Lorna Jane

The other week at Vogue Fashion Night Out I met the amazing woman second from the right in the photo below. Yep, the amazing Lorna Jane Clarkson. She was so beautiful and friendly, and has a great sense of humour too! She was also wearing a pair of sparkly, loose yoga type pants... so when will these be available at Lorna Jane?!

Speaking (or writing?) of Lorna Jane, there is a sale on at the moment! Yay! We all love LJ workout clothes, but sometimes our budget just doesn't agree, so this is a perfect opportunity to buy your new gym outfit. When I'm in gym clothes that I love and feel good about my self, I work even harder at the gym because I feel more confident. Maybe you might too?

xo

Keeping Fit with a Student Lifestyle

Whether you are living at home, on campus or with friends; as a student you probably have a somewhat restricted budget (and a busy schedule between assignments and work). But that shouldn't get in the way of keeping healthy and feeling good. Don't let those $1 chocolate bar sales get the best of you! Below are some tips on staying fit and healthy whilst on a student budget and living a student lifestyle.

1. Browse around for the best gym for your budget and stay away from locked in contracts. You never know when you might need to pull out, and be forced to keep paying.

2. Look for cheap outdoor group training classes. They pop up on websites like Groupon and Living Social.

3. Use the outdoors as your own gym - it's free and full of fresh air!

4. Invest in kitchen appliances like a blender and juicer (if you're living at home, offer to go halves or to pay a portion with your parents).

5. Don't give in to cheap junk food, just because it's cheap! Invest in lots of good, healthy items like veges, fruit and wholemeal bread that you can freeze.

6. Take part in free sports at your university. It's a good way to get some fitness into your day and meet new people.

7. Keep an eye out on sales at sports shops so you can grab some gym clothes or workout equipment cheaper! Sign up to their mailing lists to be the first to know about sales.

8. Shop at outlets for cheaper gym clothing... no one has to know!

9. If you are going to meet friends at a cafe or bar, eat a healthy meal before hand so you're not forced to eat unhealthy food. If you need to eat there, pick the healthiest item on the menu, and don't be afraid to ask for alterations to the meal. When we socialise and eat at the same time, we don't realise how much we actually eat- so be careful.

10. The most important thing to remember is that as a student you need to make wise decisions. You might be victim to late nights finishing (hopefully not starting) assignments, so you need fuel for your body that will keep you going, not give you a hit of energy then drag you down. Stay away from energy drinks, soft drinks and sugar filled foods. Drink lots of water, herbal teas and healthy meals that will give you sustained energy to get through your assignments and lead you to a restful nights sleep.

My Favourite Fitness Apps

I always have my iPhone on me, so it is the perfect gym companion whether it's for music or workout inspiration. So below is a list of my top 4 favourite fitness related apps, and they are all free, yay!

1. 30 Day Squat Challenge 
I love this app, I am only up to day two, which is 50 squats (day one was 30). It's great because you can't click on, say, day 30, until you have completed the first 29... So I am scared to see how many squats I'll be doing!

2. FIT FIX (by PopSugar)
This is perfect for whether you are working out at home or at the gym. There are workouts for yoga, cardio, strength and targeting different areas of your body. You can track the activities and routines that you have done, and create your own routines too! I don't know what I'd do without this app when I'm at a loss for inspiration at the gym.

3. Nike Training Club
NTC provides you with different workouts based on whether you want to 'get lean', 'get toned', 'get strong', or 'get focused'. The intensity of the workouts depends on whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced. You can track your process and earn rewards too.

4. Pandora
Pandora is a free music streaming app that lets you create your own playlists based on a single song, artist or genre. My gym has free wi-fi so it's perfect for me, but be careful, it might cost you a lot if you're using 3G! There are also different workout playlists like the Yoga Radio, Rap Strength Training Radio, Pop Fitness Radio and one of my favourites, the Latin Workout Radio.

What are your favourite fitness/health apps? Do I need to venture into paid apps?
x

Is Fitness the new Fashion?

'Healthies' are replacing selfies and food shots are being replaced by snaps of super healthy lunches. Instagram is full of accounts dedicated to leading healthy lifestyles, and don't get me wrong, it is a very good thing. My phone is now full of inspiration quotes (shh, some are really good!) and smoothie recipes that I have screenshotted from Instagram. But it's not just the nutrition, it's the clothing. Fitness fashion. It's everywhere. Does your workout even count if you didn't take a 'healthy' in your nike free runs and Stella McCartney for Adidas workout gear? With the popularity sportsluxe trend, it's even more acceptable to wear workout style clothing just out to the shops or to grab a coffee (or a smoothie) with no intention of exercising. And honestly, I hope this remains socially acceptable, because it makes choosing an outfit so much more less stressful (and more comfortable in the long run... no pun intended).