I thought it was about time I shared what I take to the gym with me. Why? because that’s the kinda thing us bloggers do. At the moment my gym routine consists mainly of swimming. Over the last few weeks I’ve made it to the gym around 4/5 times each week for a half or full hour of swimming. I’m really pleased with getting into this routine because it’s a good all over exercise for your body.
I wont lie, the first few times I went swimming it wasn’t easy. Well, the swimming was but the waddling to the pool and out again wasn’t. But you know what? After a week of swimming I soon forgot my worries and just got on with it. If you’re having issues with the waddle of shame then remember that you’re there to get fit and healthy so it really doesn’t matter how you look. Oh and people really don’t care. Just stick with it, I promise it will get easier and you’ll feel very satisfied after your swim.
Here’s a little more information and some reviews on the things in my swimming bag:
Bobbles/hair bands: Whatever you call them, don’t forget them! If you’ve got long hair like me then it’s a real pain if you somehow forget to put a bobble in your bag or around your wrist. I tend to tie my hair in a top knot and avoid getting all of it wet because it takes forever to dry.
M&S tankini: I’ve had the top and shorts I’m currently wearing for my swimming sessions for about a year or so. As I’ve only just got back into swimming over the last few months they really didn’t get worn much before. It’s important to find a swimming costume that that you feel comfortable wearing, it will make your swimming sessions much easier.
Vivid – Grape and Elderflower*: You guys know I love tea, right? Well, these new drinks which are packed full of all natural ingredients fell into I love them. I tend to throw one in my bag when I’m going to the gym or for a day out. The lovely folks from Vivid sent over a selection of their flavours for me to try out. There are 3 to pick from – Grape & Elderflower, Lime, Ginger & Honey and Pear and Rhubarb – I can confirm that they are all delicious but Grape has to be my favourite..I think.
Can we have a little more info? Sure. Well, Matcha is pure green tea ground down into a very fine powder. It contains natural caffeine which helps to improve your concentration. There is also some stuff (a unique amino acid) called L-theanine which helps to keep you clam and alert.
Hand Therapy Dry Skin Cream: I’m a big fan of the cheap and cheerful Superdrug Hand Therapy range. I’ve used a few of these hand creams and reviewed the Intensive cream back in September. The one I’m using at the moment is my favourite when it comes to cheap hand-creams. It costs just 99p and does a pretty good job at keeping my hands moisturised. I usually have to apply it every hour or so but I don’t mind doing that. This tube has been in my gym bag for a month or so and I find it’s best to keep it there because my hands are always extra dry after I’ve been swimming.
Vichy Idéalia Life Serum*: I was lucky enough to be sent this bottle of Vichy Life Serum back in the summer. I started using it around mid November because my skin had started to suffer quite badly from stress. This serum has a light texture unlike many others on the market and it soaks into my skin very quickly. My skin feels much more smooth once I’ve applied the Vichy serum and this makes applying foundation easier. I use this serum in the morning and evening, before applying my day/night cream. If it’s a swimming day I’ll reapply after but then apply my make-up straight on top. I’m delighted to say that I’ve had no irritation to this product and I’m already very keen to try more from the Vichy range.
I don’t think I’ve been using the product long enough to confirm wether it makes any difference to skin tone but I already feel like it could be working. Once I’ve been used it for over 2 months then I’ll give you my full thoughts on it (with before and after photos) at the moment I can happily say that I’m really enjoying using this product.
Vaseline Spray & Go: I’ll be honest, I purchased this for the pure novelty. It happens to be very handy to chuck in my bag and use after I’ve been swimming. As much as I need to moisturise my skin after swimming I can sometimes be lazy, that’s why this spray has been very handy to have. I like that within minutes of applying the product I can be getting changed and don’t have to wait around for the cream to dry. It’s pretty moisturising and I’ve had no irritation to my skin from it. I don’t use this in the morning or evening as I have thicket creams for that. However, it’s deff a gym bag essential.
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Depending on the time I go swimming I usually have my make-up bag in there too. I thought I’d leave that for another post. The items in this post are the main things I’ve been using before, during and after my swim sessions over the last few weeks. I’m thinking of adding a cream or gel to use before I go into the pool to try and protect my skin more.
Have you been doing much exercise during December?
xx