Holly Bleasdale shares her top fitness tips
Holly Bleasdale is Britain's number one Pole Vaulter, and she is working with the SUBWAY® brand on the Train Hard. Eat Fresh™ campaign to encourage an active lifestyle. She joins other sporting greats as a SUBWAY® Famous Fan.
Whether in training or taking a rest day, there's a Sub on the menu to fuel everyone's day
- Always warm up and warm down before you start exercising. It sounds obvious but you’d be surprised by how many people skip it! It’s always hard to recover from an injury, spending 10 minutes ensuring you warm up and down properly is the best precaution.
- Try different supports to find one you really love. I previously trained as a gymnast and also took part in a heptathalon before taking up pole vaulting. Playing different sports ensures you don’t get into a boring routine and also engages different muscles, giving you the best possible workout.
- Take a rest from training – we all have family and friends that we want to see, even when training is at its most intense! It is important for your mental state to take a step back and enjoy doing something completely unrelated. I always look forward to having an afternoon out shopping with the girls or chilling in my PJ’s all day watching movies!
- Don’t ban anything from your diet. I always find that when I don’t tell myself no, I immediately crave it more! Instead have a varied diet and allows myself to have healthy treats. I often head down to my local Subway store to pick up a Low Fat Sub when I’m on a rest day.
- Stand up and move as much as you possibly can during your day. If you are stuck at a desk during the day it is important to get out, go for a walk and get fresh air into your lungs! Sitting for prolonged periods is really bad for your posture, tightening your hip flexors, weakening your back and increasing your chances of developing back and neck pain.
- Drink more water, keeping hydrated really makes you perform mentally and physically better and is also great for your skin! I always carry a bottle of water with me and take regular sips throughout the day.