A switch has been flicked in my mind and I am finding more way to better myself in terms of mindset, lifestyle and so much more this year and I am really trying to work on myself more often now and put me first. Mentally I have not been in the best place lately I have had wobbles due to my weight and my current lifestyle so I am taking the opportunity to improve these areas and I think the recent bits of sunshine have really helped me lately and have given me and opportunity to evaluate the areas I want to get sorted ASAP. The weather change has certainly got me thinking the most though as in previous years even when the weather has been gorgeous I have spent all day everyday indoors, this is a mixture of work, blog work and just general laziness but this time I am determined to make the most out of the weather and spend more time outdoors just getting out and about a bit more and enjoying my time rather than hiding away. I know that being out more will 100% help me on my fitness and weight loss journey too and get me in a better place with that which is much needed as at the moment I am getting a bit down with how things are going but that is a post for another day as I try get in a better place with that mentally.

My football season ends in May and in fact all the football I go to watch also ends in May so there is going to a whole lot of time going to be freed up for a few months if all goes to plan although there will be a few pre-season games and tournaments I will be participating in most nights and weekends will have a lot more free time and here is how I am planning on using that free time to get outside more so I can work on my weight loss & fitness journey and just work on myself to have a much better lifestyle and life overall...

Outdoor workouts

The workout plans I have are all home based with minimal equipment so I really have no excuse to not get outside and enjoy the weather whilst working out. I could easily just head out to the back garden on a morning or evening and spend an hour following my workout plan, moving my body and just enjoying the sun and warmth rather being in a dark, far too warm living room like I have been doing previously and overheating in. Just would be the perfect way to get an extra hour outdoors and would probably help me clear my head a bit more and even possibly help me enjoy my session a bit more.

Solo football training 

There is nothing I love more than kicking a football around and I am determined to get my skill level much better for the new season alongside my fitness levels so with the nicer weather I might as well make the most of our garden space and spend some time working on different solo training drills alongside a bit of fitness work. I know that an hour kicking the ball around in the garden or at a local field will massively help me in all aspects of the journey I am on so I might as well give it a try and see how it works.

Run

I am currently working towards completing an inflatable 5K in June so I am trying to get a few runs in each week but even once that 5K is done I want to continue running and just get out and about a bit more doing different routes etc. I am lucky that where I live there are some beautiful views and plenty of different routes I can take so I should never be bored of running. I am hoping that by getting into a routine with running during the warmer weather I will end up having built a consistent habit that I am more likely to continue with when the weather changes, well that is the plan at least.

Walks

Remember back in lockdown and just after when I was going on a 5K walk once a week? Well as the weather gets better I am planning on bringing this back so that my step count is increasing. Granted the dog is too tired to walk this sort of distance just yet but as time goes on he will be able to join me, for the time being though I could just stick my headphones in and enjoy an hour to myself working on those steps and increasing my daily expenditure. I would love if I could up this from 1 a week to a few a week as I know physically and mentally it would do me the world of good.

Dog walks 

Granted he can only do shorter walks at the moment but as he is getting older the distance can be increased and we can go a bit further a field with him. I can use the time before this though to join both the dog and Liam on a dog walk either in a morning or on an evening to get those extra steps in and just get a little more fresh air each day.  It would be nice just having an extra half hour with Liam & the dog too with no distractions so we can just enjoy each others company.

I really just want to enjoy the nicer weather that comes with late spring & summer this year as last year didn't go to plan and I feel like I always spend far too much time trapped indoors. It is time to get outside, get some fresh air and make some progress on the wright loss & fitness front whilst also working on myself in those other aspects. It is time to make the most of some better weather and get working towards those goals I set myself at the start of the year.