AD GIFTED – This post contains PR samples. All thoughts are my own.
I’ve had a really up and down relationship with exercise. When I was younger, I was hugely into sport. I was on every team going, taking extra physical education at school and always active. When I was old enough, I joined the local gym and attended regularly and this continued all the way until I was around 18.
But then my anxiety disorder started and exercise well and truly went out of the window. It just wasn’t a priority for me anymore, when all I was desperately trying to do is make it through the day. For the first few years of this, exercise wasn’t on my mind at all. I just didn’t care about it.
But once I started to get my anxiety under control, I realised just how much I missed exercising. I slowly introduced it back into my life in a way which was safe for me in my current state. Starting with some super gentle and restorative Yoga and walks. Gradually over the years, my Yoga practices got a bit more advanced and eventually I was ready to incorporate a proper exercise routine into my life again!
And now, I absolutely love exercising again. I do feel I’m at the point where I’d like to even introduce a new type of exercise into my life. But now that I no longer have an anxiety disorder, I can embrace exercise and all the benefits it offers our mental health and well-being and really enjoy it in the same way that I used to!
If you’ve fallen off the exercise train for WHATEVER reason (it really doesn’t matter) and you’re thinking it might be time to jump back on, then this is the post for you! Here are my best tips for getting back into exercise:
Take it seriously
It’s very easy to do a 5 minute ab workout after not exercising for a decade and thinking that that’s enough. 5 minute ab workouts are great but they’re not going to improve your stamina, they’re not going to tone your whole body and they’re not going to help you lose weight (if that’s your intention).
Invest in good quality workout clothing
For this post, I was very kindly gifted a bunch of items from Adidas and I can confirm that having high quality workout clothing can make the world of difference to your exercise routine. There’s been many times where I’ve worked out in my pajamas but it’s just not the same! Let’s take a look at what I picked from Adidas; they have an amazing range of Women’s Clothing!
Kaptir Super Shoes (in Cloud White) – £51
The trainers are without a doubt the star of the show for me. I just adore them for a whole bunch of reasons! I run occasionally and footwear is always something I struggle with, so I’m hoping these will give me the comfort I need. They certainly appear like they will, based on how cushioned they are. I’m a size 5 but the website recommended sizing up, which I did to 5.5 and they fit like a dream.
I absolutely love the colour combo I chose. You’ll certainly see me coming a mile off! But the thing that beats it all is how you can personalize your trainers. On the right foot, I got a #4. 4 is my lucky number, as well as my birthday. And my initials ‘JM’ on the other shoe. Not that I need reminding of my own initials but I think this is a fantastic touch!
Designed To Move High Rise 3 Stripes 3/4 Sport Leggings – £28
These leggings are very fitted and initially I thought I should have perhaps bought the next size up. However once I actually got them on, I found they were extremely comfortable and will be excellent for workouts, especially HIIT and running because they proper hold everything in place. Woohoo! I love the design of these leggings too, they’re very flattering and I love the Adidas stripe.
Adicolor Classics Trefoil T-Shirt – £23
This t-shirt is incredible quality and so soft. I know I’ll wear this a LOT, even if I’m not working out because it looks really smart with jeans and trainers as well. I’m all for the casual sport look when it comes to fashion, too! But of course this is multi-purpose and will also make a great exercise top as well. I love the true Adidas classic logo on the front of this too.
Adicolor Classics Crop Hoodie – £44
The hoodie is my second favourite of the bunch. Again, the quality is out of this world and it’s SO comfortable. Another multi-purpose item as I wear this hoodie regularly to lounge around in but it also looks nice worn with jeans as well. The perfect hoodie for your Autumn and Winter workouts too; it’ll keep you warm enough but it light-weight to not interfere with your workout.
Cushioned Ankle Socks 3 Pairs – £10
And I threw some ankle socks in my basket for good measure as well. I actually didn’t have any good quality ankle socks and the ones I did have always rode down my foot as I walked for some reason? These socks are excellent quality and so comfortable and I love that they come in 3 different colours as well.
Find an exercise that you enjoy
When getting back into exercise, particularly after a long period of time, it’s SO important to do something you love. Remember, you might not still enjoy an exercise you used to do 5 or 10 years ago. If you try it again and it’s not for you anymore, then that’s absolutely fine! Find something you love and go from there.
But do something that fits into your routine
Finding something that fits in with you routine and daily life is important too. If you’re only just getting back into exercise, you don’t want to be signing up to 20 classes a week and completely burning yourself out. If you do that, you’ll end up resenting exercise. If you can’t fit in a 90 minute exercise class, that’s fine. Do something you CAN do. Work around your routine and get creative.
I see a woman in the park in the morning who goes for a run whilst pushing her baby in a pram! She’s just dropped her eldest off at school then goes for her run on the way back, which I think is AMAZING.
Set small and realistic goals
And make sure these goals are suitable for you and your intentions. Not everyone exercises to lose weight. So if that’s you, don’t set yourself weight goals because they’re irrelevant. Perhaps set yourself a running distance goal or a weight lifting goal instead.
Don’t compare your progress to others
This is a BIG one because it’s so easy to do, especially on social media and especially if you use workout channels on YouTube. Remember, other people are on a different path to you. They have a different body to you. They have a different lifestyle to you. Focus on YOU.
Don’t deprive yourself of what you love
Diet definitely goes hand in hand with exercise and if you’ve started your journey of an exercise routine again then chances are you’re going to want to get healthier and of course diet plays a huge part in that. But I am NOT one for fad diets, restricting or being miserable about what I’m eating. So if you want a cake, have a freaking cake.
Remember to rest!
When you start exercising again, it’s really tempting to just keep going and push, push, push yourself to get those results. But it won’t work because your body NEEDS rest days. Your muscles literally need a day to sleep and recover otherwise they’re going to absolutely hate you. So use your rest days wisely and actually USE THEM TO REST.
Remember exercise is a personal thing and if something doesn’t work for you, that’s fine. It’s just important to enjoy what you’re doing and treat your body the way it deserves. Because it does SO much for you!
What’s your favourite exercise? What tips would you give to someone who’s just getting back into exercise after a long period? Let me know in the comments!
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Great post! Really enjoyed the tips ❤️
Thank you x
Men we don’t have to worry about gym clothing as long as we have a pair of short, and a t-shirt and trainers, well depending what we doing, if spending a lot of time running on the Treadmill, well you need adequate trainers, I’ve seen some people with really flat soles trainers, not doing their knees any favours.
Thanks for sharing, finding the right clothes and shoes for you exercise is important, the amount of time I have spend to find the right walking shoes that support my feet has been important 🙂
It’s really important to have supportive shoes!
Love these tips, and the clothes from Adidas–congrats on the sponsorship. And can we just TALK about those shoes for a second? They’re so nice, and going by what my brother spends on trainers, not overly expensive for branded shoes, either! I got into exercising last year and I loved it, but had to stop for a few different reasons and I massively miss it. My current job is quite a manual one but I really miss the “me time” my old exercise routine provided so I’m going to take some of your tips on board and see if I can get myself back into a similar routine to my old one.
Trainers can be SO expensive can’t they! These were on sale but even the original price was totally fair for the comfort and support you get from them! Hope you can get back into a little routine soon; remember even the smallest steps can make a difference!
I prefer playing games like badminton to regular workouts so I just can’t seem to stick to them! I think it helps when I am doing it with other people and can be kept accountable and working out alone just doesn’t keep me accountable enough. Definitely need to try again though.
P. S. love the shoes in this post! they look fab.
Badminton and sport is still exercise! Like I said it’s all about finding something you love and if that’s what you love then go for it!
My exercise regime went completely out of the window in the last year and I’ve reached a point where I’m really missing it due to the knock on effects with body confidence etc. I’ve started getting back into it by making sure I hit my 10k steps a day and then I’ll slowly find things to build on that once it feels more natural. These clothes look great!
OMG this is so great! I love adidas work out clothes and my parents often bought them for me as a kid! I am always in and out of getting into exercise so I totally understand. I’m in the process of getting back into a workout routine so I can relate! Love the pieces! Thanks for sharing x
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Thank you lovely! Hope you find a workout routine which suits your
Love this post. These are great tips. I have not gone back to the gym yet but I am training for a half marathon at the moment. Thank you for sharing.
That’s an amazing thing to do!
I love the shoes! Looks nice and comfortable. You look awesome with the outfit as well 😀 In the last few weeks I’ve been exercising again at the park near my house – with my dog too. It feels good to be outside x
Thank you! Awh always better with a furry friend isn’t it!
I love those trainers. You’ve mentioned some great tips. I’ve found that just by getting up and doing something, no matter how small, really helps. If I’ve got a busy day or I’m not feeling it, I’ll do star jumps for a minute. Its better than nothing.
Thank you! Yes absolutely, sometime is better than nothing for sure.
I have a workout routine and I love switching things up and changing it once in a while, it’s so important to find something that you enjoy! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It really is! I’m dying to start swimming when I can!
Such a great post! I think not comparing your progress to others is a huge deal. It’s been one of my issues for sure.
Thank you. Yes that’s a HUGE deal because it can really set you back mentally x
I love your take on exercising Jenny! For me, it’s definitely all about finding an exercise that I enjoy and during lockdown I’ve found a few that actually feel fun to do. I also find that my clothing makes a huge difference, so I love that you listed that as a reason too! 🙂
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
Thank you! Ah I’m so glad to hear you found some exercises you love!
Finding a workout you enjoy is so important, I’ve been working out on a trampoline since January and I love it!
Oh my gosh I used to adore trampolining!!!
Love this! You look amazing and the shoes are to die for! I have been having and on and off relationship with exercising too and it can be daunting starting back after a long time! I completely agree that the right clothing can make a huge difference, running and having to lift your leggins every five seconds is not ideal! I love any leggins from Adidas, they have great support and use them on a daily! I always need to remind myself that if exercise it’s for myself and not for others, also taht comparing won’t help x
Hahaha oh my god yes. I’ve had that so much having to hoist your freaking leggings up all the time is so annoying!!
THIS is the post I needed to read! So many great tips and I love Adidas sportswear 🙂
Katy | http://www.katystephenson.com | http://www.thegrownupsclub.com
Thank you lovely! It’s such great quality!
Love this! I’ve always had a very on/off relationship with exercise but I’ve found that doing fun dance workouts are something I enjoy doing and then following that with a few toning exercises has been working for me. Exercise is definitely something that you need to enjoy otherwise you just won’t do it!
Tash – A Girl with a View
Yes! I love dance workouts. There’s a few I follow on YouTube which are fab x
Some great tips! Totally agree with getting comfortable clothing, or something that makes you feel confident, and finding a workout that you really enjoy. I used to force myself into all sorts of classics, but when I found a form of exercise that I actually find fun, I’m way more inclined to keep up with it 🙂
Oh for sure! I don’t think you’re ever really going to keep up with something you hate!
Love♥️♥️
Great Post Jenny. As someone who has just got back into regular exercise because I found joy in movement its good to read a post like this which celebrates that! I didn’t think I’d ever enjoy running but I’ve found that it’s the best exercise for me and makes me proud that my body can run 5/10k!😊🏃🏻👍🏻
Thank you! That’s great to hear. Amazing that you can run that far!
Great post, love your photos.
Usually, if I buy new work out clothes and trainers, it gives me a kick up the butt to get back on it. I#m really struggling to do the basics in this heat, I want it to break so I can get some movement back!
Rosie
This heat does make it a bit of a nightmare doesn’t it. I try and exercise early, outside and in the shade x
Adidas is surprisingly comfortable. I recently bought Adidas shorts because my other clothes don’t fit me right now. I was surprised by how flattering and comfortable the shorts are! (so I bought 2 pairs) 🙂
As for exercise, I like the end result that I get from the natural high (endorphins) but I don’t enjoy the process. I get a lot of exercise at work but don’t work very often, but when I am working I’m on my feet running around for 8+ hours. I’m still trying to find a happy middle ground. The weather looks lovely where you are!
Walking around at work is excellent exercise! It’s definitely hard to find the middle ground, especially if you don’t like the process. Walking is good for that though because you can walk to nice places and in nature is always a boost x
Work also feels like a sauna so I sweat a lot. They keep it really toasty on this particular unit. I agree that it’s better to go for a walk outside. It’s nice that the sun doesn’t set until 10pm during the summer months 🙂
Love this Jenny! For me it’s weird, I’m not really a sport person (except for karate) but for some reason I love working out – because of school I haven’t done it much lately but I’m definitely going to try and get back into it! And that Adidas top is my fav! I actually have an Adidas tracksuit I wear when I’m cycling which I love!
Thank you! Karate sounds so cool! That’s excellent exercise too!
I love exercise, I love the gym and lately I’ve been swimming again too, something I competed in when I was younger.I studied sport at college and my ‘uniform’ was Adidas. Unfortunately as I’ve become plus size I’ve had to branch out as I couldn’t get an Adidas size to fit me x
I really want to start swimming again! I love being in the water although I’m not a great swimmer. Amazing that you used to compete!