Simple ways to get fit at home

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When it comes to getting fit, many of us shy away from making a start as it feels like a massive mountain to climb, and the thought of sweating it out in a room full of regular gym goers just doesn’t appeal.

So, we don’t get started and nothing changes.

Let’s stop right here for a moment.

What if we said that you can start to shift your fitness levels for the better in the comfort of your own home in just 20 minutes a day?

Yes, you heard us right.

You don’t need anything fancy, it’s all in your house already, and in no time at all we think you might start to like it.

Skipping
Let’s go back to basics and grab a skipping rope to get fit. It’s super simple and you probably remember it from your school days, but you’re jumping the rope, not stepping over it, and the idea is to increase your speed over time and being out of breath will show you are working well! Clear out some space, go outside if you need more room, and we would say skip for one minute, then do star jumps for a minute and keep going for as long as you can.

The reason this is good for you is because it gets your heart-rate up and gives you some cardio action, but it’s not too intense. Oh, and using the rope can help improve your co-ordination which is never a bad thing!!!

Sofa leg raises and crunches
To do this, simply sit on the edge of your sofa and put your hands either side of you. Straighten your legs out in front of you, raise them to 45-degrees, and then go back down, stopping just above the floor. Do twenty reps of these and avoid dropping your legs back to touch the floor in between. In addition to this as you sit on the sofa, do 20 crunches by bringing your knees up to your chin and then straightening your legs directly out in front of you.

This might hurt to start with, but both exercises work your abdominal muscles and improve your core strength, and you don’t even have to get up off the sofa – so try this double win!

Stair runs
Forget the step classes at the local sports centre, you can use your stairs to get fit. Start with walking up and down them ten times, then do it two at a time – you will feel a difference. As you become fitter, up the speed and you will see your fitness and stamina improve. You might find that in time, you start to walk to the shops rather than drive the car, try a jog in the woods or even have a go at a park run, you never know what small changes can bring to your life.

Workout with bottle weights
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted hip width apart on the floor. Hold a bottle in each hand with your arms outstretched above you, then bring your elbows towards the floor with a 90-degree bend in your arms, hold for one, and keeping your elbows where they are, unbend your arms to bring your forearms towards the floor. Try not to let your arms touch the floor as you do this, and while you can start with ten reps, build it up to 30 on each side over time. If you do this you will strengthen your triceps, shoulders as well as your chest. If you enjoy this, you can buy some real weights, but start here just to check out how it makes you feel.

Yoga
This beauty won’t see you out of breath, but it will help you to improve your focus, core strength, flexibility and mental calmness and it can help you to relax and stretch out – what’s not to like?

If you don’t feel like braving a class, there are a lot of online videos and apps out there which safely introduce you to the wonderful world of yoga where there is something for everyone.

We love the easy to do tree pose. To do this, bring one foot up to rest on the inner thigh of the opposite leg above the knee. Once you are feeling balanced, put your palms together and raise your arms above your head until they are nearly, but not quite, straight. Then, breathe in and out slowly as you maintain your balance and and feel your strength grow. We like this because it’s brilliant for posture and lengthening your spine, but it also opens your lungs and relaxes your mind which makes it great if you are feeling stressed out and over worked.

Got an indoor fitness tip you think we would like? Send it over, we would love to know more.

Team Pure Beauty

The smart way to get your family screen free

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Let’s face it, many of us spend far too much time on our phones, tablets, and laptops, so now and again we need a reminder to take a screen break.

Yes, they help us work and play, but their addictive nature and glaring lights do little to help us rest.

We have some ideas of how you and your family can get back on track, spend less time online and interact with each other rather than living in a virtual reality.

Have a time limit
Five minutes on Insta can quickly turn into an hour, so having time limits early on is a great idea. No screens before breakfast, a couple of hours at the weekend, nothing an hour before bed and a screen ban in bedrooms can all help to get the balance right and save squabbles later on.

Keep an eye on the remote
In our digital age we often forget the impact of the mere TV screen, but you should monitor this as well. Does the TV really need to be on all the time? Is binge watching box sets the best use of family time together and do the kids watch age appropriate shows? Decide on family rules about the TV, don’t leave it on just because it’s easy and if all else fails, hide the remote!

Rethink TV dinners
Yes, a pizza and movie at the weekend is a treat and can bring you all together, but TV dinners every night might not be the way to go. Open plan living and kitchen diners mean that it’s super easy to eat a bowl of pesto pasta on your knee as you watch Netflix but eating together at the table and catching up on your news can be so much better, and if you cook together that is even better!

Digital detox
There might be protests, but even an hour of screen free time on Sunday can help make some big changes. Putting down the phones and tablets and going out for a walk in the park, having a swim or meeting up with friends will give you time together as a family and while you might not get any photos for Facebook, you will make some lovely memories.

Take back control
When it comes to kids and devices, you do have the option of taking back control and putting restrictions in place. There are various apps out there that allow you to block and filter usage and you can put a timer on the internet, or just turn it off altogether. While asking for passwords might not be your thing, knowing what they are doing online and who they’re talking to, is probably a smart move, even if it is an unpopular one as they get older.

Practise what you preach
If you’re looking at your emails or Facebook feed while you eat breakfast, your children are likely to think they can do the same. If you want your family to agree to changes, you need to ensure you are following the rules as well or you might have a real battle on your hands.

We don’t say you have to do anything drastic now, but doing one or two things differently could bring you closer together.

Team Pure Beauty

A quick guide to mindfulness for a happier life

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Mindfulness is being talked about in the media today more than ever, but what’s it all about?

Quite simply, mindfulness is an awareness of ourselves as well as the world around us and it can improve our mental wellbeing, calming the mind and allowing us to focus on the here and now.

If we are more aware of the present moment, it can help us enjoy the world around us more and understand ourselves better. If this happens, we can experience and enjoy the people and things we have been taking for granted, and leave behind the stresses we don’t need.

What does it involve?
Just taking notice of your thoughts, feelings, sensations and the world around you is the first step towards mindfulness.
There are books, apps, and courses that give you a structured way to bring mindfulness into your life, but at the heart of it, what you are doing is stopping for a while and focusing on your breathing. You will then notice that your heart rate slows down, adrenaline production is reduced and you feel more relaxed. With practice you can develop greater focus, better sleeping patterns and start to feel happier as well.

It is true that some of us find the idea of sitting with our thoughts when we are stressed or unhappy, quite difficult, so we have some simple tips that could help you get to grips with mindfulness.

Mindfulness isn’t easy to learn at first, so you can start by reading up about it some more, taking a course, joining a group or using an app like Calm.

It is thought that just ten minutes of mindfulness meditation a day can bring massive benefits when it is done on a regular basis. If you can, do it at the same time each day – maybe when you are on the tube, at lunchtime or before you have a bath in the evening, and it’s at this time when you can really be at one with yourself and leave behind your worries and fears. Clear this space each day, stop everything else and practise your mindful meditation.

Start with short bursts of three, five or ten minutes – you can even do it on the train.

When you sit down to meditate, take a few moments to get comfortable. Notice the sounds around you and how you’re feeling. This will help your mind and body reconnect, so when you do start focusing on your breath, it’s a little easier.

When you are practicing mindfulness and meditating, all you need to do is notice your breath and when your attention wanders, which it will as you wonder what to eat for dinner or where to go at the weekend, let go of it and bring your focus back to your breath. Each time you do that, it’s a win and it gets easier.

When you progress and start to bring mindfulness to your daily life, our advice is to start slowly. We suggest that in week one, you are mindful when you are brushing your teeth – be aware of the sound, the smell, the taste, and the movement as you clean. Then build up slowly, adding a new thing each week, such as being mindful on your walk to work, or while stacking the dishwasher.

Mindfulness isn’t for everyone, but why not give it a try and in time we hope it can become a part of your life and one that will make things easier and happier for you.

Team Pure Beauty

Take the stress out of your work day

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Let’s face it, even when you love your job, have a great boss and colleagues you get on well with, work can get stressful.

Commutes, long hours, computer screens and being contactable pretty much 24/7 thanks to mobile devices and the digital age, means work can take over your life if you aren’t careful.

What many of us don’t realise is that while a little adrenaline can keep us on our toes, ongoing stress can have a negative impact on our health, relationships, sleep and if you aren’t careful it can cause burn out.

We have looked at some easy ways of taking care of yourself while keeping your career on track.

Know what’s important
We are constantly saying we are busy, but don’t make this a reason to be late, tried and in the end, less productive. Each morning before you look at emails or make any calls, write a list of what you need to do that day and check on any meetings that have been scheduled. When you prioritise your workload, it is easier to have a stress-free day and if additional tasks come in, look at just how important they are before dropping your original plans.

Learn to say no
We are conditioned to say yes, but doing so can pile on the stress and make you less efficient. It isn’t easy to say no to a new project from your boss, especially when a promotion is on the cards, but if things feel too much, sit down with them and look at where other tasks can be delegated and what the deadlines are – tomorrow isn’t always realistic.

Take breaks
If you spend most of your day at a desk, you need to get up, walk away and take regular breaks. Making a cup of tea, walking to talk to a colleague, going to the post room and even making a phone call in reception are simple but effective ways to have a break from sitting down and staring straight ahead. When it comes to lunch time, it might be tempting to sit and work through your to-do list, but this is the perfect time to get away from it all. Go for a walk, have lunch at a local coffee shop or pack sandwiches and head to the park and clear your head.

Meditate at work
Meditation isn’t just for yoga classes and a quick session at your desk can really help bring clarity to your day. Even if you are having a super busy time, downing tools for five minutes, taking stock of your breathing and taking a step back can help increase your productivity levels and leave you feeling energised. There are loads of great books and apps out there, we like Buddhify, so have a look around and find something that works for you.

Work-life balance
We know it sounds like meaningless jargon, but it is vital to plan your free time as well as work diary to get the right balance. Having a mix of hobbies, a group of friends to meet up with, gym membership or regular Zumba class to attend, will all help you turn off from work and relax.

Book a holiday
Just as you need to take a break in the day, you also need to use your holiday time. We aren’t saying take a full two weeks, but a long weekend with the girls or a mini break by the sea can really revive you and you will go back into work feeling refreshed and smiling.

So, if you want to be more productive and less stressed, take time out for you and we think you will see a difference.

Team Pure Beauty

Unplug and live life

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Sunday 25th June marked National Unplugging Day, the third of its kind in the UK and something we think will grow and grow as more and more of us question just how much time we spend online.

National Unplugging Day is a day all about breaking free from technology and having fun with family and friends away from the screens and gadgets many of us use for more than eight hours a day.

Taking a break from social media is easier said than done as it is part of everyday life, but we have some ideas that might work.

Rather than starting your day checking Facebook, why not kick it off with a decent breakfast, yoga session of do a little meditation. Concentrate on you first thing, then worry about how many ‘likes’ you’ve had over night.

Go old skool and rather than buying the latest novel on your Kindle, got for the paperback and read it on the train or bus and we think you’ll become so absorbed you’ll forget to check your phone.

One day a week, maybe a Sunday, turn off all devices and have a totally unplugged day. Meet friends (no selfies over lunch), go to the gym, have a bike ride, visit a museum – the ideas are endless and none of the require technology.

Pick a sport, any sport but one that means you can’t look at your phone. Tennis, badminton and netball are all fast paced and need 100% focus, so unlike golf or running, you can sneak a peek at Snapchat every now and again.

Turn apps off. Remember the days when a phone was a phone? Go back to those times and take social media off your mobile and limit the amount of time you can check on what your boyfriend had for dinner or where the girls are planning to go at the weekend. The end of apps doesn’t mean the end of the world!

If you do work at a computer, turn the Wi-Fi off and simply concentrate on your ‘to do list’. OK, you might need to do some research for a presentation or look at stats for a report but other than that, leave social media behind and you will be amazed at how much you get done.

When you do leave work, really make sure you leave it behind. Turn on your email “out of office”, don’t divert works calls to your personal mobile, and don’t check emails until you return to your desk. Very little is so urgent that it can’t wait, even if you are the Prime Minster it seems!

Be in the moment. Rather than head down and eyes on the screen, you will get so much more from life by actually living it. Go for a walk but don’t take Google maps. Get on a train and see where it takes you, without looking at a travel and rather than sending your flatmate a text, leave them a note, go on, give it a go.

Don’t only ban tech from the bedroom, also give it a bedtime! Agreeing that you will turn of the screens an hour before you hit the sack will mean you and your brain start to slow down and turn off and really get some decent rest.

Buy an alarm clock. Out of touch we know, but if you wake up to the alarm on your phone or iPad, chances are you will check them before you go to sleep or if you wake up in the night. If they aren’t around, you can’t look and won’t get distracted for hours.

We aren’t saying do all of these tomorrow, but over time just watch how long you spend plugged in and think about what life might be like if you were unplugged.

Team Pure Beauty