11/06/2013

Fitness Fashion

Hiya ktitens! A bit of an unusual post for y’all here. Actually, it’s very unusual. Lily Kitten and trainers?! I hear you gasp. Yep, trainers ahoy as we set sail on this sassy fitness fashion post. Want to know what I wear to the gym? Read on…

Now, I gotta admit that “fitness” and “fashion” aren’t two words that sit very well together. In fact, using them together makes me feel a little uneasy. Lets face it, there’s no way anyone can look 100% chic when they’re working out. But, if I’ve gotta exercise I’m gonna do it in style – and there’s no harm in trying!  (Photographs in this post were taken a couple of months ago before I used the items, Lord knows no one wants to see the clothes I’ve sweated in.)

First thing’s first – I better disclaimer myself to cover my kitten tail and say that I am no fitness expert, I’ve not got a toned body and I’ve got no nutritional training. To be totally honest, I pretty much hate exercise. However, I’m cursed with the type of body that shows every meal I eat – if I have a little too much chocolate one week, it’s instantly visible the next week. So it’s become a necessity for me that I do light exercise just to keep my metabolism moving. And what better timing for a fitness post than now, when everyone (me included) is thinking about getting that bikini body (and I’m not even going on a beach holiday)!

Just over a year ago I started doing some light jogging. Nothing hard, nothing far, just some light jogging. Heck, I hated it when I started. I would force myself to do ten mins and wish it to be over. Then I got to fifteen mins, then twenty. Before long I was doing 30 minutes and shortly after, an hour. Again, not totally enjoyable, but it became bearable. For me, the key to sustaining your running time is the right footwear. These Nike running trainers from Get The Label are ideal. As y’all know from my previous blog post about Get The Label, I’m a huge fan of their affordability. Plus, not only are these trainers 100% comfortable and offer enough support to run both on the streets and on the treadmill  but their touches of pink add a little girliness to my gymwear which I revel in!

A sports bra is also essential. I’m not gonna go into too much detail, but every woman – whatever size – needs a little support when she’s bouncing around. Although in the gym I often see confident, athletic types rocking the crop-top or sports bra on it’s own, I will never be in the sort of shape to do that. In fact, I don’t even really like wearing vest tops when working out – it’s just all a bit too out there for me when I’m wobbling around. Instead, I like to go for casual sports T-shirts such as this Pineapple tee. It’s covered up without being tight or clingy – it’s soft and allows for movement. Plus, the vintage style slogan is a lot more to my taste than your usual sportswear top.

Finally, I complete the “look” with these Dri-Fit Nike shorts, also from Get The Label. Have you noticed the peachy pink coordination in all my outfit pieces yet? Y’all know I love to coordinate an outfit down to the last detail and I wouldn’t just show up in any old thing, even to the gym! These shorts are three-quarter length, which I love; long enough to cover my modesty whilst working out and short enough to give my legs a little room to breathe when it all gets a bit too much! They’re also super comfortable – the material fits really nicely and is tight without showing all my lumps and bumps. Purrrfect, Get The Label does me proud again! For more info on Get The Label, check out my blog post about their collection here. 
If I go for my jog outside, I’ll often call it a day and go home for a shower. However, if I’m doing some cardio bits at the gym I’ll always go for a swim after. Swimming is probably one of the only forms of exercise I could stretch as far as to say I “enjoy” it. The time passes quite quickly and I like having a quick go in the steam room too. For swimming, I always wear a one piece. If you want a bit more info on what I go for when choosing swimwear styles, check out my blog posts about Swimwear365 here and South Beach Swimwear here, but the general gist is that I prefer a classic, vintage-esque cossie. This Kelly Floral one piece from South Beach Swimwear is my current fav – the cut out detail at the back shows just enough flesh without being too revealing and still leaves me feel comfortable walking around the poolside in. For more info on South Beach Swimwear’s collection, read my blog post here. 
For lugging my stuff around the gym and poolside, I don’t wanna use a bag that coud easily get damaged or stolen – hello, chlorine stains! Instead, I just pop everything in this Swimwear365 drawstring bag. I don’t usually like overly branded things, but for the gym I’m not that fussed. I always make sure I take a towel and this huge fluffy beach one also from Swimwear365 if just the right size for wrapping myself up in. Plus, the Swimwear365 refillable water bottle is a lifesaver for quenching my thirst after working out! You can also read my review of the Swimwear365 current collection here. 

For after I’ve showered and sorted myself out post swimming, I grab these Amie products out of my kit bag (I fondly like to think of my gym bag as a school-like PE kit!) for a quick bit of skincare on the go. As y’all will know from my previous skincare posts – read my Crystal Clear skincare review here and my LilyLoLo mineral foundation review here – I’m big on looking after my face. I think it’s especially important to do so after working out, when you’re generally a bit sweaty and your pores are open.

After I’ve had my shower, I’ll quickly cleanse my face with these Amie’s New Bloom Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes, ideal for taking out and about as the packet is resealable and they’re small enough to just pop in my bag. I find it especially important to cleanse my face after swimming – even after having a shower, there can still be chemicals from the water left on your skin which can cause irritation and breakouts. These Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes are real multi-taskers; instantly wiping away dirt, oil and make-up leaving skin clean and feeling toned and moisturised with one quick sweep! They also contain hard-working skin-reviving natural ingredients which will help pep up tired, dull or lacklustre skin…just what you need after some serious exercise. Containing wonderfully uplifting skin-friendly natural extracts of pomegranate, cranberry and green tea, they refresh and revitalise for a beautifully clear, soft and radiant complexion.

At home, I’d ordinarily cleanse, tone and moisturise with separate tubes and cotton wool balls, but that’s way too fussy for the gym, so I just slap on some Amie’s Skin Shield Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF 15. It’s the perfect solution for keeping skin hydrated (what we all need after the wearing effects of chlorine water) whilst protecting from the damaging effects of the sun. With high performance natural mineral sunscreens, to provide broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays, Skin Shield is also packed with antioxidants and vitamins to leave skin soft and hydrated, with anti-ageing protection.  As with all Amie’s award-winning products, New Bloom Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes and Skin Shield Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF 15 are free from parabens, mineral oils, sulphates, petrochemicals and free from animal extracts and suitable for vegetarians and vegans – yay! As y’all know from my anti-animal testing posts, I’m pretty big on this.

So kittens, a pretty long and comprehensive post on my fitness fashion essentials! What do y’all think of my kit bag? Leave me a comment below and let me know! And don’t forget to follow me on Twitterlike my Facebook page and subscribe to my Youtube channel to keep up to date with all things fashion!

One response to “Fitness Fashion”

  1. shotofgreen says:

    I love the colors of everything! I need a new gym wardrobe!

Meet The Creator

Full time I'm an ambitious Head of Marketing and Communications in the luxury industry. Part time, I'm an enthusiastic British Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger and YouTuber from Manchester, UK. This blog has been my outlet for the past 7+ years, and as a longstanding, Award-winning blogger I take the most enjoyment from creating content I truly love and believe in. All authentic. Always.

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