#+ taking a pilates class + buying a walking pad and trying to walk on it 5 days a week

[flooffybits]

Hate To Break It

Idol: Dreamcatcher

Anon: A Dreamcatcher 8th member scenario where the 8th member who is the maknae and is still in school is being bullied pretty badly and hiding it from her members please

Warning: bullying, harrassment

A/n: this turned out longer than i expected

☕buy me a coffee☕

Handong yawned as she exited her and Gahyeon’s shared room before padding her way to the living room, blinking when she saw Bora in the kitchen and preparing breakfast.

“Unnie, how much sleep did you get?” The younger woman inquired, knowing that she had woken up in the middle of the night hearing the older woman, along with Minji, giggling and chatting outside their room.

The shorter one of the two looked over and smiled as she waved a hand, gesturing for Handong to come over. “Just a couple hours but don’t worry, I’ll go back to sleep after finishing Y/n’s lunch.” She explained when she gestured to the empty lunch box next to the stacked up pancakes.

“Oh, right. Is she awake already?” Since you were the only one who had yet to graduate, your members knew that you were still having a bit of a hard time juggling your school works and your schedules.

It was only recently that Siyeon had seen a nearly failing mark on one of your test papers. When she brought it up to the others, they had asked you if there was anything you were struggling with in school and you explained to them that you were just having some troubles focusing with the lack of sleep you’ve been getting because it just so happened that your comeback date was scheduled at the same time as your midterms.

“I haven’t checked yet. Would you mind? If she’s still asleep, wake her up so she can have breakfast and wash up.” Bora requested and Handong was already nodding and making her way to your and Yubin’s shared room.

Gently pushing the door open, the Chinese woman took a peek inside and noted that no lights were turned on, so she assumed that you had yet to get up. Taking a step into the room, Handong made her way over to your bed and smiled when she saw you curled up under the covers.

“Y/n? Time to wake up.” She tells you while placing a hand on your shoulder. She was trying not to be too loud because it looked like Yubin fell asleep not too long ago, judging by the percentage of her phone’s battery when she checked on it when she saw it plugged in.

After a few more attempts, you finally began to stir and Handong patted your hair gently so it wasn’t sticking to your face. “Hey, time to get up. Sua unnie said you should get ready for school.” She murmured and you groaned as you rested your head on her lap instead.

“I don’t want to go to school.” You mutter quietly, and if you weren’t so sleepy, Handong wouldn’t have excused it as you wanting to sleep in. “You have to. It’s only one more year and you’ll finally be out of there.” She encourages and you were able to wake up a bit more as she continued to talk to you.

Huffing, you finally sat up with a pout and the older woman giggled before kissing your forehead. “Go wash up. Food is ready outside so you better hurry before Sua unnie starts scolding you.”

By the time you were done and exiting your room, Minji gave you a grin and pulled you in a warm embrace as she nuzzled your head. “Good morning, maknae!” She greeted happily, kissing your cheek and then taking a good look at your uniform.

“Gahyeon said she would drop you off at school, today. We know that you like walking, but she insisted that she wanted to spend some time with you in the morning since she’s heading to her pilates trainer.” Your leader explained as she fixed your tie and flattened the collar of your uniform.

Blinking, you turn to the said person as she grinned at you and handed you your breakfast. “Isn’t it a bit early?” You ask confusedly, but she shook her head with a smile. “I always leave the dorm a little after you. But I wanted to get to spend the morning with you before your schedule gets too cramped.” She explained and you nod in understanding, smiling as you ate your breakfast.

By the time Yoohyeon wakes up, you and Gahyeon were already waving goodbye to everyone and the big puppy started whining with missing breakfast with you. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” She complained as you both giggled at her antics.

“Sorry, unnie, but we have to get going!” You tell her as you adjust your bag on your shoulders. “Bye!” Gahyeon teased as she shut the door and you both giggle when you could still her whining despite the door being closed.

In the car, Gahyeon beams at you when she makes her way to your school campus. “You’ve been really busy lately with all your school works. Are you sure you’re alright with everything? You can always ask us for help if you need it.” She suddenly spoke up and you hum in reply while shaking your head.

“It’s alright. I know you were all worried because of last time, but I swear, I’m managing.” You assure her, though it doesn’t stop the pout that rises to her lips. “I know, but you shouldn’t be pushing yourself too much, okay?” You offer her a smile and lean over to press a quick peck to her cheek.

“I’ll be alright.”

..

“Whoops! Sorry about that!” Flinching at the sudden coldness that was splashed over you, you could only keep your head down as your classmates laughed and walked away from you.

Looking down, you sighed when you saw the juice that they had spilled on you already staining your shirt. Getting up, you exited the room to head for the restroom and freshen up, clean the stain as best as you could. It would be easy to explain how that happened, but you had to wash your hair as well.

Right after getting back to the classroom, you were able to reach your desk without anyone messing with you. You were able to breathe out and pulled out the food Bora prepared for you.

Thinking that you could enjoy your lunch peacefully, you didn’t bother with the students around you and simply focused on your lunch.

That is until you couldn’t.

“You call that food? Where did you buy this trash?” One of your classmates mocked as they took the box from you and looked at its contents. “Give it back. My unnie prepared it for me.” You tell them with a glare fixed on your face, but the admission had only caused them to smirk.

“Oh, one of your failure members?” They snicker and you grit your teeth while clenching your fists tightly. “Don’t call them that.” You growled out, but it only pushed them to further insult you and your group. “I’m not lying though. Your group can’t even win and nobody knows you. Your company isn’t even big like SM or YG. There’s no place for you.” They spat out and it would be a lie if you said it didn’t hurt.

But you were able to mask your anger well. “We don’t have to be from a big company to be popular. Unlike you, people know who we are and you’re just jealous.” You retorted, and that seemed to make their expression falter.

“What was that?”

“You’re so used to being the most popular kids in school, but when you found out I was accepted and debuting in a group, it was so easy to feel threatened. You’re afraid of being dethroned and losing the privilege that you had.” You went on, unaware of where this sudden burst of courage came from.

But your words have only served to further anger your bullies as the one holding the lunchbox smacked it right back at your face before shoving you to the ground. “You think we’re afraid of trash like you?”

You grunted while holding your nose and looked up at them. “Not at all. In fact, I feel sorry for you that you’re so threatened by just one person you consider trash.” You shot back smugly.

“You have to learn to shut that mouth of yours, smartass.” They threatened, hand raised and ready to hit you, but before they could, one of the other students spoke up when they came into the room.

“Leave her alone already. Unless you want a trip to the principal’s office, I suggest you walk away.” You recognize the boy as the class representative and your bullies all scoffed before walking away, sending you another shove before finally leaving you alone, though not before leaving one last threat as they retreated.

You watch them with your eyes squinted before looking down at the mess they left. Frowning at the food Bora made, your mood further dampened as you cleaned it all up and threw it away.

You felt bad that she put such an effort to even wake up early to prepare it for you, only for someone to throw it away instead of letting you enjoy it. And aside from that, the uniform Minji prepared for you the night prior had been ruined, too.

When your classes finally end you let out a sigh of relief while exiting the classroom and then head for the exit so you could head home to change your clothes before heading to the company.

But it looked like your earlier courage had come to bite you in the ass when your bullies appear by your locker, smirks on their arrogant faces before one of them grabbed your arm. “I think you need to be reminded on where you belong.” They tell you, and even when you struggle, they were able to drag you all the way to the back of the school.

..

“What took you so long?” Yubin asked as soon as you entered the practice room, panting and trying to catch your breath. “Did you go to the dorm first?” Siyeon questioned when she took note of your still wet hair.

“I’m sorry! There was a lot to do at school and someone accidentally spilled their drink on me.” You huffed after finally catching your breath and then straightening up the best you could.

Seeing how tired you looked, Bora pursed her lips together when you dropped your bag on one of the chairs and took a seat on the floor to stretch your sore muscles. "Will you be okay?" She asked softly and you flash her an assuring smile. "I'll be okay, nothing I can't handle." You tell them and Minji chuckles while shaking her head.

“If you say so. But if you’re tired, be sure to tell us and you can take a break. How much homework do you have for today?” Yubin tells you while ruffling your hair. “I managed to finish most of it. I only have my math homework and a few essays.” You answer and Yoohyeon smiled while she raised her hands. “I can help!”

“Okay, okay. But for now, let’s get to work.”

And you did just that. While you all went through the choreography, you did your best to pay attention to everything. Falling into routine, you started off with the whole group before breaking into two groups just in case it helped with learning faster.

You managed to put this day’s events in the back of your mind as you listened to the sound of your song, your voices reaching your ears while you mentally counted. You watched your own movements through the mirror, noting every little detail and your members watched happily from the side.

An hour an a half, you were finally able to take a break from dancing and Gahyeon handed you a bottle when you laid down with a huff. Siyeon was laughing at you from the side and took a picture before you rolled to your side.

“No more!” You groan, only for Bora to start tugging at your leg. “Unnie!” The rest of the girls burst out laughing when the dancer started to drag your body on the floor and you could only scream at her to stop while squirming from her hold.

“You’re using me as a mop!” You yelled at her, but she merely cackled as she started to pull you once more, having Gahyeon’s help this time before you were left at the middle of the practice room.

Yubin shook her head at everything that was happening, though there was a smile on her face. Handong just watched with amusement while you laid, almost in defeat, on the floor and the rest of your members were laughing and Siyeon and Yoohyeon were laughing at the video and pictures they’ve taken.

“Okay, I think the floor is clean.” Minji teased as she sat next to you and poked your cheek with a smile. “You did great!” She laughed before Bora piped up. “Yah! What about me? I was the one who did the pulling!” She claimed before you sat up to playfully glare at her. “No one told you to do it!” 

“Is that a way to talk to your mother? Watch yourself, baby.” The older woman tutted and you stick your tongue out while crossing your arms across your chest.

Minji then lightly pushed you in Yoohyeon’s direction. “Go and do your homework.” She ushers and you nod your head before scrambling to your feet and hurrying to Yoohyeon who already had her arms outstretched for you.

The taller woman took you into her arms and nuzzled you before letting you grab your bag to retrieve your homework. As soon as you showed her, her eyes skimmed over the papers before you went to work. Next to you, Yubin and Gahyeon rechecked your already finished homework, especially ones you told them you weren’t sure of your answers.

While resting, the unnie line decided to start up the Vapp just to pass the time and show them what everyone was doing.

“Somnia! We’ve missed you!” They announce happily while setting the phone up. Since they decided to keep some distance just so they wouldn’t disturb any of you as you worked, none of the four of you were seen except through the mirror behind the older girls.

When people saw you in Yoohyeon’s arms while doing your homework, people began asking the four about it.

“Where is maknae line?” Handong read out before Minji adjusted the phone so show all four of you huddled together. “They’re all helping maknae with her homework. Yoohyeonnie volunteered to help Y/n, and then Dami and Gahyeon are checking her answers.” Bora explained while waving her hand. “So we’re not disturbing them because they’re all focused.”

“Y/n has been really busy with school, too. Sometimes I look at her and think ‘please don’t grow up so soon’ but look at her. She’s already taller than Sua unnie.” Siyeon laughed before Bora gave her a disbelieving look. “Yah!”

The pair disappeared from view and Yubin glanced up to look at what the ruckus was about, only to shake her head and continue to put your notebooks back in order.

“Are you almost done?” Minji asked you and Yoohyeon looked up from over your shoulder and then waved her hand. “Almost! Y/n just needs to fix a few things.” She replies as Gahyeon and Yubin head to join the other four.

When they looked at the comments and conversed with the fans while waiting for you, Gahyeon’s expression faltered when she saw a comment about you.

useless spoiled brat

Bora saw it not too long after and she leaned closer to get a good look before reporting the comment. The action had caught your members’ attention and their smiles faded even with the positive comments other fans were trying to send after they had also seen the comment.

“You know, there’s no need to bring other people down with you.” Siyeon said simply before Yoohyeon finally stood up and Handong looked back at you to see you putting your things away. “Y/n said she would finish the rest at the dorm so she can practice more.” The big puppy explained and the latter nodded her head before she reached for your hand when you were near enough.

You allowed her to pull you in for a hug and smiled before looking at the camera. “Hello Somnias! It’s been a while, how are you?” You greet them, oblivious to what happened just minutes ago. “They said they miss you.” Minji beamed as you rested your head on top of Handong’s.

Off to the side, Yubin had whispered to Yoohyeon about the comment aimed at you when you weren’t present and the pout on her face became apparent. “What happened?” She asked quietly so they wouldn’t be heard, but the younger woman shook her head in reply. “Just the usual people who send insults, I guess.” She mutters, displeased, and Yoohyeon huffs before nodding her head.

“I’m doing okay! The unnies have been really strict with me recently because I’ve been sleeping less than I should have.” You had explained when someone asked you about school. “Yoohyeon unnie likes to sneak into my and Dami unnie’s room, so there are times where she’ll make me sleep early.”

“That’s her excuse for when she wants to cuddle.” Yubin piped up and said girl lightly hit her arm in retaliation. “That’s not true!” She retorted, but you were already shaking your head and telling your viewers that it was.

Luckily, no other malicious comment came after that and you soon ended the live to resume with your practice before finally heading home.

..

A week after you had stood up against your bullies, things seemed to only grow worse. And it seemed that those who watched the live with your members found a way of tormenting you even more.

The past week, you had been shoved into lockers and even locked inside the janitor’s closet until a random passerby heard your voice, asking for help and let you out. They did not stop throwing food or drinks at you and you were running out of excuses to tell your members as to why, thus the reason you started to bring extra clothes just to be safe.

The constant bullying along with your practices were taking a toll on your body. The beating was getting worse and worse and no one was able to step in to help you due to the threat of being bullied themselves. The only time you were safe was when your class representative or teachers were around, but every time that happened, they came back ten times harsher.

“Don’t you train? A little push shouldn’t hurt you.” Your bully said after pushing you to the ground. When you tried to get back up, they planted their foot firmly on your back just so you wouldn’t move.

Another leaned down to get a look at your face and you could only grit your teeth while trying to move from under your classmate’s foot. “Not so tough anymore?” They taunted before poking your forehead. “We told you, you don’t get the last laugh here.” They muttered before the back of their hand collided with your cheek.

With a harsh stomp on your leg, pain shot through you before they finally left you on the ground, dirt and garbage surrounding you like they did the first time you were brought to the back of the school.

At the company, your members were all waiting for you to arrive for them to start, though Handong and Siyeon were already reviewing their parts somewhere in the room while Gahyeon was sitting on the ground, phone pressed to her ear as she waited for you to pick up.

“She isn’t answering.” The second maknae mumbled worriedly since this had been her third time calling you and you weren’t answering any of their messages. “Should we call the school?” She suggested, but Minji shook her head. “Maybe she’s at the dorm to freshen up. She has a lot going on, so it’s understandable that she would head there, first.”

“But it’s been an hour. She’s never usually this late.” Yubin reasoned, frowning when another text was left unread. “What if something happened to her?” Gahyeon voiced her worries out, but Bora gave her a look. “Don’t think like that. Y/n is just late. She’ll be here in how many minutes and she’ll be fine.”

Despite her confidence, she had her own doubts because Yubin was right. You were a punctual person and you hated making others wait because of you, so there was worrying gnawing at the back of her mind with the more time that ticked by.

After another half hour passed by, Yoohyeon finally huffed and stood up. “Where are you going?” Siyeon questioned as the younger woman headed for the door. “I’m going to Y/n’s school to check on her.” She announced while yanking the door open, only to catch two of your managers on the phone and heading out.

“Oppa, where are you going?” She asked when she saw the urgency in their eyes. Your manager unnie looked hesitantly at her and then saw the rest of your members behind her before sighing. “We don’t know yet, but Y/n is at the hospital and we need to go with her.”

Hearing that had caused their blood to run cold before Yoohyeon shook her head and followed after the pair. “I’m coming, too.” She informs them, her tone clear that there was no room for argument and the rest snapped out of their shock to quickly collect their things.

Your manager let out another breath before nodding her head. “Okay, but you stay close and wait.” She tells them before they were led to the car and brought to the hospital you had been brought to.

“We’ve been told that the janitor found her passed out behind the school. She can’t walk, but we don’t know just how bad her injuries are as of yet.” Your manager explains, clearly disturbed by what they found out.

“Has Y/n ever mentioned having problems at school?” The other asked and the girls looked at each other before shaking their heads. “She doesn’t talk much about her classmates.” Handong explains and they nod before the car had been parked for them to get out.

While the other manager went to park the car, the girls, along with your manager unnie went inside to look for you, asking the front desk which room you were in before they made their way there.

All throughout the drive and the trip to your room, your members could only think about what could have caused your injuries or who could have done this to you because they just couldn’t imagine someone laying their hand on you.

When they reached the front of the door, your manager looked to each of the girls’ faces and saw the nervous and anxious looks that they wore. She was about to tell them that they didn’t have to enter, but she knows that none of them would be able to rest if they didn’t see you.

So upon entering the room you were in, they were greeted by the doctor and a few nurses that were in charge of looking after you. The doctor looked up from the clipboard she was holding and then offered a sympathetic smile to everyone as she ushered them all inside.

“How is she?” Your manager asked and the doctor turned back to your sleeping form. “She’s alright, nothing too serious. Aside from the bruises, it looks like her leg has been beat really badly. At first we thought she may have either fractured or dislocated it since she couldn’t move it, but luckily it isn’t that severe.” She explains while flipping through the page.

“The area isn’t somewhere for her to hurt during a fall unless there was a rock or bumps on the ground, but from what the man who brought her here stated, there wasn’t anything. Given that she was also behind their school, Y/n’s injuries weren’t caused by an accident.”

“So, you’re telling us that someone did this to her on purpose?” Bora demanded and your doctor sighed softly as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I can’t say that I’m certain, but with the blunt force needed to hurt her leg like this, it would appear so. And the fact that she was left behind their school with no one to find her is questionable, but I don’t have all the answers you’re looking for.”

She nodded to the man that stood at the side of the room, offering them a small nod before introducing himself. “You were the one who found her?” Your manager questions and he nods.

“Can you tell us what happened when you saw her? Was there anyone around?” The man frowned as he glanced at you and then shook his head. “She was all alone when I was cleaning up. The kids should have all left the school and the only people around when I was cleaning were a few members of the faculty, and they were even surprised when I reported Y/n being behind the school.”

Minji pursed her lips, inhaling deeply as she clenched her fists. “Do you see Y/n at school at all? Has anyone been bothering her?” She was dreading the answer, but when the grimace appeared on the man’s face, it was clear to them what was going on.

“Y/n was never one to get mixed into trouble, it just so happened that some kids from her class weren’t too fond of her. I don’t know the whole thing, but I’ve seen them pouring her with drinks and even stealing her food.” He then began to narrate everything he was able to witness and even the whispers of students he’s passed by.

Meanwhile your members all needed to pause and let the information sink in. Siyeon held on to Yubin’s shoulder to keep herself steady while Minji felt her eyes begin to tear up.

“How do none of the teachers know about this?” Yoohyeon demanded, but your manager gestured for them to keep quiet before she faced the male. “Would you mind if I ask a few more questions? This is a serious issue and endangering the health of one of our artists is definitely going to cause problems for the school.”

Your manager told your members to all stay in the room while she dealt with everything and none of them needed to be told twice as they approached the bed. Gahyeon took the seat closest to you and gently took your hand in her own.

The room was quiet, save for the steady beating of your heart through the monitor, but even that didn’t ease their worries as they watched over you.

Handong was lightly rubbing the leader’s back when she saw the concern on her face, the tears that she was trying to keep at bay was making her eyes sting. Yoohyeon held Bora’s hand when she saw the shorter woman already wiping her own tears, but the most prominent emotion she had in her was anger.

Who dared to hurt her baby so badly that she ended in the hospital?

It wasn’t acceptable.

“Don’t do anything brash.” Siyeon was the first to speak up, her expression dark while she kept her arms crossed. “We’re all upset, that’s clear, but we have to make sure maknae is alright before anything else.”

“She’s in the hospital, I think that’s a clear enough sign that she’s not alright.” Yoohyeon shot back with her teeth clenched. “Why would she not tell us she was being bullied? Who the heck would do such a thing?” Bora finally let out and Yubin pursed her lips as Minji sucked in a deep breath.

“Siyeon is right. We need to be calm about this.” But Minji’s words only further angered the pair. “How the hell are we going to be calm? Do you see what’s going on?” Bora gestured to you but Yubin shook her head. “Jiu unnie is right. We can’t be doing things that will only get everyone in trouble.”

“So we’re just going to let these kids go and keep tormenting Y/n?” Yoohyeon shot back. “You know that none of us want that, but we can always handle this in a civil manner.” Handong intervened, but their bickering had only further progressed until Gahyeon looked up.

“Be quiet!”

Surprised, all six of them turned to her as she bit her lip. She didn’t want to have to raise her voice, but they were not helping in making the situation better.

“Y/n is in the hospital, she’s hurt, we know that and we can’t do anything, but do you think arguing with each other is going to make her feel better? You want to do something, so do I but that’s not our call.” She said in between sobs, her grip on your hand growing tighter. “The best we can do is be there for her and make her feel better, not remind her of what happened.”

That seemed to help the girls in calming down. While their emotions clashed with one another, they decided to keep some space between them inside the room as they waited though Gahyeon refused to leave your side, along with Bora.

Your managers came back shortly afterwards to inform them about everything the janitor told them and that they would be having a meeting with the school, along with your director.

“He’ll be stopping by as soon as Y/n is comfortable enough to talk.” The girls nodded in understanding before the pair left to arrange whatever preparations they needed to make, as well as emailing your school.

..

“... wasn’t what I wanted and I shouldn’t have said that.”

Groaning softly, you force your eyes to open as you hear the sound of your members’ voices.

When did you fall asleep and when did you get home? You don’t remember getting to leave the school after-

“What happened?” Was the first thing you were able to croak out, voice hoarse after not using it for so long.

Settling down around the bed, all of the girls seemed relieved to see you awake after how many hours of waiting. Yubin offered you some water to drink before you took a sip, thanking her before finally taking in the scene that you were in.

“How are you feeling?” Gahyeon asked softly as she brushed your hair back. You let out a small huff before shifting in bed. “Like I went through our whole choreography for five days.” You mutter and it was able to draw some chuckles from your members. “Well, at least your sense of humor is fine.” Handong replies before Minji finally placed her hand on your leg.

You turn to her and there’s a look that you recognize from the time she sat you down to have a serious conversation regarding your schedules and how you were coping up. “Would you mind talking to us?” She asks carefully and you know that, by now, there was no hiding anything with how serious things have gotten between you and your classmates.

So with a nod, the girls take that as their cue to ask what they needed. “Why didn’t you tell us that people were picking on you?” Yoohyeon was the first to ask and you play with the sheets while avoiding their gaze. “I didn’t think it was a big deal at first. I assumed they would get bored and stop eventually.”

“But it only got worse.” Yubin said for you, and you grimaced while nodding. “They didn’t like me for being an idol. They didn’t want people to be better than them.” You sigh while leaning back. “... You know they can be charged for assault, right?”

At that, you kept quiet while they continued to explain the call they received from your director.

“We want you to transfer schools, but we don’t think it’s fair for us to be making that decision when it’s you who’s directly involved. So, the director wants to know what actions we’ll be taking from here.”

You were quiet for a while and they understood that this wasn’t an ideal position for someone at your age, but they couldn’t sit by and keep you in a place where it was clearly dangerous for you.

With a sigh,  you shake your head and look up to all of them. “I don’t want to press any charges.” Hearing your answer caused most of them to frown and Siyeon rubbed the back of your hand as she sat down. “Why not?”

“They’re kids my age and, sure, they hurt me, but the difference is that I already have a career. I can handle transferring but if I do press charges, that could potentially ruin their future even though I know there’s a chance of them changing.” You explain quietly, afraid that they wouldn’t agree with your sentiments.

But to your surprise, they don’t protest and, instead, smile before Yubin ruffled your hair whilst Minji placed a chaste kiss on your forehead, being mindful to avoid the bruises on your cheeks. “We’ll talk with the director tomorrow and tell him. For now, get some rest.”

And as you went back to sleep that night, all of your members could only watch over you with fond smiles and admiration swimming in their eyes. Because even when you were at the receiving end of other people’s words and actions, you were always understanding enough to give them another chance.

[healthylifestylecasa-blog]

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No list of YouTube fitness channels is complete without Blogilates. This widely popular channel has close to 4.5 million subscribers and focuses on POP Pilates, PIIT28 and Bootcamp Sculpting. If you have no clue what those are, don't worry. You don't need to understand it to enjoy these workouts.  Certified fitness instructor Cassey Ho's friendly demeanor makes laying on a mat and working your core, legs, arms and butt almost enjoyable. What I like about this channel is it has workout series and challenges that you can follow throughout the week to keep you motivated. The series are based around themes. Check out the Bridal Bootcamp, Apartment Friendly and Celebrity Workouts.

Yoga With Adriene

If you like your trainers down-to-earth and relatable, there's no better yoga trainer than Adriene Mishler of Yoga With Adriene. Here calming voice and chill disposition will charm you before you even hit the mat. That's not just my opinion --  she's amassed more than 4 million subscribers. In addition to her awesome personality, Adriene's channel includes yoga videos for, well, just about anything. You'll find yoga sequences for relaxing, helping sciatica pain, burning fat, easing anxiety and depression and curing a hangover. There are even classes for horse riders and couch potatoes.

HASfit

If getting strong and lean is on your to-do list, then you'll find the HASfit (Heart And Soul fit) channel super useful. It includes strength training workouts -- with or without dumbbells -- along with low- and high-impact exercise routines.  The massive variety on this channel is hard to beat. They have over 1,000 free workout routines, plus complete 30- to 90-day fitness programs that include meal planning, workouts, tips and more.

FitnessBlender

FitnessBlender is a husband and wife run channel that specializes in exercises for busy people. Daniel and Kelli have put together over 500 workouts, and most of them are designed to be quick. You can find workouts for just the amount of time you have available, from 5 to 45 minutes. If you're a dog lover, don't miss this channel's puppy workout. You'll learn how to do puppy squats, puppy deadlifts, puppy curls and more. All you need is a puppy. 

NateBowerFitness

Boxing is an a fantastic way to break a sweat while releasing pent-up stress. Nate Bower, a certified boxing instructor and competitive athlete, shows you how to get started with boxing on his fitness channel, NateBowerFitness. Then he shows you how to crank up the intensity in 20-minute videos. Most YouTube channels only have boxing videos for routines you can do at the gym. What I really like about this channel is that there are home workouts. You just need an open space and maybe a friend with some pads.

Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home

Walking is a low-impact exercise that almost anyone can do. If you're stuck inside, the Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home channel is a good place to get a walking workout without a treadmill. I highly recommend trying the channel's walk party. It's fun, upbeat and I bet you'll even smile a couple of times while you burn calories.

Roberta's Gym

Think of Roberta's Gym as the Alexa of exercising. This animated trainer doesn't really have a personality, but her on-screen timers and rep counters help you keep track of what you're doing better than any humanoid. This channel also has daily workouts and challenges, like the 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge. New videos are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to keep things fresh.

Les Mills

Les Mills' exercise videos not only give you a great workout, they also teach you real dance moves you can take to the club. It's pretty motivating to know you're not only getting ripped but you're also learning an actual skill you can use in the real world. If you're not into dancing, don't worry. The channel includes other types of workouts, including BodyPump, which uses light-to-moderate weights to strengthen muscle, and Barre, which is based on exercises ballerinas use to get into shape.

ALO Yoga's Beginner Power Vinyasa

Tune in when you kinda want to work out, but mostly stretch out your shit and get some ASMR-worthy yoga audio. You can expect lots of downward dogs, twists, and warrior poses. It's basic, but that's not a bad thing. P.S. This instructor and her hot husband have an Instagram account.

Kayla Itsines' Arms and Abs BBG Workout

You've definitely heard of Kayla, her BBG program, and kickass SWEAT app. While all these are very much worth the money, IMO, it's def worth trying before you buy. With this vid, you'll see eight exercises that target your abs and arms, like ab bikes (bicycle crunches), push-up rows, and a weird but definitely effective move called an X-plank. Follow the instructions in the description for a killer 15-minute workout.

Pamela RF's 10-Minute Equipment-Free Booty Workout

Gyms are cool, but sometimes you don't wanna go there. If that's you and you're looking for a solid lower-bod workout, YouTube queen Pamela RF shows you 15+ moves you can do in 10 minutes to build dat butt. Although you won't get a tutorial here, you can follow her through the whole workout. Oh, and the five R3HAB songs she plays are something you'd actually listen to while sweating anyway. You'll do each move for 30 seconds before switching to the next. And yeah, this is one of those harder-than-it-looks situations. Good luck to you. Read the full article

[sodoyouknowbts]

Yoongi x Reader - Guardian (Three)

Part of the ‘Souls’ Series.

Summary: Min Yoongi is a cynical guardian angel assigned to look after you.

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader (ft Hoseok)

Genre: Romance, fantasy, soul mates

Author: Pilot

Chapter Three

You get back to your apartment, unlocking the door and pushing it open. You stand there for a moment, your mind going back to your run in with him. Min Yoongi. Your face reddens at the thought of him saving you, your body pressed against his chest. You throw your keys down onto the dining table and slam the door shut. You kick off your shoes.

You scoff again and throw your bag down onto the couch, the heavy encyclopaedia drags the bag onto the floor. It lands on the floor with a thud.

You head to the kitchen sink, run your hands under the water and then place your cool hands up to your cheeks. Why were you getting flushed thinking about this random guy? A random good looking guy. A random psychotic good looking guy. A random psychotic guy who thinks he’s an angel. You remind yourself. You pat your cheeks again and turn the tap off.

You head to your room, pull out your notebook and take a seat on your bed, getting comfy. Propping your legs up, you pull the notebook open by its yellow ribbon. After pulling the cap of the pen off with your teeth, you begin to write about your day. It was the best way to de-stress for you, to jot down bullet points and random thoughts.

You look over at your calendar hanging from the wall. Your internship at the consulting firm started on Monday. It wasn’t the job you wanted to end up with, but it was one that you needed, to pay your rent and bills.

It was a temporary internship after all and you did plenty of temp jobs. Until you got your marks back, you wouldn’t be able to practice law and even then, not until you took the bar exam. You had decided to settle on journalism in the mean time, uncertain if you could bear the thought of further study. Besides, you enjoyed law reform and access to justice and you knew that law wasn’t the only avenue to pursue it. It was something your mother was always passionate about and in turn, you were too. You had a soft spot for the hard-working underdogs who had everything against them.

You cast your notebook aside and flop down onto the bed. Glad your exams were over, you could finally relax and just focus on work.

//

“No, it’s more like this.” Yoongi circles the treble cleft and draws a little arrow on the music sheet.

Won Young nods and tries again, his foot pressing down on the peddle of the piano as his touches the keys.

Yoongi closes his eyes and nods. The melody echoes throughout the music room.

Won Young makes another mistake and in frustration, slams his hands on the keys.

“What did I say about disrespecting your instruments?!” Yoongi says. “Here. Feel the music, let it flow.”

Won Young sneers. “Feel the music?”

Yoongi shoots him a look. “Shuffle over.”

Won young obliges, moving to the edge of the seat. Yoongi sits in the centre, flexes his hands and closes his eyes. He begins to play. Won Young watches quietly, eyes wide. Yoongi was a pro, his hands moving across the keys in fluid motions, his slender fingers extending to hit the furthest keys with ease. He presses the pedals down lightly, increasing and decreasing the sound. The melody flows, somewhat melancholic. He finishes the first verse, lifts his hands up and leans back on the piano stool, nodding proudly and jutting out his chin.

Won Young claps, teasing a little and laughs. He pauses. Yoongi watches his expression change and his face grow pensive.

“You know what I’ve noticed, Wonnie?” Yoongi says, sliding the piano lid down and covering the keys. “You’ve been trying really hard of late to devoid yourself of feeling things.” He turns to look at him. “Piano is hard, things are hard. It’s okay to feel angry and annoyed about it.”

Won Young blinks, his face stern.

“You think that if you block your emotions, things get easier. Trust me. They don’t. It’s okay to feel depressed and it’s okay to feel happy. Even if you think you have no right to feel happy.” Yoongi scratches the back of his head.

“You just need to learn how to embrace your emotions. Not try to switch them off or to control them, but just to embrace them. Music helps, too.”

//

After music practice, they head to the supermarket.

“What do you want? I’ve got this. Help yourself.” Yoongi says.

Won Young heads to the back of the convenience store and comes back with a cola. Yoongi grabs some cup ramyun noodles, pays and then goes to make them.

“I’ve saved us two seats at the front.” Won Young calls out.

Yoongi grunts back in return, grabbing some serviettes as he rushes to the front with the steaming hot cups in his hands. He places them down and a little soup splashes onto the table.

“Ah, sorry.” He wipes it up. They begin to eat.

Yoongi’s mind goes back to you, earlier that day. Is my job really done? Was that all I had to do? He couldn’t help but feel there was more to you.

“Won Young” Yoongi says suddenly, “When I met you, what made you believe I was your guardian?”

“What do you mean?”

Yoongi turns his body to face him. “When did you believe I was telling you the truth.”

“Uh… I think maybe after you showed me your powers? It was pretty unbelievable to be honest.”

Yoongi nods, slurping up noodles.

Yoongi finishes eating first and licks his lips, wiping up any excess chili soup from his mouth. He cracks open the bottle of water he bought. He’s staring mindlessly out of the convenience store window when he sees you again. Yoongi watches as a semi-drunk man stumbles down the street, heading in your direction.

You hike your bag up on your shoulder again. The damn straps kept slipping down. If you didn't have an interview this afternoon you would have brought your tote bag along. Now what did I have to buy? Orange juice, pads… You squint at the stumbling man in front of you. He was walking way too close to you.

Yoongi semi-gets up from his seat, bottle in hand. Won Young looks at him, noodles hanging from his mouth. Was this guy about to start trouble?

You dodge him but he makes every effort to bump into you. He fondles your body as he does. You immediately let out a yell and push him. He staggers backwards and you swiftly take off your shoe, pointing the heel at him.

“Pervert!” you yell out. “I will hit you. I know judo.” You hoped your words were serious enough. You didn’t really know judo. One time you had accidentally walked into a judo class instead of your Pilates class but were too intimidated to leave. You had about an hour’s worth of basic judo knowledge up your sleeve and a self-defence Youtube video that you had come across accidentally.

Thankfully, the man moves on and leaves you alone after you threaten him. You sigh, hopping over to one of the tables outside the convenience store and sit down to pull your shoe back on. Yoongi watches from the convenience store window, amused.

You lean on the table, one arm drooping off the side. Were you suddenly now just attracting weird people?

Yoongi looks down at Won Young who has just finished his noodles. He pats him on the shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

Yoongi pushes open the glass door and it squeaks. He walks down the stairs, out into the cold night, Won Young hot on his tail. He walks up behind you.

“Fancy meeting you here.” He says nonchalantly, unscrewing the cap of his water bottle.

You turn around and pull your shoe off again, holding it up. You sigh, realising who it is. It’s the self-proclaimed angel.

Yoongi brings the water bottle to his lips and takes a sip, caring little about you and your shoe.

I can’t believe he’s followed me here. You note Yoongi’s unphased expression. You bring your arm down and begrudgingly put your shoe back on. You decide to go back to what you knew best. Law.

“I will sue you, Min Yoongi!” You declare.

“Sue me?” He laughs out loud. “For what? Drinking water?”

“For harassment.”

His face sours. “Harassment? I haven’t harassed you. In fact, I saved your life the other day.”

“Right, my guardian huh?” You mutter under your breath. “That doesn’t make following me around okay!”

“I am not following you around because I want to!” Yoongi exclaims.

Won Young clears his throat behind Yoongi. You crane your neck and spot a young boy by Yoongi’s side. What was he doing hanging out with a high schooler?

“Is this her?” Won Young asks, looking between you and Yoongi with a funny smile on his face. Yoongi shoots Won Young a look and steps aside, gesturing at Won Young.

“Won Young, my new assignment, new assignment, Won Young.”

Won Young bows to you and you wave.

“It’s Y/N, not assignment.” You say, shooting Yoongi a look. You peer at the boy. He seemed normal enough, with scruffy hair, his uniform too big for him.

“That’s okay. I’m an assignment too.”

You frown. Assignment? What is he, some sort of spy with assignments?

“Anyway, I have to go. Thanks for the ramyun, Yoongi.” Won Young says. He bids farewell to you. “Nice meeting you, Y/N.” He turns to leave, a mischievous smile on his face.

Yoongi rolls his eyes and waves him off. You peer at Won Young as he disappears down the street. Was this guardian thing real? Surely not. Your friend literally joked about this the day before and all of a sudden people were insisting guardian angels existed?

Yoongi kicks the seat away from the table and sits down on it. You watch as he finishes his water and scrunches the bottle. He did have a way of drinking water sexily. You blink and shake your head to get rid of your thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Yoongi asks.

“W- what do you mean?” You stammer, wondering if he could read your mind.

“Earlier, that drunkard bumped into you.”

“Oh, yes. I’m fine.” You let out a sigh, relieved. “I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no man.” You joke, then quickly pull yourself together. “I’m used to this sort of stuff, looking out for myself.”

You had been living on your own for a while. You stayed with a few family friends in the when you first started at university, but for the most part you had been on your own. Your father would never come to the city, preferring to stay in his townhouse by the sea.

“Why are you asking, is this some guardian thing again?” You tease, deciding to change the subject, you almost let the rest of your history slip to this complete stranger.

“No. It was genuine concern -” Yoongi replies simply. You pause, he was actually being kind of nice...

“- concern for mankind.” He adds.

There it is. You think. You pull a face. “As much as I’d like to discuss your concern for mankind with you, please stop following me.”

“For the last time. I was not following you. Won Young’s school is around here. I come here all the time.” He slouches in his chair and flicks his wrist at the convenience store. “Besides. I saved you. I don’t believe I will have anything else to do with you from here on out.” Yoongi pulls himself up from the chair. “My duties with you are done.”

“Great. Thanks for all you have done.” You reply, also standing.

It’s then you realise how tall he is. He was wearing black skinny jeans, torn at the knees and a black hoodie. Yoongi clicks his tongue, shrugs and walks off.

You scorn at the rudeness. Not even a goodbye. You push the chairs back in, under the plastic table and step up into the convenience store.

Yoongi looks back to see you pushing open the door. He sees the top of your head bopping through the aisles. He turns back around and begins to head home.

He passes a few more drunken people. It’s a Saturday night. He sighs. He’d keep tabs on you tonight. Just in case.

Yoongi pulls his mobile from his pocket and rings Hoseok.

“Are you still at work?”

“Mmm no, I’m home. Why?”

“Ah, I wanted to see if you could print something from the database for me. Is the system still down at home?”

Yoongi can hear Hoseok’s muffled movements around the house.

“No, it’s up now actually.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Mmm.” Hoseok hangs up.

Yoongi taps his mobile in his hand, looking out for you from under a nearby tree. He decides to make himself invisible, just to make it easier. It was one of the many perks he had, along with an assortment of powers, as a guardian. He walks a few steps behind you.

Yoongi watches as you haul your shopping back to the apartment, your headphones in. You bop your head along to some music. I wonder what she’s listening to Yoongi thinks. Curious, he tries to take a peek at your phone. You pop it back into your pocket. Unbeknownst to you, he walks you home safely.

Yoongi rolls over in bed. He’d been reading up on you all night. He stares at the ceiling. A report didn’t generate for him to be able to complete and submit. It seemed like his work wasn’t over.

//

You stare blankly at the poster in front of you. It was the third week of the five of your internship. You rub your eyes and let out a yawn. You had thought you’d be doing a lot more hands on consulting than what you had been doing the past fifteen days. All you had really done was administrative paperwork and filing. Sure, you got paid for this internship but you wanted more experience than what you were getting. You had put aside another job to do this one full time.

The printer churns the paper out and pulls it back in, printing the documents double sided. Suddenly it halts. You look down at the printer. It’s jammed itself, again.

Seven times. It had jammed seven times today. You give it a kick out of frustration and quickly straighten yourself up, hoping no one’s seen you. You sigh, bending over to open the paper tray. You pull a ream out, jiggle some things around and close the tray with a bang.

Your supervisor comes past you, sliding his body closely to yours.

“Just getting past.” He says.

You quickly stand up and flatten yourself up against the printer as much as possible to avoid him. It made you feel uncomfortable. This was just one of the many subtle ways he got in your personal space. It was harassment.

You grimace and smile politely, quickly moving away and heading back to your desk. You write another file note and save it to your desktop. It joins another five you had already saved. You had already lodged a number of complaints to Human Resources, but they didn’t seem concerned, which you found odd about a HR department.

You look at the shared drive. There were a number of files there that had been locked down. You examine the file name. You’re certain it’s the same file you saw one of the staff in accounts accessing. He had gotten quite evasive once you asked him innocently about what he was doing. You couldn’t help but be suspicious of it. There was something off about this consulting firm.

After three weeks you had also learnt that a number of other women had been harassed and their pay docked. Something didn’t add up. Determined, you had decided to bide your time to collect more evidence against them. It wasn’t right.

You look over to the desk next to you. Your fellow graduate hadn’t been in today. She went home in tears the night before, but wouldn’t talk about it. Your look at the time. Crap, it’s already 6pm.

You finish compiling the documents. Your mind drifted to Yoongi. You hadn’t seen your so-called guardian angel for a few weeks now, not after the second convenience store run in.

In that time you had also done your research. It appeared that guardians seemingly manifested in a variety of ways, according to multiple cultures and folk lore. You used to believe in this sort of stuff, before your mum passed away. Her passing took away any belief you may have had as a child. Nothing prevented her death.

You had stayed up all night last night, reading one particular entry. You didn’t remember researching something with so much passion in so long. You yawned again. The internet was a strange place.

You got up, straightened your blouse and picked the binded files up from the table. You took a breath and headed to your supervisor’s door. He’s on the phone and you hope you can sneak in and out and leave. Everyone else had already gone home. You knock on your supervisor’s door, eyes reading the plaque on the wall. What luck, that your supervisor was also the Managing Director.

He waves you in and holds up a finger to you to, gesturing you to wait. You scrunch your face and sigh. Not what you wanted. The last thing you wanted was to be alone with him. You edge toward the door.

He gets off the phone and waves you over. Reluctant to get any closer, you gesture at the files on the desk.

“Everything is there. Let me know tomorrow if you require anything else.” You turn to leave.

“Y/N.” he says, his voice gruff. “Let’s chat.”

You pause and turn around. “Sorry, sir. Really. I have an appointment I have to get to and I didn’t realise the time.” You say with a smile.

He sees through it. “Come on, I have yet to do your midway performance review. Take a seat.” He insists, pointing at the couch.

You sigh and reluctantly sit down in the cold and uncomfortable leather couch.

//

Yoongi sits up abruptly. His internal alarm is going off. He had been napping on the couch just before he felt it. He places a hand on his chest. This is a different feeling to what he had experienced before. Yoongi closes his eyes. He could see you, sitting in an office, as a somewhat plump middle aged man moves in closer to you. He can see the look on your face, the placid smile.

Yoongi pulls on his shoes, grabs a jacket and clicks his fingers. He appears just outside the office. The whole floor is dimly lit and half of the lights have already been turned off.

“So how are you finding the internship?” The manager asks you, sitting himself down on the desk in front of you, folding his hands into his lap.

“It’s good. I’m learning a lot.” You feign.

Yoongi’s eyes scan the floor. Not another soul was in sight. He read the plaque on the wall. Managing Director? Yoongi sneers. He stares at the man. He recognised him from a news article he had come across the other day. He had been acquitted of other sexual harassment charges. He remembered reading something about embezzlement too. Yoongi examines the body language in the room. It was clear what the manager was intending to do. But what could Yoongi do to help?

Yoongi pauses. His research indicated that you took a number of odd jobs to get by. Huh, the similarities. You were getting paid for the internship. If you attacked the managing director, you’d lose in a law suit. Yoongi looks up. Fire sprinkers. Flood the building, immobilise the company for a while, have everyone continued to be paid as it’s covered by insurance… Yoongi smirks to himself. 

Yoongi looks around and spots a nearby computer. The monitors are still on. I guess it’s about time I put my business degree to use. He thinks to himself bitterly. He had taken a security systems unit for fun in uni. Who knew it would come in handy? Yoongi rifles through a nearby set of drawers and finds a USB stick. He plugs it into the computer and searches for hidden and locked files, tapping away at the keyboard.

He starts the file transfer. Two minutes remaining. He sighs. One thing he didn’t always have control of as a guardian, was technology. Yoongi gets up and begins to flick through a cupboard, keeping his ears peeled.

“Good. We want you to get the most out of this placement.” He says, clasping his hands together. He jumps off the desk and moves over to you on the couch. You edge away but he’s pushed you up against the arm rest.

“Now, I hear you’ve been submitting a number of sexual harassment complaints to HR.” the manager says, leering at you.

“You really shouldn’t have done that.” he says, grazing your cheek with his finger. You turn your head and go to stand up. He pushes you down easily by the shoulder and you let out a gasp.

At the sound, Yoongi tilts his head toward you, a bunch of papers in his hand.

“I guess I just need to follow this up with disciplinary action.” The manager seethes.

Yoongi glances at the desktop computer. File transfer complete. He pulls the USB out from the computer and walks through to the office. He spots a lighter sitting on the desk by the director’s cigars. Yoongi takes away a layer of his invisibility so that only you can see him.

Your eyes widen as you see Yoongi appear out of thin air. You look back at the manager and back at Yoongi. The manager hasn’t noticed a thing. He’s rabbiting on about something but at that point you've stopped listening.

“Y-”

Yoongi brings a finger to his lips to hush you. He’s holding a bundle of papers in one hand and a lighter in the other. He stuffs the papers under his jacket and flicks the lighter, holding the flame up under the smoke detector.

A few seconds pass, the manager’s hand is on your thigh and you’re trying your best to keep calm. How did he get in here? Then it happens. The fire alarm sounds, the noise is shrill and the beeping is intermittent. The sprinklers go off.

“What the – fire?!” The manager stands up quickly, forgetting you and rushes out of the room in a panic. He scoots down the floor, covering his head with his hands. He presses the elevator buttons but of course, none are working. He pushes the fire escape door and flees.

You’re sitting on the couch, astonished, shocked and getting increasingly drenched.

“Are you okay?” Yoongi asks. He doesn’t appear to be getting wet.

“How? What did you do?” You begin to ask.

“Not now. Let’s go.” Yoongi pulls you up by the arm. “Where’s your desk?”

You point outside of the office to a desk at the corner and he spots a bag. Yoongi walks over to it and you follow him. He gestures at it. “Yours?” You nod. He brings it over to you, grabs your wet coat from the back of your computer chair and leads you out of the building.

You step outside, shivering. Your body is soaked through. It’s freezing outside. Yoongi looks at you.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.” Yoongi looks at you, concerned.

You quiver. “H-How, taxi?”

“Something better and faster.” He places a hand on your shoulder and you blink. You open your eyes and find yourself standing in the middle of your lounge room. Yoongi moves over to turn on the light.

You sink into your carpet, wrapping your arms around you. This was too weird. How did he manage to show up, how did he manage to transport me to my apartment?

Yoongi walks over to you and pulls you up. “Go have a hot shower. You’ll get sick otherwise.” He pulls the papers out from his jacket and places them on the table, along with the USB.

You slowly head to your bedroom, pull out some fleecy pyjamas and walk to the bathroom. He follows you, turns the taps on and checks the temperature of the shower. He exits and leaves you there, stunned.

You shut the door, strip and get inside the shower. The water runs over your body and you close your eyes. From all the research you had done, it could be enough to make anyone believe. And yet today, he just magically appeared and magically made the two of you disappear. He was telling the truth the whole time. He had powers. He wasn’t a weird stalker. He really was your guardian angel.

Meanwhile, Yoongi’s sitting on the couch in your lounge room, twiddling his thumbs. He leans back, casting his eyes around the apartment. He spots a photo frame of your and your mother on the wall when you were younger. He smiles to himself. He stands up and goes to look at it closely. Something about this image seemed familiar. Was it your mother, had he met her before?

He hears the door to the bathroom click and he straightens up, the photograph forgotten. You come out, engulfed by hot steam, wearing a towel turban and navy blue and white polkadot fleece pyjamas.

“So…” you say.

“So.”

You stare at him. He’s dry as ever.

“Not to be the one to say, I told you so but. I told you so.” Yoongi quips.

You stare at him. “Are guardian angels always this humourous?”

“I’m a funny guy what can I say?”

You sigh and go to the kitchen to get yourself a cup of tea. You’re quiet as the kettle boils and Yoongi sits himself down at the dining table. He flips through the papers he’s collected.

“Thanks.” You mumble from the kitchen. Yoongi looks up at you.

“Hm?”

“Thanks for before.” You begin to say, “Although, I could have handled it.” You couldn’t swallow your pride.

“I don’t think that was the case.” Yoongi sighs.

You refuse to say anything else. Deep down you were grateful for his help. If he didn’t get there when he did… you think back to exactly how he got there. So many questions begin to race through your mind.

“Here.” He says. “Do something with these.” He points at the papers on the table.

“What are they?”

“Files and information you may find useful.” He says and shrugs. He stops and looks at you, towel turban sliding off your head, wisps of wet hair on your cheeks. She’s pretty cute.

“I’ll be heading off now, if you’re okay?”

You blink and look at him. Yoongi tries to mask his concern. He clears his throat. You bite back on a line of questioning that’s formed in your mind. There really wasn’t any use, trying to get into it tonight. You resign yourself to the fact that he really was some sort of supernatural being that had a tendency to be indignant.

“Thank you. I mean it.” You manage to croak.

Yoongi’s expression softens. He nods. “Stay warm.” Then he disappears, leaving you alone in your apartment with a pile of papers and a USB.

To be continued.

[nicosroom]

New year, same pandemic

Hello, 2021! It’s been a while, Tumblr. 

Given 2020, it seems strange to set goals for the new year ahead. Yet, here we are...

This is a work in progress organized by categories for now; I’m not sure yet if I can muster a 21 for 2021 or a 52 list as I’ve done in years past.

Fitness:

Nine months of stay at home have forced us all to get creative, it seems. I started strong with this in March, when a friend invited a group to do Yoga with Adriene’s 30 Days of Yoga series, aptly called “Home” (having released it in January, I guess Adriene couldn’t have known). I was a bit nervous. The last time I’d done Adriene’s 30 Days of Yoga (January 2016), I injured my wrist and it took about 8 weeks to heal/recover; then, for me, about a year to get back on the yoga mat; and when I did, I would only go to professionally guided classes. So this March, I started slow with an every-other-day routine. l had some trouble forming a habit, though, especially on the weekends, so I shifted to a Monday through Friday commitment; this, I found much more compelling because soon enough, the yoga sessions marked the end of my (at home) workday and the start of my evening “me time.” This yoga habit is one of the better “silver linings” that I exit 2020 with.

Other fitness activities have been hit or miss all quarantine long. I’ve had a fairly strong habit of 20-30 minute daily walks and when I was still in Colorado, I tried to get on the hiking trails each week. Still, I had to lower my daily step goals from 10,000 of the past many years of using fitness trackers, to the far more realistic 5,000. With the gym closed, living in a studio apartment, walking was all I could really manage; and being the stress chef that I am, from March through June (like many), I saw the scale going up ever so slowly. When I got to Ohio, where I’ve tried teaching remotely while living with my parents, I had much more luck thanks to the wide open spaces of their farmland, an enthusiastic walking buddy in their 10-year-old Pomeranian, and both an elliptical (mom’s never realized New Year’s resolution in 2017) and a treadmill (perhaps from the early 1990s). Yet, living with my parents has seemed to wreck my diet, both because they’re such meat eaters, my stress eating (provoked by Zoom university and them), and all the fall/winter holiday foods I can’t resist). While I haven’t been gaining as I was earlier this year, my weight has hovered at 140, about 10 more than I want.

Now, I’m packing up once more and heading to a new state and my own apartment once again. I’m excited to take control of my own grocery shopping, food prep, and space again, but I’m nervous about saying goodbye to the cardio machines and the wide open spaces. It seems, just in time, a friend has introduced me to Cassey Ho’s Blogilates channel and monthly workout calendar, a trove of at home cardio and Pilates  videos that are apartment friendly and largely equipment-free. I started incorporating these into my routine in early December and enter the new year four weeks ahead of the curve on habit-formation. So, here are some fitness goals for 2021:

Daily, 10-min wake up & stretch video 

January 4-25, I’m tackling the Blogilates #21DayTone

After that, my workout routine will be: 

Monday thru Friday, Yoga with Adriene video

Monday thru Friday, Blogilates video(es)

By Dec. 25, 2021, I want to be able to do the splits

Buy a new yoga mat: I’ve had the same one since college (12+ years!), so it’s past due, and I feel really compelled by the product placement in Adriene and Cassey’s videos. And Target just started carrying Blogilates products. But, given how much I now am using my mat these days, it feels like an investment rather than a once-in-while accessory. And actually, I might buy two. Are there recommended folding mats for that are easy to pack when traveling? I’m traveling by car most often now, so it isn’t the worst to bring mine rolled, but when we can resume plane travel...

Work/Productivity:

My research has seriously suffered during the pandemic. There are a lot of explanations: grief and depression and a daily onslaught of bad news; my contingent status in the academy and the overall trash fire of the profession’s unpredictable financial future; and being completely unsettled in my home life while working from home. I’ll feel a lot better if I can produce some writing that I like, so after I get settled in the new place, I have some goals...

First, I’ve arranged to do a book review, which is due February 1, which I hope will be the gateway to feeling like I accomplished something.

Then, I’m aiming to draft this article I’ve been wallowing with for most of 2020. My “deadline” is June 30, which I hope is both generous and realistic, given that the new semester promises more of the same at global Zoom university.

To help me achieve these goals, I’m re-instating one of my dissertation writing techniques, which is a minimum of 40 minutes of timed writing per (non-teaching) day. Many days, those 40-minute writing intervals got repeated 4-5 times; but there are just some days where 40 minutes is all I have, whether its for scheduling reasons or for bandwidth or because it’s the weekend.

Sleeping & waking:

A constant, it seems, is to work on sleep and waking habits. Actually, my sleep habits have improved drastically over the past several years. During the pandemic, I’ve maybe even been sleeping more than ever. And as such, it’s my waking habits that have suffered, given the drastic disruption of routines and the total collapse of any separation between living space and workspace. I’m used to waking up about two hours before I need to be somewhere or do something; I take long showers and like to linger over breakfast. For months now, I find myself lingering in bed for 45 minutes to an hour after my initial alarms, not usually dozing off and repeatedly snoozing them even, but browsing social media (despite there being few updates since the previous night). Subsequently, I feel rushed as I shower, dress, and take in breakfast, hoping that I’ll hit my “home office” space by 9am.

In 2021, I’m striving to…

spend 20 minutes of non-screen activity immediately before bed, whether reading, drawing, coloring, etc.

live by a one snooze limit and get out of bed within 10 minutes of the alarm

also meaning, no social media browsing in bed in the mornings

(as noted above) start each day with a 10-minute stretch routine (even the weekends)

get back to hearty breakfasts… in my rush, I’m reaching for yogurts and various packaged breakfast biscuits or cereals. When I plan ahead and actually prep overnight oatmeal or organize some kind of breakfast bowls, where I only have to add an egg or an avocado in the mornings, I feel much better and my morning work flows more smoothly.

Spending:

Four months living with my parents rent free (down from nearly $1200 a month I was spending on rent), I expected to pad my savings accounts with quite a bit of money in the fall semester, even as I was on a part time salary. But alas, I seem to have not… Like a lot of people, retail therapy has been a favorite way to cope with the pandemic… candles, new boots, a two year supply of Korean facemasks, yet another set of Pyrex, books and more books. I purchased a few things I’ve been putting off for years, including a new laptop (mine was 10 years old) and a proper desk chair (which I’ve never had). In October, I was advised to get new tires before the winter set in ($494). And, my marketplace health insurance plan (including vision and dental), $244 per month… It added up fast.

In the new year, I’ll be on full time salary and have employer benefits, lowering my out of pocket costs on insurance. And although living on my own means my living expenses will surely rise (rent, utilities, grocery, and house supplies), I hope to calm down my discretionary spending once I get the new apartment set up––admittedly, there are some furniture purchases I want to make first (a real couch, a couple bookshelves, a baker’s rack for the kitchen).

Eating/ Recipes:

2020 was such a wreck for my eating habits, even before the pandemic as I navigated my interview schedule, travel, and stress during the tenure-track job market;  and the college’s block schedule (ironically, I was teaching food literature, yet I barely had time to cook or feed myself fresh foods). Then came the pandemic, where I had all the time to cook for myself… and cooking and eating seemed to be the only thing to do. So, I occupied myself planning complicated recipes, brainstorming how to use up any out-of-the-usual ingredients I would need for them. And I also noticed myself picking up new, not healthy habits, like buying non-dairy ice creams on my bi-weekly, masked up and high stress grocery forays. And on top of that, I felt compelled to support local businesses with huge takeout orders that might last me two or three days.

Spring faded into summer, summer into fall and I was settling in for the long haul at my parents’ house. They’re eating habits are generally pretty healthy (my mom has a degree in nutrition after all), but they are also truly midwestern “meal = meat” types. Probably as part of my grad school budgeting, I’ve long adapted to eating meat sparingly, preparing it at home just a few times a month or, more typically, getting it at restaurants while eating mainly vegetarian at home. I also found in my mom’s house that it is stocked with sweets and snacks like it never was when I was a kid––potato chips, cookies, chocolates, sugary drinks. Alone, I manage my inability to resist by simply not buying many of these things, but here they were all the time.

Moving into my apartment this January, it very much feels like I’m setting myself up for success in 2021, as I take control of my grocery trips once more, re-establish my meal prep habits, and dial down meat consumption/dial up veggies.

Here are some recipes I’m excited to try this year:

Oat and banana based breakfast muffins

Crock pot butter chicken

Various waffles (I got a mini waffle maker!), especially scallion waffles; leftover Thanksgiving stuffing waffles; hash brown waffles; and zucchini fritters (I tried to make these on the frying pan last year, but I think I’ll get a better crisp in the waffle maker)

Sweet potato biscuits (for a breakfast sandwich)

Various soups, including Chicken & Hominy Stew with Greens

Hasselback Potato with Cilantro-Peanut Dressing

Cookies: coffee (winter/Christmas), pumpkin (fall)

Read/Watch:

Finish The Bluest Eye (Morrison) - I’ve been stalled on p. 130 since July 2020. Help.

Laura Kang, Traffic in Asian Women

Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown

Tommy Orange, There There

The Lunchbox

History and Memory

Minari

Taxi Driver

90 Day Fiancée (for research)

[peacekaleandyoga1]

Being fit is an essential part of a healthy go hand and hand.There may be times when you feel like giving up, but try to fight that urge. The following tips can set you some insight on how to improve the healthiness quotient in your life.

Many people try and reach their fitness at the gym by lifting weights. There are six easy exercises you can do to help maintain the muscles in your body, and they are pull-ups, push ups, leg raises, squats, and leg raises.

The best fitness routines target your body but also include exercises designed to increase flexibility.Search for fitness classes in your region.

TIP! Spend no more than one hour at a time lifting weights. Not only that, but muscle wasting starts at around an hour during this type of exercise.

Strong thighs are important to prevent knee injury. A torn ligament tear behind the kneecap is a frequent sports injury. You can do such things by doing leg extensions and also leg curls.

You can reduce your chance of injury which walking by making sure you are in order to prevent injuries.Walk with your body perpendicular to the ground and keep your shoulders back. Let your elbows fall at roughly a comfortable 90-degree angle. Your foot and arms should be totally opposite your forward arm.

Try different types of exercise classes to keep yourself excited and excited. Try a dancing class or pilates class. If you don’t like a certain activity, you don’t have to try it again, and you will have burned some calories.

TIP! Seek a variety of workouts so that you stay interested and committed. Switching things up will allow you a chance to discover classes you love and give you reason to keep heading back to the gym.

Strong Core

A strong core carries many health benefits for well-rounded fitness. Having a strong core helps with every exercise. Doing sit-ups can help your core muscles. Doing sit-ups also increase the range of motion you experience. This will cause your abdominal muscles to work longer and harder.

Make yourself do exercises you like least. It is probable that the reason you do not like the exercise is because you are not good at which they don’t excel. Add those difficult exercises to your routine and overcome them.

TIP! Be sure you have a great pair of workout shoes before you start your exercises. You stand a much higher likelihood of injuring yourself at the feet or ankles if you aren’t wearing specific shoes for the activities of your routine.

You won’t be able to get six pack abs by only doing crunches. You aren’t going to lose tummy fat with abdominal exercise, but you won’t really burn too much fat in the process.

Always dress comfortably for your fitness regimen. If you work out at a fitness center, you may feel pressure to dress a certain way, but try not to succumb to that pressure. Make sure what you won’t feel embarrassed about moving in.The proper workout clothes will make exercising more comfortable and not on what you’re wearing.

Do you want to get the most out of your exercise regime? You may be able to increase your muscle strength by twenty percent through simple stretching. Take half a minute or so to stretch any muscles involved after each exercise sets. Stretching for a great way to improve your overall fitness.

TIP! Make time to exercise on a daily basis. You can start improving your fitness in small steps, like choosing to take the stairs to your office instead of the elevator.

A machine that does not have adequate padding is bound to be extremely uncomfortable during your workout.

These labels and names can drain away your motivation right from the start. When you refer to working out, refer to it as whatever you will actually be doing, running or cycling is more interesting.

Dips are terrific for your body. Dips are an amazing exercise that targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. There are a number of places that you can do them as well. You can position two benches and use them to do the dips between them. You can even add a bit of weight to make it tougher.

TIP! Most people need motivation to stay on their diet program, so they have to see and feel the results in order to keep going. Substitute smaller clothing for your scale and use those items as a visual aid weekly to see your weight loss.

Yard work is an easy way to get fit without deliberately exercising. You need some physical activity and your yard needs attention. This makes for a win-win situation. Try improving your living space once per week for some exercise. You could forget about time and get a great looking body and body.

Roller blades are available in many sporting goods stores and online.

Get the family involved in your fitness program. You can all take turns choosing what fitness activity you want to do every week. This log will get everyone moving and burning calories.

TIP! It can be hard to meet your fitness goals with workout shoes that do not fit properly. Try to buy workout shoes during the evening because this is when your feet are a little larger.

Doing this can encourage your children to play a more active role in fitness themselves.

If you are not sticking with your regime, ask your friends to join in.

Muscle Group

TIP! Be sure to wipe down equipment before and after using it. The previous user may have left behind a variety of germs.

Avoid spending too much time working a single side of your body or muscle group. Some people buy into the myth that if they focus on one part at a single muscle group or area of the body is the path to excellent results.

A good tip for people that mountain biking is to pitch themselves forward when ascending hills. This keeps the weight evenly distributed and the front wheel firmly planted.

You should do at least half an hour of cardiovascular exercises about 30 or so minutes every day. Just remember that the longer you workout, the more time you’ll need.

TIP! Running can produce positive, and negative, effects to your body in the long run. Cut your running mileage and frequency one week per every six weeks to keep damage at bay.

Exhale violently when sitting upright during crunches. This causes your abdominal muscles and burns a higher amount of calories. This is a great way to make crunches be more efficient.

How to get fit and maintain your fitness level is a topic that is endlessly debated by experts in the field. When you dig through the pile of opinions, you’ll find a few items that hold true time after time. Some are things you should incorporate into your program, and some are things to be avoided at all costs. If you follow this advice, you should be on the road to being more happy and fit.

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[floraexplorer]

Wilderness Festival 2019: the Fanciest Music Festival You’ll Ever Visit

I’ve been to a lot of music festivals, but Wilderness Festival is undoubtedly the fanciest.

Wilderness is a four-day boutique festival held in early August each year set in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire, England.

It also has a reputation for being extremely middle-class.

Say goodbye to dodgy food and watered-down beer – at Wilderness, there are lavish Long Table Banquets rustled up by big-name foodies like Yotam Ottolenghi and Deliciously Ella; a champagne garden sponsored by Verve Cliquot with waiters dressed in Great Gatsby-inspired outfits; and ex-Prime Minister David Cameron has been spotted multiple years running.

I don’t always love the elitism of middle-class events, yet somehow I’ve now been to Wilderness Festival three times: once as a first-time visitor, once as a member of a hen party, and once as a speaker (!).

At Wilderness Festival 2017, I was asked to speak about my travels to an audience of forty people sat around a campfire beside a boating lake. It was the most ridiculously picturesque setting – and it also made me re-think my initial opinions about this ‘posh’ festival.

Because middle-class or not, Wilderness Festival isn’t just about the music. Now in its ninth year, the Wilderness 2019 lineup includes sets from Robyn, Bombay Bicycle Club and Groove Armada – but the organisers advertise it as an ‘alternative’ festival and put a strong focus on experiences, too.

Over the course of the weekend you can attend wood carving, foraging and toxic masculinity workshops, lake swimming, arts and crafts, axe throwing, ecstatic dancing, life drawing, paddleboarding, stimulating talks from prominent authors, yoga and meditation, and an unbelievable amount of gourmet food.

So if you’re looking for a music festival that’s family friendly, keen on colourful costumes, and focuses more on delicious food, alternative entertainment and thought-provoking talks than getting wasted?

Wilderness ticks all the boxes.

What to expect from Wilderness Festival: a review

After three years at Wilderness, I feel pretty qualified in reviewing this fancy festival. The following is a list of my favourite aspects of Wilderness: what you should see, where you should go and what you might have forgotten about.

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1. The setting of Wilderness Festival is undeniably idyllic.

Wilderness is held at the Cornbury Park estate in Oxford, south England. That’s 5,000 acres which play host to a few different campsites, a lake, forests and woodland, all surrounded by rolling fields – not to mention a hidden valley where the late-night revellers dance their troubles away.

2. You can take a dip in the lake.

To reach the festival from the campsites, you have to walk past Lake Majestic – and that’s usually enough to convince you to jump in. The water’s pretty chilly but it serves as a much-needed refresher during the summer heat!

The lake is also the prime spot for water-based activities: you can go out in a rowboat, take a yoga class on paddleboards or chill out in the wood-fired hot tubs which sit on the edge of the lake’s waters.

3. Dressing up isn’t mandatory, but costumes are a big deal.

There’s a big focus on fancy dress at Wilderness Festival. You’ll spot groups in the same outfits, people carrying inflatables bigger than themselves, and at least one hen party dressed up as superheroes.

Each night of Wilderness Festival has a designated costume theme – this year the themes are ‘What Comes Naturally’ on Friday, ‘Hue Are You?’ on Saturday and ‘The Great Big Hats Off’ on Sunday (and for those worried about the possible cultural appropriation of Sunday’s theme, Wilderness have politely asked guests to refrain from wearing Native American headdresses over the course of the weekend.)

4. There’s plenty of places to buy yourself some sequins.

If you’ve forgotten to bring enough glitter, feathers, fur, sequins, sparkly spandex or generally shiny materials, never fear: there are dozens of stalls and shops selling every conceivable addition to an outfit.

Moreover, each year there seems to be a different festival trend – my favourite was the year of clip-on animal tails.

5. Keep an eye out for a giant snail on a leash.

The troupes of performers and roaming art installations are one of my favourite aspects of Wilderness Festival. You never know when a giant snail will be ceremoniously led past you, or when a group of Bearded Ladies will appear from behind a tree and start dancing maniacally.

And let’s not even get started on the annual tradition of streakers running through the Sunday cricket match.

6. Get involved in some immersive performances.

There are slightly more official performances throughout the weekend: choose from choirs, swing dancers, comedians, ballet, Letters Live, dance-offs, hip-hop karaoke, and dozens of small theatre events.

My first year I arrived at a meeting point close to the festival’s entrance and was led by the hand around the far end of the lake in an immersive theatre performance, which culminated in a woman standing mournfully in the lake for a very long time. Bizarre but fascinating, nonetheless!

7. Try carving wooden spoons in the Greencrafts Village.

There’s an entire area dedicated to hands-on crafts workshops – and it’s totally green-friendly. Instead of using mains electricity or generators, the Greencrafts Village use solar power, traditional tools and work with recycled and sustainable materials.

Try your hand at wood whittling, basket weaving, spoon carving, felting, silversmithing or channel your ancient metal-working skills at the Iron Age forge!

8. Indulge yourself at the Sanctuary.

How many other music festivals let you soak away the day in hot tubs beside the lake? And if you really push the boat out there’s a bottle of champagne with your name on it, too.

Wilderness has a long list of indulgent activities, which mainly take place at The Sanctuary and the Lakeside Spa. Choose from massages, aromatherapy treatments, facials, tarot readings and medicine walks.

There’s also someone from Neil’s Yard wandering the site, ready to spray your hands with citrus-scented sanitiser!

9. How about a spot of early-morning outdoor yoga?

If you can rouse yourself from your tent-based slumber in the mornings, Wilderness has a lot to offer its early risers.

Areas like The Studio and Mindful Space hold sessions of yoga, pilates, meditation, sound baths, essential oil workshops, dance classes and vocal practices dotted all over the festival site – and some sessions are so well hidden that you might accidentally come across them underneath the trees.

10. The street food at Wilderness Festival is INSANE.

Rumour has it that Wilderness are positing themselves as a food-focused festival, and you can see why: the entire site is filled to the brim with over a hundred street food vendors.

You can find all the expected festival classics – crepes, bacon sandwiches, deep vats of paella, decadent burgers – but there’s also gourmet street food like I’ve never seen before, ranging from sushi burrito wraps, Buddha bowls and an Italian pasta stand to churros, truffle chips, acai bowls, and vegan curries.

Even in the camp sites you’ll find food vendors serving up fancy coffee, artisanal fry-ups and cheese toasties.

My personal foodie recommendations include:

– Pad Thai from BangWok

– luxe Mac & Cheese from Anna Mae’s van

– bao with pork belly & hoisin sauce

– late night Marmite crumpets from ‘Strumpets with Crumpets’ (these were also the cheapest food I found at Wilderness – a steal at £2.50 for two!)

11. Wilderness isn’t lacking in fancy drinks either.

Although I wasn’t too happy about the prices of some drinks, the festival undoubtedly pushes the boat out when it comes to alcohol.

Take your pick from beverages at a Bloody Mary caravan, a Jose Cuervo tequila bar, a Rioja tent, a Sipsmith gin palace, and a double-decker Pimms bus, or try your hand at cocktail-making masterclasses run by whisky distillers.

12. Listen to talks, debates, comedy and poetry at The Forum.

You could easily spend all day in The Forum, a large bell tent with literary-inspired paper decorations hanging from the roof. There’s a huge blackboard outside revealing each day’s schedule of talks, ranging from political and academic to LGBTQ and narcotics.

There are some high-profile speakers too – 2019 guests include Rose McGowan, Jack Monroe, Dermot O’Leary, Adam Kay and Scarlett Curtis.

At night, this venue focuses on comedy, poetry and spoken word: in 2017, we spent a rainy evening settled into comfy sofas with mugs of hot chocolate and watched a swathe of stand-up performances – perfection! I wish there were more venues like this at other festivals.

13. Learn from literary folks at the Books Tent.

Nearby to the Forum is the Books Tent, which comprises an entire bookshop (and elicited strong memories of the Hay on Wye book festival!)

There are dozens of poetry readings, debates and talks hosted by leading writers and publishers and writing masterclasses led by inspirational authors, as well as book signings afterwards.

The blackboard outside the tent gives the most up-to-date schedule.

Read more: A day at Hay on Wye literary festival

14. Dance all day to the Wilderness Festival lineup.

Despite all the other attractions on offer, music is still a huge part of Wilderness. It’s easy to discover a whole range of other styles of music around the festival at the following stages and areas:

The Clubhouse: a tented space by the playing field.

The Hustle: vinyl in the day time, disco at night.

The Highground: the dance space.

The Atrium: the collaborative stage right in the middle of the site which hosts performances from Letters Live, the Wilderness Choir, Hip Hop Karaoke and the Dance Off.

A crowd of people at the Atrium stage at Wilderness Festival

The Troubadour: folk music and artist collectives.

The Carousel: self-explanatory, and my favourite stage out of every festival I’ve been to!

The Level: music from around the globe.

The Valley: a hidden ravine in the forest – the perfect place for late-night raves.

The Main Stage: where the biggest acts perform – as big and spacious as you’d expect!

15. Appreciate the tiny details which make Wilderness Festival unique.

It’s the attention to detail which really elevates Wilderness above other festivals. Everywhere you look, you’ll see tiny hearts painted on stages, dreamcatchers hung in the trees, and hand-made decorations in the rafters of tents.

It creates a really lovely atmosphere which makes people want to just sit around and strike up conversation with the strangers near them – like this guy dressed as a fox!

A few of my top tips for Wilderness Festival

Like any music festival, there are a few unforeseen circumstances which can trip you up. Here are some of my top tips for Wilderness:

16. Combat the high prices by bringing some alcohol with you. 

Call me naive, but I was shocked by some of the drink prices. A small can of lager cost me £5 and I didn’t want to buy more booze after that – so I headed back to our campsite and our small stash of alcohol.

Like most UK festivals, Wilderness has a limited quota on bringing in beer, wine and cigarettes, and no spirits are allowed. The stipulations are as follows:

12 cans of beer, lager, cider or pre-mixed drinks OR 2 bottles of wine (decanted into plastic bottles) per person OR a combination of the two i.e. 6 cans and 1 bottle.

FYI there’s also a strict site-wide ban on glass. Make sure you decant bottles of wine into plastic and only bring cans of beer!

17. Share the cost of the printed Wilderness programme (£10).

The printed festival program includes enough information to constitute a guide book – but it’s only available once you reach the festival site, and unfortunately it’s not included in your ticket price either.

These babies cost £10, and they’re the only place you can fully read up on what’s scheduled, where and when. Buy one for your group and share accordingly (or make friends with a stranger and ask to look through theirs!).

18. Book the Experiences before you arrive at Wilderness.

Wilderness Festival has plenty of exclusive activities which they call ‘Experiences’. There are three categories – wellbeing, outdoor and dining – and include everything from massages, yoga raves and sound baths to hat-making workshops, foraging for aromatic plants and Long Table Banquets.

These experiences cost extra and it’s advisable to book them ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

19. Head into The Valley early to avoid the queues! 

Most of the music in Wilderness’s main arena shuts off at around 11pm – which means there’s a hefty queue to get into The Valley, a wooded ravine which hosts DJs and music late into the night.

If you’re planning a big night, it’s a good idea to skip the end of the Main Stage headliner and head to The Valley before you have to spend an hour in the queue.

20. Bring some layers for the festival at night.

Even in the height of an English summer, Wilderness still gets cold at night – both when you’re camping, and when you’re wandering around the festival in the evenings.

On my second year we got so chilly that we ended up buying overpriced woollen blanket ponchos from one of the stalls. It felt extravagant at the time but it’s paid off since: I’ve taken the poncho to other festivals and can even swan around my house feeling like I’m festival-worthy in London!

(I’m writing a festival packing list so will link it here when it’s published!)

Wilderness Festival takes place from 1st-4th August 2019 in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. You can get your festival tickets here.

Getting to Wilderness Festival 2019:

When is Wilderness Festival?

It’s held every year in the first week of August. This year’s festival is 1st-4th August 2019.

Where is Wilderness Festival? 

The official address is Cornbury Park, Charlbury, England OX7 3DG.

How do I get there?

By train: The closest station is Charlbury Station, which has regular trains to London Paddington. You can walk to the festival site from the station but I wouldn’t recommend it – apparently it’s 1.5 miles but the drive on the shuttle bus seems a LOT longer! Shuttles run every half hour or so and cost £3 single, £5 return.

By coach: National Express are running special coaches to/from Wilderness. You’ll get picked up from London Victoria Coach station from 10am on 1 August and return from 10am on 5 August. Prices start at £43.

How much do Wilderness tickets cost? 

Adult ticket: from £200.95

Teen ticket (13-17 years): £126.25

Junior ticket (6-12 years): £39.75

Child ticket (0-5 years): £6.25

All the above ticket prices include a space in the General Camping sites. Other options include pre-pitched tents, luxury toilets and showers, concierge and trolley service (for a higher price!) – check out Meadow Camping and Boutique Camping for more info.

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[peacekaleandyoga1]

It can be difficult to know the best ways to get into shape. There is a lot of information about getting into shape that is becomes complicated to figure out there. The following advice will show you how to get fitter.

Are you like many others and have very little free time for exercising? Divide a single workout up into two parts. Rather than spending 60 minutes jogging, try half before work and half later in the day.

Try different things when you are going to start a good workout. You don’t need to go to the gym to have a good workout. You need to like what you motivated and happy to continue with the activity.

TIP! To stay motivated and enthusiastic about exercise, try a variety of fitness classes. Switching things around allow you to discover new classes you love, so you have a reason to continue going to the gym.

Try various types of fitness classes to keep yourself excited and motivated. Try a dancing class or pilates class. You only need to do things once to find new things you like, you will be eventually losing weight.

Be sure that you’re wearing the right kind of shoes for your exercises. When you are not wearing the proper footwear you can injure your back, you may injure your legs, feet or ankles.

If your exercise routine requires you to keep count of your reps, try counting down from that number instead of counting up from zero. This helps you get a better idea of how many you have left while keeping you motivated a lot better than counting up.

TIP! Maintain a record of everything you do each day. Include all the exercises you do and everything you consume.

Tennis players use this trick to build strength in your forearms. Start buy laying a piece of newspaper on a table or some other flat surface. Crumple the whole piece of paper in your dominant hand for at least 30 seconds.

You need to concentrate on improving your running stride speed if you’re a sprint. This can be accomplished by positioning your foot’s landing point beneath your body rather than ahead of it.Use the toes of your back leg to push yourself forward. Practice doing this every run and your running speed steadily increase.

One way to check for over-training is to measure your pulse as soon as you get up on the day after working out.

TIP! While running on a treadmill may have its draw, taking time to run outside has better benefits to you. Treadmills offer convenience, especially when it gets too cold outside.

Lifting weights can help you build endurance to run. Runners don’t typically think of weight training as a way to improve their running, but they should start! Research has proven that runners can run faster and farther than those who do not.

You should feel enthused and ready to go after a workout, but energetic and rejuvenated. Make sure you are including exercises in the cardio category like jogging, including running or aerobics. You can also add strength training for specific muscles groups if you feel you have the energy to do this.

It is wise to exercise them no more than two or three days per week, because rest is essential to the health of this muscle group.

TIP! Wear the proper shoes during exercise. Shoes that are specifically designed for the workouts you do will help lessen the risk of painful and frustrating injuries.

The most efficient way to get physically fit is to work out on a daily workouts. You will not be exercising on a daily basis.It also helps your exercise to become a workout routine. You will want lighter exercise on occasion so that you can avoid overloading your body.

Take a friend with you on your running workout.A motivated friend who is in great shape than your are is actually even more helpful.Someone who is already used to running can inspire you to try harder and mentor for you. When you run alongside someone who you think does things better than you, it increases your motivation to increase your own performance and unleashes our competitive instincts.

Look for local places that have free access to their machines. Some corporations allow their employees access to a gym room or similar places.If you can find a convenient place to work out, you should still be aware of the locations of local gyms.

TIP! Before beginning your bench workout, firmly press the cushion down with your fingers in order to test the padding thickness. If the wood can be felt under the padding, then pass on that machine and try another.

Yogurt is great food to eat for fitness. There are many benefits that yogurt and it aids in digestion. Yogurt is a beneficial source of protein and calcium. People who consume dairy in their diet are likely to be healthier.

Bring your pet to exercise together. Pets actually need good amount of exercise as much as people do. Studies show that up to 35 percent of pets are overweight, so if you exercise with your pet, too. Just walking your furry friend so that you can both get healthier.

Shop for your workout shoes later in the day. Your feet swell throughout the day, and you can make sure they will be a comfortable size for working out.

TIP! m. session.

With fitness, as with anything, the more you know, the better you will do. By learning all you can about fitness, you can get more out of working out. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or just doing light exercise. Apply what you gained from this article so that you can get fit.

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A lot of people are clueless on how to start out on their efforts to get into shape.This article offers great advice and tips to help you get started on your journey. If you desire success, then continue on and check out the beneficial fitness advice in this article to help you get great results.

Don’t focus exclusively on just using crunches to strengthen your abdomen. A major research university discovered that it takes a quarter million crunches to burn a single pound of fat. You should also work out the abs in alternate ways too.

Try different types of fitness classes to keep yourself excited and excited. Try a dancing class or pilates class. If you don’t like a certain activity, you don’t have to go back, and you will have burned some calories.

TIP! Many people think the only way to get fit is by lifting weights. However, for complete fitness, you need to work all of the muscles in your body, not just your arms.

Record each thing you do daily.You should even note the day’s weather. This can help you reflect on the data to recognize patterns. If you slack off on your workout for a couple days, explain your reasons in your journal.

Wear clothes you feel comfy in when you’re working out. If you attend a gym, you may feel pressure to wear fashionable workout gear, but resist it. Make sure what you won’t feel embarrassed about moving in.The right clothes allow you focus on fitness and not how your clothing looks.

A machine that does not have adequate padding is bound to be extremely uncomfortable during your workout.

TIP! Change up the exercises you do on a regular basis. This keeps you motivated to workout every day.

Many people need to feel and see results as they pursue their weight loss efforts. Try buying tighter clothes instead of using the scale. You will be able to see every week how you diet.

Workout Shoes

Make sure your workout shoes which fit. Try to buy workout shoes during the day after your feet have had a little larger. There should be at least a half-inch of space between your big toe and the front of the shoe. You should be able to move your toes comfortably.

TIP! Walking with good posture and technique is important to make sure you don’t injure yourself. Walk with your body perpendicular to the ground and keep your shoulders angled back.

Clean off the exercise machine at the gym before you start your workout. The person previously using the equipment could have left behind a variety of germs.

Test the bench before starting your workout. Check that the padding on the bench by putting pressure on the seat with your thumb.

If you exercise during commercials, you can watch TV as much as you like and still get a good workout.

TIP! Always check your shoes when you go out to exercise and ensure that they are ideal for the conditions. Wearing inappropriate shoes can cause injury.

Only work out the muscles that you had exercised the previous day lightly. An easier way to accomplish this is to only give a partial effort in working out tired muscles.

Volunteer work is a great weight to increase your community. There are many volunteer opportunities that involve physical activity and movement. This gets you in motion and provide help to needy organizations.

Make sure you are properly balancing workouts because the course of your workout. Working just the muscles in your lower back or the ab muscles is a recipe for back pain. Working both muscle groups at every opportunity is a good way to steer clear of back problems and allow you to continue working out when you want to.

TIP! Do you want to get better results for the effort you spend working out? Stretch before, after and between exercises to help build your strength by as much as 20 percent. Try and stretch your muscles after each set of your weight lifting routine.

Go outside to workout whenever possible.Go for a hike, try tennis, or run up and down a large set of stairs. You will get a great work out and feel refreshed as well. Being outside helps to improve your mood and lowers levels of stress.

This will open your airway and make running easier.

One great strategy for bench pressing is to inwardly squeeze inward on the bar every time. This exercises your chest muscles more vigorously and results in a greater degree. Squeezing the bar outward is ideal if you want to work your triceps.

TIP! Through controlled breathing, you can get the most from every workout. When you are doing abdominal exercises, exhale forcefully once your shoulders are as high as they go.

A good tip for people that mountain bikes is leaning the body forward when they go uphill on their bikes. This keeps the weight and the front wheel firmly planted.

A good suggestion for increasing your level of fitness is to incorporate some form of physical activity even when you are resting. You can lift some hand weights while watching television, or go through a stretching sequence when you are sitting there watching television.

If you want to exceed at becoming healthier and more fit, you need to have a plan of action. Use all the ideas laid out here to create goals and to get started toward a fitter you. If you are not sure how to start, don’t worry. This advice is going to put you on the right path.

TIP! Properly fitting footwear is vital to successful workouts. Instead of shopping for shoes in the afternoon or morning, shop for them in the evening, when your feet have become larger.

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Many individuals believe getting fit is simply impossible. If you are ready to commit yourself to a fitness program, you can improve your fitness level and achieve your goals.

Begin with smaller machines when you are in the initial stages of your workout.Small muscles wear out before the big ones, and that’s why it’s a good idea to start lifting barbells or dumbbells before tackling the larger machines.

Change up the exercises you do on a broader selection of workout choices. This can help you focused and help you keep coming back for more every day.

TIP! If you are someone who is highly motivated by shopping, set a budget and go buy some cute workout clothing. Even a small item like that can help keep you motivated so that you will keep going to the gym.

Try different types of fitness classes to stay motivated and excited. Try a dance or pilates class. Keep in mind that you only need to attempt each class one time, and you are still getting the benefit of weight loss during the process.

Maintain a log of the exercise you do each day. You should even jot down the weather was like. This will help you reflect on the lows and highs of that particular day. If you skip a workout, write down why.

Make a regular schedule if there are issues with you from not making exercise a part of your life. Plan to exercise at certain times during the week, and stick to it. If you need to miss a workout day, reschedule that missed workout to another time so you give it the necessary importance.

TIP! Set your goals first and this will help determine the rate at which you strength train and how often you must hit the gym. If larger, more powerful muscles are desired, you need to strength train less frequently.

Many people make the mistake of concentrating on abdominal exercise is wise. This is not ideal for this muscle group.Abs are like any other muscle and need rest too! You should attempt to let your abs a 2 to 3 day rest period between workouts.

Lifting weights helps you build endurance to run.Runners don’t typically think of weight training as a way to improve their running, but it definitely something they should do! Research has proven that runners who regularly strength-train run faster and longer without feeling tired by creating a regular schedule of lifting weights.

Go outside to do your workouts whenever you can. Go on a hike, to the beach, or run up and down a large set of stairs. You will get a good exercise and feel refreshed as well. Being outside is great for clearing your head and it can help lower stress levels.

TIP! There are all kinds of classes you can take to keep it fresh. Mixing it up a bit gives you the opportunity to discover new classes, and find more fun ways to get fit.

Create a workout routine that the whole family can do. You can take turns choosing what fitness activity you want to do every week. This log will get everyone moving and burning calories.

It is wise to exercise them no more than two or three days per week, because rest is essential to the health of this muscle group.

If you are having difficulty staying on track when it comes to exercising, it is best to see if you have some friends who like to join you on this journey.

TIP! Running in an outside setting is better for you than a treadmill. When you can, run outside.

Try jogging with a good friend. A running buddy who is in great shape is the perfect choice. Running with someone who is more fit than you are can inspire you to work up to their level.If you workout with someone who is currently more athletically gifted than you are, you will try even harder to keep up with them.

Look for companies that offer access to their machines. Some corporations allow their gym as a perk. If your company does not offer this, you are more likely to stick with your program.

Bring your pet to exercise with you when you work out.Pets need exercise too. As many as one-third of all pets could stand to lose a few pounds, so include them in walks. A walk can be a benefit to both of you and your favorite companion.

TIP! Exercise using the right shoes. Wearing inappropriate shoes can cause injury.

Shop for workout shoes in the day as opposed to earlier. This is when the feet are at their largest, and therefore you can rest assured that your new shoes will not be too tight for workouts.

It’s important to be flexible as possible if you want to be fit. You want to do a stretching program into your fitness routine in order to keep from tearing your body stays limber.

Running is a very beneficial in reaching your desired fitness level. It is good for your heart, but helps build lean muscle and aids your lungs and heart, and is advantageous for your mind. Some studies indicate that the benefits to the brain from running can often be an effective substitute for depression as treatment drugs.

TIP! If you feel that you are working out less, make a schedule and stick to it. Make a promise to yourself to work out a certain number of days weekly, and keep that promise.

Schedule your level of motivation and stick to it. This will also help you to determine if your excuse was warranted. You will see that your excuse wasn’t true.

This will deliver more blood flow to the muscles.

Do some workouts in your own home. You can perform many exercises at home, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. You can do weight training at home with dumbbells or exercise bands.A simple jump rope is all you need when doing cardio workout.

TIP! Always use your fingers to check out the quality of the pads on a bench before choosing which one to spend time working out on. If the wood can be felt under the padding, choose a machine that has more padding.

Joining a gym doesn’t have to be for younger people. Most gyms appreciate attracting members who are in your age group. Speak with a membership representative about what classes are offered.

You can exercise weekly from two to four days a week, but more is better. You do no need to spend very long. Fifteen or twenty minutes a day is good. You shouldn’t be working out for any more than 60 minutes.

Although improving your fitness is going to take a lot of work, you can do it! If your fitness level improves, your well-being, overall health and looks will also improve. Fitness encompasses all areas of your life, and improved fitness means an improved overall life.

TIP! For every rep of weight lifts that you do, ensure your glutes are flexed. Not only does this give your butt a good workout, but it also helps to decrease the risk of injury by forcing your body to more effectively position itself.

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Many people want to get fit but just don’t think it is something they are always held back because it becomes too much of a chore. Use this article to help you can about achieving your fitness goals.

Pay for a gym or fitness club. This plan is designed for everyone; don’t bother trying it unless you’re finding it difficult to maintain your motivation.

Simple pushups can do wonders to tone triceps. This will strengthen and tone those hard-to-reach triceps like no other exercise.

TIP! Walking will help to increase fitness and is a fantastic workout. For increased effort, walk by pushing off your heel and going to your toe.

You need not worry if the case. Biking is a fantastic alternative for those seeking another good way to keep fit. Biking is a cheap way to get some exercise in and save some money on gas.

Try various types of exercise classes to stay motivated and motivated. Try out a dancing class or pilates class. If you don’t like a certain activity, you don’t have to try it again, and you will have burned some calories.

Write down the exercises you perform in a fitness diary. Note your regular workouts and anything else that you do. Buy a pedometer that you can use to track how many steps you take each day and include that in your record, too. This type of written record will prove invaluable in tracking your progress as you move towards your fitness journey.

TIP! A good tip to keeping in good shape is joining a health club and when you do, pay for a few months upfront. The guilt you will feel by not using the club will hopefully get you to go more often than you normally would.

Make time in your day for at least a few minutes each day.

A machine that does not have adequate padding is bound to be extremely uncomfortable during your workout session.

If you exercise during a commercial break, you can have a guilt-free television session.

TIP! Exercising can be hard when you have a very busy schedule. Divide a single workout up into two different sessions.

Taking your dog out for a walk is a great way to get exercise. Your fuzzy little buddy will love going for a walk. Walk around a full block or two and start to build from there. This camaraderie is one of the perks of being a dog owner.

Don’t wrap your thumbs around the bar if you are doing gripping exercises like pull-ups or lat pulldowns. You will be able to focus on your back muscles by putting your thumb next your index finger. It may take some getting used to, but it’s important for getting the right muscles worked out.

Leg Extensions

TIP! Investing in a personal trainer is a great way to improve your fitness goals. Personal trainers can help you optimize your workout so that you get the most out of it, and also keep your motivation up when it flags.

Leg extensions are a terrific way to bulk up your quads. Leg extensions are fairly easy and almost every gym will have one leg extension machine. The extent of the exercise is sitting down and extending your legs up while in a seated position.

Always pay attention to proper form when lifting weights to strengthen your biceps. The way to do biceps curls is with your wrists bent backward just slightly. Then, you want to release your wrists into their normal position, release the angle and allow your wrists to relax into their natural positions by your side.This exertion will help to form the biceps that you build muscle without injuring yourself.

You can also search online for fitness programs online.

TIP! A basic weight lifting routine of high weight and lower repetitions is good for building muscles. Focus on the area that you desire to increase mass in and do not divert from that region.

The quickest way to get physically fit is to work out on a daily exercise. This way you can burn more calories in the most out of each workout session. It also means that you will get in a habit. You will want lighter exercise on occasion so that you can avoid overloading your body by exercising lightly some days.

You should change your exercise routine up. There are several reasons this is vital. The first reason is that performing the same exercise over and over again tend to burn out quickly. If you get too good at one particular exercise, you will have an easier time doing it, so it won’t be working as hard. Keep you workout routine fresh with a constant stream of new exercises.

Take a friend with you on your running workout.A running buddy who is in great shape than your are is actually even more helpful. Running with a person who is more fit than you of your goals and push you to succeed. If your friend is more fit than you are, it will give you a goal to strive towards to be able to keep up.

TIP! If you find yourself exercising infrequently, or making excuses to avoid exercise, make a schedule. Plan the days and the times you will work out, and stick to it.

Doing sit-ups the wrong way will prevent injury to your lower back. Take advantage of a Swiss ball by placing a rolled towel under your body to achieve the same effect as anchoring. Anchoring your feet to a piece of furniture when you perform sit ups adds extra strain to your back.

Jogging is a great way to build your stamina as you exercise. You need to start slow and then gradually build up your time as you go along.

You should make adequate time each day to incorporate some fitness activity. You could be skipping some great chances to improve your free time is spent on something fitness if you let an entire day fill up with sedentary activities.There are frequent periods of downtime throughout the day to add in physical activities.

TIP! Carve out time in your busy schedule to exercise. Small changes can be worked into your daily life to encourage more exercise.

Avoid eating too much immediately before working out. Exercising immediately after eating may prevent any food you eat from settling properly in your stomach. This can lead to nausea or vomiting.Eat something light or drink water before you workout and eat a larger meal afterward.

Schedule your level of motivation and concentration. This will also help you to determine if your excuse was warranted. You will see that your excuse wasn’t true.

Are you interested in learning how to play almost any sport?By doing this, you will play better. Try to start by looking at and focusing on things far away, and then something very close to you.

TIP! Before using any weight bench, check it out. Check the padding on the bench by putting pressure on the seat with your thumb.

The ideas and advice you have learned here should give you some great ideas to help you get fit. There is always more information you can learn on the subject; be sure to apply what you learn so you really do achieve the goals you have set for yourself. If you put everything you learned into action, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting in shape!

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