MY MOST COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP.

In today's post - I would like you to think of me as Carrie and I am going back, once again, to the naughty Mr Big. Mr Big, in this analogy, is running. Oh yes. Running has hurt me, lied to me and we've both cheated on one another - but conversely we have shared some amazing times, we have loved, laughed and passionately been involved with one another. After the last time that running 'hurt' me, I swore I'd never go back. It wasn't for me. I'm not a runner. But then, that pull. That feeling bubbles up, sometimes months later, begging me to lace up my shoes and get out there.

The first few runs tease me and taunt me, showing me how much I have lost and how weak I am now, but that glimmer of hope and determination inside of me is just too dang strong for it. Little by little, it get's better. My legs pump without feeling like lead weights, my breathing goes from anaphylactic shock to almost yogi like, my mind goes from racing thoughts of 'OMG YOU'RE GOING TO DIE. MY LUNGS ARE BURNING' to fleeting thoughts of planning my day, reflecting on things in my life and taking in the scenery, and my belief in my self goes from serious debt to 'I can actually do this'. Incredible isn't it - how an act that's purely physical and 'separate' can all of a sudden provide you with greater blessings throughout your life.

So why am I posting about it? Firstly, because I want full disclosure and accountability. I'm seeing 'running' again. We are giving it another shot. And secondly because I would bet my last dollar that this agonising back and forth, this love hate relationship, with running is all too common and has resonated with even just a few of you out there. I'm giving you a heads up. Tidbits from me to you as to how to peel yourself up off the floor, pry the cookie dough out of your hands, wipe your tears and prove to yourself that 'he is out there' and that 'lovely relationship' is just waiting around the corner. 

Found here

Tips that got this girl running again ...

+ Don't 'force' it. Get out there and have a play. Run for a bit, walk for a bit, skip for a bit, sing for a bit. Stop expecting it to only look like the starting metres of the olympic games - forget grace, forget poise, forget any 'shoulds'. There's only one way that you running 'should' look and that's ... well just like you running.

+ Play//Blast music. Oh hot damn. I underestimated this one sooo much. My first few runs back were so painful - I could hear my own breathing//panting//lung failure, my feet beat seemed out of time, I would pass fleeting bursts of conversations or laughing and convinced myself they were laughing at me. Cue next few runs in which I adorned my headphones, chose a very loud and very energetic playlist and found the time and distance just kept clocking over without my realising. Music allows you to enter your own little bubble, and in that bubble you can be alone with your thoughts and strumming feet.

+ Put scheduled//training runs in your diary. An oldie but a goodie. When I decided to 'give it a crack' - I looked up a training schedule online and immediately recorded every single run and workout into my diary. Best idea ever. Not only does this keep me on track with where I am aiming for and what runs I am up to; but it delivered me the BIGGEST serve of accountability. Every morning when I plan my day and jot out my to do list - there it is. A target distance or workout that will stare me down until I make it my bitch. 

+ Do it for YOU. Probably the most poignant point for me personally. And, I think it's a reflection of how my goal setting ways have changed slightly since reading the Desire Map. Why do I choose to run? I always set these grandiose goals (I have literally planned for about four half marathons) and inevitably am left flailing and feeling like a big ole loser. I don't do it for the accolades//attention because that ain't me. I don't do it for the enjoyment of running in masses of 20, 000 because truth be told my favourite runs are solo or with a running buddy. I don't do it to lose ridic amounts of weight, although a couple of kgs aside would make my runs a little easier. I do it for me. To prove to myself that I am capable. To feel better about myself. To feel fit. To feel strong. To feel calm. To feel inspired. 

+ Choose your own adventure. This time, there is no City2Surf waiting at the end of my plan. There's no half marathon scheduled over east. The final distance will be just me, my headphones and weeks of training behind me. I'm not someone that feels supported or safe in crowds - I need to do this purely for me so I'm running solo. Where//how would you choose? Pick a location, an event, a group of accomplices ... choose the path that would bring you the most joy.

I hope this helps and has given you a few ideas to incoporate into your running endeavours. Remember, we are all different. We all thrive and demise under different circumstances and there is definitely not a 'one size fits all' running equation. But, do yourself a favour, get out and give it a go. Make in YOUnique - make it fun, make it challenging, make it make you smile. You deserve to feel amazing and 'your journey to the goal should bring you as much joy as achieving the goal itself'.

Blessings and blistered feet x

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY - Race Recap Time

I feel like I am forever prefacing my posts with 'I'm sorry' - so let's skip apologies for the delay in getting this post to you (oh darling readers o' mine) and get into the good and juicy details.

Sunday morning I woke up with the most mixed emotions. I was excited that I would be able to spend the morning side by side with one of my closest friends, and later found out that I would get to join in breakfast celebrations too, which just boosted my enthusiasm for the morning tenfold. But I was anxious as a mother clucker because it was hand down the most unprepared I have ever been for an event. The event was the HBF 12km run and, although my darling assured me that it would be for 'fun' and there was no pressure, I naturally in my true virgo styles put pressure and expectations on myself and from the get go felt like I'd flail. 

I thought, to make this post readable and not a tedious play by play of the morning, I'll crack the subheadings and give you the important deets. Sound good? Yes!

Pre Race

Prepared myself with a piece of rye toast and honey - a pre race tradition and one that's proving hard to break. I stretched. Freaked out. Had nervous tummy. Texted. Googled and instagramed for inspiration. And basically killed time until my inevitable undoing. Yes pessimistic Emily was in full swing on Sunday in the am!

Before the Event

Feeling empowered and all 'girl powered' at the start line I felt for the first time that morning that 'Yes, I can do this and I won't die'. I loved the pre race chatter between my friend and I at the start line. We covered philosophical topics, trivial pointless chit chat, gossip, d and m's and everything else in between - keeping this running tradition with this girl is what got me up that morning and I just hoped it was enough to fuel me for the run. I made myself a promise - that I would give 110% Whether that meant running the full 12km straight or only making it 1km in - I would give it my absolute all.

The first 5km

Felt fabulous. We ran in unison and chatted and the kms seemed to tick over. I might add though that one of the attractions (because of it being such a novelty), as well as being the world's biggest pain in the ass, fell within the first 5km of the run and that was the freakin' freeway tunnel. Whoever the genius was that suggested having 30, 000 runners passing through the nil-air-flow tunnel at the beginning of a long run should be slapped. Hard. The tunnel is never fun and was actually the point of my emotional breakdown last year so I just swore to myself that I would get to the other side without stopping and that would be my little 'Everest'. Hurdle number one accomplished. We made it to the other end alive and this was made even more impressive by the fact that the tunnel resembled a fart-tube by the time our little shoesies trotted on through. Pee-ewww.

The 6-8km Marks

Oh good lordy. This is where everything started feeling a little weird. I just felt empty and weak, my mind felt a little shakey and faint. It's hard to know whether this was legit, because I've had a bout of feeling a bit like this over the past few weeks, or whether it was all in my head. I walked bits and pieces over this time in an effort to catch my breath and regroup. I wasn't having fun but loved every minute I was blessed to be spending with my friend in the sunshine so I kept on going. Running and walking and trying to convince myself that I still had more in me.

The Final 8-12km

Something clicked. My beautiful friend proclaimed her belief in me (thank you chicken!) and I decided that I wasn't done and I had more in me. I pushed myself so hard mentally over the next 4km and I can say, hand to heart, that I had nothing left in the tank at the end. We crossed the finish line in 1hour 16min and averaged a 6min30 pace. Not a fab time but believe it or not it was actually a PB (I later discovered) so I am extremely happy. My amazing friend killed this run and I know that she could smash out a 60min run if she wasn't supporting me so I am so grateful that she sacrificed her run to see me over the line.

Post Race Breakfast

Good food, a cup o' hot coffee, beautiful company, incredible chats. I freakin' adore breakfast. The best possible post race reward - nutritionally and emotionally. I left feeling like I could run another 12km. I had that much energy and adrenalin, but alas I didn't even attempt it. I was done and dusted baby!

The Aftermath

Somewhere between breakfast and bedtime I went wrong. My knee seized up and I was left with pretty intense pain on the side of my right knee. I hobbled up and down stairs at Subiaco Oval (go the Dockers) and I knew something was up. I googled (and prepared myself for the inevitable misdiagnosis and scary worst-case-scenario suggestion of 'cancer' to pop up) and it turns out my symptoms were pretty on par with Runner's knee. So I had a date with a bag of ice, a heatbag and some ibuprofin. I've taken it pretty easy since Sunday, doing my first semi intense workout this evening, and so far so good. The knee feels back to normal and I'll test it with a sneaky run this week.

Take Home Points

+ You can always push yourself further.

+ The support you have on your runs can make or break, choose running buddies wisely and don't steal mine because I need her.

+ Get involved in community events because they will set your motivation-meter to overdrive.

+ Set yourself goals and avoid going into a run 'blind'.

+ Prepare, mentally and physically, for whatever challenge you set yourself.

+ Count your blessings and enjoy the journey.

Blessings from my overflowin' heart's ever increasing, cardio challenged heart rate x

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY - Race Recap Time

Workout Wednesday! The one stop blogpost shop for all things fitness on your Wednesday (or other day of internet procrastinatin'). Today, feeling a little like I'm out of ammo for a hot new topic, and feeling a little low like the weather I'm changing styles and doing a 'race' 'recap'. Note the double quotation fingers as I use both terms ridiculously loosely in this instance - race: a fun morning's ride with papa and recap: telling you whattup with dat.

Dad and I pre-ride - excited and raring to get going. We both had our infamous 'nervous tummy'...

On Sunday (21st April) mio padre and I set off for a bike ride. His work started the tradition 25 years ago, and he impressively rode in that pioneer event, and I think have tried to make it happen every 5 or so years since then. I'm a little hairy on the deets so just bear with me. Bottom line is that my daddy asked me to take part in a community bike ride event thingo and I happily complied, although lured under false pretences as I thought it was a BIG event and I would be rewarded for my efforts with a fancy medal come the finish line, but alas no. 

The ride covered 37.5km, with Dad and I tacking on an extra 5 or so km to get to the train station/starting point. I'll update this post again once I have all the nitty gritty deets from dad's Garmin, which was tracking our speed-demon prowess the whole ride, but qualitatively (oooh shmancy word) from what I could tell it was very up and down pacing and momentum. Overall we were pretty gung ho, a few "Eek we've bitten off more than we can chew"s, but pretty much just kept chuggin' along. Our fastest pace from memory was 2:07/km and we slowed right down to a 2:45/km at a few doozey points. My legs (and lady undercarriage, ouch!) were pretty sore come the half way point but with no choice but to keep going, you just have to deal with it. 

Initially we adopted a 5km drifting rule. I'd lead for 5km to break the wind and give dad a rest and then we would swap over. That lasted 12.5km. I think because my darling dad is so slim he a) wasn't providing much wind resistance for me (hehe) but b) still had to struggle against it, I didn't mind taking the lead for the remainder of the way. At about 19km there was a sudden downpour and poor dad and I were soaked. And freezing. And slippery. And whingey (cue dad!). 

After approximately 42.5km we found ourselves in the heart of Mandurah and freakishly synchronously timed with the other people from dad's work, who had travelled an additional 30km as they ventured from the Northern suburbs of Perth. There was such a fantastic atmosphere at the foreshore as, over time, more and more people rolled in after finishing their rides, all knackered but all smiling! I chowed down a banana and chugged 600ml of coconut water post ride and it turned out to be the best thing ever! As I had a 3hr drive back home ahead of me, immediately after the ride ended, I knew that I had to be careful with recovery. Coconut water is absolutely boomin' with naturally occurring electrolytes which are so important in rehydration. My 'nana gave me an energy boost, provided manganese and potassium to assist with muscle recovery and reduce cramping, and it tasted like heaven in a peel.

It was so special to be able to do something like this with my dad, who 1 year ago was in a completely different place physically and health wise. We decided that we'll make this our catch up thing and, when in Perth for the weekend, we will go for a long ride somewhere and grab a coffee, bless. I also loved the morning for the confidence it instilled in me. After not being on a bike for close to 9 months (I came off mine training last year and have only been on stationary gym bikes since) and realistically not doing endurance training sessions exceeding 1 hour for about 5 months, this was a huge hi 5 as I realised I could do it. I felt awesome after the ride, a little stiff and achy but overall fantastic. Not shattered, not dying, not cursing myself for being unfit. I actually finished it with a sense of self pride and respect that I haven't really felt in a while (in regards to my fitness). I was also bursting with pride over my father who, at 53 years old, with a blocked heart valve, skinny little legs and determination the size of Texas, was right by my side (well technically drifting comfortably behind me) for the whole distance. Go Dad, kicking coronary artery disease's ass!!

I will finish this impromptu and wishy washy workout Wedsnesday post with this - I freakin' LOVE riding. So watch out - I'm coming for ya on two wheels baby.

Done and dusted baby!

Blessings from my helmet hair donnin' smiley face.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY - A New Approach to the 'R' Word

Found here.

Happy Workout Wednesday my darlings! I hope you're kicking fitness goals, left, right and center and are feeling healthy and motivated and just so dang good!

I have a few fitness crazes and things that are gettin' me all excitable at the moment ...

+ One is yoga. I am like a freakin' woman possessed (not just because I can spin my torso around exorcist styles) but I am absolutely loving 'mat time' and challenging myself with new and exciting postures. Check out WW next week because it's all about Inversions - a particular series of Yoga moves that will leave you smiling and get your blood flowin'.

+ Number two is the 'dat ass' challenge you may have seen floatin' around the interweb. A 30 day challenge starting at day one and 50 squats, the quota builds by 5 each day until the final day of 235 squats. 'Do the challenge and get dat ass' they said, 'it will be fun' they said. My butt is hating me, but I am liking it.

+ And numero tre, and the subject for this post, is Chi Running. Most of you are probably aware of my relationship with running. It scarily resembles a relationship with a bad boyf. I finally decide that running is the 'one' and throw all my efforts and energy into committing myself 100% (for a few days/weeks). Then, sure enough, the allure of other sports pull me away and I cheat. I cheat hard. I spend no time with 'running', despite it loving me and making me feel really happy. I sneak off and have night time sesh's with ole mate 'yoga' and running's ultimate frenemy 'walking', quickly sneaking in a few visits to the gym. And, before I know it, running and I haven't spent any quality time together and it's crying and asking me why I've neglected it because all it ever did was love me and want what's best for me. Yes my friends, I am the bad boyfriend in this terrible, terrible analogy. But I have good news! This is a love story with a happy ending! I came to realise just how badly I wanted to change and make this thing work, so I agreed to attend a couple's workshop (literal interpretation - chi running program) to get to know my lover a little more and understand why are so good together.

For those of you who made it to the end of that ridiculous analogy, although not going to lie I am pretty proud of it, well done and I will reward you with an abundant little bag o' info on Chi Running and how you can utilise it's techniques to put the va-va-voom back in your relationship (last one promise)!

Head over to the Chi Running official website and read up on what exactly this approach is about. I am currently reading the guide to chi running by Danny Dreyer - and already there have been so many aspects of this book, his approach and his mission that have resonated with me. Danny makes you think back to when you were young and chasing your friends around the oval, or running from your friends' house to go and get your toy and running, smile beaming, all the way back. Before we separated from running and brought a whole lot of 'thinking' to the process, running was enjoyable and relatively effortless. Chi running was founded on this same premise, that by bringing running back to its more simple form, you will amp up the enjoyment and lessen the risk of injury. A promise of running in flow and total rhythm - uh, yes please!

I'm about a third of the way through the book and yet to actually 'start' the program, given a minor running setback on the weekend with an ankle roll and butt stack, but my reading has already stirred up feelings that I thought were long gone. I feel excited, driven, determined by and connected with running. I have done a few little jogs here and there over the week, very light and very easy effort, and it has felt great. I keep coming back to running, I keep finding my eyes drifting off to running magazines and new running shoes and upcoming fun runs, I keep busting out mid walk jogs. Something in me is telling me to not give up on running, that it has a lot more to offer me and our journey together ain't over. 

Blessings from my unconventional and difficult, but beautiful none the less, love affair with Running x

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY - On a Thursday!

Image found here.

I don't know if you've heard the buzz around the health and fitness circuits but guess what is back my friends? 


Ballet. In a big way. The isometric postures and exercises work deep into the muscles and are revolutionising how we think and showcasing one of the best ways to sculpt and define our sexy little tookuses. I had heard along the grapevine, and had seen a few testimonials and reviews for a program called Barre3, a class that gives credit to the principles of ballet barre, pilates and yoga. Um hello, perfect combo of classes and this alone was enough to make me prick my ears up and scramble to learn more! 

BTM'S WORKOUT WEDNESDAY PROFILE - BARRE3

Image found here.

What is Barre3 - A range of classes that aim to have you develop the strength of an athlete with the long, lean, graceful lines of a ballet dancer. They offer a Barre3 class that focuses on dynamic movements (think uptempo dancing) and another option (for us less coordinated folks no doubt) called Barre3 Fundamentals that slows it down a fraction and works through teaching each new posture thoroughly.
What can I expect? Barre3 claims to provide an overall improvement in the strength and length of your muscles with many participants reporting they lost cms off their waists, thighs, upper arms and hips! The online classes (see below) offer 10, 30, 40 and 60min variations of the classes and, because they've been streamed online, can be done anywhere! They encourage you to do approximately 3 x 60min sessions per week to gain the best results.
Where can I find a class? Unfortunately Barre3 hasn't yet made it's way to the sunny shores of Australia just yet. If you're overseas, you can look up your nearest studio in the official directory here. They also offer online classes for all you guys and girls who want to try this revolutionary class in the comfort and privacy (cue Emily falling over on her tippy toes...) of your own home! Membership for infinite access to classes starts at $15/month and can be accessed here. 

BUT I HAVE GOOD NEWS MY BALLERINAS AND BALLERINOS!

Australia has developed its own fusion ballet/pilates company and are popping out trained instructors faster than McDonalds stores pop up in Texas! I came across Xtend Barre Australia during my search for local providers and these guys are casting their net far and wide to ensure that all Aussies can have access to this incredible class. They have trained instructors providing classes in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia.

I am definitely intrigued to learn more and am making in my mission to track down some Ballet targeted workout DVDs to trial over the coming weeks. Remember that variety is the spice of life. Don't let your workout become stale or boring! Throw in a few new workouts every now and again and listen to your body scream for more! 

Blessings from this "brisé, arabesque and demi detourné"-in ballerina x

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY - The better late than never edition.

 This beautiful problem solving map found here

You know those days when you're shlumpin' at your desk, thinking forward to your scheduled afternoon workout and praying that the big ole whack of motivation comes to you thick n' fast? Come 5pm though - not much has changed and rather than being covered in a glorious coating of sweat, you're instead covered in guilt. Sound familiar? I can count on one hand the number of times I have felt 'motivated' for a workout. Motivation is like a bad boyfriend, never there for you when you need 'em. Consistency is key and making exercise a 'non negotiable' and prioritising it each and every day. I've spoken about it a million times but since changing my mentality and adopting a healthy 'move for a minimum of 30 minutes each day' mantra - my relationship with exercise has changed pretty significantly. I haven't hated ANY of my workouts and am regularly pushing myself to 45min+ sessions just because it feels so dang good!

But, as the winter weather fast approaches, and any dregs of motivation are fast leaving the building, I got ya covered mi amigos! I've got a bag of tricks up my sleeve and would love for you to give these a go AND share the love -

What are your go to moves to trick that pesky mate of yours 'Motivation' and get you geared up and racing out the door?

1. Schedule morning workouts and BAN the snooze for just one week.

Found here.

Yes getting out of bed before 6am for a run is hard. But convincing yourself to go for that same run at the end of an exhausting working day is harder. For just one week try setting your alarm for 40mins earlier (to allow for time to change clothes etc) and take your ass out for a walk, run, gym sesh, weights session, circuit routine, yoga sesh ... anything that gets your body moving for that first half hour of your day. 

You may lose 40mins of sleep but you will gain that time back, four times over, in your productivity that day. 

2. Buddy Up

Found here.

Misery loves company? Heck no, happiness loves company! Make your training even more fun by adding a smiling friend to the mix. Plan to meet someone for a workout; make a pledge with someone that you'll both try a-class-a-day for a week; befriend gym junkies! We are living in an age where we can befriend people in the comfort of our homes - motivational accounts are overspillin' in the Insta-sphere and they aim to inspire. Surround yourself with people who embody who you want to be.

3. Reach for the Stars

Found here.

Set a goal and go for gold baby! Want to compete in Miss Muscles Australia? Want to represent Australia at Rio 2016? Want to run for 15minutes straight, compete in your first triathlon, ride 50km for a cause? Set your sights high and work towards it, every day.

4. Sign Up and Lock It In!!

Found here.

If you write down your 3pm dentist appointment in your diary, you go right? Write down your workouts! They are appointments with yourself and not ones to be missed! Or go one step further and sign up for community events like fun runs, tris, rides, obstacle courses, bootcamps etc. Community involvement and a passion for health and fitness are infectious. 

5. Change it up!

Found here.

If you watched the same episode of the same tv show, sitting on the same couch while drinking the same type of tea from the same cup, girlfren would be bored! It's the same for your workout. If you go to the same gym, or run the same route, wearing the same clothes, listening to the same playlist, your body would get bored and to be honest your results may even become sluggish too! Change it up! Change the scenery; change the type of exercise; treat yourself to new workout getup. Variety is the spice of life, so get spicing!

Over to you - head over to the Bless This Mess facebook page and share your best tips for beating the motivational lapses!

Blessings from my motivated be-hinnnnd x

WORKOUT WEDNESDAYS

This image found here 

Ohmmmmmmm. 

Hear that? Sound of silence people and boy is it a sweet sound! This week's Workout Wednesday topic is Yoga. I am being slowly pulled more and more into the stillness and serenity that yoga and meditation provides. As I am learning more about holistic health and wellness, I'm realising that forcing myself to hate my way through 60min+ cardio workouts in a boring, mechanical gym isn't going to help nourish and support my body the way I want it to! 

I spoke in a previous post about my revelations regarding my approach to health and fitness and I've had staggering results since applying this new principle and new way of thinking. I have done my longest runs in months, I have consistently moved my body every day and I am feeling more accepting and proud of my body every single day. Not a perfect relationship by any stretch but one that's definitely establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with!

So - yoga. I have dabbled in yoga, pilates, body balance and core classes over the years and it hasn't been one that I have been consistent with or really even enjoyed that much. But recently my body's cravings have changed and it is saying "woman, please stretch me and let me chill the frik out" - and who am I to argue with my body?!

For the month of March I am committing to yoga-a-day. A challenge put out by fellow instagrammer 'Grow Beautiful Soul' - this project is about having a single pose focus for each day, pushing yourself and setting yourself up to experience the benefits of daily yoga practice. I have been limbering myself up and starting to experiment with a few more poses over the past week and I absolutely love it! Holding each pose for approximately 10-15seconds feels so invigorating and super charges your energy.

Namaste lovelies! Get on it!

So what are the benefits of yoga?

1. Cardiovascular Health - The postures involve holding poses for a prolongued time which boosts cardiovascular fitness and circulation. All you high blood pressured sisters and misters - get bent (literally - I promise it will help!).
2. Digestive Health - Certain postures massage the surrounding tissues and improve circulation to digestive organs. Watch your metabolism go va-va-voom!
3. Musculo-skeletal Health - Yoga encourages and exercises full joint mobility making sure they are moved through their full range of motion. The postures also provide release of muscular tension, increases flexibility, improves balance, strength and endurance. Regular yoga practice can support improved posture and can resolve back pain.
4. Nervous System - Yoga has proven to reduce stress and anxiety and replace these negative nancy emotions with a sense of calm and serenity. Sign me up playa!

Blessings and 'omms' from my back-bended spine x

WORKOUT WEDNESDAYS

I've mentioned before that I am a gym girl. I love the visual break in my day - to go somewhere different, tune out and do my thing. BUT there are days when motivation is lacking or (out here in these here country parts) the hefty drive to the gym is uber unappealing, I scroll through my *screenshots and do a home circuit. These are fantastic little collections of various exercises that incorporate cardio training, resistance work, HIIT and intense-o toning. These little babies will get your heart racing and your sweat glistening before you can say 'burpee'.

As part of my 'move~ing' challenge I am encouraging myself to do 30mins daily of anything and everything - always respecting and honouring my body's needs on any given day. These home circuits are a great way to beat the excuses down to a pulp when you have a case of the 'I don't have time for the gym' or 'they don't have a class I like so I'll just go tomorrow' or 'It'll be too busy now and I won't even get a machine's. 

So the following 'hit list' is a series of my go to moves when I'm time poor but calorie burn cravin' rich. Print them off and store them in your wallet for a rainy day, or take a photo and start creating your digital workout library. These are just suggested goodens that I have come across but, by all means, create your own little list! Aim for at least 15-20mins, get the heart rate up (ie. incorporate jumps, exercises with arms raising up above the head, sprints etc), target a range of areas and vary enough to keep you interested:

What are your sure fire ways to get your blood flowin' and exercise endorphins pumping at home?

Blessings from my lunge fatigued, toned and shakey legs x

*Bonus tip - in this day and age I no longer write down my workout plans on post-its or torn bits of paper (yes I have been known to do so in the past), I screenshot them to my phone and keep a little portfolio of workout sessions on hand. Awesome! And super useful if you're trying to take the 'guess work' out of your training and just want to not think, switch off and get it done!

Images Apologies that these are not properly referenced - unfortunately these are just sample photos that I have saved along the way and do not have reference for. Should you wish for these to be correctly referenced or would like them removed - please email blessthismess@hotmail.com.au.