Walking comfortably on my commute

It's funny how sometimes life can throw up happy coincidences isn't it?  That happened for me towards the end of last year.  A friend got in touch to ask if I could help out one of my old teams as they were short. Now it's been a while since I played Korfball (or Netball to be honest) and my fitness levels are lower than they once were, but for once this wasn't uppermost in my mind. My first thought was if I had any trainers I could wear, and then I caught myself as not only was it ridiculous that I was considering playing (see fitness levels admission above), but of course I would have trainers, wouldn't I?

It turns out I did, my old much-used netball trainers had made way after almost walking themselves to the bin, but I still had my very underused running trainers, I was sure. Somewhere.  But then that happy coincidence happened as Vionic shoes and offered me a pair of trainers to review, or sneakers as they call them on their site.

You'll remember that MOH picked them up from the Post Office for me before Christmas, and took some convincing that there were trainers in the box as it was so light. And it's true, they are light - even lighter than my underused running shoes, but they're comfortable and I love how they don't look like trainers, as while these are from the active range I'd earmarked them for use on my walking commute.

IT WAS PURE COINCIDENCE THAT I MANAGED TO MATCH MY VIONIC TRAINERS TO MY OUTFIT

I chose the Sierra active trainers, in Navy. It seems the Navy is no longer available but there are black (charcoal), a white and black, a dark purple pink and pink to choose from. I liked the detail when I saw them on the website, and in real life I liked it just as much.

I'M NOT APOLOGISING FOR THE MUD - IT'S MUDDY OUT THERE AND I'VE BEEN MAKING GOOD USE OF THESE!

Vionic shoes have been designed with technology to support our natural alignment to reduce discomfort, and this, they say makes them a good choice for people who suffer from plantar fasciitis (heel pain) or those looking for extra support as it improves posture and reduces pain in the knees, back and neck. 

Many netballers will know the knee pain that playing a sport they love can bring - I do too - and that's why with an almost half-hour walk each way, I'm keen to have good shoes for that. It really does make a difference.  I've found these extremely comfortable and apart from the day that it really chucked it down (when I opted for boots - not wellies, although they would also have been a good choice) I've worn these every day I've been back at work, and at weekends too.  The colour and design helps, I'm not usually a trainers at the weekend kind of girl, unless there's sport involved.

I DO LIKE THE 'KNIT EFFECT' DETAIL

Walking though is one of the easiest forms of exercise, since I've been walking to work - and around the offices - I regularly clock up over 10,000 steps each day, which as apparently we spend "up to 60% of our waking hours in a sedentary state" I'm pleased to be able to make a small change.  

I've noticed a difference too, not immediately of course, but over time. I'm walking more quickly, getting less out of breath walking back up the hill, but it's when I'm cycling that I notice the difference the most. And while I still don't fly up the hills (sadly) my leg strength is much increased, and I get further up the hills before I need to stop for a break!

What I'm finding myself doing now is challenging myself further, we've all done that "race" against others haven't we? You know, where you choose a person in front of you and walk to catch them up - of course they don't know, so no whooping as you reach them please, they'd rightly give you a strange look.  I've done that, tell me you have too, but it's not much fun when they don't know is it?

I realised today that another way to stretch myself is to lengthen my stride. It's amazing how stretching out a little bit uses other muscles, and so that's my challenge for the next few weeks or so and it'll be interesting to see what improvements that brings. 

I've seen a few Nordic walkers out in Greenwich Park, sticks and all - I'm not about to join them - but I can see the advantages of combining it with an upper body workout.  My handbag acts as part of that, but mostly that's just a workout for my left shoulder...

TRAINERS TOP 

AND BOTTOM

And if you're stuck trying to work out how to get 10,000 steps into your day, remember:

• it burns around 400 calories, more the faster you go
• It's approximately 5 miles and
• generally it only takes around 10 minutes to walk a 1000 steps, and you don't need to do the 10,000 steps in one go.

What tips do you have to get to your 10,000 steps a day?

* This is a collaborative post and I received these shoes for the purposes of this review. All views and opinions are my own.

Adding flexibility - and stools - to our dining table

You'll remember in our search for our dining table and chairs MOH was keen to have a bench seat as part of our purchase. That didn't quite happen, but his reason behind it - apart from liking the look - was flexibility. And he had a point, but we opted for six chairs to go with our white glass table in a mix of colours - and we forewent the flexiblity. 

Until recently that is, when Cult Furniture offered me two of their Grey Hatton Wooden Low Stools to give us that extra flexibility, in a most stylish way. I chose the Dark Grey finish, as these will work with our decor throughout the house, not just our downstairs - as while they're not in dining use, they'll be used in our conservatory and my craft room.

Although they work well without the table extended, and give a similar feel a bench would have done. I think they give more flexibility than a bench, as when the table is extended it makes sense to have the stools at either end of the table, like this:

It also means that dining for eight has become a much more stylish option. 

I like clean simple lines and these have that, and match well with our existing chairs. They're the same height too at 45cm, so no one will need to feel like they're on the "make do" seating option - in fact these are as far from "make do" as I think you can get!  They're very tactile, made of rubberwood and also come in a black and walnut finish, and if you're after a higher stool, there's also a 72cm option.

The curved seat also means they're comfortable - surprisingly so - but that's just what you want isn't it? 

Give me some cook books, a notebook, a to do list and washi tape and I'd be happy to sit here and plan away.  I'm glad they're comfortable as one will have a longer-term home in my craft room (or the study, as MOH is still insisting on making a part-claim) which means when it's not being used, it'll fit nicely under the desk making the most of the space available. 

Once I've got that craft-room-cum-study slightly more presentable I'll show you how it works up there too.  But that's for another day.

I'm really pleased with these stools, and the flexibility they'll give us and I've been impressed with Cult Furniture too.  One of the stools I received was damaged in transit and often you can tell a lot about a company by their customer service. I sent photos of the damaged box and stool and a replacement was quickly sent, but this time using a different carrier - and with better results.  I don't think you can ask for more than that.

What do you think?  And how do you cope with additional people for dinner?

* This is a collaborative post, and I received these stools for the purposes of this review, however all views and opinions are my own.

Post Comment Love & Blogger Showcase 12 - 14 January 2018

Hello there and welcome to another Post Comment Love. If you were here last week, it was great to see you and if you're new here this week then - hello! - you're very welcome.  Please take the time to find out more about our Bloggers Showcase, and to explore some of the other great posts that are linked up this week, Morgan and I are certain you'll find plenty to entertain and enthral.

This week it's been more like back to normal hasn't it?  A five day working week for some of us at least, MOH has been unwell having suffered with the worst of our sniffles from last weekend. I've managed to escape so far, but I can't help but think I'm only delaying the inevitable. But I'll do that for as long as I can.

This week I've linked up my word for 2018 and I'm trying to be kind to myself. It's been an even busier than usual week at work and I'm making the most of my delegation skills (and adding to them) to try and keep this up. I know I've a busy few weeks ahead of me, and you never know by the end of it I might have learnt the skill of writing myself a more manageable to do list, but I'm not promising anything.

As a result of a mostly grey, misty and damp week I've taken very few photos and so was at a loss for something to share this week. But I've popped into my photo archive and this was just the burst of colour I needed.  It's from last year from a visit to Compton Acres in Poole and was taken in the Italianate Garden in March. 

IN THE ITALIANATE GARDEN AT COMPTON ACRES LAST MARCH

Blogger Showcase: Megan from FITMEG-UK

1. Who are you?

I am a 20 year old secretary from London. I enjoy reading and fitness. I set up my blog and dedicated it to my passion for fitness. I properly started getting into the health and fitness world about a year ago. I didn’t like the way I looked and wanted to change myself. Now, I am obsessed with bettering myself, although it’s not so much about the physical aspects anymore but more about the mental ones. I love feeling that I am constantly making a better version of myself and being the best I can be. Fitness gave me the hidden confidence I never knew I had (probably why I said it was hidden).

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

Blogging, for me, started at work. Women, in particular, often saw the transformations that I was going through and wanted my advice. One lady was asking about her 15 year old daughter who didn’t like the way she looked. I often gave her advice and one day she said to me “you could start up a blog and give all your advice on there.” That’s where it all started really. I love giving advice to others because I feel that I make an impact on their lives, no matter how small it may be.

I did a lot of research to begin with. Tried to find out how to get into blogging, the best web hosts and most importantly, finding a niche. I wanted to place myself further into the fitness community than I already was. And when I say community, I really mean it. Everyone has the same drive and passion that you do. It is truly inspiring. It makes you want to push yourself even more and help people who are starting out, much like how I used to be.

3. Why did you start blogging?

As I said before, the main reason why I started blogging was to give advice to others who are in the same position as I once was. I had to find out everything I know now the hard way. I made so many mistakes that I want others to avoid. I spent months not knowing what I was doing wrong. The only person that I really wanted to talk to was a personal trainer, but they are WAY too expensive. I want to be that person who gives out free advice about what they may be doing wrong. What I really want is 101 emails in my inbox when I wake up with everyone asking me to help them. I don’t want others making the same mistakes that I did!

4. What do you find most challenging?

I think the thing that I find most challenging is managing my time between my own fitness life and my blog. You will be able to see from the dates, my blogs are so inconsistent from when I post. Email are a lot different. An email I can reply to ASAP and can do it anywhere. Writing a blog takes time and thought. I don’t want to post a half-hearted blog post and do it regularly. I would rather post occasionally but make sure I put 110% effort into it.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

My favourite topic is FITNESS!! I have a strong passion and dedication to my fitness and well-being and I want to share that with everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a personal trainer. I have no qualifications. Everything I talk about is through personal experiences. Most of my posts are about what I did wrong and what I spent months doing before I found that answer. As I explained before, I want everyone else to bypass the mistakes and listen to what actually works. There are not many places out there that offer free advice. I know from experience. I am and I want to help people in their fitness journeys. 

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

Funnily enough, my blog was not set up for the intention of others to read it. I made it as a sort of journey and diary for myself. It’s only when a lady at work said I should share my stuff that I thought I would start promoting it. Now, I do it both for fun and my goals. My goals are for my blog to be well known. I want people to recommend it to friends and say that I give really good advice and it helped them along the way. That is my only goal when it comes to my blog. Other than that, I do it for fun.

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

One of my favourite things about blogging is sharing my experiences. Even though I am not trained in anything to do with fitness, I do have a lot of knowledge and experience within this sector. I like that I can share this all through my blog. It definitely makes it worthwhile when someone takes my story on board and applies my tips to their lives. 

Another thing that I love is the blogging community. When I first created my blog, I was afraid to tell people. I was worried that they wouldn’t understand. I didn’t quite realise how big the blogging community is and how much they can help. People in this industry are not in it for themselves. They will easily take time out of their day if you are stuck and need help. That’s the same for the fitness industry. They all have the same passion and drive and will be more than happy to assist you with whatever you need.

8. What are your 3 best posts?

• Think about the journey and not the end result

• 5 reasons to drink more water

• The myth of targeting fat loss

9. Describe yourself in 3 words..

• Bubbly

• Motivated

• Driven

10. Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

Definitely tea and biscuits!! How can you not be?!?

I have such a sweet tooth and it is always for biscuits! I don’t care what kind. I love them all!! I try and aim for 1 biscuit a day but sometimes I just have to have more! It cannot be helped. I never deprive myself though. Otherwise my diet will fail and I’ll end up eating everything I can get my hands on! It’s not a pretty sight.

11, What is your idea of a perfect night out?

My perfect night out usually consists of going down to the local pub with a few friends and catching up. A lot of my friends are at university so when I see them, I prefer to chill out rather than go clubbing.

12. What would you say your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?

They would say my motherly side is my best quality. I am a very caring person and I am very protective about those I love. I am a very gentle person and put everyone before myself. I do tend to mother people a lot. I make sure that they have done everything and that they are ok before I tend to myself.

Thanks Megan, it's quite timely but quite unplanned that we're featuring your fitness blog at a time of year when more people are focussed on self-care.  It looks as if you're currently taking a break from your blog, so I hope you're back blogging soon.

If you'd like to be featured in a future Blogger Showcase then please get in touch with either Morgan or I - we'd love to feature you!

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