FITNESS

Workout with Vanessa

Hello Essa world,

I often get asked “How do you get the motivation to exercise regularly? Well, honestly it's not always easy, I often find it difficult to get the inspiration to go for that run or roll out the yoga mat and do those exercises. However, I’m a firm believer in the mental and health benefits of exercise and find if I don’t move I tend to get a bit antsy.

Exercise boosts the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. These endorphins become a vital part of my stress management and routine. It’s honestly as much about the mental as the physical for me and I get motivation thinking about the benefits that exercise has on my daily mood.

I love building workouts into my daily routine and creating a habit. A few extra tips to help motivate you to get going are:

  1. An amazing playlist— I think having a go-to of your favorite tunes helps
  2. Schedule it in — I often book in slots in my calendar or create a morning habit
  3. Something is better than nothing — listen to your body, I often will go for a walk or stretch if I’m not up to something more strenuous
  4. Have a routine that you can do anywhere — I love an easy routine that I can do when I’m traveling and wanted to share with you an easy set of movements  that work for me. I love these as it's something you can do at home or on holiday.
  5. Have a post workout ritual: I love replenishing my body with an Essablend vanilla protein shake or smoothie. Our Essa Blend vegan vanilla protein powder is a great choice if you want to support your body with a well-absorbed, easily digestible, rich in essential amino acids and delicious protein source. Our protein contains 6 different plant proteins (Peas, rice, sunflower, pumpkin, flax and chia seeds), a high protein content, and by using them in combination, we managed to create a complex protein source, which means that it contains the essential and non-essential amino acids needed by the human body. It has high antioxidant, vitamin and mineral content, due to the addition of a mixture of ten types of vegetables and fruits, which we call the Super Green & Super Red mixture.

 

Love,
Vanessa




 

MY ANYWHERE ROUTINE

 

Warm up

Make sure you always warm up before working out for about 5-10 minutes. 

 

Sumo squat jump 3 x 20

After warming up I always start with this exercise. It gets the blood flowing and just boosts my energy for the following exercises.

 

Squat press 3 x 10

This combined exercise works on multiple muscles. The squat portion strengthens the quads, glutes and core. The overhead press works the shoulders and back. 

 

Lunge + lateral raise 3 x 10

This is another great combination exercise that works on both your lower body and shoulders. If you are new to this exercise I recommend separating the two and when you feel like your balance is good, start combining the two. 

 

Plank row 3 x 10

Plank is a really good exercise for strengthening your core muscles. Adding the rowing to it challenges your stability while working on your middle and upper back plus shoulders and arms. 

 

Bicep curls 3 x 12

Great exercise for your biceps and upper arms.

 

Side to side jump with resistance band (band optional) 3 x 20

This exercise will work on your lower body and  stability. 

 

Walkout  plank/caterpillar walk, shoulder tap, cross mountain climb 3 x 8

Full body exercise that works on core, strength, stability and both upper and lower body. 

 

Hover to plank 3 x 10

Works on your core strength while working on your legs and booty. 

 

Side plank crunches 2 x 12

Another great exercise that strengthens your core and works on your hips and obliques. 

Side plank - bent leg raise with resistance band (band optional) 2 x 12

This combined exercise will work on your arms, core, abs, legs and booty. 

 

Sit ups 2 x 12

Sit ups build muscle strength in the abdominal and hip muscles while strengthening your core.