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

Essential Oils for You and Your Home

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acne, anti-inflammator, antibiotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, anxiety, babies, bathroom, blisters, burns, chemical ingredients, chemists, chest balms, cleaning products, clear, compresses, couple of drops, dab, dandruff, diffuser blends, direct use, environment, essential oils, eucalyptus, family, floors, fridge, gingivitis, head, heady scent, health, home, humidifier, immune boosting powerhouse oil, inhalants, insect bites, lavender, lemon, Lemon essential oil, less drying, lifestyle, lift your mood, light clean scent, massage blends, muscle massage oils, natural goodness, natural menthol, pillowcases, purify, Relax, rubs, sedative properties, shake, shake off, shower gel, skin, sleep, slumber, smell, smell amazing, soap, steam inhalation remedy, stings, stubborn stains, sunshine, super popular ingredient, supermarkets, Tea Tree Oil, totally natural, universally loved, warm water, young children

Essential oils not only smell amazing, but they are totally natural and can be used on your skin, for your health and in your home.

You can create massage blends, inhalants, rubs, compresses, diffuser blends and cleaning products that won’t harm you, or the environment but could lift your mood and boost your senses.

We have looked at some of the most accessible oils out there and hope you’ll find one that suits you and fits into your lifestyle.

Lavender
This is one of the most universally loved essential oils and for good reason. This immune boosting powerhouse oil can be used as an antiseptic, antiviral, antibiotic and antispasmodic. It helps with sleep or anxiety issues due to its sedative properties. It can be used for treating burns and blisters, insect bites and stings. You can find it in most chemists and supermarkets, and a little goes a long way. You can help the whole family relax by adding a couple of drops to the bath, and if you dab on pillowcases, the heady scent could help ease you into slumber the natural way.

Eucalyptus
This is a super popular ingredient in chest balms and muscle massage oils because the natural menthol helps you to breathe easily and relax again. To make your own steam inhalation remedy, add one or two drops of oil to a bowl of hot water. Close your eyes, inhale deeply – draping a towel over your head to trap the steam – and say goodbye to your stuffy nose and painful sinuses. You can also add several drops to a humidifier to clear the air at home or work, but we would suggest you avoid direct use with babies and young children. You can add to a tissue or item of clothing to help keep your head clear and focus straight.

Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is antiviral, anti-inflammatory, it can be used to deal with gingivitis and helps shake off dandruff. It is also a gentle way to treat acne and is less drying than more common chemical ingredients. Simply add a couple of drops of oil to half a cup of warm water, shake well and apply to your skin with a clean cloth and let the natural goodness soak in. Not only is it effective on your skin, but tea tree oil can also be used to purify your home and can be added to soap, shower gels and even your surface cleaners to give them a boost.

Lemon
It might be the middle of winter, but lemon essential oil can bring a little sunshine to your life whatever the time of year. Adored for its light clean scent, this essential oil is perfect for homemade cleaning products as it is naturally purifying and can clear away stubborn stains and freshen the air. You can use lemon essential oil to freshen up your fridge, clean your floors, put a little on the carpets in your car and it will make your bathroom smell so much better than ever before.

What’s your favourite essential oil and how do you use it everyday? Let us know, we are all ears and open to new ideas.

Team Pure Beauty

How to keep festive stress away

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annoyed, bathroom, beach, booze, breathe, breathe in, chill out, Christmas, Christmas tree, computer games, cuppa, deep breathing, Drink enough water, exhale, family, fray, fresh air, friends, fun, garden, Go outside, grateful, Have a bath, Headspace, heart, hydrated, intense, joy and gratitude, Keep a journal, lower abdomen, merry and bright, music, nearest and dearest, post office, pressure, quiet, Relax, reusable bottle, tempers, tranquil, tropical island, tummy, TV, walk around the block, winter sunshine, write down three things

Family, friends and fun are all part of Christmas, but the festive season can bring anxiety, worry and stress too.

While it’s great to catch up with your nearest and dearest, we know that things can get intense, so we have had a look at how you can make time for you, so that things really are merry and bright.

Breathe
This sounds obvious, but when the pressure is on, make sure you practise deep breathing as it will really help you to stay calm. Sit somewhere quiet, relax and then put your left hand on your lower abdomen and your right hand on your heart. As you breathe in, let your tummy expand and your chest will start to naturally lift. As you slowly exhale, bring your tummy button to your spine. Repeat each set five times and you will start to relax.

Have a place for you
With music blaring out, the TV on and computer games raising the roof, it’s a good idea to have somewhere you can go and just chill out. Whether it’s in the garden, bathroom or your bedroom, take yourself off somewhere quiet, close your eyes and imagine somewhere you really love – like a tropical island or on the beach. Think about what you see, what you can hear and what you can smell, and then float away to somewhere more tranquil than under the Christmas tree.

Go outside
Just five minutes in the fresh air can clear your mind and give you some headspace and a little perspective. A walk around the block, a quick cuppa in the winter sunshine, or clearing up the leaves in the garden can be all it takes to give you some calm. If you can, get out for longer because staying inside all day won’t do you any favours and that’s when tempers can fray.

Drink enough water
Being hydrated is important if you want to feel well and this is especially true at Christmas when there are so many demands on you. Aim to drink at least two litres a day, and if you keep a reusable bottle on your desk and in your bag, it’s really not that hard to get all you need. Oh, and don’t over do things when it comes to drinking booze as that won’t help things!

Have a bath
A long soak in a hot bath can do wonders for all of us, so go on, treat yourself.

Keep a journal
At the end of each day, write down three things you’re grateful for, and why you’re grateful for them. It’s easy to get annoyed with the long queue in the post office and frustrated by the lack of car parking spaces at the shops, but appreciating what has been good and where you have found joy and gratitude, can be really powerful.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy ways to create a clutter free home

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Whether it’s a pile of clothes on your bedroom floor, or a stack of dirty dishes in your sink, keeping top of cleaning at home can be hard and clutter can soon take over.

If you feel you’re living in a state of constant mess, we have some ideas to help you take back control and get a home that is clean, clear and clutter-free which means you can sit back and relax.

A place for everything
If you get home and put your phone, keys and purse straight on the kitchen table, this needs to stop. Have a designated space or bowl for essential items and this clutter free game-changer will keep things tidy and save you constantly looking for lost belongings.

Have hooks by the front door
Having a simple set of hooks by the front door means you’ll always know where they are – simple but true. Get in the door, shut the door, put the keys on a hook and you’ll never look back.

Keep shoes out of the house
Leaving dirty shoes at the front door won’t only keep dirt out but it will save them being left all over the house, making a mess, tripping you over and generally cluttering things up.

Have a clear out
We aren’t saying you need to declutter your house in a day because you’ll be exhausted, instead clear the clutter in bite-size chunks of time – think 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Go room by room, drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard or shelf by shelf – whatever works for you. Ensure you have rubbish, recycling and donation bags as well as a duster and cloths so you can clean as you go.

Buy less
We know that those BOGOF offers are tempting, but if you bulk buy toilet rolls, washing powder and dishwasher tablets or having too many pairs of jeans, where are you going to put them? Each time you are about to buy something, ask yourself, do I really need it, is there somewhere for it to go in my home and am I buying it for the right reason? If you answer no to even one of these, put your card away and keep clutter at bay.

Check out the garden
It’s not just our houses that can get full of clutter, but outside spaces too. From lawn mowers and plastic slides, to old wooden benches and hoses, it is amazing how much ‘stuff’ gets slung in the garden which leaves it looking cluttered and messy. Set aside an afternoon and get to work clearing out, tidying up and straightening out your outside spaces so they are places you want to spend time, rather than somewhere all the junk is stored.

Recycle
Not only does recycling help keep the environment safe, it keeps clutter out of your house too. Cardboard boxes, cans, old clothes, broken toys, unused phones, comics and books are often found in corners, cupboards and under tables where they gather dust and clutter things up, so sort them out, recycle them and free up your space.

Keep it up
Once you have made steps to sort out the clutter, do your best to keep it that way. Not only will having less clutter mean you won’t have to tidy up as much, but you’ll also be able to find things because they won’t be under a pile of dusty papers, they’ll be where you left them.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy ways to stress less every day

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Life is busy, demands grow every day, the need to be Insta perfect plays on our minds and sometimes things can just get too much. It is just as important to look after your mental health, as it is to keep tabs on your physical wellbeing or things can start to get on top of you.

We have had a look at some simple ways you can take back control when it comes to feeling good about life and stressing less each day.

Think about how you start your day
For many people, anxiety is an issue and it can feel worse in the morning. To help with this, try to avoid activities that trigger your stress levels the moment you get up. Don’t look at your emails as soon as you wake, scroll through social media when you are at your desk and not in bed, and if coffee adds an edge, try a herbal tea and some meditation before hitting the caffeine.

List it
We aren’t talking about a to-do list, but a gratitude journal. Each day write down ten things that you’re grateful for and start to appreciate the little things we often take for granted, like family, health, food on the table and even the sun shinning. When you start to see what you do have and focus less on what you wish you had, shifts can be made and stress levels can go down.

And breath
Tuning into your breathing can make a real difference to how you feel as this really does affect your body. Think about it, when you are stressed out, your breathing becomes shorter and shallower, this can make you feel worse and a vicious cycle is set in place. Meditative breathing techniques can make a big difference to how you feel and allow you to become more relaxed and able to think straight. Start by simply taking deep, full breaths in through your nose, and exhaling slowly out of your mouth. Set aside ten minutes a day, more if you can, and just sit with your breath and feel the tension lift.

Get some exercise
Yes, we are all busy but there are real benefits for our mental health if we exercise. When you move your body releases endorphins, feel-good hormones, and when this happens it helps you to feel more energised and focused. This doesn’t mean hitting the gym twice a day or training for a marathon, but simply walking the dog, getting on your bike or taking a step class are all ways to bring good vibes into your life the natural way.

Be your own best friend
Have you ever stopped and thought about how you talk to yourself? Words like stupid, slow, lazy and failure are negative phrases we often use with ourselves, but now is the time to stop and be your own best friend and look after you.

Sleep it away
When we are tired, our worries seem to get worse and we find it harder to turn off and relax. Try to get yourself into a healthy sleep routine so you are able to give your body and mind time to recuperate and catch up. A set bedtime, having a warm bath with added essential oils, doing some yoga are all ideas that can have a positive impact on your mental health.

Live in the moment
It is all too easy to think about what went wrong in the past, or worry about the future, but why not start to enjoy and appreciate the here and now? You cannot change what has happened and we do not know what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, so savour the moment and leave those worries at the door.

Team Pure Beauty