Saturday 10 August 2013

Lifestyle: Gym For The Win and My Workout Clothes.

As some of you may know (or maybe not, considering the amount of cake and meals out I blog about), I am quite the health and fitness nut. Money Supermarket kindly offered to reimburse a month of my gym membership for me to talk about whether I think the money is worth it as part of their Gym For The Win campaign. I gladly agreed as I can safely say that switching to a more active lifestyle is one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself and I would encourage everybody to do the same.

I have been going to my local Pure Gym regularly for about four months now, and although I pay their special promotional price of just £10.99 a month, I would happily pay the full price of £18.99 as it is a decent gym with all the equipment you need (except for a swimming pool, so if swimming is your thing then it would probably be best to look elsewhere). But most importantly, I love the way that working out has affected me, both physically and mentally. Six months ago I had definitely hit a low point in my life, where my bed, my laptop and chocolate digestives had become my best friends. After waking up one morning feeling the same lethargic, depressed way I had felt for weeks on end, I decided it was time to make a change in my life and I decided to go down the healthy lifestyle route. As well as helping to burn off fat and tone up your muscles, exercise helps your body to produce endorphins which make you feel great. It has definitely helped me feel more confident and happy in my own skin, as well as giving me a better outlook on life.

Although a gym is not necessarily needed to have a healthy and active lifestyle, if you can afford to spend £15-30 a month on a gym membership, I would definitely recommend it. There is something about being in the gym that motivates me to get my workout done. I did start off by working out at home but I found that I was too easily distracted by the internet and the television. Plus, at the gym you have the benefit of having a wide range of equipment to use and members of staff on hand to help you out or answer any questions you may have regarding health and fitness. Give it a go- A lot of gyms these days offer rolling month contracts which means you can opt out at any time if you find that it isn't for you. If you would like to check out Money Supermarket's Gym For The Win campaign and maybe get involved, you can do so here.

I know that it can be difficult to motivate yourself to actually get up and start exercising, but one thing that I firmly believe is that if you feel good about yourself when you are working out, you definitely push yourself to go further. It's a little naughty, but on a few occasions where I have lost motivation I have gone out and purchased some nice new gym clothes to help get me back on track, so I thought I would show you what I wear to the gym as part of this post. There is no reason for your gym clothes not to reflect your personality just like your regular wardrobe, so bright colours and bold prints are the way forward for me. My favourite places to shop for gym wear are H&M and TK Maxx- both stock some lovely pieces for very affordable prices. You also can't go wrong by looking in Primark- I actually own a pair of leggings from their workout range which I really like, plus I always stock up on their super cheap shorts and vest tops.

 Sports bra and leggings: Kyodan via TK Maxx | Jacket: Primark | Trainers: Nike via JD Sports | Gloves: Nike via TK Maxx
Gold Sports Bra: H&M | Vest Top and Shorts: Primark | Base Layer Shorts (Purple): Nike via TK Maxx | Heart Rate Monitor Watch: Polar via Amazon

Do you/ have you had a gym membership?
*DISCLAIMER: Money Supermarket kindly reimbursed one month of my gym membership (£10.99) for this blog post. All opinions expressed are still 100% honest and my own.



17 comments:

  1. Frances, you seriously look amazing. Without sounding like a creep I've been following your fitness instagram account for a couple of months now and in the last few days I've decided to take the big step and fully review my diet and introduce exercise into my life. So just to let you know, you have been a major influence on that decision! Without you I wouldn't of found a whole array of other health and fitness instagrams and I wouldn't of known where to start. So thank you so much :)

    Also, I'm just as much as a peanut butter addict as you (made the switch to almond now). I'm definitely going to have to try some of the PB Crave!

    Charlotte xo
    charbuckss.blogspot.com

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    1. Aww sweet, your comment made me smile so much! It means loads to me knowing that I have influenced people in such a way :) I hope a healthier lifestyle has a positive effect on you too :)

      Oh god- You NEED to try it. So good. Why is the stuff so damn good?! xx

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  2. Wow you're totally ripped! I started exercising a month ago as well just to get fitter and more healthy. I started slacking a bit this week, your post definitely makes me want to step it up now!

    TheTwentySumtinSumtin

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    1. Haha I've been slacking this week sweet, don't worry! :P :) xx

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  3. *puts the tube of Pringles down*

    You look absolutely amazing - and looking at the first comment here, I'm gonna hunt down your fitness instagram! I've always had the bit in the back of my mind set that I will get an affordable gym membership and join, and stick with it but I always get side tracked! - hopefully your post will start me off!

    £1 Mint Nail Polish!

    Anita @ ATA|AllThingsAnita

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    1. Haha- My god, I could kill for a tube of pringles! Thanks beaut :) I hope you get in to it- I bet you'll love it :) xx

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  4. Gosh you're in amazing shape! I haven't been to the gym for years and years... you've actually made me want to go now!
    Tor xx That's Peachy Fashion & Beauty Blog

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    1. Thanks doll! It had been years since I last went to but I absolutely love it now haha, definitely wish I had started sooner! :) xx

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  5. Ahah I fence so it's bulky fencing whites for me :P And it's worse when the coach makes you run a mile in them while singing twinkle twinkle little star at the top of your lungs! But you look fab :)

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    1. Ooh that sounds really cool... Well, the Twinkle Twinkle bit sounds a bit bizarre... But still cool! Haha, thanks lovely :) xx

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  6. You go, girl! I am quite inspired to roll out my yoga mat and do some exercises now. Thank you! :))

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  7. Found your blog after following your Instagram - great blog :) Look forward to reading more

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  8. Wow! Your abs are amazing. I love exercising, it's a huge part of my life. I've been exercising reguarly for the last 3 years but it's been in the last 12 months I've gone 'hardcore' My gym membership is £20 a month and I usually pay £25 for a session with a PT too. Neither of them I regret paying at all, the health benefits are huge obviously but how I feel about myself and being so motivated about it all is key.
    xxx

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    1. Thanks lovely :) Ooh that's great- I was so lazy for my three years at uni haha, definitely enjoying being more active now :) I pay the same for a personal trainer and I agree that it's so worth it! :) xx

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  9. Thanks for this great share. This blog is a fantastic resource. Keep up the great work here at Sprint Connection! gym clothes

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