It’s all too easy to go through the motions in your regular workout - 20 minutes on an evenly paced treadmill, 10 minutes on the rowing machine followed by some pilates moves… sound familiar? So it’s great if you’re exercising regularly (which is more than most) but if you’re performing the same workout routine over and over again, you’ll eventually reach a maximum fitness level – at which your body has fully adapted to the challenges of that specific routine. Once at this training ‘plateau’, it’s difficult to move your fitness to another level. Here are some tips to make your training more effective and lift you out of that plateau:

1. Fitness equipment - mix it up!

There’s so much more to exercise than a yoga mat and treadmill. Explore all that your gym has to offer, from medicine balls to resistance tubes, kettlebells and punchbags, all good gyms will have a range of fitness equipment on hand. Mixing up your workout with new equipment will challenge you with new movement patterns, utilising different muscle groups to take you beyond your normal routine.

2. Escape the gym - get fit in the fresh air!

There’s nothing like an outdoor workout to stimulate your senses and give you a psychological and physical boost. Head down to your favourite park for fresh air and great views, the change of scene will not only motivate you but challenge with different terrain and training opportunities. Try a park workout, including push-ups on a park bench, sprinting up-hill and interval training using trees as markers, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

3. Try your friend’s workout

For a simple way to mix-up your routine and learn new exercises, ask an active friend to lead you through their regular workout or join them in their favourite active hobby or sport, with the promise that you’ll offer the same to them in return. Work through your circle of friends and you’ll soon discover new ways to keep fit and have fun at the same time.

4. Hire a personal trainer

For an expert opinion and a complete analysis and re-design of your current fitness programme, recruit a personal trainer to tailor a bespoke health and fitness programme around your goals. Your trainer will know exactly how to lift you out of your training plateau safely and effectively, but most of all with workouts that are fun, invigorating and a definite break from the norm.

Even the futureproof fitness team admit that Christmas can be the time to over-indulge and eat far more than you would normally, plus the cold winter nights make it even harder to get off that sofa and do some exercise.

If you plan, however, you can enjoy your Christmas food as much as ever, without feeling bloated for two hours after the meal and without feeling guilty for a week!

Here’s our 6 favourite tips for staying slim this Christmas:

1. Don’t go to a Christmas party hungry: one of the most testing times for those trying to lose weight at Christmas, is a buffet party. The contents of an average buffet party are not conducive to weight loss, consisting of dips, crisps, sausage rolls, vol-au-vents, other pastry items, breads and alcohol. It’s easy to consume more than you should without really thinking about it and we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at the party.

2. Watch your options: of course treat yourself to a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion size.  Go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.

3. Limit high fat items, however tempting! High fat food items can be found in fried food, cream-based soup, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats such as salami and sausages, some pastries and baked goods. Plus, try and go-easy on the eggnog – it’s made with egg yolk and thick cream!

4. Try other versions of alcohol: instead of beer, cider, Bailey’s and Kahlua, try dry wine, Bloody Marys or spirits with diet mixer which have fewer calories. Remember: Calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the abdomen. People who are overweight actually gain weight more easily when they consume alcohol.

5. Drink plenty of water: overindulging at Christmas on both alcohol and coffee can seriously dehydrate your body.

6. Go for a country Winter walk: finally for a quick and enjoyable way to burn off 400 or so calories, take an hour with friends or family for a Winter walk. There’s nothing more invigorating than a brisk walk on crisp, sunny Winter’s morning.

Season’s Greetings from everyone at futureproof fitness!

Take a look at this video and we hope you’ll laugh and agree that exercise doesn’t have to be so automated and boring! And with a futureproof fitness programme you can be sure that you’ll escape the gym and experience fitness from a fresh perspective.

Your trainer will guide you in the exercises that are appropriate for you so you can workout like the Hollywood stars… it’s all the rage in California at the moment, but it’s no gimmick… this is one serious piece of kit tried, tested and curently used by the US Navy Seals to get them fit for service.. if it’s good enough for them, then it’ll sure be a challenge for you!

See www.fitnessanywhere.com for a full round of of this awesome piece of equipment and examples of the array of exercises you can perform with it and get in touch with daigo on tel: 07790 263 657 to organise your TRX training routine!

Offering all our home sports massage services but from a permanent base, we’ll be opening a Central London clinic very soon, so watch this space!

Last year David helped our head trainer, Daigo Smith, perfect his boxing techniques and instructional skills, so we’ve alot to thank him for. Billed as the The States vs The UK it’s sure to be a sell-out event, so get your tickets now at www.the02.co.uk

For more information on David Haye visit www.hayemaker.com

But it’s not a walk in the park… our summertime circuit sessions are a real challenge and a great boost for cardiovascular health and mood!

Autumn circuit training sessions 6.30pm to 7.30pm Monday September 1st onwards and every Monday evening in Hyde Park. Call to book your space - 07790 263 657.

Get fit in the fresh air!

We’re now holding regular lunchtime and evening circuit training sessions in some of East London’s finest parks - Victoria Park, London Fields, Highbury Fields, Finsbury Park and Clissold Park. For individuals and groups of up to 4 people, outdoor circuit training is a perfect way to add variety into your training routine. With fun and challenging workouts using cones, mini-hurdles, medicine balls, running drills and good old fashioned skipping and squat-thrusts, you’ll have fun while you workout!

Are you ready to face the challenge of the T-drill, 12-cone challenge and infamous bleep test? These are just some of the outdoor running drills we use to assess your fitness.

For more information on times and other London locations, just give us a call on 07790 263 657.