Top / Leggings / Jumper Hey guys! So today I thought I’d write a blog post with my tips to boost your workouts this year. I’m sure most of you have something to do with working out as your New Years resolution and I think February is a good time to look back at those resolutions and see how we’re getting on with them. Fitness has always been one of my biggest passions but in 2017 I had a fair few injuries and spent most of my time here, there and everywhere so struggled with my routine. I feel so happy that I’ve basically rested my body, understood the importance of rest days and finally, feel like I’m back in my routine this year (so far, so good). I feel like the spin queen and my mind feels epic for it. Let’s kick this year off to an epic start and talk about the best ways to boost your workouts this year, including keeping your fitness resolutions and motivation on track with the help of Apple Music*. This is in partnership with Apple Music. 
Workout buddy - First things first, find a workout buddy, whether it’s a physical friend/partner or, someone online. I really do find I have to be incredibly motivated to stay in my routine and to drag myself to the gym some days and having someone in the same boat really helps. For example, my boyfriend and I both go to David Lloyd gym and actually my Mum too, it means we all want to go so I make them force me to go and likewise, me with them. If you don’t have a physical person in front of you to push you, follow inspirational fitness people on social media, one quick look at their profiles and I instantly feel inspired to head to the gym or move a little more. Even if you have a friend online and you both egg each other on and tick off when you’ve worked out. Little things really help mentally. 
Music - I’ve got to the gym without my phone and earphones before and it’s totally ruined my workout. For me, music is the biggest booster for my workouts, whether it’s at the end of my workout to give me that final push when I feel like I can’t possibly go anymore or during the middle of my workout to make me feel less bored. Music has the power to push me harder than ever before and also, the power to make me forget that I’m working out all together, often it takes the burn away. I personally use Apple Music, I started using it in January and it’s revolutionsed the way I workout. I hate it when an ad comes on midway during my HIIT and ruins my workout entirely or when it skips to a song that doesn’t get me moving. EE has also launched a fantastic offer if you are interested in Apple music. For Apple and Android pay monthly mobile customers you are treated with six free months of Apple Music and EE will cover the data. So I guess it's all about making the most of those 6 months of free music! Apple Music most definitely gives my workout a musical boost. I’ve basically built a bank of playlists, some for weights, some for my own spin sessions and some for my HIIT as I find different songs get me in different moods. You can then have music for the walk home, music for running, fitness boost running and even dance hits for those hard HIIT sessions. So, whether you try these energy-enhancing classics or use features like Themes and Moods to find curated playlists, I promise it'll push you harder and keep you running to the beat! Read my top tips on how to use Apple Music the best ways here.
See some of my top HIIT tracks below:
Cheap Thrills - Sia
Light It Up - Major Lazer
In The Name Of Love - Martin Garrix
Work - Rihanna
Ain't my Fault - Zara Larsson
Drunk In Love Remix - Beyonce
Scared To Be Lonely - Martin Garrix
Good gym kit - I’m a firm believer in working out anywhere, in anything but it is true, good gym kit can really help. I’ve been injured so many times from having the wrong kind of trainers, it’s so important to ensure you have good basics. I like Nike trainers and Gym Shark gym kit is my go to right now. I also love Sweaty Betty when it comes to my most of my workouts. Their gym kit is just the highest quality and will last you forever. It seems expensive at first but it is such an investment, I've had their leggings for years!
What works for you - I really do think it’s about finding what works for you. Just like music is a really personal thing, what gets me feeling energised and boosts my workout may not work for you, this is the same with exercise. Your friends may get great results from the gym but you might hate the gym. I think it’s all about trying new things, leaving your comfort zone and seeing what works for you. Try something you thought you’d hate, you may love it. My Mum and I both adore David Lloyd, I’m a gym and class kinda girl and she says she hates the gym. When I got her membership at David Lloyd she soon changed her mind and now she loves going because she loves Zumba. Zumba isn’t something that I personally enjoy, I love spin but it means we can head to the gym together, go to our separate classes and then both leave together feeling fulfilled. Maybe it’s running outside that works for you or maybe it’s going to a dance class. I get a lot of messages from people who say they’re scared to go to the gym and my biggest tip? Walk in and stand on a piece of equipment (a bike for example) close to the front and just sit there and get your bearings. I like to figure out where things are and see how things work otherwise I get nervous in new gyms. David Lloyd feels like home for me now!
Be efficient - Be efficient with your workout. I often find when I go to the gym an hour before closing, I’m way more efficient because I know I don’t have all the time in the world to push it so I push it extra hard. I always ensure I finish every workout with a 5-10 minute finisher depending on how much time I’ve got. I call it ‘emptying the tank’ I’ll usually do it on the bike, whack a good soundtrack on and just smash 20 seconds on as fast as I can and 20 seconds rest, then repeat for 20 secs. It means I’ve blasted it fully and been time efficient too. Being efficient and working out doesn't just mean going to the gym though, see my next point.
Every little helps - In my opinion, whether you’re moving in your pyjamas to Beyonce when you wake up or moving in your jeans on the walk to work, every little helps so don’t be so hard on yourself. Put a good song on. Take the steps rather than the escalator. Get off the bus one stop earlier. Wake up earlier so you can walk to work. There are small things you can do that will make a big difference. I've been using the Apple Health app, it actually works without me realising and in New York, I've been clocking up 25,000 daily steps and almost 20km distance per day. It goes to show, you don't always need a gym. I've now become addicted to clocking my steps and it's motivated me to just move more.
So there we have it, a little look at some of my top tips to boost your workout, do leave a comment and let me know if you have any top tips when it comes to boosting a workout! What's on your workout playlist?
Read my blog post full of tips for using Apple music here.
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*This is sponsored by EE + Apple music but is my honest opinion.
Lots of love, Em x
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