Being a fitness trainer it's my job to keep my client being challenged,engaged, motivated and at the same time giving them results! i always believe that functional movement out rule every other fancy movement but typical weekend warriors and desk jocks get bored and lose focus and motivation if you get them to squat and do push up and planks at every session! Don't get me wrong all my clients do squat,deadlift, press, pull, rotate, and lunge at every sessions according to a program but there are a bunch exercise out there that you could do to keep them interested! Also the fitness industries have made all sort of fancy equipment for you to use, so why not use it safely in between your main exercises, if you do have excess to a gym of course. I've mention, I love working with balancing exercises with my client, because its such a simple exercise but it can be a taxing to some.

So today I'm going to show you some example of exercising using just 1 dumbbell, i am sure all of us have 1 dumbbell at home, or a water bottle, or if your at the gym, pick up something heavier and challenge yourself! this may look simple but throw in a circuit or add a couple of burpees in between those sets!you will get your heart pumping, so here we go

3 sets of 10 reps

OR 

Pick 3-5 exercise and repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps! between every exercise throw in 20 jumping jacks!
(you know jumping jacks right?, i don't have to show you or burpees if you love it like i don't ) 

1. WARRIOR FRONTAL RAISE 
   
2. 20 SECOND BOAT POSE HOLD 
   
3. LUNGE AND RAISE (CHANGE SIDE AFTER FINISHING 12)
   
4. BOAT POSE CRUNCH (CHANGE ARM OF STARTING POSITION OF DUMBELL)
   
5. SINGLE LEG BACK ROW
   
6. SINGLE LEG HIP EXTENSION (CHANGE SIDE)
   
7. WINDMILL(CHANGE SIDE)
   
8. SINGLE LEG BACK ROW TO HIP EXTENSION ( CHANGE SIDE)
   
9. 20 SECOND BOAT POSE HOLD(AGAIN YES!)
   
10. HIGH PLANK ROW(CHANGE SIDE)

It is not easy to find quality workout/yoga apparel under the price range of $70. And today, i am  excited to share with you a local active-wear label in Singapore!

I'm super particular when it comes to workout clothes! hey also because its my uniform. Having a top that isn't to long and a bottom that isn't ridding up my butt makes a hell load of difference. I want to be able to do my exercise in comfort and not keep adjusting my top every repetition, also i want something that i can wear out looking chic. 

Vivre Activewear is a local start-up by a super talented yoga enthusiast who seeks to bring affordable and beautiful clothing to yogis in Singapore and all over the world. Choose from a wide range of tops, bottoms, sports bra, and yoga towels from their store! Prices range from $30 to $60. Vivre also offer exchanges within 7 days should items received does not fit/ is not up to your expectations, so you can have a worry-free online shopping experience with them.

I swear that the material for the tops are to die for, and with an in build bra you do not need to buy another set of sport bra. I have another top that I've yet to get a photo with, its a toga top and I've been given compliments that it accentuate my shoulders!

Here are 3 of my favourites! YES it is that affordable!  I've got 2 pairs in my closet and you should too since you will be getting a discount!


No its not only for yoga! i workout in it and felt so much cooler in the top! perhaps its the material!

Follow them on their Instagram and Facebook to be updated of their new arrivals, events, and promotions. * From now till 31st July 2014, use coupon code “jd10dc” to be entitled a 10% discount when checking out! Do support local brands!

Website: www.vivreactivewear.com
Facebook: Vivre Active Wear
Instagram: @vivreactivewear
Enquiries: [email protected]

 

What is free.
Can be done anywhere.
Can be done by yourself or with someone else or even an entire country.
Comes with some health benefit.
A truckload of bad reputation. 
Distintive knees and joint injury.
A total waste of time to some and an addiction to many.

Running or Jogging!

 I had to go look up on the difference between those two, beside the pace/speed, Jogging is usually done more leisurely and comes with a slight more bounce as compared to Running which sounds more competitive, a little less more demanding than Sprinting.  

Just google jogging the minute you insert "jogging is" the word bad follows through. I wouldn't associate jogging with being bad, every sport that we play have a little element of jogging/running/sprinting, so is sports bad? 

Reason why running may be bad, because there is no follow through or planning or progressive training. People see running as a way to lose weight and they beat themselves up and start going for miles and hours for their first run, they do it a couple of days, every day! get tired, pull a muscle, and blame it on running! To much of every thing is not good and too little of everything is not good either, therefore building up miles takes time, i wouldn't do marathons, maybe 1 and get it over my bucket list but thank god its not in it. haha 

If you are planning to start running,because its cheap, free and makes you feel good, always start of with a 5-10min warm up. Run/jog no longer than 30 minutes for the first time and if you need to stop then stop! listen to that poor body that sit on a desk an entire day , you can't just force it to run immediately, Let it get accustom, let the joint and muscle start developing and firing up. 

For the first week plan to run 2-3 times per week depending on individual , get ample of rest and remember to hydrate, try not to run more than an accumulated to 2-3 hours a week unless if you are planning to compete in a race, but if you are just planning to stay fit, and if that 30 min is getting to easy, instead of increasing the time of the run why not increase the speed! 


Why i don't run anymore? i find that i can do more efficient exercise in the gym and my knees are not in the best shape since my netball days! but just for you and to prove that running is safe if done correctly, i'll try adding it into my program and let you know how i feel after running bur of course you're not gonna get 10km per week from me, maybe 2km if you're lucky! on my next post i will find a suitable APP to use via your phone to track the distance and speed and if you do know of any, drop me a comment. 

Below are some pointers to remember when running! yes there is an efficient way to do everything, no right or wrong. When i workout or when i participate in activity, first thing that i love to address is that it shouldn't hurt you, nothing is safe, people die while running, but people die getting choke with a fish ball too, we just need to be more well prepared and aware to actiivites that we can control. 

till then.
j.d

Besides looking after my hair,the people at BlackHairSalon especially Nick always keep  ensuring i care for my hair more, I'm the type of girl i would just bun my hair up in the tightest knot with 3 thousand rubber bands, here are some tips that most of you already might know!

1) Condition your hair only below your ears onwards focusing on the ends, the scalps do not need much conditioning.

2)Never towel dry your hair and rub it like your going to rip your head apart, usually when your hair is wet, it breaks more easily, just place a towel and use your finger to massage to remove all the water.

3)Its definitely okay to change shampoo, find one that works for you and trust me I'm still finding one if it doesn't change, i usually go with one that is paraben free or contain less crap in the ingredient secret, those are the ones that cost the most too, like the saying beauty comes with a price.

4) Rinse your hair in cold water.  cool rinse of water will close the cuticle and seal in the moisture to each strand. It’s ok to shampoo your hair in hot water but finish it with a cold rinse at the end.

5)To achieve the waves on my hair above, after washing my hair, towel dry it to about 80%, i sprayed argan water(i mix 20percent argan oil and 80% water) on my hair and i braid it loosely and let it sit in till its completely dry or until you feel like removing it, gently remove the rubber band, flip your head over and ta da instant waves.

Super upset right now, i wrote one of the longest post and its all gone, it's one of those moment kinda writing and i can't rewrite it, sadly it wouldn't come as close as the first draft, but the only thing i manage to copy was the end of this paragraph which said,

Get out of your head and get into your heart. Think less, feel more.” ~Osho

What works for me, may not work for you, its similar issue with everything in life and recently i can't help but take extra effort to look after my skin especially towards the sun, i love my face being sun kissed and tanned but i never made any effort to wear any sun protection before for the very reason i hate my face being oily and i keep my skin care regime to the minimal, I'm a moisturiser and eyeliner girl and anything more than that requires more effort. 

My current favourite is 
1)Biore UV aqua which i use when I'm about to be in the sun for a longer periods of time. 
2)Maybeline Baby skin not only protect my face but gives that extra glow, couldn't ask for more.

As quoted from (HUFFINTON POST)
What are the top five reasons you believe everyone should wear sunscreen?

1. The ozone layer is depleting and your body needs shielding from harmful rays.

2. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer.

3. It helps to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations.

4. It also helps to reduce the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness.

5. It slows down the development of wrinkled, premature aging skin.

whats your favourite SPF? leave me a comment. 

 I recalled netball training, my coach made us toss around 5 kg medicine balls countless numbers of repetition until your arms literally died, but hey it did get me stronger, it made the netball lighten and in crossfit! we would usually toss a 5kg or 10kg medicine ball up against a wall while dropping into a squat way too many time until you have no more gas.

 I am sure you would be able to find a medicine ball in any gym you visit, it comes in a variety of weight range depending on how atas(classy) your gym is,  here's a bunch of exercise you could do with a ball and not just use to sit on it like i do at times :) 


Feel free do 3 sets of this circuit anyway you fancy in 12-15 repetition, throw this in after your weight training or do it as your total body workout or just pick 3 that you like and keep doing it for 30 second intervals!


1) ball plank ( hold for 30 seconds)
2)ball stability lunge
3)ball push up
4)ball pike ups
5)ball power pike ups
6)basic ball lunge
7)ball sit ups

 I declare that I have terrible posture if I don’t remind myself about it, its been worst since high school, probably worst in primary school but of course I didn’t know any better, years of sports and muscle imbalance and I blame my ego to keep lifting heavy weights and forget about all the tiny muscles and deep stretches that i should invest my time in. 

While I’m having my Chai tea latte, have u tried it? Why does it taste so good and too sweet for my liking but I can deal with it,but 6 bucks for this drink? I could eat a meal but I need wi-fi, so good trade after all and watching people buy 2 fraps just because it’s buy 1 get 1 free, and they are literally drinking both!!! Im sure if no one else is drinking we can opt not to have it, but we all love free things don't we? so frap away folks.

So here's a gist of whats important in this amazing article i came across ( citation ) read it because sitting up straight is not just about looking good but maintaining a healthy spine.
--

Body language is closely related to posture—the way we move our bodies affects how others see us as well as our own moods and habits. In terms of scientific research, the two overlap quite a bit. This isn’t too surprising, but how our posture and body language affect our thoughts is.

For instance, a study at Ohio State University in 2003 found that our opinions can be subsconsciously influenced by our physical behavior. Here are two fascinating examples:

• When participants in the study nodded in agreements or shook their heads to signal disagreement, these actions affected their opinions without them realizing.
• The same study also showed that when participants hugged themselves, they were sometimes able to reduce their physical pain.

Here are three fascinating things that happened once our posture changes:

1. For example, when we sit up straight, we are more likely to remember positive memories or think of something positive in general, according to this experiment.
2. Another insight was that if we skip during breaks, we can significantly increase our energy levels. A slow, slumped walk on the other hand, can do the exact opposite and drain us of our energy. (source)
3. The study also found that those who were most affected by depression before the study found their energy drained more than others.

So Erik Peper is convinced (and I am, too) that we should keep a careful eye on our posture and body language--lest it bring us down without us realizing.


Posture also changes our hormones

Standing tall literally makes you more powerfulWhen we talk more broadly of body language, as opposed to good posture, we can actually see the affects it has on relationships right throughout the animal kingdom. In particular, body language is used to express power, through expansive postures (i.e. spreading out your limbs and opening up your body) and large body size (or the simple perception of large body size).

You might know about Amy Cuddy’s famous Ted Talk and her incredible insights on how posture changes our hormone levels. Well, some even more recent studies took this even further:

A study by researchers from Columbia and Harvard Universities showed that body language symbolizing power can actually affect our decision-making, subconsciously. The researchers measured the appetite for risk of participants in either expansive, powerful poses, or contricted poses (occupying minimal space, keeping limbs close to the body). Those in the powerful poses not only felt more powerful and in control, but were 45% more likely to take a risky bet.

Why there is no “one best” posture 
and how to improve yours?
So if you want to take advantage of these proven benefits to live a healthier and happier life, where should you start? We know that there is a large amount of different areas that can be painful when we have bad posture. Here’s just a short list of them:

Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot of research into how exactly to adopt good posture—a lot of what we know tends to come from being told to “sit up straight” as children. A study in 1999, however, found that sitting at an angle of 110-130 degrees is optimal for spine comfort, and another in 2007 showed that leaning back at 135 degrees is ideal for preventing back strain.

Believe it or not! 8 years ago my shoulder is so rounded i don't even know about it, when i have photo shoots, the photographers have to tell me not to slouch! its not pretty but hey habit takes time and I'm working on mine so should you.

Sometimes I question myself, do I really need that many workout clothes? They are my “uniform” but I always find more excuses to get more, I mean they do turn into mops of perspiration at the end of the day so why wear fancy clothes? but hand up to a girl that do not want to look good? I also know that sports wear are expensive therefore I've listed ways to burn your fats, not your pocket!

I know its very superficial to want to look pretty when you are after all just going to the gym to workout, but I’ve seen many girls around the gym feeling unconfident and adjusting their tops umpteen numbers of time and taking more energy to check what they are wearing in the wash room rather than actually working out, i am not judging just that i spend so much time at work, i analyse a lot of things, even how many people have used the same mat and wonder how much perspiration it had soaked up, I'm grossed out just thinking about it, also ladies i understand that it doesn’t make it any easier when there is another gender present unless you join an all female gym or workout at home. 

So why not make some effort buying sports wear that's not only comfortable but looks good too, instead of spending money on a new pair of jeans or a dress, when you buy workout clothes you not only want to look good in them but you are investing in your health, it will give you the reason to actually start working out more or even trigger you to want to workout because you have after all spent money and put in effort and buying that outfit in the first place, roll your eyes on me, i know all of us like looking good and smelling good, even some men, else why do they spend so much time pumping biceps. *wink *wink*

Have you gone shopping lately and noticed that you’re favourite store added a new addition to their range of clothes, the active wear section! How genius is that,  not only they are chic, it is affordable in compared to the big brands that’s been in the market. But I always tell myself ,that we should own at least a pair of good tights, below are some brands to consider if you do not want to burn your pocket. 

If you are going to start working out  2-3 times a week here's what you need just to ensure you have enough time to wash them,unless you have helpers or your mom's hobby is washing clothes then you better ensure than you have this in your closet.

1) a pair of tights low or short 
2)a pair of shorts (for outdoor activities)
3)2 top  ( 1 sleeve, 1 sleeveless or your preference) 
4)2 pair of sports bra or i actually fancy buying tops with bra inside. 

I dropped by H&M and pretty decent quality! it one of the range that carries men's wear too. 

I seen a lot of girls on instagram prancing in cotton on tights and damn it looks good, variety of fun colours and super loud design. 

I saw this online, a friend of mine told me they carry sport wear! and forever 21 activewear is pretty similar with Victoria Secret sport range, very chic and affordable.

Love the material of Gap Fit, the price not so much, the price is similar to a Nike of course i choose you Nike ( hehe) but hey check them out! 

When i played netball, this was hot! every girls who wanted to be hotter didn't want to wear school pants but fbt!! So  comfy, i use to live in them under my skirts in school  and i would roll them up and make it even shorter but they do make shorter version now! super cheap too !!

So there you go, check out all this new sportswear range thats slightly more affordable than bigger brands but if you do fancy Nikes or Adidas here is a couple of tips to save up a little since they do last forever!

1)Find out how to own a membership , mostly comes with discounted price also during birthday month you get to enjoy up to 20% discount.

2) Shop with another friend to enjoy discounts, i mean not everyone can afford a minimum spending of $150 dollars to receive a 20% discount, but if you do have a friend, the hole gets smaller.

3)Shop at the Factory Outlet! they are not the latest collection but way more cheaper. 

4)If your friends,parents or partner ask what you want for your birthday, say sport wear! if you want something ask!! instead of getting another watch or a new gadget. 

5) Shop online, yes sometimes you are able to save more when you shop online, gather your friends and order them together to cut cost. 

There you go! have a good weekend everyone! 

photo credit:KC Eng