SUMMER can throw us off our routine and getting back into working out can seem impossible as the holiday season winds down.
While the gym might be the last place you want to go as you wallow in post-summer blues – but it could be helpful to see September as a “second new year”, according to fitness experts.
According to gym chain The Gym Group, September is the perfect time to restart fitness routines and get back into healthy habits.
But there’s no need to set unrealistic goals or spend hours a day exercising.
In fact, research suggests that getting moving for a few minutes a day can do wonders for your health.
Jenni Tardiff, group master trainer at The Gym Group said: “Regular exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the September period’s natural return to routine makes it a great time to refresh and reset your post-summer fitness habits.
“‘Exercise snacking’ is the term used to describe small, regular doses of exercise, which has been gaining popularity as a sustainable way to add movement to every day.”
In the spirit of September fitness resets, Jenni designed a swift and effective 22-minute workout to get you started on your autumn goals.
Though simple and quick, the workout packs a hefty punch, combining strength and cardio
“Our 22 minute workout offers members just that, a bite-sized, full body strength and cardio workout,” Jenni said.
The routine will give you “he chance to raise the heart rate without taking hours out of a busy lifestyle”, the trainer explained.
“It’s clear that fitting in exercise for even a short length of time can have many physical and mental wellbeing benefits and we’re here to support all our members to find their perfect autumn fitness routine,” she added.
You’ll need to be at a gym to do this workout, as it makes use of equipment like a ski-erg, rowing machine and weights.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
The warm up should take you three minutes.
Stand straight circle your arms for 30 seconds before moving to the ski-erg machine for 30 seconds.
Grasp the cables and pull them down as if you’re propelling yourself down a slope with skin batons.
Next, stand at the back of your mat, roll down till your hands touch it and walk out into a plank.
By Personal Trainer Jenny Francis-Townson
It’s one of the most common exercises you see people doing every day in the gym but could be negatively impacting your health.
Jack Claxton, Expert Personal for Trainer David Lloyd Clubs says the sit-up does “absolutely nothing for your abs whatsoever”, while also being an injury hazard.
Many fitness professionals admit they tell others to leave out of their workout routines in order to avoid causing injury.
If performed incorrectly, actually causes the body to strain in all the wrong places, leaving long-lasting muscle damage and injury.
“The sit-up is one of the most common exercises associated with having visible abs,” says Jack.
“However, people do not realise that at the wrong speed or performed with the wrong form, it can actually have a negative impact on the neck and lower back and does absolutely nothing for your abs whatsoever.”
Performing sit-ups fast is the most common mistake Jack sees.
“Not only does this make them a lot less effective as you are not challenging your core muscles, it also encourages you to lose form and have poor posture” he warns.
Poor posture during a sit-up could put pressure on the wrong places, and may also reinforce bad posture habits day-to-day.
Jack says: “Many people round their backs, yank their necks and allow their lower back to arch off the floor, all of which result in the use of back and neck muscles rather than the core.
“The problem with poor posture is that it puts unwanted strain on the back and neck which can overstretch or even tear these muscles which can be very painful.
“Poor posture when performing exercise can also cause reduced circulation and breathing issues, both of which can seriously impact a person’s overall health and wellbeing.”
That’s not where the health issues end – straining the wrong muscles when exercising can also lead to long-term chronic pain, it’s claimed.
Jack says: “A small strain of a muscle isn’t going to suddenly cause you life-long pain, but consistent misuse of back and neck muscles can be serious.
“Muscle tears or spasms can lead to scarring on the muscles, which can cause further back stiffness, tightness and pain that can last a long time if not taken care of.
“All muscle damage wants to be avoided for optimum health.”
It might be worth re-thinking whether you want to eliminate sit-ups from your workouts and try some better core muscle exercises.
Pause before walking your hands back until you’re standing again – do this for 30 seconds.
Go back to the ski-erg for 30 seconds.
Next, squat using just your body weight for 30 seconds and do a final half minute on the ski-erg machine.
Your strength circuit should take you 12 minutes.
It consists of six exercises. Do each for 45 seconds and take 15 seconds of rest in between.
Repeat for two rounds.
Grab a dumbbell in two hands, hold it to your chest and stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart, your toes angled slightly outward.
Bend your knees into a squat before pushing yourself back up.
Walk out into a plank, tucking your bum in and keep your core tight.
Push into the ground from your shoulder so you don’t slump.
Lower your chest down and then push yourself back up.
Grab two dumbbells, stand with your feet hip width apart and hinge forward slightly.
Bend your elbows back so the weights come towards your chest before extending your arms downwards.
Using a pair of dumbbells again, extend them over your head.
Next, lower them to your shoulders and drop into a squat.
Push back up and repeat.
Walk out into a plank and bring one knee into your chest followed by the other.
Pick up the pace to get your heart rate up.
Grab those dumbbells again, keeping your arms down at your sides.
Step one foot back into a lunge and return to standing.
Repeat with the other leg.
A cardio burst to finish.
Get on a rowing machine and row as hard as you can for 20 seconds.
Rest for 10 seconds and repeat for eight rounds, four minutes in total.
To cool down, do your stretches of choice for three minutes
Jenni recommends you do a quad stretch first.
Stand on one leg and pull the other foot for your bum to stretch out the front of your leg, holding for 30 seconds.
Do the other leg next.
Next, roll your spine down you’re hanging forward over your legs. Hold for 30 seconds.
Do a shoulder stretch, 15 seconds for each arm. Extend one arm across your body and hook the alternate arm around it to pull it close.
Finally, sit down and butterfly out your knees with your feet together for your hip stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds – and you’re done!
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips – which can be adopted slowly – include:
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