As someone who is incredibly time-poor, I absolutely love any life hacks which either save time or find a way to doubling up the benefit of doing something. Last year I went on a yoga holiday to Florence which was great as I had the benefit of doing yoga twice a day AND a wonderful Tuscan holiday too. In my day-to-day life, I write blog posts and paint my nails while on the train to my parent’s home in the country, avoid the tube so I can make phone calls and check emails while walking and I swear by night time meal prep to save time in the morning. My favourite time saving hack is doubling up workouts with my beauty regime – squeezing in a cheeky beauty treat to work its magic while I get right. Here are my top tips for getting the most out of your workout: 1. Hair Between being ravaged during winter and sun bleached on holidays, my hair always needs some pampering so I apply either Philip Kingsley Elasticizer or Phillip B’s Katira Hair Masque while I do any activities which don’t involve classes or physically using my head – running, yoga at home or isolated activities like squats or plank are ideal. Just slather your hair in your chosen mask, tie your hair back and work up a sweat, the heat opens your hair follicles to absorb the goodness from the mask. The mask will also slick your hair in place and out of your face. If my hair doesn’t need to be drenched in a nourishing mask, I’ll spritz Unite’s seven second conditioner and loosely plait it before a gentle yoga session or home exercise. By the time I’m finished, my hair is dry and I have perfect beach waves. 2. Face Always, always take make up off before you do exercise; wearing foundation on your skin will only clog your pores as they open up. I always cleanse my face and use it as an opportunity to give my skin an extra glow. The easiest thing is to use a serum, face oil or night cream while you work out, this is super easy and works for classes, gym sessions and home workouts. If I’m doing a workout at home, I smooth a mask onto my face before starting my yoga session or squats. I find clay-based masks work best as they harden on your skin so you’re not in danger of it dripping anywhere. Sometimes I use a sheet mask if my skin needs hydrating, but only if I’m laying down for leg raises, v-sits etc. I rate My Beauty Diary’s Black Pearl mask, which is a cult classic.
Did you know you could sneak some teeth whitening into your exercise routine? I use Crest Whitestrips a couple of times a week when I do a 30 minute yoga session, after I’m finished with my asanas, I peel the strips off et voilà, whiter teeth with my inner peace.
3. Nails I’m obsessed with abs so I do plank, leg raises, heel touches and v-sits at home, to supplement yoga and running for more targeted toning. Feet and hands aren’t as active in these exercises so I tend to do my nails beforehand and apply extra coats in between sets. I’ve also been known to touch up chips on my nails before ballet, my arms only tend to move from the barre to second position so very little chance of smudging them. 4. Body I always have a nice hot shower after I exercise, whether it’s yoga, ballet, a run or some squats. I always body brush before my shower (unless I did it first thing in the morning) and use a body scrub – no particular scientific reason other than it’s nice to have a bit of pampering after all that hard work! I’m sure body brushing is more effective as your heart rate is up and it gives your circulation an extra boost though! Do you squeeze in any pampering while you work out?
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