Tag Archives: workout

Jun22

Getting The Right Gear For Your Favorite Workout

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Getting The Right Gear For Your Favorite Workout

Finding the right gear for your chosen sport or workout activity can be a bit of a nightmare. It can vary or depend heavily on a specific brand. It also can depend on the activity you are doing, which may even have rules for proper attire. Here are some tips to get you the gear you need, headache free:

Consider the Fabrics:

The world of sportswear is surprisingly technological, as most gear is designed around protection, comfort, and cooling. You may never wear synthetics in your daily life. But when it comes to sports gear, they are your best friend for comfort and protection. For example, the best golf rain gloves are made of synthetic microfibers that don’t lose grip. For working out, you are better off looking for gear that is made from well-known synthetics such as Coolmax and Supplex.

The Right Gear Depends on the Brand:

Brands aren’t everything with sportswear and gear. But more often than not, you will get what you need and desire if you opt for a well-known brand. You will also save money by paying for a quality brand that lasts, rather than cheaper ones you need to replace often. Major brands like Under Armor, Nike, and Adidas offer superb ranges for many types of sports and workouts. These are usually much higher quality and come with cooling technology built in.

Make Sure They Fit Well:

Your workout clothes are just as important as everyday clothes. Ill-fitting sportswear will feel uncomfortable and downright annoying. Look for sports gear just as you would casual clothing, such as fitting for your body type and whether you prefer loose or tight fits. Tight fits allow you to show off some curves or muscles from your hard work. Loose fits keep it more laid back.

Consider the Activity:

You must consider the activity and what it involves when looking for gear and clothing. This can be tricky, so here is some general guidance:

Tennis clothing: Loose-fitting clothes such as t-shirts and shorts allow for greater freedom of movement.

Yoga clothing: Yoga pants and leggings are common choices with a tighter fitting tank or top.

Gym clothing: Wear clothing that is appropriate for the workout you are doing. A more form fitting option tends to be best to avoid getting caught in a machine!

Outdoors: It is always wise to dress in layers when you exercise outdoors so you can add and remove clothing as you need. Sunglasses that fit well are a must for those early morning or mid afternoon workouts and can be very beneficial for those who enjoy long bicycle rides and runs. Don’t forget sunscreen too!

Buy Multiple Items:

Any activity or sport will make you perspire more and this means your clothes get dirty very quickly. As a rule of thumb for hygiene and saving embarrassment, never wear the same gym or sports clothes before washing them. So, of course, this means you will need multiple items for your chosen sport. This includes tops, bottoms, skirted leggings, socks, and sports bras. It also extends to accessories such as jock straps and protective gear which can become very unsanitary.

Set a Cleaning Routine:

If you go to the gym or do a sport a few times a week, the laundry can pile up. And this is on top of your normal clothing! Set aside time to clean your sports gear separately. A good idea would be a Sunday so they are fresh for the week ahead. Be sure to wash your sports and gym gear on a hot wash to get rid of any lingering bacteria and mold that can build up from perspiration. A 40 or 60-degree wash will usually work fine.

The right gear for whatever sport or activity you are doing is vital and will only enhance your enjoyment of your workout!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jun5

Summer Body Workout

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Summer Body Workout

Hi everyone and welcome to another guest blog compliments of the lovely Jess over at Acorn Life & Fitness. I am so freaking excited about this post because lifewithlilred has never had a workout themed anything because I don’t workout! I was thrilled when I learned that Jess was a fitness guru and had her create a workout regimen special for my readers to get that perfect summer bod. Check out Jess’s post and then please be sure to give her page some love!

Summer Body Workout

When it comes to burning fat there’s only one way to do it: cardio. Unfortunately, I despise cardio with a passion so I’m always looking for ways around it. So far, I’ve found that doing a HIIT style cardio workout is the best way to burn as much fat as possible in a short amount of time, while also toning up! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training so, like the name suggests, it’s short bursts of really hard work. For me, it’s better than going for a run or sweating it out on the cross trainer for 40 minutes because you can be done a lot quicker and you tend to get faster results.

The whole idea of HIIT training is to do an exercise for a short amount of time at full force and then move straight onto the next exercise. It’s pretty hard to get bored of what you’re doing which is a huge bonus for me!

This is a HIIT style cardio workout that I’ve designed. It can be adapted to your wants/needs but it’s a good place to start! You want to do each exercise with as much intensity as you can (while going at your own pace!) and try to only take a 30 second to 1 minute break between circuits. If you need to take more/longer breaks, then do. There’s no need to hurt yourself. But if you can, try not to rest during a circuit. I’ve put a step-by-step description of how to do each exercise at the bottom of the post if you’re unsure about how to do any of them!

I’m going to be making a series of these HIIT style workouts on my blog (targeted at core, upper, and lower body) so if you’re interested in trying out the different routines check it out!

Circuit One:

2 mins jog in place

1 min jumping jacks

2 mins jog in place

30 sec burpees

Circuit Two:

2 mins jog in place

1 min in and outs

2 mins jog in place

30 sec squat jumps

Circuit Three:

2 mins jog in place

1 min in and outs

2 mins jog in place

30 sec burpees

Circuit Four:

2 mins jog in place

1 min fast feet

2 mins jog in place

30 sec squat jumps

How to Safely do Each Exercise:

Jog in Place – Gently jog on the spot, you’ll get tired of this quite quickly so don’t push yourself too hard!

Jumping Jacks – Also known as star jumps, start standing with feet together and hands by your side. Jump into the air and land with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and hands swept up in the air and repeat.

Burpees – Starting in a standing position, crouch down to the floor with your hands and jump feet out into plank position (hands and feet on the floor with back straight). Now, lift feet back into crouching position and stand. Repeat as many times as you can in the time given.

In and Outs – Sitting on the floor, lift your legs off the floor and out in front of you (bend at the knees to make it easier) and rest your hands on the floor to support you. Your body should be in a ‘V’ shape with only your bum and hands touching the floor. To make the ‘in and out’ action, bring your knees and chest together and then back out again.

Squat Jumps – Start standing, feet shoulder width apart and hands out in front of you for balance. Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor (remember to stick your bum out!!) and then jump as high as you can. This all should be one swift motion.

Fast Feet – This is essentially just jogging in place REALLY fast. Like the name says, move your feet as fast as you can. You don’t need to lift your knees high!

^^^ Wasn’t that awesome? I so enjoyed working with Jess and am so impressed with how her guest post turned out. Once again, please take the time to look at Jess’s page at Acorn Life & Fitness. You won’t be disappointed! What is your workout routine (or lack-thereof)? What is your secret to staying in shape? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah