The Christmas fun is over. Booo! Normal songs are on the radio, the fridge is no longer full of leftovers and all the gift sets I bought are now half the price (damn you, January sales!).
So with Christmas a distant memory (but thankful for all the fabulous memories made) and the realisation that I ate my body weight in chocolate and pigs in blankets, it only seems apt to join in the New Year fitness craze! Plus I can’t really avoid it. Shops are full of fitness books; fitness clothes and fitness accessories that range from simple water bottles to gadgets that will make technophobes run a mile (hmmm, maybe that’s the plan??). Anyway, the shops have it spot on. They know the majority of us are pretty excited about our diet no longer including leftover turkey, mince pies and cheese board selections. And this over indulgence paired with my only form of exercise being from the sofa to the kitchen, it has definitely made a New Year detox appealing to my un-fit self. But before I get carried away with a basket full of new fitness clothes, gadgets, recipe books and a years gym membership there is one small problem – The price tag. As lovely as these new items may be, it appears that I have been spending money like I was playing Monopoly for the whole of December – and unfortunately I was not the banker who always gets the privilege of a few extra notes added to their pile (hay, don’t judge! We all do it, right?!).
So my plan is to remove my Christmas calories and detox my alcohol infused body in ways that won’t cost the earth…
Walk at Work
Image source: health.com
To start I will be going for a walk in my lunch break at least one day a week – I have also got some fellow workmates to join me so I can natter whilst I walk and they know where to find me to give me that extra push out the door if I’m lacking motivation!
Here is a useful link if you want to find an organised walk or routes: https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder
“YouTube Yoga”
Image source: youtube.com
I have done this before and it’s a-maz-ing so I am very excited to do this! I find it great to build core strength, stretch out tight muscles that are causing me gyp as well as giving me a massive feel good factor, without even leaving the house! I use a YouTube channel which has a huge range of yoga classes, which I stream onto my TV – but you can use a tablet, laptop or even your phone to join in!
No costs. No fancy new clothes required (bonus: PJ’s are allowed!). No equipment needed. No set time or place to rush to. No excuse!
Here is a link to the YouTube channel I use if you fancy taking a look. (I recommend the ‘30 days of yoga’ playlist to start!): https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
Tip: I saved the link as a bookmark so I was ready to start ‘yoga-ing’ at a click of a button!
Yoga not your thing? There are plenty of free fitness classes on YouTube, just search for the type of class you would be interested in and get started within minutes!
Outside Gyms – Workout for free!
Image Source: chelmsford.gov.uk
Many parks in Essex have free outdoor gyms which have a variety of fitness equipment available for public use. Next time I brace the cold and go for a run (which must be soon, before my running buddy gives up with me – sorry Simon!), I will be popping by King George V Playing Fields (near Rayleigh high-street) to use what is readily available and free!
Here is a list of some parks with outside gyms in Essex:
- Chelmsford: Chelmer Park, Beehive Lane (CM2 8RL)
- South Woodham Ferrers: Compass Gardens, Saltcoats Park (CM3 5WE).
- Billericay: Lake Meadows Park (CM12 0BW)
- Shotgate Park, Wickford
- Braintree: Meadowside playing field, Coldnailhurst Avenue
- Witham: Witham- Playing field, Spa Road
- Rayleigh: King George V Playing Field
- Harlow: Harlow Town Park (CM20 2QD)
Next time you are near one of these parks, why not give the equipment a shot and have fun – it is a park after all!
Parkrun Fun
Image source: parkrun.org.uk
I have signed up to attend parkrun events, which are a series of 5k runs, held on Saturday mornings in areas of open space around the UK. They are open to all, free, and are safe and easy to take part in. These great events are amazingly organised by volunteers, which allows the events to be free! If you like running but don’t fancy going alone or like the extra encouragement from fellow runners, I would definitely recommend you take a look on the website to find out more info. Then all that’s left to do is find your running shoes and sign up! See you there!
More info: http://www.parkrun.org.uk/events/events/
Food Swap
Image Source: twopeasandtheirpod.com
As well as staying active, I am going to be swapping at least one bad food for one good on the shopping list to help reduce the feeling of being an actual pig in a blanket! We received a spiralizer for Christmas, so I will definitely be switching carby spaghetti for courgetti soon! In addition to choosing healthier options, switching a few items on our shopping list makes us experiment with different meals too! – Anyone have any good recipes we can use a spiralizer with?
The Wonders of Water
Image Source: thathealthymama.wordpress.com
Lastly, I’ll be drinking more water – I know it seems obvious but it is so easy to get to the end of the day without drinking enough. So my way to tackle this is to make sure I have a bottle of water with me where ever I go! It has so many benefits and best of all it’s FREE!!
After a bit of planning and willpower, I think my New Year detox and fitness ideas will be a success and will hopefully continue on throughout the year as my ideas are not unachievable or unrealistic!
Wish me luck!
A Social Local 🙂
#lifeofasociallocal
P.S. If there are any other free or low cost exercise classes and ideas I can add to my list, please let me know! I’d love to hear them.
Life of a Social Local 