Just after the New Year's celebrations many people start to think, "this year I really want to get in shape". Over the next few days or even weeks they begin to try and make some changes to their lifestyle with what they believe is the "right thing" to do. From cutting out carbs, to going for daily runs, many people use a random approach to getting in shape that is doomed from the very minute they laced their shoes up. What tends to happen is they feel great at first and think this is it. But after a few weeks temptations creep in and the discipline is not like it was at the start. February comes around and they are back at work, pressures are on, family commitments and before you know it you are right back where you started! Many gyms see a huge increase in memberships over January and February only to see a dramatic loss around Easter. But why do so many people fail and get on this roller coaster of health? This article we will look at why people fail and give you the best tips for getting in shape.

To kick off the new year we thought it would be pretty cool to provide you with your own Calendar featuring the key aspects needed for a great all round training program. Each month focuses on what we would regard as the critical elements needed for any program, whether it is for general fitness and weight loss, rehabilitation and sports performance.

One of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in sporting career is not treating my ankle sprains with enough respect and ensuring I had full mobility, stability and strength before going back to playing and training. I cannot tell you how many times I sprained my ankles, my left in particular suffered at least 3 grade 3 tears! Nearly all of us have sprained our ankle at one point in our life and almost all of us are also guilty of under-playing the consequences just like me. After the initial searing pain, we limp home, reach for the pain-killers, get the frozen peas out of the freezer and on the swollen ankle, before resting on the couch with our foot up for an hour or two. After a few days of hopping around we try to soldier our way on, and before you know it the pain has gone, the ankle is a bit stiff, but we feel we will be back to normal in a week or two. It is about this time we think we are okay have got away with just a sprain. But, as I am going to show in this article it is at this time that even the simple grade 1 sprains can create a dangerous chain reaction of compensatory movements that are conspiring to create much more severe and painful problem. Like I said at the beginning I have made this mistake myself many times and this year I have been involved with 4 people, myself being one of them, that suffered a devastating ACL Tear, and in EVERY case the ankles were either the main cause of the problem or played a big part in creating it!