Founded in 2016, P.E Nation was formed after the two women spotted a gap in the athleisure wear market. Pip and Claire saw that most workout clothes still looked too gym like to wear in everyday life.
It was at that point that P.E Nation was born. A fashion line that produces apparel suitable for both the shops and the studio. No need to change after a workout - just throw on another layer and go.
And, with the brand enabling people to fit exercise more seamlessly into their day we wanted to know how does P.E Nation’s co-founder, Pip Edwards, slot fitness into her extremely busy schedule. Because, when launching your own business isn't self-care the first thing to be replaced by stress and spreadsheets?
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Surprisingly, she's achieved her healthiest self not doing extreme exercise such as endless burpees and heart-thumping cardio but pilates.
'I spent a lot of time in my early 30's doing weight training and HIIT workouts. I had a bad injury and kept training with it and then I hit a wall and realised that I needed to look after my body,' she shared. 'A friend then recommended a really good Pilates instructor who specialises in rehab Pilates. Now I make sure that I fit Pilates classes into my schedule three times a week and It’s changed my life.'
Keep scrolling for Pip's week in workouts.
Monday : Pilates
‘When you have a start-up business, life is fun, you have a lot of energy and motivation. You learn to run at a fast pace… because you have to!
'I get up at about 6am and I start the day by drinking an espresso and boiling a few eggs before heading to my Pilates with Kirsten King from Fluid Form - I fit Pilates classes into my schedule three times a week and it’s changed my life.
'When I was younger I injured myself. I went to doctors and physios but nothing fixed my shoulder until I tried Pilates.
'I became hooked and I started to see results in both my physical and mental health. Now I can’t live without it. My trainer, Kirsten King, is basically a wizard. She has an incredible knowledge of the anatomy - she just knows the body inside and out and she’s taught me so much about my body.
Tuesday : Pilates
'Tuesday mornings have the same routine as Monday’s, but even though I take the same Pilates class for three days of the week, Kirsten and I mix it up.
I believe, it is really important to give your body variety when it comes to exercise, to keep testing it, so we are always working through an assortment of poses of techniques.
We do a mix of Reformer Pilates, Barre work and also spend time on the mat.
'It’s an hour-long class with no rest, one-on-one, and I come out dripping with sweat. I think people don’t believe that you can get your heart rate up with Pilates, but you totally can.
'If you walk away from a Pilates class and you don’t feel sweaty then speaking from experience, you may need to look at your technique, as you can easily make moves that look very similar to the correct shape and form but not do anything for your body and that’s why I prefer to have a 1-2-1 class, it’s much more valuable.
If you have the correct technique in Pilates and you can feel the deep burn, then you know you’re doing the right thing and that’s how you sculpt your body.
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Wednesday: Pilates
'To beat the mid-week slump, I start the day with an espresso as normal and then I add in a few drops of a medicinal mushroom-based supplement called Lions Mane, which I get from a place in Byron Bay.
You squirt two little things into your coffee and it somehow makes you feel instantly focused. You can only take it four out of seven days a week, so I just drink it when I feel like I need a little more help with my energy levels.
'Fitness has always been a big part of my life. I live and breathe the P.E Nation brand and it’s important to me that it’s weaved into my every day, but Wednesday is actually the last day of the week that I schedule in a class.
If I’ve already done lots of reformer or Barre work, then we’ll spend Wednesday doing a little more time on the matt and vice versa. It depends on which areas we want to focus on or how my body is feeling.
This year a goal of mine is to really perfect my technique on certain moves, I’m always looking to improve myself and I want to increase strength in my core and work on my abs.'
Thursday : Rest day (sort of)
'Cardio is kind of built into my everyday life. Not surprisingly, managing a new and growing business keeps me on my toes and I actually find that running around the office or dashing out to meetings is enough exercise to keep me active on the days when I’m not doing a specific workout.
'Plus, the day doesn’t stop when you’re a full-time working Mum and you have homework to help with, dinner to make, and all kinds of life-admin to conquer.
'I usually just relax before bed or do some of my own work, go on Instagram or watch TV, before collapsing.
'I’m not perfect and I definitely need to give myself more time to shut off before going to sleep. I need to spend less time on screens and try to stop thinking about work. I’ve recently been learning breathing techniques to help out with calming my mind and I have been trying to cut down on caffeine and it is definitely working.'
Friday: Get outdoors
'1-2 times a month, I will do some soft sand running (running along the beach), a boxing class, or some kind of cardio.
I’m pretty healthy and my diet is mostly plant-based. I’m nearly Vegan, however I just can’t give up my eggs.
I always have eggs and tabasco in my handbag, I find it is the only quick thing I can snack on that is healthy and can also help to fill me up.'
Saturday: Sports with my son
'Having a 12-year old son keeps me extremely active and we’re always doing something together, like basketball, or some kind of sport.
Weekends are relaxed, however, we’re always moving around, so there isn’t really a need to fit in another workout. I think if you can make your lifestyle naturally active then it’s a lot easier to stay fit without having to think about it too much.
Sunday: Playing at the Beach
'Most Sundays are usually spent at the beach, running about with my son and playing on the sand or in the sea.
'People always ask me about how to get your body back after pregnancy and how I bounced back and I’m very clear on telling them that it really didn’t happen instantly, and it took about a year and a half and after that it fluctuated quite a bit.
'It’s only been in the last three years that I’ve felt stronger and confident about my body, after finding the correct diet and fitness plan that worked for me.
While staying fit and healthy is important to me, I’m less likely to beat myself up about it now and I think it is really important to not to compare your body to others and to understand that there’s going to be parts of your body that may change post-baby and that’s ok.'
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This article originally appeared on Women's Health UK.
