Getting back to being active

Being active can help you lead a healthier and happier life, but it’s easy to slip out of your exercise routine. Perhaps you’ve been busy, or just fallen into bad habits.

Most studies suggest that adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Although this may seem like a big commitment, by simply breaking this down into shorter sessions, you can start to increase your activity levels. You could opt for 75 minutes of cardio and spend the remaining time going for a walk or enjoying a swim.

Regular exercise will improve physical fitness and help you achieve your goals

Make a plan and set some realistic fitness goals. Build up your activity levels slowly. Set some mini goals along the way to help you track your progress – this will help keep you motivated, too.

Choose a variety of exercises to target different areas of the body

Add some variety into your routine, especially if you have set specific fitness goals. Here are some types of exercise you could consider:

• Cardio: this increases your heart rate and lung power, and it can also help to burn body fat. Our popular HIIT and TARGET30 sessions offer a rewarding workout for the whole body, using short 20 second intervals. Keep an eye on the interactive gym screens, which will help to keep you motivated.
• Strength training: using weights can help you to tone your body and strengthen muscles. Mytime Active gyms include a weight-training area and TARGET30 strength gym floor classes, and our team are always on hand for advice.

Stretching and flexibility – gentle stretching before and after exercise is a great way for your body to warm up and cool down. Yoga and pilates are great ways to keep your body flexible – see your nearest Mytime Active centre for local group exercise classes.

Personal fitness support

If you have set a specific fitness goal, you may benefit from Personal Training. Led by one of our fitness professionals, these sessions offer full support and will help keep you motivated.

Start being active today with one of our great value Mytime Active memberships. You will have access to six gyms, six swimming pools and over 250 weekly group exercise classes, as well as a wide range of benefits