6/29/2020

Fashion Nova sports bra review - Are they worth it?

It is so hard to find pretty and supportive sports bras. I thought I would put fashion Nova's sports bras to the test to see if they are really up to the job or just pretty to look at. I do a lot of different sports and fitness workouts so I feel I am in the place to do a review. I, of course, mountain bike. I also do yoga, stretching, weights, HIIT and lots of Zwift. So I feel I am in a good place to really test out sports bras for you. 

I am a size 8 but I have hips bum and a large chest. I am 28ff or 30f. I have lost a fair amount of weight in the last year and I could use a bra fitting but this will give you a good starting point to gauge your own size from these. I hope you like this little review. 


Woman in fashion nova sports bra


Woman in hype Sports Bra In Infinity SeamlessWoman in hype Sports Bra In Infinity Seamless
Woman in hype Sports Bra In Infinity Seamless
This is definitely a dupe for the popular lulu lemon sports bra and I am not mad at it at all. This is stunning. It says its lower impact. I can see why they are saying that but I would go with a low/medium. I would happily do yoga and weight in this bra and equally, I would mountain bike in this bra. With mountain biking, you dont want a low impact bra as you don't want the girls bouncing about like crazy and I really feel this one is ok for mountain biking. So on the lower end of medium support. I would also go swimming in this bra if the occasion arises. What some time you have to take a dip mid-ride right? 
What Fashion nova says


  • Hype Sports Bra In Infinity Seamless
  • No Seams Supportive Structure To Reduce Chafing
  • Sweat Wicking
  • Low Impact With Padding
  • Designed For Studio, Training And Running
  • Available In Black, White, Mocha, Hot Pink, And Light Purple
  • Pair With Any “Hype Active” Bottoms
  • Performance Sports Bra
  • 92% Nylon 8% Spandex
  • Imported




  • woman in fashion nova Energy Sports Bra In Sculpt Techwoman in fashion nova Energy Sports Bra In Sculpt Tech

    woman in fashion nova Energy Sports Bra In Sculpt Tech
    This is Energy Sports Bra In Sculpt Tech £11.99 size S
    This one is the most supportive of the bras I bought this is compression for sure. This you could do anything in. Even jumping about. This is great for most sports in my opinion. I really like this one. It has tight fit but it gives you confidence nothing is going to move around. It gives you a bit more of a flatter chest look than the other but let's face it you sometimes need all the holding in and less bounce especially doing a good HIIT work out. 

    What the fashion nova says. 
    • Energy Sports Bra In Sculpt Tech
    • Tight Fit For Body Sculpting Feel
    • Sweat Wicking
    • Medium Impact With Removable Padding
    • Designed For Training And Studio
    • Available In Black,Mocha,Lime,Hot Pink And Blue       
    • Pair With any "Energy Active" Bottoms
    • Performance Sports Bra
    • Body: 83% Polyester 17% Spandex
    • Inner Layer: 84% Polyester 16% Spandex
    • Lining: 92% Polyester 8% Spandex 


    woman in Brush It Off Active Sports Brawoman in Brush It Off Active Sports Bra


    woman in Brush It Off Active Sports Brawoman in Brush It Off Active Sports Bra
    This is the Brush It Off Active Sports Bra - Black/Combo Size small £11.99. 
    This has a very cute cross back but I forgot to take a photo. I know blogger fail. This is so cute. I love the fit of this sports bra. This is a medium impact support bra and I would agree with that It has support in the form of foam inserts. This will be perfect for mountain biking/weight training but I wouldnt wear it for HIIT work. This keeps my chest secure and looks super cute too. 

    Ok update I have washed this one now and it is defo a light support and not light-medium after washing so I wouldnt wear it for MTB. 

    What the fashion nova says 
    • Available In Black/combo.
    • Medium Impact Sports Bra
    • Crossed Back Straps
    • Removable Cups
    • Pair With "Brush It Off Active Legging"
    • Performance Top
    • 88% Polyester 12% Spandex 
    • Imported
    Hope you like this little review and I hope it helps you find a new sports bra. 
    I am going to do more reviews on here. Especially mountain bike kit. If there is anything in particular you would like reviews let me know. 

    6/25/2020

    The Best Foods to Eat To Boost Recovery

    Exercise takes its toll on our delicate bodies. When we hit the gym or go for a jog, we break down muscle cells and cause damage to our arteries. It all sounds really bad. In fact, it sounds like we shouldn’t be doing any exercise at all! 

     But it’s not the exercise itself that makes us stronger: it’s the recovery afterwards. Our bodies grow back stronger, fitter and slimmer while we rest. And so it seems only natural that we pay as much attention to what we do when we’re resting as we do the exercise itself. 

     The question then becomes: what should we eat to boost our recovery? We’re going to look at all the foods that science has shown can help us recover. Yes, protein shakes are important. But what about the rest of it? Let’s take a look. 

     Turmeric And Ginger

     To Reduce Soreness One of the biggest issues for people who exercise is delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This is that sore feeling you get after you get in your muscles when you make them work hard. It’s sort of necessary in a way, in that it means that you’ve worked hard. It’s the key to more toning and definition. But it can also get in the way of your job and life in general. 

     Step up turmeric and ginger. Turmeric and ginger are both part of the same plant family. And as a result, they contain some of the same plant chemicals. These chemicals are actually an excellent way to reduce soreness. Scientific studies have shown that eating small amounts of ginger helps boost recovery time. 

     Turmeric is the superfood du jour right now. It seems to do everything, from making us fitter to reducing our cancer risk. But turmeric is also an excellent ally in boosting recovery. People who ate turmeric said that they experienced less pain after exercise, and could do more the next time they went out. 

     You can easily use turmeric and ginger in your cooking. Add both to curries. Or if you don’t like curries, you whizz up both in smoothies.

     Cinnamon To Boost Metabolism 


     If there’s one annoying thing about the fitness community, it’s that they make boring food. Recipes are always so dull and lacking in flavour. But it’s not just that these recipes are boring. They actually miss out on a lot of the plants chemicals that make food great for recovery too. 

     Take cinnamon, for example. It’s been known for a while that cinnamon is great for women trying to lose weight because it boosts your metabolism. It actually makes it easier for your body to use sugar, so you need less insulin. This is ideal for maximising the effects of your workout. Adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your breakfast can help keep boost the effect of all that exercise you did at the gym.

     Like turmeric, cinnamon also helps reduce soreness after exercise. It has a bunch of similar compounds in it which help muscles to recover faster and better. And this has again been shown in some studies.

     Legumes To Add Protein And Stay Slim 

     You don’t just have to get protein from protein powders. You can also get it from legumes too. The protein might not be as complete. But legumes come with a host of other benefits that are great if you’re looking to recover faster. 

     For one, they help gut bacteria. There’s been a lot of fuss about gut health recently. Scientists believe that the bacteria in our guts control everything from our weight to our mood. And since legumes, like peas, feed good bacteria, we should be eating more of them. So if you’re looking to include legumes, stick with canned beans for now.

     Almonds And Walnuts To Repair Damage

     Nuts have recently been touted as a superfood. They’ve been linked to all sort of health benefits and longer life. So it should come as no surprise that nuts are great for recovery. 

     For one, they help women stay slimmer. Yes, nuts are high in fat. But it’s the right kind of fat packaged up in the right kind of way. This fat actually helps to regulate appetite and burn off body fat. 

     But the main reason we’re interested in nuts is that they are able to boost recovery. After you’ve exercised, your body is crying out for nutrients to repair itself. It needs fats, vitamins and minerals to do this. And that’s exactly what nuts bring. Nuts are high in essential fats, like omega 3 and 6. And they’re high in a whole range of minerals that you’ll need, like zinc, iron and selenium. 

     Including nuts in your diet is easy, so long as you aren’t allergic. You can eat a handful with your breakfast, or chop them up and put them in a salad. You can even use them in things like nut loafs. Just a word of caution, though; you don’t need to eat huge quantities of nuts. A handful each day will be just about right.

     Fermented Foods To Boost Immune System 

     Have you ever noticed that when you exercise hard, sometimes you get sick? Well, there’s a good reason for that. Hard exercise actually depresses your immune system. And this gets in the way of us getting that bikini body we really want.

     But there are ways that you can boost your immune system using food. One way is to use fermented foods. It might sound a bit gross, but most of us have eaten some type of fermented food in the past. What about sauerkraut? Fermented foods are great because they can help us to feed the good bacteria in our guts. And the good bacteria in our guts is great at making our immune systems stronger. It sounds strange, I know. But the bacteria in our gut and our immune systems are very closely linked. 

    What’s also cool is that fermented foods can also help give us more motivation to stay fit and train. There's some evidence that they can help boost the production of chemicals in the brain that gives us our drive. 

     There're all sorts of fermented foods to choose from. You can include kefir, pickled veggies and even yoghurt. 

     Drink Water To Reduce Soreness

     Women are always being urged to drink more water. And while there might not be much point drinking more water in general, it’s a good idea after exercise. 

     The mistake that most women make is not knowing how much they should be drinking after they’ve trained. Often they underestimate just how much water they’ve used during a session. A good rule of thumb is to drink about 500ml for every fifteen minutes of exercise. That doesn’t mean that you have to drink that much and bloat yourself while you train. It just means that you take on board extra fluids in the hours that follow.

     Drinking water is good if you want to reduce muscle soreness. People who become dehydrated during and after exercise have much sorer muscles than those who don’t. That means that the next time you hit the gym, you should seriously consider taking a big bottle to swig every now and again. 

    Eat Berries For Fewer Toxins 

     By now we all know that berries are a superfood. But just how super are they after a bout of exercise? Well, the good news is that they appear to be great at improving recovery too.

     As I said at the beginning of this post, exercise damages our bodies. That’s OK, so long as we leave adequate time to recover. But it seems that berries help accelerate this process by removing waste products. Each time we work out, we use energy. And in getting at all this energy, our bodies produce waste and toxins that can derail the recovery. 

     But berries, it seems, are experts in getting rid of all these toxins. Blueberries, cherries and blackberries are great at getting toxins out of your body faster. And this should, in theory, help accelerate recovery. 

     The other thing that we need a lot of when we train is sleep. And here again, berries can help. Berries may assist us in sleep because they contain the sleep hormone, melatonin. Though the jury is still out on this one, there seems to be no reason why women shouldn’t include berries in their diet.


     Eat Greens For Lower Stress


     Last on the list is greens. But that doesn’t mean that they are the least important. In fact, greens are probably one of your best allies in the effort to recover quickly. But why are greens so good? 

     The biggest reason is that greens are great for reducing stress. And the less stressed we feel, the faster we can recover. 

     You can use greens in all your cooking. You can even have them for breakfast. Kale and eggs is a popular combo right now for women aspiring to get fitter and slimmer.

    6/15/2020

    Win a Maevea rattan effect 4 seater garden set

    Today we have an incredible giveaway. I have teamed up with some of the UK top bloggers to give you the chance to win a new garden Rattan effect four-seater. Let's face it when you have been hitting the bike or gym hard there is no better way to have a rest than hitting your back garden for a coffee or a BBQ. has your garden furniture seen better days? Want to replace it but cash is short at the moment. I totally get it to believe me. Bike stuff cost money right. This is why I have teamed up with these awesome bloggers to give you the chance to win this gorgeous garden setting. Why not have a little look at some of their blogs while you are at it. I promised you will love them. 

    What are you waiting for go and enter and turn your garden in to the outside space of your dreams? 


    Some UK bloggers have teamed up to offer you a fantastic giveaway for this summer, organised by Emma Drew. Keep reading to see who is involved and how to enter.




    Tummy2Mummy Peggy May | Chilling With Lucas | Stapos Thrifty Life Hacks | Two Plus Dogs | Moneysaving Superhero | Photographyish | You Have to Laugh | Thrifty Chap



    The Diary of a Jewellery Lover | A Rose Tinted World | MTBLM | Craft Hustle Directory | Paternal Damnation | Missing Sleep | Real Home and Living | Stressed Mum | Bronni





    So Nostalgic | Hawkes at Home | The Coffee Shop Nomad | Mummy Vs Work | Home in the Pastures | Hollie Plus | Girl On a Pension | Wotawoman Diary | Spilling Life Tea | Becca Blogs It Out





    Savvy Squirrel | Me, Them and the Others | My Three and Me | Miss LJ Beauty | Life After Blood Cancer | My Balancing Act | Our House, Our Home | The Mini Millionaire | A Money Minded Mum | Vegan etc | Lindy Loves | Looking After Your Pennies





    The Life of Dee | Francesca's Growing Patch | Youth n Trends | Wander and Luxe | DeborahStansil | Sunshine and Rain | Pounds and Sense | Nishi V | Side Hustle Directory



    Free Budgeting Tools | My Blog My Business | Mrs Pinch | Our Adventurehood | SueFoster.Info | My Savings Journal | Birds and Lilies | Mum on a Budget | Nine to Three Thirty | Love Petals | Lisa's Notebook



    Prize Warriors | Mum's the Nerd | Petals And Planes | Doing My Best | Travel Bugs | Mum's Money Corner | My Tunbridge Wells | Charlotte Musha | That Copper Life | Renovation Bay-Bee | Money Saving Nat | Extreme Frugal Living | Frugal Living UK | The Free From Mummy | Binancially Inclined | Best Things To Do In York





    Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum | Melanie's Fab Finds | Helen Craddock | At Home With Kayla | Brunch or Breakfast | Futures | The Somerset Foodie | Dungarees and Donuts | Just Average Jen | Mums The Wurd | Budgeting for Students | Gin and Cocktail Bars



    Skinny Spending | Chatting Food | Frugal Blogger Eats | Money's on the Mind | Accidental Hipster Mum | CharleySaves | Coffee and Cwtches | Mummy Saver Money Maker | Brit on a Budget | The Money Builders | Thrifty Husband | My Beautiful Mess






    Building Online Sales | Drewmies | Make Money Without a Job | A Thrifty Gamer | This Money Works | Maternity Money | Amy Pigott | Scottish Outlander | Parent Blogging Secrets | Create Joy Everyday | A Life of Lovely

    The prize


    We are giving away a rattan effect 4 seater set from B&Q (depending on stock availability).


    Should the chosen prize no longer be available when the draw is complete then we will choose another suitable garden set.

    Enter now

    The competition will run from 15th June until 30th June 2020 (midnight).

    A winner will be drawn from the Rafflecopter entries and checked before being contacted. 


    Once contacted and the prize has been arranged, the Rafflecopter widget will display the first name and first initial of the winner's surname.


    Simply complete any or all of the entry options in the widget.


    Good luck!


    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    6/08/2020

    Fitness during lockdown what bloggers have been doing to stay fit.

    We have all been faced with lots of time at home. This is affected a lot of us in different ways. One of my favourite things to do and the main reason for this site it mountain biking, This became pretty impossible for a few weeks of lockdown. I love fitness and really enjoy reading other amazing peoples fitness journeys. I thought it would be fun to share some of my fellow blogger fitness during lockdown journeys. Well without further ado here are some inspirational people for you to follow and learn about how they are making lockdown a fitness haven. 

    Meet Isa from shampooandconditionerbars.com

    Local hiking and biking
    To stay fit and active during COVID-19, we get out and about locally, as a family. 
    Every week we look for a local hike or cycle trail that isn’t too far away from home and is unlikely to be crowded.  Luckily, our family of five is within the ‘maximum crowd’ allowance for public spaces.  We have discovered so many new places and are really appreciating our local environment.  Forest walks, waterfall views, little lakes, and best of all, the Austrian Alps. 
    Without the usual tourism, tracks are uncrowded and we often have them to ourselves - easy social distancing.  It’s been a great way to stay active and healthy, both physically and mentally.  I have also bought a fitbit to give me a little hurry up if I start getting lazy.  


    Meet  Victoria Philpott, from DayOutinEngland.com.

    I've been getting really into online yoga during the lockdown. It's really helped my mental and physical wellbeing, and calmed me down after all the cycling in Portsmouth I've been doing (my home city). It might sound weird but I kind of feels like Adrienne and Kassandra are my friends now – check out their YouTube channels at Yoga with Kassandra and Yoga with Adrienne. I know their quirks and have my favourite classes. 

    It's amazing their classes are free, and I doubt I'll renew my gym membership when lockdown is over. I love the convenience of just having them in my living room whenever I like. Also, I enjoy being able to do it myself and not having the added social pressure of a group. I have spent money on knee pads and a cork block, as I've got more into it, but apart from that, it's free! 


    Meet Chris From global-shenanigans.com
    My work has me constantly on the move, often to remote locations. This meant I had to design a fitness routine that can be built around that, with no equipment. I started to look into something called ‘Calisthenics’ - this is essentially movement-based exercise using the weight of your own body as resistance. 


    This allowed me to design a regular routine that I would be able to do in any hotel room. All I need is a space large enough for me to lay down, a wall and maybe a chair or two. 


    This type of exercise has many benefits beyond general fitness. The extra focus on how your body's movements allow you to become more in tune with yourself. You are able to work on flexibility and understand how different muscle groups work. I believe it is a much more connected form of exercise when compared to jumping between different machines in the gym. Think of it as yoga for strength, except with still using sets and repetitions. 


    Here are some more ideas to help you better yourself whilst at home.

    Meet Melissa from Queensland Camping

    Pilates
    One of my favourite forms of exercise is pilates.  I love it so much that I go at least 2 to 3 times per week.  So you can understand how devastated I was when my pilates studio had to close during the lockdown period.

    While I grieved for the first few days, I then started looking for something online so I could continue my pilates practice even while stuck at home.  There were plenty of different options available but I ended up going with Pilates Anytime, which I found rather good.

    The good thing about doing pilates at home was I could get the whole family involved.  Both my daughter and husband joined me on the odd occasion.

    Nothing will replace my pilates studio though and I am super excited about it reopening again in mid June.


    Meet Sharon Mendelaoui From DailyDream360.com  
    One of the things I've done since the lockdown began was to take advantage of the 90-day Fitbit Premium subscription trial. The first benefit of this program is the guided insights feature. With more in-depth sleep data and heart rate monitoring, I'm now seeing personalized assessments about where I can make adjustments and improvements.

    With this data collected, the app will recommend several guided programs. When I first purchased they put me into an intro to healthy habits program the intent of which is to get me to meet a step goal for the day (which Fitbit created based on my past tracking data), log food and sleep (which I already do by wearing the device to bed.)

    After a few days, I was encouraged to take part in the Get More Sleep Program. I have specific instructions to help adjust my sleep habits accordingly. Besides personal recommendations, I have access to many workouts, from guided outdoor walks and indoor exercise programs, which include activities as short as 10-minutes to over 30 minutes. These workouts are categorized by fitness level, making it easy to pick a routine right for me.

    Finally, Fitbit has added mindfulness programs to offer meditations, body scanning, and other helpful exercises to help ease your mind and guide you to taking a few moments for yourself. So with one subscription to Fitbit, I can get rid of my meditation apps, workout apps and collect all the data and benefits with my tracker in one place.
    Meet Tsvetty mentalhealthmemo.com
    Like many others, since quarantine started I have been an anxious and depressed mess. This made it really hard to have the energy or desire to do HIIT, intense cardio or Strength Training workouts. 
    However, since before lockdown I DID exercise a few times a week, I didn’t want to lose my progress. So I decided to create a non-intimidated, all-encompassing routine. 
    This routine includes yoga (stretching and strengthening), and at-home walking workouts or walking my dogs (cardio). I do this routine in the morning before eating breakfast as it’s an optimal fat burning time, and it sets me on the right foot for the rest of the day. 
    I first do the yoga, and then continue onto the walking. It usually takes about an hour. 

    Sometimes we need to kind and gentle to ourselves and our bodies, and this workout does just that for me while still also challenging me and giving me results. I really recommend it for anyone who doesn’t have the motivation or ability to do anything too intense right now!


    Meet Manpreet, from HelloManpreet.com
    In the build-up to lockdown being introduced, I was starting to feel small amounts of anxiety due to the intensity of the news and the feeling of the unknown. This is when I started turning to Yoga. Initially, starting off on some very simple poses based on images I found online, and slowly moving on to full routines by following routines on YouTube.

    I had enjoyed yoga on and off for the past year, but lockdown made me fall in love with it. On some days I will even complete up to 3 sessions, of around 15-20minutes.
    I have felt my body get much stronger and the emphasis is placed on core strength building, as opposed to pumping muscles to look bigger.

    More than the strength building, it is an amazing time to be mindful and take a moment to focus on the breath so that you feel lighter and less worried by the end of a routine.
    One tip! The routines may look easy on TV or in videos, but it will definitely bring out a lot of sweat and make you feel extremely refreshed.


    Meet Matt from fittness.com.au
    30 Minute Weight Training Routine
    My fitness during the lockdown was not only fun, but I learned a valuable lesson about the different ways to do weight training and how it affects your body.
    In the past I’ve dedicated a workout to one or two muscles or muscle groups. For example, Back and Biceps, Quads and Abs, Shoulders and Calves. Generally, one exercise focused on an upper body muscle or muscle group, and one focused on a lower body muscle or muscle group.
    And this strategy is best for building muscle as the muscles need to be overloaded in order to trigger growth. But once you’ve reached a stage you’re happy with, you just need to maintain it.
    And during the lockdown I worked out that the best way to do this is to do a full body workout in every session.
    This was achieved in a 30 minuted timed workout which included DB Shoulder Press, KB Flyes, KB Tricep Kickbacks, DB Bicep Curls, DB Floor Press, DB Squats or DB Step Ups and finally, DB Calf Raises. Then in between, I added crunches to target abs.
    I’d set my timer for 30 minutes, turn up the tunes and get to work. Given that the muscles don’t get a chance to slack off because they were being worked every day I noticed a good improvement in muscle size and tone.
    For me, this type of maintenance training is perfect. So a big thanks to the lockdown from me!
    Meet Akid from asianboyastray.co.uk
    Our generation is pretty fortunate to live in a world where technology access and connecting to other people is at our fingertips. Even if we are stuck at home so many people are able to access a whole host of exercise regimes through YouTube, Instagram and handy apps.
    I’m a bit of a technophile and an avid app downloader. There are plenty of apps that will help curate a workout for you; from home workouts to yoga, callisthenics or even running. 
    During the pandemic, my three favourites which I’ve used through my day are Home Workout: No Equipment, Down Dog and Zombies Run! They all serve a different purpose but all you need is your body your phone and some motivation! 
    Zombies Run! Is a running story app which encourages you to run whilst distracting you with gripping stories. You play Runner 5 on a mission to save the world from Zombies. It sounds silly but I’ve clocked over 100 km using this app.
    Home Workout: No Equipment is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a good alternative to weights at the gym and provides you a full month regime to train different parts of your body.
    Down Dog is a yoga class in your phone! I recommend using this just before bed to keep that mental health healthy during this time too. 
    These three apps have kept me at optimum fitness and motivation through quarantine and I hope they help you too!
    Meet Helen From notyournormalhealthblog.com
    I bought a Magic Circle
    It might sound more like something involving producing rabbits from hats rather than fitness, but if you want to amp up your Pilate moves, the Magic Circle is the way to do it.
    It’s a simple gizmo. A flexible ring of thick plastic/metal with two pads on either side. Put it between your knees and it increases muscle activation making every move a bit harder and more targeted –simple ab curl-ups suddenly leave you gasping; bridges become something that makes you glutes scream.
    The Circle can also act like a stretching strap making it easier to hold and extend stretches for longer than you can do alone.
    It was the perfect lockdown accessory - cheap, easy to use and small enough to hang on a doorknob when not in use. The Magic Circle plus some home Pilates moves designed to replicate what I was doing on the reformer has seen me come out of lockdown with a much stronger, flatter core than when I went in. Now I just need to lose a couple of extra biscuit-induced pounds covering the muscles!
    Meet Paula from paulapinstheplanet.com
    I am an athlete and a typical gym rat. I just love working out and following a healthy lifestyle. Just like everyone else, I was not prepared for this lockdown and I had no home gym to continue my training. I had the choice to give up on my fitness journey during the lockdown, or to push my limits and find alternatives, and I am glad I chose the second option. I invested in some cheap portable equipment for my home workouts such as core sliders, resistance bands and jump rope. I also decided to start a YouTube Channel and create a series of home workout videos to help people follow a fitness routine during the quarantine. I learned that if you really want something, you will find a way and not an excuse. During stressful times it is even more important to take care of our bodies and minds. Instead of focusing on the uncertainties of this moment, I decided to focus on what I can control.
    Meet - Monica from This Rare Earth 
    My “normal” lifestyle revolves heavily around travel and fitness, and due to Covid-19, these practices were forced to change pretty drastically during the mandatory lockdowns. 
    While travel plans had to be cancelled, one thing I couldn’t skip were my normal workouts.  However, as an aerial acrobat and aerial instructor, I could no longer run group classes… or be in the air.  I did my best to come up with ground-based exercises that both me and my students could use to target the same muscles we use in aerial (so that once this is over, we’ll be flying high again).  
    My most-used exercises have been:  ground based ab workouts.  Fitness bands for arm and leg workouts.  Pull up bars.  Yoga blocks and yoga straps for stretching.  And, a lot of good old fashioned strength moves, targeting our hip flexors (for straddles), triceps, biceps, and quads.  You'll also be happy to hear, I used the extra time at home to work on my in-need-of-care mountain bike, which I fixed up and have been using frequently.
    Though it's all been very outside of my normal routine, I do feel like these workouts are keeping my muscles strong and my mind healthy during this crazy time.
    Meet Mel from The Forest Wellness

    Living in Montana has allowed us more freedom to be outside during the stay at home orders than in other places. Our governor encouraged us to get onto trails and into wild places to recreate both body and mind. We took full advantage of that (and always do) by making sure we get in at least a couple days of forest bathing each week. 

    Forest bathing, or shinrin yoku, originated in Japan. It’s simply the act of slowly walking in the forest. By spending time among trees, we absorb the trees’ phytoncides which have been shown to boost the immune system. Forest bathing reduces stress hormones—which we could all use during this pandemic—improves feelings of happiness, and lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. 

    And we all know that exercise, such as hiking, is good for body and mind. Even if you don’t have access to forests the way we do, you can get many of the same benefits from diffusing essential oils such as hinoki or white cedar. And maybe do at few jumping jacks at the same time to get a little exercise. 
    Meet Matt from exercises.com.au
    Crazy Car Exercises
    Staying fit at anytime is a challenge for most people if the global obesity statistics are anything to go by, but during the lockdown some people became more motivated to exercise while others slacked off.
    One of the ways I stayed fit during lockdown was to get creative about how to exercise, when to exercise and how long to exercise for.
    With no gyms open, I already had some basic home exercise equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells so I developed a basic daily routine around those.
    But variety is the spice of life which is why my friend and I came up with some crazy car exercises to show people that you can exercise just about anywhere, and with just about anything if you want to.
    Two in particular were hilarious to come up with, let alone the filming of them which was ten times as funny, which were Seatbelt Rows and Seatbelt Flys.
    Listen carefully as the videos start and you can hear me laughing as I’m filming. And Dmitri barely kept it together during his demonstration too!
    So there’s always a new way to exercise and stay fit and healthy, and you don’t need a lockdown to make it happen.
    Meet Ayngelina from baconismagic.ca
    I returned home to Canada and needed to quarantine to a bedroom for two weeks to protect my family. I decided to do some easy challenges for work and fitness that didn't require a lot of space. 
    I started a free Splits in 30 Days app by Leap Fitness because it seemed so frivolous and quickly learned that it wasn't really about doing the splits at all. It was about helping people with tight hips and hamstrings that work sitting down all day. 

    This was perfect for me as I was in the middle of writing a massive post about Colombian food in the morning and after lunch I would do this app which stretched all the muscles that were so tight.

    I noticed I felt better after the first day, and on day four I could stretch much farther than I could when I started. And I didn't even attempt the splits until Day 19. 

    At the end of the 30 days I couldn't do the splits but I felt so much better and lighter. I've moved onto the intermediate version, not because I want to do the splits but because I want to continue improving my flexibility.

    Meet Sarah from letsgrowcook.co.uk 

    We are lucky enough to be locked down on a 160-acre arable farm in Suffolk, England, although we are here quite by chance.  The farm and the area are surrounded by footpaths, so we’ve purchased the Ordnance Survey app and are using their leisure map overlay to navigate our way around the local area.  The local roads have also been very quiet during the lockdown, so its easy to add on a few country lanes and make lots of circular routes.  We’ve managed to hike parts of the Mid Suffolk Footpath, a long-distance path that runs through the Suffolk countryside.  Hiking England’s public footpath network has been a great way to stay fit and see some of the countryside and wildlife – we’ve come across rabbits, hares, pheasants, foxes and deer during our walks.  Luckily, the weather during this lockdown period has been superb and so its been a pleasure to spend the time outdoors and isolated.


    Meet Elsa from travellingquote.com

    My road bike had been installed for about half a year before the lockdown started in the mid of March.  And since each one is reminded to keep a healthy body to fight the sickness, I started riding my road bike.
    This bike is really intended for me to ride and exercise.  Biking was my hobby on my younger days wherein I and my buddies biked on the hilly terrain of Antipolo, as this is the nearest place to do best this adventure bike.  
    Since there were more busy days before the quarantine period, I seldom ride on this stationary bike.  But lockdown made me religiously do it, as in every day.
    I started exercising when I am on the heaviest and biggest time of my life.  And it made me feel so better.  
    Being our area quarantined, and I was the only one allowed in the family to buy necessities from a 2-km far market, and going back home under the heat of the sun, walking with 5 kilos each load in one hand, it was great that I do not run of breaths.  I would get a bit tired but not gasping.
    I want to congratulate myself to achieve such a condition.  I may not be lessened by hundred of pounds, but the strength I developed is such a big achievement.
    Meet Clara from Petite Capsule

    Jogging
    One of the things I did to stay fit during lockdown was start jogging again. Prior to lockdown I was playing team sports from time to time and commuting to work on my bike. Due to lock down, team sports were postponed, and working from home became the norm. With no exercise, my fitness level decreased, and I started putting on some lockdown weight. As such, I decided to take up jogging again to improve my fitness. Jogging still allowed social distancing rules to be followed. It was easy to fit in before work, during lunch, or after work. As I hadn’t jogged for a while, it was a little tough the first week, but slowly I felt my jogging fitness level improve. On my jogs, I noticed there were more people out and about on jogs and walks. Jogging is great as minimal equipment is required; just a pair of runners suffices. Easy. 


    Meet Rachel from coffeewise.com.au
    Use the 7 Minutes Workout App

    With gyms, yoga and Pilates centres closed during lockdown, and everyone in the household suddenly stuck at home, time and the opportunity to exercise seemed to evaporate.

    I am sure many parents can relate to the feeling that juggling work from home, home-schooling kids and maintaining the household made it more difficult to find time for high intensity exercise (and harder to resist more coffee and snacks!)

    The best way I found to maintain my fitness was to download the popular 7 minutes workout app and do short bursts of exercise throughout the day.

    What I love about this app (apart from it being short and sweet) is that it targets all key areas. The more frequently you do the workout, the easier it is to increase intensity. Plus, there are targeted workouts for abs, legs and arms to extend your workout if you have time.

    The short time commitment meant it was more achievable to slot in throughout the day, whatever the weather. With no special equipment required it is the perfect way to exercise and maintain your fitness during lockdown.

    Meet Stephanie from Poppin’ Smoke
    To stay fit during lockdown, we used the same equipment we always use when we do not have access to a gym: resistance bands.

    My husband and I have been travelling and living abroad full-time since 2015, and our set of resistance bands is one of the essential travel items that always has a spot in our small suitcases.

    We use the bands in the house or outside, whether wedged in a door frame, looped around a balcony, or hanging from the jungle gym at a playground. We’ve come up with exercises that we can do for all body parts, and combined with basic movements such as pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups, the bands provide a great full-body workout.

    Most exercise bands come in several different levels of resistance, and you can use two or more at a time for a higher workload. If you run out of ideas for exercises, YouTube is full of creative workouts using bands.


    Once you starting using resistance bands, you might just find that they are cheaper and more convenient way to workout than a gym!

    Wow, now that is some very inspiring people right there. I hope they have given you the inspiration to get fit and start your own fitness journey at home.