We sat down again with Innermost Insider Izzy Hill, who gave us the lowdown on all things 'balance'. Balanced diets, why it's important to keep life in balance (and how she does so), and her advice on what to do when maintaining balance seems impossible.
Hey Izzy! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey, I’m Izzy, I’m 22 years old and live in London. I work a 9-5 job in the city and in my free time, I love to socialise and be active. Throughout my school years, I was fortunate enough to have plenty of opportunities that strengthened my love for sport. Competing nationally in athletics and cross country, I was also a part of the school hockey and netball team. I went on to study at Nottingham Trent University, where my passion for fitness grew stronger, as I was a part of the hockey team and finding my feet as I began my ‘gym’ journey. As I got stronger, I soon became passionate about sharing my journey with others, setting up my fitness account in February 2021.
How did you become an Innermost Insider and what’s your goal as an ambassador for the brand?
Having studied Fashion Marketing at university, coincidentally, I actually applied for a marketing role at Innermost… unsuccessful at the time ha ha. Anyway, as a couple of months past and I focused on my fitness account whilst trying to find a full time job in London, I was contacted by Innermost via my Instagram account and the rest is history!
I want to thank Innermost for all the opportunities I’ve had working with them, as an insider, I feel valued and that doesn’t go unnoticed. I originally applied for a marketing role at Innermost because I aligned with their brand values, and this still stands today. As an insider, I try to authentically share the wonderful and tasty products Innermost offer, along with the supportive community. I suppose my overall goal is to make as many others love the products and brand as much as I do!
Our topic of the month is balance. Why do you think balance is important in life?
I always like to remind myself that we have so many different aspects to life. A hobby, family, friends, work etc and without balance, how can you manage all those different aspects without balance?
How do you personally balance your lifestyle?
As I work a 9-5 job, this takes up most of my time, and as we all know, this can involve very little movement… After work, I head to the gym and workout most evenings. I know that I will always feel better for doing something rather than nothing. Towards the weekend, I make sure I make weekend plans outside of working and exercising to fulfil a balanced lifestyle.
How do you find balance in your diet?
When it comes to my diet, I’m not too strict on myself, but don’t get me wrong, there’s a difference between my weekly diet compared to my weekend diet. This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t eat chocolate or office doughnuts in the week though! On weekdays my main goal is to eat 3 healthy and high protein meals per day, whereas at the weekend, I’m more flexible with what I eat as I’ll be likely to go out for dinner, for example. I think its important to have a goal there with what you eat to help you achieve your wider goals, but I don’t believe the best way to do this is by restricting yourself from eating something if you want to.
Are there things in life you struggle to find balance with?
I think I reiterate what I said before here, life is made up of different aspects and it’s important to enjoy all of them. Exercising after work does sometimes have its downside; less time to enjoy for yourself, sometimes rejecting after work socials, but it’s something I make up for at the weekend. Since fitness and being active is a priority to me, I remind myself of that and know it’ll be worth it in the long run.
How do you find balance when reaching your fitness goals?
I always remind myself that reaching my goals isn’t going to happen overnight, it’s a journey, and that journey may not always be linear. I ensure I have a strong balance by allowing myself to enjoy all aspects of life, not confine myself to just achieving fitness goals. I believe it’s important to be aware that sticking to strict daily fitness goals may mean you reach goals quicker, however, I appreciate that I can still achieve those goals whilst going out and having fun too.
What advice would you give to others who struggle to balance a busy lifestyle?
- Don’t get overwhelmed, you’re doing your best
In today’s life, it’s easy to compare yourself with others, perhaps you’ve just seen someone get up at 5am to complete a workout or someone’s just ran a 10k and you’ve only done 5k steps… Realign that focus and put it on yourself.
- Be selective with your time
I think a huge factor in balancing a busy lifestyle is using your free time wisely. Rule out the time that you don’t have control over, i.e. work, travelling to work etc. and with the left over time, make sure you’re allocating what matters to you in that time, exercising, self care… But make sure you still have at least 8 hours of sleep! Set targets, not expectations.
What Innermost product(s) have you been loving recently?
My absolute go to has to be The Lean Protein in Vanilla, and I won’t stop talking about it…
This protein is creamy, tasty and the science-backed ingredients make me love it even more. With protein, I’ve always struggled to find one that doesn’t have a grainy texture and one I can add to other foods, like porridge and actually enjoy it… this is the one.
The Digest Capsules are the capsules I didn’t know I needed, whenever I’ve had a heavy weekend or my stomach is playing up, I can always rely on them to help me out.
Can’t forget about the water bottle and gym duffel bag I use on the daily too!
Izzy, it’s been a pleasure chatting to you! Our final question is ... What’s your innermost desire that you’re hoping comes true this year?
Well, since we’re almost at the end of this year, I’ve had a lot of self-made achievements and goals fulfilled this year. I want to continue to grow, learn and educate as I evolve my fitness journey!
That's a wrap! To keep up with Izzy, follow her on Instagram, @izzyhillfit.
