Welcome back to another year at AUT Millennium Gym and welcome to all new members reading the Pulse magazine for the first time!
With a new year comes another set of goals that we set for ourselves. It may be a new job, an overseas trip, or getting into the increasingly illusive Auckland property market! For many it is the goal of health, fitness and wellbeing.
A common theme at the beginning of each New Year is the number of patients visiting the clinic with injuries caused by a slightly over-zealous start on their goals.
To help you keep on track with your New Year Goals here are some tips to avoid a trip to my office:
Start slowly. A gym programme which features 20 different exercises and takes over an hour to complete is more likely to cause muscle pain, fatigue or worse – injury.
Tip: Start with a programme that takes 40-45min with a basic set of exercises that you can build on.
Contrary to what you may think, or might have read on blogs, you don’t need to be in the gym 7 days a week. Strength gains can be achieved in as little as 3 days per week, as can weight loss or improved cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness.
Incorporate your exercise into your commute (if possible). Sometimes we forget that if we are fortunate enough to live and work within a reasonable distance of our work place, commuting by bike or run is a great way to get fit.
Personally I alternate between biking and running the 9km to and from work to help train for run-races.
Rest & recovery. Talk to athletes of all codes and disciplines and they’ll tell you that rest is a crucial part of any training regime. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, hydration and a well-balanced diet.
Remember – the success of any health, fitness or wellbeing goal is in LONGEVITY! The longer you are able to sustain it, the bigger the success.
So get out there and enjoy yourself and good luck for an active and healthy 2016!