Okay, scratch 2020. Onwards and upwards. As the New Year approaches, it’s natural to start thinking about goals, resolutions and personal progression – and health and fitness are obvious places to start.

If necessity saw you working out from home this year, and you found it was actually your jam, you might like to use your summer break to step up your home gym set-up.

Among the benefits are flexibility, costs, privacy, less travel time, no babysitting needed, your own music choices, and less gym odours. Consider these options:

What you need

How long is a piece of string? There are gym equipment options for any budget and space.

Cardio equipment can be bought or rented and preloved machines sourced from online marketplaces or the Green Shed.

If that’s not within your budget, a combination of hand weights or kettle bells, yoga mat and resistance bands (available from discount stores) and a little knowledge will help keep you fit in 2021.

DIY options

A Pinterest search ranges from upcycling household items into equipment to large scale creations. Choose your own adventure, depending on your time, effort, skills, and care factor:

• Turn a disused garden hose into a battle rope
• Fill an old basketball to get a medicine ball
• Make dumbbells from cement
• Construct a DIY pull-up bar, squat rack and jump box

Space and storage

Whether your workout space is a spare room, balcony, backyard or shed, you need accessible storage.

A dedicated space – within common sight – where you hang equipment, workout schedules and motivational boards will help keep your health and fitness goals on track.

New year, new goals, new attitude, same you

Set one or two goals for yourself and make them SMART: Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely – make sure to write them down.

When setting these goals, be kind to yourself and remember, successful people are not those who don’t fail but those who get back up and try again.

Don’t give up and make a coping plan so you know what action to take if/when things get off-track.

Reframe your goals. Rather than imposing a three-day-a-week gym rule, resolve not to go longer than three days without exercise. Give yourself breathing room and flexibility and credit when you get it right.

Schedule it. A rule of time management is if you write it on a list it won’t happen, when you schedule time for it, it will. And be sure to ask yourself, what time of the day works best for you?

Music, apps and the internet

Traditionally it’s pump-up music that gets us moving, but research suggests people who listen to audiobooks are twice as likely to exercise more. Stay on top of trending podcasts and audiobooks with a wireless speaker system or headphones.

There are a myriad of fitness and nutrition apps out there. Pick one that allows you to log your progress, learn new health information and keeps you accountable, without being too severe.

Get outside

Mix it up. One of the benefits to come out of lockdown is our return to local parks and outdoor spaces. Get your cardio and get involved in your neighbourhood at the same time – especially now Park Run is back.

Small changes for a mental and physically healthy and fulfilling 2021:

• Take the stairs
• Always have healthy snacks available
• Cook one new thing each week
• Book all your medical check-ups for the year
• Volunteer
• Start a hobby
• Join a Meetup Group
• Give yourself more credit
• Focus on your confidence
• Make your home more fragrant
• Take more risks

Follow this link for more health and wellbeing inspiration and information.