Tips on improving your fitness

By Grace @ bellemode102.blogspot.co.uk

Hello lovelies,

I am Grace and I blog on over at Belle Mode.  I am a fashion and beauty blogger and I love to dance and act. Today I am here to talk to you all about fitness. Now I am on a fitness boost and I am determined to tone up.  I am going to tell you about how I do it!

I go for regular runs. Running works all of the muscles in your body. You are using your arms, your legs and your stomach. A quick tip here, pull your tummy in when running and it helps to strengthen your tummy muscle. If you are going to go running though make sure you have some proper running trainers. Running in shoes like converse which you may think are trainers are not. They don’t give you the support. I have unfortunately experienced shin splints before which is common within runners.  If you feel slight pain in your shins when running, stop running for a while. You don’t want to risk hurting yourself.

Working out from home. I use an awesome youtube channel called blogilates.

Cassey Ho is the founder of the youtube channel blogilates. She is a trained fitness instructor and does all sorts of routines to your favourite songs. Cassey  has routines for your whole body. I can recommend a few, Cardio Ballet Challenge.  As I do ballet I was intrigued  for this. It’s a great legs and bum workout. I really love doing this one! Abs challenges. Cassey has lots of Abs challenges and my oh my after doing one you wake up the next morning and your hurting. You can feel that you have worked out. Cassey also has Pilates, arm workouts and so much more. I also recommend doing some Cardio with the stretches. My dad has also bought me the insanity dvd as he found it somewhere for lots cheaper than its meant to be so we will be trying that shortly.

Eating healthily. Try to eat 5 a day everyday. It is possible. This is how I do my five a day. I have a portion of raisins with my bran flakes in the morning, an apple at break time at school. In your lunch have a portion of grapes. That’s 3 portions and your only  at lunch time! And then with your dinner have 2 different vegetables. Simples. Switch crisps for a fruit bag. I haven’t had a bag of crisps in my lunch for over a month. I have switched crisps for a piece of fruit. Substitute fatty foods for a healthier option.

I have felt lots better about myself since I have been working out and eating healthier. I also have an after school job which includes fitness which is all good for you. Even taking the stairs instead of the escalator can work. Every night after my dinner I go for a walk. Walking is great after dinner and is also really good to clear your mind. I really enjoy going for a walk with my mum.  I know getting motivated to get fit and healthy is sometimes hard and you have those days where your walking through the shop and you see a chocolate bar you really fancy. Sometimes it's ok to have it. Treats are great to have in moderation, but other times I personally think ‘Do I really need this?’.

I hope this gives you some tips and tricks on getting healthy.  I would love to see you bunch of lovely people over on my blog. bellemode102.blogspot.co.uk

Speak to you soon.

Grace xx

Half-Marathon Training

In July I thought it might be fun to sign up to run an 1/2 marathon this October, having run very little before this was a huge step for me and something thus far I have really enjoyed training for.

The idea of running 13.1 miles seems incredibly daunting at first but as you slowly progress it becomes more and more attainable.

I run 3 times a week. 2 are shorter runs and one is a longer run. The way I have build up my distance running is on the longer run I have increased it by a mile every week (or every 2 weeks depending on how tired I am) this has meant I have a reachable goal when I run, and helps keep my motivated.

Here are some of my top tips

Set a goal- Be it running a race or just being able to run frequently throughout the week. Goals give you something to aim for. 

-set rewards associated with your goal, to help further motivate you

Always warm up and cool down. Nobody likes having DOMS

 Get good quality running shoes that fit you well, to prevent injuries.

 Try to run on a quality surface, grass is the worst to run on, if you can find an athletics tract try road running, but be aware that concrete is high impact.

I am running my 1/2 marathon in aid of the Lullaby trust charity who help families affected by sudden infant death syndrome. 

If you wish to sponsor me head over to my just giving page

http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Elizabeth

XX,

Beckie

Stay Healthy For School

Hey ladies!

So as we are all painfully aware of, school is starting soon. It's much more easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you have plenty of free time (aka summer), but now that that time isn't available it's difficult to stay on track! Here are some easy ways to incomporate a little health into your school days! 

1. Drink water!

It's annoying to hear over and over again, but it's SO true. Water is essential to your body working properly. Your muscles will be more flexible and strong, your skin will be clearer, and you will just feel better overall! Did you know that you should drink an ounce for every pound you weigh? That means that if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking 150 ounces of water a day! Use this as an excuse to go out and buy yourself (or even DIY!) a cute waterbottle.

2. Sneak in little bits of exercise

Making time to work out can be hard, especially when you have so much school work to do at night. So sneak in exercise during the day! Bike or walk everywhere you can, take the stairs, and use proper posture in class (it makes you pay more attention in class too!). 

3. Eat properly 

Carry around health snacks, such as almonds, cereal, and fruit, to eat when you get hungry. Always eat breakfast. Try to have protein, carbohydrates, and fats at lunch and dinner. Try to cut down sugar. All these things are vital to a healthy diet! Use a day before a school starts to really read up on proper nutrition and you will be amazed on what you will learn! 

4. Get your sleep!

While sometimes it seems impossible to get 8 hours of sleep, it is crucial. I believe a lot of this comes down to time management. I admit that it's hard to go home and go straight to homework, but try not to get sucked into watching an episode of a show, or skyping with your friend for another 30 minutes. Use these things as rewards for when you need a break from (or have finished) your homework!

So there you have it, my best tips for staying healthy through the school year! Good luck with back to school ladies! 

XX,

Brittany