Making the Gym Bareable

Some people are gifted with enjoying the gym. Others, like me, hate it. I only tolerate it because I know I want to make a change and in the end it will be worth it but I really do sometimes struggle to pull myself out of bed to go and when I get there there's a bigger struggle to stay!

So I have been trying different things to make the gym bearable, Fun even!

• Take a friend. This one isn't exactly some sort of new discovery but it true and easy. I go to the gym with my mum, it gives us time to see each other and bond since I moved out and it also makes the both of us competitive. We like to try and out do each other and push each other for better at the same time!
• Find a gym that You actually like. When I was in school I used to go to the gym that was closest and cheapest. For about a week this worked. I felt uncomfortable and out of my depth so I just stopped going, now I go to a different gym that I feel welcome at and like nobody is judging me. Slightly weird, I am aware but it really does make a difference!
• Music. Another obvious one but recently I have discovered the wonder's of audio books! they are awesome at the gym because you can still be completely aware of your surroundings whilst getting lost in the book and it distracts you from the time because you done have the preset, 4 minutes that a music track is. I've actually found myself doing longer at the gym because I have lost track of time completely!
• Cover up the time. This is another trick I have learned at the gym, I find it boring to sit on a machine for 15 minutes and do the same thing over and over and over whilst being taunted by the little red flashing numbers reminding you that you still have ten minutes of this left! So I have taken to covering the display with my towel and just get lost in what i'm doing. You don't concentrate on the time and this way you go for as long as your body want's to go for!
• Switch it up! Doing the same old things, in the same old order every time you go to the gym can get really boring, really fast so switch it up. Don't be afraid to ask to be shown new things it can really benefit your mind set at the gym but also your body. It's healthy to switch your exercises now and then so your muscles and body don't get to used to what your doing.
• Set Targets. Try and aim to do longer or more or a higher intensity every time you go. Do this in little steps but it really does motivate you, you feel better at the end of the week when you've managed to run for an extra ten minutes or lift more weights than you started of doing!

I hope these tips helped you, feel free to leave your own comments on what you do to make the gym fun!

k.

New and Used.

New and Used.

I am always one for getting a good bargain and I don't think there is anything wrong with buying second hand. It can be hours of fun rummaging through a good car boot sale or charity shop and you don't know what you will find. You really can leave with some amazing gems! Which is why it's good to go with an open mind, you'll be impressed at what you can pick up and how cheap it can be.

Which is exactly why I fell in love with this little shop. For a little while now there has been a shop in the small town I live in that has gone under my radar but recently it moved premise and let me tell you it's making a splash now! Located right in the middle of Cullompton this shop, aptly named 'New and Used' has a plethora of ever changing goods. An Aladdin's cave of sorts.

In my opinion the town needed something like this just to attract people to the shops. I wish this place has existed when I first moved out purely because of the amount of things you can buy for your home at such good prices and I will definitely be pushing other's I know to pop into the shop. Talking to the owner's of the shop I learnt that not only do they run the shop but they run a removals business to and will come help you clear out any space you need and buy items of you.

Vintage suit cases.

You can literally spend a hours in here searching through everything or you can go straight to who ever is in there and they can point you in the right direction, even if it is something they don't have in the shop at the time, they might be able to get it in for you. The service and hospitality in the shop is what makes it. You can easily have a conversation, be well informed, leave with a perfect find and at great prices and that is on of the things I like most.

I love the fact that this small Cullompton born business is doing so well, as you may know from previous articles I am a firm believer in helping out local business's and giving everybody a fair chance in life so if you haven't done so already and have the chance, pop in, say hello and see what gem's you can uncover.

k.

Aladdin's Cave.