July 10, 2020, by Charlotte Gauja
8 learnings from the 8-week Shreddy challenge
The University of Nottingham Sport partnered with Fit Tech Brand, Shreddy in support of the female activation programmes for students in February 2020.
Ambassador Alex Pitt, works to promote our female activation programmes such as Girls Night In and Empower. She joined the Shreddy community in December 2019, after the partnership between her programmes and the app. Having no experience using a workout app, Alex was interested to see how much she would use it. To her surprise she fell in love with the app and immediately saw results, feeling stronger, positive, and noticed a sizable change in how toned her body looked.
During the COVID-19 lockdown Alex joined the 8-week challenge on the app, where she learnt a lot about herself during her fitness journey. Read more as Alex shares the eight things she learnt during the challenge:
Home workouts can be just as challenging gym workouts
When I first signed up to the challenge, I was dubious as to how effective the workouts would be and whether I could stay motivated during an 8 week structured programme. I was used to using the gym, lifting weights, and using the machines and training following my own session plans and routines. However, after the first session, I was dripping in sweat! I don’t have access to weights in lockdown at home but have a range of b_nd resistance bands which combined with the Shreddy challenge session, were more than enough to provide a great workout.
Gym workouts don’t have to be time-consuming to be effective
When I had access to a gym, I would block out a large portion of my evening to train, on average spending over an hour at the gym working. When I saw that the home workouts were all under half an hour (with the strength rounds being 11 minutes long), I had no excuse not to do the workout as they were made so easy to schedule around my day. I was able to do quick – but effective – workouts in the morning, all from the comfort of my house!
Working out really does help your mental health
My everyday routine has drastically changed due to COVID-19. The changes during this period have been stressful and my mental health has certainly suffered. I know everyone always says ‘working out really helps me feel better’ but it truly does.
As I was finishing my master’s degree at home, the 8-week challenge gave me something else to focus on, providing me with a break from my computer screen and books. The sense of achievement after each workout kept me feeling positive and motivated.
It is ok to have days off
Of course, there are some days when the motivation to work out simply eludes us, but that is more than ok! One of the positives of the Shreddy app and the workouts on offer is that it gives you the option of 3 or 5-day plans so you can build in rest days and plan them to how you work best.
Lunch can be a good meal
I’ll let you in on a little secret about me; I’ve never really liked lunch and I find sandwiches really boring. However, this has changed since being at home and using the Shreddy meal plans to help decide what to make. I was not using it every day to start but by week 8 used it more often than not. Yesterday, I had cheesy mushrooms with sweet potato mash. The app tells you the prep time, the cooking time, the method, ingredients, and the nutritional value of the meal and has helped me make lunch more varied, interesting and hassle free.
Being supported helps aid progress
This might seem obvious, but it is very true. The Shreddy community is very supportive. The Instagram page is encouraging and gives you plenty of inspiration not only on workout ideas but also to see how others within the community are benefiting. It really helped me feel more positive in everyday life and kept me motivated throughout the challenge.
The correct form
One of the benefits of working out at the gym is if you are not sure how to correctly do something you can ask an instructor. The Shreddy app shows the exercise in perfect form while you are doing it. I found this helpful as I kept referring back to the video and corrected my form as I took part.
Working out helps me sleep
I struggle with sleeping, particularly when I’m stressed and unfortunately the current climate is very stressful. However, I’ve found that on the days I exercise- I usually tend to sleep better. So, if anyone is struggling to sleep like me, try working out during the day!
The University of Nottingham Sport are proud to partner with the FitTech brand, Shreddy.
For more information and resources to help you look after your wellbeing at home, visit our new online Health and Wellbeing Home.
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