This month we chat to Lana Van Hout, an Stirling Women ambassador, a model and a total fitness inspiration.
You’re an ambassador for Sterling Women and recently went to their workshop with Karlie Kloss. What’s it like to be apart of that team?
I am incredibly excited to be a new ambassador for Adidas, I feel extremely lucky to be part of both an amazing brand and a team of incredibly positive people. The trip to Melbourne puts a smile on my face just thinking about it. It was a little bit of a pinch yourself weekend.
It doesn’t get better than having the opportunity to fly to Melbourne with the lovely group of the Adidas NZ girls and meeting the Adidas girls from Australia and South East Asia. They were all so happy and friendly and we all came together to sweat through a tough, high intensity session in 30 degree heat. It was awesome, especially as I learnt new exercises I’d never done. The icing on the cake was of course to meet the beautiful Karlie Kloss, she was incredibly sweet and it was so inspiring to see her on stage helping to lead the workout. It was honestly the best weekend.
Have you always been a runner?
No I haven’t always been a runner. I actually used to dislike it immensely. Running happened to me after some tough life experiences that left me a little lost and needing to build self confidence again.
I found myself at a loose end in my life and believe it or not, my way forward was through running. Every run I did, I felt better, I felt a sense of achievement and I felt like I gained something to be proud of. I could never imagine myself not running now. I adore it, it’s what gets me up first thing in the morning and I love the endorphins. I’d highly recommend trying it, it’s never too late to start.
What’s your favourite way to work out?
Hands down my favourite workout is running, but my favourite way to work out is more about the destination. Part of the joy in running is finding different destinations to explore which keeps the run so exciting.
I always take my surroundings in as I go, and it’s as much a physical workout as a mind experience. We are all extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful country. There are so many parks, tracks and coastlines and I never take our freedom or beauty for granted, it’s all there waiting to be explored.
What are your Top 3 fitness tips?
1. Make sure you have the right fitting workout gear, whether that be a good sports bra or shoes. The wrong pair of shoes can lead to injuries and that’s the last thing you want.
2. Getting too excited about working out too soon. If you have just joined a gym or started running, don’t hit it too hard. Take it easy, build slowly and let your body adjust to the new exercise, whatever it may be.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. Your only competition should be you. Work on setting realistic goals within a realistic time frame and tick those off as you go.
You’ve been working with Stirling Women which is exciting – what’s your favourite item of sportswear right now?
I love working with Stirling Women, they are such an awesome and fun team. The concept they created of a women only store to make us girls feel comfortable is amazing. I run and work out a lot, so to have new gear from them is always so exciting. My favourite sportswear item is always shoes. They are what connects you to the ground and they play such an important role in your training success. I love the Adidas UltraboostX right now, they’re designed for women and support and move with your foot as you run and work out.
For people wanting to get more into the regular exercise cycle, what would be your advice to get them started?
Through my own experience, I have found it’s great to work out as an individual some days and work on your own self improvement. Other days, surround yourself with like-minded people who help to get you across the line.
I would recommend finding out what exercise you enjoy most. Whether you prefer being inside in a gym environment or outside in nature. Are you someone that loves to exercise independently, or someone who loves to be part of a class. A group can help to encourage you, and the social environment can be beneficial to getting you started and keeping you on track.
You’ve just launched a YouTube channel with your partner Cam – tell us about that…
I met Cam through running and we live a very active lifestyle. We love to escape on the weekends, get out in nature and explore new places. We are so lucky to live in NZ and our aim is to capture the beauty we see, the places we run and promote a happy and healthy lifestyle.
You can expect to see videos of our adventures, we want to take our followers on our journey with us and to fall in love with the places we do and hopefully inspire our audience to go on their own adventures. Cam and I are also working on fitness and training videos. We both want to help people feel like they have the skills and knowledge to achieve what they want to, to feel confident in the exercises they are doing. Our main focus will be technique, as well as introducing new exercises.
What’s your favourite quote you live by?
“Everything you need is already inside of you.”
Best piece of life advice you’ve ever been given?
My mum and granny have always said to me, “Love who you are, because if you don’t love you, how can you expect others to love you.”
“Don’t compare yourself to others, as you are your own unique person. So, be proud of you.”
“Build your friends, family and others up, don’t pull them down.”
What’s coming up next for you?
The launch of Cam and my YouTube channel ‘Lana and Cam’ is one of the biggest things. A lot of time filming, editing and planning goes into it, so I’m super excited about that.
I got injured towards the end of last year so I have been slowly building back into running in the past three months. I can’t wait to be back racing and I am working towards the Cross Country season.
You can follow Lana on her journey on Instagram and her new YouTube channel @lanavanhout
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBHRm-zFLU_OpvvGWw_uuGQ