Sportswear brand Lija is unusual for two reasons: first, it has been known to actually inspire women to try sport (rather than women buying it just for necessity) and two, the design is driven first by style then by the sporting requirement.
Style-driven sportswear could go horribly wrong - for instance, if certain aspects of the sporting needs are sacrificed for style detail, but the impressive thing about the Canadian brand that has recently arrived in House of Fraser stores, is that the clothes are seriously beautiful, hard-wearing and at the top of the game.
Although there are several ranges - golf, tennis, running, yoga, training and studio - it actually started off as a golf clothing line. Founder and designer Linda Hipp had a eureka moment, quit her job and started her own business.
For the first few years she had no employees, and now the company has picked up over 20 sales reps across the world and 23 employees in Vancouver.
Here she answers a few questions...
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Linda Hipp
We're not totally impressed by the selection that mainstream sports brands have for women here in the UK - is it a different story across the water?
Retailers in North America have drastically improved and increased their selection for women to offer a broader and more diverse selection of active and lifestyle apparel. We’ve seen a huge growth in active apparel available for women as well as active inspired high street fashion and I believe that trend will continue throughout the UK and Europe.
I've also heard that some brands design for men and then tweak it so that it can be worn by a woman - you obviously approach it rather uniquely from a fashion standpoint - is that what makes the brand successful, do you think?
Women have such different needs than men from fit to function to style. All of these needs have to be addressed in the early stages of development. The support office at Lija is filled with women with very busy lives. We care about style and believe in a healthy and active lifestyle. We design for like-minded women and understand what they’re looking for in active apparel.
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6 Bad Fitness Habits You Should Break
Working Out On An Empty Stomach(01 of06)
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The old theory used to be that you should train on an empty stomach in order to burn more fat. There are conflicting studies on whether this is true, but I'm in the camp that believes you should give your body fuel before you push it to the max. In fact, your body needs some glucose (blood sugar) for fuel in addition to what it can use from fat stores when you're working out. If you don't have any blood sugar available, your body can eat it's own muscle tissue to get glycogen for fuel once it runs out of available blood sugar or glycogen stores. Low blood sugar will also make you tired and sluggish — and maybe even dizzy — during your training session.Most studies show that working out on an empty stomach will make you perform worse and keep you from having an intense workout. I suggest you eat something 45 minutes to an hour before training — you'll have more energy and endurance to work harder, burn more calories, and improve your muscle tone. Try eating low-fat yogurt with berries, a banana, or spread a few tablespoons of natural almond butter on apple slices. These are quick, healthy snacks that will provide your body with the fuel it needs for a hard-core workout. (credit:Shutterstock)
Skipping Your Stretches(02 of06)
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We were taught years ago to sit or stand and stretch one muscle group at a time before we train. Contrary to popular belief, that type of stretching is best saved for AFTER your workout, when your muscles are warmed up. To warm up the right way, perform five to 10 minutes of cardio (jog, elliptical, stationary bike, jump rope or jumping jacks etc.), then some form of dynamic stretching.Stick with me here — dynamic stretching is basically stretching with motion, so your body gets a chance to warm up the muscles slowly and in a functional way. Think arm circles, leg swings and so on, but be sure not to bounce the stretch as you risk injury when you ballistic stretch. One of my favorite methods of dynamic stretching is butt kicks — here's how you do 'em: (credit:Shutterstock)
Avoiding Strength Training(03 of06)
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Don't get me wrong, cardio is GREAT for your body. It gets your heart rate up, burns a lot of calories, and works a lot of muscles. But it's not the most effective way to burn the MOST calories. I'm a huge advocate of high-intensity circuit training and I use cardio intervals in my circuits in my online workouts and in my DVDs. A circuit is a series of exercises performed one after the other (about four to five) with little or no rest in between. For example, if you're doing push-ups, you're incorporating your shoulders, triceps, chest, and abs, and then you can go straight from your push-up set into a set of lunges. You've changed the muscle groups you're working, but you haven't stopped exercising.Then you add high-intensity training (HIT) into the mix by throwing an intense cardio interval into your resistance-training circuits. For example, you add a minute of jumping rope, sprinting, or doing jumping jacks to jack up your heart rate and burn a ton of calories, and then you go back into the resistance-training sets. This way, you maximize BOTH your time and your calorie burn. When a set of these moves are done, you go back to the beginning and do them again before moving on to the next circuit.A typical circuit-training workout will get your heart rate up and impact a variety of muscles — not just one body part. Then, you can constantly switch up your circuits to hit different areas of the body. Ladies, don't be afraid to add free weights into your routine! I hate it when women are hesitant to use weights because they're afraid of bulking up. Lifting weights is a critical way to boost your fat-burning potential and you won't bulk up unless you are lifting EXTREMELY heavy weights and eating far more calories than you are burning. I recommend you start with a weight you can lift with good form for 12 to 16 repetitions. (credit:Shutterstock)
Getting Stuck In A Workout Rut(04 of06)
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Often people have a routine that they do in the gym every time they go. This is bad for many reasons, most importantly of which your body will stop progressing. You see, your body adapts to the stimulus you subject it to. If you don't constantly change up your workout then you cheat your body of opportunities to get more fit. Think about it, you haven't trained in months and you do 20 squats. Well, the next day you'll be sore, but if you do 20 squats for 10 days in a row, by day 10 you won't be sore. That's because your body has adapted to it.So, make sure that at least every two you weeks you change your routine. Try changing the types of exercises you are doing and playing with the amount of sets, reps, and weights you are lifting. Also, try adding new classes to your regimen like a spin class at Flywheel, boxing, CrossFit, bar method, dance, yoga, kettlebells etc. By training in different ways, your body becomes more efficient, well rounded, and less prone to injury. Break out of your comfort zone and try something new. (credit:Shutterstock)
Not Working Out With Intensity (05 of06)
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The intensity of your workout is crucial to burn fat. If you want results you need to give it your all. You give what you get! Forget about the "target fat burning zone". As I mentioned earlier, to get results fast intensity is key.Get your heart rate up and working at 85 percent of your maximum. To calculate your maximum heart rate, if you're a woman, subtract your age from 220. If you're a man, subtract your age from 226. That number is your maximum heart rate in beats per minute. The ONLY time I give you permission to decrease the intensity is if you feel that you're working too hard to maintain proper form, which is a sure path to injury. (credit:Shutterstock)
Not Knowing Your Limits (06 of06)
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On the flipside of underperforming, is pushing yourself too hard. You always need to understand and be aware of your limitations. Injuring yourself can put you out of the game for weeks! Make sure to take the time to use proper form. If it's a really hard one, try a modification of the exercise.If you injure a part of your body, you can still work around the injury (after consulting a doctor!), but there are some key points to remember. Generally speaking, if you have sustained an injury in your upper body, such as a rotator-cuff injury or torn biceps, for example, you can most likely do high-intensity, lower-body cardio like running, step, jump rope, elliptical, spinning, and so on. You can also continue to do exercises for your lower body, such as lunges, squats, leg presses, or dead lifts.If your injury is in your lower extremities — knees, ankles, feet, shins, or calves — try low-impact forms of cardio such as swimming, recumbent biking, rowing, and shadow boxing with light weights in each hand. Again, generally speaking, you can also continue to do resistance-training moves for your upper body, such as back, chest, abs, and arm exercises. (credit:Shutterstock)
Women like to shop fashionably and obviously they don't switch this side of their brain off just because they are shopping for sportswear - do you think that by wearing better looking sportswear, it's a good mindset to have so that women then don't view exercise as a chore or something negative?
I believe when you look good, you feel good; and when you feel good, you’ll perform better. I’ve spoken to so many women that have been discouraged by non-functioning active apparel or even the inability to find something that fits their body and their individual style.
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Your own journey has been around creating 'fashionable golf clothes' - why has women's fashionable sportswear been such an afterthought for other companies, and why is it so important for you?
There was a lack of golf apparel dedicated to a younger, more style-conscious golfer. The clothing offered at the time was basically “sized down” mens' clothes for women. It just wasn’t appealing. We created women’s apparel that was functional, sleek and brought fashion to the fairways. We quickly became one of the leading women’s golf brands in North America because we filled a void that was desperately needed.
I think in years past, the women’s sportswear market has represented such an insignificant share that bigger companies haven’t paid attention. When I started to bring fashion to golf it was almost for selfish reasons. I wanted to look good and feel confident when golfing. Today, with sportswear, it’s much bigger than that.
I recognise the impact that we’re having on women’s lives and I want to continue to offer boundary-pushing active apparel that builds confidence and provides unique style to all those women who want to look and perform great in their healthy and active lifestyle.
Review:
Tried: Lija contrast panel tank in raspberry and lemon, £45, and swirl run pants in mariner, £70
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Appearance: In my wardrobe, this is easily the most beautiful, fashionable set of sportswear I own. The design detail is incredible: on the run pants, there are mesh panels to allow the skin to breathe, tiny pockets lined with reflective strip and zips along the ankle that look strong and do up easily. The top is a brilliant shade of pink with a mesh back and v-shaped neckline - all the material feels expensive, smooth and strong.
In action: The best thing about the sportswear is that it has secret panels that hold you in - I mean my tummy just isn't that flat, but seeing how the clothes shape and neatly tuck in my body, it actually empowers me to work out because I like how I look. There is no chafing, the mesh panels also do a good job of keeping me cool.
Verdict: I'm actually really proud to be seen in this kit - I think it looks fresh, different and is clearly superb quality. Also - the running pants manage the nigh-impossible task of producing no camel toe. Although the prices are higher than standard brands like Adidas or Nike, you can tell that it will last forever, and more important, you will want to wear it over and over again which is a good incentive for exercise as any!