Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

Stylish Practical Clothes For Keeping Fit & WIWT

So unless you're one of the incredibly lucky people who either doesn't have a sweet tooth or has the the strong will of an ox you'll no doubt now have the odd pound or two to loose after all the excesses that mean that a truly fabulous Christmas was had by all!  

You, like me will also have probably have vowed to loose said excess pounds in as quick a way as possible. The fact that we still have a freezer full of party food not to mention enough chocolate & alcohol to keep us going right up to Easter is a small fact I'm going to ignore as surely weekends don't count right?!! Yup you've guessed it non of this dry January malarkey for me!

Anyway back to keeping fit & more importantly what to wear when trying to shift the extra pounds, without spending a complete fortune but still looking stylish & put together in a 'I know what I'm doing' kind of way.  While trying to breathe, keep going with said exercise routine of choice & pretend that said rosy cheeks are a healthy glow & not a sign of how unfit you are (of course this could just totally be me!!).

Now whilst I have been running for a good few years (a sentence I never thought I'd EVER write let alone say having been the girl who would do ANYTHING to get out of every PE lesson at school) I still hate spending good money on clothes I'm just going to sweat in, wear a lot of the time in the dark  - as I go running at silly o'clock of a morning & quite frankly are there to only serve a purpose.  However I do see the benefit of breathable clothes (no one wants visible sweat patches surely?!!) & clothes that have reflective strips (handy when a car is coming towards you & there are no street lamps!) not to mention serious lycra to hold you in!!

So what better time to update the exercise attire than in the sales.  Now I don't know if it's because I'm now into running (I assure you this is said in the loosest terms!) so I'm now noticing these things but more & more brands seem to be branching out into colourful, stylish attire to hit the gym in & one of those companies is Mango.

With everything now being in the sale Mango's prices are really reasonable for exercise gear plus I'm loving the name of these leggings - if they live up to their name then what's not to love - perhaps I could just wear these & do no exercise?!!










Plus they even do the matching top, which would be perfect for layering up over a vest top & tying round your waist after you warm up.










For colder days then this gilet would also be really useful as if you're running it's not your arms that get cold - hands yes but arms no, so this would be a great way to layer up without overheating.  Plus it would make a great neutral for wearing of a weekend when out walking the dog or doing the school run too.  






Also available in green & berry!

If your exercise routine involves being indoors then a vest top is also essential.  I love this shade of grey not to mention the longer length.  Perfect for covering the bum & hiding any camel toe ;-)






Moving onto Sweaty Betty next with this lovely extra long vest top, available in a variety of colours.  I really like the ruched detailing around the one area probably most of us women, especially mums would agree is our least favourite part of our bodies.






Keeping with tops & another brand to branch out is Boden.  I'm just loving the name - if only this could be true!






If you're going to be mad enough to run all weathers (yup you've guessed it that would be me or as hubby would say not mad but bl***y minded!)  then you're going to need a waterproof that's windproof, same goes for trainers I can't tell you how wet my feet have got some mornings!






And if you're like me you're going to want leggings to match.  All Boden's exercise wear comes in red, black & navy, I've just featured the black as it's great for teaming with other blacks & greys from different brands without worrying about getting a great colour match (yup I'm that sad!!).






Moving onto sports bras now - probably the least sexy piece of underwear you're ever going to own but it obviously needs to be functional but who says it can't be fun too.  Just look at these examples below.










If road running, then it's also important to wear some bright clothing to make yourself visible especially if you don't have pavements, naturally my colour of choice would be hot pink!!










This Adidas jacket looks a great lightweight jacket for keeping you dry without weighing you down when out in the wind & rain - after all unless you want to add weight training to your run you don't want something that's going to become waterlogged - been there, done that & believe me you soon learn!






Now I've always fancied taking up yoga but at the moment there just aren't enough hours in the day & one of the reasons I love running is that I can just get up & go & get it out the way before the day starts.  But if you are a yoga fanatic then Sweaty Betty seem to do some of the most stylish yoga wear out there so they're definitely worth checking out now its sale time.  Plus if you're not into exercise  (or if you're full of good intentions but know you'll be easily led to stop at the first opportunity) these next few pieces would make stylish loungewear too.

I just love the idea of this top layered over a long length vest top with either one of the below bottoms.














Or how about this lovely knitted cardi.  I'd be more than happy to leave the house in this baby & it would be perfect for throwing on over your gym gear to give a more stylish & pulled together look when popping to the shops or doing the school run.






The same goes for this jumper - just add leggings, biker boots & a parka - who knew gym wear could be so stylish!






The same goes for this cape too, worn over your gym kit with a messenger bag & your trainers swapped for boots & you've got a great go to cosy & practical outfit.






Talking of cosy, here's what I'm wearing today.  After a truly fabulous night last night, did you see the picture on Instagram of our accessories for the evening?!!  I guess there's no question of who chose them seeing as they were in my colour of the moment - hot pink, although I'm not sure the male members of the party fully appreciated them.  It's making me giggle thinking about the men sashaying in the pink grass skirts ;-)  Our friends brought over a great game to play (one for older children/adults only) called Cards Against Humanity & I can highly recommend it, I don't think we've laughed & giggled so much (nothing of course to do with any alcohol consumption :-0).

So after only having 3 hours sleep (having had to wake up to ensure our son was up for his newspaper round!) it's a quiet day for us of recovering from the night before, taking down all the Christmas decorations & savouring the last chillax before getting our noses back to the grindstone.  So keeping it nice & simple with my Zara shift dress & gold accessories.




Dress - Zara
Necklace - Handmade
Bracelets - Ashiana
Shoes - Office Shoes


Accessorising A Shift Dress


Necklace - Mango Now £4.99
Bracelet - J Crew £125



So anyone made any New Year resolutions that include keeping fit?  And are you one to splash the cash on your gym attire or like me do you prefer to pick up some bargains in the sales?!  More importantly do you have any tips for how to shift those excess pounds quickly without moving from the sofa & not starving yourself in the process?!!!  I'd love to hear if you do.

Happy Sunday, if like me it's your last day of the holidays enjoy & I hope you made the most of your lie-in!

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16 comments

  1. Love all these sportswear options. I run and wish I could wear sports clothes all day. Do you run early and do a full days work? How do you not fall asleep mid pm? Tips please! Thanks for all your inspiration over the last year, you have helped to keep me out of the frump zone!

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    1. Hi Jenny, yes I run early of a morning (leaving the house just turned 6) & work full time. I quite like the fact that I can get it out of the way before the day starts & there's nothing nicer in the summer.
      As for staying awake I can just about keep going as long as I don't stop (& of course chocolate helps ;-) ) but regularly fall asleep early of an evening!
      Thanks for the lovely comment too :-)
      Jane xx

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  2. Oh Jane, you are not helping me rein in my spending!! I am a sucker for sportswear - I spin and run amongst other things - and I especially can't resist anything brightly coloured. I have 3 half marathons lined up between now and the end of June and I have promised myself that I will treat myself to a new piece of kit after I complete each one. I did a post on sportswear last week and managed to stay strong but now I am tempted again!

    Becky x

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    1. Wow Becky three half marathons before the end of June is very impressive & you definitely deserve a treat after each one not to mention alcohol & chocolate ;-)
      Jane xx

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  3. Oh I hate sportswear and don't do anywhere near enough exercise (apart from walking), but I really should! Love your ootd, Jane. Lynne xx

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    1. Thanks Lynne. Walking is another great way of keeping fit isn't it, plus it has the added benefit of not having to be kitted out in lycra!
      Jane xx

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  4. I run quite a bit but haven't been for a couple of weeks so it was quite a shock to the system when I went yesterday...I'm feeling it today! I also begrudge spending a lot on sportswear & most if my running gear is from H&M who do a fab & reasonably priced sports range. I love Sweaty Betty too but they are pricey. Some of the Mango pieces you've featured look good (I didn't know they dis sports stuff!). Good luck getting back to normality tomorrow...I'm not looking forward to the alarm going off!! x

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    1. It's surprising how you feel it after not running for a couple of weeks isn't it Sian. I've kept running but not as early as I normally go, so tomorrow is going to be a real shock to the system!
      I've recently tried a top from H&M & it's been brilliant & like you say they're also reasonably priced.
      Good luck with the alarm in the morning!
      Jane xx

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  5. I think my biggest goal for 2015 is to get fit! I'm planning on completing the 30 Day Shred then continuing with regular exercise like walking and spinning. I've got my eye on some of H&Ms new sportswear offerings! xxx
    www.justemma.co.uk

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    1. Wow Emma sounds like you're going to be super fit by the end of 2015!
      Good luck!
      Jane xx

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  6. Hi Jane, I am desperately in need of some better sportswear, some of mine goes back over 10years!!! Scary, but at least it's not of the Jane Fonda 80's workout era, thank god.....what was all that thongs over leggings all about? I had no idea that the Mango sportswear was so good, and great prices too, I have tried the H&M stuff, cheap, but its not the most comfortable,and I do think thats the most important thing? Love sweaty Betty, and worth paying that bit extra for I think! My gym routine starts tonight, its going to be tough with all that chocolate and alcohol to work off! p.s. that game is brilliant isnt it? We played it New Years day, and it was the funniest thing ever to do! Some very naughty things came out....hilarious! Helen xx

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    1. Good luck with the workout tonight Helen, the worst thing is getting started again isn't it?!
      We'd not heard to the game until our friends brought it round but it really is so funny but like you say naughty too, certainly not something to be played with little ones!
      Jane xx

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  8. Whether your Work Out Clothes are for jogging, yoga or just for simple walk, they should always be comfortable so that your body gains the maximum benefits whatever you do in these apparels. I’ve also purchased some Nike and Adidas apparels and must say that they seem perfect for both exercising and for casual wear.

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  9. I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. clothes

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