My fitness journey and how I learned to build a stronger body

4 years ago I read a book that changed my life. I became inspired to exercise and move much more without the goal of losing weight or wanting to tone up. That book was none other than Hot Body Year round by Cassey Ho (pictured above). What is it about fitness and exercise though that I love? and How did I start? Keep reading…

Back in 2015 I fell ill and got tonsillitis. Being signed of work for 2 weeks I found that not only did I feel bored but I felt like I could be doing something more purposeful. I had plenty of time and so off I went to the local book shop to wander round. I ended up in the self-help book section and kept staring round at all the books until I landed on one colourful looking volume..

“Hot Body Year round. Surely it’s another diet & fitness book that will make me feel paranoid about my body? Right?. I’m not sure I really WANT to read a book like that” Is what I kept thinking over and over.

But then I thought the book looked colourful and not too technical. I checked my stamp card & I had enough stamps for a free book. I thought “if I don’t like it then I didn’t waste anything right?”.

I bought the book and went home and sat down to read it. I kept reading and reading and reading until a week later not only did I finish the book but I had a new passion…exercise but more importantly moving and stretching my body & mind.

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What exactly did I like about the book? and How did I fall in love with exercise?

SIMPLICITY

The book was straight forward and honest. I could use the pictures of the movements to have a go! I took 3-5 pictures and had a go at getting into those positions. This created my first set of at-home workouts. No complicated equipment needed and no gimmicks. I could use my body and the space around me to workout. The book has a lot of colour images like the ones below. The moves look simple but they challenge your muscles in all the right ways. Your body will feel powerful and beautiful.

Workout poses from Hot Body Year Round by Cassy Ho

SPEND FREE

It was completely free! As a beginner this was important to me because I was starting out and experimenting with exercise. Cassey has her own youtube channel called Blogilates which I follow and this is home to all her exercise videos. If you go to her website www.blogilates.com you can subscribe to her free newsletter and monthly printable workout calendar. The calendar lists out the videos for that day and then you can check them off. The workouts are for every level from beginner to advanced and everything in between. All you need to do is click on a video, press play and then follow along!

FORM MEETS FUNCTION

The monthly printable calendars are beautiful and being a planner girl I love being able to physically check off a workout once it’s done. Cassey’s youtube videos vary in length so you can fit in a workout in as little as 3 or 5 mins and get an intense session. I challenge anyone who says they can’t find 3 minutes in their day to exercise. You will get a great workout and see results over time. The workouts combine all the different pictures from the book into a sequence that flows with music in the background.

LOVING THE WORKOUT

Having done Blogilates workouts for a long time now I really enjoy them. They’re the right mix of challenge & fun with lots of energy from Cassy. This is key to building a stronger body because when you love doing something you naturally want to do more. I love the feeling I get after doing each day’s workouts when I feel my muscles tightening up. These make a really effective at-home workout with no extras needed. You don’t need to do anything drastic to be able to change your body. The little by little changes you make can add up to a whole new you if you stick with what you love and keep staying positive.

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Fast forward 4 years and I now combine the at-home workouts with barre classes at Define London’s flagship studio in central London. This gives me the complete workout routine of toning, cardio and weights in a week.

My one key thing is whether I enjoy the workouts or not. This is not to be confused with a workout being simple. For me challenge with exercise is key. As you get stronger it is important to push yourself a bit further.

I also use the Blogilates Fit planner pictured (available to buy from Blogilates around September/October each year) to track my intake of food, water, sleep and my workouts. Exercising has become a way of life and it makes me happy.

Want to know more about what I do in my workouts? Follow me on social media and get in touch! I’d love to hear how your journey is going and help in any way I can.