Perhaps you’ve been inspired to get back in the saddle after last week’s record-breaking cycle from 105-year-old Robert Marchand, or maybe Andy Murray’s knighthood in the New Year’s Honours list has reawakened your on-court aspirations.
However, most likely, you’ll have simply pushed yourself off the sofa and into action this January, primarily to try and combat the results of a fortnight of overindulgence, but mostly just to go back to work.
Indeed, in December, figures from the British Heart Foundation estimated that we would each gain 5lbs over Christmas and New Year. Sound about right?
And now, with offices and schools back in full flow after the festive season, people up and down the country will be putting their 2017 health and fitness resolutions into action in the battle to beat the bulge.
So, while the retail sector winds down after the Christmas rush and the January sales wrap up, there are others who will be kicking off 2017 in a state of all-systems-go.
Take gyms, for one – unless you’re a winter sports enthusiast or you enjoy a truly brisk jog, it may be that the inclement weather in January is making outdoors exercise difficult.
There are lots of options out there for consumers, from council-run facilities to privately-owned outfits. And they’ve made it known that joining the gym doesn’t have to break the bank. From waved joining fees to deferred payment and pay-as-you-go schemes, gyms owners have really tailored their offerings to entice cash-strapped January consumers.
It’s also a sector that never sleeps. The likes of PureGym, which I have recently started working with in Stirling, has helped transform the face of the industry with successful 24-hour business models.
So from PureGym, the largest operator of its kind in the UK, to Sweat! gym, which opened its first Scottish site in Glasgow just last week, it seems our New Year’s fitness resolutions are as good for business as they are our waistlines.
While physical activity is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle, as we’ve heard many times before, so too is a balanced diet.
Now, you might never admit to having tasted a deep-fried Mars Bar, but perhaps you’re looking to make improvements in your 2017 menu.
Many people will reach out this month for a little support in their healthy eating journeys, and I expect it will be a bumper month too for the likes of Scottish Slimmers and Weight Watchers.
Again, with smart business offerings of free membership and money off selected plans in January, there are incentives there for consumers to act now.
The trick, as ever, will be sticking to our newly-made resolutions, and we have reason to want to.
Sadly, obesity is not just an unwelcome Christmas gift. Figures show that two-thirds of adults in Scotland are overweight or obese, and over a quarter of children are at risk of following in those worrying footsteps.
It looks like we have a costly uphill battle ahead as a nation. So, if you’re taking the first tentative steps to a new you this January, I salute you.
Scotland is the second must-see destination in the world, according to travel companion Rough Guides.
Our dreich wee country – second in the ENTIRE world. It’s incredible.
I almost included it in my laugh for the week, but then I stopped and thought about it. Look past the wet, the cold and the January blues that colour our view of Scotland at this time of year, and our wee corner of the world truly IS a spectacular destination. And what’s more we’ve done a great job of shouting about it.
Scotland was second only to India, after we were marked out for our “wildlife, whisky and wonderfully warm welcome” as a destination which keeps visitors coming back.
The superbly marketed North Coast 500 route which runs across the north of the country came in for particular praise.
The scenic route – which starts and ends in Inverness – was created by the North Highland Initiative to promote tourism in the region.
It has been credited with increasing tourist visits to the Highlands. VisitScotland said the North Coast 500 route has particularly boosted visitor numbers at its information centres in Ullapool, Durness and Thurso.
But good marketing can’t do it all without the raw materials.
The country’s food and drink and scene in Glasgow and the range of microbreweries were also highlighted – no surprise there that we Scots are good at eating and drinking.
As I write this, we’ve had a couple of gloriously crisp, bright mornings that have really served to showcase the winter wonders of Scotland – and I can honestly say there is nowhere else I’d rather be.
Laugh
Everyone seems to be taking part in Dry January following the usual festive overindulgence.
The national event encourages people to drop the booze and start 2017 with a fresh, healthy approach.
Benefits are said to include better sleep and skin, more energy and a smaller waistline.
But typically a Scottish drinks company has come up with a beer to get round this month of abstinence.
Innis and Gunn’s new Innis and None is a 0.0 per cent pale ale containing Vitamin C and ginseng – both of which are known to boost the immune system and energy levels so it can actually help with your January detox.
Makers claim it will boost your health kick and is the perfect post-workout drink. So instead of new year, new you it’s maybe a case of new year, new beer.
Weep
Bosses everywhere will be rolling out the tangerines in 2017 in a bid to “combat cake culture”. The move comes as the office treat comes in for attack from dentists.
The Faculty of Dental Surgery has said that sharing sugar-laden treats such as cakes, biscuits and chocolate in the workplace is contributing to obesity and poor gnashers.
It’s no surprise that the Faculty’s warning came in the first week of January as mince pie-weary workers return to their desks laden down with boxes of Celebrations and Christmas leftovers.
The sweet treats are often left in full view, tempting those on the tea run.
So the dentists have come up with a number of tips for cutting back on the sugar including hiding snacks out of sight.
That’s fine, but the day will come when someone finds the chocs – and surely a sweet treat that isn’t six months past its sell-by date is better for you than one which is.
