An exercise routine while the kettle boils?‏

Decathlon UK recently enlisted the help of fitness guru and qualified personal trainer Julia Buckley to create exercises that can be done at home, without using specialist equipment. The idea behind this was the fact that many people struggle to get to the gym as often as they’d like for a whole range of reasons from not having enough to time to being slightly intimidated by other gym users.

The workout consists of the following exercises, which should each be done for 40 seconds with a 20 second break before moving on to the next one:

• Standing Mountain Climber
• Hindu Push Ups
• Ski Abs
• Thai Plank
• Russian Twist
• Lunge Kicks
• Back Raises
• Burpees
• Ab Tucks

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I've been enjoying doing some of these at home. If you give this workout a try let me know how you get on.

Festive ways to get fit this winter #SimplyhealthHealthyHabits

Eat, drink and be merry! I've definitely been doing all three of those and with party season in full swing there are some surprising ways you can burn excess calories without compromising on fun. Christmas is both busy and a time of indulgence, so it’s especially difficult to stick to healthy habits. There are plenty of fun seasonal activities that could help you keep up your fitness regime this winter and I'm going to list a few to get you inspired to move more this winter.

I recently tried ice skating for the first time since I was a teenager. Ice skating requires constant movement, which makes it a great way to burn hundreds of calories per hour. It's also a fun way to get outdoors in the winter, but indoor ice skating rinks are another way to enjoy this activity all year round.

I was terrified, thought I was going to fall over for the entire session but I gave it my best shot. I think I probably burned loads of nervous energy calories. I know I'm all too guilty of cooking up huge carb filled meals at this time of year, adding some Baileys to my coffee and neglecting my bike when its cold and wet. I really enjoyed getting out of the house, having fun and getting some fresh air.

If you want to find out more about how many calories winter activities can burn head over to Simplyhealth who have made a guide to festive ways to get fit.

Other fantastic calorie burning winter activities include:

Walking - Why not take a long brisk walk after a heavy Christmas dinner? There are plenty of places to walk and if you add in a hill you’ll see greater benefits. Walking in snowy conditions is also tougher and will therefore provide a greater calorie burn.

Hit the dance floor - Christmas parties often end up on the dance floor and if you're out with friends don't lurk around the side, have a great time and dance the night away. You could easily balance out a glass of wine this way.

Gaming - I don't mean be antisocial and play in your Xbox all day boxing day. Get the Wii fit out, Just Dance or any of those games and interact with your family members and have fun whilst being more active.

How do you keep fit during the winter? Got any top tips for staying active over the festive period?

Guest post - Getting a heel in the door - Caitlin

One of the things I’ve learnt on my journey is that fitness, like so many other things, is about getting a foot in the door. It’s really tough to get into the swing of things until you find that one activity that you actually enjoy doing.

When you find something you love you’ll stick at it, then you’ll start to get good at it and to see results. Then you’ll enter the cycle of results inspiring further work leading to more results and things take off from there. You’ll get more and more obsessed by fitness and start to love working out and cooking healthy meals and learning about nutrition. You’ll spend your free time finding different classes to try and researching new recipes and the momentum you’ve created will gradually make it easier and easier for you to stick to your programme. It’s getting that first foot in the door that’s the hard part.

For me, the activity that helped me get my foot (or six inch heel) in the door was pole dancing. In school I would have done anything to get out of PE. I was tiny and really weak, and I’m pretty badly co-ordinated which meant I was terrible at team sports.  I was also extremely shy so I avoided anything that I thought I’d be bad at in case I was right and it was embarrassing.

I first tried pole dancing the summer before my final year of university. Of course, I was hopeless at that for a long time too, but it was so much fun that I didn’t mind. I kept going back and built up some pretty impressive upper body and core strength without even realising it. In a few months I was able to lift my whole body up into an invert despite not actually consciously trying to get stronger.

Once I realised how much I liked being strong and how great exercising made me feel I joined a gym properly and now I train with my PT once a week. These days nothing makes me happier than lifting weights, doing hill sprints or cooking a new healthy dish!

It’s really important to remember that change is still a process and these things do taken time. Even after you find the thing you love doing the results will be gradual not instant, but believe me when I say that it gets so much easier from that point. My advice to anyone who’s been on fitness kicks before but didn’t stick to them is to keep at it – keep trying different things as you may not have found the one that’s going to work for you yet. It’s tough, but getting fit has honestly changed my life, and if anyone had told me how much better I’d feel as a result I would have done anything possible to make it happen sooner.

Good luck to everyone reading this, and if you ever need a motivational pep talk you can find me blogging about fitness and clean eating over here!

Shock Absorber Sports Bra Review

We do love a good sports bra here at Team WAMK, we are all very aware of the importance of adequate support during any exercise.  Hopefully none of you let your babies swing wild whilst exercising!  If you do please do yourself a favour and get yourself a sports bra, you will thank us for it when gravity kicks in.  Shock Absorber sent us two of their sports bras to review, the zipped plunge sports bra and the Active D+ flexiwire sports bra, we put them through their paces and here are our thoughts.

Zipped Plunge Sports Bra - size range: 32-38 B-DD.
Stockists: www.shockabsorber.co.uk

Sarah tested this one and loved it.  It is really easy to get on and off due to the zip front, there is nothing worse than trying to pull a sports bra over your head when you are all sweaty.  I have had to wrestle out of my old one far too many times, almost as exhausting as the actual work out!  It felt really supportive on - in fact my 34C's didn't move a centimetre whilst running, rowing or boxing.  It was really comfortable too, there are no fastenings on the back so it is perfect for mat work.

The zip doesn't come in contact with the skin, there is a tab of fabric to prevent any potential rubbing and there is a hook which you do up first to make zipping that zip up much easier.

The fabric is also moisture-wicking to maximise comfort during exercise.  Apart from providing good support I love the way it looks.  The racer back means I don't have to worry about straps falling down my narrow shoulders and the neon trim adds nice detail.  The zipped plunge sports bra does everything I could want from a sports bra, now to work on the flat tummy so I can wear it without needing a top covering it up!


Active D+ Flexiware Sports Bra - size range: 30-40 D-G, 32-38 GG-H.
Stockists: www.shockabsorber.co.uk

Sarah V tested this one. It's a much more traditional style, and I found it more snug than other sports bras I've worn. I don't think that's about fit, though, I think it's the style and it was still perfectly comfortable. In the past, even the best sports bra hasn't stopped my boobs moving around when jumping up and down at zumba, but this was so supportive. This bra is actually specifically designed for women with larger busts.

Like Sarah's bra, this is moisture-wicking and fully breathable. It's a great sports bra and one I'd certainly recommend.

Panache sports bra review

Sports bras are important for women who exercise, no matter what bust size you are. With any bra you need support and comfort and with exercising you need it even more. I had been using the cheapest sports bra I could find that came in my size (which happened to be from M&S) it was adequate for a low impact gym workout but I wanted to start running outdoors and not just on the pavement so I was keen to try out the sports bra by Panache which offers a little more support.

Panache is a British brand that specialises in lingerie for bigger cup sizes, and they've recently applied their fuller bust fit to sports bras. It claims to reduce bounce by 83% which is great news for runners out there. I have already written about Panache bras on my other blog and I've been a long time fan of the brand so I had high hopes for this one.

Currently, most sports bras for larger cup sizes rely on compression to reduce bounce which results in that horrid uni-boob look  Panache bras support each breast separately with under wire and a moulded cup which gives a much more flattering shape under clothes. I found the bra very comfortable, the straps are padded and there is padding along the under wire so this sits nice under your bust rather than digging in. The are three hooks on the back which give a nice, firm support and the neckline isn't too high so doesn't show under my vests and t-shirts. I also wore this bra to a sleepover and kept it on all night (worry about falling out in my sleep, lame) and it felt like I didn't have a bra on.

I can't say if the bra reduced bounce by 83% but it's the best supporting bra I own and I may purchase this in another colour. This bra would be great for those who work out and do yoga with a little cropped top on because you could wear this on its own.

Panache provided the bra for review purposes but also sent a little running kit. I'm sporting the bumbag (I'm calling it that but apparently it's a running belt), pedometer and reflective arm band in the photos above. I've always just hit the pavement with my iPod and not much else. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to running so it was great to get some kit that ensures I'm safe and hydrated when I'm out for a run.

What are you essential items for running? Have you tried the Panache sports bra?

Guest Post - Rave dance class by Amy from (A) My Space

By Amy Rowland - amylysette.blogspot.co.uk - @amylysette 

I hate gyms. Really hate them. Last year I took leave of my senses and ended up signing up for a years membership. I did one gym class and never went again. That gym class cost me £444. OUCH. 

Anyway, I've already lost 20lbs with Weight Watchers but need to lose another 20lbs before I reach my goal. And I'm not stupid. I know to do that I do need to do some exercise. And I'm not opposed to exercise. Just gyms. So when I saw an advert for Fitness Freak's dance rave class I signed up immediately. Now dancing is a form of exercise I love so much so I don't even realise it's exercise.

My friend Elaine and I arrived at the Vaults under Waterloo station and were handed glow sticks. So far, so rave. There was a real party atmosphere inside which made you forgot you were about to exercise at all. It was more like you were in a club with your mates. 

The rave kicked off and was led by instructor Loren and Fitness Freak founder Shara. The first song was I like to move it, move it and so we did. 

The class was a mix of cardio and conditioning exercise with a lot of glow stick waving in the area and free styling. Oh and of course lots of 'big fish, little fish, cardboard box.'

The class was SO enjoyable. Unlike a gym where you feel everyone is looking at you, the rooms as dark so it really didn't matter if you made a mistake, no one saw. The aim of the game was fun whilst burning up to 500 calories. It certainly did that. I was very sweaty and had very achey thighs the next day!

There is no doubt I'd do it again as it barely felt like exercise. And as for dancing with a glow stick? I may make this a regular thing…

Motivation Needed!

Its no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of exercise. When I first started trying to lose weight, the healthy eating fell into place fairly easily, albeit with a few slips off the wagon here and there. But I will always have to work super hard to keep up my motivation for exercise. Its not something that comes naturally to me at all. During my last term at university and for a while over the last few months I got myself into a good routine with going to the gym, but even then it was always something I had to really push myself to do - I never once thought to myself 'I can't wait to get to the gym'. Part of the reason that I made sure I went on a regular basis was because I didn't want to spend £40 a month on a gym membership that didn't get used enough! Its amazing how much of a motivation not wanting to waste money can be!

This was all very well and good, but I've recently changed my job, which means keeping my gym membership wasn't practical because there was no chance of it getting used enough. So now I am left with a dilemma...how am I going to motivate myself to exercise!? I have a couple of exercise DVDs, including the 30 Day Shred and an old Davina McCall one, which I'm planning to dig out of storage, and I was also lucky enough to be sent the Revoflex X-Treme Abs and Body Toning machine from XLS Medical which I'm looking forward to getting some use out of as my stomach is a real problem area for me. I would also like to start doing a bit more running once it starts getting lighter in the evenings - I was running at the gym but by the time I get home from work its far too dark and cold to pound any pavements. So all things considered, I am well equipped to get in some exercise that doesn't come in the form of the gym...the question now, is how to make sure I actually do it!?

Here is what I want to know - what motivates you to get off the sofa and get moving? I know I am by no means the busiest person out there, and yet I still struggle to find the time to work out - what are your tips and tricks for getting in some activity? I know I need to incorporate more exercise into my lifestyle but finding the motivation is so difficult - tell me what works for you!

Lauren

Rosie - 2012 round up

This photo was taken just at the end of last year (on a particularly mild November day!)  It was around then that I started to realise that my weight had crept up and along with it I was having to buy more and more size 14 clothes. Size 14 can be a totally healthy size on some women but I'm 5'3" and it just doesn't sit right on me.  I remember weighing myself at the start of the year and realising the scales said 10.10 lbs rather than the 10.1 I was roughly expecting.  This meant I had a BMI of almost 27 and was firmly in the 'overweight' bracket.

A typical day for me would have been no breakfast, a sandwich, crisps, chocolate and Haribo at lunchtime and pizza or waffles and cheese for dinner.  I did no exercise and was completely miserable about my weight.  I used to grab the bulging fat around my middle and dream of cutting it off! I felt uncomfortable and a the turn of the year I knew I wanted to do something about it, I just didn't know how.

They say 'when the student is ready the teacher appears' and that's true for me.  On the 17th January I was offered to undertake a free trial of Jenny Craig, which I wrote about on my own blog.  It was a big shock to the system not having all the sugar I was used to and introducing lots of vegetables back into my life.  In the end I stayed on the plan until April and lost 1-2 lbs on average every week so I was down to 140lbs when I came off it.  This is me in April.

I kept up lots of the good habits and was able to hover around that mark for a few months.  By August I was 141 lbs which is still actually marginally in the 'overweight' category for my height.  I wanted to lose more but I didn't know how to.  I'd started running but I wanted to make sure I was eating right too and I didn't know anything about exercise.  Again it was obviously the right time for me as Laura at Chambray and Curls mentioned to me that her partner worked in nutrition and fitness and had helped her lose weight when she was struggling through helping her understand what she should and shouldn't be eating and helping her meet her fitness goals.  Her partner Charis (who runs Louca Personal Training) kindly offered to do the same for me and took some time understanding what my goals and habits were before asking for weekly diet and exercise diaries.  Every week he would analyse my food and exercise log and help me identify where I was going wrong and where I could make positive changes.  He introduced me to 'clean eating' - not eating processed or pre-packaged foods and instead eating lots of protein and vegetables.  I pulled out all my cookbooks and started making healthy, delicious dinners, making sure I ate something every mealtime and increasing my exercise.  I had one day a week where I would eat whatever I wanted, and I would 'eat clean' the rest of the time.  The best thing about 'eating clean' is that it's not a diet, it's just an education in  making healthy choices and not eating things that are super processed or full of sugar.  Charis helped me realise that if I did this 90% of the time I could still go on holiday and eat what I wanted, or eat what I wanted over Christmas or on special occasions because I know it's not going to have a long term effect on my weight.

As I jetted off to Florida for two-and-a-half weeks in September I've really only been doing this properly since mid-October.  I'd lost a few lbs already through Charis's good advice but I started as 139 lbs in October and have continued sending him my weekly diaries and taking on his advice and I'm now 127 lbs, meaning that with his help I've lost another stone, the majority of that in the last two months.  I hit my 10 week pledge target (129 lbs) a few weeks early and I now comfortably fit into a size 10.  The best part of all of this is that all of the changes I've made are a part of my life now - doing exercise classes in the evenings, eating clean the majority of the time, running in the mornings etc, are now things I 'do' rather than things I 'do because I'm trying to lose weight'.

This is the most recent photo of me I have.  I think the biggest difference is in my face! No more chubby cheeks! In total I've lost 23lbs (over a stone and a half) and I feel comfortable, happy and healthy.  I used to go to bed feeling sick almost every night (probably due to all the sugar I was eating), I was tired all of the time and I'd collapse into bed at night completely exhausted and then not be able to sleep.  Nowadays I hop out of bed in the morning to go for a run and still look forward to going to an exercise class in the evening.  I couldn't have done any of this without Charis's help and I'd really recommend him and his company if you're looking for a way to make long-term changes, get fit and lose weight.  He offers several different plans at really reasonable prices and he's so motivating and supportive.  He is also offering 10% off any of his plans if you mention Where Are My Knees when you get in contact.

I'd love to hear about your weight loss journeys this year.  Remember that 2013 is a new year and it could be the year you make some amazing changes.

chris' 6 day shred diary: day three

Ouch.

Ow.

Oof.

And so forth. Today was another Body Pump day, and I'll be honest, it was more difficult than I expected.

See, as much as Body Combat didn't feel like quite as hard a workout as Pump, I woke up this morning with some rather achey shoulders and arms - not the best situation to be in when you have a weight training class later that day!

I did, however, up my weights like I wanted to - if only on the back and squat tracks. My arms are tired today, and the idea of hefting extra weight around on the bicep and tricep focused tracks seemed horrific. However, it wasn't until I came to write this post that I realised that I'd gone lighter than last time on my shoulders - what a fool I am, eh?

Today's weights were:

Warmup - 10Kg
Squats - 32Kg
Chest - 20Kg
Back - 25Kg
Triceps - 15Kg
Biceps - 12Kg
Lunges - 20Kg
Shoulders - 12Kg

Which still isn't bad, and if I'm honest I'm kind of glad I didn't do the extra weight on my shoulders. I've got a Combat class tomorrow evening, so I'm not looking forward to how much my arms are going to hurt in the morning...

Foodwise, today I had:

Breakfast: Three apples. Standard.
Lunch: A big old baked potato, full of salad and coleslaw.
Dinner: A pasta, tuna, sweet chilli and vegetable... thing that I made because I fancied something different, didn't have much time before class, and couldn't be bothered looking for or following a recipe.

And finally... my weight: 1.2 pounds since yesterday. That's absolutely crackers, even for me, who loses weight quickly. I know this is probably that first bit of excess weight dropping off when you've not done a proper hardcore diet for a while, but still; two pounds in as many days ain't to be sniffed at...

See you tomorrow, shred fans!

Chris' 6 Day Shred Diary: Day Two

Today was Body Combat.

It was the first time I'd ever done Body Combat - so in order to properly give you a my first impressions of what it's like, I thought I'd present a short log of my thoughts during it:

7:30 - Bloody hell, it's busy here tonight.
7:50 - I appear to be the only man waiting for this class (If you can call a human being who spent twenty minutes before leaving for the gym running about the house squealing "Electrolytes, I need my electrolytes, I SIMPLY CANNOT GO TO THE GYM WITHOUT MY ELECTROLYTES" a man).
8:00 - Jacques is taking the class. Jacques looks more like a man called Jacques than you can imagine. Jacques asks if I am new at this. I say yes. He puts his hand on my shoulder, shakes his head like a man saying goodbye to a lame dog, and begins the class.
8:01 - Jacques moves with the speed, precision and grace of a Cobra crossed with an Eagle.
8:02 - I move with the speed, precision and grace of a sofa humping a wardrobe on a staircase.
8:05 - I have punched myself in the ear.
8:08 - I have punched the lady to my left in the ear.
8:15 - I have very nearly punched Jacques in the ear.
8:25 - Marilyn Manson's version of "Sweet Dreams" isn't supposed to be this fast.
8:30 - I'm starting to enjoy this. I already feel more confident; I'm sure I'd stand a chance in a fight now - assuming the fight could be won by just going cross-hook-cross-hook-weave-weave-weave over and over again, and I was fighting a child. With her arms taped to her side.
8:35 - A very fast version of "Bass in the Place" has just started. I don't understand how anyone who isn't on amphetamines could move in time to this.
8:36 - I am now moving faster than a person on amphetamines could, because parts of this one are in double time.
8:45 - In order to make sure nobody feels left out, I have punched the lady to my right in the ear.
8:47 - I'm quite surprised to realise I've spent the last couple of minutes properly lost in the track and the routine, and I've been swinging really rather aggressively - rather unlike the Omega Male I usually am.
8:50 - I have a feeling this abs workout breaks a few key parts of the Geneva convention.
9:00 - I am a sweat beast. I belong in a cave where my sopping skin won't ruin any soft furnishings and my curiously purple, hideous, dribbling face won't scare the townsfolk.

So yeah, that's Body Combat.

I've got to say, I actually really enjoyed it. It really highlighted how poor my coordination and balance are, and it's great for getting the heart going too. It doesn't feel like as "hard" of a workout as something like Body Pump, but there are some lightning fast combinations in there, as well as tracks that involve quickly shifting your weight and body shape drastically without falling on your big, fat, sweaty face. It's good fun, and I'm looking forward to my next class on Thursday already.

Food wise, today consisted of:

Breakfast: Three apples. Pushing the boat out.

Lunch: A salad plus the last little bit of the slimming world meat loaf I made on the weekend.

Dinner: Homemade bolognese with turkey mince and Tesco half fat cheese, then an Aero mousse thing - only 93 calories, but it is slightly lighter than air.

I did stop at Tesco after the gym I'm afraid, in a moment of weakness - here's all the goodies I picked up on my late night, post-gym trip to the home of every sweet, biscuit, cake and crisp on the planet:

Ooh yeah, living the highlife.

I know I'm only two days (or 33%, or a third) into my challenge, but so far I'm feeling good. I have a feeling my arms might ache from all the punching tomorrow (which will make Body Pump fun tomorrow...) But it's nice to be focused and "in the zone" again, so to speak. Even better, so far I've already seen an awesome effect on my weight: This morning I was almost a pound lighter than yesterday - so roll on tomorrow, I say!

Chris' 6 Day Shred Diary: Day One

I take exercise very seriously.

Okay, usually I take exercise very seriously (and look less camp during it; I don't know what the hell I'm doing in that photo. I'm also glad I wore my shorts underneath the skeleton onesie). But recently, my eating has got a little bit out of control. For some reason I can't quite fathom there has been an incredible amount of popcorn in my office recently, and doing things like getting a Dominos on Friday and then going to the Chinese on Sunday were really starting to make the pounds creep back on.

So, this weekend I decided: Let's do something about it. I'm going to rein the eating in, and really hit the gym hard this week - have a damn good shred and see how I feel, look and weigh afterwards, then share it with the wonderful readership of WAMK.

So, welcome to day one.

Day one was a Body Pump day. For anyone who's never done Body Pump, I would describe it as: a fight for your life with weights, while some dreadful masochist shouts at you over some Scooter B-Side or a remix of an Adele song. Except, somehow, it's fun.

Body Pump is a weights class, but it's never going to make you a hulking beefcake who can crack nuts with their biceps. Instead it focuses on strength, endurance and toning, and it's a damn good workout that will burn about 700 calories per session. I lift heavy because I'm fairly strong, but the heaviest I will ever put on my bar is around 30 kilos, which is around the weight of your average 10 year old (you try finding out what weighs 30 kilos using Google), and that's to put it on my shoulders in order to do squats - and it's still plenty!

So, today's weights were:

Warmup - 10Kg

Squats - 30Kg

Chest - 20Kg

Back - 22Kg

Triceps - 15Kg

Biceps - 12Kg

Lunges - 20Kg

Shoulders - 15Kg

I'd like to make a few of them a little heavier; squats and back in particular could go a little heavier.

Food wasn't too bad today: Breakfast was two apples, while lunch was a prawn wrap from the work canteen (which is probably a little bit carb heavy, but could be worse). That's not likely to change for the rest of the week as I do like my routine, although I do sometimes have a baked potato for lunch. Dinner was a Sweet and Sour made with Mr Bens Light sauce and boiled noodles, with loads of veg thrown in for measure. I'm about to sit down and watch the Walking Dead with an Options (Turkish Delight flavour - get in my head now you perfumed temptress, you), and that'll be it for the day - we'll see how my weight fares up tomorrow!

What to wear when running

When I first started running (you can also read my post about when I started running) it was because I was fed up of taking out gym memberships and then feeling guilty for not going.  I have a tendency to beat myself up constantly either about money or not doing exercise so the combination of doing so about both at the same time is too much for me! I had never gone running before until one day back in July when I decided to give it a try.  The great thing about running, I decided then, was that it was free, and I already had all of the things I needed to do it.  I ran every couple of days until September when I was away for most of the month, and since I got back I've run every couple of days since then.  I am still VERY much a beginner but I absolutely love it and I feel passionately that people could never imagine themselves getting out of bed in the morning and jogging out the door should give it a try, just a few times, to see if it's something that suits you.

When I first tried running I wore my bog standard trainers that I'd bought to go to the gym in a few years before.  It probably would have been better to buy some proper running trainers that were suited to my feet first but I had some proper orthotic insoles (incidentally, these ones if you are interested) that I'd bought a couple of months before that I knew supported my high arches so I slipped them in and off I went.  However, I would encourage you to find out which kind of trainers you need and get a decent pair (the good news is there are loads of good running trainers out there for under £40 - less than most monthly gym memberships!)

Choosing the right trainers

The best guide I have found for choosing the right running shoes is on Sportshoes.com - 'How to choose the right running shoe'.  Just follow the video and it'll show you, based on your footprint, whether you need a neutral shoe, a supportive shoe, or a control shoe.  You can then look at the trainers specifically in those sections so you know you're getting the right shoe for you.

Here are a few that look like great value to me (I'm no expert so I can't vouch for the shoes themselves but most of them are reduced from about £50 so you should be getting a good quality shoe for your money.) You'll need to click through to the description to see if they're the right shoe for you.

1. Saucony Lady Grid Tuned - £24.99
2. Reebok Lady Carthage - £24.99
3. Saucony Lady Grid Ignition 2 - £24.99
4. Mizuno Lady Crusader - £29.99
5 - Saucony Lady Grid Jazz - £19.99
6. Saucony ProGrid Stabil- £34.99

Other good value running gear

As I mentioned before, when I first started running I just wore bog standard gym gear; I already had a sports bra (a necessity!) a nice breathable t-shirt and some leggings.  Last week I treated myself to some new bits as I didn't have anything to keep me warm in the cold mornings or anything bright to make sure I'm safe when it's darker.  I buy all my running/fitness gear from Sports Direct as you can get some absolute bargains on there.  Here are some of my top picks (you'll spot some of them in my pre-run photo just below...)

1. Karrimor Running Shirt - £6.99 // 2. Lonsdale Sports Bra £6
3. Karrimor Running Shirt - £6.99  // 4. Karrimor Running Socks - £3.99
5. Nike Sports Bra - £18 // 6. Nike Long Sports Bra - £10
 7. Karrimor Gilet - £3.69 // 8. Karrimor Running Pants - £6.49

You can see now, that with a bit of bargain hunting, you could get your whole set of running kit, trainers included, for less than £50 (so I don't want to hear any more of those 'it's too expensive to buy running gear' excuses, ya hear? ;)

Special mention: Zaggora HotPants

not showing too much of my make-up less face thank god!
me in my hotpants 2.0*

You probably know by now that we're all huge fans of the Zaggora HotPants here on WAMK.  The way HotPants work is that they enhance your natural body temperature to warm you up in the areas you want to target most (thighs, bum, and legs).  You can wear them for almost any activity but I've been wearing them running not only because they are great for burning extra calories and inch loss but also they keep me warm and toasty when it's freezing!  We recently held a giveaway for two pairs of these amazing HotPants so keep your eye on WAMK over the next few days if you entered as we'll be announcing the winners.

Once you've got a decent pair of trainers and something to wear you're ready to go out and pound the concrete.  I recommend you shove in your pockets/bumbag (I know, very 80's but very handy!) an iPod/iPhone filled with awesome workout music and I'd also recommend you try out either the Couch to 5K app or the Nike Running app.  The first is great for building up your stamina and ability over time, and I use the second to measure my times and runs to motivate me to get better.

All that remains is for me to say good luck, and enjoy it! If you do decide to start running do let us know how you're getting on!

Guest Post - Elinor from You Haven't Failed Until You Quit Trying

Today's guest post comes from the lovely Elinor of You Haven't Failed Until You Quit Trying. Pop on over and say hello :)

First of all can I just say how lovely it was to have been asked to guest post for Where Are My Knees? :)

I'm Elle and I'm a 21 year old graduate (still in denial I'm no longer a student!), weight watchers lover & half marathon runner!! Too date I've currently lost 80.5lbs (5st 10lbs).

My story began when I joined Weight Watchers back in May 2009 weighing 16stone 12.5lbs and a size 20-22. Having always struggled with my weight, seeing dietitians, and half heartedly attempting to lose weight, something on that Monday clicked in my head. It was time to lose weight for good & more than anything I'd be doing it for myself. If I was to give anyone some advice it would be that losing weight has to be for you, you can't be pressured into it because you'll try it for 2 weeks and then give up. 

I knew the Weight Watchers plan and knew that it would fit in with student lifestyle; although I never imagined I'd be where I am today. My first week I lost 3lbs as was amazed [I still didn't think that I'd ever get to the point that goal would be in reach], I hadn't been hungry, hadn't done much exercise and had still been out getting drunk with my friends! The weight started dropping off & before I knew it people were commenting on how well I was looking. These comments are things that keep you going when you feel like throwing in the towel! Which trust me I have done, a million times!

When you get to a certain point in your weight loss journey the inevitable plateau hits, it's times like this that I just wanted to give up, and to be "normal" and not have to care about what I was eating; resisting a dominoes take away when that's what everyone is eating is SO hard! But then friends & family around me would remind me just how far I'd come, how good I was looking and remind me that the cycle of gaining & losing the same 2lbs would eventually break and that those small gains were nothing compared to what I had lost. Surrounding yourself with friends and family who will encourage & support you is another thing that will keep you going. 

Exercise, unfortunately becomes a must in order to keep up your weight loss, and also to tone up. But I've found once I get into a routine I can actually start to like exercise, although I will never love it. People that do are just a bit strange! But yet I found myself, with 2 friends,signing up to Bristol Half Marathon  Running is great because it's free, you can do it at your own pace and build it up depending on your own abilities. However if you're anything like myself I used to hate, actually despise, running in public! Convinced people were always staring at me because I was the fat person who was attempting to run. Yup even after losing almost 6 stone I still see myself as fat. But I soon got over that fear of everyone watching me and learnt to enjoy running, it gave me so much more energy, was a great de-stresser and having signed up for the half marathon I had something to aim for so I couldn't just stop! I'm not going to lie there were days where it would take me a good couple of hours to convince myself that going for a run would make me feel better, and once I'd got out there I felt so much better. The feeling once I'd got back of how much I'd pushed myself & looking back at how far I'd come was such a confidence booster! 

The half marathon itself was such an emotional day! The nervousness before starting of thinking "oh god I've got to run 13.1 miles" but yet the anticipation of crossing the finishing line knowing how far I'd come is something that kept me going, especially around miles 10-11 when I almost cried! Not sure if it was due to pain in my legs or realising that I didn't have far left to go! Seeing 2 of my best friends at the side of the road shouting our names was such a boost and exactly what I needed! And yes I had a small tear in my eye as I crossed the line! My official time came in as 2:19:41 and I've already signed up to my next half! I'm not going to preach about how you should all go out and sign up for a half marathon but if you want to build exercise into your life then I would definatley recommend running! 

Something it took me a while to get my head around is that losing weight isn't just about the number on the scales. And something you should all bear in mind when having a bad week or a STS or a gain. Taking your measurements is a vital ingredient to monitoring weight loss & something I would advise you all to do if you don't already. I have photo's of myself that are only abut a 5-7lb difference but I'm wearing 2 totally different size clothes in them, just because I've been exercising & losing inches rather than pounds!

Support comes from anywhere whether it be friends, family, facebook, twitter, blogging or weight watchers boards. There have been days where everything is going wrong but someone will say something and you'll re focus on why you are doing this. I still have days where I eat everything & anything in sight (sometimes my inner fat girl just wins!) but the next day I'll draw a line. There's a quote that I often see floating around something like "you wouldn't smash your phone up having dropped it, so why let one bad day ruin a good week". I would also recommend comparing pictures of yourself; I do this quite regularly & I'm sure my Facebook friends & twitter followers get fed up of it sometimes but seeing the comments and encouragement from people is sometimes the boost you need to get your head back in it.

Joining Weight Watchers was the best thing I have ever done, whilst I've physically lost so much, I have also gained so much in terms of confidence in myself, pride in who I and my abilities and some fabulous friends along the way! To date I am 11st 2lbs and a size 10-12! It still shocks me that I have achieved this, but have faith in yourself and confidence in how far you can go.

"You haven't failed until you quit trying" - A quote that keeps me going at times I want to throw in the towel, I may not be at goal yet but I am still working on my journey!

Lots of Love 

Elle

xx

Flying Fantastic

A few weeks back (just after I was announced as a new member of WAMK, so quite a lot of weeks back to be fair) the girls and I were all invited along to try out a Flying Fantastic aerial fitness class. Unfortunately (for them) Gem, Sarah and Rosie all live too far away to be able to travel into London just for an evening, so I went it alone.

You guys, it was so much fun!

For those of you who have never heard of 'aerial fitness', it is exactly what it sounds like. A workout, up in the air. Flying Fantastic offers classes in both aerial silks and hoops, as well as slings and 'circus circuits'. I went along to an aerial silks class on last Tuesday to get a taste of what the class was all about and have a go on the silks. Naturally I was rubbish, but I had such a good time that it didn't even matter. The class was brilliantly structured, with six silks and one instructor for every three or so 'students'. We were grouped off at the beginning of the class in order of ability. As it was my first class I was in the beginners group, and obviously the only other beginner took to it like it to a duck to water, further highlighting my rubbishness! My instructor was Rachel and she was completely fantastic, explaining and demonstrating all the moves and helping out when we couldn't quite do it ourselves (by 'we', I mean 'I').

An example of one of the tricks that I couldn't do! They make it look so easy...it isn't!

I will admit to being dubious about the whole thing at first, but after just hour on the silks I can definitely see how and why its coming to be seen as the new 'hot' workout. Man, did I work. I can really see how going to classes regularly would massively increase your fitness and strength. Climbing the silks takes some real strength in both your arms and legs, and the flips, tucks and lord knows what else you can get up to really work your core muscles. I could barely do any of the 'tricks' that Rachel showed us and I was still aching three days later (says some pretty bad things about my fitness and strength, to be honest!).

Not only was the class a really good workout - it was good fun as well. There was a great atmosphere - all the instructors were friendly and helpful and the other students were really chatty and welcoming. I've been to classes before where you walk in as a newbie and get the stink-eye from all the hardcore old-timers at the front, so it was great to go in and have other students smiling and striking up conversation.

Flying Fantastic currently operates in Battersea and Farringdon and classes are £18 each. This may seem a little steep at first, but taking into consideration the unusual nature of the exercise, the number of instructors per class, the amount of one-on-one time each student receives with their instructor, and the length of the classes themselves (around 90 minutes), its actually very reasonable. All class information and contact details are available on the Flying Fantastic website, so if you fancy shaking up your workout regime or just going to see what all the fuss is about then head on over and drop them a line. As workouts go, it definitely beats slogging it out on the treadmill!