Keeping yourself fit and your weight in a healthy range has never been more important than it is right now, but somehow it’s never been harder. Without the delineation of leaving the house to go to your workplace or to study, it can sometimes take what feels like superhuman strength to embed a regular and balanced exercise programme into your schedule.

If this all sounds familiar, Milly Smith, fitness instructor at GetMeFit is here to help. She has two young children, has recently started teaching fitness classes and runs a remote PA business, so along the way and with all this juggling, she has nailed some nice little hacks and habits to keep you on track.

1. Fix the time slots into your calendar

If, like many of us, you’re working from home, block out the time you would usually be commuting as your exercise time instead. If you’re a morning person, join an early morning Zoom class. Let’s face it, who won’t feel virtuous and smug about the fact they have done a workout and showered before 8am? If you know you’re a night owl and struggle in the mornings, don’t try to go against the flow – just book up some evening sessions when you know you’ll be feeling more motivated.

2. Be accountable by signing up for live classes

Whether online or in person, live classes give you that last kick up the butt you sometimes need to get your training kit on. If you know your instructor is expecting you to be there, or you’ve told your training buddy you’ll be at a class, you are so much more likely to turn up than if you’ve loosely planned to follow something On Demand, where nobody knows if you’ve done it or not.

3. Mix it up

Have a balanced mix of different style classes in your schedule. If you are a HIIT junkie, try adding in something like yoga or Pilates. It;s a great way to challenge your body that bit more, and work on your flexibility and balance as well as your cardiovascular fitness. At GetMeFit our independent instructors offer everything from ashtanga yoga to Boxercise.

4. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself

Start small and plan to exercise just 2-3 times a week. Once you are doing this and the routine has become the norm, start to build it up to 4-5 times a week (or whatever you can realistically fit in). If you start out trying to clock seven sessions a week, it will last a month at the most and then the trainers will be put back in the cupboard! Besides which, rest days are actually essential for good progress as your muscles need time to recover and you’ll make quicker progress if you let them. Think about building a healthier lifestyle that’s maintainable long term.

5. Ditch the excuses

We all experience it, you have an evening class starting in a few hours time and the excuse gremlins start creeping in: ‘I think I’m getting a headache’, ‘I’m not sure i can manage the childcare’, ‘I’ve just got too much work still to do’, and the list goes on. Don’t go down this route. Press on with your plans because you owe it to yourself to get there. You never regret a training session afterwards. If you have a busy job or family life, you need some time to focus on yourself and exercise is good for the body and mind. And with so many great Zoom classes on offer, many of the logistical challenges around childcare [or working hours] can be managed.

6. Fall in love with Lycra

Buy yourself some nice exercise kit, as it’s always good to want to wear the clothes and it means you don’t need to shower before the school run (or is that just me?). And if you can, invest in something of decent quality because it lasts longer and wears better; you don’t want to spend half your session pulling up your leggings. If it works for you, why not get dressed in your training gear first thing on the days you’ve planned to exercise? Once you’re showered and into your normal clothes, it can be a bit of a mental barrier to pull on your activewear (particularly on a cold or wet day). Once you have the kit on, it somehow makes you feel more compelled to crack on.

7. Set goals and reap rewards

Set yourself little personal goals and challenges, or even better, buddy up to do them with your friends and family. It feels great to tick off sessions you’ve pre-planned and to reach a goal at the end.

To find out more about Milly Smith from Go-To-Fitness, book her classes online here