This January we're thrilled to be partnering with Caroline Idiens, the well-known fitness influencer otherwise known as @carolinescircuits. Renowned for motivating and inspiring you to make exercise a part of your lifestyle for the future, she focuses on circuits with an emphasis on strength training, hence the name!
We have created a limited edition Finding Balance edit with Caroline, tapped into her top tips on helping to find balance in everyday life and we have a 20% off code for the first month, if you sign up to her classes!
"I find the first two months of the year a great time to reset – not only with your fitness and nutrition routines but also skincare and overall wellness. For me, it’s a matter of finding your balance, what works for you and most importantly, what you can sustain going forward. As with fitness, if we find something we enjoy, that fits into our lifestyle, then we’re much more likely to stick with it.
I’m thrilled to share my skincare favourite’s with you through my Finding Balance edit. I’ve been using Balance Me products religiously for over 5 years now and it’s a firm part of my routine. I have a very busy lifestyle and I find that these products work so well together, to not only cleanse and hydrate my skin after workouts but also to repair and restore at the same time. Again, it’s all about balance.
My edit includes the Vitamin C Repair Serum and Collagen Boost Moisturiser which boost glow, hydrate and protect my skin. My favourite Wonder Eye Cream that I can’t live without, to wake up tired eyes, and finally a mini of the gorgeous Super Berry Cleansing Balm.
I hope you love this edit as much as I do."
- Love Caroline x
So what’s in the Finding Balance skin edit?
4 steps for finding balance in your skin
1. CLEANSE with our all-time favourite cleanser, the Super Berry Cleansing Balm in travel size; perfect for popping into your gym kit and cleansing your face after a workout!
2. SOOTHE eyes with our multi-award winning three-in-one cooling eye gel that locks in moisture, cools, hydrates, relieves puffiness and is brilliant at reducing dark circles.
3. TREAT with our best-selling Vitamin C Repair Serum for an overall more radiant complexion.
4. HYDRATE with our Collagen Boost Moisturiser which addresses your skin’s natural ‘bounce’ and restores your natural radiance.
Shop the edit here.
Caroline’s top tips for Finding Balance
For me, balance is about prioritising my time as my days are non-stop. My morning workouts are fundamental to how the rest of my day unfolds. The mental boost as much as the physical benefits are huge. Following that, I always walk the dogs (without my phone if i can!) for me ‘me time’ outside, which is so important for headspace. I try to plan my meals so that I'm not just snacking on the go and my evening bath and skincare routine is something of a ritual, leading to that all important sleep! As much as I am an early riser, I need to try and get to bed by 10.30pm otherwise I just get the hours I need and sleep is fundamental to my balance!
If you haven’t got time for a full workout, here are 5 simple exercises that you can do at home to work the full body and no equipment needed! Strength based exercises are so important for our muscles and bones, especially in midlife, so try and add some weights or extra resistance where possible;
Set a timer:
- 1 minute of squats – big exercise for the legs (you can do it while the kettle boils)
- 1 minute of forward lunges (while out for a walk?)
- 1 minute of push ups – knees/toes working the chest and upper body
- 1 minute of tricep dips on a chair/loo (while running a bath?) - amazing for the back of arms
- 1 minute of jumping jacks/high knee marches ont eh spot/stair climbs for a cardio blast. You can keep low impact and build gradually.
Just 5 minutes of activity which you can do 2 times a day Keep a track of your reps and you can build up day by day.
A special code when you sign up to her classes
Caroline runs 30 minute strength based workouts from home online www.carolinescircuits.com - there are 4 live classes per week, for all fitness levels and very little equipment required. All of the classes are recorded, so if you miss them, you can watch them at a time that suits you!
Caroline has a code for Balance Me customers, BALANCE20, offering 20% off your first month of classes.