● Laura Thornberry ● Lifestyle Blogger ● London Based ●

I am going to be sharing 5 simple tips, that you can incorporate into your everyday life, that can get you on your journey to leading a healthier and fitter lifestyle! I am no way an expert in this field, but what I have learnt in the past, is what I shall be sharing with you!

1. Walk, Jog, Run, Cycle (if you have a bike), Its Free!

A great way to keep fit and healthy, is to do exercises such as walking, jogging, running and cycling, which can all cost nothing and can be done any time and anywhere. This is perfect for those who don't have time to use the gym, have a small living area or have lots of commitments, which means they just don't simply have the time. Even taking the stairs instead of the lift/escalator, getting off the bus a stop early or walking to the shops etc, can all add up to your daily exercise and help you to become that little bit fitter and healthier.

2. Plan Your Food Shop and Weekly Meals

I'm sure we all know how stressful and time consuming weekly shop can be sometimes, but writing a list and making a plan is an easy way to make this chore more enjoyable. Planning a weekly menu can help reduce food waste in your home, as well as keep you on a diet plan/healthy eating schedule, as well as helping you to avoid distractions and purchasing anything that you don't actually need. You may even save yourself a little bit of money by planning your shop!

3. Use YouTube/Blogs For Inspiration

If you aren't feeling motivated or inspired by doing the same workouts each time or using the gym all the day, taking time to browse through YouTube videos or fitness blogs can help you gain some new ideas and new inspiration of things to add into your everyday life. I recently posted about using YouTube as a workout inspiration guide, and shared some exercise videos that can be done in the comfort of your own home.

4. Boost Your Metabolism

There are many different ways to boost your metabolism, which helps to burn calories and help with weight loss. Eating more protein is the simplest way of increasing your metabolic rate. Food such as eggs are a great source of protein and beneficial saturated fats, as well as salmon which is highly enriched with Omega 3. Another idea is to replace your snacks with small handfuls of nuts, which makes your digestive system work harder throughout the day and therefore use more calories. By seasoning our food with spices such as chilli, ginger and turmeric, these are great metabolism boosters that aid to burning calories and aids weight loss. Also, eating little-and-often is a beneficial in the role of helping to maintain a healthy weight and keeping hunger/snacking at bay.

5. Use Home Furniture For Workout Equipment

Working out at home doesn't have to cost a fortune, and neither does your equipment. If you're on a tight budget, don't have time to hit the gym or just find exercising hard to fit into your schedule, using home furniture/interiors/objects can help you with your workouts. You could use tins and cans as weights, use your stairs as a step up, use chairs or tables for exercising, as well as spacious floor space.

If you missed part one, you can view that post here.

How do you get fit and healthy at home? What tips and tricks do you have?

13:00 No comments

1.Healthy Eating and Balanced Diet

One of the most important, influential and easiest ways to have good health is through having a healthy, balanced diet. Eating well and drinking plenty of water also prevents any future disease/illness and helps to remove any toxins/waste from the body, as well as maintaining a healthy body weight.

Making sure you have a balanced diet allows you to get all the nutrients your body needs to functions, and there are 5 main groups that you should focus on; Carbohydrates, Vitamins and Minerals, Fats, Fibre and Proteins. These are all essential for providing energy, growth, repair, bodily functions and keeping your cholesterol levels controlled.

Tips for a healthy, balanced diet...

- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables

- Cut down on saturated fats, salt and sugars

- Don't skip breakfast

- Eat the correct amount of calories your body needs to function

- Eat a wide range of foods to make sure you are getting all nutrients

2. Follow A Routine or Schedule
I spoke a little about this in a previous post, so I wont go heavily into detail here, but sticking to a routine/schedule is a great way to start a fitness/health plan, that you can follow and modify as you progress. By sticking to your schedule, this gives you something to stick to, be committed to and doesn't allow you to "cheat".

3. Avoid Any Distractions
Distractions - this is what would stop us from achieving our goals, reaching our targets and following our schedules.

Technology can be one of the biggest distractions, whether its your mobile phone, your laptop, your favourite TV show etc. These make us lose our concentration and will make us feel less motivated to workout, as something else you would prefer to do/watch is there. Even your friends and family can be a distraction to you, if the pop over your house without you know, invite you out for a meal/night out etc, this can put you off your routine and stop your progress.

Its always important to stay focused, stay motivated, stay determined and forget those distractions!

4. Have A Comfortable and Spacious Workout Environment
If the gym is a no-go place for you, whether it be dues to lack of confidence or just lack of funds, working out at home can be free and easy - as long as you have the environment for it. Having a large, spacious room, gives you a lot of room to workout in, where you have the space to do various exercises and activities.

5. Make It Fun!
I think its definitely important to make exercise and healthy eating fun, we don't all want to feel stressed and depressed, and just generally lazy and lethargic!

Exercise can be fun right? Maybe get a group of your friends round and do a workout or dance DVD, go running with your partner or go over the park with your family for a game of football or whatever sport you like to play, just make sure its something you like and you know you will enjoy!

Having a healthy diet doesn't always have to be unappealing or boring, in fact it can be delicious and tasty! Now having a healthy diet doesn't mean you just have to eat vegetables and fruit everyday, you can make near enough any of your favourite meals, but with healthier ingredients, that taste amazing are are better for you!

How do you get fit and healthy at home? What tips and tricks do you have?

13:00 No comments

Getting motivated is the best way to start/continue with your fitness/diet routine or just leading a better lifestyle, but finding that motivation can definitely be hard sometimes, especially if you don't have the support, knowledge or guidance that you really need.

In today's post, I'm going to be sharing with you my top 5 tips to getting motivated, and tips that I have started using myself, in order to get fit and healthy! As I said, I'm definitely no expert, but I'm hoping what I do, with motivate, inspire and help you with where you want to be/what you want to do!

1. Exercise with a friend/family member or your partner

We all know that exercising on your own, or improving your diet can be very hard if you don't have the support and help from others around you, but starting your fitness/diet journey with someone else can make it 10 times easier for you! Having someone you know, who are close with and feel comfortable around, is a great way to feel motivated and encouraged. It's also a way to build a closer friendship/relationship, to get to know someone better, or even just to have some fun and let your hair down, whilst getting sit and healthy!

There may be those times where you feel like you just cant do something or you're struggling with something, but having that someone there with you can give you that extra boost and guidance you need, as well as that moral support, that can spur you on to achieve your goals and aspirations!

2. Set goals and keep a fitness diary

Setting yourself goals, and by goals I mean realistic and achievable ones, whether you want to loose 5lbs in 5 weeks, or 1 stone in 2 months, dropping 1 or 2 dress sizes or even entering a running event, just make sure they are realistic and reasonable! Setting goals helps you to keep focused, motivated and determined to get to that place you want to be, whether you choose a few weeks, few months or even a year.

Keeping a fitness diary/log is a great way to record your progress and see how far you've come! It's a great way to record your weight loss, your exercise routine or even how far your running/swimming/cycling each week! You'll be able to see how you're improving and progressing, to get to the place you want to be at the end!

Setting goals and keeping a fitness diary, can also be a way or treating and rewarding yourself. By reaching your goals by certain dates/months, you can treat yourself to something as a way to feel proud and pleased of how far you've come and what you have achieved!

3. Purchase workout clothing/accessories

This might sound like a bit of an obvious one, but ACTUALLY buying your workout clothing and accessories gets you motivated to start using it and begin your fitness/diet routine. There are so many different clothing items out there, whether you want proper fitness gear or even a plain top/vest and tracksuit/leggings, there's always something for very body shape and budget, you just pick what you feel comfortable and confident in!

Important things that I feel you should really have are...

- A good, supportive pair of trainers

- A comfortable sports bra

- Comfortable clothing/swimwear

- A water bottle

- Yoga/exercise mat

I feel that these are the very basics that you need to begin getting in shape and leading a healthier and fitter lifestyle. You can pick most of these up anywhere, in your local high street, supermarkets or even online. If you're on a tighter budget, there are still places for you, check out the sales in your local shops and online! You'll be sure to find something you'll love!

4. Create a workout schedule

Creating a workout schedule or routine is a great way to begin getting fit and healthy. By sticking to your schedule, this gives you something to stick to, be committed to and doesn't allow you to "cheat". Even if you choose to go running once a week, exercise at home everyday or go to the gym twice a week, sticking to this will boost your confidence and give you that encouragement you need to stick to your routine.

I think that creating one of these is a great idea, you can build up your schedule slowly, making sure you're not doing too much to exhaust yourself, just make sure you are flexible and realistic, and when you feel the time is right, you can slowly and steadily, build up your routine gradually.

5. Feel inspired and be determined

To get motivated, feeling inspired and being determined plays a huge role in this. There are many ways to do this, and here's just a few.

- Having photographs of yourself, or areas of your body that you aren't happy with dotted around in your exercise area, is a great way for you to feel motivated and determined to improve this.

- If you're looking to lose weight, buying something you love in a small dress size, will give you that boost and determination, to be able to fit into it and look great!

- This is probably a controversial one, but having images of celebs/role models that you think have a great body or just look great, will help you get inspiration!

- Printing out motivational quotes and putting them around your house, will help give you that encouragement you need to continue and stick to your routines!

So hopefully, If you're someone who is lacking that little bit of motivation, have no idea where to start or need some more help, this post has helped you that little bit! Getting that motivation you need to be successful and achieving your goals can be hard at first, but once you're there, you can do anything!

How do you get motivated? Do you include any of these tips? What other tips do you have?

13:00 No comments

I've wanted to share with you all my Current Hair Care Heroes. When I had come up with the idea of this post, I did realise that I do actually use quite a few hair products, so I have split this little guide into two separate posts. You can view the first part of my Hair Care Heroes here, where I share my current go to styling and protecting products.

My hair is naturally quite thick and wavy, sometimes dry, as well as being long ( below my shoulders), so keeping it looking strong and healthy can be quite the chore. But I think I have found some great, affordable products that help tame and nourish my hair! So let's get started with part 2, and take a look at my shampoos, conditioners and treatments!

Products from left to right

Naked Rescue Repairing Hair Treatment

I was kindly gifted this product through a blogger's secret santa as one of my presents, and I absolutely love it! The treatment comes in a 20ml size sachet, and I find this is the perfect amount to cover my long hair. I wouldn't say my hair is frizzy or damaged, as this treatment is specially for, but this makes such a difference to my hair after use. It's 97% natural, containing Argan Oil, Meadowfoam and Sunflower Seed extracts, helping to prevent hair breakage and dryness.

I simply use this after I have washed my hair, and apply the contents of the sachet evenly throughout my hair, to make sure its all covered. Sometimes to help, I gently comb the treatment through my hair so I know its evenly distributed. I then like to leave the treatment to work for 15-30 minutes, depending on how much time I have. Then I simply rinse it out, and finish with a cold rinse to help boost shine.

Overall, I was really happy to receive this product and love how it treats my hair. After use, it makes my hair look so soft and sleek, nourished and replenished! Unfortunately, I don't have any left, so I need to find out where to get the! But I would recommend this 100%, even if you hair isn't frizzy or damaged, it works a treat!

Headmasters SOS Moisture Shampoo

I received this free with a order I made with Very.co.uk, and I've nearly used it up, so so far its been good to use. I don't usually use salon shampoos, but the Headmasters one has had quite an effect on my hair, in a good way! I use this shampoo when my hair really needs a treat and some real looking after!

This is a great shampoo if you're someone who uses heat on their hair quite frequently, as this helps to add moisture and nourishment to dry, damaged hair. With added Macadamia Nut Oil, this helps to mainly prevent breakage, as well as protecting and softening the hair. The only thing that sometimes puts me off is the smell. Salon shampoos have quite a pungent, strong smell, which if used to regularly can be quite over powering and cause product build up, but the smell doesn't really put me off. Its still a lovely shampoo to use and really cleanses my hair well.

Overall, I think this is a great shampoo at adding moisture to the hair. It cleanses the hair well, and always gives me that "just out the hairdressers look". I often blow dry my hair so this is a great shampoo that helps to protect from heat damage. Its just a good shampoo to use, on rotation with others, as this helps to keep your hair healthy and helps growth.

Headmasters SOS Moisture Conditioner

I received this free with a order I made with Very.co.uk, and its a really lovely, moisturising conditioner. The conditioner is so soft and creamy, and really boosts your hairs condition, even after just one use!

Perfect for those who use a lot of heat styling on there hair, as this helps to protect and prevent any damage, with its added Macadamia Nut Oil, which is a great natural hair product ingredient. I mainly like to use this conditioner on the ends of my hair, as this is where I see the most dryness and is the main area that needs extra moisture and attention. It smells very similar to the shampoo, but on a less intense level, so its a lot nicer to use.

This is a lovely conditioner to use, its helps prevent damage whilst adding moisture to the hair. It helps to protect from heat damage and really makes my hair soft and shiny after use, as well as more manageable and stronger.

THIS ONE Replenishment Treatment

This is something I picked up a few months ago, after receiving a sample of the treatment with a Superdrug order I placed, and since then I absolutely love it. The replenishment treatment is basically a hair mask that helps to boost your hairs shine, radiance and softness, which for me it does all of that.

This is a product that I would use maybe a few times a month, for when I just want to improve the appearance and feel of my hair. It contains Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter and Black Oat Extracts, which all help to make your hair much softer and glossy, helping to boost its healthiness and moisture. I like to use this after washing my hair, towel drying it slightly and applying a generous amount throughout my hair and leaving to work its magic for up to 20 minutes, then rinsing out. It has quite a thick, creamy like texture, which I kind of prefer in a hair mask. It smells quite weird, but not in a disgusting way, I just cant describe it, its quite creamy, sweet, buttery and oily, buts its not unpleasant.

THIS ONE is a new brand that I have discovered, and from the products I have tested so far, I am super impressed. All there products are so affordable and have really helped to improve the health and strength of my hair, as well as the appearance. THIS ONE's products are suitable for all hair types, and even coloured hair! If you're looking to try out a new hair mask that's purse friendly, head on down to your local Superdrug and pick up this!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment

This is definitely a miracle hair care product that I own. I've been using the 3 minute miracle for years and its never let me down. There's so many versions of this, I usually go for the luscious long or take the heat, as I feel these suit my hair type best.

I like to use this with my Aussie Shampoo, and apply this treatment mainly to the lengths and ends of my hair, as this is where I see the most "damage" and area that needs the most attention. Simply work the treatment through, and leave for 3 minutes! If you want a deeper treatment, I sometimes leave this for 10-15 minutes, depending on the condition of my hair or when I used a hair mask last, as well as the colder months, as your hair can get damaged easier due to the weather. The 3 minute miracle treatment contains Australian Jojoba Seed Oil, which is a natural product that smells absolutely DELICIOUS, that is great at repairing and protecting the hair!

Over the years, I've gone through so many bottles of this! It is just a great hair care product and I would recommend this to everyone. Its great as a conditioner and hair mask treatment, and the Aussie range have a suitable product for all hair types. Its super affordable, around the £5 mark, long lasting and is available everywhere! I usually pick mine up in Boots or Superdrug, but it's also available in most supermarkets and online. So if you're looking for a new hair treatment, then give this one a go, its one of my all time favourites!

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo

I've been using Aussie hair care products for so long, that I think I've tried nearly every one of there shampoos, and this seems to be my favourite. This particular shampoo is a great volume booster for all hair types, especially fine or flat hair. Its a great lightweight shampoo that contains Australian Hops and Aloe Vera, that helps to leave your hair soft and healthy, as well voluminous and full!

One thing about Aussie products that always has me coming back is the smell! Every single product of there's smells absolutely gorgeous! It lathers up really nicely and really leaves your hair looking and feeling clean and fresh. My hair is always so soft after using this shampoo and it definitely is one my my heroes!

Aussie products are always such good value for money, so affordable and have separate ranged for all hair types. The volume shampoo is one of my favourites and something I always repurchase. I only have a little but left of this bottle, so a sneaky trips to the shops is in order!

So there we have my current hair care heroes, that I use to shampoo, condition and treat my hair with! I do tend to stick to the same or similar products or brands, as I know that it seems to work with my hair and I like the smell/effects it gives to me.

What are your hair care heroes? What hair shampoo/conditioner/treatment products are you currently using and loving? Have you tried any of the products I have featured today? Would you be interested in trying any I have featured?

13:00 No comments

About me

Follow Me

Kudd.ly

Contact Form

POPULAR POSTS