I’ve been there before: You hit the gym on the first Monday after the New Year, only to find that the clientele has tripled and there’s nary an empty weight bench to be found.  The upshot of this is that ¾ of these new members will be gone within two weeks, but don’t relax too soon; unless you make a secondary workout space at home and confront of the challenges of exercising in winter, you may soon be joining them.  Here are some tips that will allow you to stay motivated while keeping your New Year’s resolution firmly on track:

Do your running at home

The gym is great for utilising those things you can’t find at your flat – all-in-one weight circuits, or a pool perhaps – but there’s no reason you can’t take care of simple exercises at home.  Invest in a quality treadmill (a folding Proform treadmill can be had for well under £1000) and spend the twenty minutes you’d need to drive to the gym running at home instead.  A twenty minute aerobic workout, coupled with a healthy diet, is all you need to start seeing your fitness goals become reality.  For the best results, look for a Nordictrack treadmill with adjustable incline and consider working an alternate activity (like swimming or cycling) into your weekly routine for variety.

Lift your expectations

Once you begin to get in shape, you may find that you’re still having trouble tightening up your midsection.  Mixing weight training into your workouts is a great way to replace fat with lean muscle to give yourself the sculpted look you’ve always wanted.  A standard weight bench like the one at left allows you to exercise your chest, legs, back, and abs, all without leaving the comfort of your own home.  To really get the most out of your workouts, construct a weekly regime that moves you from exercise to exercise at a pace that will keep your target heart rate at aerobic levels.  You may be surprised, but a quick, high-intensity weight training session is likely to produce much better results than a short stint on the elliptical.

How do you keep your New Year’s exercise goals?

Did you know?

Fitness guru and action star Dolph Lundgren has a master’s degree in chemical engineering.

-Jeff O.

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