10 of the best fitness blogs that you simply have to follow

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Your health and fitness are among the most important areas, so you surely want the best advice and tips to get in shape or lose weight. There are so many blogs available, which can make it hard to work out the best places to visit to get the advice which will help you the most.

As fitness becomes increasingly popular the range of brands and blogs offering you advice which isn’t always helpful is rising.  I have decided to do all the hard work for you and rounded up 10 of the best fitness blogs which will help you focus on meeting your fitness goals, and motivate you to enjoy your workouts.

1. Nerd Fitness

This is simply a must follow blog if you are struggling to lose weight, get motivated or simply fed up with daily advice from fitness brands that don’t resonate with you.

Whether you’re a fan of Marvel or DC, Doctor Who or Spider-Man, this is a fantastic site for fans of comic book culture.

2. Fit Bottomed Girls

This blog is fantastic if you are struggling to get motivated or have trouble balancing your exercise and diet.

Instead of focusing on exercise tips and health kicks, it offers you advice on how to implement a healthier lifestyle which will have you feeling more confident in yourself.

3. MyFitnessPal Blog

One of my personal favourites, My FitnessPal’s blog offers a wide range of advice to help you drive towards your goals and achieve them.

The content covers an extensive range of topics from breakfasts to the best outdoor workouts. The videos also offer some great tips which aim to get you to in peak fitness condition.

4. The Fitnessista

Run by a busy mum, The Fitnessista is a fantastic blog for those of you who feel you haven’t got the time to fit in exercise or to cook healthy food during your day.

You’ll receive content on quick workouts, recipes and advice designed to help make your life simpler, healthier,  and allow you to spend more time with your family.

5. Born Fitness

Blog Fitness is the go-to blog if you have any questions regarding your fitness or your nutrition. The blog offers practical advice to help you make healthy decisions.

It covers a range of subjects from; vegetarian diets, to the amount of protein to eat to help you lose weight. Their range of experts will give you fantastic advice.

6. Runtastic

If you are a new runner, or simply looking to increase your cardio in a fun and effective way, Runtastic is the blog for you.

It offers a range of advice for novice runners to expert runners, as well as offering you practical fitness, nutritional and exercise advice.

7. Fit Bit 

Fit Bit has built a popular brand to help people meet their fitness goals and their blog is no different.

The blog provides you with a range of fantastic content on key health and fitness topics including; diet, exercise and daily practice health advice.

8. Spot Me Bro

If you are looking to improve your muscle tone or definition, bulk up or simply lose weight but don’t know where to start Spot Me Bro is the ideal blog for you.

The blog offers you a variety of workout advice which will help you to build muscle, as well as advice on the right foods to eat to keep strong and fit.

9. Travel Strong

If you are a regular traveller or frequent hotel visitor due to work but struggle to fit in your workout this is the perfect blog for you.

It offers you a variety of information on how to get inspired to workout whilst you aren’t at home. If you find it hard to get motivated whilst away this is the perfect blog for you.

10. Fitness on Toast

Fitness on Toast is a brilliant blog, founded a personal trainer (half English, half Swedish), which offers fantastic content on health, fitness and even travel.

If you are struggling to work out how to live a healthier lifestyle or simply want inspiration this is the ideal blog to help you strive to live healthier.

The ideal Christmas presents for the fitness lovers in your life

 

 

The holidays are fast approaching, meaning the marketing machines of the major brands will soon be working to convince you to buy their products.

The world of fitness is no different, with Christmas an ideal time to get the best gifts for your fitness-loving friends and family.

As soon as the holidays have ended the gyms hit the peak period of new membership, and fitness related gifts the ideal gifts to show your loved ones how much they mean to you.

Here are five ideal Christmas presents to buy the fitness lover in your life (or to treat yourself with).

1. A personalised gym kit bag

Unless you’re so rich you can afford to buy new clothes for each workout, the likelihood is you’ll need to carry your workout clothes somewhere. Kit bags are usually used for a long time, making them show signs of wear and tear. 

A personalised gym kit bag is a fantastic way for your loved one or yourself to carry gym clothes, and help to identify whose bag it is. 

The ideal gift to help your friends or family to store their gym kit, whilst doubling as a general bag for all their belongings in daily life. 

2. Health foam roller

Warmups and cooldowns are the most important elements of any workout, so ensuring they are done properly is vital to a good workout. They help to get you people into shape and also prevent any unnecessary injuries. 

A foam roller is a fantastic way to help properly keep your body healthy, whilst offering fantastic massaging capabilities for any niggling injuries. In the colder weather bodies are more susceptible to niggling injuries. 

They offer the ideal Christmas present for your fitness-loving friends and family to help them to prepare and end their workouts. 

3. Yoga Mat

In an increasingly busy world stress and mental health are becoming even more relevant in today’s society. 

4. Boxing Gloves

Whether in a gym, at home or with a personal trainer, boxing is one of the best ways to stay or get into shape. If you have any built up stress from work or home, it’s also a good way to channel the frustration into punching the pads. 

Boxing gloves are available in a range of sizes and shapes, at different costs depending on size and brands. Overall, they are relatively cheap making them the ideal Christmas gift for the fitness lover in your life.

You can’t go wrong with these boxing gloves from Reebok, providing the best way for your loved one to enjoy some more quality boxing related workouts. 

5. Running Shoes

During the hectic Christmas and New Year period where you may visit family and friends, a lot of the festivities focus around food and drinks. Most of the food is unhealthy, and it can be very easy to put on weight over the festive period.  

One of the best ways to get back into shape, and keep fit and healthy in the New Year is to get into running. There are so many positive benefits from running, and it has many proven mental health benefits.  

One of the most popular methods of exercise, there are multiple different running shoes for all different types of runners. From Nike to Asics, and Brooks Running to Mizuno, you’ll be able to find your loved one or yourself the ideal running shoes.  

Why you should skip fads and plan proper weight loss

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Do you ever feel as if you could do with losing a few pounds so quickly pop onto Google (other search engines are available) to search for the best ways to lose weight?

If the answers yes, you’re not alone. I’ve tried the search and the range of answers available is staggering.

From health brands offering supplements, a range of diets such as 5:2 or Atkins or practices offering surgery it’s easy to become confused at which direction to take. The hard truth, in reality, they don’t work.

You may lose weight initially but over time if you aren’t careful you’ll put it back on. Instead of focusing on fads, you should avoid them and plan proper weight loss. Here are a few important tips to think about when trying to lose weight.

Focus on changing your lifestyle

Many major companies promise fantastic results from their products or fad diets, which in the long term aren’t very helpful.

Diets are a popular option for brands to sell their products but they simply don’t benefit you. If you want to lose weight and keep it off focusing on changing your lifestyle is important.

This will help you to control the foods you eat, exercise efficiently and effectively and allow you to live in a way that won’t let you put the weight back on. This requires discipline but the results longer term are much likely to be more positive.

It doesn’t mean you can’t ever unhealthy treats ever again, but just within reason.

Ensure you have a calorie deficit

A healthy diet involves a good balance between fitness and eating right. If you are trying to lose weight it’s important to make sure you have taken your desired weight into account.

In order to lose one pound, you need a deficit of around 3500 calories per week. An average man requires 2500, while the average woman requires 2000. There are numerous apps which offer you a way to track your weight.

My favourite is definitely MyFitnessPal, as it does all the hard work for you. You’ll be able to type in your details and work out how many calories you can eat per day and input your food and exercise.

Exercise properly

Eating right is an important part of any diet, but in order to get into good shape, exercise is still important.

The best exercises involve high-intensity work in a short period, so even if you can’t afford to go to the gym, there are apps you can download from home.

Nike Training Club and Couch to 5k are two fantastic apps to get you motivated. Many gyms also offer great classes such as spinning and BodyBalance which are good ways to keep fit and lose weight.

Time can often be an issue, so try to arrange 3-4 hours in your week to squeeze in good sessions. Remember to eat proper food as well.

Drink water before you eat

Hunger often comes when you less expect it, and may even occur when you are simply bored, tired. I’ve fallen into the trap thinking I’m hungry before, so head straight to the fridge.

It’s tempting to combat boredom with food. Drinking water before you eat helps to make you fuller and has been shown to help it easier for you to lose weight.

Ensuring you drink enough water on a daily basis is vital to keep you healthy.

5 alternatives to unhealthy food after a bad day

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After having a bad day it can be tempting to head to the shops, pick up a bottle of beer, wine or choose some unhealthy snacks and eat until your heart is content. I’ve certainly been guilty myself, after all a bar of chocolate is more likely to pick you up than a granola bar. 

Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, don’t pretend a glass of water is more appealing than a coke or a cold pint of beer. 

There’s obviously no rules banning unhealthy food, as banning it completely will only make you want it more. Have you not seen little children with their parents after being told no?  Realistically though no matter how tempting it can seem, limiting treats to one time a week will be more beneficial. There are so many good alternatives than eating away after a tough day at the office or a stressful one with the kids. 

1. Walk with your dog

Animals and dogs, in particular, are great at reading our emotions. As soon as you walk through your door, even if you haven’t seen them for hours on end, they are there to say hello without judging you. The sight of a happy dog bouncing along to greet you can soon pick you. 

The fresh air (even the rain) is a good way to put a bad day behind you.  Your dog will also surely be grateful. Unless he is like my dog that is and runs away whenever you get the lead out. Walking with dogs has proven benefits and is known to help improve your mood.

2. Try adult colouring 

In the past colouring books were seen as a purely child-centric activity, but those days are long gone. As the conversation and stigma around mental health improve, the focus on ways to help people cope is becoming more prominent. 

An increasingly popular technique is to try adult colouring. It can be seriously frustrating (especially if like me you ruin Hagrid’s hut or go over a line), but it is a good way to channel your emotions. Many therapists and researchers are fans given its ability to help you keep calm.  There are so many types available making it the perfect alternative to eating unhealthy snacks after a bad day.

3. Go for a run or to the gym

As with music, exercise is a well-known way to get over or improve a bad day.  After feeling low on medicine my doctor prescribed good old-fashioned exercise, which after time helped with my anxiety.  

It can often feel really good just to get out and pound the streets in your running shoes, or hit the gym (even if the clocks of the machines still tick away at a snail’s pace). The natural high you often get or simply channelling your emotions or stress into something can make it a worthwhile activity to enjoy,  whilst boosting your mood.  

4. Eat healthy food

You might think this is perhaps a little obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people think a packet of crisps will help you improve your mood over something healthy. Whilst it may be tempting to binge on unhealthy snacks, the short-term boost isn’t beneficial over time. 

At the end of the day, eating something unhealthy may feel the best decision at the moment, but it doesn’t result in the best results long-term. There are many healthy foods such as spinach, bananas, salmon or even a lovely cup of tea which can help improve your mood after a bad day. 

5. Listen to some music

Obviously, you’ll need to pick carefully as a sad song is hardly likely to make you feel better,  however, music is known to help improve moods. As with stories our brain are hard-wired to respond to music, making it the perfect activity to enjoy after a difficult day.

The range of genres and artists can give you a great selection to choose from. The brain often releases feel-good chemicals, known as serotonin helping to improve your mood. I’m a big fan of singing along to music, although my family don’t enjoy my tone-deaf singing. Don’t let that stop you as often belting out some classic tunes can make a bad day better. 

31 things no one tells you about keeping fit

Keeping fit is practically a full-time job. Once you’ve decided to get back into shape at the gym, on the road or even in the pool it’s a hard slog. I’d even argue it’s a second job considering the amount of time you have to dedicate to your fitness and eating regimes.

Here are 31 things that will most likely happen whilst you try to keep fit and healthy, that no one tells you.

1. This may seem obvious but it’s bloody hard work. I thought it would be a case of going to the gym a few times a week and the weight would fall off

2. It doesn’t get easier over time. Yes, you may get fitter but I still stare at the machines waiting for the timer to be over

3. There’s no such thing as a perfect workout. Some days you’ll find you love certain exercises more than others

4. Gyms are full of mirrors. The weight rooms are in particular a vanity contest. Don’t watch yourself work out. Whichever angle you see it won’t be pretty.

5. You will smell. Fitness videos, brands and sports programmes also show the hard work but the models always look great. Definitely not the case

6. Music will help you through workouts. Some days you just won’t be bothered. It can push you through

7. Not everything has to be done in the gym. There are so many ways to keep fit and sometimes fresh air is the best

8. A simple walk is a good way to keep fit. If you have a dog there are so many beautiful walks which won’t feel like hard work

9. Having fun is vital. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing you won’t get anything out of it. Pick exercises you enjoy

10. Gyms don’t have to be expensive. There’s no point joining an expensive gym if you don’t get value from it.

11. Running in the rain is fun. It’s not glamorous but sometimes there’s nothing like running through puddles and getting soaking wet.

12. Going to the gym doesn’t have to be about the actual gym. Many offer classes which are fun ways to keep fit

13. Crash diets don’t work. It’s all well and good losing weight but if you starve yourself to look good, you’re more than likely to put it back on.

14. Personal trainers don’t bite. They’re there to help and will design programmes to get you in your best shape

15. Weekends aren’t an excuse to avoid the gym. Try to go at least one day

16. You don’t have to work out every day. Some people often think you have to do daily exercises to keep fit but it’s not the case

17. Food is just as important as exercise. If you eat cake after exercising you won’t lose weight.

18. Calorie intake is key. Food diaries are a good way to ensure you track what you’re eating and can help you maintain or lose weight

19. Alcohol contains hidden calories so be careful.

20. Some days you just can’t be bothered so don’t push yourself on those days

21. Warm ups and cool downs are vital. Don’t do them and you’ll be sore, potentially for a few days

22. You will try to beat yourself. If you do 2000m in 8 minutes one time, the next you’ll want to go at 7 minutes 59 seconds.

23. It doesn’t matter what you wear. Obviously within reason, for example, jeans aren’t practical but if you feel comfy in joggers wear them

24. You will have setbacks. One day you might feel on the world, then next awful so don’t get too disheartened

25. It takes time to get fit. Multiple workouts and effort will help you get in the best shape

26. There’s no such thing as an ideal body. You’ll always manage to find something you don’t like so just enjoy yourself rather than worrying too much.

27. Pack for the weather. It might be hot when you leave but Great Britain is temperamental so don’t be caught short by dodgy weather

28. It will be hard to avoid clocks. In the gym, on your wrist, your phone. Try not to look at the time as it will drag.

29. Workouts can sometimes be boring even the ones you love. Try to make fun games out of them to pass time quicker

30. Keeping fit is a chore. If you miss multiple workouts you will have to work hard to get back to that level again

31. Only do it if you enjoy it. There’s no set way to keep fit. As long as you’re being active and happy you’ll be able to get the best results

Fear of failure: Why it’s ok to fail in your fitness goals

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I wouldn’t class myself as obese, in fact, I’m far from it. I wouldn’t class myself as skinny either. I guess I fall in the category many of you, may well recognise. It’s the “fit enough to get through a workout, but not in a shape physically” that I would like. Does it sound familiar to you? 

I guess for many people, even those with the best physiques in the world, there’s always going to be areas you aren’t happy with or ways you can improve yourself. 

At the time of writing, I don’t actually know much I weigh. I think it’s around 101kg, which for a 6-foot 3-inch male, isn’t ideal.  

I think I fall into a classic fitness area, that some may call I’ll do it properly next time. 

The most common advice I could give you would be that it’s ok to fail in meeting your fitness goals. 

The fear of failure and failing in fitness goals well: A personal story

Let me tell you a story that will hopefully inspire you to get back to the gym, without worrying about failure. 

For the past few years, my average weight has gone up and down more often than the high striker game at a fairground. 

Back in January, I’d had some health issues and my weight had gone down to 98kg (216 pounds / 15 stone 4 pounds).  I thought I’d hit the jackpot, and everything would be easy afterwards. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Whilst I still went to the gym, I stopped tracking what I was eating and thought everything would still be fine. After multiple weeks, I weighed myself on my scales at home. They certainly aren’t perfect, but they are accurate enough to give a guide. My weight had reached 107.1kg. I was horrified. 

At that moment in time, I felt ashamed, annoyed at myself and angry that I hadn’t paid any attention to what I was eating. A large percentage of health and fitness blogs and experts focus on the exercise part and forget to warn you that you can’t stay at a certain weight if you don’t eat right.

That was my first real big failure and one that I’m not proud of. I still can fall into bad or unhealthy eating habits but that taught me a few important lessons. 

After working hard my weight got back down to around 101kg, but there is still a way to go to get to where I’d like to be. I’ve had a few setbacks because I’ve lost motivation, had minor injuries or simply had other things on my mind. Failure to meet my target at first seemed as though I was a failure.

Lessons learned for the future 

After reevaluating I realised I’d learnt a few important lessons moving forward

• It’s ok to have bad days, weeks or even months. Life throws up things to you at different times and often unexpected. It doesn’t mean if you fail to hit a target weight one week or put on a few pounds the next you’re a failure. 
• Food is a huge motivator, especially when you aren’t eating as much as you are used to. Learn to eat in moderation, but don’t overeat. 
• Treats are fine, as long as you aren’t having them so often they become part of your diet
• Health and fitness is a lifestyle, not a diet. Even when you hit your goal it doesn’t mean you start eating whole tubs of ice-cream or several pints of  lager or bottles of wine
• Food diaries are the ideal way to ensure you know what you’re eating. Apps such as MyFitnessPal or Yazio are among the best

Though in my mind I would classify myself as a failure because I hadn’t hit set weights by certain dates, the overall lessons I’ve learned are still important moving forward. It might seem horrible at the moment when you feel like you’ve failed (after all, we aren’t exactly designed to deal with it), but sometimes failure teaches us the best lessons and guides us moving forward.  

4 exercises to help you manage anxiety and stress

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Whether it’s your modern day life, work or a relationship, if you are in a situation where stress and anxiety are growing, the likelihood is it can start to affect your everyday life.

It can often slowly creep up on you, but as soon as you feel you’re becoming overwhelmed or anxious it can have an impact on your productivity in work or at home.

The pressure it puts on your mind and body can lead you feeling as though you can’t cope, and impact you greatly. 

Work and home life are often the root causes, which if left untreated increase your anxiety and stress.

Exercise is one of the best ways to manage your stress and anxiety. Exercise has proven benefits which help you manage your anxiety whilst helping you to become more productive in your daily and work lives.

Running is a great option to manage your anxiety, but there are many great alternatives if you don’t enjoy running. 

Take a look at four fantastic exercises, which can help combat stress, and help to prevent anxiety controlling your life. 

1. Boxing

Boxing is a great way for you to enjoy high-intensity exercise. It helps you to keep fit and fight anxiety, whilst offering a fantastic stress release. 

If you’ve had a bad day, your stress or anxiety is starting to build and you can’t seem to be productive boxing is a great form of exercise. It will help you to channel your emotions and release any build up tension or frustration you have in your body. Occasionally, it’s nice to channel your energy and imagine the cause of your frustration as the punching bag or boxing pads too! 

2. Tai chi

Tai chi focuses on improving your mind and body, and is one of the most relaxing forms of exercise. It allows you to recharge your batteries and connect with your mind. 

It helps you to induce calm and is an excellent way to help you to reduce stress, whilst helping to manage anxiety.

If you struggle to switch off; whether at home or find it difficult to complete work tasks, tai chi is a great way to relax. The movements of Tai chi incorporate meditation, which helps you to unwind and focus on yourself instead of thinking about difficult or stressful daily tasks.

3. Pilates

Pilates is one of the best ways to treat yourself and practice self-care. As well as focusing on a range of exercises to help you improve your core stability and fitness, Pilates also focuses on your mental well being.

It offers you a fantastic way to focus on improving your fitness and really concentrate on your mind and body. One of the most popular forms of meditation, it is a popular way for you to practice mindfulness and focus on reducing stress and anxiety.

4. Zumba

Intense music, high energy workouts and people to relax with Zumba is a fantastic way for you to release stress and manage your anxiety.

Zumba may involve a lot of hard work, but focusing your mind on the various moves will help to improve your creativity and productivity.

If you feel like you struggle to work alone, Zumba offers a class with people who have the same interests so you won’t feel alone.