ad – this post contains gifted pr products but all thoughts are my own
In December, I decided to start a new fitness program and I’ve absolutely loved it ever since. I’ve always loved sport and exercise but a combination of anxiety disorder and just generally getting a bit lazy changed how much exercise and movement I was doing for some time. Last year I made that positive change by hiring someone – who knows what they’re talking about – to help me get fitter and healthier again.
And right now, I do feel the fittest and strongest I’ve felt in some time and it feels amazing. There’s still loads I have yet to work on but the fun thing about fitness and exercise is that it’s a continuous process. There’s always something new to learn, discover about yourself or goal to hit.
My fitness coach has created HIIT workouts specifically designed for me to do each week, which are great and really challenge me (and also leave me wanting to kill her on occasion, too!) But she also encourages me to think about movement further than just following those workouts like a robot.
It’s because of this healthy lifestyle based approach to her program that I’ve seriously fallen in love (or back in love) with 3 additional exercises and activities that are bringing so much value to my life, my health and my fitness right now. These activities I don’t think of as exercise because I enjoy them so much.
Here are the 3 activities that have completely transformed my physical well-being this year, with a little help from adidas!
Swimming
The first activity is swimming. I hadn’t been swimming in perhaps a decade before October 2021. Swimming was never something I was very good at. I’d never been a particularly strong swimmer. BUT I’ve always loved being in the water. So I thought maybe I could try swimming. I knew it was great exercise and there’s no harm in trying.
That first session had me absolutely hooked. I fell in love with swimming from the instant I submerged myself in the pool. During that first lane swim session I did, I could only manage 14 lengths and I found in EXCEPTIONALLY difficult. I was very slow. I was constantly worn out. But I kept at it.
Now, I can comfortably manage 40 lengths in the pool and rarely feel worn out during my swims. I enjoy breaststroke and backstroke and as well as knowing I’m getting an amazing workout for my body, being in the pool is also a time that’s really beneficial for my mental health too. The water really does ground and calm me.
I took this opportunity of working with adidas to get myself some really great high quality swimwear. My current costume is okay but it has a really elaborate criss cross tie-back which is pretty but not convenient when you’re swimming for exercise! So my first pick was the Tape Swimsuit in black.
I really love this suit – it’s so comfortable and fits perfectly. It also doesn’t ride up your bum, which is a HUGE win for me because I find that so annoying haha! I love the thick straps and how close and comfortable they are to the skin, without leaving dig marks at all. My second swimming pick were the Adilette Comfort Mickey Mouse Slides.
I am absolutely IN LOVE with these! I will wear them to and from swimming as well as around the changing room in replace of my current flip flops but I know I’ll get a lot of use out of these in the Summer and just around the house, too. Obsessed.
Yoga
Yoga is something I’ve been talking about on this blog for years but there’s ALWAYS periods of time where I fall slightly out of love with it. Well, not out of love as such. But periods where I don’t give it the attention it deserves or practice as often as I should – sometimes down to laziness and just not prioritizing it.
But I know I should. I know I feel amazing EVERY SINGLE TIME I step on the mat. I know the remarkable physical benefits and mental benefits that Yoga gives me. Sometimes it just takes a little outside push to get me back on the mat, to remind me of how wonderful it is.
This fitness program with Lauren definitely made me do that. I wasn’t practicing Yoga nowhere near as much as I should have. But now I can barely go a day without it. I’ve even signed up to the Yoga With Adriene Find What Feels Good Membership for even more Yoga content!
My next two picks are perfect for Yoga (and general workouts). These aren’t a set but they go great together anyway. Starting with the Don’t Rest Alphaskin Bra, this sports bra is proper comfy. I don’t have big boobs, so I’m lucky in that I’ve never had much of a problem with sports bras but even I’m finding this more comfortable to work out in!
It’s breathable and fits mega close to the skin. I’d likely wear this under a lot of clothes, too! Next is the FORMOTION Sculpt Two-Tone Tights. Now these are something else. Initially I thought I’d ordered a size too small. It was QUITE a bit of effort to get these on. BUT once they were on, good grief, it was just like wearing a layer of skin (as gross as that sounds).
I’ve never known my wobbly bits to be SO STILL in my life. These leggings really do hold everything more still than you’ll have ever seen before. I love the pattern of these leggings and they are so damn flattering. I never want to take them off. adidas do such a great range of women’s clothing! If you’re looking to complement your Yoga routine in a gentle but effective way, you could also try pelvic floor therapy at home. It’s a small addition that can make a big difference, especially for core strength and overall body awareness.
Walking
And finally, walking. Now walking isn’t a new activity to me, obviously. But I’ve never been a huge fan of walking. If I was ever going anywhere for the day, like to the zoo or to a race track, I would always dread the prospect of having to walk everywhere all day long. Ugh I hated it.
But again, this is something else I’ve learned to love over the last few yeas and in particular whilst doing this exercise program. I started going for daily walks during the pandemic (like most people) and found it so beneficial for my mental health. However I wasn’t getting a particularly large amount of steps in.
We’re now focusing on getting my steps up for the day and I’ve started to REALLY enjoy going for longer walks – particularly on my own. I basically walk everywhere now! I’ll walk around town, home from town, around the park a few times, to Tesco – anywhere I have the chance to walk to, I will.
Introducing more movement into my days and weeks has had such a huge physical and mental health benefit for me. I love the variety of movement I get into my weeks now as well, it definitely prevents me getting more with the same exercises as it allows me to switch it up depending on how I feel!