Hi and welcome to the final fitness mission of 2013.

I hope your festive season has been very happy and that you are managing to keep your activity levels up. If you are looking for some pointers you get started with your own 2014 personal fitness mission then this is a great place for you to begin. If have already been following and taking part in the Fitness Mission workouts then I take my hat off to you.

Thanks for getting involved and taking charge of your health and fitness - stay strong and keep up the good work. If you need some convincing then keep reading...

EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU! It can help you look great, feel amazing and as an added bonus much research-based evidence now points to a big reduction in risk of chronic illness.

The differences you can make to your appearance, attitude and mood in as little as three months are huge. If you are able to and you are not taking some exercise – you owe it to your body to start, Get ready to get healthy – make 2014 your year of fitness!

This article contains a video showing you a basic fitness test to help monitor your performance. But first let’s take a look at how to set some goals to keep you exercising beyond the second week of January and in the zone for the whole of 2014.

Having a big main goal will give you a clear target to aim for. Your big goal is your longer term target and to help you keep chipping away at it smaller short and mid-term objectives make useful milestones that motivate and guide you to success.

Have a think about the following three questions What does being fit mean to you? What does being healthy mean to you? What does being happy with your body mean to you?

My answers would read something like this: If I am not fit I cannot do all the tasks I need to do each day to the best of my ability. I want to stay healthy and avoid getting ill as much as I can, I am happier when I am healthy. If I am happy with how I feel in my body I am more confident in myself and feel like I can deal with any situation that comes my way. If your answers are similar then keep reading!

Use your imagination - skip forward in time to 28/12/14 and visualise yourself after taking action and exercising regularly for the next year. What do you look like? How do you think you would feel walking around in a body that has been well looked after? Would you be happier? Do you appear more confident?? Do you look younger and more energetic?

Set your goals, and follow the steps you set yourself, and the person you imagine could easily be you in a year’s time!

Grab a pen and paper, tablet or lap top and write your answers to the following questions. What is your goal? (Make it important) write down what you will look and feel like after a great year of exercising.

Where are you in relation to achieving your goal? Give a brief evaluation of where you are physically compared to where you want to be, if you are feeling a bit low on self confidence and self esteem at the moment don’t dwell on this - note it down and move forward.

Focus on the goal and start off with the end result firmly in your mind!

What steps do you think you will need to take to get there? (these steps are your mini goals) How much exercise can you do? And how much is healthy?

On which days will you exercise?

What type?

Who with?

What will keep you going?

If you are ill and have time off what will make you start again?

Why is your goal so important?

Can a friend or family member keep tabs on your progress (someone you trust)?

What are the things you need to give up?

What resources do you need to succeed?

A useful approach to goal setting is the SMART method used in sport and business psychology. In order to succeed experts suggest that each goal should be SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC, and TIME FRAMED.

The main or longer term goal is your big over-riding mission – the steps you will take to get there are mini goals. To give an example your big goal could be weight orientated – e.g. by the 28/12/2014 I will weigh XXstone and be a dress size XX or waist size of XX.

This is specific and measurable, but you also need to keep your feet on the ground a bit, make it attainable and safe – select a goal that stretches you but one that you can achieve.

You also need to make it realistic. If you need to buy a gym membership, attend fitness classes or join a sports club, can you afford it? Can you stick to a regular time? If you are doing outdoor exercise – what if the weather is bad? Create a plan B, so you have all the bases covered.

Pick some events along the course of the next year that you will need to be in shape for. Try the race for life, or maybe one of the many muddy assault course events that are fairly prolific nowadays.

Book a photo shoot at the half way stage to push you towards your big goal. What can you do and what will you do? Set your boundaries now and don’t cheat yourself out of success.

If you get bored easily pick a new monthly challenge that will help you achieve your goals. If you get stuck you could always try consulting with a personal trainer like me to help you re-focus your efforts.

If you are choosing a weight loss goal the recommended speed at which you should lose weight as part of a strategy to keep it off long term is 2.2lbs or 1kg per week. This does not sound like much but after six weeks you will have nearly dropped a stone.

There are so many strategies available for weight loss eating – whichever you pick ensure you are getting the nutrients you need from unprocessed natural foods and avoid yo-yo dieting!

Good luck, try the fitness test below and look out for my new workouts on 4/1/2014. If you need a more personal approach to getting in shape or are interested in trying one of my HIIT, girls’ or men’s boxing fitness, strength training or ultimate workout classes then find me using the links at the end of the article.

These videos contain general ideas for fitness and healthy living, but they are not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice for you as an individual. You must take personal responsibility for your own safety and well-being. Performing exercises can pose a risk to the exerciser, so before exercising check any equipment you are using is in good condition and be sure to know your own limits. You should consult a doctor if you have any questions regarding your health or the suitability of any fitness programme.

Your 2014 fitness test

Watch the videos below to get exercise instructions before attempting your test. With your stop watch, time 30 seconds of exercise and 30 seconds of rest and keep going until all the exercises are finished.

Use the scoring sheet below to record your results and try to beat your scores each month You can try the walk/jog/run any time, and it doesn’t have to be exactly a mile. All that matters is you run exactly the same route every time and time it!

The tandem balance test time is only 20 seconds with either foot in front. Give this test a try, if training hard it will get easier and each time you improve you will be one step closer to your fitness goals.

These videos contain general ideas for fitness and healthy living, but they are  not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice for you as an individual. You must take personal responsibility for your own safety and well-being. Performing exercises can pose a risk to the exerciser, so before exercising check any equipment you are using is in good condition and be sure to know your own limits. You should consult a doctor if you have any questions regarding your health or the suitability of any fitness programme. 

Below is a fitness test scoring sheet so you can record your scores and attempt to better them month on month. See the video for exercise technique and please remember to exercise safely.

Download the 2014 fitness tests sheet here - 2014 Fitness Tests.docx

Remember to have a bit of a cool down afterwards and try a few stretches.

There are five more fitness mission workouts that you can try using this link

 Well done! You have set a baseline and you can now work towards smashing your goals – I will see you next week to begin your training in the New Year.