwind of taxiing one child or the other from one activity to another.
As a result I seemed to manage to not take one single photo the whole day! This doesn't normally happen!

Anyway things making me happy this weekend:

PT - I'm not going to lie I totally forgot about booking my PT session and went into a total meltdown when I realised that I'd scheduled it for 5pm on Saturday afternoon after running around all day.
I did sit there for half an hour swearing blind I wasn't going, only to have a change of heart and run upstairs to get changed. Anyway I'm glad I went - Need to get my ass back in gear. It can't only be me struggling after the summer?

Family Camping - My kids go to a really small village school. Its pretty perfect as far as schools go and has a real "family atmosphere". Every year the School Friends committee arranges a family camping event on the school field.
This year the highlight of the evening was snuggling up with Madam in the school woods under a blanket watching Paddington on the big screen. It was so lovely!

Magazine & Cake - After a really hectic Saturday I really needed to chill out and relax for an hour so I picked up a magazine and a box of my fave cakes and chilled! It was fab!!!

Photo Fun - I have a lot of photo frames in my lounge. Most of them don't contain photos yet. So on Sunday afternoon we headed to the common to play with the horses and take some photos. We had a great time and got some beautiful photos - I love making memories with the kiddos.

FIND ME AT THE CLAIRE DIARY