The truth is, I probably own and wear more active than regular clothing. It’s less work, more comfortable and gets me from point A to Z all in a day. A lot of my job involves days spent on the road running around; doing returns, pulling for projects, picking up packages at the post office on top of my weekly responsibilities like groceries, meal planning, vet/ appointments and just generally making sure everything is running smoothly on the home front. Most days it’s easiest for me to just pull on a set and runners and head out the door and schedule in my workout where & when it makes most sense in my day.

I just recently learned about Lorna Jane, an Australian based activewear line and brand that I’m currently l-o-v-i-n-g. Not only are their brand visions very much aligned with mine, but their active wear is SO. GOOD. The cuts, the fit, the materials, the SUPPORT! I’m pretty hard on my gear and am always mixing my workouts but boxing consistently and have found that the quality of a lot of brands don’t stand up to those kinds of high intensity workouts. Lorna Jane pieces are all super breathable, built with maximum support and include details like a phone pocket, adjustable straps and are shrink and fade resistant.

Being active truly is a lifestyle and something that takes consistent work and dedication. It’s easy to get hyped up and motivated when the sun is shining but to make it really count it’s gotta be an everyday thing. I’ve talked at length about how my physical activity has helped me feel so much better and has helped me take better control of other areas of my life where I’ve been wanting to succeed.

On the flip side, I also get that life get’s busy, change is hard and not everyone is going to be willing to make the time, the commitment or down green smoothies everyday. We as human beings are funny, we want it all but by the quickest, easiest means possible and that, in the real world just doesn’t float. Instead of overwhelming yourself, what I would suggest is to focus on one small change you can make everyday and stick to it. After a while all those little changes start to add up and become your life. Scroll down for my tried & tested keys to having and keeping an active life:

Tights | Sports Bra | Runners | Necklaces 1 & 2

My tried & tested keys to having & keeping an active life:

+ Make your bed: sounds silly but making your bed right when you get up in the morning sets your day off in the right direction. Not only will you instantly feel good about keeping a tidy master bedroom, but it will set the tone for the rest of the day.

+ Schedule your workouts: my whole world shifted when I started thinking about my workouts as part of my job. I know what you’re thinking “easy for you, you work from home”. While that is true now, that was never the case two years ago. Before blogging f/t I worked at an Ad Agency where the pay is low and the hours/demands are high and I made it a priority to get regular workouts in. Personally, at that time it seemed like too big of a commitment to make it to the gym after a full day of work and night classes (even before the agency!) and that’s how I found 30 minute hit five years ago. They had multiple locations opening up and it was a high intensity boxing/kicking boxing circuit that was only 30 minutes so I signed up and have been doing it ever since. Find what works for you and your schedule and make it work.

+ Clean house. Or at least your fridge: you won’t get far by not fueling up your body properly so it can perform at its best. Be open to new foods and adding more vegetables to your diet. Redundant, I know but this was the last piece of the puzzle for me – I didn’t realize how important diet is to the other half of my personal fitness goals. Since cutting diary (slowly), minimizing meat (we still eat meat weekly but it’s very limited) and adding more leafy greens to our meals and my smoothies I’ve noticed huge improvements in my gut health, hair, skin, nails and overall mental health. Again, it’s not going to happen overnight but I tried to make small changes every day/week to our grocery list and slowly started reaping the benefits & nutrients.

+ Get your Zzzz’s: if you’re following through with your workouts then you’ll have zero troubles with this one. I’m so beat by the end of the day I could go to sleep at 8pm, but I always feel refreshed and energized in the morning. Lately I’ve even been waking up before my alarm, which for me is unheard of.

All in all, I’ve found that taking better care of myself has made me more productive and ultimately more successful in whatever I want to achieve. It always seems daunting at first but I’m telling you, if you just focus on making small changes everyday before  you know it they’ll all add up and you will be living the life you always imagined.

Photography: Melissa Skoda.