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20 September 2017

My Gym Story feat Nuffield Health

This is a post that i never thought i would write in a million years! Lets start with a bit of a back story. When i was younger, i was never one for sports. PE lessons featured sports such as rounders, tag rugby, athletics and netball which never really floated my boat. I did quite enjoy tennis and badminton though and its something i'd love to do again sometime. Since i left school, i never felt the need to start properly exercising. I'm pretty lucky in the sense that i have never been overweight or particularly unfit. Although i've never been overweight, i have never been particularly toned or lean. I've had a bit of excess body fat here and there and have never had the physique that i always dream of.


Over the past two years, my mum has been seriously ill which meant i automatically took over all the household responsibilities and cared for her. Fortunately, she has started to recover and get back to her usual self this past year which meant that i could begin to focus on myself again. While my mum had been ill, it dawned on me that my life literally revolved around work and general day to day chores, add to this the stress that was put on me from looking after my mum and i was ready to look for some release and something to focus on, other than work!

At the time, i had just started to come across the fitness community on Instagram and bloggers/youtubers such as Carly Rowena. This made me think, hey maybe joining a gym would be a good release and new focus for me. After visiting a few gyms close to me, one being a private gym (not so good) and a few bigger chains, i decided that Nuffield Health was the one to go for! From the moment i stepped in the place, i knew it was just what i had been looking for. All the staff were incredibly friendly and informative and the general sense of the gym was great. After an initial tour and discussion with the manager, i signed on the dotted line and walked out being a new fully fledged gym member. Soon after i had signed up, i went and had my induction, programme session and health MOT. All these are included in your membership at Nuffield. Being a newbie gym goer, i found the induction really helpful as i knew how to use the treadmill and cross trainer and that was about it! Without going into too much detail, my trainer asked me if i had any goals and what my reasons for joining a gym were. Together, we devised a great programme for me to help tone areas of my body and he also recommended certain classes which would be beneficial too. 

I've been going to Nuffield for over a year now and it has become part of my weekly routine. When i first started, i enjoyed doing my gym programme and using the pool but at the moment i've really been enjoying the classes. There is so much choice on the timetable that you are literally spoilt for choice, but i have been doing classes such as All Over Body Workout (toning and aerobic exercises), Legs Bums and Tums (self explanatory!), Body Jam (dance style workout) and Body Combat (martial arts inspired workout). I have also just started doing Pilates which i'm hoping in time will improve my flexibility and and Body Pump - which is quickly becoming a favourite!

I've been going to the gym frequently for just over a year and have felt so much better both physically and mentally. Physically, i have seen my body becoming more lean, more definition in my arms and my legs and bum are looking pretty good too! The gym has also really helped me feel more energised throughout the week, improved my sleep quality and has increased my motivation and confidence. It has also made me more conscious of my diet which although has never been bad, there is always room for improvements!

When i first started at the gym, i was a little anxious that i would stick out like a sore thumb and people would be thinking 'what is she doing, she is doing that wrong!' but i've come to realise that people are focusing on their own workout and more often than not, they aren't looking at you. 

So, thats my gym experience so far. In short, i'm flipping loving it! It is something i really enjoy doing. I have to say though, sometimes there are days when i am just not feeling the gym and i know when i'm just not in the right mind frame to go. I try and stick to a routine throughout the week and go four times a week, always after work. I tried to go to the gym at 6am one morning but lets just say, it wasn't for me!

Let me know your thoughts on the gym and if you go! As fitness is one of my interests, i might start doing more health/fitness based posts - most will probably be documenting my addiction to buying fitness clothing though!
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23 April 2017

Soap and Glory Skincare Favourites

I've never been the type of person who has their skincare regime set in stone. I know lots of people have a morning and evening skincare routine, which they never sway from and i'm always slightly envious! Of course there are brands and products which i love and regularly turn to for skincare such as Liz Earle, Origins and Garnier but i've never been too loyal to them. On a recent trip to Boots, i ventured down the skincare aisle and came across the alluring Soap and Glory section. On a weird merchandising note, i have to say that Soap and Glory's branding is great and the fun pink branding really does draw you in away from the more serious looking skincare. I was on the hunt for a new exfoliator, but nothing too drying or extreme.  I spotted the Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It exfoliator and after a quick read of the bottle, it went straight into my basket.

I've been using the Scrub Your Nose In It alongside the Soap and Glory Face Soap and Clarity face wash for a couple of weeks now and i've really been enjoying using them.


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9 April 2017

Fitbit Charge 2 Review

I've really been enjoying going to the gym and being aware of my lifestyle and fitness a lot more during the past year. My gym routine has been pretty steady and i try to go 3-4 times a week and while my eating habits are never 100%, they are much improved.

Since going to the gym and being more aware of my lifestyle, i've noticed i've become more toned and definitely seen an improvement in my fitness levels. However, i'm not one to use scales as unfortunately i think i would focus too much on the number and potentially become obsessed with it, which is never a good idea. With that in mind, i still wanted some form of tracking for my workouts and i decided a fitness tracker would be good idea. There are many different trackers on the market, i know the Apple watch is a popular option. However, after speaking to a few people at the gym and after some online research, i opted for the Fitbit Charge 2.


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18 February 2017

Recent Beauty Favourites

I've hit a bit of a brick wall with my blog for the past six months. I just haven't felt inspired or motivated to write anything! Over the past couple of weeks though, i've gotten back into reading my favourites and discovering some new blogs, which has really given me the spark and kick up the bum that i needed! Today, i'm going to give you a rundown on what i've been loving during January and so far in February.


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