Katie Bulmer-Cooke: Get your fitness plan in place ahead of school holidays ending

So many of the parents and grandparents I’ve chatted with over the last week have either been saying how much they are loving the holidays, they’ve spent a small fortune so far, or their fitness routine has gone out of the window.

So, after sharing some of my favourite places in the city to visit on a budget, this week I thought I’d address the issue of health and fitness.

Routine certainly goes out of the window when it comes to the summer holidays, childcare becomes more of an issue for many, and then there is the increased number of ‘treats’ such as ice creams and meals out that are consumed.

As a result, many people struggle to get back into the swing of exercising and eating well once the holidays come to an end and the kids go back to school. So how do you get right back on the wagon once September comes?

First up, make a plan now and don’t wait for the holidays to end to get the wheels in motion.

Take a look through your local gym’s class timetable and pop some classes in your diary so that you’ve made a solid commitment. Then as soon as you can, get booked in to seal the deal.

Speaking of fitness classes, they are a fantastic way to get motivated. You have an instructor there to encourage and support you, plus the inspiring atmosphere created with music and being part of a group.

September is always a good time to start a clean slate too, and try something new. If there is a new type of class that you’ve never tried before, give it a go and mix things up a little.

You can shake up your gym routine too by booking in with a fitness instructor to spruce up your regular exercise choices.

It’s amazing what having a fresh challenge and new things to try can do for your motivation, even if it just means using new pieces of equipment.

Finally, you’ve got to have a reason to get back in the fitness game, which means you’re going to need to set a new goal to keep you focused.

Always choose something that is really important to you.

As a personal trainer, I wish I had £1 for every time I heard someone say they want to ‘lose weight and tone up’.

Whatever your goal, you need to ask yourself why you want to achieve it and then you need to be able to track or measure it, for example weight, inches, distance, speed.

Doing these three things will help turn the post-summer slump into a month of motivation, and we have so many excellent places, services and events in the city to increase your activity levels, there really is no excuse.