Taking on Your Best Year

Good Luck

To those taking on New Goals in 2019!

New Year is a natural time for reflection, the idea of change seems more appealing, to try something new or something that has previously seemed beyond our grasp. However, as many of us know, simply setting the goal isn’t enough to guarantee they’re completion. It can often seem like a never ending cycle where the goal is set but always stays just beyond our grasp for one reason or another. It doesn’t always have to be this way.

Over the years working with a wide variety of clients, people of differing ages and backgrounds, a number of common themes become clear in the process of achieving goals.

Here are a couple of these to help you achieve your goals:

• Work out why achieving this goal is important to you.

This may seem like too much overthinking. But, taking the time to think about why achieving your goal will make a difference to you, will really help your motivation when making decisions gets tough.

• Connect with like-minded individuals.

We all need a support crew, no matter whether this is a patent who asks the questions, ‘Do you really need that?’ Or the partner/ friend who doesn’t dangle the chocolates, cakes or takeaways. But it may also be a club or a group of people who simply want to support you to achieve your goals.

• Reflect and evaluate what has and has not worked in the past.

Be prepared, create the circumstances that help you succeed, be prepared for the events or obstacles that take you off the right track. An example may be, chocolates in the office. They are near your desk, you have to walk past them regularly and you find it tough to not pick away at them. Ask if they can be put somewhere else, not so easily seen. Take healthier, lower calorie options that are easy to access.

• Consider where you prioritise your time.

It can seem like we are not making progress at various points along the way. It’s important that we take an honest look at where we are truly spending our time. What we prioritise is where our time is going. It doesn’t mean your goal has to be at the centre of every decision, however it does need a certain amount of investment in order to create that new habit. Occasionally, we can think we are giving a lot of time but actually when we track our habits and commitments we are not giving what we initially thought. It may be time to change that if you wish to achieve that goal.

• Goal achievement is not a linear process.

You probably know this from your own previous goals set, but it’s always worth repeating. Working towards goals is not an A to B process, there is progress, plateaus and setbacks. It is what you do when you hit them that makes a difference, re-evaluate, adjust your path and try again.

If you need any help, please feel free to give me a shout at louisept4u@yahoo.co.uk or message me on my business Facebook page: Louise’s PT 4 U

Why should I take part in the National Fitness Day on Wednesday 9th Sept 2015?

At this late stage many will be thinking this (see title) and maybe even since you heard of this day to celebrate and encourage physical activity.  I wanted to write just a few of the reasons we need to find time to get involved:

1.  Physical activity has been shown to be beneficial for multiple medical conditions including osteoporosis, diabetes,  obesity/ overweight, mental health conditions, joint replacements, back pain.

Choose a level and an intensity that is appropriate for your level and ability.

2.  You are a parent/ grandparent – children are mirrors of their parents – be the best and healthiest example you can be.          Children will copy their parents from a young age, long before we even notice.

3.  You would like to be fitter, stronger, faster!

It doesn’t always have to be about the scales.  All too often people say they don’t need to be more active because                they dont need to lose weight.  Physical activity can do and be so much more for you than just weight loss.  Set a                  fitness goal instead of a weight loss goal, this may be walking an extra 5 mins p/day, it might be to lift a PB in squats,            it might be learning to do a pull-up (I only just cracked this last year – you wouldn’t BELIEVE how excited I was – I told            literally everyone!).  No matter your level, pick a goal and go for it!

4.  Physical activity can be FUN!  I see the fun and excitement that sharing a goal and achievement it can bring amongst           my clients who enter races/ events together.

5.  Being physically active can help you burn more calories when at rest.  How?

Build muscles – ladies do NOT run in the other direction!  This is important for you as well as the gentlemen!  It gives             us tone, shape, the shape we want when we slip into our dresses or suits!  By having a higher percentage of muscle             the body uses more energy, aha bet I have your attention now?!

6.  Physical activity can help us maintain our flexibility and mobility.  As we age, yes we lose muscles mass and we                     become stiffer, however, we can slow this progress by being more active.  This is the more literal version of ‘use it lor           lose it’.

This is just a few of the reasons to be more active on a daily basis, you know YOUR reasons better than anyone.  If any of the above reasonate with you, grab them with both hands and use it to motivate you to change things.

Louise’s PT 4 U will be running its very own free events to get you all together, to help you to get friends and family involved.

Wednesday 9th September 2015 in the Dundee area:

615 – 7am:  Outdoor THUMP Boxing – Meet at Law Hill toilet on the hill – ALL abilities & levels – MUST contact to let me know you are coming as I have limited kit – louisept4u@yahoo.co.uk or PM me on facebook.

1030 – 1130 am – M.O.M Pregnancy & Post-natal Walk (Grandparent/ fathers all welcome, with & without the children 🙂 ) – Meet at the toilet block in the car park next to the beach (NOT the castle car park) – again all abilities & levels.

8 – 845pm – Evening stroll to relax at the end of the day – Meet at the front of Good Health & Fitness at City Quay (Car Park entrance) – ALL abilities & levels.

You do not have to have worked with me prior to these sessions, they will not be used to sell anything.  This truly is my passion, I myself have learnt and gained so much throughout my life from physical activity.  If I can help more people to be more active and get even a little of what I have from being more active I will be SUUUUPER happy!

See you all Wednesday!  Tag and share your pictures with #LouisesPT4U #Noonegetsleftbehind

The Rat Race of Life

This one is a shorty today folks, but this does not mean it is a subject we should take lightly . . .

The world is a place where we feeling growing pressures to fulfil, often what is, someone elses expectations and goals.  When we go home we wonder why our health is suffering, why our stress levels are rising daily, we have more and more back pain, sore knees, increasing weight and this is just a drip in the ocean of aches and pains that people feel.

And yes I hear you, but your employer pays you, its part of your contract.

We can often forget that we only have one body, one life, if you become ill and can not function what happens to that work, what happens to the kids, your partner?  Many of the aches and pains we feel e.g. back pain can be helped with physical activity and management techniques.  Our weight issues can also be managed when we suddenly realise that we DO need to eat lunch during the day to keep our energy levels up, but we also need to only eat for our activity levels – are you active daily?

Really?  Now be honest 😉

What number would you give your stress levels out of 10?  Is what you are doing always conflicting with what you need to do for you and your health?

Put strategies in place and action them!  It might not work everytime but thats okay, but you won’t know if you dont try.  If you need some help, drop me a message at – louisept4u@yahoo.co.uk