Yep, you read that right. SERENA WILLIAMS. Fangirling over here so hard…
I was very lucky to have been given a place at an amazing session at the new pop-up Nike Court in London Bridge. I’ve applied for loads of the Nike events in the past and this is the first time I’ve been given a place. Totally worth all of the other disappointment at not getting places… Continue Reading…
So it’s taken me a couple of weeks to fully digest what happened when this blog post went viral and to write this post in response.
The post went viral across the world being featured on news sites, entertainment magazines and even being posted by celebrities (thanks Zooey Deschanel!) which blew up my social media channels and phone as people got in touch for interviews.
Ultimately it’s a brilliant piece of exposure for me and my new business (www.thefitologyway.com) but it’s been a massive learning curve and a stark reminder of the importance of self-belief and confidence.
As well as some amazingly positive and supportive messages I also received some negative, unpleasant and downright abusive messages.
Yeah, ouch.
Luckily (and I have the fitness world and my friends and family to thank for this) I’ve come to a point in my journey where I love my body and that love is unshakeable enough to deal with people telling me that I’m fat, stupid, ugly and vacuous (that last one is my personal favourite, I mean, really?).
I still stand by my message that fitness and health comes in all shapes and sizes and you don’t need to look like a ripped god or goddess to be fit and healthy (but it doesn’t matter if you are). Continue Reading…
As a Personal Trainer and a fitness blogger I can see a lot of pressure in the industry to look and act a certain way which can be rather stressful and damaging for some people.
The world of perfect abs, long legs and sweat-free faces on Instagram portrays an image of fitness that is fun, easy and full of happiness. It can be all of these things but it can also be tiring, tough, demoralising and grump-inducing when you’re getting up and it’s still dark outside. Plus, no one actually looks perfect if they’re working out properly! Continue Reading…
Life is a battle. We’re constantly fighting against other people growing up, at school, in social situations and in family life. It’s always about getting more attention, being better and just generally winning.
Well I’m here to say STOP. It’s time to start looking at yourself, not at other people. We’re all different and however much we strive and work to look, act or be like someone else it’s not going to happen. Continue Reading…
As a Personal Trainer and a fitness blogger I can see a lot of pressure in the industry to look and act a certain way which can be rather stressful and damaging for some people.
The world of perfect abs, long legs and sweat-free faces on Instagram portrays an image of fitness that is fun, easy and full of happiness. It can be all of these things but it can also be tiring, tough, demoralising and grump-inducing when you’re getting up and it’s still dark outside. Plus, no one actually looks perfect if they’re working out properly!
Here are some of the top misconceptions of the fitness industry:
1) Selfies show the truth
Even I have been guilty of only posting the most flattering selfies but don’t trust what you see. There are various things you can do to create the perfect selfie:
All I did in the 3 minutes between the two photos was to turn off the overhead light, put on underwear that fit better, twist my body slightly to the side to show off my best angle, flex and, of course, add a filter. So don’t pay much attention to those ‘before and after’ shots!
2) To be healthy and fit you have to have a six-pack
Having a six-pack just means that your body fat percentage is low enough to be able to see your abs. Also, the shape of your abs is totally dependent on your genetics, some people can get a six-pack, some can’t. For the majority of people the lifestyle you have to live to achieve and maintain them would stop them living a normal life free from counting every single calorie. Also, ladies, having such a low body fat percentage might stop your periods. Surely that can’t be good for you…
I prefer a bit of definition and that’s about it for me!
3) Personal Trainers & fitness bloggers live like saints
Anyone who knows me will know that this just isn’t true. I love to eat anything and everything. Pizza is probably my favourite food and although I don’t really have a sweet tooth I can eat sweet n’ salt popcorn or ice cream for days. I may not drink that much but that’s because I don’t like the taste of most alcohol! However give me a margarita (or 3) and I’m a happy girl… It’s all about living a balanced lifestyle. Indulge when you want to but get to know your body and understand what it wants and when.
4) Exercise is easy
Exercise is not easy. And if it is easy then you’re not pushing yourself. And if you’re not pushing yourself then you won’t make any progress and reach your goals. Even if your goal is just to clear your head you need to put in a bit of effort to achieve that. The real side of fitness is early mornings, freezing hands and ears in winter, ridiculous sports bra tans in summer, stinging sweat in your eyes, not bothering to wash your hair because you’re only going to get sweaty again tomorrow, permanent hand callouses, blistered feet and stiff muscles. But all of this adds up to feeling alive, proud and on top of the world.
5) You have to able to run really fast
Nope. Have you seen me run? It’s not pretty, it’s not fast but I get the job done. If you run you are a runner, if you lift you are a lifter, if you spin you are a spinner, it doesn’t matter how fast, how heavy or how much you do it. Just get out there and give it a go, you’ll amaze yourself.
Life is a battle. We’re constantly fighting against other people growing up, at school, in social situations and in family life. It’s always about getting more attention, being better and just generally winning.
Well I’m here to say STOP. It’s time to start looking at yourself, not at other people. We’re all different and however much we strive and work to look, act or be like someone else it’s not going to happen.
I had a totally epiphany as I was slogging my way round the triathlon course a couple of weeks ago with a bloody great grin on my face. Every person on that course (apart from one man who was 3 times my age) overtook me and with each one that flew past my smile got bigger and bigger.
I was racing for me, against my previous personal best and no one else. I was the last woman to finish that triathlon and to be honest that only made me prouder that I’d gone in there for myself, conquered some demons and given it everything.
Here are some of the methods that I’ve used to challenge myself and not compare myself to others:
- Take comparison photos of yourself if your goal is a physical change. Use ‘instababes’ as motivation rather than goals
- Note down PBs if your goal is a strength or speed change
- Fall in love with yourself. I know it sounds cheesy but rather than beating yourself up about your weaknesses try and identify your strengths. Then champion your strengths and be proud
- Surround yourself with positive people who will celebrate your victories, however small
- Listen to your body and don’t push yourself past what you can do at that point. Rest when you need to, reduce weights or resistance and eat that piece of cake if your body needs it…
How do you make sure that you’re challenging yourself rather than comparing yourself?
A 10k race? With gladiators? And obstacles? Hell yes, was my response. Get me there now.
Which is how a group of 5 over-excited intrepid Gauntlet Girls came to be in Trent Park, North London early on a Saturday morning. Continue Reading…
A 10k race? With gladiators? And obstacles? Hell yes, was my response. Get me there now.
Which is how a group of 5 over-excited intrepid Gauntlet Girls came to be in Trent Park, North London early on a Saturday morning.
This isn’t going to be a regular race report because quite frankly it wasn’t a regular race. For a start there was no timing at all which meant that everyone could take it at their own sweet pace. Oh and there were also lots of things and people to slow you down on course.
We’d opted for the 10k version which meant that we did 3km of obstacles before turning off for a 5km trail run and joining back up with the course for a last 2km of obstacles, although it felt shorter than a full 10k. I’m going to let the pictures do most of the talking but here is a summary of my feelings about the race:
- long queues to pick up race numbers & race t-shirts suck
- half-naked men are great until they’re pelting balls at your legs
- laughing until my stomach hurts is great
- trail running is way more interesting than road running
- water mixed with poster paint is really slimy and then really sticky
- water is cold. Like, really cold
- wet trainers are gross to run for an hour in
- a wet lycra-clad bottom results in a very satisfying noise when slapped
- races with friends are infinitely more fun
- I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN
Warming up:
Getting friendly with the gladiators:
Never trust an Aussie and a PT armed with sticks:
Water is cold part I:
Water is cold part II:
Foam gets in your ears:
Apparently my go-to obstacle race face is this:
Charlie’s Angels eat your hearts out:
Never forget to stretch:
In summary, we heart The Gauntlet Games.