Christine Sciberras, Founder and Head Coach at Melita Fitness

By the time you read this, you’ll hopefully have finished buying and labelling shirts and PE kit, spent a fortune in WHSmith on ‘essentials’. And another fortune at the uniform shop! September is a bit like January: you leave behind the hangover of too much holiday food and booze. The juggling of child-care and work. The never-ending requests for snacks!

But many of us will also be thinking: I’ll finally get into a routine. I’ll claw some time back.

And while you do this, I want you to acknowledge that you have (probably) spent the best part of the last few weeks putting other people’s needs first. So it makes sense to use some of that time to think about your needs. And maybe those needs include prioritising your health and fitness.

So if this sounds like you, read on!

Do ONE thing

It’s an easy trap to fall into – we decide that everything has to change. So we resolve to drink more water, eat less toast, exercise 5 times per week, eat lots of vegetables, eat less meat, no biscuits, drink less wine, sleep more, and on and on!

But it’s easy to become overwhelmed with such an extensive list. So my advice is to Do One Thing… Choose one small, specific goal, make it THE thing and really go for it.

Focus on behaviours (I will eat vegetables) rather than outcomes (I will lose 2 pounds). You can directly influence your behaviours, but outcomes can be a little trickier. You’ll feel great when you accomplish each little goal. And each success will help bolster your resolve and guess what, yield more results!

Something is better than nothing

Are you guilty of ‘all or nothing’ thinking? It’s super common! We think,

“I blew my diet last night, so I’ll just restart it next Monday.”

“I can’t fit in my regular workout, so I won’t do any exercise.”

But the difference between doing something rather than doing nothing is huge. Any effort towards your goal is better than no effort.

Have patience

Realise that progress is never linear. Some people will see rapid gains only to hit resistance later. For others, initial progress may be slow but then they suddenly achieve rapid breakthroughs. The bottom line though is that making lasting changes takes time and consistency.

Get accountability and support

Whether it’s by working out with a friend or roping the whole family into healthy eating, you are more likely to be successful if you have a support structure in place.

Or join a group like ours, where myself and other like-minded women will encourage you to show up and to do your best. All while having a good time!

Start now!

Use the newly freed up time wisely. Allocate it to your needs and don’t let it get frittered away with endless chores. It’s OK to put yourself first, to be a little selfish. Because we can’t be our best if we’re not taking care of ourselves.

If you need any support in achieving your health and fitness goals, please get in touch.