Fitness expert Sam Cleaver shares his tips for getting fit

If you’re one of the thousands of people pledging to get fit and healthy this year, then you may be interested to hear some tips from a successful local fitness expert.

Sam Cleaver, who runs Parafit Bootcamp, which takes place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5.30pm, at DW Fitness in Ipswich, has shared his top tips for success, and it may surprise you to discover how simple changes can add up to making a huge difference to your overall health and fitness levels.

Sam says: “Every year people say that they want to get fit or lose weight as part of a New Year’s resolution but the truth is, almost 80% of people will give up within just one month. At this time of year, magazines, newspapers and websites are full of articles giving advice on the ‘best way’ to lose weight fast, when really it should be about making small changes to make your weight loss or fitness journey more achievable and sustainable.”

“Despite what the million-pound diet industry would have you believe, improving your health is much simpler than you may think. Too much emphasis is put upon losing weight quickly which is a recipe for disaster. People think that they need to cut out every thing at once, whether its chocolate, alcohol or any other vice, and its seen as ‘failing’ if they give into temptation. The reality is that there’s nothing wrong with these things as long as it’s in moderation, and if you do eat or drink more than you expected, then it shouldn’t be seen as a failure or an excuse to quit your resolution.”

To help people maintain focus, Sam has compiled a list of top five simple tips which will help improve their overall health and fitness this year.

Take your time – there’s no rush.

Often people quit their resolutions because they don’t see the numbers on the scales changing quickly enough. I guarantee that your body will be changing, even if the scales remain the same. That’s why it’s important to think about it as a journey. Too much emphasis is put upon ‘fast weight loss’ when you need to think about what’s realistic for you. If you’re a chocoholic, then cutting out chocolate completely will never work. Instead, why not break down your goals into manageable chunks – if you want to lose two stone, why not break this down into half-stone targets. That way you’ll feel like you’re achieving much more, and you’ll stay more motivated.

Eat plenty of protein

A quick look at any supermarket will show a wide range of “high protein” products. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick, protein will not only help you to feel fuller for longer, but it will help your muscles build lean tissue, making you look better. Eating more protein is one of the easiest changes you can make – simply eating eggs for breakfast, or snacking on nuts or olives rather than chocolate or crisps will help to boost your protein intake. You can monitor your protein intake by using a free app like MyFitnessPal which will allow you to record what you are eating during the day.

Drink plenty of water

We all know that we’re supposed to drink 2 litres of water a day, but how many of us actually do this? It’s important to keep hydrated, so why not put a reminder on your phone every couple of hours to have a drink. Plenty of water will not only improve your skin and appearance, but it will keep you feeling fuller and prevent unnecessary snacking.

Increase your daily activity levels

A simple change you can make to improve your health is to move more. The more you move, the more calories you will burn, leading to weight loss. You don’t need to go mad, but just going for an evening walk or parking your car slightly further away from work can make a difference to your daily steps. You may find that using a pedometer is a great way to track how much activity you are doing, and this can spur you on. You don’t need to invest in an expensive Fitbit or similar, your phone may have a dedicated health app which can monitor this for you making it easy to see your progress.

Try something new

Finally, the biggest obstacle to many people’s new years resolutions is a fear of trying something new. It may be a new exercise class or joining a gym, or it could be simply trying new foods or a different recipe. Your resolution will only succeed if you are making changes that you enjoy – for example, if you know that working out in a gym wouldn’t suit you, then why not find something group-based which is more your style? There are so many options available, that you sometimes just need to think a little differently to help you achieve your goals.

As well as providing a high-impact workout, ParaFit goes beyond the twice-weekly sessions and invites participants to join a private Facebook group, where they can learn more about nutrition and training advice as well as develop strong friendships with other members. As part of the online community, Sam regularly holds live seminars on a wide range of health-related topics, helping all members to improve their own knowledge of their personal health and fitness.

Sam provides plenty of advice to those who attend his Bootcamp.  ParaFit Bootcamp is priced at just £5 per class, or £20 per month for unlimited sessions (you do not need to be a member of DW Fitness to join in).