Couch to 5K

Happy New Year!

Getting fitter is probably the commonest of New Year resolutions and it always features somewhere among mine. For the last few years, I promised myself I’d go to the gym more often, or at least keep up with it. Sometimes I managed to keep this promise rather well. Other times, less so. Last year fell into the latter camp. A combination of returning to work, a painful lower back and good old-fashioned apathy meant I barely went at all during the last three months of 2018.

My friend Louise and I were chatting over several glasses of wine at a Christmas party. She took up running last year and the benefits are clear to see. She looks so healthy and well and she said she feels amazing both physically and mentally. So inspired by her, I have decided to do “Couch to 5K“. This is a nine week progressive programme suitable for complete beginners, which involves three runs per week. The goal is to be able to run 5Km or for 30 minutes without stopping by the end of the nine weeks. I have finished week 1 and went on the first run of week 2 last night. It’s going well so far and for someone that has never run before, I quite enjoy it.

Sustainable Activewear

My clothing is by my favourite sustainable activewear brand, Asquith who have kindly sponsored this post. I enjoy wearing their bamboo yoga clothes for all manner of exercise. The newly launched collection is utterly gorgeous and I particularly adore this Snake Print Conquer Cami and Flow With It Leggings. It is beautifully made, incredibly comfortable and very flattering.

The strap detail adds so much to the design. Perhaps more importantly though, it means they don’t slide down.

When it’s too cold to jog in just the cami and leggings, I add another layer. This navy Mellow Hoody is super-soft and cut to flatter. It’s warm yet not bulky, so it’s ideal for jogging, for wearing to and from the gym and also for just relaxing in at home.

I love the curved hemline and the pockets.

Living More Sustainably

Asquith use organic cotton and bamboo fabrics to create their ethical yoga clothes. The clothes have excellent stretch capabilities and feel supremely soft next to the skin, so you feel comfortable and confident in all of their organic activewear. I have several pieces that I wear over and over both during exercise and not. Every single item washes beautifully and has kept its shape perfectly. Sustainability meets style and function.

And sustainability is something that I’m increasingly conscious of when choosing not just clothing, but all manner of other things. I changed my car about three months ago and went for a petrol hybrid. The emissions are incredibly low and, although I don’t know the technicalities, the electric motor charges itself during driving like a dynamo, so it reduces the petrol input significantly. I’m actively promoting sustainable spectacle frame companies when I can. I’m buying fewer items of clothing, instead, saving up for pieces that I will treasure and  wear for years rather than just months. And generally, I want to take steps, no matter how small, to do my bit for the future of our planet.

This year, I resolve to be more sustainable.

Discover more about Asquith’s organic yoga clothes for life both on and off the mat here…