As the old sayings go; If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten! and; If nothing changes, nothing changes!

Progressive overload is the concept of gradually increasing the exercise demand on your body to achieve continued improvement.

The gym can be a bewildering place to begin your exercise program but, once you understand what is available, it’s a great place to get fit — and stay fit.

Boot camp is a high-intensity, military-style workout program that combines muscular endurance, strength and aerobic fitness.

Walking is often over-looked as exercise, but can be a great tool for improving cardiovascular fitness, reducing the risk of chronic illness, weight maintenance and weight loss.

Willpower, like any muscle of the body, responds to stimuli. Just as bicep curls increase the strength of the biceps, exercising your willpower will result in it becoming stronger. The more you practice self-discipline and control, the easier these behaviours will become, and the less likely you will be to self-sabotage your efforts.

There are loads of variations in flavours as well as ingredients that may be used in the batter. You can experiment using combinations of different grains/flours: rice, quinoa, oat flour, soy flour, millet etc to achieve a different flavour and texture for your pancake. Ingredients such as greek yoghurt, milk, soy milk, almond milk etc can also be used.

I now get to have my own mountainous plate of “pasta” which tastes every bit as good as the real thing (actually, better in my opinion!) without overindulging in carbohydrates and calories..

A sweaty gym-goer rattling their noisy protein shaker before chugging a post-workout shake is a common sight in any gym.

Now, not to diss the protein shake (as it offers a quick, easy, portable dose of all important protein) but what ever happened to the humble egg? Hard-boiled eggs, after all, are quick, easy, portable AND a heck of a lot cheaper than protein powder.

So why eat an egg post-workout, or at any other time for that matter?

Find your motivation to get fit and read case studies of how others, just like you, tried and succeeded!

Why not spice up your training and increase motivation by setting yourself a personal fitness challenge?

If something is important to you, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse!

There is always opportunity for exercise. As a personal trainer, i have the privilege of working with a variety of individuals and am aware of the many obstacles relating to regular exercise. I’ve heard every reason or excuse in the book, from “i just don’t have time” to “i don’t like to sweat, because then i have to wash my hair again” (yep, true story). If your goals and your health are important to you, you will find a way. Let’s face it, we’re all busy- you will never “find” time, you have to MAKE time.

Swimming is a great way to increase your cardiovascular fitness, burn calories and improve your upper body strength. As it is low impact, swimming is a fantastic option for those who are injured and provides a great cardio workout for those who have a large amount of weight to lose, and want to avoid the strain on joints, ligaments and tendons experienced during higher impact exercise; such as running.