If you’re thinking about breaking the habits of a lifetime and joining a gym and getting fit, then you’re not alone at this time of year. The end of December and the beginning of January sees huge numbers of people every year filing diligently into leisure centres and gyms hoping to work off their Christmas feasting with the help of a burst of momentum and mingled guilt from new year’s resolutions.

Not everyone will make it all the way to fulfilling their resolutions: big lifestyle changes are difficult, and the early weeks of an exercise programme are punishing. Eventually your body will strengthen and your work out will feel first challenging, and then just pleasantly stretching, but making it past that first wall is not for the faint of heart.

Today we’re looking at some of the kit that might just give you the edge you need to go the distance.

Comfort

Underestimating the need for comfort post-workout is one of the mistakes beginners make. For the first weeks, your body is going to ache. Make sure you’ve got a post workout outfit that will rest your tired muscles: you’ve just pushed them further than they’ve been pushed in years, and while they’ll bounce back, and be stronger, you need to let them rest first!

Start at the base with some Slydes shoes – these are comfortable, flat, open sandals you can simply slide into. The thick sole will cushion your tired and start your recuperation there and then.

The Right Shoes

Many people start their fitness regime with running and it’s not hard to see why. It doesn’t require a gym membership or personal training or awkward interactions with more experienced exercises: it can be completed in blissful solitude, in the company only of whatever playlist or podcast you find most motivating.

That said, you need to make sure you’re taking care. For all that it’s an accessible way to start your fitness journey, it’s also one of the highest impact forms of exercise and if you don’t prepare properly you could quickly do yourself enough damage to keep you off the running track for the rest of your life.

Invest in some proper running shoes: it is an investment but it’s one that will pay off. The right shoes cushion and support your feet, directing you to run in a more comfortable and sustainable way for your whole body, and preventing the steady, pounding rhythm that can gradual impact your joints and leave you in pain.