Kick Starting things with Alice
I always buy Women’s Health, firstly because two of my mates work for it, (and both do an amazing job) but also ‘cos it’s actually a really good magazine; the vibe is cheerful, the articles are informative, and it’s all very body / exercise / healthy lifestyle positive in a non-annoying way. The whole attitude of the magazine is, do your best, and we’re here to help.
May’s issue of WH was no different, packed full of beauty features, healthy recipes, mental health advice and all with a cute girl called Alice on the cover...
I don’t know who Alice Liveing is but 678k followers on Instagram and being on the cover of Women’s Health must mean something right? After a quick google search, it turns out she’s a PT and fitness instagram star with an impressive collection of matching workout outfits. But that’s not what caught my eye about her, it was the “Alice Liveing's 28-day Fitness Challenge” in the magazine that got me interested.
In this lockdown period, I’ve been trying all sorts of workouts, CCTV (I didn’t have the right equipment), running 5k (boring), boxing session with Sunni (she only does them once a week) and random Youtube videos. All of which have been sporadic, and I’ve not been able to stick to any of them for more than a week, so I liked the idea of following one schedule that someone else has worked out for me.
The 28-day Fitness Challenge in Women’s Health consists of four weeks with a different exercise everyday (plus one rest day). There’s HIIT, Lower Body & Core, Upper Body & Core, mobility, then challenges like, walk 10,000 steps or try a new online class. All seemed pretty straightforward and doable, and since there’s not a lot else to do while in lockdown, I figured I’d give it a go...
“The workouts are built on simple key movements, but will encourage you to break out of your comfort zone to find ways of moving that you enjoy” Alice says.
Week one started with Upper Body & Core, a 40 minute video that includes a warm up, and eight exercises designed to workout, well, your upper body and core. They are divided into ‘Supersets’, with each set consisting of two workouts, that you do back to back then rest for 60 seconds. Doesn’t sound too hard... but halfway through the video I began to feel it, the exercises were simple enough, and Alice encourages you to go at your own pace, but there’s no doubt that you're getting a workout.
Then there’s HIIT the next day, a 30 minute video, also including a warm up then five exercises designed to get your heart rate up; squat jumps, shoulder taps, bear crawls, glute bridge marches and side planks, all to be done five times each. By the end of the HIIT video I was a sweaty, sweary mess with a huge smile on my face, I’d managed to find a workout that got me moving without having to leave my house or annoying my neighbour downstairs (the exercises make little to no noise).
The final video Alice has done is a lower body & core workout, much like the upper body one, the video is split into ‘Supersets’ of two workouts with a 60 second rest in between. Each exercise is achievable to any level, and there’s no equipment needed, except for a couple of water bottles, should you wish to add weights to your workout.
The whole thing is totally doable, especially in lockdown. The days when you have to do a certain amount of steps can be achieved on your daily walk to the shops, and the days when you’re instructed to try a new online class is ideal for being cooped up at home with so many free youtube workouts to pick from. Plus Alice’s attitude fits well with the Women’s Health vibe of, try your best, and well done for it. I usually find online workouts irritating because of the instructor, they’re either too military, too overthetop, or so fake that they act like you’re actually in the room with them, saying things like “Yes, that’s great form, perfect planking!” while I’m actually sitting on the mat eating Doritos.
But Alice’s videos are genuine (she says things like “Ok, I’m starting to find these really hard now” while actually being out of breath) and real. The set of the video is a bedroom, and she uses standard water bottles as weights. She explains every exercise fully, and the timer at the bottom of the screen makes each exercise seem achievable, as you can see when you're almost done.
After the four weeks, I was stronger (hello to the new muscles that have just joined my body), fitter and was going faster and harder at the exercises week by week. The fact that the videos aren’t daunting, or too long, or too complicated meant I didn’t dread them or get bored, so I stuck to it fully, and even when I’m back to work full time, this will totally fit into my routine.
So it turns out this Alice Liveing girl deserves the 678k followers and cover of Women’s Health for being a fitness instructor who makes exercise easy and achievable while looking cute in matching sports bras and leggings.