by Mollie Millington | Aug 10, 2022 | beauty, exercise
Ever since a friend’s wedding in 2017, I have wanted hair extensions. While I am not a true tom boy, I am not very girly. For example, rarely do I wear make up. If I do, it is just mascara, eye liner and lip gloss. My outfit choice is usually jeans and a t-shirt (or running gear). Coveting hair extensions seemed very odd given my normal aesthetic. I don’t style my hair and usually it is in a pony tail due to my warm working conditions. But my friend looked so beautiful on her wedding day, with thick flawless blonde hair, I wanted to look beautiful too.
It took me a few years and a year of saving my money (thanks to the pandemic) to gather my courage and invest in extensions. I went to Vixen and Blush, where my friend had her extensions done. They offer a free 30 minute consultation to discuss the various application processes, which combination of length and volume would best suit, and how to maintain the hair. Aside from the price, the maintenance was what I was most worried about. How often would I have to wash my hair? Could I wear a ponytail? Could I go swimming? Would I be really hot with all the extra hair? These were all the things I was unsure of and would factor into my decision. The team at Vixen and Blush patiently answered all these questions and even gave me a few test extensions so I could see how it would look and feel before committing. This was also reassuring as I have an allergy to some chemicals (none are used in micro rings) and assured me there wouldn’t be a reaction. They have been great with questions while my extensions are in too. I ended up with micro ring extensions that should last two to three months if I took care of them properly. These types of extensions can also be re-used, which was another key selling point for me. I didn’t want to be wasteful as this is actual human hair and the service price is reduced if you are re-using hair.
This post is to help those who are extension-curious and sporty, like me. The advice I offer below will be based on what Vixen and Blush suggest, along with my own experiences. Please be sure to follow the advice your stylist gives if you decide to invest in extensions as not all extension hair and application methods the same.
Cost
Aside from the initial fitting and purchase of the 18″ 3/4 head natural hair extensions (over £700 but no need to tip in the UK), I also had to buy a Tangle Teaser brush (£20), silk scrunchies and headbands (~£30), a shower cap (£5), a flat iron for beachy waves (£30, never used it) and very fancy shampoo (£30 per bottle because my hair is oily). Vixen and Blush charge £50 to remove the extensions, which you are credited with if you come back within seven days to have them refit. Refitting costs approximately half the price of the initial fitting. I figured if I am spending that much money to have the extensions fit in, I want to ensure I am taking care of them properly.
Hair extension maintenance
Vixen and Blush emphasize that you should always blow dry your hair when you have extensions in. This is because wet hair will stretch and possibly cause the rings to move. I rebelled a few times this summer because it was just too hot in my flat to blow dry my hair. They did say if you were at the beach on holiday, you could rinse your hair with fresh water and let it air dry once in a while (not in a plait or under a hat). Last summer, I was marathon training while I had my extensions in so it made it challenging to follow their next tip: don’t let your hair get oily. I used a lot of dry shampoo and didn’t dry my hair often workouts, which lead to some matting at my roots by the end of the 12 weeks. When you have extensions, you should sleep with your hair in a braid/plait to avoid pulling on hair. Alongside this, only low ponytails and hairstyles are allowed (no top knots). Finally, comb or brush your hair from the bottom up, while holding on to a bunch of your hair. Your comb will not get very far with the extensions in. One good tug will be enough of a reminder to stop you from doing it again. I have also accidently removed a single extension now and again because I was blow drying my hair and brushing it out without holding on. (I saved it for reuse at a later date).
Can I run or swim with hair extensions?
Yes, you absolutely can! I found running to be a little bit hotter with my extensions in and ponytail on my neck rather than up high. I needed to plan my workouts a bit more around when I would be washing my hair and be able to blow dry it. Having more hair made it a bit trickier to fit it all under my swim cap, but I was able to do it in the end without my googles leaking.
Are they comfortable?
At first, they feel heavy and as if they are pulling on your scalp. But this only lasted a few days. They didn’t bother me when I slept either.
Are they worth it?
All in all, I am very happy I got them. Earlier this summer, I had them put in for a third round before I went to France on holiday. I cursed them a few mornings when I had to blow dry them rather than sleep in, but they made me feel a wee bit prettier and were fun to toss over my shoulder. (I also now know that women who have long luscious locks probably have hair extensions too and are not just naturally beautiful.) Top tip for those who are low maintenance like me: sleep with your hair in a plait and you will have wavy hair the next day. No need for a curling iron!
If you have any other questions about exercise and hair extensions, please leave a comment below or speak to your hair stylist. I am by no means an expert and followed the advice of the team at Vixen and Blush.
by Mollie Millington | Aug 7, 2022 | exercise, quickie
August is here, can you believe it? Hopefully you are keeping up with my weekly quicky workouts. If not, I have an easy way for you to stay on track. Eventually there will be 175 quickie workouts here on ptmollie.com. The ultimate challenge is for you to complete them all. Each only takes 10-15 minutes. You can mix and match them to give you a workout to fill up whatever spare time you have (for example, 3 workouts = 45 minutes). Hope you are up for the challenge! Tweet #quickiechallenge and keep me posted on your progress.
Surely you have time for a quickie! 😉 Here is a check sheet to keep track of which workouts you complete.
As usual, remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up: 1 min skipping, 1 min walking lunges, 1 min skipping
1 min: Low pulsing squat- feel the burn!
1 min: Push/Press ups against the wall
1 min: Wall sit
1 min: Push/Press ups on the ground (try on your toes first, then drop to knees if you have to)
1 min: Leg lifts
1 min: Supermans
1 min: Plank
1 min: Tricep dips
1 min: Toe touches
1 min: Squat thrusts
1 min: Bicep curls with light weights or tins of soup
1 min: Small arm circles, 30 sec each direction
by Mollie Millington | Jul 31, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
You will need to download a HIIT (high intensity interval timer) for today’s workout. Set it for 20 seconds activity with 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds. Each exercise lasts 4 minutes. In between each exercise you have 1 minute to recover. Good luck!
Warm up: hop-hop-squat
#1: 180 degree jump and squat
#2: Russian twists
#3: Squat with overhead press
#4: Alternate crunches with Supermans
by Mollie Millington | Jul 24, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min- Hop-hop squat; 1 min- Skipping; 30 sec each direction- Grapevines
1 min- Push/Press ups
1 min- Hip raises
1 min- Burpees
1 min- Alternating reverse lunges
1 min- Overhead/Shoulder press
1 min- Jumping jacks/Star jumps
1 min- Arms out straight in front and quickly switch right and left hands on top. Hold a light weight to make it harder
1 min- Bring hands behind your back. Keep arms straight and keep palms facing up. Pulse thumbs together to exercise the back muscles. If you don’t feel anything, lift the arms up
1 min- Around the World lunges
1 min- Stand in a doorway, press arms out to the side against the frame, trying to widen the frame with your hands. Keep pressing for the entire minute
30 sec each side- Teapot abdominal exercise
1 min- Reverse curls
by Mollie Millington | Jul 17, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 3min- brisk walk, jog or run
1 min each leg- 1 legged squat
1 min- Jumping jacks/Star jumps
1 min- Prisoner squats
1 min- Crab tricep dips
1 min- Crab walk
30 sec each side- Side plank
1 min each side- Clams
1 min- Bicycle ab exercise
30 sec each side- Fire hydrants- on hands and knees, lift one bent knee out to the side (like a dog urinating on a fire hydrant)
by Mollie Millington | Jul 10, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min- Start with feet together. Step one foot out the side and squat. Return to center. Repeat on other side; 1 min- Reverse lunges; 1 min- Barndoors (both directions)
1 min- Overhead press holding tins of soup or weights if you have them
1 min- Bicep curls
1 min- Sumo squats
1 min- Calf raises
1 min- Speed skater jumps
1 min- Jumping jacks/Star jumps
1 min- Plyometric lunges (or walking lunges if you need a low impact option)
1 min- Overhead press holding tins of soup or weights if you have them
1 min- Tricep kickbacks
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Push/Press ups against the wall
1 min- Wall sit
by Mollie Millington | Jul 8, 2022 | product review, spinning
Indoor cycling will always be my first fitness love. I started indoor cycling regularly during graduate school as a way to fit fit throughout the year (winters in Michigan are no joke!) and around my work and class schedule. After a brief stint in Connecticut, I moved back to Michigan and decided to become a Spinning (R) certified instructor. It was so much fun putting together playlists and leading classes at the university I worked at. I also taught classes at the local YMCA, which allowed me to meet people not affiliated with the university (which tended to be an academic bubble). Since becoming certified, I have been fortunate enough to find indoor cycling classes to teach. Nothing beats being paid to workout! In all seriousness, the aspect I love most about teaching fitness classes is meeting new people.
The pandemic sadly ended my indoor cycling career. Both the gyms I taught at in 2020 closed during the first national lockdown. One re-opened but they changed their staffing structure to utilize only full-time staff. Many of my indoor cycling clients jumped on the Peloton bandwagon while we were stuck home, but I couldn’t justify the money or space for a bike. Bike commuting during the pandemic gave me a smaller cycling fix, but didn’t have the same vibe as a dark studio with tunes pumping. I started researching other brands of bikes for home use and learned that it is best for the bike to have at least a 18kg fly wheel. This seems to help with stability, noise levels, and the general feel of the ride. Over 18kg, the ride will feel more like what you would experience in a spin studio or on a bike outdoors.
When I saw that Bluefin Fitness, a British home exercise equipment online store, sold indoor cycling bikes, I was very excited to see that they had three different models, with varying fly wheel weights, to choose from. Two of the three are able to connect to a training app, which is very useful for people not as familiar with indoor cycling. Their Tour SP bike looked best to me, based on flywheel weight; the Kinomap fitness app for live video streaming, video coaching and training; and design most similar to the indoor cycling bikes I normally ride in the studio. The seat and handlebars heights are adjustable and it is easy to move with wheels on the front.
Kinomap is €11.99/month for one person or €89.99 for a year. There are family options too and even a lifetime member one-off fee for €269.99. There is a 14 day free trial to see if you like what it has to offer. For now, I am sticking to my own playlists and routines, but I might give this platform a try later this summer.
In terms of the bike, it took me a few rides to get the settings perfect for me. I took a photo of each one (seat height, handlebar height, and how far forward/back the seat is) in case my husband decides to give the bike a try. So far, the tri bars have been really useful as my arms feel a little bit too short. Since it has been two years since my last time indoor cycling, I know it will take some time to get my body used the positioning again. I find the seat very comfortable but know that I can invest in a removable padded seat cover for longer rides if I don’t want to wear a chamois. The other tweak I will probably make is to replace the pedals (that came with toe baskets) with SPD clips. Wearing cycling shoes make the ride more effective on the pull up as well as the push down during the pedal stroke. Finally, I have to get used to having less space in the living room to put my rucksack and clean laundry!
Keep an eye on Bluefit Fitness’s Instagram account as I created two video tutorials for them, one on how to properly set up the bike and the other is a cool down stretch. If you have any questions about indoor cycling or the Tour SP bike, please leave a comment below. I will be following up in a few months with my thoughts on bike and how my aerobic base building is going.
Thanks for Bluefin Fitness for the complimentary Tour SP bike. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jul 3, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min- skipping rope; 1 min- hop-hop-squat; 1 min- walking squats
1 min- Up and down plank. Start on elbows and then raise yourself up to your palms. Then go back to elbows.
1 min- Leg lifts
30 sec each direction- Small arm circles
1 min- Tricep kickbacks
1 min- Reverse fly
1 min- Role back and reach
1 min- Hip raises
1 min- Boat pose
1 min- Swimmies
1 min- Bear walking
1 min each leg- On all 4’s, perform ‘fire hydrants’ by lifting one leg with knee at 90 degrees.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 30, 2022 | product review, running
Since 2020, I have been been much more conscious of how much I cough when I run. I have also noticed that the coughing more often than not now involves stress incontinence. If you have been visiting the blog for a while, or following me on social media, you would have read my posts talking about this (going all the way back to 2018!). I don’t want stress inconvenience to be a reason why women stop exercising so I am sharing my story with info on what I am trying that helps me keep on running.
At the National Running Show in 2021, I made friends with the team at Efemia bladder support. It was so refreshing to be able to speak about the issues I had been having with stress incontinence and feel understood. The Efemia is a silicone devise that applies pressure mid-urethra, making it a different type of support than pessaries. The Efemia comes in three different sizes and can be worn all day or just when exercising. It is also available on NHS Prescription services if the cost of the start pack (£59 for three devices, one of each size) is outside of your budget. When I was speaking to the Efemia team, they said you can start with the smallest size and see if that helps improve your condition. Often times, all three sizes will be effective. One device will last 90 days if worn full time, after which point the medical-grade silicone may start to degrade.
The reason it has taken me so long to post this review is because I was struggling to get the Efemia to work for me. When I review a product here on the blog, I try it a few times to ensure I have an understanding of how it works and what the bells and whistles are. At first, I struggled to insert the Efemia and had a call with the support line at Efemia. They gave me a few tips, which seemed to work. I was aware that the Efemia was ‘there’ and that was because by the end of my 5K runs, the Efemia would be slightly dislodged. I decided to book a doctor appointment because I thought there must be an anatomical reason for this. Delays in obtaining appointments on the NHS due to Covid means it took me until February of this year to see a gynecologist. She confirmed I have a cystocele, which means my supportive tissues have stretched and left with with a little bulge. The good news is that following on from this appointment, I have receiving pelvic floor physiotherapy from the NHS. The bad news is that the Efemia isn’t the correct product for me. It really is a shame because the product is easy to clean, discreet to transport, and simple to insert and remove ( The devise is often compared to an oddly-shaped tampon in terms of insertion and removal). Check out the reviews on their website to see how the product has successfully helped other women of various ages and conditions.
You should try Efemia if you:
- Are tired of worrying about stress incontinence (you can wear all the time or just when exercising)
- Are waiting for pelvis floor physiotherapy sessions to start or for your kegels to take effect (can take up to 12 weeks)
- Are elderly and are starting to suffer from incontinence
While I am disappointed Efemia didn’t work for me, it did motivate me to see a doctor and get the help I needed. Having just started my physiotherapy journey, I will check back with an update and let you know how I get on.
*Thanks to Efemia for the complimentary sample. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 26, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 3 min brisk walk, jog or run until you have started ‘glowing’ (sweating)
1 min- Plank
1 min- Reverse curl
1 min- Push/Press ups
1 min- Prisoner squats with 180-degree jump
1 min- Tricep dips on a sturdy chair or low step
1 min- Run in place with high knees
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Plank
1 min- Crunches
1 min- Push/Press ups
1 min- Low squats (go for quality over quantity)
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