Who’s up for a challenge this week? The Hip & Healthy crew have teamed up with Inner Me (the divine health, beauty and vitality supplement brand) to motivate and inspire you to adopt healthier habits this autumn! As our bikinis start to gather dust again after a summer of sedentary sun lounging action and one to many gelato’s, we’re on a mission to help you regain energy and wellbeing just in time before the festive season kicks off.

Throughout the week, we’ll be supplying you with a simple guide to making small lifestyle changes for the better along with a little inspiration from some of our fave “Healthy Babes”! We’ll also be sharing with you, our little chin wag we had with the gorgeous Nikki Cooper, (founder of Inner Me) all about how she stays healthy and happy and what gives her an extra boost for those “not-so-hot” days!

So to kick things off in true H&H fashion, here are some healthy habits that you can adopt right now!

Incorporate exercise into your commute
We all complain about stuffy trains, buses and tubes so why not change a proportion if not all of your commute to exercising? Whether it’s big or small, converting your daily commute into your daily workout is a cheap and incredibly easy way to get your blood flowing! Why not get off the bus a few stops earlier and run the rest of the way? Or invest in a bike and get those legs pumping before your day at the desk? Whatever it is, this healthy habit will not only refresh your lifestyle, but also you mind.

Check food labels
Tedious? Yes. Worth the time? Even bigger yes. You wouldn’t believe the kind of information you’ll find written in small black letters on the back of packaged food. High fructose corn syrup this, evaporated cane juice that… you’ll be surprised to discover that hidden sugars, additives and preservatives can be found in the most unusual of places. We’re talking, meats, “low fat” yogurts, condiments, salad dressings, microwave meals and those foods labeled as “light”, to name but a few. Seriously, those are just a few examples! When you come to your next weekly food shop, try and aim for foods that are in their most natural state and haven’t been processed and shoved in a sneakily appealing plastic wrapper. Your body will be thankful, we promise.

Shake up your workout routine
Getting bored of the same ol’ routine workout? Then it’s time to shake things up! It’s been proven that our bodies adjust to a certain way of exercising and there’s nothing worse than feeling totally demotivated mid lunge! Despite it getting colder, exercising outdoors is super refreshing and energising, especially if you can drag you best pal out with you too. Trying a new class or style of exercising can also help bring back your sweat spark, so be determined to push yourself out of your comfort zone… you never know what style of working out you could fall in love with!

Think positively
Positivity isn’t a trait you are either born with or without, it’s something you have the power to control. This week, try to approach situations in your life with more of a positive outlook. Negativity can often make things appear worse than they actually are and it can quickly become a vicious circle of one negative thought to the next. At the end of the day, maybe just before you switch off the lights, think of three positive things that happened that day. No matter how great or small, learning to see the positives in your life will quickly become second nature. Remember, “Everyday may not be good, but there’s something good in every day”.

Start taking supplements
When we need a little extra wellbeing boost, we look to Inner Me. This health, beauty and vitality supplement brand helps us towards feeling and looking as healthy as we can be. Dedicated to producing only the purest and highest quality of ingredients, Inner Me are passionate about giving health conscious women essential vitamins and minerals specifically tailored to their individual lifestyles. From lack lustre locks to dull, dry skin, Inner Me have got something for everyone.  To shop your perfect range, use our special 20% off discount code “HH20” here! 

words by Molly Jennings