I Eat What I Want, When I Want!

Today's post is a bit of a different one. It's become a recent trend to be "clean eating" or even a vegan. If you're not eating a yoghurt with granola for breakfast or smoked salmon with avocado and poached egg on toast, who even are you? My answer? Human.

I have always eaten reasonably healthy, I ate my vegetables, I snacked on grapes. But in today's world, that just isn't good enough. I allow myself to have naughty treats without feeling bad about them, if I want bad food, I'm going to have it.

Growing up, I found eating harder, just because I was so picky. When I was out with friends and they wanted to go for a certain food, I'd panic and not say anything and just have a side order. I have definitely gotten better over the years as I have had a few health problems which means being picky would essentially be awful for me. However, as social media is being a huge influence on people's food choices, sometimes I sit and think "Should I really be eating this?" I'm a 20 year old girl, I'm not easily influenced when it comes to social media, but I can't help think of younger teens seeing the Instagrams and just worrying.

Grace, from graciefrancesca.com or as she was called UglyFaceOfBeauty, recently did a documentary with BBC3 on the truth about Clean Eating. I highly recommend watching it as it literally opens your eyes to these so called experts on clean eating. Grace does a really good job at it all too!

^That picture makes me hungry. I don't care?

I know what you may be thinking, "You're a gym instructor!!" Exactly. A gym instructor. Not an nutritionist, I am mainly qualified in fitness. Very little of my course was to do with food.

I would love to go more into depth on this topic.. maybe in the future!

Just Bouncin' Around

I am one of those people that gets bored quickly. I like to go on adventures, exploring and being spontaneous. So when I heard, AirHop was coming to Bristol, (Close to where I live!) I knew I had to go.

I've been three times, only one have I actually decided to take pictures because usually I'd be super sweaty and running around crazily from trampoline to trampoline.

The first and second time I went, I went with my work colleagues. First was a group of 8 I think, second was a group of 12? I think 8 was a better number because we were more likely to stick together! But 12 was good for dodgeball. The third time I went, I surprised my best friend Rhiannon when she was home from university. So we were a bit more chilled.

Trampolining was a hobby of mine at the age of 13, I did it with Rhiannon for about a year or two. I wasn't good, but I loved the feeling of being free so I stuck at it. I think that's why I love AirHop so much.

There are a few aspects to AirHop. There is a "Wipeout" zone, which if you've seen Total Wipeout you'll get this. You stand on a podium, with other people around you in a circle. In the centre of the circle, is a "soft play" pole that goes around the circle. You have to jump over the low one, and duck on the podium to avoid the high one. 

WORST EXPLANATION EVER.

But that's fun, you'll be giggling.

There's two dodgeball zones, but the last time I went, one of them were being used as a baby play area. You have a set of trampolines on each side, divided by a line inbetween. You pick a trampoline and you go against the people in front of you. The balls are put on the line at the start, so you have to run and grab the ball to start. Don't worry, if you're like me, you just bounce and avoid the balls, rather than throw them!

There is a zone that has a foam pit, that you can flip and jump into the foam pit from a trampoline.

Next to it, is a foam pit with a beam on it, which you can go against a friend and use the soft play toy to try and push your friend into the foam pit. That's fun and I pushed my 25 year old colleague in there.

Note: Foam pit is a nightmare to get out of. I always have to get the help of a worker.

They have basketball hoops at different heights that you can bounce on a trampoline and then try and get that in. That's fun. I like those, because it reminds me of the Facebook Messenger game.

Lastly, there are tonnes of trampolines to just freestyle jump on. I love these the most because you can just jump around. I love jumping from one trampoline to another and racing around. 

AirHop is a great place to go to in the holidays. You pay £12 when you first go because you have to pay for the socks, which you can then keep and only pay £10 everytime you go. It's an hour long session and that is definitely long enough. You get to go on everything I've mentioned above.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know I love fitness. Depending on how hard you go, you will hurt in the morning! Such a fun way to exercise!

Definitely check out AirHop or any trampoline park if you can, you won't regret it!

5 Things to Help You Stick to the Gym

As I've been the member of the same gym since I was 13, and I'm 20, I feel as if I am rather experienced in the gym world. The fact I'm a Gym Instructor helps aswell really doesn't it? Now it's the start of the year when most people start saying "This is the year I'll get fit!" They go to the gym once or twice, put an Instagram picture of their new trainers and then they're back to not exercising and watching Netflix. Don't deny it, we've all been there! I've discovered things that do and don't work when it comes to exercising and I figured I'd share them with you. 

1. Get a Work Out Buddy!

I love going on a Monday morning with my best friend, Georg! She picks me up at an early time because she has University at 1pm, and then we'll head straight to the gym. It's so good to go with a friend for a longer session, I tend to go more than once a week but my long session is always with Georg. What's better than a catch up over a treadmill?

2. Work Out in the Morning

Following on from my last point when I said I go to the gym Monday Morning, I love to go on Mondays in general. I get up, get ready and go. I instantly feel like my day has been productive and it sets a good mood for the rest of the day, whats better than that?

3. Treat Yourself to New Gear

I always say to people starting the gym, it's always worth buying a decent pair of trainers. The amount of money you spend constantly having to repurchase ones from Primark, you could've paid for a decent pair from Nike. They're made particularly for training, it will benefit you! I always find that if I buy new gear, I want to go to the gym and show it all off. Today my new trainers came, I went to the gym a couple of hours later!

4. Get a Decent Nights Sleep

I get it, it's 2am, you've just finished the last chocolate in the box, and you're about to press play on another TV show episode. But, what if you plan to go to the gym that very next day? I can guarantee you, you will hate hearing that alarm even more. Drink a glass of water, get to sleep and you'll wake up wanting to squat! 

5. Make a GREAT Playlist 

There is nothing worse than scrolling through your phone and just seeing songs like "Daniel Merriweather-Bad Day" start playing. (This happened to me today!) Make a playlist in advance of songs that you know you will work that little bit harder for. Beyonce, Little Mix and Justin Bieber are some great artists I listen to, to get me moving. Alternatively, my gym has WiFi, so I leave all the videos in my subscription box until I get there, I can get there do what I'd usually be led in bed doing, on an exercise machine!

I hope these things come of use to you, some of them are kind of obvious and raved about. There is a reason for that, it works. Remember, exercise can be done in many other different ways to the gym and even walking to work, rather than driving, can massively benefit you! 

See you soon! 

Five Ways To Stay Kind Of Healthy at Christmas

It's here. The time of year that we all forget about the bikini bodies and the shorts we may fit into, and we focus on oversized jumpers and how many chocolates we can consume without feeling sick. I embrace this time, I'm usually the first one buying the big tin of chocolates! But, this year, I saw something on instagram and it said, "Summer Bodies are made in Winter." Now I know, we shouldn't be worrying about our weight and I'm not saying "Don't eat chocolate. Eat celery." I'm just thinking, maybe I shouldn't lose my gym mojo just because it's the time the advent calendars come out. 

1. Exercise in the morning.

Now I've had this debate with a lot of people. But honestly, if you wake up early and go to the gym. It's done, it's out of the way, you can do all the Christmassy things you like for the rest of the day. Last year, I went to the gym on Christmas Eve. Yeah, I know. 

2. Go on Walks

I loooooove Winter walks. What's better than putting on a cosy coat, hat and some wellies and heading into the forest? It destresses you, gets you away from social media and gets you fresh air and some exercise. All while you crazily jumped in puddles!

3. Have a good meal a day.

I get that most people have a lot of junk food snacks throughout the day. What if, it got to lunch and you thought "Hey, why don't I have a stir fry for lunch?" You have your stir fry with your veg, and then it's kind of unlikely you'll have enough to fit in that extra piece of apple pie, when you've had such a filling meal. Am I even making sense? It's 10:12pm.

4. Drink plenty of water.

Christmas is the time for the parties. And I know if you're over the legal age of consuming alcohol in your country, some of us will like to enjoy a glass of wine or nine. Even if you're younger and you drink lots of Coca Cola, make sure you're getting that water in. I know this tip is always being mentioned, but there's a reason for that. It works! The amount of health benefits you can get from drinking just a few glasses a day, it will have you pumped to put that tree up!

5. Catch up on sleep. 

A funny one, but this helps your brain a lot. We're recommend seven to nine hours sleep a night, and in the Winter, when there are longer nights it is the perfect time to get those hours in. So catch up on those hours you've missed from going to bed so late in those Summer nights! Quick fact, sleep actually improves memory. That means you won't forget to get a certain someone their Christmas present!

Just remember that your body is your temple, look after it! 

But also eat those mince pies. Before I do. 

It's Hard for Me to Believe too..

As I type this now, I have just finished a work out. I know, an actual work out. This is something I've never really mentioned on my blog before, but I am an active user of a gym and try my best to stay in shape. Recently, I have been on a gym instructor course, I know, it's hard for me to believe too. I really want fitness to become a key part in my life and to help someone to also do that, sounds perfect. So be prepared for more fitness, healthy posts!