Yoga Bloomers Review & Greenfibres Discount

Ethical Sportswear

As you will know, I am a big fan of ethical things to wear whilst exercising. But finding clothing that fits the bill, and still ticks all the comfort and style boxes is easier said than done! 

Which is why I was thrilled to discover that Greenfibres, based relatively close-by in the South West of England (in Totnes in Devon) have a great little selection. 

Working on my Wild Thing

Yoga Clothing:

I fell in love with their Yoga Bloomers before they even arrived; charcoal grey: my favourite colour, pockets: yippee, high waist: even better, relaxed fit without a harem-style low crotch: bingo!

And when I received them I was not disappointed: they are made from wonderfully soft organic cotton in a great medium weight. I was also delighted by the accompanying handwritten note, the herbal teabag, not to mention the Greenfibres catalogue- what a treasure trove!

A magic little package

Wear the waist turned up or down

Deep waistband and cuffs

Style:

There is no compromise on style with these bloomers: the deep fold-over waist band and matching cuffs give plenty of character and femininity. 

I was impressed with the fit too: it is always difficult when buying online to know if something is appropriate size-wise, but they are true to the size guide which is very helpful. 

Relaxed and Comfortable

To The Test:

Putting these bottoms to the test in my yoga class I was really impressed that they were not too hot, and that they stayed in place, also allowing plenty of flexibility. They are not so loosely cut as to feel like a drag, but loose enough to allow movement. 

I particularly the fact that the Bloomers are the right length to be worn as relaxed joggers, but that if you want to turn them into crops you can just slide them up, and the cuffs keep them in place. 

As you can imagine, this was useful for my post-yoga paddle. I can see that I will be wearing my Bloomers often: they were so comfortable that I couldn't take them off after my yoga class!

Perfect for Paddling

I will buy some other bits from Greenfibres. I have got my eye on some undies, perhaps a yoga bra to wear with my fantastic bloomers. Plus, I just adore their unisex Breton sweatshirt. Their range is so good that it would be worth checking there first to see whether they stock an eco version of whatever it is you're looking for! 

Bloomers for all occasions. 

Discount Code:

And, I'm thrilled to tell you that I have a discount code to share with you! Just quote pixie10 when you buy and get your 10% off! Click the banner below to go straight there. Thank you Greenfibres, it is great to work with you!

Product kindly supplied by Greenfibres, all opinions are my own.

On Busting Through A Workout Slump & 3 Best Online Workouts

Lost Your Mojo?

It's no secret that I love working out. 

I am a massive fan of the classes available in my local gym- group exercise works well for me and I love the variety. I like to supplement this with self-directed activities too. But sometimes... well, I just can't find my workout mojo! 

I'm sure we've all been there, haven't we? 

No matter how much you know that you love exercise, need to do it, and know that you are committed to it, it doesn't always feel like something you want to do.

I get the impression that is commonly viewed as being weak-willed, or having poor self-discipline, but I really don't see it like that. 

What's Your Motivation...?

Hitting a Plateau

I like to think that these blips in training can give us much-needed pause for re-analysing our goals. 

It's useful to think about just why you're not fired up: do you feel a particular workout has taken you as far as it can? Is it too easy, or even too hard just yet? Are you bored? Remind yourself why you personally began working out anyway. 

Sometimes, of course, you might get a dip in motivation because it is your body telling you that you are over-doing it. It is necessary to challenge the status quo in our workouts, otherwise we are simply maintaining form rather than improving it. However, there is no benefit from overtraining to the point of causing physical damage and emotional stress. 

Plateaux can be Overcome!

Ideas for overcoming burn-out:

Occasionally, a change in the content of a workout is just what's needed to get you fired up again about getting sweaty. Whatever you normal routine is, why not mix it up a little? 

If you usually hit the gym after work, why not try getting up early for a week and going before you clock-on? If you're strictly an indoor person why not try an outdoor run now that the weather's nicer? Perhaps plan a long hike- it's not high intensity, but it's still exercise and you'll be burning fat. Why not find a workout buddy? Or try something completely out of your comfort zone like paragliding. Ok, not so much of the paragliding, but my point is that by trying something completely different you might remember why you started to exercise in the first place, and you might even realise how much you have already achieved. 

Stay Positive!

Another idea to motivate yourself is to think of a treat that you'd like just for you: some people look forward to a bubble bath, or there might be a book you are saving, or a workshop you'd like to go on or a day out you'd like to have... whatever motivates you personally is a useful reward: decide what you will do before you will take a reward, stick to it, and enjoy the sense of achievement when you get there.

Sticking to it is also a key thing to mention: if your workout schedule has come off the rails, be sure to ask yourself whether it was realistic in the first place. Do you have as much time to devote to exercise as you thought you did? It's easy to get demoralised if you've set your goals too high. 

For me personally I find that doing a few good workouts at home can out me back on track: as much as I like a good class, sometimes going to the same ol' place can begin to wear me down. And at heart I am a home body, so it suits me to stay in my bedroom with the laptop sometimes. 

Stay Positive:

Stepping away from working out for a little while doesn't make you a failure! And it doesn't make you bad at keeping fit either. For all the reasons above (and I'm sure many more that I haven't thought of), taking a short break to regroup is no bad thing. 

This is another reason to ask yourself why you need a break- if you don't then the feeling that you are not doing what you "should" be can overwhelm you. If you can keep whatever is dragging you down in perspective then it's likely you can solve it and bounce back into a fitness regime (even if it is a modified one).

Reflect!

Favourite Sources of Exercise Videos:

I've put together some recommendations if you fancy giving exercise videos a try- YouTube is of course full of 'Best Workouts Ever', so I thought it wouldn't hurt to give you some tried-and-tested tips. 

1. Sweaty Betty click here 

This is a great little resource- just enough variety to keep you entertained! Personally I am a big fan of the Barresana and also the Boxing Yoga.   

2. Udaya click here

I've reviewed one video from here on a previous post, but I have tried quite a few and they've all been a challenging workout. This is not a free resource, but when I joined they were only charging £5/month. Even if you're not a dedicated yogi I suggest you give something a go as they are really great workouts that you can do without much space. Just beware of any containing the splits of handstands which might throw you a little

3. Beachbody click here

30 days free? Yes please! Includes Insanity, Piyo, and a whole bunch of other exciting workouts.

Product Review: Asquith Activewear & Discount Code

Asquith London: ethically made and eco-friendly...

Treats from Asquith

I have been wanting to get an outfit from Asquith for a while now, but none of the colours or styles have been quite what I was after: I don't like too much black, I really don't like cerise pink, and I'm really not a fan of snakeskin. So, when I saw this darling little top in minty turquoise I knew the time was right! 

I plumped for Layering Cami in 'Minty Fresh' and Flow With It Leggings in 'Slate'. 

Labels of Quality

I had expected some kind of special packaging, so at first when I saw that it arrived in a routine-looking poly post bag I was a little disappointed, until I realised that it is biodegradable. The packaging can look as run-of-the-mill as it likes as far as I am concerned, so long as it is not clogging up the world with more plastic!

Inside the outer bag were my two beautiful-looking garments, oozing quality and substance (unfortunately in plastic, but you can't have everything can you?). 

I definitely felt like I was receiving a top quality treat.

...but is it any good? 

Unwrapping my lovely new garments, I fell in love straight away with the feel of the fabrics- so much so that I had to have a try-on right there in the living room. 

The jacquard stars in the top between the contouring style lines are just adorable, and I love the strappy look. The leggings are completely opaque, and are a beautiful thundery shade of grey (I love grey!). 

Luckily, the fit was great: the leggings are the perfect length (I'm 5'5"- that's average- but with long legs, and sometimes leggings are evidently made for supermodels, but too short's no good either), and a great height through the rise. The top was extremely comfortable and I felt supported and hugged-in without feeling constricted. I can't really say too much about the bust support in the built in bra, as I have quite a small bust, but I didn't end up looking completely flat chested either- nobody likes that look!  

In action

Putting it to the test: 

After a few quick stretches in order to get some pictures to show you, I decided to put my outfit to the test in a sweaty Body Blast class. This was definitely in at the deep end, but I got the impression this gym gear was tough enough! 

Stretch!

And I wasn't disappointed: the first thing about the performance of Asquith products that impressed me was that I didn't have to keep pulling the leggings up or the top down. Everything, including the straps stayed just where I wanted it to be throughout the entire class. It is hard to find a top that doesn't ride up at all (trust me, I've tried a few!). 

The only drawback for me was that I ended up with a small unsightly sweat patch on my leggings (blush!), but this was quickly covered by just pulling the top down a little more (it has plenty of length to either ruche up or pull down which proved really useful in this instance). 

The Verdict:

Whilst I perhaps wouldn't wear the leggings for anything where I would expect the sweat to really show, they will be perfect while I can pull the long top down, and also for yoga and Pilates, hiking, bike rides, and just chilling out. They are such nice leggings I would even wear them under a tunic for a casual day out. 

I will be getting a lot of wear from my top, and I may go back for another. It's great to know it will stay in place for even the most active of workouts (and any sort of inversion will be covered). 

Discount Code:

I hope you've found this review useful. To celebrate the fact that I am now an 'Asquith Lover', I am delighted to offer you a discount code: just enter FITPIXIE20 at the checkout on asquithlondon.com and the magic will happen! 

Triceps!

Online Yoga Video Review: 'Slo Mo Flo' on Udaya

A few weeks ago I signed up to the Udaya online yoga video website. I've been doing just a about a class a week to compliment my other activities, with mixed results: sometimes the practice has felt really satisfying and sometimes it just hasn't.

Online Yoga Classes: 

One of the beauties of online exercise classes of all types is that you get to pick and choose what you want to do, and who you want to guide you through it. This is obviously great, as the variety is endless (plus you get to pause it when your loving other half surprises you with an espresso half way through!). However, there are also drawbacks to changing your teachers all the time: it can be difficult to follow a new instructor that you're not familiar with, especially when you are in a pose that doesn't easily allow you to watch the screen. This is exacerbated when the class is fast. 

Which was one of the motivating factors in why I chose this class: 'Slo Mo Flo' with Adam Husler. The slow pace appealed to me. I was also drawn to the '2' difficulty rating, as the Udaya classes do seem to be on the more challenging side (although I have done other '2'-rated classes that have involved at least four head/hand stands, plus the splits thrown in- which dispiritingly I can do none of- hence I was still wary). 

Class Review:

True to it's title, this was a slow-moving class, but it would be a mistake to think that slow means easy- which suits me: I am always up for a work out! But when someone says "high plank is your happy place today" you know what's coming is going to be a little bit challenging.

My legs were shaking with exertion at one point, so I was reassured when Adam said something along the lines of: "our legs really enjoy the stretching in yoga, but they don't always enjoy the work". It's these empathetic remarks from an instructor when you're working hard that make you feel like you're not completely out of your league. 

The slow pace allowed me to better understand the transitions between poses, which to be honest is not something I have given much thought to in the past. 

I also enjoyed the instructing style, as it felt like there was plenty of information to work out whether you are holding a pose or doing a movement well enough to be getting the best out of it. 

Class Highlights:

It was the fine details which really made this class interesting to me: for example I learnt so much about how to fine tune the position of the hands, and exactly how to hold the foot to make the best of a leg extensions, which combined to make it a really rewarding learning experience rather than just a work-out. 

One part of the class I particularly enjoyed was when we twisted through a lunge. I've not come across this before but it's one aspect of my mobility i'd really like to improve. 

I also feel like I learnt a lot about my chair pose, and how to improve it. In earlier versions I have done I feel like maybe I didn't pull my derrière in enough (see below!). 

Does my bum look big in this...?

Satisfaction...?

I will certainly repeat this class, for the important reasons that I feel like it would improve my practice to work more on this routine, plus I enjoyed it!

I would also recommend it if you'd like to work on your strength and stamina- good for all exercise goals, not just yoga. 

You can find the teacher, Adam Husler here on Instagram

Quick, Healthy Store Cupboard Dinner

Healthy Ideas:

I've got some lovely recipe books full of healthy meal ideas, but sometimes when there is no opportunity to plan or shop, I am left wondering what I can eat that isn't going to undo my hard work at the gym. 

Today was just such a day, but I decided to improvise a guilt-free dish from what I had available, and it was so yummy that I thought I would share it with you. 

You can re-create it exactly as I made it, or substitute whatever ingredients you have lying around. Let me know how you get on and what great combinations you discover. 

Ingredients: 

(serves two hungry people)

I used half a floret of broccoli,

3 celery sticks, 

a small amount of onion,  

half a courgette, 

a carrot, 

a large handful of mixed nuts,

approximately 50g pumpkin seeds, 

a large spoon of honey,

a large spoon of lemon juice

How to make your healthy dinner:

Cut the broccoli into small pieces, and slice the celery. Put into a saucepan with a well-fitting lid with about 1cm of water in the bottom. Cook over a low heat, stirring often but with the lid on between stirring, and steam the veg lightly until just tender. Drain into a sieve. 

Finely dice the onion and put into the pan with as little oil as you can get away with to keep it from sticking to your pan (I used about a teaspoon). Replace the lid again and sweat until tender.

Grate the courgette and carrot. Return broccoli and celery to the pan, along with grated veg, nuts and seeds. Stir well over a medium-low heat until you decide it is 'done'- a couple of minutes ought to do it. 

Add the honey and lemon juice, stir well, and enjoy!

Get Your Face in the Water!

Since getting my 800m badge when I was a kid, I have only been a dabbler with the big blue stuff. I feel completely blessed to live by the sea: I love water and I am captivated by its beauty, but I feel woefully inadequate when it comes to swimming.

Or... I did until recently, when I decided to really push myself outside of my comfort zone and make a positive change. I want to be able to hold my own in the pool, and to swim for fitness (without being embarrassed by my hideous style and intimidated by the old pro's gliding around like happy dolphins).

You see, my secret shame has been this: I cannot put my face in the water. Which means I swim around with my nose up like a performing seal and my legs dragging behind. This is obviously quite inefficient, and not really fun. I'm talking front crawl of course: I cannot do breast stroke, and when I did those 800m all those years ago it was backstroke, which is not very convenient in a busy pool.


Taking the Plunge: 

It was consequently with a lot of nerves that I went to the swimming class at my local pool. But, luckily I need not have worried, as the instructor was extremely tactful and helpful, I was lucky enough to have a whole lane to myself, and none of the other participants even seemed to notice how bad I was, which was a huge relief. He built up slowly, explaining patiently to me how to breathe.

Today we went back to the pool for a dip, so I could put what I have learned into action. I am frustrated that I have no stamina for swimming (one length and I am gasping!), but I am pleased to report that I can do front crawl largely with my face in the water.

Imagine...

All it took was one session, a good pair of goggles, the love and support of my nearest and dearest, and some gritty determination to swim 'properly', and now I have begun my journey to being a better swimmer. Ok, so I don't think I'll be entering any endurance races, but that was never my goal.

It is silly really how long I put this off- I was so afraid of starting that I did nothing, and now I don't know what all my fear was about.

Am I the only one?

I'd love to hear from you if you have broken through a barrier on your fitness journey- what was it for you, and how did you overcome it?

My Kit: 

In case you are wondering, these are my goggles. I'm going to use my blog to share reviews of the kit I use, so it makes sense to start here with these. 

They are 'Kaiman Lady Clear Lens' by Aqua Sphere. I bought them on Amazon (I've put a link below), and they cost me £8.32, which was a fantastic bargain as far as I am concerned. They fit snugly around the face and have a good shape to match the contours of your eye socket, and good seals to stop the water getting in. The strap has notches on to stop them sliding undone, but there is also a lever for quick release should you need it. The verdict: highly recommended, gold star!

You can click here to buy them on Amazon.  

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog, which I intend to be a space for me to reflect on the process of becoming a fitness instructor, to share some of the trials and tribulations as I aim to be the fittest I can be, and to connect with other bloggers with similar interests. 

Keeping fit is great fun, but also challenging by its very nature. Of course there is the volume of work needed, but there is also the problem of how to best manage your fitness- how do you know what is really benefitting you? When should you have a rest day? Is it easier to work out by yourself or with others? What is it best to eat...? So many questions! 

I am studying for my 'Exercise to Music' qualification, but I am not planning to leave my education there. 

I really enjoy participating in exercises classes: aerobics, spin, circuits, both Yoga & Pilates; I like to go for a jog, and I am really trying to improve my swimming so that I feel I can work out in the pool- I sense a whole post in the near future on my struggles there! If I get the chance to try a few yoga moves or have a jog in the great outdoors then not much will stop me!

Last summer I was lucky enough to try kayaking (which is very popular where I live), and I loved it, so this is something I am hoping to do more of in the future. 

Warrior 2 on top of the World. I really felt like a warrior up here, but I was so disappointed when I saw in the photo that my back leg seems bent- I though for sure it was straight. Something to work on...

So, are you trying to get fit? Do you have an interest in nutrition? Do you teach exercise classes? Do you have advice? What are your goals?

Whether it's a lucky pair of trainers or a favourite brand of protein shake, I'm interested, and I'd love to hear from you. Don't be shy, leave me a comment.

<:-) Pixie x