We are almost through the first month of 2014. Are you keeping to your New Year’s resolutions? It’s usually fun and entertaining to start going to the gym as everything is new.  But then we face all the possible obstacles on our way to the gym as the weeks go by. Either it’s a long day at work, going out with friends, and loss of motivation. It takes time for the gym to have an effect on our physical appearance and fitness and the lack of instant results can demotivate us.

Here are some tips to keep you on the track for longer.

1. Exercise at a convenient location – whether it’s a park or a gym, find one that’s walking distance from your work or home. If it is not convenient and easily slots into your day, it’s unlikely you’ll stick to it.
2. Don’t do it alone – find a gym buddy. You don’t have to work out together, commit to not letting each other slip out of the routine.
3. Tune in – get your work out playlist ready. There are songs that kick you to work harder so use them when doing exercises.
4. Schedule one hour for your body – make a fix time for your workout and handle it as another important meeting you cannot cancel or re-schedule.
5. Write it down – it’s important to see your progress. Whether it’ll be journal or smart phone app looking back to what you achieved will keep you working more.
6. Consider a trainer who isn’t going to stand by the treadmill while you run! Khalid Shakir at our Harley Street branch works with you to create a programme that is fun, varied and very effective.
7. The gym isn’t everything – think about working out at home. Khalid recently wrote this programme for the BBC website which you can try!