Hello 2020 and another new year. The time when some people are making new year’s resolutions and sticking to them, some people have made them and broken them, and others haven’t made any at all.

This got me thinking about where I sit with this. I do not make new year’s resolutions but rather think about things that I would like to happen in the year ahead. So not things I am going to stop but things I want to achieve. The process I then follow is looking at what small changes I need to make in order to get there: an incremental approach if you will.

When I go to teach my corporate Pilates At Your Desk workshops a recurring question is: “Well this is all very well but how am I going to make sure I do these things?”.

The short answer is that the company could get us back once a fortnight or month for a movement session and a monumental prod in the right direction. Failing that, I always suggest that attendees start small. Make one-three small changes and try to implement them. You could start with the first three days of the working week, for example, and then build on it.

Anyways, I thought I would go one step further and share a few ideas. There are 24 hours in the day so threading in some small changes into the hours you’re awake and trying it for a couple of days to start would be fab.

Here is a suggested template of changes for you. You go nail it (which you will 🙌🏻👍🏻): ⭐️ set your alarm 15 mins earlier and get out of bed straight away

⭐️ when you go to the loo first thing in the morning take 10 big breaths straight after - perfect if you have kids as you can lock yourself in there and they (hopefully) won’t disturb you

⭐️ do my morning moves no Instagram, or if not enough time do a full body shake while the kettle boils (the kids can join in)

⭐️ get off public transport a stop earlier

⭐️ sit well for the first 10 mins of your sitting day. Go to one of my sitting well posts on Instagram. Copy the instructions onto a post it and then stick it near wherever you sit

⭐️ have a glass of water at your desk and not a bottle. You get up more often that way. Also attach a movement to getting water, eg a body shake, be a star, move your spine side-ways and rotate it... there are loads you can pinch on my Instagram page

⭐️take the stairs when leaving your work building (and when arriving if that’s good)

⭐️ move while you cook (shake, lunge, squat, big arm circles...)

⭐️ take 10 big breaths before bed. Lie down and put one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Inhale in through your nose (belly and chest rise), exhale through your nose (belly and chest fall).

So there is a start. See how you go and do let me know. Also, if you work at an office in London, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham or Jersey and would love to host one of our epic PAYD workshops (lots of movements you can do at your desk (many in your chair) and amazing tips) then get in touch.

Thank you!

Kerrie-Anne