We're loving - Esprit Sportswear

I'm not going to make any bold and unrealistic goals for 2015 but the one thing I've promised myself that I'll achieve is going to yoga once a week and doing one gym session a week. Obviously I'll aim to do more than that but it would be nice to get some activity in each week even when I'm not feeling well or I'm super busy.

In my bid to look more colourful and feel more comfortable whilst working out I've been scouring the internet and found a store that stocks up to a size 18 and has loads of basic items which can be mixed with more statement pieces. Esprit is a fashion brand that blends creativity and responsibility fused with a sunny Californian attitude.The Esprit webshop has thousands of items and I found a few I'm coveting for my own collection.

Sports & high-performance trousers - £ 29.00

Soft jersey T-shirt - £ 19.00

Trend trainers with a flexible sole - £ 39.99

I like the second outfit for yoga in the winter because the studio can be freezing and I need a long sleeve top and the fleece would be great to add on top when I'm going for a long walk. 

Soft zip jacket, knit exterior, fleece interior - £ 45.00

Printed leggings in stretch cotton-jersey - £ 25.00

ultra-soft slub jersey long sleeve top - £ 19.00

All my sportswear is not really fit for purpose. I'm always getting my baggy trousers caught on the machines at the gym and my oversize t-shirts fall down showing my midriff to everyone when I'm doing a downward dog. Not a good look. I'm slowly replacing all my gym kit with much more functional items like t-shirts with materials that helps wick sweat away from the body.

What are your favourite sportswear brands that cater for larger sizes?

Aldi Fitness Products

6 minute work out books: £1.49 each | healthy cook books: £1.99 each | gym bag: £4.99
fitness top/shorts: £4.99 each | ab gym belt: £11.99 | mp3 player: £8.99 | fitness trainers: £9.99

If we told you that these ridiculously well priced fitness products can all be purchased from Aldi, would you believe us? A few days ago we would have been shocked too, but as part of their Specials promotion Aldi will be selling all these products and more.

We compared the prices to those from fitness shops and we're shocked at the difference, particularly with the ab gym belt which can usually be bought from £30 upwards. Their 6 piece ankle and wrist weight set (not pictured) is also fantastic value at £9.99 when compared with a well known retailer who offers just 2 weights for the same price. Not only that, but they're great quality for the price too. Aldi have kindly sent us some samples and we are impressed!



Gemma - I really do like these shorts but I'm not brave enough to wear them in public. I always wear trousers and a long sleeve top to the gym. I have worn them in the house for the 30 Day Shred and on my cross trainer and found them very comfortable and a lot less heavy than my heavy jersey material trousers that I normally wear. I liked the high waist on them which meant that I didn't need to pull them up and my stomach didn't show when I was reaching up and stretching. The back pocket is handy for your gym pass and locker key and I like the hint of pink running down the side of the shorts. I am a size 16-18 and they fit perfectly, a lot of work out clothing only really goes up to a Large or size 14.



Charlene - I received the skipping ropes which I was surprised to find are digital. You can input your weight, set a work out time and alarm and it will track how many skips you do and even how many calories you've burned. Skipping is a great form of exercise and sources say that ten minutes of jumping rope is roughly the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile and 15-20 minutes is apparently enough to burn off a chocolate bar! I think these are great value at £3.99 and being able to see how many calories you've burned is really motivational!

Sarah & Sarah - We both received the pink tshirt. It's a great colour, but more importantly it's breathable and the hydrophylic finish is designed to take moisture away from the skin - minimising that sweaty, gross feeling you get after exercising! It's great value at £4.99 and has definitely made its way into our gym bags.

What do you think of the range? These products have been on-sale in Aldi since Thursday 5th January and are only available whilst stocks last so we recommend you get yourself down to your nearest Aldi store asap!

The importance of sports bras.

A few weeks ago, when I was changing for my weekly exercise class, I realised I'd forgotten my sports bra. Bit annoying, but I figured I'd just make do with what I had and exercise in a regular bra. I know, I know, you should always wear a sports bra when doing strenuous exercise, but what harm could just one session do, really?

The. Bra. BROKE.

One of the straps broke clean in two, with ten minutes to go before the end of my exercise class. It was mortifying. I had to spend the rest of the class with one of my arms clasped to my chest, doing all the exercises one-sided. I mean, I say mortifying – it was mostly just hilarious (my fitness teacher laughed for five solid minutes when I told her), but it also really freaked me out. We all know that we SHOULD wear sports bras, right? They’re better for your back, and all sorts. But this was a clear, tangible sign that some bras are physically not STRONG enough to support your bouncing boobies during exercise.

That’s a pretty extreme situation, but the ramifications of not wearing a sports bra are very real. If your boobs aren’t properly supported and are bouncing about all over the place (you’re loving the imagery, I hope), you’re actually making gradual, small tears in the tissue inside your breasts. This is permanent. You know those old ladies you see on the street with boobs down to their waistband? That’s most likely from a lifetime of never wearing a bra.

Until now I’ve been wearing a very cheap sports bra from Primark. It does the job, but the elastic is already stretchier than it was and I’ve been worrying that it wasn’t helping all that much. So when LingeriePlease offered to send me a Triumph bra to test-drive for Where Are My Knees, I obviously jumped at the chance.

I actually can’t recommend it enough. The bra is very well-fitted, but also not uncomfortable. In fact, I’m not really aware I’m wearing it at all. But it’s seen me through several very energetic Zumba classes, with hardly a bounce in sight (and I’m an E cup). I wore my older bra the other week and really noticed the difference – wearing a good bra made me realise how supported I wasn’t.

What about you? Are you wearing a good bra to exercise in? Or is it on your to do list?