Blaise Tapp: Braving the elements to get my steps in during January

As is often the case, I fall somewhere between the two extremes - while I certainly won’t be spending the rest of the month feeling sorry for myself, I’ve never really understood those who adopt the new year, new you mindset as any strategy based purely on a quirk of the calendar is doomed to failure.

The only resolution I have ever stuck to was packing in cigarettes nearly a quarter of a century ago and that was driven by my desire to save money so I could enjoy even more time down the pub, rather than an act of self improvement.

However, I have begun 2025, quite literally on the front foot, having decided to take part in a challenge to increase the number of steps I take this month. At the time, it seemed like a good idea when I suggested to two younger and fitter colleagues that we team up for the challenge, which has pitted us against like minded others, who are also keen to fit back into the clothes they were wearing before the recent festivities began.

The first few days of the year have brought home just how difficult a seemingly straightforward challenge like this can be, especially when the weather outside means all any of us want to do is sit in front of the fire and watch back to back repeat episodes of A Place In The Sun.

So far,my own daily results have been a mixed bag, although a day of traipsing around London with the family has spared my blushes, not to mention, pushing up my averages.

My fellow steppers are both keen runners so, with a bit of luck, we will fare well against other teams but the early days of this challenge have reminded me why I stopped competitive sports long before I said goodbye to my twenties.

Although I am far healthier now than I was 18 months ago this is more to do with how I have transformed my diet rather than my ability to pound the pavements or show off my strength down the gym.

If I have one goal for this year, it is to end it in better shape than when it began. Hopefully, whether or not I achieve this won’t depend upon me braving the elements to get my steps in during January.