Fitness

Wellness Wednesday .15: Finding A Balance With Workouts

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

Many of you all know that we have been working out consistently for a while now. Just like it is for many of you all, it is part of our lifestyle. We feel better being active, and getting ourselves moving every day. Similar to everything else in life, it is important to have a balance. We have definitely been through phases where we have done more intense workouts, rarely taken rest days, etc.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

We have also been through phases where we were forced to take time off for a couple weeks and months because of how lethargic we felt. While working out can be so great for you and your body, it is important to recognize when it becomes obsessive, and not balanced.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

Of course, working out is great for you, and it is important to stay fit for cardiac purposes, as well as mentally. For us, we have recently been doing a lot of Pilates, jumping on the rebounder, lots of walking outside, and some running mixed in.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

There was a period of time where we were very into lifting weights and hitting the gym pretty much everyday, without taking many days off. It was more so that it was a stress reliever for us, rather than “burning calories”, but we know how easy it is to get caught in that cycle.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

Commit to things that help you mentally

Think about doing workouts that will help you clear your mind, make you less anxious and stressed, rather than just thinking about burning calories. Of course, both are important, but you want to be doing stuff that will help you mentally!

For us, sometimes that is just going on a walk vs. doing sprints or intervals. Sometimes, doing a more intense workout will do the trick for your stress and anxiety!

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

Focus on workouts that make you feel your best

When we are feeling burnt out, and our body has had enough, we know it is either time to take a day off, or to just choose something less crazy intense on our body. For example, we have been doing a lot of pilates and p.volve, and while they are challenging, they are not crazy intense on your body and joints.

Running can be great, but after a while, it definitely takes a toll on your body, so it is all about finding that balance between workouts.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

Take days off

This is something that we used to struggle with a lot. Since we love working out so much, and love the feeling of accomplishing a task (in this case, a great workout), it was harder for us to take the needed rest days we all should be taking. Working out is something that helps us take our minds off stress, work, etc, but it is also important to keep in mind that your body needs a break, too.

Without recovery days, your body can’t relax and catch up on rest. These are crucial in staying fit, too! For us, sometimes a day off can be doing absolutely nothing, or sometimes it is going on a short walk outside with Lucy.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

Shift your mindset

If your goal in working out often is to stay fit, we have learned that so much of it is what you are eating. As long as you are being mindful of what you eat, working out is secondary to that, in our opinions. You just want to make sure it is not obsession, rather just something you are doing to stay balanced and healthy!

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra
lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

All of these functional and cute pieces are from lululemon. We have been major fans their workout clothes for years, and we love all of these lighter ones for summer. While we love their Align Leggings SO much, we wanted something a little less heavy for these warmer temperatures.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

The Hotty Hot shorts are the best running shorts, and we wear them for things other than running, too! They come in a ton of colors, and lengths. We have on the 2.5″ shorts in a size 4 in the “breezy” color, but they also make them in a 4″ length that our mom wears! We paired the shorts with the Ignite Bra (wearing size 6), which has a really cute high neckline.

The bra has medium support, so it is great for training and also ventilation for sweaty workouts or runs!

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

If you all love the Align pants as much as we do, you will LOVE these Align shorts! We are wearing the 4″, but they also come in a longer length, if you want more coverage. We couldn’t help getting the camo print, but they do make a lot of other prints and colors. We have on the size 4 in these.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

We paired the shorts with the Energy High Neck Bra (wearing size 6), which is also great for training and has medium support. If you are looking for a good basic tank, this Sleek Simplicity Tank is great for any workout, and also has a higher neckline for more coverage. We have on a size 4 for reference.

lifestyle and fashion bloggers samantha and alexis belbel of A Double Dose wearing lululemon summer pieces - blue running shorts and white strappy sports bra and camo align shorts and white bra

{ Ignite Bra | Hotty Hot Short 2.5″ “Breezy” | Energy Bra High Neck | Align Short 4″ | Seek Simplicity Tank | APL sneakers }

In partnership with lululemon.