January is over, but don’t let your motivation slip. You can continue being successful in the gym with Elite Trainer Callum Melly’s healthy habits.
01.Roll & stretch
Did you know that we are the only animal that wakes up and doesn’t stretch? Be sure to wake up 5-10 minutes earlier to stretch, whether that be in bed or on the floor, it’s important to take the time to prepare your body for the day ahead with a full body stretch and or foam rolling session. As for pre and post exercise, I like to do 5-10 minutes of cardio as a pulse raiser, followed by 5-10 minutes of foam rolling and then a full body dynamic stretch routine.
My 5 favourite dynamic stretches & openers are:
- T-Spine rotation for thoracic mobility and opening up the chest.
- Front & side leg swings for hip mobility.
- Lunge torso with rotations and overhead reach, focusing on stretching the hip flexors during the lunge and reach.
- Wall slides for scapula retraction & depression activation.
- Deadbugs with an over head reach for core activation.
02.Set yourself up for a successful day ahead by training in the morning
Not only will you benefit from mood enhancing endorphins, you’ll feel mentally empowered and more inclined to make health conscious decisions throughout the day, especially when it comes to food. Failing the above, perhaps you can simply increase your morning activity level by swapping your usual bus or train ride for walking, running or cycling to work. Simple swaps such as taking the stairs over the lift or even walking up an escalator rather than just standing there will get you moving more and burning more calories; remember, the more you move, the more you burn, the better you’ll feel.
03.Eat more fibre
Increase your fibrous carbohydrate intake by consuming vegetables and fruits with every meal, in particular leafy greens which are extremely low calorie and will allow you to consume more food volume, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. Meatless Monday’s are a great way to ensure you start your week with an increase in plant based whole foods, which will not only encourage you to eat more of the green stuff for the rest of the week, but these fibre rich foods will also have you benefiting from energy enhancing macro and micro nutrients, including protein. Avoiding energy slumps will ensure your motivation level stay topped up until a well-deserved rest at the weekend.
04.Reconsider your commuting route
More often than not I find my clients have formed subconscious habits on their commute to and from work, which could be tipping them into a calorie surplus and thus hindering their progress. For example, I remapped my own morning commute to work to ensure I don’t walk past anywhere that’s sells coffee, firstly for the fact that I had formed a habit of self-medicating my tiredness with caffeine and secondly, my oat milk latte was adding an additional and ultimately unnecessary 100+ calories to my day which over the period of a week would equate to 500-700+ calories and thus tip me into a surplus. When it comes to the temptation of a morning pastry – it’s out of sight, out of mind.
