5 TOP TIPSTO HELP YOU ACHIEVE LONGTERMFITNESS RESULTS

Making health and fitness resolutions is easy, sticking to them is the hard part. We introduce you to one local fitness expert who shares with us his top tips to achieve and maintaining those resolutions all year round.

My name is Aaron Phillips, Owner of Ocean Fit Personal Training Studio in Whitley Bay and Ocean Fit Online, a remote training platform. I have been a full time Personal trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach now for many years working with 100's of people in the local area helping them change their lives for the better and now with our Online Training platform I am now able to work with people from around the globe.

With time comes a lot of experience and I know this time of year a lot of people will be making resolutions to improve their health and fitness which is always fantastic to hear but hard to maintain if you aren't prepared for long term changes. I have listed the top things I know can help you maintain and achieve long term results with your new fitness & lifestyle commitment!

1 BE 100% COMMITTED & SET REALISTIC GOALS If your head is not in the game from the start you are pretty much guaranteed to fail. That is the harsh truth. Your goals need to me manageable and achievable. I LOVE to hear and see ambition from my clients but we have to be realistic with ourselves as well. Why not aim to lose a pound before a stone or complete your first Parkrun before signing up to a marathon. Small manageable steps!

2 HAVE A PLAN How are you going to execute this new resolution? When will you train, what will you actually eat and when will you cook all this healthy food? You need to make a plan for the month at LEAST of how you will execute what you plan to achieve. That normally where I would become useful.

3 BE ACCOUNTABLE Now this could be with a friend, family member or personal trainer. If you train with a friend/partner you are a lot more likely to stick it out a lot longer. Make sure you are both in it together from the start. Some people might feel self conscious about working with a friend or you may be at different abilities, you could always consult a fitness professional who will keep you on track, motivated and accountable every step of the way!

4 PREPARE YOUR DAYS Now that you have made a plan of how you will execute a little longer term you can break it down daily. I always encourage my clients to have their clothes out and ready the night before, plan your meals for the next day. This doesn't have to be a 'meal prep' it can be just writing it down and committing to a healthier meal. Also if your not

Aaron Phillips

working our from home, plan your journeys...what time do you need to leave, how will you get there etc. Our Beach Camp members are often faced with a frosty car in the winter, this is the perfect opportunity for them to turn around and go back to bed but by preparing the night before they are ready to deal with it and come straight down to the session!

5 BE CONSISTENT AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY With consistency comes results. You can not attend sessions every 2 weeks and be disappointed with nothing changes. This type of goal takes some real grit and commitment, you need to really chip away slowly in order to see long sustainable changes. In saying that it can also be counter productive to do too much, listen to your body and when it says stop then STOP! Take rest days and remember to enjoy what you do!

If you would like any help, guidance or support with your fitness journey please do not hesitate to contact me at info@ocean-fit.com.