Lifestyle

The TOP TEN New Year resolutions you can REALLY keep!

Keeping a New Year’s resolution can be tough. Vivacity Sport’s Sharon Sim offers to help with a selection of the top ten resolutions and practical tips on how you can stay motivated in 2015

1 Lose weight
This is by far the most popular resolution for the New Year; on Christmas day most people will have consumed a staggering 7,000 calories on average, which is more than double the male and triple the female recommended daily calorific intake. Perhaps it is no wonder that in January we all start to think about gym memberships and losing weight to shift the extra Christmas pounds and inches. Whether you choose to lose weight through fun fitness classes with friends, swimming or by toning up with functional training and weights, joining a gym can give you the support you need to lose weight and a great variety of activities that will help you do this. Vivacity has over 220 fitness classes on each week across the network with gym membership at the new Vivacity Premier Fitness giving you free access to six Vivacity gyms across the city – making it easy for you to drop in when it’s most convenient.

Start your journey to losing weight today. Speak to a friendly Vivacity gym advisor on 01733 864 000 or email
www.vivacity-peterborough.com/premierfitness

2 Meet new people
Do you find yourself fixed to your tablet or in front of the TV in the evenings when you could be meeting new people or talking to friends face to face? Having a good social life can have strong health benefits, with people with strong social ties living longer and feeling more fulfilled. Often we live our lives in a set routine and it can be hard to find the time to reconnect with old friends or make new ones. Getting out and about and doing new activities outside your usual routine can help introduce you to a range of new people and may give you a great reason to get back in touch with old friends and colleagues. Meet new people by joining one of our free Walking for Health group walks that will introduce you to new people in your local community, or you could even become a walk Leader.

Call Kerry on 01733 864 738 today and learn how you can meet new people on the scheme. www.vivacity-peterborough.com/walkingforhealth  

3 Try something new
Trying a new activity is a great way to break the monotony whilst broadening your social horizons. Cultural pursuits can bring a whole new aspect to your life… why not take a look at the local theatre talent? Or try a live music gig or a bit of stand-up comedy? Trying something new can open a whole new chapter in your life, spark a passion within you or inspire you to re-connect with old friends over something exciting, new and entertaining. There’s an amazing array of entertainment on offer at the Key Theatre, from live theatre performances to music to comedy.

www.vivacity-peterborough.com

4 Quit Smoking
It can take more than one attempt to quit smoking and often multiple attempts are the path to success. There are many schemes out there that can help you quit and focusing on other areas can help you keep motivated. We all know about the money you will save and the health benefits you will get from quitting but finding someone who can support you through your journey will help you stay committed when you’re losing will power.

Get the support you need by contacting the Peterborough Quit Smoking Service on 0800 3765655 and see how we can help support you in making a change for the better at www.vivacity-peterborough.com/lifestyle  

5 Save Money
One less obvious way to save money is by making healthy lifestyle changes – why not walk or ride your bike to work in the New Year? You could also look at helping reduce your carbon footprint by exploring carpooling? Stop eating out at lunch and start bringing in your own healthy pack lunch or cut down on boozy nights out and enjoy Sundays without a fuzzy head – you’ll feel better for it both in yourself and in your bank balance.

6 Reduce stress
A little bit of pressure can be good for us, in fact short bouts of stress give us an energy boost! But if it is chronic it can increase your risk of whole range of serious health conditions such as insomnia, depression, obesity and heart disease amongst others. Modern life can be stressful and it is important to balance this out – a good place to start is by increasing your quality of life if you do suffer from a health condition. There are a range of specialist classes on offer that can help you improve your lifestyle if you live with stress, anxiety or depression. Or you may have a health condition that makes it hard for you to get out and about – tackling these issues is the first step in turning your life around towards a more positive future.

See how you can start to improve your life today by calling Sarah on 01733 864 764 or email
www.vivacity-peterborough.com/healthservices  

7 Volunteering
Often the first thing we think about with a New Year’s resolution is about how we can better ourselves, but we can also gain a lot of happiness and satisfaction by helping others. Helping others can generate a lot of goodwill, positive feeling and may help you grow in confidence. It can also give a strong feeling of pride and satisfaction as well as offering an opportunity to learn something new and put your skills and experience to good use.

Speak to Gill about the great range of volunteer roles on offer on 01733 864 775 or see more at www.vivacitypeterborough. com/volunteering  

8 Reduce your alcohol intake
While much has been written about the benefits of smaller amounts of alcohol, alcohol in excess can increase depression, memory loss and high blood pressure as well as many other far more serious health conditions.

Reducing your overall alcohol intake will have immediate health benefits and you can make a start today by making some simple changes to your drinking habits:

■ when you are drinking alternate alcoholic drinks with water or low sugar soft drinks – this helps by keeping you hydrated and by slowing down the rate at which you consume alcohol

■ keep track of the amount you drink – you may be surprised at the amount of units you are actually consuming

■ don’t pre-load by drinking at home before a night out and measure your drinks as you may be drinking far more than you think

■ make sure you eat, it’s never a good thing to drink alcohol on an empty stomach!

■ reduce the amount of alcohol in your favourite tipple by drinking wine spritzer, lager-shandy or whiskey-soda

■ when you go out give yourself a limit and stick to it

■ reduce the amount of alcohol you keep at home as this will make it easier to forego an evening tipple or drink in front of the TV

■ limit the amount of parties you attend or stay tee-total and drive to events instead.

For help and advice see www.drinksense.org  

9 Learn something new
No matter how old you are, learning something new will give your life a boost, can revamp your career and will increase your brain power. Research has shown that people who were keen on learning new skills had stronger memories and better verbal skills than those who did not. Keeping the brain active can also help prevent degenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Why not learn a new craft, research your family tree or take a fascinating look at local archives?

www.vivacity-peterborough.com

10 Travel
Booking a holiday gives you something to look forward to, allows you to tap into a new adventure and can help you make a change in your life without having to do anything too bold or dramatic. It also gives a welcome break from your normal routine and can leave you rejuvenated for months after. Travelling gives an opportunity to experience a whole new culture which will stay in your memory forever – and travelling is often one of the most life-affirming experiences you can have. Why not treat yourself to a holiday if you achieve your resolution?

Tips to achieving your resolution

■ Make one resolution – choosing just one aspect to focus on will improve your chances of success

■ Plan ahead and consider how you will reach your target

■ Choose a different resolution to last year – but if you do repeat last year’s resolution, reassess why you weren’t able to achieve it and what you will do differently this time

■ Make notes! Write your resolution down and keep it specific

■ Have a reward in mind for when you reach your goal as this will help you to focus.

www.vivacity-peterborough.com

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