Everyone knows the feeling of an early morning alarm going off and the daunting seconds of deciding whether to get up and throw exercise gear on or to reset it for a more appropriate time (read: daylight). But during winter, the urge to skip morning workouts and stay in bed can seem almost irresistible. In an attempt to hold ourselves accountable – and hopefully, help others to do the same – we spoke to five of the most inspirational woman in fitness to glean all of their secrets, from go-to apps to the exercises they secretly hate.
Below, Kayla Itsines co-founder of hugely popular workout program BBG and fitness empire Sweat, Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw the best friends behind Keep it Cleaner, New Zealand’s Kirsty Godso who now resides in New York training some of Hollywood’s biggest names as a Nike Master Trainer and Pyrogirl and Nikki Crerar from intimate community-focused training company Fitness All Together reveal all.
Kayla Itsines of Sweat
For someone just getting back into exercise after a big break or never having done it much before, where would you say is the best place to start?
I think it’s important to have an overall outlook on health and fitness. Starting to exercise shouldn’t just be a decision based off a moment in time, rather realistic lifestyle changes that you can implement into your everyday routine that can be done for the rest of your life. I always recommend my clients to start by incorporating small changes into their current routine, find your motivation and hold yourself accountable. For someone starting exercise, something as simple as a walk 2-3 times a week is a great place to start. Once you feel comfortable and start building your fitness, try something a little more challenging.
How do you get yourself motivated when working out is the last thing you feel like doing?
I genuinely love what I do and am very self-driven, but like everyone, I too have moments when I feel low in energy and a little unmotivated. I know that if I skip my morning walk, for example, I will feel sluggish throughout the day, so I always make sure I schedule time to do it as a non-negotiable. I also find listening to my favourite playlist or podcast can increase my motivation and get me in the right headspace to complete a workout!
Are there any fitness or health apps you swear by?
Personally, I find mindful apps like Headspace a great way to unwind and clear my mind after a busy day but also to help set me up for a really productive and positive day. Sleep is so important to allow your body to recover and I find the bedtime settings on my phone so useful to make sure I am getting my eight hours every night. I also love to use the Sweat app for my training, to track my steps and for some great easy recipes on the go. Our aim at Sweat is to help women achieve their fitness goals – no matter what that might be – so I would definitely recommend checking it out and discovering all eight of our workout programs.
What’s your favourite brand of activewear?
There are so many amazing activewear brands out there it’s hard to pick just one. Some of the brands I’m loving through pregnancy are Alo Yoga, Lulu Lemon, Lorna Jane and Beyond Yoga.
Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw of Keep it Cleaner
For someone just getting back into exercise after a big break or never having done it much before, where would you say is the best place to start?
The first challenge is getting your activewear and runners on. Once you’ve got them on, get moving, in absolutely any way you want. If that’s going for a run, go, if that’s doing weights at the gym, go, if that’s putting some music on and dancing around, you go girl! The best place to start is wherever you want to start! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself in the beginning, just move.
How do you get yourself motivated when working out is the last thing you feel like doing?
We start off slow and remind ourselves the only workouts we’ll regret are the ones we didn’t do.
Are there any fitness or health apps you swear by?
Well, we’d be silly not to mention our Keep It Cleaner app! Other than the program and planner itself, the app has features such as a run tracker, period tracker and HIIT timer, so it’s quite a few health apps in one!
Is there a particular exercise you hate?
Steph: Burpees and jumping lunges are my nightmare.
Laura: Squat holds feel near impossible on some days!
What’s your favourite brand of activewear?
Steph: I’m loving LNDR at the moment!
Laura: Jaggad for sure, their compression tights are THE BEST for running as they don’t drop down.
Kirsty Godso, Nike Master Trainer
For someone just getting back into exercise after a big break or never having done it much before, where would you say is the best place to start?
Start with longevity in mind! You want to kick back into action with the right mindset and the right form. Think about it like a deployment mission where you’re going to bench your ego for the first 4-6 weeks and really focus on getting the exercises right and building up your strength and cardio fitness before you start to attack the higher intensity workouts and advancements of exercises. Sometimes our desire for quick results can blind us from working in the best manner for our body and building up for a longer lasting relationship with exercise. Look to seek out workouts that incorporate proper activation and recovery – Pilates is a great addition to anyone’s training regimen as you get so much body awareness from it.
How do you get yourself motivated when working out is the last thing you feel like doing?
I love to workout so that’s not usually an issue but sometimes when I’ve been training everyone else all day and my energy feels slow it can be a little harder to kick into gear. In those moments, I will usually go to see my Pilates trainer or sign up for a class with a trusted instructor to give me the extra encouragement I need. The gym never lets me down and you always feel SO much better afterwards so I remind myself of that a lot when I feel like not turning up for myself.
Are there any fitness or health apps you swear by?
I love the Nike+ Training Club App because you can literally use it anywhere! You don’t need any equipment but if you’ve got access to some, they have plenty of workouts on there that include barbells, rowers, pull-ups etc. I also love Whoop! Whoop tracks the daily strain your body is going through via a strap around your wrist that syncs via bluetooth with your phone, You don’t have to have your phone on you all the time which I love as the strap will hold the data and there is no face on the strap which is amazing – the last thing we need is one more device lighting up at us all the time. It focuses on giving you metrics on your sleep performance, recovery and total daily strain – which includes all aspects of your life, not just when you’re working out – and helps encourage you into better recovery so you can perform at your best more consistently. I’m obsessed with watching the HRV value from day-to-day, which helps me a lot with being able to effectively program for my clients on days when they’re going through higher or lower strain.
Is there a particular exercise you hate?
I strongly dislike spin! I would honestly rather do burpees for an hour straight!
What’s your favourite brand of activewear?
Shocking but Nike! [Laughs]. I’ve always been a Nike girl even before I was first sponsored by them in 2013. I’m lucky to live in NYC where we get a lot of access to the designer collaborations that come out like Matthew Williams (MMW), Virgil Abloh & Off White, Fear Of God, Heron Preston and Yoon Ambush to name a few. You’ll also often find me in the men’s section for clothes.
Nikki Crerar of Fitness All Together
For someone just getting back into exercise after a big break or never having done it much before, where would you say is the best place to start?
There’s no better time to start than the here and now, by starting to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle can be tough, pushing yourself past the point of comfortable isn’t something were wired to do, as humans it’s innate to avoid pain. However changing your mindset to think about the positive effects of this ‘pain’ is the key to success. Whatever fitness level your at now is your lowest, it’s onwards and upwards from here. So enjoying the pain knowing it’s going to get easier, enjoy the ride and rewarding feeling of progression.
How do you get yourself motivated when working out is the last thing you feel like doing?
I use the ‘20 minute rule’ – if it takes less than 20 Minutes I just do it, no question. If it takes more than 20 minutes I give it ago for 20 minutes and reassess. 80% of the time I can finish the job off because the hardest part is getting started. I apply this rule to so much more than just exercise, dishes, emails – you name it.
Are there any fitness or health apps you swear by?
Nike Training Club – being a trainer I am always coming up with plans and workouts for others, so sometimes it’s just nice being told what to do and not have to think about it. NTC is my personal trainer!
Is there a particular exercise you hate?
Ladders, my brain works faster than my feet, and if someone is behind me my anxiety goes through the roof.
What’s your favourite brand of activewear?
Nike.
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