If you’ve been here a while you will know that Life’s a Catwalk started out as a fashion and fitness blog. I used to be reasonably fit and loved exercise so it seemed obvious to combine that with my love of fashion.

I tended to review workouts (like Sleek Technique) and sportswear (like Gymluxe). The only reason I stopped was because I felt there were other bloggers who did it better. I began to feel uncomfortable reviewing workouts when I’m not a professional. I also noticed a decline in my fitness level which coincided with leaving a physical job and spending all day sat at a desk.

A return to exercise

At the end of November things started to change. I came across Race At Your Pace and thought it would be a great way to get back into running which is something I love. You sign up each month to run a certain amount of miles out of 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200. You pay £14 and send in your evidence at the end of the month. Race At Your Pace then send you a compression top and medal.

I thought it would probably be a good idea to start at 25 miles to ease myself in. Then in January I completed 50 miles over the course of the month. I’m having a break in February as some old knee issues have cropped up.

Getting back into running again (and yoga thanks to Yoganuary) has made me want to bring a hint of fitness back to the blog. My current aim is to find the most stylish yet functional sportswear. I’m kicking this off with this pair of leggings I was kindly sent by Hunkemoller.

Fashion meets fitness

The leggings are from the limited editon Doutzen Kroes Collection. They are actually quite feminine for me as I wouldn’t normally go for a pretty floral print, but I actually really like them. But, what are they like practicality wise?

Pros

• They are made from super soft stretchy material
• The leggings are high waisted which I find more comfortable and functional
• You can run without having to haul them up every two minutes
• They even stay up well during other exercises like squatting

Cons

• I’m used to a thicker more compression type material which I find provides more support
• I’m a size 8 and I went for a small but I think I should have sized down and gone for XS (this is more my fault than the leggings) as they are a bit loose mainly around my knees.

Overall

These leggings retail at £32 and I would be happy to pay that for the quality and what I want to wear them for. When I’m looking for a pair of leggings I need them to be multi purpose. They must stay up well when I’m running and not rub, they also need to be able to stay round my waist when I’m squatting which is where I find some leggings normally fail. The leggings must also allow me to move freely enough to wear them during yoga. This pair from Hunkemoller withstood everything I put them through so I as far as I’m concerned they are worth the money. If you’re looking for more of a compression legging then these won’t be for you. However, if you need a pair for several different types of exercise then I would give them a go.