Workout At Home..No Excuses!

If like me you are a busy mum I know exercise is the last thing you want to be thinking about! However if you are feeling lathargic and low of energy, uncomfortable in your own skin or just generally unfit and you know you should do something about it then why not build up your will power and really try and make some changes!  

It might not be right for you, but for me going to the gym or external classes is too expensive and I also don't really have the time to factor in the travelling to and from.  Therefore I prefer to do my exercise at home, on my own turf, in my own time.  If you think this might be for you why not try some DVD's that you can stick on after the kids have gone to bed or before they wake up even?  Anytime that suits you is fine.  

Exercise DVD's are great, you can choose how long you exercise for and when you want to do it by varying the DVD's you use.  Personally I like to work out 3/4 times a week usually doing 3 x 1 hour work outs and 1 x 1/2 hour work out, you can do this too, or you could just 30 mins a day for 5/6 days a week - basically whatever is most convenient for YOU!

Although it might be a pain in the arse when your knackered to get up and start exercising,  I promise you that you will feel so much better for doing it in the short term and the long term.  Here is a selection of workout DVD's I have put together for you ranging from beginners up to a more advanced level:

Click Here For A Selection Of Davina DVDs

Click Here For A Selection Of Jillian Michaels DVDs

Click Here For A Selection Of Bob Harper DVDs

Other DVDs To Try

As you know I am a huge fan of Jillian Michaels who not only provides great workouts but also helps and encourages in other ways too. Click here to see Jillian Michaels answer your questions.  Another way to grab yourself a bit of inspiration to workout is to by some new clothes click here and here to see some of my reviews!

Love Sophie...xxx

P.S: Don't forget you can find me on Bloglovin too! 

Jillian Michaels Review - Ripped In 30

This is my favourite Go-To workout from Jillian Michaels I do it pretty much every Monday as it is a great all rounder and really gets your heart pumping!  You'll need an exercise mat and some hand weights for this workout.

The DVD is split into 4 different 20min workouts starting easy and getting harder.  The idea is to do one workout for an entire week moving to the next for four weeks.  Each workout is then divided into three circuits which you repeat twice.  Jillian has broken each circuit into the 3-2-1 which includes 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs.  This keeps the workout varied and interesting.

Personally I like to do two of the four workouts in a row - Workout 1 and Workout 4.  This means I can get almost an hour of exercise in ranging from easy(ish) to really hard. I really enjoy this DVD and would definitely recommend you give it a go at only £8.08 from Amazon you'd be mad to give it a miss!

Love Sophie...xxx

Can I Workout When I'm Ill?

The best advice I have ever had when exercising when feeling ill is to follow the above/below the neck rule! If your symptoms are above your neck i.e. runny nose or sore throat then you can continue with your exercise although it is best to go at a lower intensity then usual. If your symptoms are below your neck then it may be best to skip the workout! Apparently studies have shown that exercising at a moderate intensity will not make your cold worse or compromise your immune system.

For more information on exercise and working out visit Jillian Michaels' website here.

Jillian Michaels Work Out Review - No More Trouble Zones

NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES was the 2nd Jillian Michaels DVD that I purchased and it is currently £7.54 from Amazon. Once I had been working out to Banish Fat Boost Metabolism for a good month I decided I needed to mix it up a little and I purchased this DVD. No More Trouble Zones requires an exercise mat but also a set of weights/dumbbells. I bought my first set of dumbbells for this workout which you can add or take away extra weights to. When you first start working out to this DVD the weight of your dumbbells will be very light (around 3lbs) and as you get better and progress you will find you can use heavier weights. This DVD goes at a good pace and is not too quick.  Jillian explains how to carry out each move at different intensities for every level of fitness and I find her little speeches motivational.  Don't be too put off by the music though as it is quite bland and in my opinion more like background noise to help you keep the pace really. Personally I prefer this when I am working out compared to more current dance tracks as sometimes these are not to everyone's taste and can actually put you off the exercises.

Again this DVD is split into seven circuits and you repeat each circuit twice just like Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. There is a 5 min warm up and a 5 min cool down.

Section 1 focuses on shoulders and quads including shoulder press with squats, back lunges and press outs.

Section 2 contains chest and ab exercises including chest press with sit ups, chest fly with leg raise and bicycle crunches and push ups.

Section 3 is biceps and glutes with dead lifts with hammer curl, static squats with bicep curls and side lunges.

Section 4 focuses on triceps and quads including tricep kickbacks whilst in chair pose, surrenders and crescent lunges. This section is quite difficult.

Section 5 is based on core and back and the moves are mostly carried out on the mat including double crunch, twisting plank, side toe tap and windscreen wipers.

Section 6 includes exercises for your stomach and glutes such as plank rows, superman, scissor kicks and hollow man.

Section 7 contains moves for your core and thighs and includes side planks, leg lifts and donkey kicks amongst others.

Personally I do like No More Trouble Zones, it's a good mid-week workout that will make your muscles ache but not tire you out too much.  I don't feel completely out of breath with this work out like I do with some others mainly due to the lack of cardio but I do enjoy the feeling of my muscles being used and worked hard so would definitely recommend you incorporate No More Trouble Zones into your weekly rotation of DVDs to help give you a well rounded workout and a fresh set of challenges!

Check out my FITNESS page for more Jillian Michaels Reviews.