Personally a good playlist is my main motivator. If I’m not enjoying the track I’m listening to it will distract me from my run, and annoy the hell out of me until I change the song. I like listening to music that makes me laugh or want to dance. I once had a playlist with ‘It’s Not Unusual’ by Tom Jones which came on whilst I was plugging away on the cross-trainer. I’m glad I didn’t have my contact lenses in that day, no awkward eye-contact after pissing myself laughing. On my own. With headphones in. At a busy gym full of students. But it was a fun workout, and it certainly energised me.
Current favourite running tracks:
- Lethal Bizzle - Police On My Back (you can pretend you’re running away from the police)
- The Streets - Fit But Don’t You Know It
- Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad (instant energiser)
- TRex - I Love To Boogie
- Fatboy Slim - That Old Pair Of Jeans
- Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse - Valerie
- Desmond Dekker & The Acres - Israelites
- Jay-Z & Linkin Park - Numb Encore
- Foo Fighters - Wheels
- Hot 8 - Sexual Healing
A decent sports bra
Enough said. Any ladies will know how much of a difference a bra that fits you just right can make to any given day. Same goes for exercise: I want something that will keep them in place but not restrict my movement or cut off blood flow to my tits. I currently own a really comfy and relatively cheap Nike sports bra that does a mighty fine job.
Wiccy Magic Muscles
Since I've started running more, this massage bar has become my new best friend. The clove oil and cinnamon really gets to work stimulating blood flow, and the peppermint oil has a lovely cooling effect on well-used muscles. The brown bits in it are aduki beans, which also give a nice texture to massage with. And it leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturised. Yes please.
Variety
I’m very much a routine kinda gal. I like the comfort of repetition - it makes me feel less anxious knowing that I’ve already done what I’m doing before, and therefore the chance of something going wrong less likely. (I know this might sound crazy to some people, but it is how it is!) But I also get bored easily of a routine. Over the last four years I’ve done various classes and activities: running, yoga, belly-dancing, cardio at the gym, hulahooping, weight training (small weights mind!) but I tend to do one at a time very rigidly rather than mix it up. I know this isn’t effective. At my peak of physical fitness I was doing a combination of small weights, cardio and hulahooping, and it was varied enough to keep me focussed and happy. I’m trying to get back to that happy place, where I’m doing several different activities a week to help my fitness progress, without losing interest in what I’m doing.
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