New Year is perfect time to get your mojo back

IF IT'S time to get your health and fitness mojo back, then there's no better time to start than now, says author and vitality coach Nikki Fogden-Moore.

"It's not that we don't know we should keep fit and healthy - it's that everything else gets in the way when you're working, running a family, catching up with friends and trying to run your life. Especially during the holiday season," she says.

The key is to set realistic goals and visualise the life you want.

"Why wait for an enormous life event to get you moving toward the life you really want to be living?" writes Fogden-Moore in her new wellbeing handbook, Vitality.

"Live the life you want now by implementing small daily changes. You'll be surprised how easy it is to shed off excuses when you start small.

"My advice is to keep things super simple. Exercise outdoors, have fun with your kids, find healthy food you love and enjoy these elements more often. Create real synergy between work, life, friends, family, health and wellbeing. All these pillars make up a winning week and a life you love. Once you get those elements in tune there's no stopping you."

The Daily Superhero Workout

There are many benefits of own body weight exercises. You don't need a gym and can plan exercise into your day wherever you are. Mix any of these workouts with a longer cardio session at the end or just use them on their own for a quick metabolism booster. Swap around the exercises as often as you can. The below is just a guide combination. I use about five exercises with interval sessions in between that include sand dunes, stairs or if there is no space, star jumps, skipping and mountain climbers. Once you feel stronger you can add free weights, medicine balls and or kettlebells to your workout to ramp up the anabolic effect.

Prone With Arms Front

Start with your body flat on the ground. Tighten every muscle, flex your feet and lift your feet and your upper body off the ground - with your hands out in front to start then finishing with wide arms. Bring your hands back to the front before you lower to the ground and repeat. It's imperative you lock your abs and glutes to prevent lower back strain.

Reverse Prone

Same start as the front prone but you are going to bring your arms back behind you and by your sides as you lift higher. Once again your glutes are locked and you can feel all your muscles work from fingertips to your toes. Activate everything - don't leave the work to your lower back. Pull your shoulder blades together for a great "row" simulation.

Reverse Plank

Start sitting on the ground with your back at 90 degrees and hands behind you - fingers facing your toes. Tighten like a tiger and lift your entire body off the ground to create a reverse plank. Straight, long lines. Hips towards the sky. Release as you lower and repeat.

Running Man Sit Ups

One of my favourite ab exercises - best start off slowly then pick up the pace when you have the technique correct. Start on the ground with arms out then simultaneously pop up into a sit up with opposite knee to elbow as if you are sprinting. Hold at the top and return to change sides. You must complete the rep by going back to the ground completely flat.

Side Raises

Take a side plank position with hips on the ground and upper body is extended. Weight on elbow and forearm with palm of your hand on the ground. Lift your hips off the ground keeping the elbow and arm static. Focus on your obliques. Once you have done your reps on one side change over to the other side.


Deceptively difficult - the pro's don't let their feet touch the ground on the start or return. Lie flat on the ground with your arms above your head and your feet slightly raised - then jack knife your body so that you form a pike using your abs as the anchor and pivot point. Release this back to the start position without letting your feet touch the ground. Arms and legs stay straight.

Nikki's fit tip: Form and technique are super important - don't sacrifice them for rushing through the time to increase reps.

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Find your workout mojo

Be body aware. Time to turn off autopilot and be in the moment and task at hand. Once you've got some good tunes locked and loaded on your iPod then think about the muscle groups you are using.

Breathe. Think about breathing in and then out on the point of effort. Be dynamic in your movements.

Belly button to your spine. While you are reading this article why not pull your belly button to your spine and you can work your abs while you wait to hit the outdoors! Use this same technique when you walk, run, cycle and do your exercises. Engage your core and support your lower back.

Keep it simple. If you only have 15 minutes then use that 15 minutes. If you have more, integrate this into a cardio program or a cycle, run, walk or even swim. Do the body weight exercises first after the warm up then move on to a 30-40 min moderate to high intensity cardio session. This will have you burning more fat over the period of time and your metabolism will be ticking over long after you've finished your session

Friends make it fun! Super set these exercises with a friend or run it as a circuit on a timer. That way you can get the min rest and mix up the routine.

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