Get Fit in Six Weeks with LAL!

You’d be surprised with what you can achieve with a six week fitness programme. Whether your aim is to lose weight, gain muscle or just improve your cardiovascular fitness, in just six weeks you can make significant progress in achieving your goals.

And the region’s own sport and leisure trust, Live Active Leisure, has this week launched a fantastic offer giving you the chance to gain unlimited access to all of their fantastic facilities across Perth and Kinross for a one-off payment of just £25! That means you can go for a dip in the pool, pump weights in the gym, or attend one of the many great fitness classes at Live Active venues for a price that works out at less than £5 a week!

Plus, if after six weeks you are enjoying the fitter, more energised you then by signing up as a Live Active direct debit member you will receive £10 off your first month too.

So, what can you actually do in six weeks? We spoke to Colin Keogh – one of the great Fitness Instructors at Live Active Leisure – and asked him what you can realistically expect to achieve in this short period of time and picked his brain for tips on how you can maintain your fitness long-term!

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SIX WEEK PASS

Colin Keogh, Live Active Leisure Fitness Instructor

Six weeks might not seem like a big timeframe but it’s plenty of time to make a noticeable difference to yourself that you will both see and feel. Making positive changes and getting into good habits will help you on your way to getting fitter and more importantly being able to maintain it for long-term good health and results. A slow and progressive approach is proven to be much better when it comes to keeping weight off for good and keeping healthy permanently!

Sometimes people think that diets and fitness programmes that encourage rapid weight loss are the way to go. While you might shed the pounds a little bit quicker, fast weight loss isn’t always a good thing and can often result in rebound weight gain when you come off your diet. A slow and progressive approach is proven to be much better when it comes to keeping weight off for good and keeping healthy permanently!

With your six week Live Active pass, you’ll have access to our facilities across every single one of our venues in Perth and Kinross. Whether you’re interested in low impact exercises like swimming, improving your cardiovascular fitness through one of our many fitness classes, or you are looking to make use of our strength and conditioning equipment in one of our gyms, the six week membership includes it all.

To make the most of this great deal, I’d like to share with you some useful tips. The first thing you’ll want to do when you subscribe to the six week membership is have your end goals in mind. What are you looking to achieve? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to build muscle mass? Being clear with your objectives will help to keep you motivated and have a clear idea of what you are working towards.

And when you set your goals, be realistic. Have achievable short-term goals as well as your long-term objectives. Look at your first six weeks as a way of building momentum and accomplishing little things each time. It’s not just about losing weight, building muscle or achieving whatever goals you have set yourself. In six weeks, you’ll notice a difference but you should look at the six weeks as a way of creating good habits so that you can make lasting changes to live a healthier lifestyle.

You should make your workouts a priority. Whatever physical activity you take part in during your six weeks, treat each session as an appointment with yourself. Would you bail on an important professional appointment with a client, colleague or boss? No, I’m sure you wouldn’t. So don’t bail on your workouts either!

Lastly, we want you to enjoy your exercise! If you do an activity you enjoy, you are much more likely to keep going and maintain your motivation. Starting with something that’s too difficult or challenging will be detrimental to your enjoyment and will lead to you being less likely to achieve your goals. Do something you enjoy and do it at a pace/intensity that suits you.

As fitness instructors, there’s nothing my colleagues and I enjoy more than seeing a difference in people and we’re always on hand to help out. If you have any questions while you’re in one of the Live Active venues, don’t hesitate to ask us and we’ll give you our advice and help to guide you on the right path towards achieving your fitness goals – whatever they might be!

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For a little bit of extra motivation about how getting active can improve your quality of life, read the short story below from one Live Active member who has made full use of his membership. 65-year-old Jimmy Taylor – whose daughter Karen is the Marketing & Business Development Manager at Live Active – decided it was time to get in shape so he could enjoy a healthy retirement!

“Karen got me talked into doing this photo thing and I thought to myself; why not give it a go? I’ve not done any organised fitness since I was a bairn, and at 65 it seemed I should be doing something.

“I’ve always worked in sales and with people, so it wasn’t really a confidence thing for me. I just needed a push! I found it quite easy getting into a routine once I’d started. I like going in the morning, do an hour and then that’s me done – the first 15 minutes are still a killer but once you break that barrier it flies in. I like Colin. He worked with me to get a plan together, targeting some bits more than others, and he sorted me out with an A4 book on toning up, muscle groups and different exercises.

“I took my induction with Colin Keogh – he’s good that one! I like Colin. He worked with me to get a plan together, targeting some bits more than others, and he sorted me out with an A4 book on toning up, muscle groups and different exercises.

“I think the induction helped me a lot – it was an excellent start. Colin is a real go-getter and as a mentor you couldn’t ask for more. All of the staff in fact, were very good but he stood out for me. I find it really relaxed, there’s always someone going round chatting to new people and giving you wee tips – they really do want to help you.

“Treadmill, rowing and weights was my routine – I split it up and did an hour every time I was in. It definitely made a difference – definitely! I’m a lot fitter; I’ve lost weight and inches especially round my stomach and waist. I’m a regular now – 5 days a week, one hour in the morning and then my weekends I keep to myself. I love socialising, you know! I’m always back to it on a Monday though – I will agree now that it’s all about balance!

“If there’s anyone out there like me, who’s never been in a gym before, I say – go for it! No one bothers what you’re wearing, what you’re doing or how you’re doing it. And that’s the great thing!”

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For more information on the Live Active Six Week Pass, visit the dedicated page on their website here or call 01738 454600.