by Mollie Millington | Aug 22, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min Hop-hop-squat, 1 min walking lunges, 30 sec run in place,30 sec run in place with high knees
1 min- Walking side squats-keep bum low and stay in one direction
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Walking side squats-keep bum low and walk in other direction
1 min- Push/Press ups
1 min- Russian twists
1 min- Toe touches
30 sec each side- Side plank
1 min- Prisoner squats
1 min each leg- Arabesques- Keep toe pointed and leg straight
1 min- Jumping jacks/Star jumps
1 min- Lateral raises
by Mollie Millington | Aug 15, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min grapevine with arms lifted above head, 1 min mountain climbers, 1 min jump squats
1 min- Burpees
1 min- Plyo lunges
1 min- Supermans
1 min- Tricep push/press ups- bend elbows so they point back to your bum and arms are in alignment with your body
1 min- Jumping jacks/Star jumps
1 min- Reverse lunges
30 sec each side- Side crunch- lay on back with knees bent and feet on ground. Drop knees to one side while keeping shoulders flat on the ground. Place fingers on your temple with elbows wide. Crunch up while looking at ceiling to avoid pulling on your neck
1 min- Leg lifts
1 min- Plank- lift one foot 6 inches off of the ground and count to 10. Then switch
1 min- Bicycle crunches
1 min- Mountain climbers
by Mollie Millington | Aug 8, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min plank (on elbows or on the palms of your hands), 1 min Spiderman crunches (in push/press up position, bring knee to outside of elbow), 1 min mountain climbers
1 min- Extended arm crunch (lay on back with feet on ground. Extend arms above your head on the ground. Crunch up keeping arms next to your ears)
1 min- Russian twist
1 min each side- Side plank (if easy try keeping top leg in the air)
30 sec each direction- Sit on knees/heels. Raise bum 2 inches off heels. Make tiny circles clockwise. Then next 30 sec the other direction
1 min- Push/Press ups (on knees or toes)
1 min- In press up position on your toes, jump feet it so they are just outside your hands. Jump them back to starting position
1 min- Boat pose
1 min each leg- Kneeling on all four’s, raise one knee out to the side in a comfortable range of motions, keeping it bent at 90 degrees. (Think of a male dog and a fire hydrant)
1 min- Roll back and reach
1 min- Plank
1 min- Leg lifts
by Mollie Millington | Aug 3, 2021 | relax, sponsored post, travel
How is it already August? I have no idea where 2021 has gone. Sadly, our upcoming trip to Wales was cancelled so now we are scrambling to plan another staycation. At this point, all I want to do is relax outside in the sunshine. James is opposed to international travel due to Covid while I would prefer to fly to Malta and sit on the beach. We have been going back and forth on what we should do and if we should even go somewhere for our four days off. Maple is booked in to the kennel, which means even if we stay home, we will still be able to relax.
Luckily, I have several things I can rely on if we do indeed decide to stay in East London. These range in price from free to a few hundred pounds. While I may find the following things relaxing, you might have something else you prefer. Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you suggest I should try.
Aromatherapy
Scentered is a fantastic eco-conscious company that uses your olfactory system to help adjust your health and wellbeing. With their products, you can sleep, de-stress, get happy, feel the love, and/or escape. As you can guess, I am looking to escape from my normal day-to-day work and life stress while on our mini-break. Scentered kindly sent me their ESCAPE travel set. It contained a beautiful candle and aromatherapy balm inside a lovely box. The set is small enough to pack in a suitcase or to use at home. It would also make a lovely gift for someone who also needs to get away from it all.
I have been using the balm on my wrists and neck on Fridays when I get home from work. Scentered’s balms come in two different sizes (regular and mini). The minis are perfect keep in your pocket or bag for a quick fix. The candle I have been saving as a back up for our trip because so many of our holiday plans have been cancelled this year. Good thing I did!
Both the balms and candles are refillable and Scentered packaging is recycling. If you love the planet and want to protect it, Scentered is a fabulous brand to support! They also have a range of gift sets that include face masks, dressing gowns, or weighted blankets. Not only do they create the balms and candles as a source of aromatherapy but you can also find the scents that fit your mood in body wash, shampoos and lotions. I encourage you to use Scentered products to transform the space you are in to take you away from the day-to-day stress.
Order takeaway from someplace different
At first, I was going to write “don’t cook” but you might find that fun and/or relaxing. If you are staying home for your holiday, why not go to a new restaurant or order takeaway from a place you haven’t tried yet? During lockdown, I tried to break up the monotony of cooking three meals a day while the pubs and restaurants were shut. We are not huge foodies and tend to cook all our meals even when things are “normal” (except take away once a week) but cooking was getting boring. To mix things up, I ordered a high tea from Cutter and Squidge. It included scones, cakes, brownies, and of course, tea! To compliment this, I also picked up fancy sandwiches from Marks and Spencer’s. As you can see, I even brought out a table cloth to give the meal a bit more ambiance.
Book with Urban
Once thing that I love but rarely indulge in is a relaxing massage. I tend to get sports massages quite a bit, which are not always pleasant. Urban is a way to have a massage therapist come to your home. Surprisingly, the price is not that much more that going to a clinic. It saves so much time and stress from not having to travel to and from your appointment. You can use my affiliate code RMOLLI1A to receive £30 off your treatment. Not only does Urban offer massages, but also physiotherapy, beauty and grooming, fitness, osteopathy, and hair services. You can plan an entire spa day at home using Urban. A manicure something I would do before an actual holiday anyways, so why not keep this part of the traveling ritual? With my skin allergies, I cannot paint my nails that often which means it is saved for special occasions. Urban offer a variety of massage and manicures so have a look and see what suits you best.
Cool off with a cocktail
We have had a few very hot weeks in London this summer which has left people scrambling to find a way to feel some relief. There are a few rooftop lidos in London, as well as outdoor pools. We happened to have a small kiddie pool for Maple (which she refuses to go into). With a cocktail in hand, I enjoy cooling my feet off when the weather gets to be too much. Of course, you could just make the same cocktails that you were meant to enjoy on your trip. Treat yourself to high quality spirits and new glasses. After all, you are saving lots of money by staying at home! Tickle your taste buds and be transported away.
Stay in a hotel
Get out of the house by staying somewhere else for the night. There is nothing like the clean sheets and uncluttered space of a hotel. Order room service, use all the free toiletries, and sleep until check out. Basically, just spend the entire day and night in bed. That sounds idyllic to me! If you feel adventurous, try booking a hotel you have never stayed in or in a part of town you haven’t been to in a while (if ever!).
Explore a new neighbourhood
Living in London, my husband and I tend to avoid travelling more than one hour to do something. Anything farther just seems like a big effort and now with Maple, we can’t leave her home alone for too long. Because of this time limit, we don’t go to neighbourhoods on the other side of town, or south of the river, very often (which is one of the reasons why I suggest booking a hotel somewhere you don’t often visit). We also don’t regularly visit London tourist attractions. When my family comes to visit, I am lucky enough to have a nudge to visit all the places I have been meaning to- Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Churchill War Rooms, Portobello Road, and Greenwich.
If you are interested in getting paid to visit these kind of places, there is a new app, called NaviSavi, that will reward you for visiting tourist attractions, restaurants, clubs, and more (just not shops). Use my affiliate code PTMOLLIE to register today and use your staycation time at home to explore. For each location you visit, you can upload up to four 10-30 second videos to showcase different aspects of the venue, such as the entrance, ambiance, food, and outdoor seating for which you will be paid $1 per video. The idea behind NaviSavi is to put truth into travel by allowing app users to show you exactly what a location looks like at the moment to let others decide if it is somewhere they want to go. NaviSavi also wants to support small businesses by allowing them to create a profile for free. Pretty cool, huh?
NaviSavi has a Scavenger Hunt feature that tells you what locations they need videos for. Upload videos for one of these and get paid $2 per video. This app is global so I recommend logging in wherever you are and trying to find those locations that pay a bit more while taking you outside your regular haunts. You might end up discovering a new favourite place! The scavenger hunt may not be completely relaxing but it will get you out somewhere new, which is one of the things that appeals to me when traveling. Without the usual time limit of work and other commitments, take advantage of your staycation to learn more about your city.
If you follow me on Instagram, you will soon see where we end up for our rescheduled staycation. I will hopefully be able to incorporate a few of the above tips to help make it a bit more enjoyable. It is frustrating not to be able to travel but I also accept it is for the greater good. If it helps keep Covid-19 from spreading, then it is absolute it worth it.
If you have a staycation planned, let me know what you did in the comments below. Did you Netflix and chill? Clean the house? Go to the cinema every day? I can’t wait to read all about it.
This post was sponsored by Scentered.
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small fee and does not cost the buyer anything additional.
by Mollie Millington | Aug 1, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min prisoner squats, 1 min walking lunges, 1 min jumping jacks/star jumps
1 min- Push/press ups on a counter or wall
1 min- Squats
30 sec each direction- Small arm circles
1 min- Calf raises
1 min- Plank with hips twisting
1 min- Hip raises – lay on back with knees bent. Raises hips to create a straight line from knees to shoulders. Drop hips 2-3 cm. Squeeze bum and raise up
1 min- Plank with feet jumping together and apart
1 min each leg- Lunges out to the side
1 min- Skip rope (or pretend by jumping up and down)
1 min- Reverse lunge with lateral raise
1 min- Crab tricep dips
by Mollie Millington | Jul 25, 2021 | cycling, exercise, quickie
My husband is a cyclist. I used to tried to keep up with him but he always seemed bored on our rides. We are debating about investing in an electric bike so I can keep up. In the meantime, here are a few exercises to help cyclists (myself included) improve their abilities on the bike. You will need an exercise band for this workout. Dumbbells and a spot to perform box jumps would be handy too.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min mountain climbers, 1 min plank, 1 min burpees
1 min- Squat jumps (plyometrics to help train muscles for speed and power on attacks and switchbacks)
1 min- Overhead press at an angle- Bend forward at the waist with slight bend in knee. Use an exercise band attached to something stable behind you. Bring hands from sides of shoulders above head so that they touch each other (in the same plane as head). Return to starting position (strengthens shoulders and back)
30 sec each side- Side plank (develop your core so you can ride ‘no hands’)
1 min- Bear walk
1 min- Supermans
1 min- Bicycle ab exercises- slow and controlled with deliberate twists
1 min- Calf raises (helps with pedal stroke)
1 min each leg- Pistol squats (one-legged squat with a greater range of motion. You can build up to this)
1 min- Deadlift with dumbbells, barbells, or even exercise band ( to build up your glutes and hamstrings)
1 min- Box jumps- if you don’t have a box, stable step, or bench, just do jump squats again
1 min- Shoulder shrugs- holding weights or using exercise band
If you have an exercise that has helped your cycling performance, leave a comment below and let me know. Happy cycling!
by Mollie Millington | Jul 18, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min squats, 1 min skier jumps (left to right with feet and hips pointing 45 degrees towards center. Try to get thighs parallel to the ground), 1 min skip/jump rope
1 min- In press up position on hands and toes, step one foot in so it is outside of your hand. Then step the other foot to other hand. Return feet to starting position
1 min- In press up position on hands and toes, hop feet in and out, like a squat thrust
30 sec each side- Side plank
1 min- Prisoner squats
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Squat and then alternate lifting knee on the way up
1 min- Hop-hop, then in a squat punch forward 4 times
1 min each leg- Step one leg back with heel on ground. Arms in air. Pull hands down to waist level as you bring knee up
1 min- Jump/skip rope
1 min- Plank
1 min- Push/press up
by Mollie Millington | Jul 11, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min walking up and down stairs, 1 min reverse lunges, 1 min burpees
1 min- Push/press ups
1 min- Spiderman crunch- in press up position, bring knee to outside of elbow. If too challenging, bring knee to chest
1 min- Bicycle crunches
1 min- ‘Around the World’ lunges
1 min- Bend arms at elbows and hold palms facing down. Jump in the air and try to bring both knees up to touch hands
1 min- Small arm circles, 30 sec in each direction
1 min- Push/press ups against a wall or on a counter top
1 min- Wall sit
1 min each leg- Out to the side with straight leg, point toe and draw circle the size of a quarter/50p coin. Change direction halfway
1 min each side- Side plank
1 min- Jumping jacks/star jumps
by Mollie Millington | Jul 4, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min stationary lunges, 1 min side squats, 1 min jumping jacks/star jumps
1 min- Stand in door frame and push hands away from you against frame
1 min- Tricep kickbacks (either one at a time or both arms at the same time)
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Squat thrusts
1 min- Boat pose
1 min- Leg lifts
1 min- Back hyper-extensions on the ground
1 min- Hop over a cone, pair of shoes, bottle of water. Be careful not to trip!
1 min each leg- Lunge and raise knee up of back leg with each rep
1 min each side- Teapot standing ab exercises- hold weight in on hand and have other hand on hip. Lower weighted hand done while keep body in same plane. Slowly stand up straight
1 min- Prisoner squats
by Mollie Millington | Jun 30, 2021 | life update
The short story is: there is no time!
Eight weeks into my marathon training program with coach Liz Weeks, I am getting the hang of things. Physiotherapy is happening twice a week, running three times a week, and bonus cycle commutes. Work is also full steam ahead with limited time to relax as we have several large projects happening (obtaining new species, writing a book chapter, helping in a systematic review). I am happy to say building works on our flat are now done, but that means we have to clean up all the builders dust, reorganize all of our stuff to prepare the flat to sell. With so many hobbies, a small business, and being a paper hoarded, we have a lot of stuff!
In terms of my marathons, Tokyo is no longer allowing overseas participants so I have signed up for Manchester Marathon (gifted). This is a fast flat course and since it is in the UK, I feel fairly confident I will be able to attend. Hopefully Liz can coach me to a 4:15 marathon. This race will also count as my Boston Marathon virtual race but I don’t think I will be BQ ready by September. The physiotherapy is slowly becoming easier but I should probably look at my diet too.
Instead of going to Japan, I was hoping to travel to Italy for a week long road trip (in a convertible, of course) along the Amalfi coast with a friend from uni. Unfortunately, residents of the UK have a mandatory five day quarantine in Italy (thank you, Brexit) so that plan is cancelled too. I might have to make a game time decision of what to do with my week off as the time draws near. I hate to sit in my flat for an entire week but perhaps we will be moving by then.
I have so many blog posts I want to write, but sadly not enough time. I love being able to say yes to so many opportunities available to me, so I can share the latest and greatest with you. But I am also learning how to say no when I need to. If you want to keep tabs on me from day-to-day, please follow me on Instagram. I hope to find to to start blogging again soon!
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