With all of the workout classes and trends out there, everyone is doing high intensity workouts! Whether it is HIIT classes, spinning classes, doing sprints, or lifting weights, we are all basically doing some sort of intense classes often.
To be honest, we always felt like we needed a good sweat to feel like we got a good workout in, but in the last 6-7 months, we have been incorporating more lower intensity workouts, and haven’t felt better! We wanted to share some reasons why we think you should add some lower intensity workouts into your routine!
1. Decreases injury risk and allows you to recover quicker
We have all taken a tough HIIT class or something that is more vigorous. It feels great when you’re finished and all sweaty, but over time, it can be tough on your body. This can also lead to more inflammation in your body and higher cortisol. Especially if you’re doing high intensity workouts several times a week, specifically all in a row, it can increase your risk of injury, among other things!
You definitely want to make sure you are giving your body days to rest and recover in between, and adding in those lower intensity workouts!
2. Overtraining can actually work against you
When you overtrain, you can actually destroy your adrenals and mess up your hormones! You really need to monitor how much you’re sleeping, if you’re refueling properly, and that you are taking rest days and doing less intense workouts to mix it up!
3. Actually can still burn calories
We all want a good sweat, but even if you are not dripping with sweat, or feel like you were just put through the wringer, you can *actually* still get in a good workout! We sometimes will burn more calories jumping on our rebounder, or during a pilates class, than we would running outside! Crazy, right?! More sweat doesn’t always mean more calories burned.
4. Builds muscular endurance
Sounds odd, but the more you train at a lower intensity, the better it can be for you in the long run! There have been several studies performed on athletes where when they trained at a lower intensity, the better they performed on their race day.
If you are like us, doing a workout, specifically if it is tough, it can get kind of old. We have been doing lower intense workouts, like pilates, yoga, and walking, and really look forward to those over going on a long run! Of course, getting in a sweat can feel good sometimes, but you want to do something you truly enjoy doing over and over again.
Some of our favorite lower intensity workouts
Some of our favorite workouts that we have been doing on a continuous basis are reformer pilates, yoga, and p.volve. We love the results our bodies have gotten from pilates, especially and are hooked for life!
We love these three looks that we got all from Betsey Johnson. What we love about all of these looks is that the material is amazing at sucking you in all of the right places, but not where it is uncomfortable! The all black look makes your butt look AMAZING. In all three outfits we are wearing size s tops, and xs bottoms for reference!
Most of you that follow us on Instagram probably have been seeing us sharing quotes, a lot about meditation, self love, and all that great stuff! We have been listening to some TED talks, good podcasts, and just reading some inspirational books that are all about being your best self, having positive self talk, and more.
We had talked about all of this in our most recent podcast episode, An Extra Dose, and wanted to share some of the books we have been reading, and some that were suggested to us, in case you want to read some of them!
Before we share some the books, we wanted to talk about this outfit first! These black strappy wedges are so comfy and also come in a neutral color.
We have a size 6.5 in them, and we were so surprised at how comfortable these are! We have been wearing these so much, and love how the heel height is perfect with black shorts like these, or with a dress, too!
We paired this outfit with one of our staple straw bags right now from Sole Society! It is legit the best kind of bag to carry for summer because it is a fun, round shape, and it goes with everything! Plus, it adds a fun pop to any look. It also comes in a gold/neutral color, which we scooped up, too!
We also got these super affordable mirrored sunglasses from Sole Society that we have been LOVING. They are really lightweight, and we love the amber/gold colors in them. The shape is really flattering on any face shape, and they just add a golden pop!
We love all of Sole Society’s affordable accessories for summer! We will definitely be bringing all of these on our upcoming trip.
As far as books go, here are some that have been suggested to us:
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life — we read this one last year, and loved it a lot! Such a good read, but beware, a lot of cussing, hah!
We have shared several relationship topics recently, and we have gotten such a good response, so it was requested that we talk more about being a single twin, or it could apply to those of you who all are single out of all your friends!
Samantha styled her shorter one in this post last week, and today, I am styling this longer one that is more ivory-colored for spring. What is so great about this duster is that you can wear it with white jeans and a white tank like I did, or pair it over a swimsuit for the beach or pool. You could also wear it over a dress or romper that is solid colored!
For accessories (our fave part), I threw on this round bag, which I have legit been wearing every single day since I got it. It also comes in the reverse colors with tan outside and white on the inside, and it has a longer strap so you can wear it crossbody or on your shoulder.
These neutral wedges from Sole Society are so comfy and they are the perfect height to wear with shorts and shorter skirts. We literally wear a pair of Sole Society’s shoes a couple times a week at least just because they are so comfortable and they are a great price point–usually under $100. Also, most of their pieces are vegan!
Now, for the topic of being single: As you all know, I went through a breakup in December, so I am really taking this time to focus on myself. I have honestly never been so content with being single, and I kind of love it. So much that I don’t really have an interest right now to date, which is so unlike me, ha!
Of course, you all know that Sam is in a long-term relationship with an amazing guy, and I couldn’t be happier for her. She deserves it so much, and without sounding weird, she earned it. She had been through so much with dating, and she met a great guy, and they are a great match for each other.
With that being said, I would be lying if there weren’t times that I wasn’t envious, or didn’t want the same thing for myself. After some of my relationships, I was just angry, and took it out on her because it wanted what she had, but after my last relationship, I felt differently. I respected what she has in hers, and am so thankful to have her support and her boyfriend, Taylor’s support.
They both invite me to hang out with them all of the time, which is so sweet! They let me tag along to dinner, face masks, movies, etc. Of course, I have taken this time to be social and make friends, but it is nice to have them around, too. Taylor is like a brother to me, so I always vent to him about guys and all of that. Being twins, it is crucial that we like who each other are dating. We are so close, and know each other best, so if one of us is dating someone where there is tension, or just not a good relationship, it will never work.
Twins are such a unique dynamic, so it can be tricky to date a twin. I think it really takes a certain person to be confident enough to date a twin, and I have learned that along the way. Things happen for a reason, and while being single is not always fun, a huge factor is mindset.
You have to be as okay as you can be with being single. It is not easy going through breakups, but talking about it with friends, family members, and focusing on your happiness is so important.
For me, embracing this time to focus on me and be selfish has been everything. I am loving this time, and my sister has been so supportive. I feel like I can be open with her, as she can be with me. Our relationship isn’t perfect, but I am so grateful for her and couldn’t imagine my life without her.
Coming back from a trip, and because we get asked about this a lot, we wanted to write about drinking and consuming alcohol. We are not alcoholics, or have anything against it, but we both just don’t personally drink alcohol a lot. We do enjoy an occasional glass wine, but are sweets lovers, so we will indulge in that! We talked more about alcohol and drinking in this podcast episode.
To be honest, we were never major drinkers. Of course, in college, we had our fun drinking and going out, but once we graduated, we realized we didn’t really enjoy it as much as we used to. We don’t personally enjoy having a hangover the next day, or not being able to be productive, so we choose to not consume it a lot. There are healthier drink choices you can make, which we can go into in a little bit!
We have found that as we became more into our health, we just committed to a lifestyle of putting the best things we can in our bodies, and we just don’t feel our best drinking often. Of course, like we said, a glass of wine, or a cocktail once in a while is great, but if you don’t feel your best drinking, don’t feel pressured to do it.
There are so many other ways to have fun, without drinking. Of course, if you love drinking and enjoy it, then do what works for you! Nothing wrong with that. We get asked a lot how we handle it when people bring it up, and truth is, if people respect you and have enough security with themselves, they won’t question your choices or decisions. From our experience, it is people who are insecure that have to share their opinions or make you feel like a weirdo for not taking part in what everyone else is doing!
Also, if you surround yourself with more people that have a similar lifestyle to you, it will help a lot!
If you are going to drink, here are some of the drinks we recommend are:
Vodka with sparkling water and citrus like lemon or orange, or even mint and cucumber
Glass of wine
Glass of champagne
Mixed drinks on menu, but skip sugar!
Now, about this denim on denim look! This whole outfit is from Abercrombie, and we are super excited to share these white jeans with you all. They are the white jeans you have been on the hunt for. They are stretchy, have a little rip, and the perfect rise. We got a size 25 in them, and they’re on sale for $44!
This is the perfect kind of outfit to wear for spring travels or a date night! We have been wearing these white jeans from Abercrombie with everything and love how they fit. We love that all of their jeans come in “short” and “tall” lengths, so it is perfect for petites, or taller girls!
We paired it with this white lace cami and a perfect denim jacket. If it is still chilly by you, which it seems to be all over right now, we wanted to share some cozy fleece pieces that are great for spring to throw on with some jeans and leggings!
If your question wasn’t answered, be sure and send us a message on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]
We skipped last week, but we are back this week with another FAQ round for y’all! If you asked something that didn’t get answered, we most likely answered it in a previous FAQ post! Check out the last few here : #1 here , #2 here , #3 here,#4 here, and #5 here.
Happy reading! Xo
F A S H I O N:
WHAT ARE THE GOLD NECKLACES YOU WEAR WITH YOUR INITIALS?
We actually have several. The two main ones you always see us wearing are this single initial one and this one that has both our first and last name initials. We also wear this one a lot. They are all gold, so they don’t change colors.
CAN YOU SHARE SOME AFFORDABLE ONE PIECE SWIMSUITS?
Also, be sure to check out our post on cover ups here.
DO YOU LIKE HAVING A BUMPER ON YOUR WATCH?
YES! Love it. The face had gotten all scratched so this bumper protects it and prevents scratches!
H E A L T H / F I T N E S S:
HAVE YOU RESEARCHED BII? DO YOU THINK THAT COULD BE RELATED TO YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS?
We actually have been looking into this, as we have seen it all over Instagram. We definitely think it is an issue, and unfortunately it has affected so many women. We will say, had we known about it before getting them put in, we can’t say we would have gone through with it.
We had been suffering from Hypothyroidism for 5 years prior to getting the implants, and had already felt the weight gain, swelling, and fatigue a year or two before the surgery, so while we don’t think it helped our health issues, it is not the sole cause. We are doing what we can to detox our bodies from anything the implants could be causing like heavy metals and toxins by eating a ton of fruits, veggies, and vitamins.
We do think removing them can be beneficial for some, but we do think you have to look at the big picture like what you’re eating, what you’re taking, etc as well.
HOW DO YOU LIKE EATING VEGAN VS THE AIP/PALEO FOR OVERALL HEALTH?
We like eating vegan personally for our health issues. We feel the cleanest and lightest, if that makes sense. We also believe it is the best in healing and cleansing the body. We also want to mention that we eat lower fat as well like with oils and nut butters, etc.
CAN YOU UPDATE US ON YOUR BREAST AUGMENTATION? RECOMMENDATIONS ON BRAS?
Sure! So we have had ours for two years now, actually to the day, haha! We would say the most important part is to wear supportive bras when you workout and when you sleep. When we are doing an intense workout or cardio, we wear a high impact bra like this one.
When we are sleeping, we wear lighter bras like this one.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE CHEAT DAYS?
Yes, of course! Our cheat days are probably not as exciting as most, but that is what works for us! We have been eating this way for so long that we crave fruits and veggies. If we crave sweets or pastas, we always make something at home to satisfy that! Or, we will go out and have it! We don’t deprive ourselves, but we truly love healthier foods and cooking/baking.
HAVE THE SUPPLEMENTS HELPED RAISE YOUR LEVELS SUCH AS B12/IRON?
We have not had a blood test for a while, so we can’t fully answer that, but we do feel great!
DOES YOUR DOCTOR SUPPORT YOU TAKING THE THYROID SUPPLEMENT? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOUR TSH?
We are actually not seeing a doctor right now. We had seen so many doctors last year and the year before that we made the decision to not take our medication for now. We will retest our thyroid soon.H
CAN YOU SHARE A REBOUNDER WORKOUT?
We actually shared a rebounder workout in last week’s Wellness Wednesday post, along with the benefits of it! We will be sharing more as well!
I NOTICED YOU HAVE BEEN DOING PVOLVE WORKOUTS A LOT. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY BENEFITS?
Yeah! We have actually been loving it! We actually shared more about it in this post. We love that it targets all your muscles, especially ones you typically don’t work a lot, even though you feel like you may be with your current workouts. It is great because you can do it at home, or stream it from really anywhere! You use things like gliders, light weights, and resistance bands, and it really burns! We have seen a difference in our butts and abs.
Also, it is just convenient to do for a quick 30 minute or 40 minute workout in between working or whatever!
WHY ARE YOU NOT LIFTING AS MUCH HEAVY WEIGHTS ANYMORE?
We honestly just got burnt out. Our bodies were exhausted, and we had put too much pressure and stress on them. Of course, we are not saying it is bad, but we just needed a break. Not that we aren’t pushing our bodies now, but we are doing workouts that are less intense like pilates, rebounding, and P.volve.
CAN YOU SHARE THE RECIPES FOR THE BLACK BEAN BROWNIES AND BLUEBERRY LOAF YOU MADE THE OTHER NIGHT?
Of course!
The black bean brownies came from this vegan cookbook, and the blueberry loaf came from Medical Medium
BLACK BEAN BROWNIES:
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
6 tbsp water
1 cup oat four
1 1/4 cups cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup water, add more by tsp if needed
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease and 11 x 7 in pan.
Mix flaxseed and water in small bowl and let it sit for 10 min. Add the oats, cacao, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne to the food processor and grind the oats into a flour.
Add the beans, flax egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and water and process until batter is smooth and creamy.
If it is too thick, add 1 tsp of water a time until it is spreadable but not watery.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
WILD BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD LOAF:
INGREDIENTS:
3 ripe bananas 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup coconut sugar 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 2 cups gluten-free oat flour 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries Chopped walnuts, for topping (optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Place the bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk. Mix well.
In another bowl, combine the oat flour, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk until lump free. Add the wet ingredients and fold gently until you get a uniform batter. Add the blueberries and stir very gently, just enough to incorporate them.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. After this, turn the oven off but leave the banana bread in the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.
CAN YOU SHARE WHAT YOU EAT IN A DAY?
Of course! We actually shared an entire blog post of meal ideas and what we eat in this post!
B E A U T Y:
DOES WEARING THE PERMANENT EYELASHES BOTHER YOUR EYES? HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
They last 2-3 weeks each fill. They don’t bother us, but unfortunately, Samantha is having issues with hers and had to remove them. I (Alexis) am fine with them!
That is a great question! We make sure to always apply our skincare creams, oils, and sunscreen all the way through our neck. We need to be better about our chests;)
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NON TOXIC BEAUTY BRANDS?
HOW DO YOU GET SUCH GOOD LIGHTING IN YOUR MIRROR PICTURES?
That is a very good question! Lighting is everything. We just use our iPhone and make sure it is bright outside. If it is more dark and stormy out, the pictures tend to be more grainy, but we just roll with it. You can brighten the pictures on your phone when you are done, but having good lighting is key for a good picture! Also, try to have the windows in front of you or on the sides. If they are behind you, you want a good amount of space so you don’t look dark.
IS THERE ANY JEALOUSY BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR SISTER BLOGGING?
Not really! We support each other. We usually fight over clothes, haha, and picture spots, but other than that, not really. Obviously when one of us gets more ‘likes’, it can be hard, but at the end of the day, we support each other!
HOW DID YOU BECOME INSTAGRAM FAMOUS?
We don’t think we are famous at all, but truthfully, it is so awesome we get to connect with you all and reach so many fun people. We are SO grateful!
WHAT IS YOUR AVERAGE SCHEDULE FOR A DAY IN THE LIFE?
This is a tough one! We kind of touched on this in this post, but basically, we work a LOT. A lot more than most people would think. We spend a lot of time behind our computer screens and phones, and the other parts of the days are prepping content, on the phone for calls, or working out/eating.
Typically, we wake up and meditate, make our juice, get in a workout, eat breakfast, check emails and work. Then, we will either shoot content, get our posts ready for Instagram, head to a meeting, etc. In between, is a lot of snacking, cleaning up the messes we made in our home office, and more working, haha. We don’t really have a cut off time, which makes balance tricky, but we try our best;) Usually, we work until we go to bed, but we honestly love it so it is hard to put away!
PS-if your question wasn’t answered this week, be sure and check back next week for more! Xo