Is your New Year’s resolution to get fit? Here’s what you need to do

KARACHI: New Year’s resolutions are hard to get through, and one of the most popular ones is to hit the gym and get fit. While it’s no small feat, it’s important to stick by this one.

Cutacut spoke to trainers at Atmosphere Fitness – located on Karachi’s II Chundrigar Road – to get a sense of what people with busy lifestyles, particularly those with desk jobs – should do to remain active and strong:

1. Improve flexibility

Stretches are a way to increase your muscle-joint, ligament and tendon expansion. It’s best to get a personal trainer, or join a gym where you can exercise under the surveillance of a professional who would be able to guide you accordingly, depending on your body type.

2. Improve endurance

You have to get your heart beating fast to improve endurance. Whether it’s by running on a treadmill, pulling in a rigorous, rhythmic fashion on a static rope on a wall or just taking the stairs instead of the elevator, you need to push yourself through those momentarily uncomfortable positions. This will take your heart rate up and build your stamina.

3. Build upper-body strength

This will not only make you look good but also make you will feel strong. The focus here is the back and chest. Push-ups is an excellent way – inside and outside a gym – to work on building upper-body strength. If you feel like pushing yourself a little more, hold a weight in each hand with your palms forward. Bring your right fist toward your shoulder, bending your bicep and take it back to the original position. Repeat the same with your left hand. Do it 10 to 15 times. It’s all about gaining strength, not speed.

4. Lose fat

This is easier said than done. It’s a struggle for each one of us who wants a flat belly so we can fit in our favorite pair of jeans that gave up on us a long time ago. The rule of the thumb for this is: cut down on oils. “There is really no other way of going about it. You have to give up fried items and foods that have oil in them. Switch to grilled or boiled options,” says Burhan Bomboy, a trainer at Atmosphere Fitness. You can start small by avoiding deep-fried food and opting for pan-fried.

5.  Keep tabs on your progress

These days, workouts don’t mean monotonous reps and boring runs on the treadmill. You now have access to devices and machines that let you record your progress as you achieve a little milestone each day. Further, gyms – such as Atmosphere Fitness – come with YouTube and Netflix access! So you can literally watch a show while working out. Tip: Set up a realistic and achievable target each day and work towards hitting that mark!