Difference Ways To Measure Your Fitness

Hello it is so great to see people jogging in the streets and partners that I am back doing my own workouts. I do like to take a break towards and over Christmas and so back going for walks and walking on treadmill once a week, until I feel I want to do more.

This is a video of me walking in London last 

Summer from Earls Court to Marble Arch

On Youtube Channel Typical London Gal Carrie Holmes 

I am no longer doing Parkrun but I am pleased I tried it out and perhaps I can eventually see if there is Parkrun somewhere else, because also I will be moving from Wimbledon. However it is a new year and it is time to focus on just growing and like to exercise through out the day and to measure my fitness. I will use time, but when walking on treadmill I set a target to walk on treadmill listening to 4 songs and in doing that I did 17 minutes. 

Use a pedometer to measure steps and there are APPs too. I have watch, not set it up yet, but will get that done. I now go for a 45 minute walk towards the end of my sons lesson he has at the Library, until we get a school placement, when it isn't raining constantly. That is if the buses are not running like last week after an Accident on one of the local main roads, and has been good and it just to get some fresh air and just allow my feet to walk. 

I would do a chart when I was running and see like, when I would run through Hyde Park how many benches I could pass or benches, I'd run up hills and on the treadmill walk using the Incline for 5 minutes then down hill for 5 minutes and build. 

Mel Robbins says that you should plan what your going to listen to when hiking or walking. It can be good but don't feel comfortable in doing this when walking on high street and other big roads where I live and going to live, but I will listen to the birds, walk by a lake and take in what is around me. When walking on the treadmill I will plan what I want to listen to.

Create a song list and many, when I used to see when I did go to a gym see people reading whilst on an exercise bike. I find going by time can put me off so listening to songs, podcast or a video on Youtube is better and takes my mind off the walking I am doing. Do a workout whilst watching a favourite TV programme or a film even. 

It is good when I am out to plan my route when walking and I find it gets rid of the pressure when not worrying about the time and getting into the zone and it is not just good at the end of it but whilst you workout. 

So feel good. Not been out this week so far due to the weather but done bits which I still count and walking around the home. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

 

Getting Fit On The Go

I have really enjoyed getting fit on the go. At the bus stop the other day I just raised my heals and back  down again, whilst seated waiting for the bus and when tidying and going up and down the stairs. Playing football with my son and rugby. On New Years Eve I did some weights to exercise the upper body, as I do lot of leg exercises.

The Park we love to walk

Tip# Have your weights near you rather putting them away as yesterday I was able to grab them and whilst watching a favourite TV, did some weights. 

Carrying shopping, making sure the bags are even and the same when carrying a Rucksack. Don't carry too much as it can cause injury and strain your muscles. When sitting down raise your upper body seating straight up not slouching and do pelvic exercise. Dance whilst cooking, aswell as exercising your vocal cords. 

I like to potter around the home and did that today and cleaned and tidied the kitchen, then the living room and starting to put the Christmas decor and tomorrow whilst my son and husband get their haircut I will go for a walk and continuing this blog, walked from the Cinema to home via the park and I feel so good for doing that. I love walking. For me it is the best thing after the busyness of Christmas and so felt good to walk the back way from the Cinema and just gives me so much joy.

It is okay to take a break over Christmas it is personal choice but if I can just do 5 minutes of exercise then I will use that time to fit in a quick workout. It is good to just work exercise around your lifestyle and love being with nature and just feel so uplifted. 

Tip# Create a playlist for your workouts. I love creating playlists and playing different types of music and get bopping. I love to put one on whilst cooking dancing around the kitchen. Often my son will join in so use technology to work for you to workout the body.

It is good to not look at the time if your on a treadmill so gonna get back into using the treadmill and perhaps by doing it once a week aswell as walking outside. 

So Get if on the go and still benefits and for me it has reduced the pressure on my self in continue to exercise for my health and wellbeing.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

New Alternative Workouts

Every bit you do is something and so doing short workouts through out the day, is still a workout. If I am on the sofa I will do leg raises and when I am in bed. Carrying shopping and walking around the house is still a physical Activity. There are so many workouts you can do at home, watching TV.

Invest in an exercise mat and some dumbells. I love having a set and got ankle and wrist weights which are good and really helps tune into your body and mind. If it helps you physically and mentally then it is the body signally that it likes the activity you are doing and helps raise the endorphins, to continue to do the exercise. 

One of My Favourite Walks, South Park Gardens in Wimbledon and getting in touch with nature 

I am still going to walk outside. I am a little hesitant about walking on the treadmill at the moment. Not sure why, I just can't find the momentum at the moment, so I now do alternative exercise and still feel the benefits in doing so. 

The one thing I am going to invest in is a watch that measures my steps as I do a lot of walking around the house and would be surprised on how many steps I do, rather carrying my phone to measure my steps outdoors but indoors aswell.

I have shared before about working out when waiting for the Kettle to boil and cooking and often will dance: https://getfitgetactivewithme.blogspot.com/2024/09/exercise-on-go-if-you-struggle-with.html

Any form of physical Activity is still being active and Winter is the best time. 

I will be doing my Christmas Day Walk and once Henry starts to have tutoring lessons I will be using the time to go for a walk, because at the moment, he wants to get the bus. 

He was at one time wanting to walk, but extreme walking which is fine. I'd prefer to build up to do extreme walks. 

This time of year I do often take a break from doing exercise so why I do bits when on the sofa, but still like to walk and being out doors. I build a lot of my steps going shopping: https://getfitgetactivewithme.blogspot.com/2025/09/shopping-can-have-its-benefits-when.html

When at the dining table I used one of my sons tennis balls to exercise my feet and legs.

There are so many things you can use to get fit. 

You can use the steps. I did this one a lot and during the break of a programme I get up and do something like climbing the steps and when out seen people run up steps in a park and down again. 

Skipping, playing tennis, cricket and walking backwards.

When my brother was a kid he would do Judo and now plays rugby and cycling. 

In Epsom I see a lot of kids riding their bikes to school along with their parents. 

It not always about running or doing aerobics. 

It is about moving and feeling good about in your mind and loving your body, seeing what it can do to help you stay fit and healthy.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Shopping can have its benefits when staying Active

When I was young I thought to be active was running, lifting weights and not eating. 

That is not the case. In fact just going to the shops can be included. Yesterday meeting my mum, my son and I took a walk along the river whilst my mum was getting her hair cut and then walked back and looked around the shops to find my son a wedding outfit. 

Borough Market in London 

(Just to say my son is being homeschooled at the moment and including walking, playing sports and just be out. At the moment he is out in the garden, playing football and we go swimming too and it all counts, whilst we await for a place, for my son get go to Secondary school)

The Benefits of shopping is that it takes your mind away from snacking, which we are cutting down on and it helps us from stopping in all day. Yes I do like it when we can relax too, but it is good to get out and go to a market, even. One of my favourite things I enjoy this time of year is the food markets and love Christmas markets. 

Great places to get different gifts and like investing into small business, aswell as bigger stores, if it's affordable and reasonably prices and worth the price. Check out my Financial Living Youtube Channel: (7) Financial Living - YouTube 

Meeting friends to join you and make a day of it. I love to stop for a coffee and checking out charity shops. I love that in Epsom and Wimbledon, where I live I have some nice parks nearby and can have a coffee, after checking out the shops and markets, and just helps enjoy the present moment.

Not even a big shop. Today it was stationary and food for lunch. 

I like to get ideas of food to make that is healthy, so not just to spend money, but to be inspired as I like different meals. Example ASDA's do delicious meatballs and I had a sausage casserole sachet and so made a casserole and instead of sausages, used meatballs and slow cooked it and was so nice homely meal, with a nice crusty bread and a great family meal after being out and is healthy. I love my vegetables. I love Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli and carrots, along with peas and keep in the freezer and preserves them. 

It is good excuse to catch up with friends and family. Like my husband I took a trip West Sussex and bumped into my cousin. When shopping, when I lived in down in the South Coast, bumped into my auntie and when I used to shop with my nan we often bumped into family and friends. 

It is good to chat about an item with a friend and if it looks okay and make a day of it. 

I do feel at the moment we need to save the high street as many shops are closing and we need the high street and is another benefit, because it is an incentive. I like shops like M&S, New Look and miss Debenhams. 

So reading this blog will help you in feeling guilty about shopping as its not about spending but being outdoors and seeing people, bumping into friends and family and have a playdate even.

Lets get active and save the high street.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Don't Rush Your Workout

I have been walking this week. I completed over 30,000 steps and I was walking at a steady pace but at a pace that I wasn't far away from my son who wanted to do the walk and I find if I take my time I get more out of it. 

I used to rush my workouts, but I like to feel every movement now. I did a bit of exercise tonight whilst my son had his bath. I did leg raises, squats and sometimes in bed I will do some leg raises, just taking in one movement at a time and it is a lot more enjoyable and since doing so, felt that I am a lot more flexible in my body, which helps with my walking.

It doesn't need be rushed through when you workout and resistant training like weights can really be good, whilst watching TV or playing music and using your own body weight. 

Swimming is good, that is where my son and I did this week and really helps to wake me up and take my time. I am not a fast swimmer and we have so much fun swimming together.

I am thinking of going back to Park Run since walking with my son and my walking has improved my and now would like to run part of it. What put me off was some of the runners going because I felt they slowed me down being a walker but I think its not their fault, as such but should split for runners and walkers or those that want to jog it which is my plan until I am ready to go faster.

It is what is good for your body. If you want to do high intensity then that is fine, I do a mixture but its getting the right signals that helps you enjoy it, to keep going and not too much so you dread it. 

Military fitness was very high intensity but too much for me.

Not saying it was bad. It may be suitable to others, but wasn't for me but felt good in giving it a try. Try out different workouts. I like doing my own workout but started to want to join a gym again. 

I miss doing the different weights and machines. It depends on affordability and how many times a week, if I do join again, will go. 

I'm thinking do swimming for definite once I know Henry has a school. We are still waiting as he is now due to go to Secondary School and wanting to book him swimming lessons again. 

Working out should be fun and therapeutic. If you not getting results or feeling defeated then it is good to take a step back, see what areas you need to build on and then go back. I have often done that and it is good to try different ways to keep fit. Listen to your body, gut and mind and what is good for you body and your mental health.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X  

Alternative Fitness

You don't have to run a mile to get fit. You don't even need workout equipment or a gym membership but carrying shopping, walking to the shops rather than the bus and do household chores, is still physical Activity.

Me at the weekend walking from London Blackfriars along the Southbank London   

I now to ten mins a day and it is a mixture of arm workout and a legs, obliques and abs. I walk a lot and and going to build up so I can run again, but for now, I am going to keep walking and a little bit goes a long way, to make a difference to my physical health.

When it comes to getting active is all about moving and even gardening counts.

Train engineers have to carry heavy equipment and dig, riding your bike doing the school run or walking and even when I would do the school run, after I dropped my son off at school, I would go for a run and saw many parents do the same.

I climb stairs rather than getting the lift or escalator. Walking on the underground, changing trains and walking up hill and when sitting down I often do, some leg raises and stretching. 

Even when in bed lastnight did some leg raises. I like to potter around and last weekend my mum, son and I took a trip to London and walked. We walked from Putney to Hammersmith the week before and I felt so good, that I want to do more. 

Dancing is a great activity to do. I would as a young girl did dancing and many of the teachers had learned dancing through having a serious injury and one my friends from school does Belly Dancing and competes in competition and a girl worked with participated in dance competitions. 

There are many sports clubs that do walking Rugby and Football. My brother set this up at his rugby club and there are a whole range of ways to get fit and active, including swimming. I often take my son swimming and we have such a good time when we do.

It is time for me to do some chores. Cleaning and even though I am not a fan it still needs to be done as I don't want to live in a messy home. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

If you don't feel like running

I like getting fit and being active because it gives me a good amount of energy. As a mum it can be non stop, because if your child is like mine, has tones of energy. So it is important to me to be active and look after myself, but you don't need to run, there are many different forms of fitness workouts out there. 

For me I find walking is better for me than running because I can do it wearing a dress, jeans and different comfortable shoes; I may eventually get back to running but not gonna rush it now and focus on strengthening my legs. I have put Parkrun a side for a bit, because I like watching my son do his football training and was feeling very self conscious and like walking through commons and parks, but in my own pace and not feeling pressurised. 

Many gyms offer classes but you can also search on YouTube and then there are workout DVD's one of the methods I used to get me started, aswell as going to the gym. 

I began to get serious about it and even kept up being active when pregnant but had to stop running because it caused me to be sick, so I did workouts suitable for pregnancy. Check out this video I have done for my Life Coaching programme, Summer Project 2025: Summer Project 2025: First video Habits I have applied in 2025

It is good to be active and I build up my steps doing weekly errands, like if I need to pick up something from a shop, such as food or toiletries and walking from the train stations to my home, picking my son up from school, when he does his afterschool club or taking my son out on his bike or scooter. 

I work it around my lifestyle and walking up and down stairs. Walking along the river to the shops and trying difference routes to where I live and just letting my legs stride and enjoy what is around me. 

You'd be surprised how many people train outside. Doing a class or with a personal trainer.

I'd like to workout in my garden so will consider this once the shed is sorted out as then I want to do this up to be my shed for crafting and clean table as I can write out there too. Where I live with my mum and step dad we use the playground and we play football and rugby.

Or indoors cricket and tennis. I do plan to book a tennis court in one of the parks local to play tennis and great way to be active and building your fitness. 

So if you don't want to run, then don't, so what suits you.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X