The gym seems to be one of the most popularly visited destinations during the months of January to March. While any gym-goer will recognize the increase in local gym-foot-traffic, it is important that those heading to the gym after a long break understand that long-lasting benefits have to be attainable. If you return back to the gym in an intense manner, you’ll likely burn yourself out within the first month. Rather than creating intense regimens for yourself, such as two-a-day spin classes, try easing your way back into a steadily growing routine. Start by taking a yoga class or focusing on soft core exercises while incorporating a form of light cardio into your daily workout. Slowly, you can build up your stamina and increase these cardio workouts, but it is important to ease your way back into training. In fact, overexerting yourself in exercise at any time can cause a variety of health issues down the line. According to a Business Inside article published last year, women who participated in daily strenuous workouts were at increased risk for heart attack or stroke.

Finding sustainability in a diet:

We can’t stress this enough: Do not crash diet! This form of dieting is never the right solution to losing weight and maintaining long-term results. Along with being unhealthy and sending your body into unexpected shock – it doesn’t last! We know that sometimes you need to see fast results and get in shape for a special event, but this method is rarely an effective one if you’re looking for lasting effects. After the holidays, many people want to lose the packed-on pounds instantaneously. However, one month of eating poorly will not set you so far behind that there is no comeback in sight. Start with simple and achievable dieting goals. Cut processed sugars and limit your starch intake. You should make sure you are still eating at least three meals a day. Some people prefer eating small meals throughout the day and see their best results when eating light portions in intervals of every few hours. Regardless, eating healthy, whole foods will get you back on track quicker than you think. One of biggest problems with crash dieting is the mental component. We all want to feel good, but we can’t feel good if our body is not getting the proper nutrients it needs. In order to perform our best, physically and mentally, our bodies need to be fed – and fed the right things. A few simple examples of healthy meals, and what we like to recommend after the holidays can include:

Along with the rush of getting back to work, and the various other pressures we put on ourselves this time of year, it’s important to remember that in order to reach our maximum potential in productivity, we must be in a sound state of mind. Make time in your day to practice meditation or destressing techniques. While we may have high energy in our eagerness to make our biggest and best comebacks, it is essential to slow down and take a breather in between efforts. All it takes is 5-10 minutes out of your day. Whether it’s waking up early to sit in a still, quiet space; taking a midday break to write down how you’re feeling; or clearing room in the evening to read a chapter of a book – peaceful contemplation and reflection will enhance the turnout of your day. You can find some more mental health balancing tricks here.