Working out in the Autumn and Winter

Yes it has turned cold now since for a while it has been mild and its like someone has pressed a switch. 

If it is possible workout later than usual or if you go out early morning when it is dark and icy or late at night you are wear visual clothing and wrap up still. 

Ashtead one place I love walking and route I take each week

Invest in good footwear if it is icy and you can get blades for trainers if you do running and I have hiking boots and a good pair of everyday training and have a different pair for walking on the treadmill. 

Use Youtube as there are a lot of workouts on there and it is free. 

I invest in good woolly clothes like jumpers, fleeced leggins and tights and thick socks. Check out hiking shops and charity shops as they have pairs and a good investment and I have invested in a pair of wellington boots. 

Investing good comfortable clothing doesn't mean blowing your budget, but on what will suit you and if they suit your needs and how much you want to get out of them. Check out my blog site: https://www.carriesversatilefashion.com  I go to Charity shops, hiking shops and Amazon. There was a time where I would use Sports Direct but they seemed to quite expensive and not much choice. 

Make sure you eat and drink, as when I went out in the morning would struggle to run and need food so would eat, like toast, porridge or cereal bar. Check sugar content. I found it hard to do any workout on an empty stomach and feeling thirsty, so would have a small cup of tea or some water, but not too much to avoid a stitch. 

I would try not to drink too much because being cold it always makes me needing the toilet more which would affect me running or walking so make sure I went to the toilet and can encourage you so if you are doing long distant, find out if there toilets anywhere and pre-planning can help and make you take your belongings like keys, phone and a bit of money. 

Yesterday when I did my walk to pick up my son from school as he has a after school club was cold but helped boost me on and it had warmed up, but by the time we were picked up to go back was cold again and that first strides battling with my walk and sit down, but carried on and the cold often be a good boost to warm your body up and so that inner critic still voices but have learned from continuing to walk or run, to ignore and push on. 

Keep yourself safe and lets encourage each other and still workout when it is cold and make sure you stay, if you can in a lit up area.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X  

Walking With my son even when its not always blissful

I love my son to bits and today we went for a walk because he wouldn't leave his dad alone, who was doing his training with his weights and I was a bit doubtful in case getting him home is tough like on Friday when my son kicked off because we didn't go the way he wanted. 

In playground near home we use and from when I walk around it whilst my son rode on his bike

We often go on walks and it not always bad and going to be doing a new Walking event called the Winter Walk, in London in January and so glad to be back doing fundraising events. It has been a long time.

It is so good to get out in the fresh air and if its just spitting or grizzly we still go out and walk. We live where there are a lot of places to walk and often Henry has gone on his Scooter whilst I walk and built up my speed to keep up. 

My dad was always walking as he would work up into the center of London and so I feel it is in my blood and I just find it so good to do. I plan my walks and I do some on a treadmill to help strengthen my legs and once I get to a good pace where I still feel comfortable and can still walk, it helps me to walk longer distances and would like me and my son to do a charity walk together but work on short walks to do before doing longer ones. 

He, my son has wanted to walk from London Waterloo to Epsom, because he loves trains and wants to pass the stations, but I am not sure if he knows how far it is but don't want say no because I want him to be active and continue to do walks together and so we have been building up to do that. He has said anything since last week, but if he wants to give it a try then we will. I just hope it won't take a year. He likes to pretend he is a train whilst walking and we have got lost or not sure of the way to be able to do that, so will take some planning but as said, if he wants to do long distant walks like that then I not going to destroy his enthusiasm. 

The weekends is usually when we walk and it is good to break up the day. Sundays' are off because my son goes to rugby and a football club, along with me who does a radio show on Epsom Hospital Radio 4 to 6pm and so we walk on Saturdays and when we were using the playground near where I live in Wimbledon I walk around, whilst my son rode his bike. 

So if you want to spend time outdoors and your kids are driving you mad indoors, walking can be just what you need.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Exercise on the go if you struggle with fitting into your plans

 Yes so if you think you have no time to exercise then guess what, I bet you do. I exercise a lot on the go, like doing running on the spot whilst waiting for the kettle to boil and when I am watching to see when my son comes back home from school, raise my heals so I am standing on tippy toes and help tone the back of my legs. 

I will when cooking do leg raises and doing housework, do some lungs or squats and I used to when my son was first born whilst I was waiting for his milk to cool down, in the morning, pick up my dumbells and do some training toning the arms. 

Dancing whilst doing the vacuuming with your headphones on and walking the dog. I often see parents when waiting for my sons taxi to arrive see parents taking their dogs and cycling and when my son has a after school club I will walk to his school. It takes an hour and a half but nice walk, and when I worked for at weekends for a company in Chessington I would walk there and back. 

This morning as I continue to write this blog did a ten min walk on the treadmill as I had time to kill, with my son dressed and ready for school and walking up and down the stairs and my next door neighbour walks around the block every morning as she works from home, and I have to move as I find I get more tired from sitting down for too long. 

Looking around the shops and walking with a coffee from a store or made from home, and through a local park. When I want to go to the shops in Colliers Wood, in London will walk via Wandle River and back. One of my sons favourite things to do and places to walk. It is good to be with nature and tomorrow going to do some writing in a coffee shop but also walk around the Garden Centre in Morden Hall. 

You can also do a workout seated. I use it to stretch and expand my muscles and love doing a floor workout and will be something I'd invest in is an exercise mat. I love mine and working on my muscles lying down, and do a mixture of yoga and Pilates. 

So you can still exercise without having to replan your plans to exercise, not changing your schedule but on the go.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Building My Steps

It has been so good to get outdoors and walk. I like to take my time and take in what is around me and going to different places. Today we (mum and step dad) took my son and I to the RAF museum, which was completely free.

A picture I took inside the RAF Museum 

If your kids love planes and helicopters then this is a place to go. I had never heard of it, until today and can get there via Thames Link trains and then hop on the bus, 302 and there is a cafe and playground, along with a Red Arrows 4D experience and simulator of being on an RAF plane.

It was so good to see, and love going somewhere different. 

By going to museums you'd be surprised in how many steps you do and that is the great thing with walking you can work it around your lifestyle, even if it is 10 minutes. One of my neighbours in Epsom in the morning goes for a walk around the block as she walks from home and today I popped to the shop, it was short, but good to get out whilst I have the time to myself and at my own pace.

On Friday I took my son to a park for him to ride his bike, then went on a bus ride and got train and then did some walking along a local river to pick up some shopping and even that can build up your steps and I really enjoy it. 

I know there are other exercises you can do outside, but with walking you can do it anyway you like, and it costs nothing. It doesn't have to be long walks and so I set my self to walk 6000 a day. Now I don't always do this a day its just what I aim for and a rough target. I know I can do this in a day and use the time with my son to walk. 

Walking is great to do with your kids or when they are on a scooter or bike trying to keep up, making sure that it is a safe area to walk and often walk by the river and take in what is around us.

The summer is good for walking and good to walk and not need a coat or a jumper and just stay hydrated to continue to walk on pavements and paths, exploring new places and old, and just enjoy the outdoors and discovering new things. Like the RAF museum and taking it in all of the good things in our world. Times have been tough, but for me walking is my favourite and love seeing how many steps I can do each day. 

There are charity walks you can do. I did the Moon walk for breast cancer and The London Bridges walk for the Garden House Hospice and there are many that you can do.

I hope this gives you the motivation to walk and if you know of some good walks then please let me know. There is a comment box below. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Having fun getting fit outdoors like walking and having a coffee

Hello and welcome! It has been a while since I have shared a post on this blog site. I like to exercise and the one thing I love, is to have a cup of coffee when I am doing my other favorite thing, walking or getting a pastry and sitting by the river and now the weather is changing going to use it to do lots of walks with a coffee in my hand, and then have a picnic and do some writing. 

Picture of Wandle River where my son and I love to walk 

I love the parks in London and in Epsom and would like to discover more and if you know of some good walks then please leave a comment below. 

It is nice to explore and my son wants to walk to different places, because he loves trains and wants to walk to each of the stations that go to places like to Epsom and Dorking, which I have no idea of how to get to on foot, so said we'd go there by train and walk around once we're are there. If we do then I will vlog. Check out my Youtube channel, where I post vlogs: (77) Typical London Gal Carrie Holmes - YouTube

I have been planning some walks to explore London, of places love, like the Southbank and see people jogging along there and I used to do that too and then go and meet my mum for lunch.

On Tuesday we are going to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, which is free and if it is a nice day, plan to walk through Hyde Park, and there are many walks you can do in London, my mum has a stack of cards of different walks you can do, and there is a group called the Ramblers who do different walks around the UK.

Or if you are a confident cyclist then this is also good exercise but I often see people on them jumping lights and not wearing visual clothes, which can put them and others on the road in danger.

Then there are clubs and many people now who do fitness classes outdoors and when Henry my son was a baby and toddler, I did Buggyfit and good to get outdoors, or have a playdate if you have children which includes walking with a coffee especially if you find getting exercise on your own with children, to be difficult. It is nice to spend time with other mums and dads. 

There are walking fundraising events. I have done the Moonwalk, raising money for breath cancer, and Race for Life and Thames Path challenge and got to have a coffee on route, as we did 23 kilometres. We meaning my mum and me. 

I did a walk for the Garden House Hospice, doing the London Bridges walk, and great way to see the sites and was a lot of fun, and was got picked up by a mini bus. 

I hope you find this blog helpful and fit in coffee and walk could be a a good way to meet up with friends or family, and exercise should be fun, not a chore or something you feel you got to do, rather than what you want to do. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

 

 

Find your own time to workout

The idea of this blog came about when watching a Influencer called Victoria on Youtube and whilst watching I went on the treadmill and is Tuesday afternoon. I like morning walks outdoors too, but I also like using the treadmill, but once I have had lunch and finished on the computer for the day. 

For my own experience, it is what works for you that makes your life easy and doesn't have to be a hard struggle in fitting exercise into your life.

I used to do a Sunday run after I'd been out in the morning having a coffee and something that I enjoyed and is something I would love to do again, but need to focus on my walking and build the strength in my legs again by walking so I can eventually get back into running.

I enjoy building my steps and do a Sunday morning walk by a local river and just being with nature feels so therapeutic, and not sure if we can do this now, because my son has joined a rugby club which I am happy about, so going to fit it in to do on a Saturday morning or afternoon when my son finishes his swimming lesson. 

Some like to go for an evening exercise class or run, and I have done that too.

Because of lifestyle changes I now take on what I call the "Flexibility mode" so schedule it so me and my son can exercise together, do my indoor workouts in the week in Epsom as I have more space and it takes the pressure away and doesn't become a chore. 

Going shopping can help with walking and why I spread my errands like shopping each week like buying food to walk and get outdoors. Your time is your own. 

I even when my son was a baby and would waiting for the kettle to make my sons milk, I would do a workout with some dumbells and now we play sports, to exercise and going to be going swimming again to get fit and really looking forward to it and then going to see if can workout in the gym on Friday. 

I know a lot of people like working out in the morning, and I have nothing against that, my husband does his in the mornings, and I used to, but now I workout once I have woken up and concentrate on one thing at a time, and once I have a free moment will do a workout or like I say do some exercise with my son, and love that routine.

Its all about getting fit and getting active and enjoying it.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Getting fit for 2024

So Christmas day tomorrow and then it is another year over, and so it is time to set our goals.

I set my goals into three categories, Home, Work and Play, and was putting my fitness in Play but going to go into Home. Getting fit for the first time, is to start slow and then work your way up. Or if you already exercise, then it is progressing to the next level, which tests the body but not to over do it. 

Then it is choosing your workouts and location. I miss going to the gym, and so have a local pay as I go gyms, and so going to do once a week go, as the gym also has a swimming pool, and so will be taking Henry there too,  I will still be working out at home and walking, to continue to build my steps and then eventually return to running.

This year I did too much too early, instead of spreading it out, and caused me to stall, and the top of my right leg hurt and felt sprained, and so going to walk and build up my fitness, and just progress, by listening to my body.

Be realistic when it comes to your goals. What results do you want to see? And what results do you want?

It is important to be specific, so I want to exercise because I want to lose a stone, and so will workout every morning, before my kids wake up. I enjoy short workouts, and in the afternoon lunch and using my husbands treadmill, and walking around the local park, and love my Sunday morning walks with my son. I love walking by the river. So your goal could be, to jog along the river between Putney to Hammersmith bridge. Just an example, and I have done this and makes me feel a peace when walking or running along the river. 

Tomorrow, on Christmas day, I will be going for walk, and I like to do this each year, and so set this as a goal, to start my fitness journey on Christmas day and work up an appetite, and many people workout to prepare for Christmas, as we tend to eat a lot.

Go through them as you go through the year, and journal or log it in a notepad of your progression and building your fitness. Go through the year to plan your fitness, and mark of days where you won't be able to workout. Such as a family event or your travelling, and like me, a parent, school events going on, that it will be hard to fit in some exercise.

I create a Pinterest board each year: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/thetypicalLondongal/sports-and-fitness-coaching/

So, lets work together and if you'd like to share on setting fitness goals, you can leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X