Okay so, are we all agreed that we can call January a blip, and from a health and fitness perspective at least, say we’re starting the year with February? I’ll be completely honest and say that I have fallen off the wagon in a big way. I got so much chocolate for Christmas that I’m still trucking through it by having a bar of chocolate most days, I get home from work and immediately reach for the crisps cupboard, and I’m still drinking glasses of wine and prosecco like it’s the holiday season. Apparently I can’t sustain eating like ‘the calories don’t count because Christmas’ for seven weeks in a row, and the scales tell me I’ve put on about a stone. And my work trousers don’t fit any more. Ouch.
With this in mind – I needed some inspiration to get me back in the gym (or at least a gentle first step towards it with a few morning runs or spins). I needed to swap my boxes of Toffifee for green smoothies, and I needed some new stylish sportswear, STAT. This, however, has not been an easy quest. Fashion brands from the budget to the designer seem to have recently cottoned on that most women these days have a sportswear wardrobe (and like to look good when they’re working out), and there are so many more options for stylish gym-wear than there ever were before. This can only be a good thing, right?
However. I have found these new sportswear ranges a mixed bag. I’ve bought sports wear from two online fashion brands recently only to find the material either cheap, see-through, or so un-breathable that you’re uncomfortably sweaty by the time you’ve walked into the gym. Looking good, it seems, comes at a cost. And that cost is often that their sportswear is totally unsuitable for a workout. I began to wonder if it was impossible to get gym-wear that was a) comfy, b) stylish and c) well-made (well, not without totally breaking the bank).
That was until Pink Soda Sport came into my life. Their sportswear is so cool that I can totally imagine myself going for a morning yoga class and then a green tea at Starbucks without changing out of my gym gear (it’s also so cool that I feel a little bit like I’m heading off for some trendy new yoga class in LA or something; I just love the designs!)
Pink Soda Sports Bra: £18* // Pink Soda Leggings: £28* // Pink Soda Sweatshirt: £28*
I’ve been wearing the crew neck sweatshirt with jeans as well as just to the gym – after throwing away half of my clothes recently and trying to cut down on how much I own, it’s important that the items I do have in my wardrobe are multi-functional, and this is definitely a hard-working piece. (Also after seeing how awesome Lydia Millen looks in hers, I have even more gym inspiration/envy than before – what a babe).
Thankfully, as well as ticking the ‘stylish’ box, Pink Soda Sport also ticks the ‘well-made’ box – something that for some reason seems mutually exclusive when hunting for cool sportswear. I just love the ribbon logo on the inside of the hood, and the contrast of the pink against the grey marl. This is another item that’s barely been off my back since I received it – it’s so cosy and fleece-y inside, perfect for throwing on after a run, or for a dog walk or a nip to the shops!
Pink Soda Hoody: £32*
I would be lying if I said it hadn’t got me down that I’ve added a few (more than a few!) extra pounds over the last few weeks. I know that exercise makes me feel good – my happiest periods have been when I’ve been really active, getting lots of fresh air and fitting in a few gym sessions a week. But I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had the motivation to go to the gym after getting home from a long day at work and an hour in the car. It’s such a vicious cycle that the more active you are, the more energy you have, but until you take that first step it can take a lot of motivation to drag you out of bed in the morning!
We’re moving soon from our sleepy little village to Bournemouth city centre, and I’m hoping that being within walking distance from various gyms (as well as slightly cutting down my commute) will give me the motivation I need to get moving. Plus I think we’ll be booking a couple of holidays imminently for June and August, and I always find that the thought of being in a bikini gives me that burst of inspiration to blast away the belly!
How have your New Year health and fitness plans taken shape? Have you had an active start to the year, or, like me, are you still knee deep in tins of Celebrations?