Why I love: Walking

I used to really dislike walking as a form of exercise. In fact, I never used to consider it 'exercise' at all, thinking it was 'just' a scaled down version of running, and something you did on hangover free weekends with friends and family (or something your parents would force you to do each Sunday until the day you left home!).

Now though, I'm a total convert. I'm not pretending I've taken up hiking holidays or anything like that, but I've started walking my commute. I know, groundbreaking. It's not a fresh mountain view hike or anything remotely half as beautiful as the picture above would suggest, but it's become a morning ritual (and evening, some days) for me now and I love it.

It takes the same time to walk as it does to get public transport (give or take 5 minutes), and by walking I've found I can reap a whole host of benefits.

Here's why I'm loving walking to work:

1 'Me time' 

I'm absolutely loving having 45 minutes in the morning to walk and wake up, mull over my thoughts, stresses and to-do lists.

I feel like I gain a lot of clarity on my walk, I have time to really think things through and it feels amazing.

I've been trying to walk 'handsfree' as I'd noticed I was glued to my phone and carrying it *all* the time, and every time I've done this I've been amazed at what it feels like to have two hands swinging by my side, rather than one wrapped around my phone, slave to my headphones wrapping themselves around it. It makes me realise how addicted I am to just holding my phone.

I also looveeee listening to podcasts on the way in. Educational, health, funny, smutty, murder / crime thrillers - you name it, I've probably subscribed. Current faves include:

- My Dad Wrote A Porno (the.best. I've never laughed out loud so uncontrollably in public before).
- The Inquiry (really good 20 min podcasts on news and current affair topics, it has four opinions on one subject)
- Don't Salt My Game (Laura Thomas is a Registered Nutritionist and is calling bullshit on the diet industry / fake wellness era we live in)

I'm planning on doing a podcast post, so will leave this here for now..!

It also means I have 45 mins to chat to my family & best friends who don't live near me. This is especially good in the evening when you've got a load of dirty goss to catch up on and couldn't possibly do this on the train with everyone listening. Bliss.

Headspace is a massive plus to walking in, too. In a world where we're bombarded with so much information (see addicted to phone point above), it's nice to have this time to myself.

When I get to work, I'm not annoyed at having been squished on a tram carriage with loads of other people or sat stuck in traffic, I've had 45 minutes to do my own thing, let my mind play out scenarios, plan the day ahead, workout my priorities and just get 'ready' for the day. I've found I come in to work alert, motivated and really refreshed - not groggy or half asleep.


2 Exercise / Fitness

I wear a Fitbit and immediately I noticed the impact walking to (and most days, from) work had on my step count and calorie burn. This really isn't about calories burnt or steps taken, but it's definitely had an impact. The walk is around 5km and I burn around 300/350kcals (obvs this will be totally different for everyone according to distance, body weight, heart rate etc etc etc). I'm also, for the majority of the walk, in the 'fat burning zone', which is different from my usual running / HIIT / strength /  circuits based workouts I do, so a great addition to add to my workouts for the week.

It's great because if I know I'm going to have a busy week and will struggle to maintain my usual workout plan I know I'm still getting 45 minutes (90 if I walk home) of activity in my day.

3 General health

There are a load of other health benefits to walking - including reducing the risk of chronic illnesses (like heart disease, asthma), improving physical health, helping mental health, improving joint and back pain. You can find them all listed on the NHS website here and Bupa here.

4 Getting outdoors

I spend the majority of my time inside. I work in an office. I go to the gym. I cook in the kitchen and chill in my living room most evenings. I go out for dinner (and sit inside) and bars and shops and go to events with friends and dates and most of the time, it's all inside.

On weekends I try and spend as much time outside as possible and during the week, when we're lucky enough to get 'ok' weather, I do really try and make a real effort to get out as much as I can, but living in the UK means this isn't always achievable.

So, walking to work in all weather is another way to make sure I spend some time outside (bear in mind I'm writing this in August and might be telling a different story in November ha).

Lucy Mountain aka @thefashionfitnessfoodie has said so many times on her Instagram that she walks anywhere that takes an hour or less, and that's something that's stuck with me for the past few months. It's very typical in London to walk 45 / 60 minutes as a standard way of getting around and not think about it, but in Manchester / Bristol / other places it's a lot less typical. So I'm trying my best to make it the norm!

I do also have some top tips on how to stick at it, too.

SHOES AND CLOTHES
Firstly, don't like I did, try and walk to work in brand new, rigid, heel-skin ripping, blister inducing shoes. Stick to your good old trusty trainers. Yes, you might look like a bit of a knob in a dress and Nike free runs, but such is life.

Secondly, upgrade your dress-meets-trainer look and walk to work in gym kit. I've started doing it and get changed as soon as I'm at work. I found when walking in normal clothes I'd get in the office and the heat of the walk would finally catch up with me and I'd end up half-drenched making lift small talk (gross). Not.the.one.

Also, get a raincoat. Seriously. Pride, style and fashion sense must go out the window. One day I think I'll invest in a lush, sleek looking waterproof that will make me look like something out of the Lululemon brochure but for now I'm wearing a massive old Berghaus raincoat that was James's about fifteen years ago (school label in it and everything).

I do have a lush Sweaty Betty rucksack though which is amazing as it fits clothes, shoes, towel, lunch, breakfast, shower stuff, makeup, purse etc etc in it... It's the All Sport rucksack here.

I want to inspire you to walk a little bit more to see the benefits. I'm really really enjoying it, and think you will too. Other people that post a lot about walking and the benefits include my pal Spamella, and Twins in Trainers (these two girls did a really good post here about walking and its benefits).


Long live #LISS.

How I stay motivated to train throughout Winter - Movember 10k

Last Sunday's gym... loveee running when it's crisp outside

I've been reading a lot lately on how to stay motivated throughout the winter months, as it's something I can really struggle with. My newsfeeds have moved away from beach photos, people getting stronger and more confident for their summer holidays, and instead has been replaced with cosy fire scenes, mulled wine and hearty, warming food photos. It's the most cliched thing, but the dark and rainy mornings, cold (and even darker) early evenings, and a hectic social life can really play havoc with my desire to get out and train.

I was really struggling for motivation mid-October, just before the clocks went back and when the mornings were exceptionally black. I wasn't training half as much and when I was, it was half-arsed. I could see my progress slowing and became agitated with my attitude.

credit: Pinterest

Over the past month, I've really made a conscious effort to up my training game and get back on it in the run up to Christmas.

I've not been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I have made a conscious effort to maintain a regular exercise routine, and am actually happy with how I've managed to keep at it.

So if you're looking for that little bit of extra help with some motivation before Christmas, here's what I've been doing to stay on track...


1) Giving up alcohol

Yep, I've been 'that' person this month, giving up alcohol throughout November to do 'Dry-November' ("is that a 'thing'?" people ask. No, and I am well aware of that, and it's been hard!) I promised myself I'd be kinder to my body before the madness of Christmas kicks in and I'm 20 days in so far! I'm going to do a separate blog post dedicated to this, so keep your eye out for it but as I'm sure you've guessed, a lack of hangover has meant it's been far easier to train.

2) Indulging in 'the best' 

So I might have given up alcohol but believe you me the treats have been non stop this month. Knowing my social life was going to pick up means I've eaten out loads, which has also kept me motivated to keep on training.

Whilst I usually make a balanced choice eating out, for me, it's also important to treat yourself. Hannah from Wedges and Weights passed off some great advice at her festive supper club last year, and one of the key pieces of advice was about indulging - indulge in the best treat that you want every now and then, so that you don't constantly feel like you want more.

3) Preparation 

I've mentioned this in a previous post about fitness motivation (FYI this has a list of morning gym motivation tips if you're struggling here...), and I still stand by this one. It's so important!

If I'm going to the gym in the morning, I pack allllll my gym kit, work bag, work clothes, spare clothes (if I'm out after work) the night before, and make my lunch and breakfast for the day ahead the previous evening too.

Choosing my outfit for the next day is such a time saver as I faff about what to wear all.the.time. I also like to have everything packed up and ready to go as usually, I'm the only one awake and don't want to wake anyone up! Packing ahead also (perhaps more crucially) means that I can spend more time in bed asleep so is always a winner for me.

4) Pre-book

In a similar vein to preparation, booking on to various classes, races, events (whatever floats your boat!) is a great way to keep you in check.

At the Men's Health 10k Survival of the Fittest

In the past month, I've done the Men's Health Survival of the Fittest 10k and today, the Mo Running Movember 10k, which has 100% absolutely played a part in motivating me to train!

My motivation for training for this was definitely increased as the Movember PR team asked me if I'd like to take part in the run to raise awareness for the charity (I still bought my t-shirt to donate to the charity, it's a great cause!).

The run was at Heaton Park but the Mo Running team have organised 17 runs up and down the country throughout November to support, raise awareness and money for the Movember Foundation, which aims to 'stop men dying too young'. It's an amazing umbrella charity that wants to take on key global health issues that are affecting men worldwide - prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. It's not just about trying to grow a mustache!

We did really well in the race (which was muddy, slippy, narrow and hilly! ~getting those excuses in now~), coming in 62nd and 63rd out of over 400 runners, at 50mins 31secs - a time I'm happy with! I'd love to get this down to sub 50 though, 45 minutes would be insane.

Booking onto an event and committing to it gives me a set goal to work towards, which helps me focus and gives me a kick to keep it up at the gym. Crucially, it also gives me purpose which in turn makes training feel worth something. This definitely works for me.

Like I said I'm not perfect and there have definitely been a days over the past few weeks where the morning gym alarm has been snoozed (or called off altogether), so if you have any other winter workout motivation advice, pleeease share them with me!

Franks x

#LesMillsLive

Last Saturday Sophia and I were invited to the Les Mills Live convention in Manchester. It was one of those events that came round really quickly and I hadn't had too much time to think about it, so when Sophia sent through the workout schedule and asked which classes I wanted to go to, I didn't know where to start - the classes ran from 10am - 6.30pm!

I hadn't realised just how much of a cult there is around Les Mills. My gym offers their classes, so I'd done a couple of GRIT classes before, and when we were away on our little blogger weekend a few months ago, Sophie & I were asked to come along and try the local Les Mills Body Balance class - where I'd mused that the thought of the same class being taught all over the world on the same day was a really nice idea.

Les Mills Live then, a global fitness festival, was the perfect way to be immersed head first into what the movement is all about. Picture a huuuuge convention space, thousands of people in lycra, really loud music and lots and lots of squat jumps. I was in my actual element!

Soph and I were whisked quickly upstairs to get changed before being ushered into a GRIT strength class, with what seemed like a hundred other people. What struck us both (as we sweated profusely through bent over rows and squat presses), was that there were soo many people in the room who knew all the moves. Before our instructors could shout them out, people were doing press ups and onto the next before we'd even dropped  to the floor.

The class was great, and truly got us in the Les Mills zone.

Pic: Sophia Hall

I loved that there was a real mix of men and women at the festival. I'd say it leaned towards there being more females there but there was a huge guy presence too, which was really nice to see such an encompassing movement that appeals equally to women and men.

What also struck me was the varying ages of people there. Girls in groups, mums out with other mum friends, loads of lads and older blokes - the day was for everyone. It really felt like a big community. The international element struck a chord too, with American, Australian and English accents.

After walking around some more and a quick coffee stop, we braved it to the front of Sprint - a 30 min cycle class that mixes speed, power and strength exercises on the bike. It. was. touuugh. Really really sweaty, but I was totally pumped for it - the music was great and everyone was buzzing!

pic:Sophia Hall

They've also just teamed up with Reebok to launch a lush new activewear collection - which Reebok very kindly gave to us so we could blend in at the event!

My top is a deep berry with 'leave them speechless' emblazoned in purple and gold lettering, and the leggings are reversible (I later found out); black on one side, with Les Mills in white writing, and a rainbow of black, berry, red and yellow on the other side - very power hour! I'm also being sent some gorgeous trainers too, and can't wait to get them on.

I had such a great day, and it completely encompassed one thing I love most about fitness movements - the sense of community and togetherness. It was totally uplifting - so thanks so much to Reebok & Les Mills for letting me be a part of it!

Pic: Sophia Hall

Double Chocolate Nicecream

I know, I know. I've raved about 'clean' banana icecream time and time again, but this one is UNREAL. So creamy, milky and genuinely 100% tastes like icecream.

The secret?! Unflavoured whey. Organic unflavoured whey, to be precise, from the Good Stuff Organic (more on them later).

This tastes so nice even James, who has been 'polite' about healthy desserts I've made in the past, has said that this is the best one yet.

For this masterpiece (if I do say so myself), you will need...

Serves 2

• 200g frozen banana (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs (also from the Good Stuff Organic)
• 2 scoops unflavoured whey 
• 1-2 teaspoons of Truvia 
• Pinch of salt
• White chocolate sprinkles to throw on top

Chuck everything into your blender, and whiz until you're left with a smooth, thick, creamy, but slightly frozen, consistency. Spoon into bowls, top with white chocolate sprinkles and dig in.

If you make it, you'll know what I mean when I say it's really creamy. The whey gives it a proper 'icecream' taste; milky and thick. The cacao nibs add a rich crunch and the white chocolate is the icing on the cake, really.

Give it a go with unflavoured whey, and let me know what you think!

Also, I mentioned The Good Stuff Organic at the start of this post - they're a new start up company based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire and they kindly sent me a selection of products to try out. It's run by two people, Tom and Alex. I've only spoken to Alex, but she's lovely. It's so nice to work with people who are passionate about what they're doing day in and day out.

They pride themselves on no added nasty crap in their products, 100% natural, with no artificial flavourings. They bill themselves as "the supplement for the athlete that cares about their health as much as their muscles," and since having a snoop on their site and learning more about them, I love what they're about. I'd highly recommend giving them a follow on Insta or Twitter.

I'm looking forward to trying the baobab as I've never used this before, so holler with any recipes you think I should try.

Oh, and any more protein nicecream ideas, please send them my way!

Being Mindful on a Monday

I'm writing this the day after Valentine's Day, a day of love and, meaningless commercial gains aside, a day to celebrate your love for someone else - but why can't it be about you?! We're too hard on ourselves too often and we don't give ourselves enough credit.

Which is what this post is all about. Being mindful of you, and taking care of you.

I'm writing this and it also happens to be Monday, the start of the week. Full of new hopes, highs, goals and aspirations but also a day where typically stress levels begin their tremors and rise as we juggle work demands with social callings and potentially, a training schedule; relentless notifications from your phone, never ending to-do lists, flagged emails in your inbox fighting for attention, life admin tasks creeping their way into your mind, keeping momentum to get to the gym after work...

Brain overload? Oh yes.

Usually on a Monday I head straight to the gym after work but last week I did something different. 'Yoga at Dusk' - an event at Harvey Nichols in collaboration with The Well Connected Company. I always love going to events at Harvey Nics, they make you feel so welcomed (you can read about other events like Madeleine Shaw's supper club here, and the time I was invited to a Grey Goose martini making event here).

image credit: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/100557004156124618/

Yoga at Dusk was the perfect opportunity to unwind and chill out after a long, cold Monday.

Run by The Well Connected, who specialise in luxury (I mean amazingly luxury) wellbeing and yoga retreats in the UK (the pictures on their website + instagram will give a pretty awe-inspiring idea), we began with a chat from Nici Hewitson, from the company, about what she wanted to achieve setting up the business, and told us more about what you can expect on one of their wellbeing escapes.

In her words; "We make investing in yourself and your wellbeing, a luxury experience." 

I like the importance they place on investing time for yourself, and everything Nici was saying struck a chord with me.

Before our vinyasa yoga class, we had another talk from Sinead Duffy from Yogandha - a small, independent company specialising in oils to enhance, revive and invigorate the body. Sinead's keen to spread the message that fragrances can be used to enhance your state of mind. We sampled a range of oils - I went for 'Detox' (lemongrass + juniper), to awaken the sense of feelgood, and 'Relax' (lavender + vetiver), to induce a state of sublime calm. I've been rubbing the 'relax' oil on my wrists each night before bed to try and help me sleep better.

Then, it was time to get on the mat. Our class was taught by the incredible Charlie Morgan. I follow Charlie on Instagram and was excited to meet her in the flesh! The class was amazing - it was a really energetic, reviving practise, lots of laughter and left me feeling really relaxed. Sinead rubbed oils on our temples during the savasana and ohmygod it was great.

Also, how nice are Charlie's leggings?

We also got the chance to have a cheeky peak at the activewear range coming in to Harvey Nics this season, whilst drinking green juice. Obvs.

Anyway, it got me thinking that we definitely need to dedicate more time for 'me mindfulness' - but it's so hard to do that when we live such busy lives.

So, when you're not at yoga, or you can't feasibly run a bath and light some candles or even just take five minutes out to chill, how can you be mindful?!

My Mindfulness Inducing Statements

I think the following statements could help you get to a more mindful place, especially if you're having a bit of a down day and nothing seems to be going right...

1) What would you say to your six year old self? I'm  pretty sure you wouldn't tell her / him they're useless / not good enough, or indeed be discouraging - you'd be encouraging and forgiving, so be the same to present you.

2) You're doing ok. Really, you are. There is so much bullshit in the world and so many people get by just on this. So don't stress. Breathe.

3) You are loved. Be it by your boyfriend, mum, dad, sister, brother, best friends; you are loved, and you are special, so don't forget that.

4) What can you learn from this situation? Perhaps you've had a particularly hard day at work, an argument with someone or maybe things just don't seem to be going your way. What can you take as a learning from the situation you're in? I've been doing this lots at work recently, asking myself at the end of each week what I've learnt and how I'm going to put it into practise the following week - it's really cathartic and I've found it very productive.

Do you have any mindfulness quotes you swear by?!

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/68187381836880369/

Escaping to Dartmouth + a HIIT workout

Last weekend I was in Dartmouth with my best friends from Bristol. It was so nice and chilled and an absolutely perfect weekend.

You know one of those weekends that makes you feel teary on the Sunday night when it's back to reality?

The weather was far from beautiful... (it was so windy we couldn't even go for a walk on the beach, cheers storm imogen) but the wind and rain didn't stop us from having a good time. In fact it made it even more cosy to hear the wind howling outside with a glass of prosecco in hand...

The highlights of the weekend for me were spending all of Saturday afternoon in a spa (with a HIIT session, pool and sauna), cooking up a few recipes from The Body Coach for dinner, and brunch at the cutest French restaurant, Saveurs.

When I was (sob) back at my desk on Monday, I received an epic delivery from Holland & Barrett full of 'heart healthy' products. As February is heart health month, the idea behind the campaign was to showcase the food that can contribute to maintaining a healthy heart, along with a cardiovascular workout for you guys, to get your heart racing.

I was thinking about where to get inspiration from for this particular workout and I decided to share the HIIT session I did with the girls last Saturday.

There are three parts to this workout, and you'll need a treadmill for part B. If you don't have access to a treadmill you can cycle through and do the body weight HIIT three times, rather than twice. I've also included weighted squats, so if you don't have a kettle bell or dumbbell, just do air squats.

This is a longer HIIT workout, and should take around 40 minutes to complete.

The Dartmouth Heart Workout:

PART A

Complete each exercise for 30 secs, doing as many reps as possible, with a 20 sec rest in between each set

• Burpee tuck jumps
• High knees running on the spot
• Mountain climbers
• Squat jumps
• Upper body get ups (moving planks)
• Jump lunges
• Weighted squats
• Push ups
• Scissor split planks (plank position, jump your legs in and out in a scissor like motion, keep your bum low!)
• Leg raises

PART B

Treadmill sprints

• Jog for three minutes
• 45 seconds sprinting at your max speed (I'm on about 17.5 at the moment)
• Jump on to the sides of the treadmill (safely, obviously), and rest for 30 secs
• Repeat until you reach 18 minutes
• Jog for two minutes

PART C

Repeat part A, all over again!

*NB as you all know I'm not a PT, all moves in this workout are moves I personally do - make sure you've warmed up properly before this, some of the moves are quite explosive - I'd do a 5 min jog on the treadmill. 

It's a killer whole body workout; perfect for blowing away the cobwebs for five girls who had spent a day having not left the house, fire on and wine in hand.

What are my favourite 'heart healthy' products from this delivery? 

So, I've been trying out some of the products Holland and Barrett sent me, which included:

• Rude Health spelt flakes
• Rude Health puffed brown rice
• Raw Health Flaxseed crackers 
• Flaxseed oil
• Oatwell crispy hearts 
• 'Seeds for Sunrise' - breakfast mix of dried fruit, nuts and seeds
• Roasted and salted pistachios (because who doesn't love pistachios)

The crackers are a definite firm favourite. Prior to tasting, my initial thoughts conjured up a dry, tasteless brown slab - but they are gorgeous! A lot of flavour - nutty and garlicky and would be perfect with hummous. Studies have shown that flaxseed has the potential to help reverse cardiovascular disease - these little seeds also contain omega 3, fibre and lignan (which can help the cardiovascular system).

I haven't tried the flaxseed oil yet, but I'm intrigued. I think it could be nice over a walnut and feta salad.. so maybe when the weather is a little warmer.

Another winner has to be the spelt flakes; I've had them before and love how 'light' they are. Spelt can also contribute to a lower risk of heart disease. They go really well with the puffed brown rice cereals (hello adult rice crispies (without all the crap!)) - brown rice is high in selenium which can reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

For breakfast over the past couple of days I've been having oats, spelt flakes and puffed brown rice topped with a fruit and nut mix and a bit of honey, with almond milk. It's delicious, and a much healthier alternative to artificial sugar laden granola.

As well as feeling physically invigorated and rested after the weekend, it definitely did my heart and soul the world of good to be out in the countryside having a laugh with some of my nearest and dearest.

If you give the workout a try let me know how you get on!

Holland & Barrett sent me these products for free (cheers!) but naturally all opinions are my own!

January Activewear Favourites

I've had a bit of splurge on the active wear front. I can't seem to help it, recently the brights and lycra have stolen my heart and I'm instantly drawn to the sports section of any clothes shop.

This little haul includes some all time classic gym staples as well as some key pieces I'll be sweating in this spring.

Top left is a classic neon coral long sleeve top from Adidas- this is perfect for the outdoor bootcamp circuits I do, where multiple layers are abso-bloody-lutely essential in the (hideous) Manchester elements.

The top to the right of this is Adidas again, this time though it's a really cute mesh racer back top - and how nice is the pattern on the front? I love the design and can't wait till it's warm enough to wear this running on it's own.

Speaking of racerbacks, I spotted the bright lime green top in TK Maxx, and was all over it. I loove the scooped mesh back detail, and the rest of the material has a cool ribbed effect texture. It's made by Roxy, a brand I wouldn't usually associate with gym wear, but this top is a nice surprise!

The pink t-shirt next to the white Adidas top (and photographed more clearly below) is, again, another TK bargain; just a simple, comfy tee for yoga, and the orange long sleeved top next to it is essentially identical to the long-sleeved Adidas one but this one's from H&M.

H&M are one of my all time favourite activewear highstreet brands, I think their stuff is fantastically priced and the designs are gorgeous. My favourite thing about the orange long sleeved top is the material, it's soo soft and smooth against my skin. 

By far my number 1 piece from this haul is the WKND jumper above... It's from Sweaty Betty, and is an ideal top to lounge in on Saturday and Sunday. It's boxy, oversized and slightly cropped, so it goes perfectly with the mint green leggings (also SB). These leggings are amazingly soft and extremely comfortable. I've been wearing these to yoga and they're great because they don't cut in on your hips - they're also reversible too (black on the other side), but I like the mint green pattern too much to swap it about.

I'm in the market for a new gym bag and I reeeally want some This Girl Can 'merch'; could you recommend any good kit bags that can be lugged around to work etc all day?

What I'm Doing Wrong On Rest Days

Whilst I pride myself on (and genuinely enjoy!) doing some form of exercise most days, I'm well aware that I don't use my rest days as effectively as I could do, and I really want to do something about it.

On a typical week, my workout schedule looks something like;

Monday - Gym
Tuesday - Bootcamp circuits
Wednesday - Yoga & or gym
Thursday - Bootcamp circuits
Friday - Gym
Saturday - Bootcamp circuits and / or a decent run
Sunday - Rest day

By the same token, my social schedule usually looks something like;

Monday - nothing. at. all. zzzzz.
Tuesday - nothing, don't be silly
Wednesday - still nothing, don't be silly
Thursday - cheeky glass of red with friends?
Friday - chilled night in
Saturday - usually travelling to some other part of the country after bootcamp to see friends or family, most usually a night out or a meal out... 
Sunday - hangover / seeing friends / seeing family / travelling / eating out

Another thing I do is track macros every weekday, usually on a Saturday but most likely never on a Sunday. Which is coincidentally the day I'm really lax about my diet, more likely to be hungover and eat crap *and* it's the day I choose to not do any exercise - WINNER, not...

Of course, some Sundays I'll just fancy blasting out a run, or a big walk will be planned in, but as a general rule Sundays are my day off.

Why are rest days important? 

I've been doing a bit of research into using rest days more effectively; why we need them and the benefits they have so I can try and get the most out of them!

We need rest days for muscle repair, for the body to repair, to prevent injury and to help with sleep, but as well as physiological benefits there are psychological ones too, like preventing burnout and boredom, as well as helping to keep a healthy balance (good article on 6 reasons that we need rest days here).

Rest days help the body cope with the stress of exercise, to replace energy stores and help repair tissues. There's a really useful, comprehensive article that goes into more detail on this on sportsmedicine.about.com, which has strict verification from a medical review policy. The article also highlights the need for sleep in aiding rest day effectiveness, which is also something I know I need to work on...

All in all, the fact I eat more and move less on my rest day probably isn't the best. I'm all for cheat days and 'refeeds' but when this is consistently happening on a rest day, it ain't gooood..

With this in mind, I'm trying to be better. Committing to them most importantly, but also learning how to use them effectively.

My rest day goals:

• Try to incorporate rest days into a day of the week where I'm not eating out / drinking / out of a routine.
• Track macros on rest days.
• Improve my sleep pattern (blog post to come)

Do you have any rest day tips I can incorporate?

Madeleine Shaw launches #GlowGuides App

You might remember me "fangirling" back in May when I went to Maddy's Supper Club at Harvey Nics, and ended up sitting on her table..?! The whole evening was great; spent sampling dishes from her 'Get the Glow' cookbook and getting to know loads more about Maddy herself.

Maddy's book is one of my favourite (potentially in the top 3?!) cook books I've bought over the past year; I really appreciate her ethos on eating and I like how all-encompassing her recipes are - vegans and meat-eaters alike can find loads of incredible dishes to make. Madeleine herself is also really sweet, lovely to talk to and very humble.

Get The Glow is full of lush, wholesome dishes like this green goddess bowl (made for her supper club)

As a big Mad-vocate (sorry), I was so pleased for her when I found out she was launching her own app - 'Glow Guides'.

What is Glow Guides?

Glow Guides is an 8-week holistic transformational programme in an app. The idea behind it is that you have a PT, nutritionist and life coach in your pocket, offering you workouts, recipes, life hacks and meditation tips, to get healthier and happier (in mind, body and spirit) in eight weeks.

How does it work? 

The basis of the app is video, PDF and audio content, broken up into three categories: 'Move', 'Munch' and 'Meditate'. Each week the app will include;

• A video outlining your target goals for the week
• A meal plan for the week ahead
• Strength and cardio based workout vids (by PT Shona Vertue) with printable PDFs
• Vinyasa yoga and restorative yoga videos 
• Meditation audio
• Live stream function - Madeleine can speak directly to anyone participating

iOS or Android? 

Both. Yay.

What does Madeleine say?

“I was tired of transformational programmes focusing on how you look rather than how well and happy you are. For me, real transformation needs to go beyond the superficial if it's to have a lasting and positive affect.

The Glow Guides’ approach is completely holistic but I also hope it feels like your best friend, providing inspiration and words of encouragement...”

What do I say?

Like I've said before I really like how all-encompassing Madeleine's approach to diet and exercise is, and I think the holistic element of this app (combining mind, body and food) captures this perfectly. I looove the inclusion of the live stream function, I think it brings the whole app alive and gives it a solid, real time feel. Which is great because at £49.99, it's not cheap. Still a hell of a lot cheaper than a PT, plus you're getting meal plans, yoga & cardio & strength workouts, as well as meditation advice included too. The longevity of the app is a winner too - yes it's initially designed for an 8 week transformation, but you could easily repeat the programme and continue on your journey to optimum wellness.

To give you a taster of what to expect in the app, I've included a workout below...

If you want more info, go to http://www.glowguides.co.uk/.

Current Favourite HIIT Workouts

Over Christmas, like many I didn't have access to a gym, but still wanted to keep fairly active over the festive period - mainly to offset the barrage of wine and Stilton I planned on enjoying!

To get the smugness out of the way quickly, I impressed myself by getting a few 7 / 8 mile runs, a couple of 10ks and a cheeky Parkrun in, and it was really nice to be able to get out so much. Normally in Winter I'm restricted to running on weekends, so it was good to have the freedom during the day to pound about.

Running 10k over the holidays

In true British style, the rain over Christmas was sometimes too much to bear, so I used HIIT training to mix things up.

I'm a massive fan of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), and incorporate it into my regime at least three times a week. More on the benefits of HIIT here and here.

I thought I'd note down a few of my fave workouts at the moment, in case you fancied some inspiration over the coming weeks. The workouts below include both home and gym based workouts. Obvs, I'm not a PT, I'm just sharing what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. If you're not already, get on and follow the bloody gorgeous Joe Wicks on Insta etc, as all his HIIT workouts are great. He got me into it in the first place, especially the first workout..

Workout 1
Equipment: treadmill
This is my absolute go-to for a 'killa' workout if you're pushed for time.

Naturally, you'll need to adapt the sprint speed to suit you, I usually set this to between 17 - 18kph (18 being really challenging for me).

• 1 min walk warm up
• 2 mins run 11kph
• 45 secs sprint at desired speed level (17 - 18kph)
• 30 secs rest
• 45 secs sprint
• 30 secs rest

.. repeat until you hit 20 minutes. Trust me, it's an absolute beast. I love it.

If you've not done sprints before, or don't feel comfortable hopping on and off the treadmill edges, speak to someone in the gym - I did this when I first started because I wasn't confident with the speed, and getting someone to walk me through it really helped.


Workout 2 
It has two parts to it, A & B, and takes me around 40-45 mins.
Equipment: treadmill, weighted barbell, kettlebell, bench
I do these sprints with the treadmill turned off, to make it really tough. I grab the front handles of the treadmill, and push until the belt moves, then run as fast as I can (with my hands still gripped) for 20 seconds.

A)

• Treadmill (turned off) sprint for 20 secs
• Rest 30 secs
• Treadmill (turned off) sprint for 20 secs
• Rest 30 secs
• 10 barbell weighted squats (I'd probably use a 20kg barbell) - pulse up and down 5 times at end
• 10 Burpees

Repeat 5 times

B)

• 10 dips on a bench / chair
• 10 kettlebell swings
• 10 deadlifts (use the barbell for this, adjust the weights as necessary for you, I'll increase the weight here)
• Upper body get ups (sometimes called moving planks)

Repeat 5 times

Workout 3

This one's adapted from one of Joe's, it's a ladder workout and great to do at home as all exercises are bodyweight based. 

The method for this one is easy.

10 secs on, 10 secs off (each exercise).

20 secs on, 20 secs off,

30 secs on, 30 secs off,

40 secs on, 40 secs off,

30 secs on, 30 secs off,

20 secs on, 30 secs off,

10 secs on, 10 secs off.

You do as many of the below in the time available. Once you've completed all the exercises, you adjust the time. 

• Burpee tuck jumps
• Mountain climbers
• High knees
• Press ups
• Squat jumps
• Lunge jumps
• Plank

So, you'd do each of the above exercises for 10 seconds, resting for 10 seconds in between each exercise, then move on to 20 secs and so on. 

This one's sneaky; you're doing burpees for ten seconds thinking what the hell is all the fuss about, but just you wait until you're on 30 / 40 seconds. I had to remind myself not to get cocky!

If you have any favourite HIIT workouts, send 'em my way!