Oh hey guys, I am back and I am back with a cheeky little health and well-being post. First though, I have some really exciting news which will be coming up in July, let's just say, you're going to have lots of fitness videos and posts from me over the Summer. That's all I can say for now but I am so excited to share more fitness things with you. Summer has really only just begun and I feel that when I've worked out, eaten better and just generally moved more, I feel so much better about myself. If you read my why I will never believe in diets post, all about the 80/20 rule and how I choose to live my life, you'll know that balance is key for me. I adore Pringles and I am completely for pizza, but, eating it every single day? Nope. I couldn't do it. Once you're in the healthy mindset, you kind of don't want or crave that stuff anymore, cheat days are totally okay, but everything in moderation. Once you start working out and nourishing your body, it becomes a part of you, a part of your lifestyle, which is really great. Today I'm going to touch on the things I do to get the most out of my work out plus, a general ramble about getting into the right frame of mind to work out in the first place.
New Kit: First and foremost, get the kit right. You don't even have to spend a lot of money, but personal preference, I find wearing a good gym kit helps me so much. Here I am, shooting with Oscar May and wearing my new Elle Sport kit, I headed out into London. I think good gym kit is so important. Teamed with a good pair of trainers (these gorgeous Nike babies which are exclusive to JD), why wouldn't you want to work out when the kit is so beautiful? I look for comfortable gym kit which makes my body feel great, I have some gym kits which make my legs look huge because of the prints or I just feel really uncomfortable in. There's nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable in tight clothes so make sure you find the right kit for you. I chose the Elle tone mesh paneled sport tights with printed ankle and the sleek mesh pannelled support top from Elle and I love them both. The top fits perfectly and holds me in so well even without a sports bra which is a first. It's also really breathable too, I work out abroad a lot and took this to Cyprus with me recently and I found it worked so well in boiling heat.
Please watch my morning routine video below and you'll learn about what I eat for breakfast and what I do to ensure I work out every single morning, it's basically my sure fire way to make sure I add exercise into my routine, starting the day the right way - (it would also mean the world to me if you'd click subscribe and subscribe to my channel here!)
The Routine: I totally get that not everyone can do the exact same routine as me as people work in offices, but find a routine that works for you and then you've smashed it. My routine looks a little like this (you'll know perfectly if you watched my above video, or watch it here); I wake up and put gym kit on, it's the first thing I do pretty much every morning! Even if I have meetings at 9am, I'll get up earlier in my gym kit and fit something, anything in! Weirdly, I don't shower as soon as I wake up because as soon as I'm showered, I'm clean and there's no way I want to work out then. I find that if I get my gym kit on, I have to work out. It's tricking my brain into working out. Once I've worked out, it almost unlocks the shower for me and then I'm allowed to shower and get on with my day. I have a cup of matcha tea to boost my metabolism before I get up and go and then I usually train without eating. There are so many arguments for and against this, but I personally like to enjoy my breakfast after I've worked out. Then, I can get on my day. For me, I cannot get on with my day until I've worked out hard and then nourished my body. That's my main routine and it works so well for me.
The Right Mindset: I definitely think it's all about getting in the right mind-set, get yourself some good kit, some good trainers and do it at the right time of day for you. Morning may work for you but actually, I used to be such an evening kinda gal! Most of the time though, I just try to do it whenever I can fit it in, it's so much better to do some sort of exercise than none at all! For example, my boyfriend works out before work, but he's in the routine now where he goes at around 6.30-7.30am every morning and then he can set off to work afterwards. I find this so difficult as it's too early, the first few times he hated it but now, he does it every morning and is in that mind-set! You've got to find the perfect time and routine that works for you, we all have busy schedules. Once you're in the mindset and you make it part of your daily routine, working out is so much easier. If it's part of your daily routine, it will feel weird not doing it. Just like getting rid of all nasty things from your cupboards means you won't reach for them anymore, making sure you work out as part of your routine = you'll feel bad when you don't work out! For me, going away is hard because I know that I'll lose that routine, so I have to adapt. So what does my work out routine look like?
My Work Out Routine: I'm going to be doing an updated video and blog post featuring my full work out routine so you can follow along, you can read my last what I do at the gym post here as it's all still very relevant, but for now, I have been so busy recently that I try to go to spinning classes 3-4 times a week, if I can't get onto a class or don't have the time, I'll do 10-20 minutes of HIIT training with weights afterwards. I adore spin classes because it's 40 minutes of intense exercise which works my whole body. I do find going to classes is good because you have to do it and it beats mind over matter. When I train alone, I often find myself saying: I can't go anymore. But, in classes, the energy, the instructor and the music powers me through and really does make me stronger. If you're losing the motivation, make sure you read my top motivation tips and tricks for working out, hopefully it'll help you get your mojo back!
Why Shorter Work Outs Are Better: I'm obviously not an expert but from lots of research and from a personal point of view, I only ever do HIIT training over long distance running. I used to be a complete running bunny where I'd run for miles and miles but actually, now, I jump on a treadmill and aim to exhaust myself as quickly as possible in 15 minutes. For example, I put the incline up to around 9 and then run for 30 seconds as fast as I can, then I rest for 40 seconds. If you have a quick Google of HIIT training, you'll see that 15-20 minutes is more than enough to burn maximum calories because you're working at your maximum. It's so tough but you see results much quicker and also, the body apparently continues burning calories throughout the day. This is what I mean when I say short workouts are actually sometimes better. I think this is why I love spinning, it's explosive, it hurts and then it's done. I find that when I go to the gym with an hour to work out, I don't work as hard as I do when I know I only have a quick half an hour to work myself as hard as possible. Again, it's really about finding what works for you. I like to blast it as quick as possible and get it over with.
Make Exercise Your Friend: So many people seem to hate the idea of exercise and gosh the amount of people that tell me 'I hate gyms'. It's all about making exercise your friend. By this, I mean once you see the benefits of a work out and realise how many endorphins it makes you release, you'll learn to love it. Why wouldn't you love something that makes your heart, body and mind strong and healthy? We need to get over this mind-set that we 'hate working out'. I love working out. It's so good for us. I get really agitated if I don't move or work out. For me, I never ever regret a work out and even if I have to drag myself to the gym (which is the hardest part!), once you get there, you feel so incredible after. Again, this is all about making it part of your lifestyle, remember, this isn't a fad, it's a lifestyle choice.
Track Your Progress - I write down exactly what I've done at the gym on my phone. It means I push myself further every single time. Even if I run for an extra ten seconds or run a further distance. Noting down what I did helps me to get better. It's no good doing the same thing every single time at the gym unless you're actually making progress so aim to run a little bit further or faster each time! I know I do this and actually, having those goals really makes me get more out of my work out. 
Pep Yourself Up - I find pepping myself is a great way to get the most out of my work out. I always tell myself, I will regret it if I don't work out and that seems to work really well. I tell myself, if I want to see changes, now is the time to do it! You don't get changes from sitting on your butt! Don't be too harsh on yourself, but self-motivation is definitely a good way to get a lot out of your work out. If you need a friend to go with you, do it. Whatever it takes.
If in doubt? Move more! Take the stairs, walk, jump up and down.
So there we have it, I hope you're excited for more fitness stuff coming up this Summer and I hope this has helped you too.
Do you have any tips to get the most out of your work out? How do you get in the frame of mind to work out?
Lots of love, Em x
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