My Top Health & Fitness Tips

Christmas seems like a long time ago but I still feel bad for all the binge eating I did. You know what, who cares, there's no time like the present to get back on track. After my Missguided activewear post I promised you lots more health and fitness this year so here I am again, talking about health and fitness! It's not like me to eat unhealthily really but over Christmas and my 21st birthday, I guess I ate a little more than normal. I don't weigh myself so I'm not sure if I've gained any weight but I don't feel as good in myself as I did before Christmas. Getting back on track is always hard when January comes around but with a little bit of help we can do it, you know what they say, Summer bodies are made in Winter! Everyone has a different body ideal and I don't think anything is right or wrong, but, you can't beat feeling fit and healthy so if you're wanting a few tips on how to get back on track after a bad month or two, this is for you...

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So here we have it, many thanks to George for asking me to get involved and share some of my top health and fitness tips, I am pretty excited to finally be writing this up because I feel like it might help get myself back into the swing of things too! Please note, I am not saying everything below is a must-do/completely right, this is just what I do...

More about this gym collection online here

1. Drink Water - First and foremost, HYDRATE YOURSELF! Drink water before you eat to fill you up more, you might not actually be hungry, you might be thirsty! - I read this somewhere years ago and it's such a good tip. Drink water if you've eaten badly too, it'll help flush toxins out. Try and drink water in general because being hydrated will make you feel good both inside and out. I rarely drink anything but water (and green tea). I try to carry a large bottle of water everywhere with me just to force myself to drink - it's a good workout too!

Me in my full George gym kit! - Who said nice gym kit had to be expensive?

2. Get Gym Kit! - Next, get the right kit! You really can't use the old 'gym kit is so expensive' excuse - yes it used to be but not anymore. You may have seen my Missguided activewear post - everyone seems to be bringing out new gym ranges this year, from designer stores to affordable stores and even supermarkets! I was actually sent some GORGEOUS pieces from George at Asda and me, being a Nike lover and little bit of a gym kit snob at heart, actually approves of the Asda gym kit. I actually had a discussion with fitness blogger

Carly Rowena and we both discussed how good the kit actually is! This is coming from two people who also wear expensive fitness brands! It just goes to show you do not need money to afford gym kit. You can get a pair of trainers for £5, gorgeous neon tops, sports bras and more - spend £20 at George and you've got a full kit, in fact, you've probably got 3 full kits. I find that a nice new gym kit inspires me to work out, particularly if it's positive and bright. Get yourself to George now - you've got no excuse! Nothing motivates me more than pretty gym kit!

3. Exercise/Get Active! - When you've got the right kit, there's no excuse - it's an obvious one but one most people just don't seem to do it; get off that bum and work it! I also know some people feel like they don't have time to fit in. If you want to be fit and healthy, make time for exercise, whether it's getting off the bus a stop earlier, walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator - every little helps! I know it will get easier once the nights get lighter too! I promise you, the sooner you get into a routine the easier it gets - make it so that it feels weird NOT exercising. Your body will get so used to going to the gym or going swimming 4x a week that you will feel lost when you break the habit, make exercising your habit and part of your daily routine. Try to turn exercise into a goal rather than a chore, I like to set myself targets every time I work out and I will type out my final results on my phone and then compare them to my previous session. It's all about self-motivation. I find going to the gym with someone who will push you really helps too! I've been going to spinning classes with a friend and it makes me feel pressurised to go because she goes too and if I don't go it would be letting her down! I try to exercise a minimum of 4 times per week to see a difference, remember, it takes 12 weeks for other people to see a change in your body apparently - I got a diary and mapped out when it had been 12 weeks - that really pushed me to keep working for those 12 weeks!

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4. Lift Weights - Lift weights, just do it! You'll see such a difference! Cardio is no longer the only thing that will keep you fit and healthy but weights burn more calories and tone - you wont get bulky but you will get nice and toned! Lifting weights has a great effect on fat loss. The more muscle a woman has, the more calories she will burn at rest - muscles speed up out metabolism resulting in more effective fat loss! (BodyBuilding.com) - Remember not to lift things which are too heavy, do get some advice first!

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5. YouTube is Your Friend! - Not got time to go to the gym? Not got time to go on a run? Fire up YouTube and put on some fitness videos in the comfort of your own home (you could even do something for 10 minutes before you shower on a morning - it's better than nothing!) - I like Blogilates and FitnessBlender channels best.

6. The 80/20 Rule - Now we're onto food...food is a huge part of health - if you exercise every day but eat rubbish, don't expect to see results! Firstly, don't deprive yourself, if you stop eating the things you love you will only binge eat and then put all the weight you've lost back on. Have 5 healthy days and 2 treat days - you're allowed hooray! Everything in moderation - my Grandma always says eat little and often and don't deprive yourself of the things you like.

7. Don't Skip Breakfast, not ever! - My biggest tip, NEVER skip breakfast. You are a car and you need some fuel in your engine to get you going for the day! FOOD. I have never skipped breakfast and I never ever will - it gets your metabolism moving and ready for the day making you burn more calories! I think I may write a blog post about my favourite healthy breakfasts because I know some people find this hard.

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Other Things I Try To do:

- Drink My Greens! - I try to make lovely green juices on weekends, we're talking celery, spinach, kale, apple and more (recipe coming your way!) - I know I don't get enough veg so I try to drink it when I can! I don't think you need to spend loads of money on a juicer, I just use an affordable hand blender (similar to mine here) - they're easy to clean and easy to use. I've been trying some juices out from Plenish - some of them are pretty disgusting but some of them are delicious, if you've got the money, they're worth a shot but I would never ever do a juice cleanse, as far as I'm concerned, your body needs food, don't ever just drink juices please - eat as well as having healthy juices. That's just my personal opinion but I am totally against anything that tells you not to eat for a week. I loved the Plenish juices alongside my diet and felt they made me feel more energised and healthy because I knew I was getting so many fresh nutrients every day. I would like an endless supply!

- Green Tea! - I drink lots of green tea! Matcha tea is way better because it's stronger but green tea is easier to get hold of! I have about 3 cups a day minimum. I'd highly recommend this matcha from Selfridges - it's only £16.99 which is pretty good!

These trainers were £5 from George!!!

- Interval Training! - I do interval training and even though it hurts, it's worth that extra push! High intensity interval training is amazing for burning calories, I tend to do this in circuits or on the treadmill (1 minute on running at a high intensity and then a 30 second rest) - trust me, you'll feel it - do a little bit of Googling and you'll find some really good examples of interval training. I tend to pin a lot of cool fitnessy things on my fitness Pinterest board (online here) if you need somewhere to start.

- Seeds! - I always sprinkle seeds on my breakfast (or cinnamon too!) I try to sprinkle flax seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and more on top of my cereals every morning to give my body more nutrients! You can buy the seed mix online here that I sprinkle over everything.

- Good Bye Fizzy Drinks! - I never drink fizzy drinks! Maybe once a year as a treat but cutting these out of my diet has helped so much. Think of all that sugar and fat. Ew. I know you can treat yourself, but I try to avoid fatty, sugary, artificial things.

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- I Eat! - I eat cake and pizza and too much pasta! This is why the 80/20 rule is the best. No deprivation, no stupid faddy diets, just a healthy lifestyle. Please don't starve yourself, please don't do these faddy diets, just make simple lifestyle changes and make healthy living a part of you and a part of your every day routine and lifestyle, then it will just become normal and easy!

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- Don't Stress It - So what, you ate a pizza. No-one gained weight over night, just make up for it by eating healthy the next day and doing a YouTube work out, there, simple.
Remember: Music is your friend, it will power you through that last, final minute of your workout. Get a good workout playlist on your iPod. Everyone is different. Everyone has different body ideals. Don't quit. Keep going. One bad day doesn't mean you've failed. No-one ever regrets working out. Try and have a goal; whether it's looking like Lucy Meck or Marilyn Monroe, it will push you through your final minute. Your body is stronger than you think; most of the time, it's mind over matter and you CAN do it. Let's do this together!!!
You can follow my progress on my blog and on Instagram (@emshelx)!
What are your top health and fitness tips? Are you trying to get back on track after Christmas? Do you have any goals and targets? My goal is to look good in a bikini this Summer and feel amazing inside and out! How do you feel about gym kit? Did you know George did gym kit?
Lots of love, Em x
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