Would your ultimate Christmas gift be to get fit for life? We all know that’s going to take a bit of effort, but we have a few ideas to ease you in gently and help you on your way this December.
If you are lucky enough to have people asking what you would like for Xmas, and you are still struggling to think of anything – this article is perfect for you! Well, we say that….. but these presents are going to be items that might change your health game for the long term. So, if that is something that you really don’t want, then ditch this article now and get yourself back on the Selfridges website!!
At Xmas even the healthiest of us like to let our guard down and overindulge just a little bit. Even if daily exercise is still a big part of December, it is a very impressive person who shuns the special edition Xmas crisps and Quality Street, and turns their nose up at the pigs in blankets and Yule tide log!
We think here at Team that December is all in the planning. When you are fit for life, you keep your exercise game strong every month, but you don’t forbid yourself fun. At team we say let your hair down and have a little bit of what you fancy, because it really does you a lot of good…..and come January hit the ground running with a healthy positive outlook and surround yourself with people who have a similar mindset to enjoy your Northwich Life.
To really start 2022 with a great health and fitness plan and on your “fit for life” journey, here are our top 5 Christmas presents we think you should ask your loved ones for:
- Nutri Ninja
Anyone who has been part of Team for a while will know that Catherine loves her smoothies, and we agree.
Benefits of smoothies:
- Very quick and easy to prepare
- Great for taking to work or on your commute
- Simple way to eat lots of veg (we even tried raw courgettes and broccoli)
- Add protein powders and good fats like avocado for a really filling meal
- Smoothies include all the skins from fruit and veg – so plenty of fibre too stopping the sugar spikes.
The larger Ninja also comes with a bigger jug attachment where you can blitz raw cauliflower which works so well as a filling substitute to rice,
- The Book: Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Paul is sleep obsessed and if he has not mentioned this book to you – then you are lucky – because he really really loves it!
At Team we really believe that everything starts with sleep, and if you read this book then you will probably start to understand why.
In the quest to be fit for life then sleep is the cornerstone of success. If you are currently not sleeping great, or consistently sleeping after alcohol or too much sugar thereby impairing your sleep quality, and you are really finding it a challenge to lose weight, then please read this book. It may change your life or certainly get you back on track to achieving success.
Of course, it’s a double whammy when we read. Not only are we learning loads of great things, but we relax and have some “me time”, which is too often neglected in the modern world of technology, schedules and 24-hour communication. This January we recommend falling asleep with the sleep book.
- Metcon Trainers from Nike
We really do love these flat weightlifting shoes at TEAM. So many people are a little intimidated by weightlifting, but as you age the benefits for it are unquestionable.
- Makes you stronger
- Burns calories efficiently
- Decreases abdominal fat
- Can help you appear leaner
- Decreases your risk of falls
- Lowers your risk of injury
- Improves heart health
- Helps manage your blood sugar levels
- Promotes greater mobility and flexibility
- Boosts your self-esteem
- Makes your bones stronger
- Boosts your mood
- Improves brain health
- Promotes a better quality of life
Weightlifting as you get older is important for your bone health. By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The osteoporosis risk skyrockets following menopause for women (oestrogen is needed to help lay down bone) and as we get older for men, strength training is especially vital.
Strength training exercises will help to build bone and muscle strength, burn body fat, and rev up your metabolism.
The more muscle mass you have the more calories your body burns at rest. The more muscle mass you have the easier it is to keep doing the simple things in life like walking up a big hill and carrying the shopping and digging up the garden, and it’s all these great activities that are going to keep team members fit for life and therefore living long and healthy lives.
Anyway, we digress……back to the trainers! These beauties last for years and just perfect for all the strength training activities that we do in the gym. They are not cheap but a definite must for the Xmas list.
A word of warning is not to buy these for your partner who you think “should join a gym and lose some bloody weight!”. Probably best instead to save your money for the January divorce papers and get yourself along to team sessions with us when you are single and ready to mingle and ready to start the rest of your life!
- Hiking gear
The age old saying there is no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothes, is so true. As the winter hits it can be really tempting to stay in a curl up in front of the fire with the Deliveroo man’s number on speed dial wearing elasticated trousers and a smock top!
However, come the spring as you try on your jeans and reality hits, and you realise that you just compounded your COVID stone with another one! We say don’t flaming do it! Set yourself some simple achievable goals right now to get out walking everyday come rain or shine.
Some great walking shoes or boots, a reliable waterproof coat and some waterproof trousers can really change the way you see a Sunday afternoon. You can even go a bit posh and get some expensive waterproofs if you want to feel stylish while you are bracing the elements.
At team we never say that the joys in life such as drinking red wine on a Sunday afternoon or having a chippy tea on a Saturday night should not happen. We just talk about ways to allow life’s pleasures to be a regular occurrence by committing to regular high-level exercise to get fit for life for the long term. There really is no better feeling that a walk in the pouring rain followed by snuggling on the sofa with a nice glass of red and if you haven’t done it – then get the waterproofs on the list for Xmas and join us in learning one of life’s new pleasures.
- Protein powder
Who doesn’t love a banana milk shake or a cinnamon danish from the coffee shop?! Who also doesn’t love defined arms, ripped abs and a peachy behind? How can you possibly have both we hear you cry!? These two protein powder flavours from My Protein really are the best that they do and can be a great quick go to snack to stave off the hunger pangs during the day.
Protein powder is not something that we recommend you substituting real food for, but it can be a handy go to, to have in the cupboard. Protein powder can be expensive, so why not ask for a bag for Xmas and see how you get on?
Suggestions:
- Protein powder with full fat milk as the perfect post workout snack
- Mix with unsweetened almond milk and a dash of double cream as a low carb evening sofa treat
- Stick a scoop in your smoothie as part of a filling balanced meal on the go
If you are looking to build muscle and lose fat, then introducing more protein into your diet can be a real game changer. Studies suggest that eating 0.7 – 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is what is required to gain and maintain muscle.
Conclusion
If you are serious about getting fit for life in 2022 then the suggested presents above, can really help you achieve your goals. Regular exercise though, is really going to be the main game changer.
The best way to incorporate exercise into your life for the long term is to find something you love doing, ideally with a group of people that you love doing it with. Team training has a supportive and fun community where you can dip in and out of our sessions as many times a week as you like while having a great laugh with a group of professional people on the same mission as yourself.
If you are not a Team Training member yet, why not register your interest for our January classes now and take advantage of the first month half price offer? Or better still put our 3-month membership on your Xmas list too?
This way you will already know, that as you are eating your mince pies and Christmas pudding this December, you have a plan: and that 2022 is going to be the year that you finally make those changes to become fit for life – and what a long, healthy, and happy life it’s going to be.