Hello! My name is Sarah and I’m an active wear addict…there I’ve said it!

Anyone who knows me will confirm that I literally live in my “fit kit”, even when i’m NOT heading to the gym you’ll normally find me in a pair of trainers and running leggings and as a result,  I often find I spend a small fortune to feed my active wear addiction! It certainly doesn’t help that (these days) we’re inundated with choice more than ever, nearly every high street retailer has an offering; Next, Primark, H&M, Topshop, the list goes on… which means I could literally spend my monthly salary ten times over and I know (because my Instagram feed confirms it) that I’m not alone.

So, I’ve  decided to investigate if it’s actually possible to purchase fitness wear that looks good, performs well AND has the added bonus of being sold at discounted prices. After all, if we can save a few pennies along the way that’s even better right?

Up until now, I’ve always overlooked discount retailers for my active wear, mainly because I’ve assumed if it’s cheaper it just won’t look as good, feel as good or perform as well under pressure. But, I was about to be proved wrong!

I decided to visit online retailer, MandM Direct, because it prides itself on offering fitness gear (amongst other things) with savings of up to 75% off, so it seemed like the perfect place to start! My eyes were immediately drawn to this New Balance combo (see above) which came to a grand total of….wait for it…£27.98 (yes you heard me correctly). Not only is New Balance a brand that I wear often, but the monochrome vibe is “right up my street” – yes I love black and I’m not afraid to say it! The New Balance Womens Accelerate Running Crop Top was a mere £9.99 and the Accelerate Running Tight Leggings just £17.99! (Although, it might be important to add, that if you’re not a complete “colour-phobe” like me, there are lots of vibrant colour options available).

When it arrived (very quickly) MandM Direct didn’t disappoint. The feel and quality of the kit was on point, it felt good, looked good and as it’s scientifically proven if we look good we exercise more and perform better, quite frankly it was a case of so far-so good! I also felt decidedly smug that the price tag was beyond reasonable (and actually I found myself logging back on to see what else I could get my hands on)!

At this point, I feel it’s also important to note, that just because something looks good and is available at a huge discount, doesn’t always mean it’s built to withstand a high intensity workout. So my next step was to take my new kit through it’s paces to see if it could withstand the variety of my workout week. I lift weights, attend weekly HITT classes, yoga sessions, pilates, the list is endless – so it’s fair to say I needed to put this outfit to the test…

At the end of the week, I was pleased to conclude (as was my bank balance) that I don’t always need to spend a fortune on my active wear to look gym fit. Actually, with a bit of careful shopping I can get look, feel and quality all in one hit, with the added bonus of knowing that I can kick of the New Year in style AND in credit. I’m already a regular visitor to MandM Direct and I know we’ll be seeing a lot of each other in the future (I’ve already got my eye on a new pair of trainers). And of course the money I save can be put towards my hot yoga classes (they’re expensive you know), so isn’t it about time you  joined the discount revolution, after all, we all love a bargain or two don’t we!