As another year begins, it’s that dreaded time again – New Year’s resolutions!

We know, we’ve been there too: earnestly writing out a list on January the 1st to motivate you to do all the things you didn’t get around to last year… Maybe it was cutting back on the chocolate?

Maybe it was fitting in that daily dose of physical activity? Or, maybe you just need that extra push to get your general health back on track? 

Keeping fit can seem like a daunting task. With the competing demands of home life and work life, it can be difficult to even imagine trying to fit in time to seriously exercise on top of everything else that’s going on.

You may already feel exhausted, with no energy left for anything else. The good news is, though, that even a small amount of exercise can make a difference – and this will make you stronger over time, preparing you for even greater challenges in the future when you feel ready.

By incorporating exercise into your daily routine, it will soon become second nature for you. It only takes one step at a time – Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all!

But where do you begin?

There are so many exercise options to choose from that trying to make a list can soon become a daunting task by itself. Well this year, put the pen away because we’ve got you covered with our top tips for keeping fit in 2020. With that in mind, let’s jump in.

#1: You’ve heard this one before: Walk! Walk! Walk!

Walk everywhere. Don’t take the car tomorrow, walk to work or uni! Get moving! Walking really is the easiest way to fit more physical activity into your daily routine, lose unwanted weight and better your general health.

Additionally, the long term health benefits are undeniable. Just 30 minutes of walking daily can increase your cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, boost muscle power and endurance, and reduce excess body fat. It can also reduce the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers.

#2: Get your helmet on and get cycling!

Cycling is a fun, low-impact exercise that is enjoyed by people of all ages – it’s something you can do with friends or family and get everyone involved. Cycling is a good place to start if you are new to the fitness world, as it’s low impact and you can get into it at your own pace.

Cycling can be done at very low intensity to start off with (if you are recovering from an illness, for example), but it can then also be built up to become a demanding physical workout. Not only does it cause less strain and injuries than most other forms of exercise, it’s also good for the environment (another option for getting to and from work)!

Cycling can also be beneficial for your mental health – many people prefer exercising outdoors because of the mental health boost it provides outside the gym.

#3: Get lifting!

We all know lifting weights is a staple when it comes to the gym, but the long term health benefits are something you might not know so much about.

When adding muscle mass, your resting metabolic rate will naturally become a lot higher – therefore you will burn more energy even when you’re resting. Working on adding muscle will help improve your body’s ratio of muscle to fat, therefore improving your overall health. Weight lifting is something you can do at the gym, of course, but you can also do it at home. It won’t be long before you really begin to feel the long term health benefits.

Keeping your body healthy matters, in time you will thank yourself for maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle. This New Year, we ask you to consider the bigger picture: how keeping your body healthy could save your life, or even someone else’s life. Good health is one of the most important, fundamental aspects of living a good life – so maybe this is one New Year’s resolution you should keep!