Turn your intentions into actions with the fitbug orb

Have you challenged yourself to live a healthier more active lifestyle? If so, you certainly have the right intentions — but what are you missing?

Good intentions often need a ‘subtle nudge’ to develop into actions. And actions take effort! Having a platform which provides a summary of your progress is motivating and it reassures you that all this effort is actually worth your while.

The Fitbug Orb measures the amount of movement you make throughout the day. It is small, sleek and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

Posted by allisonloosley

Visiting London? Check out Sky Garden

This is the view from Sky Garden, a top the Walkie Talkie building at 20 Frenchurch Street. I highly recommend visiting. It is considered a public space and as such, it is free entry. All you have to do, is book a time slot for the elevator.

If you’re a Londoner or you’re visiting London – visit the highest garden in central London (Click here to book). Experience a stunning view of London without the hefty price tag.

Posted by allisonloosley

Small Lifestyle Changes that make a Big Difference

If you’re like most – you are sitting in an office 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday… you sit during your commute to the office and then back home again, and by the time you get in you’re exhausted so you sit some more. How do we fit activity into our daily lives when the environment around us is promoting comfort and ease?

Small changes to this routine, will make a big difference to your health and wellness. Here are a few tips to get more activity into your day-to-day routine…

At your desk – Do sitting calf raises while you’re on the phone and get your blood flowing.

Lunch – Go for a short walk at lunch rather than sitting the entire time.

Shopping – Rather than fighting for a space at the front of the parking lot… park at the back and walk up.

Commuting – Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.

Watching TV – Get up and walk around during commercials.

Cooking – Put on some music and dance!

Finally, I strongly recommend using a pedometer to track your activity — especially for those that are just starting out. Whether you’re stuck in a non-active rut or if you’re simply looking to fit more activity into your lifestyle, than the first step is knowing what your activity is now, and then setting a goal to increase it. Setting a step count goal and tracking your activity will help motivate you to park further away, walk during lunch or dance more while you prepare dinner! It won’t be long before you notice having more energy.

Posted by allisonloosley

What have I just done? Officially registered for a Half Ironman

I’ve taken three days off of training because of this chest cough I’ve got. Today is day 3 and lets just say, I’m getting a little restless. The weather has been absolutely stunning and it is killing me being stuck indoors, so I figured I better put this downtime to good use…

Since I decided my major goal this year would be to complete a middle distance triathlon (2km swim, 90km bike and a 21km run), I have had my eye on a specific race that interests me. I’ve never done triathlon before so it’s taken me a while to muster up enough courage to even think about actually signing up for a middle distance race. I guess this whole restless thing was my tipping point!

Any second thoughts? YUP – many!

But… here we go…I’ve signed up for it!! OMG, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

Posted by allisonloosley

The Banana Bread Obsession

I have become obsessed with baking banana bread… I’ve been baking at least two loaves a week for the past month and a half. It’s just too easy!!

I haven’t been measuring my ingredients and as a result I’ve had a few loaves turnout better than others… but really, you can’t go wrong!

I’ve baked paleo banana bread (substituting ground almonds and/or flaxseed for flour), banana bread with avocado and traditional banana bread with white flour.

I’ve learnt a lot in the process – so here are my tips for baking delicious varieties of banana bread…

Posted by allisonloosley

A view from White Horse, Yorkshire

Despite the very random weather Northern England often has to offer, yesterday morning was absolutely beautiful.

Driving up the steep and swervey Sutton Bank – a 25% gradient – your ears begin to pop. I’m not the best passenger when driving on UK roads (understatement of the century) as I often feel car sick… the swerving, the roundabouts, the opposite-side of the road, and now my ears are popping…. Getting to the top of Sutton Bank required a whole other level of concentration for me to not feel sick.

Well I made it (surprise! Obviously Allison…). And I have to say, it is quite quick to the top and the sights are well worth the journey.

What a stunning view of Yorkshire it was.

I started my run at Sutton Bank running along Cleveland Way until White Horse and then back again! It was a short run (around 6kms) with wicked sights and simple navigation.

I would actually recommend this route as a walk, rather than run. The view is too beautiful to run by and the distance is perfect for a social walk with friends or family. No walking guide or experienced hiker needed – not like the Lake District (blog post here).

Posted by allisonloosley

Recovery Tips

We often forget that recovery is one of the most important ingredients to progress. Without it, we run our body down and impair our next performance.

There is a lot more to recovery than just stretching… and recovering properly makes you stronger and fitter in the long run — What is your recovery routine?

My body has come to rely on the following recovery tips…

Never skip your cool-down. If you’re running short on time, skip the last lag of your main session and start your cool down early. If you’re absolutely spent, walking for 10-15 minutes can make a big difference — just remember to keep warm (layer up) if you’re cooling down outside in the winter months.
Have a snack within 30 minutes of finishing your main session. Try to eat something high in protein and easy to digest.
Re-hydrate. Find a water bottle you love or a glass you adore and keep it full. Sip on it throughout the day.
Put your legs up. Spend 5-10 minutes with your legs up on the wall to enhance circulation and gently stretch your legs out.
Invest in a foam roller. In addition to stretching – release muscle tension by rolling out tight areas and trigger points. Essentially an alternative for deep tissue messages… and (after the initial investment) it’s free!

I follow these to a tee after intense running sessions such as intervals or hills and after any race. For better or worse, I’m not so diligent after low-impact sports like cycling and swimming as my body doesn’t take as long to recover from these sessions.

If you’re crazy enough, ice baths go a long way. Dan does this after a big ride and finds that it helps a lot…. I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it… I absolutely hate being cold!

Posted by allisonloosley

Reflecting on my first 10k of the year

Quite quickly, I went from being grateful and excited to cold and worried… hence my expression above! It was a cold and windy morning but all-and-all I really enjoyed the Regents Park 10k. This was a true test of my winter fitness and I was so pleased with the result… 10k in 46:45! Woot! Very close to my personal best at this distance and I walked away without shin pain!

RACE REPORT: The start was delayed slightly which threw a curve-ball in my warmup plans. I was starting to get nervous at the start line that my shins would play up after going from cold and stationery to high intensity running.

Posted by allisonloosley

Grateful and Excited

After suffering from shin splints last year, a few things were put into perspective… Going out for a quick 30-minute run was no longer an option. Instead, I’d have to pack up and walk to the gym to find some low-impact cardio. It became a chore being so restricted.

The shin splits lasted six months… I wasn’t able to run from March – November 2014. They’ve since settled down and I have been able to enjoy some beautiful runs around London again. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated going for a run as much as I do now.

Tomorrow, I’ll be racing my first 10k in ages!! I’m not going to bring my Garmin and instead I’ll just run by feel. If I leave with a sub 50-minute finish time and no shin pain, I’ll be a very happy camper!

To avoid any injuries tomorrow I plan to:

Do a long easy warm-up
Roll out my calves tonight and after the race
Take Monday off to recover

Enjoy your training. Enjoy the freedom of it. And take care of your body!

Posted by allisonloosley

Get your om back

This Sweaty Betty om yoga vest top has arrived at such a perfect time! I have been slacking lately on setting aside time to stretch… this coupled with ramping up my training sessions for Triathlon has caused some stiffness and discomfort. I really do need to prioritise recovery — this was just the motivation I needed to keep on top of it.

Thanks Sweaty Betty for the perfect #healthieselfie give away!

OOoooooommmmmmmm

Posted by allisonloosley

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