Let’s be honest. Over the holidays it is easy to let your fitness regime slip a little. In fact, sometimes it can slip a lot!

What makes things worse is that the longer your break lasts, the longer it will take to you get back to your post-break level of fitness!

So, if you have neglected to keep up your daily and weekly fitness programme you will want to get back to full fitness as soon as possible.

However, getting back to your previous level of fitness may not be straightforward, especially if you have been eating and drinking the wrong things, perhaps to excess. It is going to take care, dedication and willpower to climb that mountain and here are our 8 best tips on returning to fitness, to make your job that little bit easier:

Tip 1: No matter how long your break lasted, its never too late to get back to fitness

They say every journey starts with one step. So, take that first step by starting to exercise regularly, now!

Tip 2: Set realistic goals

So many people return to exercise after a break and try to pick up where they left off, whether that is the same numbers of repetitions, lengths of the swimming pool or the same weights.. The problem is that there has been a deterioration in fitness levels while you were on holiday. So don’t simply pick up your exercise regimen where you left off. Just set realistic goals and accept that it has taken a while to drop to this new level of fitness, so it will take a while to sort out.

Tip 3: Make small incremental steps

Small incremental steps can add up to big changes. Once you start exercising regular introduce small and incrementally more challenging but achievable goals. Not only does this keep you motivated it is more interesting, too;

Tip 4: Accompany increased activity with a healthier diet

You are what you eat. So accompany your exercise plan with a healthy diet. If you have been over indulging during your holiday it’s vital that you get your diet back on track by eating the right foods in the right quantities and keeping yourself hydrated appropriately;

Tip 5: Exercise with a friend

Exercising with a friend is not only good fun, it keeps you focused and motivated, whether you run, go to a gym or go to exercise classes. And on those days when you REALLY don’t want to exercise, you will be less likely to do so if it means letting a friend down;

Tip 6: Get those medical problems sorted out

Painful joints and muscles are not an inevitable part of exercise.

If you experienced pain before your holiday there is a good chance you will feel the same pain when you start exercising again. So don’t neglect injuries and seek out medical help;

Tip 7: Mix it up

If you want to get back to you previous level of fitness the last thing you want is to be bored with your exercise routine or exercise in de-motivating, unacceptably harsh weather. Stay focused and motivated by varying your exercise regimen. Furthermore, workouts are far more enjoyable and more interesting if you introduce some variation;

Tip 8: Warm up and cool down properly

This is one everyone knows about – but do you do it? Warming up prepares you for aerobic activity by getting your cardiovascular system working, more. Cooling down gives you heart a chance to return gently to its pre workout rate. The last thing you want is to stop exercising due to injury, so to avoid injury integrate proper warm ups and cool downs into your normal exercise programme;