Written by Mia Barnes

Starting a fitness routine doesn’t have to mean overhauling your entire life. The key to true success is making small changes that fit your current schedule, not disrupt it. Here’s how to build a routine you’ll actually stick to.

Set Clear, Realistic Goals

What do you really want from your fitness routine? Maybe you want more energy to play with your kids, improve your mood, or complete that 5K. Whatever it is, write it down. Goals give you direction, keep your motivation up, and give you something to work toward.

Pick Activities You Actually Enjoy

As much as 60% of American adults don’t get enough movement in their daily lives. A big reason for that is exercise often feels like a chore. This is why it’s so important to find something you genuinely love and look forward to. You’re much more likely to stick to something if you actually enjoy doing it.

If the idea of going to the gym makes you groan, don’t force it. Go hiking or biking if you love being outdoors. Those who prefer low-impact workouts could try swimming or Pilates. The more fun it is to you, the less it’ll feel like an obligation.

Schedule It Like an Appointment

You wouldn’t cancel a doctor’s appointment or skip a work meeting, so don’t miss your workout time, either. Pick a time of day that works best for you — maybe that’s early mornings before the chaos starts or evenings after work as a way to unwind. Add it to your calendar, set a reminder, and treat it like an important meeting with yourself.

If mornings aren’t your thing, don’t force it. Find the time that works for your energy levels.

 

Start Small and Build Up

It’s easy to get overexcited and try to do too much too soon, but that’s a fast track to burnout. Start with something manageable, like 20 minutes a few times a week. Once you’ve built the habit, you can gradually increase the time or intensity.

Keep Your Gear Handy

Make things as easy for yourself as possible. Lay out your workout clothes the night before, or keep a gym bag in your car. If everything’s ready to go, you’re less likely to come up with excuses. The goal is to reduce any barriers that might stop you from getting started.

Don’t let social media convince you you need fancy equipment or luxury gym memberships. Bodyweight exercises are a perfect way to get started without breaking the bank.

Recruit a Workout Buddy

Finding someone to work out with is a fantastic way to stay accountable. Whether you join a fitness class, go for regular walks with a friend, or find a running group, turning workouts into a social activity can help combat loneliness while boosting motivation. Sharing goals and cheering each other on when the session gets tough can make all the difference. Plus, knowing someone is counting on you to show up is an excellent way to stay consistent.

Track Your Progress

Seeing how far you’ve come can be incredibly motivating. Use a fitness app, journal, progress photos, or even just mark days on a calendar. Keep track of what you did, how you felt, and any improvements you’ve noticed. It’s not just about numbers — celebrate non-scale victories like feeling more energetic or noticing your mood improve.

Here are some motivation boosters that may help:

●      Set mini goals, like completing three workouts a week.

●      Reward yourself for reaching milestones. You could treat yourself to a nice dinner or buy those leggings you’ve been eyeing.

●      Create a playlist of your favourite upbeat songs. Research has shown choosing your own workout playlist can boost your performance and enjoyment.

●      Change your routine when you feel bored. Try a new workout class or a different running route to spice things up.

Try to Be Flexible

Some days won’t go as planned, and that’s OK. Life gets busy, and missing a workout doesn't mean you’ve failed. The trick is to adjust without guilt.

If you can’t fit in a full workout, even five or 10 minutes of movement is better than nothing. Focus on consistency over perfection.

Bringing It All Together

You don’t need to flip your life upside down to build a solid fitness routine. Focusing on small, sustainable steps and giving yourself room to adjust is the best way to create a natural habit.

Get started today!

 

Ready to amp up your Pilates practice? The resistance of our ankle wrist weights and Pilates bars added to an already great workout will help take it up another level for greater strength and endurance. This full-body workout is designed to sculpt, tone, and strengthen the body from head to toe with Amp ankle and wrist weights combined with 1.5kg Pilates bars (3kg pair). This is an ideal routine for both a new and a seasoned Pilates enthusiast, where many muscle groups are engaged at a time to enhance balance, flexibility, and strength.

 

 

We now come to this effective empowering Pilates workout routine, great for working out at home. Get going with a mat, weights, and bars!

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Start off with a soft, gentle warm-up to get the body ready and blood flowing. Light stretching, arm circles, or marching to get going. This really helps the workout have more impact when you get started. Now you are ready, let's go!

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Full Body Express Pilates Routine

Each exercise has 10-12 reps to make sure you are targeting every muscle group without overworking one spot. Here's how to perform each one for maximum effect.

Super(wo)man Lifting Weights

• Target muscles: Lower back, glutes, shoulders, core.

• How to do it: Lie face-down on your mat with your arms extended in front, holding onto the Pilates bars. Bring both the arms and legs off the floor, keeping your legs straight, while making sure your core is active throughout the time. At the top of the movement, hold for a second, then lower down, controlled.

• Tip: Pay most attention to squeezing your glutes and maintaining neutrality of your neck, keeping it in line with your spine.

Tricep Push-Back with a Leg Bend

• Target muscles: Triceps, core, glutes.

• How to do it: Stand feet hips-width apart, with your hands grasping a Pilates bar on either side. Slightly bend forward at the hip, bending your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Extend your right leg back while you push both arms back, straightening the elbows. Return to start, then repeat with the opposite leg.

• Tip: Hold your core for stability and ensure that all movements are controlled for maximum burn.

Leg Lift to Shoulder Rock

• Target muscles: Shoulders, core, legs.

• How to do it: Stand tall holding a Pilates bar in each hand at your sides. Lift your right leg up to hip height as you raise the bars to shoulder level. Lower the leg and arms down, then repeat on the other side.
• Tip: Engage your core to keep your balance without swinging arms.

Hydrant

• Target muscles: Glutes, hips, core.

• How to: Start on all fours, with your wrists directly under your shoulders. Keeping the knee bent, lift your right leg out to the side at a 90-degree angle. Lower back down, hovering over the mat. Complete one round and return to the starting position, repeat on the left side.

• Tip: This is where the magic of a strong core comes into play to avoid arching of your lower back.

Hydrant to Leg Extend

• Target muscles: Glutes, core, hamstrings.

• How to do it: From the hydrant position, lift right leg out to side, extension straight. Bend knee to return to hydrant, then lower back down.

• Tip: Engage your core to maintain stability and avoid swaying from one side to the other.

Leg Extend to Diagonal Tap

 

• Target muscles: Glutes, core, inner thighs.

• How to do it: Start on all fours and extend your right leg straight back. Tap it across to the left diagonally; lift and return to original position. Once you have completed one round on your right leg, return to the start position and repeat with your left leg.

• Tip: Keep core braced to maintain balance without side-to-side rocking.

Knee to Elbow

• Target muscles: Core, obliques, shoulders.

• How to do it: Begin by lying in a high plank with wrists under shoulders. Bring your right knee up toward your right elbow, drawing your obliques in. Return to plank and then repeat with the left knee.

• Tip: Keep hips level and avoid sagging as you bring each knee forward.

Cool Down (5 minutes)

Finish your workout with a well-deserved cool-down, which allows your muscles to catch their breath. Take in seated forward folds, child's pose, or a gentle spinal twist. Breathe deeply, letting your body release tension and celebrate the hard work you've completed!

Pro Tips

• Focus on Control: Pilates focuses a lot on slow, controlled movements that build muscle without strain.
• Engage Your Core: Throughout each exercise, remember to keep your core tight for stability and proper form.
• Breathe Mindfully: Exhale as you lift or extend, and inhale as you return to the starting position.

Why This Workout Works

This full-body Pilates routine is specially designed to engage your entire body while strengthening your core and centre with each exercise. Using Amp's ankle weights, wrist weights, and Pilates weights adds some efficient resistance to each move. Since Pilates is low-impact, it makes for a great choice with regard to exercise that is easy on the joints but very effective at the same time. From the development of strength and firming of muscles to truly mindful sets of exercise one can do at home, this Pilates routine will make sure your workout is well-balanced.

So roll out your mat, gear up with Amp weights and bars, and get ready to experience that rewarding burn from head to toe!

Follow Dan here for more great workouts and Pilates tips and guidance @d.t.pilates.

With your big day approaching, you’re probably experiencing a few jitters and worries as the wedding preparation ramps up. For many of us, part of the anxiety is around wanting to look and feel our absolute best, but with all the stress and busyness surrounding the event, how do we even begin to focus on ourselves?

 

To make your life a little easier, we’ve put together the ultimate wedding wellness guide. Following these top tips will ensure you are physically, mentally, and emotionally on top form for the big day.

Get stuck in to exercise

Having gone to all the effort of choosing the perfect dress, you don’t want to be feeling uncomfortable wearing it because your body confidence is low. Exercise is the best way to lose those few extra pounds, tone up, and can also help ease any pre-wedding stress, ensuring you feel amazing and look killer.

To get the best results, include a combination of both cardio and strength training in your workout routine. Some great cardio exercises to blast away the calories, helping you slim down and shift weight, are running, cycling, swimming, or even brisk walking. Research has found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a more effective way to lose weight than moderate-intensity exercise and results are noticeable quicker - perfect if you’ve not got long left until the wedding! 

 

For strength training, you might want to focus on exercises that target your arms, as they are often on display in sleeveless or strapless gowns. Exercises like bicep curls, tricep dips, and push-ups are great for sculpting and defining your arms, while exercises like the plank and shoulder presses can help strengthen your upper body and improve posture, giving you an elegant and poised presence as you walk down the aisle. 

 

To accompany your arm toning workouts, include AMPs 2kg strength bars which add just the right amount of weight to give you the physique you need. These come in a variety of colours and are super easy and comfortable to hold. If you’re looking for something heavier to take your workouts to the next level, try the 3kg or 4.6 weighted triangle.

 

Establish a Self-Care Routine

Self-care is essential during wedding planning as it helps you maintain balance and rejuvenates your mind and body so that you feel fresh and radiant on the day. Here are some of the best self-care practices to incorporate into your daily routine.

Meditation

With all the stress surrounding the wedding, setting aside some time to practice meditation or mindfulness is essential for calming your mind. If you spend your days fretting, your physical appearance can also suffer - you don’t want to have bad skin or bags under your eyes at your wedding. Meditation is a great way to bring you back into the present moment and has been proven to have many bountiful benefits for our mental health.

 

Pamper yourself

Treat yourself to regular home spa treatments such as facials, hair masks, or body scrubs. Not only will these pampering sessions relax your body, but they will also give you that radiant bridal glow.

Practice Gratitude

Keep a gratitude journal and write down things you're grateful for each day. Focusing on the positive aspects of your life will help you maintain a positive mindset throughout the wedding planning process.

Nourish Your Body with Nutritious Foods

A well-balanced and nourishing diet not only fuels your body with everything it needs to function properly, but it also enhances your skin, hair and nail health. By eating the foods with the right vitamins and minerals, you can ensure you look and feel a million dollars. Here are three of the best foods to eat for your hair, skin and nails.

 Fish high in Omega-3

Fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are powerful antioxidants that help fight cell damage, helping reduce inflammation and redness in the skin. 

They are also a great source of protein, the building block of hair, and biotin, a nutrient that supports the production of one of the most important hair proteins, keratin. Both of these nutrients give your hair strength, bounce and sheen. 

Avocados

Avocados are rich in healthy fats including vitamins A, E and C which are important for healthy skin, hair and nails. These nutrients help moisturise and strengthen hair, support collagen and keratin production to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and increase nail toughness, and protect against oxidative cell damage to combat hair loss.

Dark leafy greens

Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale are packed full of amazing nutrients that help strengthen brittle hair, including vitamin A, iron, beta carotene, folate and vitamin C. These all work together to keep the hair and scalp hydrated and support hair growth.

 

Destress and look after your emotional well-being

Let’s face it, wedding planning can be stressful. But it's important to take care of your emotional well-being and limit stress during this time because stress can have several negative impacts on your physical and mental health. Try some of our tried and tested strategies to manage stress and cultivate emotional balance.

Connect with Loved Ones

Spend quality time with family and friends who provide support and positivity. Share your concerns, seek their advice, or simply enjoy their company. Social connections are essential for emotional well-being and can offer a sense of comfort during stressful times.

Connect with Nature

Spending time in nature is the perfect calming tonic and helps ground you in the moment so your worries can melt away. Take a walk in a park, go for a hike, or simply sit in a garden and soak in the beauty around you. 

 Practice Mind-Body Techniques

Explore relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, gentle yoga, or aromatherapy. These practices will help you find moments of tranquillity, reduce anxiety and ensure you approach your wedding day with a calm and rejuvenated mind.

 

Summary

Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so of course you want to look and feel fabulous! By following our top tips in this guide, you'll radiate beauty, confidence, and bliss on your special day. 

Most importantly, don’t forget to exercise as this is key to feeling confident and comfortable in your wedding attire. Incorporate a combination of cardio and strength training exercises into your routine to tone up and achieve your desired physique. Alongside exercise, nourish your body with nutritious foods like fatty fish, avocado and leafy greens as these provide essential nutrients that allow you to shine both inside and out. 

It's completely normal to feel a bit anxious and overwhelmed with all the wedding preparations. By connecting with loved ones, nature and practising mind-body relaxation techniques you can manage stress levels and boost your emotional wellbeing. Establishing a self-care routine that includes meditation, indulgent pamper sessions and gratitude practice can also help you maintain emotional balance and rejuvenates your mind and body. 

Focusing on your wellbeing in 2023

The new year is a time when we look back on the last 12 months and decide what changes we want to make for the future. The fitness industry has seen a significant increase in the number of people making New Year's resolutions to start exercising more, eat healthier and lose weight. However, January can also be a hard month to get going on these plans. It's cold, dark and busy, so we can feel more like hibernating in our free time than jumping around. If you're one of these people, you might be wondering how to keep up with your goals throughout the year. Here are some tips:

Set some goals. It doesn't have to be new year new you, or require making a 180 degree change in lifestyle, but if you want to get into healthier habits and make those fitness changes you want to make stick for the long term, then you have to start somewhere. Goals can be a really fun, motivating way of turning habits into a healthy lifestyle, particularly when they incorporate all of your wellbeing. They help in many ways, from scheduling time to relax and enjoy self care, to spending time with friends and family, getting those finances in order and prioritising sleep as well as improving your exercise and nutrition. Taking a more balanced approach and using small step changes, can help you improve the likelihood that you will make positive and lasting changes in all areas of your health.

Make it specific. The first step in setting New Year's health and fitness goals is to make them specific. Instead of saying "I want to get more exercise," try "I want to walk (run/bike/dance) three times a week for 30 minutes after dinner." Schedule it in your diary, but if something comes up that prevents you from walking one night, at least you can count it as missed instead of giving up completely and you have 3 days out of 7 to achieve your goal. If you want to achieve more strength and tone, you could sign up to an online class and commit to taking two full body 30 minute classes a week to start off with, then review your actions each month to ensure you're moving towards your goal.

Make sure your goals are realistic. If you're just starting out, don't expect to run a marathon or lose 50 pounds in a month. Setting unrealistic expectations can lead to frustration if you don't reach them right away, overeating when you've restricted yourself too much and burnout from trying to do too much too soon, which can lead you to stop all together. Instead of aiming too high, start small and increase your level of activity gradually over time. Consistency in exercise routines and approach to nutrition is key to those health and fitness goals, and you don't need a gym or heavy equipment to achieve body confidence or a toned physique, but you do need to allow time for yourself to get there in a healthy and sustainable way. Read our blog on the benefits and reasons to use light weights in your workouts here. And remember, abs are made in the kitchen! 

Set small goals that are easily measurable. For example, if your goal is to run five miles every other day by June 1st, instead of saying "I'll run five miles every other day," write down "I'll run two miles, three times a week for the first month." You then have a starting point (achievable for you) which can help you to break down your goal over the next 6 months and work out how you can build up to achieving it realistically from there. Writing down your goal helps you stay accountable for it as well as track your progress toward achieving it. If you can share them with a friend or create an accountability partner, you're also more likely to stick to them. Depending on your overall goal, you don't have to be strict or rigid in your approach, allowing flexibility in your goals can help make them more enjoyable and achievable. You could set an intention, such as "workout 3 times per week for half an hour," as this lets you then choose the workout you feel like doing on the day so you're more likely to stick to the routine and feel good when you've done it, whether it was HIIT, sculpt or yoga. 

 

Some examples of simple SMART fitness goals: eat 5 servings of fruit/veggies every day (ideally aiming for 30 different types of plant over a week for optimal health benefits); go for a 30 min walk 3 times/week (at a time which works for you); do 10 push ups every other morning or before bed (build up to add a one minute plank hold!); drink 6-8 glasses of water per day throughout the day; get 8 hours of quality sleep every night; spend 1 hour reading each week, set aside 20 minutes 3 times a week. These small habits can then build into lasting lifestyle changes for overall wellbeing.

Lastly, it's important to take the time to think about what you want from your fitness plan. What are your ultimate fitness goals? What do you want to achieve in the next month or year? How do you want to feel by the summer? Once you have an idea of what you want, write them down so that you can break them down and track your progress along the way. What goals can you set today? We'd love to know how you're getting on, let us know in the comments below.

Having strong, toned arms can make all the difference to our appearance and body confidence. With the festive period in full swing and Christmas parties just around the corner, you might be wondering how to tone your arms fast.

 

Well don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! The following are some of the most effective exercises to include in your at-home arm workouts. For best results, repeat each exercise for three sets of 12 reps. And don’t forget to rest in between sets!

1. Bicep curl

This is a classic arm exercise that is great for targeting your biceps on the front of your upper arm.

How to do it:

• Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in each of your hands at your sides, palms facing forward.
• Keeping your arms tucked into your sides, bend your elbows to bring the weights to your shoulders.
• Lower back down and repeat.

 

2. Triceps kickback

This exercise targets your triceps which are located at the back of your upper arm. They help stabilize your shoulders and support movements that involves extending your arms.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing each other.
• Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the waist.
• Keeping your arms close to your sides, straighten your arms and push the dumbbells backwards so that they are behind you.
• Hold and slowly bring your arms back to starting position.
• Repeat.

3. Chest press

Chest presses target multiple muscles in your upper body at once including your triceps, pectorals (chest muscles) and deltoids (shoulder muscles).

 

How to do it:

• Lie on an exercise mat on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the floor.
• Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and hold the dumbbells wider than your chest. You are now in the starting position.
• Keep your elbows bent and push the dumbbells up above you until your arms are straight - don’t lock your elbows!
• Slowly lower back down to the starting position and repeat your reps.

4. Front and lateral raises

Lateral raises are great at working out your shoulder muscles and triceps, while front raises target shoulder and chest muscles as well as your biceps.

How to do a lateral raise:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing towards your body.
• With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms so that they are parallel to the floor.
• Slowly lower to starting position and repeat.

How to do a front raise:

• Get into the same starting position as with a lateral raise, but hold your dumbbells in front of your legs and palms facing your thighs.
• Keeping your arms straight, raise them out in front of you so that they are parallel to the ground.
• Return to the starting position and repeat.

The perfect arm workout accessories

Ready to get cracking but don’t have the right equipment? Our 4kg dumbbell strength bars are the perfect match for the exercises above. They are easy to hold and add just the right amount of resistance to your movements to help tone, sculpt and strengthen.

 

If you’re just getting started and looking for something lighter, try our 6lb fitness bars instead. Again, these are easy to hold and help you achieve toned and lean looking arms.

Let us know how you get on, we'd love to know what you think!







What are your favourite arm exercises? Tell us in the comments below.

If you’re looking to add a little intensity to your home workouts, resistance bands might just be what you’re looking for. They are a great way to build muscle and tone-up your body because they add tension and resistance to any exercise movement.


You can use resistance bands in a variety of ways, looping them around different parts of your body and attaching them to different anchor points, such as a door frame or bedpost. They also come in different resistances so you can alter the difficulty of your workouts and are suitable for all fitness levels.


Here, we explain a few of the main benefits of working out with resistance bands and share a few examples of effective moves to include in your workouts.

Benefits of using resistance bands

1 Portable

One of the major benefits of using resistance bands is their portability. Because they are so lightweight and take up very little room in a bag, you can take them with you wherever you go, whether that’s work trips or holidays! This makes them great for people who are constantly on the move and means you will never have to miss a workout.

2 Effective at building muscle mass and tone

Resistance bands are extremely effective at increasing muscle mass and tone because they add tension and load to movements, both of which are necessary for building muscle. Unlike weights which remain equally heavy through an entire rep, the tension of resistance bands increases as they’re pulled apart, which makes muscle work harder.

According to research, working out with resistance bands is equally effective at building muscle as working out with conventional resistance training equipment such as weight machines and dumbbells.

3 Reduces injury risk

Resistance bands place a very small amount of force on joints, meaning there is less chance of injury compared to weight training. You can also increase resistance without increasing injury risk. As such, this makes resistance bands a great option for elderly people, or anyone with existing injuries or joint pain.

4 Works multiple muscle groups

Because resistance bands are so versatile, you can train at specific angles in order to target certain muscle groups. For example, it is much easier to work the smaller muscle groups, which may otherwise get neglected in your workouts. You can also target several muscles at the same time, enabling you to get a full-body workout.

What’s more, the constant tension requires muscles to work extra hard and activates stablizer muscle groups to control the movement, improving balance, stability and core strength.

3 examples of exercises with resistance bands

1. Lateral Raise

How to do it:

• Start by standing with the right foot stepped forward infront of the left, flat on the floor with the middle of a resistance band lopped underneath the arch. Keep your left heel slightly raised off the floor.
• Grasp one end of the resistance band with either hand with your arms at your side.
• Raise both arms outward until they are parallel with the floor and return slowly to the starting position.
• Repeat for both sides

2. Banded front squat

How to do it:

• Stand on the middle of a resistance band with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold one end of the band in either hand and bend your arms to bring your hands to your ears.
• Keeping your arms in this position, engage your core and sink your hips back into a squat.
• Extend your legs to return to the starting position.

3. Side plank high pull

How to do it:

• Start in a side plank position with a resistance band underneath your hand on the floor.
• With your other hand, grasp the other end of the band and bend your elbow to pull it away from the floor. Make sure to remain in a stable plank position.
• Repeat on both sides.

Summary

Resistance bands are a great way to add intensity to your workouts. They are effective at building, strengthening and toning muscle and offer numerous other benefits including a reduced risk of injury, portability, versatility and they are great for targeting multiple muscle groups. Once you start using them, it’s likely they’ll become a staple piece of equipment for your home workouts!

AMP offer latex resistance bands in five different strengths, from extra light to extra heavy, depending on how challenging you want your workouts.

Or, try the adjustable fabric bands which allow you to alter the intensity of your workouts by adjusting the length of the band.

Which bands do you prefer? Let us know.