Now 2015 has dawned, many people will be starting to make good on those new year's resolutions. For many, the aim will be to get a bit fitter or lose some weight, so reporter Matt Scrafton headed to Grimsby's Oasis Health Club, to find out more about setting yourself a new exercise regime you're more likely to stick to.
YOU take up a new sport or you join a new gym in a desperate bid to lose weight in the new year, but you give up after a month.
We've all been there.
After all, not many of us actually enjoy going out for a run in the winter. And signing up for a gym membership seems like a good idea at the time, but it takes a sizeable effort to continue that throughout the year.
After all, we lead busy lives and it's difficult to fit in a new recreational activity.
But most of us enjoy swimming, don't we? It's a fun activity to take part in, it reminds us of our childhood and most importantly of all – it's not actually that difficult to do.
According to the latest research, on average British adults consume 7,000 calories on Christmas Day – more than double the male and triple the female recommended daily intake. By 2pm on the 25th, most of us have reached our usual limit, and many go beyond that with more cake, brandy butter and alcohol. It's perhaps no wonder, then, that early January is also notorious for being one of the year's busiest months for gyms and health clubs around the world.
We'd all like to lose a few pounds or tighten our bellies a little bit, but for long-term health benefits, swimming can make a real difference.
Riet Tupling, swimming instructor at The Oasis Health Club on Orwell Street, has been coaching and tutoring for a number of years.
She said swimming is a great way to lose weight and to get fitter by having fun at the same time.
"I've had people coming to me saying they've lost two dress sizes from swimming, and that's without even dieting," she said.
"We offer fast and furious half-hour sessions, which is a great way to get fitter. They are very focused and are a good replacement for lifting heavy weights in the gym. You can get really good results by swimming in short bursts, and because it's non-weight bearing there's no impact on your body.
"It can be really helpful, as swimming is free of stress on the muscle joints, and you don't get as puffed out as you would in the gym. It also helps that the water takes up all the sweat as well!
"But swimming still involves every muscle, which is better than concentrating on specific areas as you would in the gym. I'm also still able to isolate specific parts of the body in the pool if needs be.
"More importantly, people seem to enjoy swimming, but what I would say is that people do need a level of skill, whether they are a beginner or someone who can swim, but just needs to be a bit more smooth and speedy in the water.
"It is quite impressive how quickly lessons can make a difference. After a couple of weeks you will notice big improvements.
"The baby sessions are also great ways for parents to bond with other parents. It's a really nice activity to take part in with your child."
Although swimming seems to burn fewer calories and have fewer benefits for endurance training than running and cycling, it does have a serious advantage when you consider safety.
One study looked at triathletes, who perform all three exercises in tandem, and at the number of injuries that occurred in each part of a triathlon. They found that 50 per cent of injuries came from running, 43 per cent from cycling and only 7 per cent from swimming.
Swimming is notorious for being a non-weight-bearing and low-impact way to get an aerobic workout, which means that the chance of injury remains relatively low even at competitive levels.
"Not only do people enjoy swimming for recreational reasons but also for health," Riet added.
"My lessons have been going really well here. The first badges have been handed out and we've also seen a few non-swimmers getting their five metre badges – and you can't ask for much more than that after just one term. Even the most frightened kids are starting to enjoy being in the water.
"January is the season of goodwill after all. So our job is to put the right tools in place and we will teach those people who are coming to us to get fitter for the New Year."
Carrie Gladwell, marketing manager at the health club, said swimming is a great way to get into shape.
She added: "The swimming lessons have been going really well since Riet joined us in September. They have proved really popular and we expect that to continue into the new year.
"We now want to add to that and provide more opportunities for people wanting to learn to swim – especially youngsters. But we do put on lessons for people of all ages, six days a week.
"We are definitely expecting more people to sign up for these lessons now Christmas is out of the way. At the end of the day, people come to health clubs to get fit – and swimming is a great way to do that."
The Oasis Health Club offers a variety of swimming sessions for all ages.
For more information, visit their website at www.grimsby.oasishealthclub.co.uk or phone 01472 251682.
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