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| All sportswear: George at ASDA |
I was super active when I was younger - ballet, tap, jazz, 2 hour work-outs 4 days a week and then after college? I just stopped.
A few years (nearly 10 - dear god) down the line and there's one thing that sticks in my mind: I'm at my happiest when I'm actively trying to be healthier. I just don't have the natural hunger for it like some people do. I have to really try.
I watched my beautiful friend Carly Rowena in this amazing Top 5 At-Home fitness tips video. Besides being an absolute babe (and one of the nicest ladies on the internet you'll ever see/meet) Carly really highlights how simple it can be to get fit in a non-pressured way:
Off the back of Carly inspiring me to get a little more motivated with exercise I thought it might be quite nice to share some of the things that've helped me along the way to being healthier, too:
1.) Cost is a biggie right?
When trying to introduce a workout in to our daily routine we don't really want to spend a fortune on sportswear. But at the same time it's quite a nice little incentive to have some gym wear that makes you feel good.
ASDA are pretty much gods when it comes to supermarkets - with one of the best home-ware sections I've witnessed and unbeatably comfortable onesies; they're now knocking it out of the park with crazily affordable sportswear.
Their activewear range is unreal. With neon pinks and limes (hell yeah 90's) and near enough every item under £10, it's basically the perfect destination to dip your toes in the 'let's give this fitness thing a whirl then' pool.
2.) Finding the motivation to do it alone.
So many of us sign up to the gym with our friends and think 'We can make this fun, together - woo!'. But the truth of it is, 9/10 we'll use them as an excuse not to follow through with it. If they're poorly, or have a date, or booked their hair appointment for that evening, we'll say 'ah, I think I'll give it a miss too' - just because we can.
If you're just relying on you, it might be hard to find the motivation, but it makes you feel so great when you do follow through with actually going. Taking that hour in the evening to just be by yourself, a little break from the world where you can listen to your favourite music and completely zone out. It doesn't have to be a chore, we can treat this as the much needed time out we all need from our day-to-day lives. And like Carly rightly said - add it in to your diary; set a reminder on your phone and make it part of your planning for the week.
3.) Eating healthier
Makes me feel so much better about myself and in turn gives me the energy I need to find motivation to get my butt working out. Since introducing organic foods in to my diet and hopping on the juicing bandwagon I've never felt more ready to tackle my fitness. It doesn't have to be about losing or gaining weight, just simply feeding your body with the goodness it needs to run the best way it can. And boy does it prove it's worth.
4.) We don't have to be gym freaks.
The thing I struggle with the most is not particularly enjoying exercise. When I look on the internet for any inspiration it feels like every girl out there is just eating chicken and broccoli and living in the gym.
Which is totally fine but that is never going to be me - and sometimes I'll get a bit bummed and think what's the point?
But actually? It's just about doing what makes you feel good and trying your best to be the healthiest version of you that you can.
I can use my Yoga app and work out at home for half an hour - that's just as good as paying for a gym membership and feeling validation from others seeing me workout.
Don't get me wrong, we need to push ourselves, but do what's right for you - what's working for someone else might just not be your bag and that's totally fine..
In a nutshell, I'm taking fitness in my stride. Baby steps to making it a more frequent thing in my life and enjoying doing it slowly but surely. I'll never be a fitness fanatic, but I'm learning that it can be part of my life in a fun, simple way.
What about you? Is fitness something you find important? What are your top tips for keeping motivated?
**This post is sponsored by ASDA but as always all opinions are my own :-)
I found that just eating a bit healthier to start with really sets the mood for working out. Always struggling here but that's half the fun :p Lovely post!
Replyx Kat // www.makesyoupretty.com
Great post Meg :) I've been trying to motivate myself much more, the final straw was that the heating in our house broke so I had to go to the gym to have a hot shower! Hopefully I'll stick to this routine when the heating works again!!
ReplyJosie XOXO
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You look incredible Megs, love the bright colours on you and have been adoring your Instagram lately, thank you so much for sharing my video it's so kind of you! x
Replywww.carlyrowena.com
I am exactly the same, I feel so much better when I am being healthier but I do have to try, especially now that I am working full time! At uni I went to the gym 3-5 times a week because I had tons of spare time, now I struggle to go twice! xx
Replyhttp://www.sophiespaldin.blogspot.co.uk
This is so inspiring and I want to get healthier by eating better I'm hoping. I do love your workout clothes and those colors.
ReplyJackie | fashionxfairytale | bloglovin' |
These are very good tips ! You look great on these photos too !
ReplyWin Makeup Revolution FULL skin care collection !
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My best tip for staying motivated is to try lots of different things.....I get bored really easily so try to do a mix of swimming, gymming, exercise DVDs, running and fitness classes. That way you can discover what you really enjoy - good luck! :)
ReplyI've just started this whole 'trying to be healthier' thing as well, this really helped with the motivation and i'm definitely going to have to take a trip to ASDA now. There goes me trying to save money haha.
ReplyGreat tips for keeping fit, i used to never really exercise but over the past 2/3 years i've really got into it. Makes you feel so much better :)
ReplyEmma at www.collagemepretty.blogspot.co.uk
I'm quite impressed with Asda's fitness range! I'm on the hunt for some new affordable pieces, so I may take a trip over there very soon :) I sometimes find it hard to motivate myself to work out, but I agree it's best to take it in your stride and not put too much pressure on yourself. Great post, thank you for the inspiration :)
ReplyAmanda @ Amanda Alston
This is very inspiring to read - I'm at a weird point in my life where fitness is concerned and I'm really struggling to muster up any motivation for gym visits after work yet I'm constantly complaining about the way I look. I think a lot of my issue is not knowing how to change the areas on my body that I dislike and therefore I give up trying, but you've inspired me to look for tutorials online and start working out from home instead :) xo
ReplyLJLV | UK Personal Style
I totally think relying on your friends to go with you or as a support is a bad move I do all my exercise alone as when I did it with friends I really would use them as not going as an excuse to not do it either. I also love the asda range such a good price xx
ReplyBlonde Of Carbs
I have to say that I definitely feel so much better now that I'm working out and eating clean. I wake up craving a good shake, some juicy fruits... I even feel gross now if I eat too much junk food. I like this new lifestyle and I'm going to go on with it. :) It's nice to see that you've decided to return back to the healthy lifestyle
ReplyConnie from theconbonz
This post was exactly what I needed this morning. The last weeks have been spent ill or on holidays for me and I have fallen off the gym bandwagon completely. Today I really need to motivate myself to go and your wise words have helped. Like you, I also feel at my best when I am making an effort to be healthy. My biggest problem is choosing healthier dishes when eating out, especially when I am with people who are not bothered about healthy eating. Have you any tips about how to combat this?
Replyjoyfullantidotes.wordpress.com
I always use youtube yoga or exercise videos as I don't have a ton of time after work and generally work out better by myself! Lovely post as always :) x
ReplyEverything But The Kitchen Sink
For me healthy eating is 100% the hardest part, because I tend to eat my feelings (so bad, I know). But I agree, I feel soo much better when I eat healthy, and I'm aiming to make a change now :)
ReplyJulia
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