Ways of Toning Up After Weight Loss

As you know I enjoy keeping fit as much as I can and try to maintain a healthy weight. If you want to lose weight, you can find that once you reach your goal, you're still not happy with your body. Sometimes large amounts of weight loss, or even a little, can leave you feeling like you're not as toned as you want to be. If you wish to lose weight but you're scared of being left with wobbly bits, or you already have them, I have some great tips to solve the problem. Check out my advice for toning up during and after weight loss.

Lose Weight at a Steady Rate

Prevention is often much better than cure. So my top tip for avoiding loose skin when you're losing weight is to go slowly. If you have many pounds you want to drop, you might be in a hurry. Some people say that you should start off losing weight quickly if you have a lot to get rid of. But if you go too fast, you won't give your skin enough time to tighten up. Try to keep a steady pace so that you're losing weight consistently but not too much at once. There are other things you can do to keep your skin toned too, such as staying out of the sun.

Toning Exercises

You need to exercise to lose weight, so don't forget to think about toning up too. Some exercises will be better for toning your muscles and skin than they are for dropping the pounds. If you combine different workouts you can make sure you achieve both your goals. Focus on different parts of your body, from your abs to your arms and legs. You can do plenty of toning exercises at home, and you don't need any equipment for a lot of them. If you want to go more hardcore, look for a fitness class that will really push you.

Consider Surgery

If you've lost all the weight you want to lose but you're still unhappy, some people think about having surgery. It's a big decision to make, but often people decide it's the best way of tightening up. For example, you could have mastopexy, which is a breast lift to fix sagging boobs. Or you could think about a tummy tuck, which will get rid of excess skin around your stomach. Before you have surgery, you'll have to ask yourself a lot of big questions to make sure it's what you really want to do. Make sure you choose the right surgeon too so that you'll be happy with the results.

Skin Firming Products

Another option is to use different beauty products that might help you tone your skin. For example, a collagen cream will help to replenish the collagen in your skin, which helps to keep it firm. Mineral or salt scrubs can also be a solution to sagging skin, possibly by increasing the blood flow. You can find creams designed to tighten your skin too.

Review of virtual racing uk - Ribbons Leggings supporting the Institute of Cancer Research

We all wear leggings, right? If not I can not relate to you at all. I wear them as casual wear and I wear them to work out. I live in this especially. If you are on this site I would guess you like mountain biking or fitness so these should be right up your street. There is an added extra in that 20% of the profit from the sale of these legging go to an amazing charity The Institute of Cancer Research. I mean if that is not a reason to buy them anyways what is? I love a nice print on a legging and these do not disappoint. Come on they look so pretty right! I think you might need these in your life. 

This post is photo heavy as I wanted to really show you the leggings. I am a size 8 and these are a size small for your reference. Without further ado, let's get into the legging review. 

These are the stunning virtual racing UK Ribbons Leggings These are so special as 20% of all sale of these legging goes to The institute of cancer research. How amazing is that! Now if that is not a good reason to buy these legging I dont know what is! 

What Virtual racing UK says about these leggings

Just when you thought 3S by Team VRUK fun printed fitness leggings couldn't get any more fabulous, we are proud to release our brand new Ribbons design with 20% of the retail price from every pair being donated to The Institute of Cancer Research. Free shipping when you spend more than £50 on 3S Activewear. Automatically calculated at checkout.These brand new squat proof, bespoke printed leggings are fabulous.  Featuring a range of coloured ribbons to show our support to fighting all types of cancer. Team VRUK we are standing united against cancer by showing our support with these gorgeous and funky design printed in bright, vibrant colours giving the leggings a stand out look.   

Design features:

• High Spandex mix in the fabric, giving flexibility and support

• High quality inks used on the fabric

• Squat proof… no see through pants here

• Zipped back pocket

• Side pocket (on leg) suitable for phone, bank card, gels

• Two leg lengths available

• Bright, bespoke designs

• Tapered cut, no baggy knees or ankles

• High waist   

• Four way stretch fabric

• Flat-lock seams for comfort and to reduce chafing

My review. 
I love these leggings they are fantastic quaility. They have passed every test I have put them through. First, they are thinking but stretchy. You can not see any underwear underneath. I am a size 8 I am wearing a small regular light. These fit me really well. I love that they are the perfect length for me. This never happens. I am 5ft6 for reference. I always find leggings are either too long or too short. Anyone else finds this? But these are perfect. They have two really handy pockets one on the side for your phone and a zip pocket on the back for keeping all you essentials if you are going for a run. 

I love the print on these they really stand out from the crowd and look really cool. They are honesty really nice to work out in your forget they are on. There is no rubbing and you can squat all day long and they stay in place. They would be perfect for a gym session no chance of any embarrassing legging slips when wearing these bad boys. You can work out until your heart desires with no nasty side effects like chaffing. They are the best. 

These washes really well and there was no fading or colour run and they have held their shape and look as good after washing as the first time I put them on. If fact I am wearing them as I write this. They are so soft for leggings too. The material is really lovely and they are designed really well. 

If you are in the market for new legging why not go and check them out and don't forget 20% of the price of these will go to an amazing cancer charity. 

how to workout outside safely hints and tips.

The sun is shining and I bet you are all thinking about your summer body. Why is it as soon as the sun comes out you want to up your fitness regime? Yes, I am not allowed to do anything too crazy at the moment but I can help to encourage you all. 

I don't know about you but I want to be outside! 

My top Ten tips to stay safe working out outside the gym. 

• Stay hydrated. This is huge you know I always talk about this but hydration is the key to training harder and smarter. 
• Are you wearing the right gear? The right clothes can make or break a workout. No one want to have bad fitting shoes which can lead to blisters!
• What is the area like? Is there a soft surface? a good gym will always use the finest product and people I trust Soft Surfaces UK for all outside flooring. You might think why is this important but this is a sure way to prevent injury not only on the day of training but after training. think about your foot planting on the surface and the impact this has on your joints long term. 
• Wear sunscreen. protect your skin from harmful rays. 
• Workout with friends nothing is more motivating than having someone to help push you along and help you to train harder. 
• When did you last check your equipment? Regular maintenance of your kit is essential. Whether it's owned by the gym or your personal equipment checking for faults can save you major injury.  
• When did you last eat? Your body needs fuel to kick ass, I like to have a protein shake in the morning before a workout. I always leave about an hour between it and working out. if it's a long session have a snack with you to have after. So pack a picnic to keep energy levels high. 
• Take breaks. Yes, you need to give your body rest periods to get back in the game again. Try making time for rest and relax,  Think lying in one of your hammocks and just chilling for 10 minutes before you smash out the next set.  Recovery is very important. So is lowering your heart rate. Not every work out needs to be hard and fast. 
• Stretch, stretch, stretch. you have to warm up your body before a workout this will not only save you from injury but also help you to last longer and train stronger. lots of people overlook this but it is so important to have elasticity in your body. 
• Have fun, yes simply have a great time if you enjoy your training you are more likely to stick at it and stay safe whilst doing it. if you are not enjoying what you are doing it is more likely your mind will wander and this can causes accidents.  

Is it really important to warm up before exercise?

Preventing injury

When doing any exercise, it's important to make sure you’re properly limbered up and ready to go. It might seem minor or an unnecessary thing to do, but warming up is vitally important for several reasons. Whether you’re doing cardio or strength training, it's important to take 5 or 10 minutes to get your blood pumping and muscles loose to take on a bigger challenge.

Warming up helps to get your brain and body into the exercise you’re about to start but it will also help to prevent injuries. By raising your core temperature and getting your blood pumping before a work out, various studies suggest that warming up will not only improve your flexibility but can also help to you to keep a stable heart rate during cardio. Common injuries from improper preparation range from sprains and strains all the way up to fractures and dislocations which could put you out of action for weeks.

Stages of warm up

Now we know why it's important to prepare for exercise but, how do we do it? There are four main stages of warming up these are:

• Increasing the heart rate, jogging or a light run will also help to get oxidised blood pumping to the muscles to loosen them up.  
• Stretching, depending on what type of exercise you’re about to embark on, it's a good idea to stretch the muscles you will be relying on. For running, make sure you limber up your legs but for team sports like netball, you’d need to incorporate arm stretches in too.
• Practice, whatever the activity you’re going to be doing, it's a good idea to go through a practice run first. This will help to get your mind and body into it and will also let you know if you are ready to ramp it up.
• Mental preparation, we’ve all heard the phrase ‘get your head in the game’ but mentally preparing for your activity beforehand can get you motivated and help you envision success.

Ensuring that you cover all of these areas will help to make sure that you make the most of your workout and stay safe from injury.

Cool off

You’ve warmed up and had a great session in the gym, you might be thinking that you’re done but, it's best to take 10 minutes to have a cooldown. This can help to reduce your heart rate back to before your workout and get rid of lactic acid which builds up during exercise and can cause muscle tension and stiffness.