Tag Archives: Sweaty Betty

How I became a Hiitgirl

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If you can, cast your mind back to those halcyon days of summer last. Along with the glorious sunshine you might recall that I won a competition with Sweaty Betty? No? Well you can read all about it here.

In a burst of deterimination I undertook the #Fitin5 challenge set by Hiitgirl founder Susan Dyson. I won the high intensity interval training challenge because of my photolog of the stunning Welsh and Irish beaches I did my workouts on.

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The prize? A private session with Susan herself at the brand-new Hiitgirl studio in Crouch End. I was pretty nervous about going, so I didn’t mind waiting awhile for there to be a suitable slot for me. When the time did come I was even more nervous, just after my Christmas break and in my ‘winter fit’ mode I was quite concerned about what I was letting myself in for.

I don’t like gyms (I’ve tried), I don’t like running (it hurts) and I have to confess to only really liking swimming outdoors so in the winter that’s out too (I’m not totally mad!).

I wavered about going at all but then I spotted that they run Hiitgirl and HIM sessions, so I asked if I could take my HIM and they said yes. Now there were two nervous people - my HIM hadn’t taken part in my #fitin5, he tried and gave up in the second minute!

I am now, finally writing my blog because we didn’t just go for our first first complimentary session. No, we went for four more after. Surprised? So were we. And so was Susan!

Lucy and Susan at Hiitgirl

Basically we found Hiitgirl worked for us. The format goes like this: A 30 minute session is broken into 30 seconds of high intensity activity followed by 30 seconds to rest (this does go up when you get fitter to 40/20). There’s music playing, and the movements are varied and fun so you don’t get bored. It is just about easy enough so you don’t feel like a total muppet but hard enough to occupy your entire brain so you can’t think about work/life/emails/the landlord selling your flat.

Most of all we loved the fact that Susan was clearly working with us, not a formula. She was picking out exercises that both challenged and suited us, to build strength where we were weak and to increase our fitness. And when we got too tired then she helped us ease off, keeping working but at a more suitable pace.

This was the thing that worked for me. I can clearly remember 19:58 on the clock in the first session (the numbers are burnt on my retinas) but somehow I made it to the end with a smile and felt great.

You work hard, and get very sweaty (one session I was sweating from my shin - I didn’t even know that was possible) but it is short enough that you can keep going. And because Susan is looking out for you the whole time you feel that you can push yourself.

What we wanted from our sessions was to build our base level of cardio vascular fitness. We are both dedicated yogis but we need some more aerobic exercise as well because we don’t get this from the style of yoga we practice. We have definitely achieved this, and I have, as a bonus, toned up quite a bit too - way more than I ever have from going to the oh so boring gym.

Where: Hiitgirl studio, Crouch End

What: We took private sessions - £120 for four sessions

More info: http://hiitgirl.com/

 

I won #Fitin5!

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A month ago I decided to see how far my body had really come over the last few months and take on a fitness challenge set by Hiitgirl Susan Dyson and Sweaty Betty.

I embarked on the challenge with determination but also a lot of trepidation. As you will see in my previous blog I have had an interesting time with my health for many years.

One key thing I learnt over the years was to not push myself too much as this depleted my energy and healing ability. #Fitin5 was all about pushing yourself. Further, harder, faster than the day before. Yikes.

But I did it. Every day as promised. OK not quite, I had a day off because my lower back hurt but I did a 6 mile walk and a long wild swim instead…but I think that’s pretty good going.

I documented the journey in pictures as well as reps - I took the challenge on holiday with me to the stunningly beautiful hills and beaches of Wales and Ireland, it was fantastic to do my exercises on the beach then dive into the ocean for a refreshing swim.

Below is my photo album of locations, and you can read all my scores in the comments on my initial blog.

Thanks to Susan and Sweaty Betty for setting the challenge and to all those who joined in - the competition was fierce! I am still shocked to have won - I really mean it when I say I don’t think I’ve ever won a sporting challenge before.

Winning aside I learnt that my body IS strong enough, that my resolve is rock-solid and that I do know how to listen to my body well enough to be able to push it a little further each day. So that’s the challenge now - to keep this going. To keep pushing, to keep getting stronger.

Tomorrow I’m off to spend my vouchers and then in a month or so I get to go and join Susan in her new Crouch End studio for a personal training session. I am little bit scared but hopefully Susan isn’t as daunting as her challenges!

#Fitin5 and how I’m learning to trust my body

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You may have noticed some tweets and other social media updates about something called #Fitin5. #Fitin5 is a high intensity workout set by Hiitgirl Susan Dyson and being championed by Sweaty Betty.

I have decided to join in on the two week challenge and see how I do. But first I want to share why I am doing this, and what it means to me.

I [don't] trust my body

Those who know me might think it a little unlike me to do something like this, and they wouldn’t be wrong. Well not about the old me, anyway. I didn’t used to trust my body, my energy or my strength anything like enough to do something so demanding. Now I do.

On November 23rd last year I had an operation. It was meant to be a quick day op to remove a lump. It turned out to be a bit more complicated. What they found was much, much bigger than they had seen on the scan.

Dismissed by the doctors…

What had been dismissed by doctor after doctor as being ‘all in my head’ turned out to be all in my abdomen. Well a rather large amount of it anyway. So no it wasn’t anxiety, depression, attention seeking (!), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, phantom pregnancies, or as I had been told since I was 10 – IBS. In fairness it is apparently very rare, certainly for the lump (a remnant of a rudimentary foetal reproductive system that should have dissolved away) to be as big and problematic as it was. I couldn’t even find much about it on Google.

But it explained an awful lot – I knew now why my body, my general health and immune system suffered so much. The years of dogged struggle against such deep seated chronic pain that my brain had stopped recognising the cause and just registered it as deep, deep tiredness. And then there was the acute searing pain each day, which I’d had since I was a child and had become second nature – I thought everyone had it, but apparently not! No wonder Sitting Forward Bends hurt so much.

Recovery

It’s taken a few months to recover from the operation, and for my body to recover from years of being dragged down by pain. The lump was just one of a number of challenges my health has faced. I have, and will continue to, nurture my mind and body with Dru Yoga, but now I am ready to reap the rewards of years of determination to be healthy.

I have jumped feet first into running my yoga business, giving up the desk job to focus on my teaching. And yesterday I saw a picture of me practicing yoga. It took my breath away – who was that lady with the definition in her arms, legs and torso? Who was that person who could lithely stretch into an extended runner? Surely not me!?

Lucy doing yoga on the rooftop in Peckham

You are strong

I used to hate living in my body, my skin didn’t fit and every touch was painful. Anyone who has had an injury or illness which has taken away their strength and replaced it with tiredness and pain will be able to understand how horrible it is. But now I know I CAN trust it. I can build its strength and I can achieve things I never thought possible.

Having seen how far I have come I want to see if I go a bit further. Taking it easy of course, I’ve not got here without learning to love my body, work with it and listen to it when it says no!

Completing the #fitin5 reps in the park this morning did hurt a bit but it was exhiliarting. I can feel my muscles, not because they hurt, but because they are stretched and strong.

Want to join me? Watch the video and then post your reps below – don’t forget to share them with Sweaty Betty too.