I've decided its time to write a post about the ways that I like to keep fit, focusing on the ways that I work out rather than the food I eat. I'll talk about that another time. I was shocked to read a daily mail article recently detailing the results of a survey carried out by Real magazine in 2014. In the UK, just 3% of women are happy with their body. 73% spend their days obsessing and worrying over their body size and shape. Self scrutiny is something I'm very familiar with, as I'm sure a lot of you guys are. Fitness isn't just about how you look though, its about what you eat and your mentality. I am going to show you how easy it is to incorporate some exercise in to your life that will TONE and target particular muscle groups. My interest has always been in the abs and from that, I've begun to develop my legs and bum muscles, my arms and shoulders, and whatever I can really. The youtube videos i use, Xhit even have back toning exercises!! I don't necessarily want to LOSE weight. I just want to tone up. I've noticed a real difference in my body in the past 6 months, and I really have to thank xhit for that. I do not do cardio every day, although I play tennis whenever i can, sometimes daily and ride my bike, although mainly in the summer.
Having said that, i wish I could do more. I don't have the money at the moment to join a gym. I AM happier than I was say 6 months ago about my fitness levels and about the way I look in a bikini but there is still a lot of room for improvement and I am very hard on myself.
I discovered XHit on YouTube mid summer this year and I immediately identified with one of their female trainers, Rebecca Louise. Tweet her @themodelpilot and see her Facebook at Rebecca Louise. Her fitness website is full of tips and is online at www.rlhealthy.com. Inspired and interested in Rebecca as a person as well as a fitness instructor I looked in to her past a little bit and found out that we share bits of the same story, a story that is sadly probably all too familiar for many of you girls and guys out there. Rebecca was anorexic when she was younger just like I was in my late teens and early twenties. She eventually overcame her anorexia and body dismorphia and has turned her obsession and preoccupation with being thin into something positive. She now lives in California with her two rescue dogs, and spends her time teaching a range of fitness classes on Huntingdon beach and filming the very successful xhit videos from her studio and sitting room, (i know, talk about dream job!!) Check out the xhit videos on YouTube. I'll give you some tips as to which ones I think are particularly effective for targeting different muscle groups and areas.
I started off just looking for an workout routines on YouTube and I did one set of seven to ten minutes a day in my bedroom. I haven't been to the gym for a few years but I live a relatively healthy lifestyle. At the point where I was starting this, I was riding my bike regularly. I'm the kind of person to push myself. If I'm on my bike and there are the options of a steep hill or a more gentle route, I will force myself up the hill and the reward for me at the end of it, is the burn I feel in my thighs and the ability to say 'I've done it'!! In the summer, my boyfriend and I play tennis on the beach and throw an american football around. I know its not like I was running or gymning every day but I try to live a fun, active and I think pretty healthy lifestyle.
2014 has really been the year to get fit for free online, with social media providing us with all the inspiration we will ever need, (hello jen selter!!) You really can get 'lean in 15' these days with the wealth of YouTube videos and fitness tips online. And you don't have to pay to join up to a fitness programme. Fitness with Lucy isnt like xhit with videos posted pretty much daily that you can work put alongside to, but there us a 4 minute ab video that I like, basically made up of crunches done in different ways with as short burn out at the end. It's quick and I usually do it every day along with one or two longer xhit ab workouts and maybe a leg and bum one in there too. Xhit have a brilliant ab workout with Rebecca Louise called 7 minute abs, and its one of their hardest but best. I find it motivational to work out alongside Rebecca, but at home when I have been up for an hour or so I just get my mat out and do 5 or 10 minutes of whatever ab exercises I want, because xhit have taught me so many.
Its Christmas week at the moment, and I'm away in wales so its harder to work out like I do at home. I do need to team my ab and leg workouts with more cardio. Xhit have short cardio workouts, averaging I guess about 15 minutes. The 7 minute method one is awesome, as it is the equivalent of doing half an hours gym work out. They've also got boot camp style workouts and cross fit videos too. I have definitely changed the way I like to work out. I used to go to the gym and run on the treadmill steadily forEVER, and use the cross trainer and bike. Now, I prefer to do short bursts of higher intensity cardio training, like circuit training. I would suggest its a good idea to find a hobby that will keep you fit and team that with these online ab and leg workouts, or whichever of the shorter videos you want to use. I try to play tennis every day, and ride my bike when the British weather let's me, which let's be honest at the moment is NEVER. I don't feel like I am working out, but tennis is great for all round body strength and fitness. Check out tennis-health.com for loads of reasons as to why tennis is good for all round health.
The great thing about the way xhit and Rebecca Louise workout is that they mix up the exercises. You won't be doing one exercise for more than a minute before you move on to the next one. Its tough enough to burn the target muscle but because Rebecca moves on to the next exercise, there's less chance of you giving up!! Its also been proven that mixing up and changing the exercises you do is more effective than doing the same thing every day.
I don't just use xhit, but for me, they're the best. I'll finish off this post now, bit I'll definitely continue with this theme as we get further in to 2015!! Check out Marie Claire's fitness special, starting on page 161 of the February issue. They list quite a few of the 'virtual exercise classes' (their term), that I use along with cool workout outfits to give you that extra nudge in the right direction. I think the new online workout phenomenon that's taking over the internet is inspiration and motivation in itself. Xhits Rebecca Louise and Kelsey Lee, (who i promise to mention in my next fitness blog post), have become my fitspiration and all round hero's. They're so enthusiastic and easy to watch, I find myself searching for new videos every day on YouTube. I'll watch them and really WANT to try put the exercises I see them doing. I've never had a problem with motivating myself, but I do have days where I think, 'oh...it's the weekend/it's Friday night/I've had a long day, I'm tired/I'll do more tomorrow to make up for not doing much today'...etc etc, EVERYONE does, but because there are SO many different xhit workouts, (even a THREE MINUTE ABS one!!!!!!!), I PROMISE you will want to get up and try them out. Fitness is changing and its becoming so much easier to be the body that we want, so try out xhits videos and here's to a fit and toned 2015!!!!!!!
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