Goodbye 2022 - Hello 2023!

If you've known me for a while, you'll know I never seem to have a straight-forward year....but then again, who does?!

We started 2022 living in a hotel, following our house evacuation late 2021, due to storm damage to our roof. We spent the first 6 months of the year moving between hotels, before finding a rented house (with no furniture!) - all of which we did while worrying as to whether or not our house insurance would pay out. I clearly remember being in one of the hotel rooms, in an online work meeting, when there was a knock at the door, saying we had to move out as the insurance hadn't paid the next bill!

During those first few 6 months, we didn't take time off work. I ran 100km in May to raise money for Macmillan Cancer, we had adventures out and still made plenty of amazing memories - those 6 months flew by! Along came summer, school holidays, minor house renovations following our move home and staff shortages at work. All of which contributed to my running being virtually non-existent, but I did make time for home workouts, which I found easier to fit in with life - 15 minutes here and there kept me going.

We've had an amazing Christmas and New Year, I'm super excited for 2023 and feel incredibly grateful for what I have.

As you hopefully join me for some runs or home workouts this year, I just want to say, be kind to yourself. It's really easy to follow people online who seem to be in amazing physical shape, eat fabulous healthy food, wear the best fitness clothes and have endless hours to dedicate to fitness. Like most, I struggle with time. I have a family and time with them is my priority, I have kids who play football, rugby and cricket, I work full-time with unsociable hours, my family live an hour away, so weekends require travel...life is busy!

So if you're starting or restarting your fitness journey, if you're struggling to find time for long workouts, it may be more achievable to find easier ways to simply move more. Here's a few ways I incorporate being active into daily life:

- Walk or cycle the school-run

While not always practical, many employers are now offering flexible working. It only takes us 15 minutes to walk to school or 10 minutes to cycle. Sometimes we drive in the morning and then I incorporate school pickup as part of a run or walk. If you have to drive, can you park 5 minutes away rather than right outside school? The same applies to work.

- Get up out of your chair at least once an hour

This could literally be to stand up and stretch, go to the bathroom or make a drink. Avoid lifts and escalators and use the stairs.

- Use your lunch break!

Many of us often work through our lunch breaks; it became a daily norm for me. We're entitled to a lunch break for a reason. Maybe go for a walk around the block, spend 10-minutes stretching or even do a short workout. At the very least, have a break and eat some food.

- Try shorter workouts

I find it much easier to squeeze in a 15-minute session before work or at lunch, rather than a longer workout. Even my runs are limited to 25 minutes at the moment.

- Make exercise part of your social time

Grab a friend/partner and go for a walk to get a coffee, rather than just driving there. We often finish work and go for a walk to unwind, and virtually always enjoy a weekend walk to a coffee shop.

- Swap video meetings for phone meetings (where appropriate)

If it's just a quick catch up, does it need to be a video meeting? Or can you at least walk around while on the phone? Put your earphones in and walk around outside with a notepad and pen?

- Wear a fitness watch/step-counter

You can get super cheap fitness watches/step counters. Sometimes it can be a shock how little we actually move - one day over Christmas, I moved a total of 227 steps! (I was enjoying a rest, film and Christmas food day). Sometimes we think we move more than we do and eat less than we do!

For me, health and fitness is a lifestyle, not a chore. Find what works for you and what you enjoy.

Here's to a fabulous 2023!