All posts by htoft

At the University of Hull, I study Business Management at postgraduate level. When I'm not studying, I enjoy reading, writing and walking where I can relax and unwind!
Equipment Guides, Exercises

Just Get Out: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Exercise

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Just Get Out: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Exercise

Forest to show the environment

Exercising and caring for the environment are two things that are becoming more entwined in our society with more people looking to be environmentally friendly in their lifestyles. Lots of people often struggle with the idea of eco-friendly exercise and we’re here to say…just get outdoors!

By now, we all know we need to reduce our carbon footprint by making changes to our lifestyles; we know it’s better to walk to work than drive and we know we should stop silently cursing restaurants for their paper straws. We also know we need to stop drinking so many plastic bottles of water at the gym and stop replenishing our gym equipment so often. We’re here to help and give you all the tips you need for eco-friendly exercise.

Walking

walking outdoors
Walking

Walking is perhaps the simplest form of exercise with little to no impact on the environment and can take you to some beautiful places! Whether you’re looking to escape into the tranquillity of the countryside or wander through the streets of your hometown, walking can be fabulously interesting and calming. It can help you build your fitness and gives you a stress-free break from your day.

 

Top Tip – Use a route planner to discover new adventures and find the public bridleways meandering the countryside

 

If you’re looking for eco-friendly walking shoes, these Vivo Bare Foot shoes come highly recommended by us. They’re even used by some of the countries’ best explorers, including Ed Stafford, who became the first man to walk the Amazon

If you want  to push yourself on your walks, try adding ankle weights. Incorporating weights into even a gentle walk can really help tone muscles throughout the full body, and help you burn more calories if you’re looking to lose weight. These Davina Ankle Weights are a great investment – made of neoprene, they’re not as environmentally friendly as others, but are extremely durable and won’t need replacing so often. If you’re looking to lessen your environmental impact, buying durable products is a good place to start.

Running

running outdoors
Running

Running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health and lose weight, and is accessible to all fitness levels. It has been shown to largely improve mental wellbeing and reduce stress, and can be brilliant for anxiety and depression. Why not get out for a jog and see how you feel afterwards

It’s important to stay hydrated whilst running – eco-friendly water bottles are the way forward; using stainless steel, these Gaiam Water Bottles keep your water cooler for longer and have a mouth wide enough for ice cubes to tackle the cold-water cravings.

Yoga 

outdoor yoga mountain pose
Yoga

Yoga is a wonderful way to connect your mind and body with the earth. It’s easy for everyone to have a go at – you don’t have to be as bendy as you think! Be sure to incorporate a little yoga flow into your day to calm the mind, stretch the body and gently lift your carbon footprint from the earth with this natural occurring, sustainable cork yoga mat.

Whatever exercise you love to do, take it outdoors and use the environment to refresh your mind.

 

Top Tip – If you’re lucky enough to live near a local farmers market, check out their eco-friendly goods for your post-workout greens!

 

 

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Workouts, Yoga and Stretching

Should I be Doing Yoga Workouts?

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Should I be doing Yoga Workouts?

yoga squat pose

The short answer is yes – yoga isn’t all about middle-aged women meeting up at the studio with their yoga mats to get their stretch on and drink their protein shakes; it’s more inclusive, easier and beneficial than you might think!

Although yoga workouts are not the most effective way to lose weight, they are great for building strength, toning muscles and improving balance and flexibility. We don’t need to tell you the importance of exercise for your overall health, but we can tell you how amazing yoga is in helping you reach your fitness goals, one stretch at a time! Ranging from cardio to strength training, yoga lets you stretch muscles you didn’t know existed and gets your heart working to release endorphins – it’s de-stressing, grounding and boy, does it make you feel good!

Unlike a normal vinyasa flow, a yoga workout incorporates more intense exercises, much like a HiiT routine (including squats, mountain climbers and jumping jacks) to keep your body moving and your heart rate up. It counts towards your daily ‘vigorous’ exercise recommendations set out by the NHS and is easily adaptable to your fitness levels.

Yoga workouts, like any other workout, require warm ups and cool downs for injury prevention – check out this article to learn more and find out how best to warm up.

 

Top Tip – yoga poses and flows can be used in your warm ups and cool downs!

 

yoga pose - upward and downward facing dog
Upward and downward facing dog pose.

Upward facing dog (background) and downward facing dog (foreground) are fabulous poses to be used in any yoga routine and warm up – stretching your back, arms and legs, they’re poses incorporating a variety of muscles to help improve flexibility. Don’t worry if you can’t form a perfect angle in downward facing dog, the main focus is keeping your back straight, meaning you can bend your knees to help maintain the pose. Upward facing dog can easily be transformed into child’s pose by keeping your hands flat on the ground, lifting up onto your knees and sitting back, allowing your arms to be outstretched on the ground in front of you.

 

yoga pose - high plank
High plank pose.

High plank is a pose integral in a lot of yoga flows and helps build strength and muscle in your core and shoulders. It can easily be adapted and incorporated into a more intense yoga workout with mountain climbers by keeping your hands flat to the ground in the position shown above, bringing one leg at a time towards your elbows, as if you’re running.

 

This yoga workout for beginners video comes highly recommended from us, incorporating some key yoga poses, including those above, in a simple yet effective workout. Using videos like this are wonderful for motivation and guidance, as well as helping to focus your breathing – a concept vital to yoga.

 

Yoga workouts are a great way to have fun, vigorously certified exercise that will help your mental and physical health. They can easily break up study sessions and help you stretch your aching, study-induced muscles.