Variety is the spice of exercise

This is a sponsored post.

Nadine Hill, blogger at JuggleMum and BritMums’ Blog Editor, talks about keeping exercise fresh.

I’m 4 weeks into my membership at Nuffield Health in Wakefield and I have to say it has flown by!
I’ve been trying out Nuffield Health as part of a campaign between Nuffield Health and BritMums to help break down the barriers that may stop people going to the gym. One of the major barriers is not having enough time, or finding it difficult to make time when you’re a parent, so as a mum of two and a small business owner, I am a great candidate to see if I can squeeze in some ‘me’ time!

Over the last few weeks I have been finding pockets of ‘me’ time all over the place but it has involved some creativity. I’ve done a 6.45am spin class, a yoga class at 7pm on a Friday night and had to work my diary like a maniac to get to the 11am weekday classes. But all in all, I’ve still done the daily school run, cooked a meal every night and fitted in my desk work as well.

On one hand that Sunday morning, snow still on the ground, when I turned up to my first Dance Aerobics class seems like so long ago; on the other hand, because I have had so much variety within my membership, it feels like I’ve only just started!

Here’s what the class timetable looks like from my local gym.

 

Am sat with my @nuffield.health timetable planning next weeks’ classes!! #sp #nuffieldhealth @britmums #fitness #gym #classes #fitspo #bodytransformation #positivity #planning #instalike #instagood #instapic #photooftheday #businessmum

A photo posted by Nadine Hill #lblogger (@businessmum) on Feb 6, 2016 at 4:02am PST

As you can see there is LOADS to do — and these are just the classes! On top of this there is the cardio gym with treadmills, steppers and Power Plate; the weights gym (honestly, I haven’t spent any time in there, but it is there) and the swimming pool. Within the last 4 weeks I have tried out  new activities and also found a few favourite classes that I enjoy.

Here’s what I’ve been up to: Cycle Studio (Spinning); Dance Aerobics; Legs, Bums and Tums; Yoga; and Zumba. On top of these classes, I have been swimming regularly and doing gym work with a personal trainer!

Here’s what I haven’t even been able to try yet: Body Pump, Body Conditioning, Box Fit — which I like the sound of — and CXWORX, Body Attack and GRIT, which all sound a little scary but I will work myself up to them.

I have focused mainly on classes to burn calories and fat, with some toning in there too as I am keen to shift the weight. (The yoga class in is there for my mind!) I am also following a healthy eating regime so I know my food intake is good. Combined with the exercise, I should soon have the results I’m working for.

A secret: I love it when it’s all about me

One thing I did want to share is how fantastic the personal attention is! When you join Nuffield you get taken round the gym by one of their instructors who shows you how all the machines work and puts together a personal plan just for you. They say, “Follow this for six weeks then come back and we can change it”, so you don’t get bored but also so that the results don’t stop coming as your body eventually gets used to the exercise. They are very good at being results-focussed at Nuffield, but they do it in a gentle way. It’s supportive, not “in your face”.

Photo credit: Nadine Hill

Alongside their in-house instructors, Nuffield also provides access to more tailored support from their personal trainers, who come in to work with private clients at set times. This is a chargeable extra on top of your membership, but if you are keen to see results quickly — maybe tone up to drop a quick dress size or just get a boost to a regime that has stagnated of late — then I would highly recommend a session with a PT.

Here is a video I recorded of my session with Nikki, my own Personal Trainer.

Last month I shared a post about ways busy parents can find time to exercise, and now you can see the sheer amount there is to do. I hope that this post has encouraged you to carve out some time for yourself and get those endorphins pumping. Hopefully it won’t be long until you experience the euphoria of exercise for yourself!

Take a step now to get fit for 2016

This post is part of the Nuffield Health’s sponsored campaign with BritMums, about breaking down barriers that stop people going to the gym to help them get fit and healthy for 2016. Nuffield Health believes it’s important that parents take time out to look after themselves and improve their health. There are times when it seems impossible, but Nuffield Health is on hand to help guide even the busiest of parents! Find out about gyms near you and how they can help you get fit. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.

About Nadine Hill

Nadine is a marketer, digital creator and ex BritMums Editor who started blogging in the mid 2000's whilst working from home around her young family. Her blog JuggleMum won an award for video and covered many lifestyle subjects from fashion to food to entrepreneurship whilst also inspiring content creation for her YouTube channel @MrsNadineHill. Nadine loves hanging out with her teenage children who keep her (mostly) current - although apparently no-one says 'hanging out' any more! When she's not with her family she's at the gym or in a coffee house in Yorkshire somewhere (she's been to most of them!) - photographing her cappuccino for the grid. You can find Nadine on Twitter and Instagram as @IAmNadineHill

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