After weeks of over indulging on mince pies and mulled wine, January is the month when our thoughts start turning towards exercise. It’s no surprise that joining a gym comes high on many people’s lists of new year’s resolutions.
But before you sign up to an expensive gym plan, it’s worth asking yourself if you will actually go. The amount of money that gets wasted each year on unused gym memberships is staggering. In 2016, British gym members wasted an estimated £558m on unused sessions, with one in 10 people admitting they hadn’t set foot inside their gym for a whole year. This is despite paying an average of £47 a month, or £564 a year. If you want to lose a few pounds, that’s one way to go about it!
There are many reasons why people don’t make it to the gym as often as they plan to, but it usually comes down to one thing: motivation. Even if you set yourself achievable fitness goals, it’s all too easy to find reasons to skip a session when you only have yourself to let down.
Motivation works better when your goal is something bigger than you are, which is why joining team Lily is such a great way to get fit. When you sign up to a Lily fitness challenge – whether it’s a 5km fun run, a triathlon or an ultra marathon – you know that every calorie you burn is helping to fight mitochondrial disease.
There are Lily challenges taking place all over the UK, so it’s easy to find one near you. Once you sign up you have something to train towards, and if you take part with a friend or family member you’ll have a training partner too. Unlike a gym there are no expensive membership fees to pay, and we guarantee it’s a lot more fun!
So why not bin the gym this January, and get fit with Team Lily instead. Don’t just motivate yourself. Mito-vate yourself!
Visit our events page to find a Lily challenge near you and register online.
