Throw Down Your Arms!

Sooooo I spend a lot of time writing about food and nutrition and even as I type this I cannot resist the urge to plug the wonder of green smoothies! I'll throw in a recipe at the end for good measure but today my focus is going to shift to another area of my life that I'm equally passionate about; fitness. Since I could walk I always opted to dance instead and it has been something I've always done first and foremost for the love of it. These days I have a dance degree under my belt and have done my time in a professional dance company so I focus my energy mostly on composition. I create approximately 10 works a week for myself, my little Dance Company out in Tahmoor, my kids at school and my darling adult students at my studio. I breathe dance! Never has it felt like fitness to me, nor has it challenged me in the same way that other types of fitness have. As I've progressed with my fitness journey, I have taken up pole dancing, aerobics, rebounding, yoga, strength training, isometric training, power walking and a few failed attempts at running. By keeping my fitness routine broad and varied I always stay interested . There are so many options for me so that on any given day I can turn to something that my mind and body feel connected with and capable of achieving. For the most part, I've pursued my fitness from home. With such a busy schedule, a gym membership and timetabled workouts are just realistically not on my agenda. By investing in a few bright and fun pieces of home equipment, I always find my workouts a little more engaging and aesthetically pleasing. I'm not talking big ticket items either! A purple yoga mat, green skipping rope, pink hand weights, blue aerobic stepper, gold gym ball, mini tramp, kettle bell, slam ball and colourful resistance bands are the staples of my fitness kit. Add in 2-3 solid fitness apps on the ipad and some great tunes and you've got yourself an ideal home gym. Now that daylight savings has ended and the days seem to be getting shorter and chillier, it's hard to find the motivation to bother with fitness. Enter bright fitness gear! When the bright equipment isn't enough to get me moving, a great pair of patterned tights and colourful crop or motivational singlet are always on standby in my wardrobe ready to motivate me (even if it's just for the #fitspo selfies! Any motivation is good motivation). Something about looking "the biz" when you head into your sweat sesh seems to be the added drive needed to believe you can go faster, stronger, further! When all else fails, no matter how cold it is outside, grab a kettlebell, skipping rope and towel and get outside! Making your own backyard bootcamp can be just the change of scenery you need to keep your fitness regime on the straight and narrow. Getting some fresh air and enjoying the spongy grass gym floor under your feet can add a layer of novelty to your workout and also benefit you mentally as you connect with the outdoors. A chilly temperature can even give you a greater adrenaline rush, help you burn more calories and enable you to prolong the length of your workout! Here is a super easy 10 minute kettlebell series you can add to your next home workout. If you don't own a kettlebell, don't fret. Any weighted object around the home can suffice! Bags of flour, pillowcases filled with oranges, babies, pets, whatever your imagination can think of! No need for excuses!

Need extra incentive? Well here is a recipe for some delicious green protein smoothie icy poles that are sure to cool you down afterwards! Ingredients: 1/4 green apple 1/4 lemon 1/4 grapefruit Handful grapes 3 strawberries 1/4 peach 1/2 small cucumber 2 stalks of kale leaves Lge handful spinach Tsp chia seeds 1/2 tsp green powder/redpowder Scoop vanilla protein 1/2 cup coconut water Handful ice Method: 1. Throw all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy 2. Pour into icy pole moulds and freeze. 3. Pop out of mould and enjoy!

xx