Fitness Friday| 10 Weeks until June!

 

Wednesday was the first day of spring, although here in England you would think we were still in the depths of winter! Now I’m not one for wishing my life away at all, but I am one for preparing so with spring arriving that only means bikini season is up and coming! In fact June is only 10 weeks away! So if you, like me, are aiming to look fit and toned in your bikini this year then if you haven’t already started your body transformation you had better start now!Because if the above imagery is anything to go by, you are already two weeks behind everyone else being able to notice your body changing!

Thankfully many people have clocked onto the fact that we will be wanting to up our health and fitness efforts in the coming weeks and the Tone It Up girls are no exception. If you have not heard of Tone It Up before, you need to go and visit their site as they are really motivational! They offer workouts, recipes, regular motivating emails and workout schedules… all for free! This year they have partnered with Self Magazine and have started the Drop 10 Challenge. 

For the Self Challenge Drop 10 Challenge all you have to do it sign up and you have access to 10 weeks of fun workouts! So this means you will become bikini ready in 10 weeks thanks to fitness videos, HIIT workouts, exercise schedules, online tools, daily motivation and tips and recipes and menus! Basically everything you could possibly need.

I have signed up for the challenge as I am moving out of home next week so I need to ensure that I keep my diet on track when I’m back picking my own meals and cooking for myself. Plus I really need to increase my toning exercises. I have lost alot of fat thanks to cardio exercise over the past three months, but need to get some definition in on my arms, stomach and bum! So hope by this challenge will help me achieve that.

So far this week I have completed a couple of strength exercises and know I am out of practice! I did the workout below with a medium sized weight which I used to lift with ease, and couldn’t move my arms properly the next day! Its a great short strength workout, that says it works all areas that you need to target, however I felt it most in my arms and bum! Give it a go!

Have you started your fitness and health regime in preparation for your bikini body? If not, are you going to start now? Do you fancy the Drop 10 Challenge, if so let me know!

Fitness Friday| 2013 The Year of Health

 

It’s that time of the year again, gyms are getting full, health food shops have never been busier, and it appears that everyone is now running or cycling everywhere… all the time! Yes it’s the time of the year when 90% of us pledge that this year we are going to lose weight! So for 4 weeks the gyms are busy, the pubs are empty and we think that we’ve done ourselves some good thanks to our crazy detoxes or exercise regimes. Then it slowly creeps back to drinks after work, skipping a few workouts and before we know it your trainers are collecting dust in the back of your wardrobe and your fridge is fully stocked with wine and cheese!

So this year I am asking you to join me and not pledge to lose weight… no this year we are going to get healthy! You can do this anyway you want, be it small changes such as making your lunch everyday, walking home instead of getting the bus, having a 15 minute run round the block… it all still counts! Or you can really go for it and eat clean, train hard and challenge yourself everyday.

What I am aiming for, and I think you should all aim for is health! If you can change your attitude so you focus of making the correct choices everyday that will make you a healthier and happier person then the weight loss will not only come… it won’t creep back on! If you can teach yourself new habits… no more fizzy drinks, no more wine after a hard day at work, your weight WILL reduce, and it WON’T come flooding back on as it does when you go on crazy diets and detoxes.

What you, I, and everyone needs to remember is that weight loss is a lifestyle change! It is not a 2, 4, or 6 week eating plan, diet or regime. If you don’t learn to adopt healthy habits any weight you lose will just reappear over the year and you will be making the same resolution in 2014… to lose weight!

So my resolution this year is to make sure that next year, 2014, my resolution won’t be to lose weight!

How you learn your healthy habits is very much a personal journey, but for me I surround myself with healthy images, motivating pictures and interesting articles. For me I use my tumblr account where I follow other blogs who post pictures that inspire me to be fit and healthy, plus it’s great for finding workouts, challenges and information. I also subscribe to Zest Magazine on my iPhone, which cost me £19.99 for the whole year, which I think is a bargain! I also enjoy challenging myself and after completing my own Festive flat Tum Challenge and getting some great results, I am now going to follow the Love Your Body Challenge from the Tone It Up Girls. I know that Jayne from Miss Jayne Becca is a huge Tone It Up fan and will be doing this challenge also, so if you want to join us let us know, we can support each other! Having that support and encouragement makes it so much easier to stick to as well!

What do you think? Are you going to aim for healthy this year? How do you motivate yourself? Any tips, let me know!

Fitness Friday| Festive Flat Tum Week 1| Highs & Lows

 

*Images from Tumblr*

As many of you will know this past week I have been following my Festive Flat Tum Challenge, and as a result will be posting regular Fitness Friday posts on my highs and lows of the week gone by, plus some motivation for both you and I. This weeks are as follows;

Lows

This week I did not get off to as strong of a start as I wanted. I have been really struggling to wake up in the mornings... why is it so dark?! So have missed my morning workouts which is not good! I must do better next week! I have been trying to get to bed earlier so I will get into a routine of falling asleep earlier so I will find waking up less of a struggle!

Highs

Diet! This week my eating has been great, I’ve been eating clean and feel great because of it! I have not eaten crisps or chocolate, my only treat has been a cupcake on Cake Day at work, so I am giving myself a pat on the back for this!

I am also really pleased that I have ran 2 5k’s this week, although they are not the quickest, I am still pleased as this is the longest I have ran on the treadmill so far. I can run 5k outside easily as it is more interesting, but the treadmill bores me so much! So to stay on it for longer than 15 minutes is torture!

This next week I aim to get up earlier in the mornings and get my morning workout in, as well as keep up my daily cardio with the aim to run another 3 5ks! This next week I am going to take my body measurements, and some pictures, so I have something to mark my progress with. I am not weighing myself as believe this only demotivates myself. Anyways measuring inches lost is a much healthier way to analyse your health and fitness than being obsessed with the weighting scale. Scales do not take in to account muscle gained, and a toned body is much healthier and sexier than a skinny body with no definition! 

Are you stepping up your health and fitness in time to look great for Christmas? What have you done this week to make yourself proud? What fitspiration do you use to keep yourself motivated?

Fitness Friday| March Running/ Walking Challenge

Image taken from Tumblr

I hope you have been taking on some of the tips from the past few Fitness Fridays, and trying to incorporate a few of these into your everyday lives. Remember that little changes equal big changes. Personally I have decided that I am going to try and body brush 3 times a week, as well as moisturise, I don't want lumpy thighs for my holiday in June, so think this will really make a difference.

So this month we have a walking or running challenge, based on your fitness level. I used to be an avid runner, and really saw the benefits from it very quickly, so am trying to get back into it. I know to begin with it can be difficult, I'm a girl who couldn't even run 100 metres, but you soon build up your fitness levels.

This challenge is taken from Justaskiinyminute.tumblr.com. Her challenges really inspire me, so I want to inspire you and hope you will join me this month. Here is your action plan;

I will explain this chart to you, as it can be a little confusing. You basically need to take the number for that day and make your own challenge with it, based on your fitness level. This also ensures you are mixing up your routine, making boredom less likely. For example today the number is 4, therefore I aim to incorporate 40 second sprints into my run (I normally run at a very slow pace). Tomorrow the number is again 4, so I could decide to instead go for a 4 mile walk/run.

Do whatever you fancy, and whatever your body will permit you to do. If you wish, you could start from scratch, as I am a week behind posting this, so start with 20 second sprints, or a 2 mile run. 

For those of you who don't fancy running, there is the fun Jumping Jack Challenge, found here; Jumping Jack Challenge. I have posted about the benefits of jumping jacks previously, found here; Fitness Fridays-Jumping-jack Challenge

Its a new month, so set yourself some new fitness and health goals, and try to succeed them by the end of the month. If you set small attainable goals you will soon see the benefits. 

What are you going to do today, to ensure you are fitter, healthier and stronger than yesterday? Let me know!