THE majority of people when they embark on a new health and fitness project will focus most of their efforts on how many times they can get to the gym weekly and how hard they can go.

Along with that is the willingness to be as strict as possible with their diet.

Gym memberships sky rocket in January and internet sales of the latest celebrity diet and exercise programmes soar into the thousands as people set their sights on feeling good and looking great.

One hundred percent training and nutrition is part of the overall bigger picture.

But, what is often overlooked are the smaller, less sexy actions which cumulatively add up to a far greater impact on the body than throwing some weights around and eating lots of salad.

Firstly, how much are you moving your body outside of your gym workout?

N.E.A.T. which stands for ‘Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis’ which is all the energy expended which does not include your gym/exercise session, eating or sleeping.

In other words everything else you do during the day which involves you moving about.

For example, walking the dog, doing the housework, taking the stairs at work or playing games with the kids.

The other two vital components which will have your body thanking you more than a personal best on your squat, are stress management and sleep.

How you are managing your daily stressors - emotional, chemical or environmental - and how much quality sleep are you getting on a regular basis?

Spend time nurturing these three key areas and your body and mind will thank you for it.