Posts belonging to Category 'Exercise'

Join Me on My 30-Day ‘Dial it Up’ Ride Challenge with LA Fit!

♥ Img: Shot by Thom

Today I start my 30 day ‘Dial it Up’ RIDE challenge with one of Perth’s hottest fitness studios, LA Fit.

I’ve long been an LA Fit fan, since they first opened in 2015. As Perth’s only Lagree studio, it’s always been a unique place to get an intense strength & core workout in, but when they added rhythm ride classes a few years later – things kicked up a notch.

So for a background on me: the past few years I’ve had a couple of life-threatening injuries requiring hospitalisation (torn neck arteries which put me at risk of a stroke – not fun) which meant that I wasn’t able to exercise for 12 months. During this period of time I gained 12kg and it’s been pretty tough shaking that weight, especially as I’ve just turned 38 and my metabolism has slowed down quite a lot! Put it simply – ya girl is not in the best shape of her life right now.

I’ve been doing twice weekly rehab-ish personal training for around 4 months and this has been great for rebuilding some strength & getting back into a routine, plus helping with mental health. But I’d been feeling for a while like I need to shake things up a bit – so the Dial it Up Challenge came at the PERFECT time.

So, the general Dial it Up challenge is this: 20 Ride classes in 30 days, with a fun bingo card to keep things fun and motivating, access to a personalised health app, Shaefit, and a grand prize of a 4 week all access membership to LA Fit for one lucky winner.

Due to the aforementioned slightly-less-fit-than-I-used-to-be sitch, I’ve decided to go a bit easier on myself, and aim for 2-3 classes per week (so 8-12 classes over the month) as my personal challenge. I’ll even try to throw in a couple of Megaformer classes to up my strength a little.

I’ll be updating my challenge diary over the month here – let’s do this!

♥ Img: Shot by Thom

Week One

My first class was with Kristy, she helped me get my seat all set up, gave me some encouraging words, and then myself and the other 10 or so people in class were off. With a mix of tunes from old bangers (my fave!), to newer bangers (pretty good!), and some techno (not 100% my thing, I’m more of an 80’s gal), I spent the next 45 minutes pedalling, sweating & awkwardly following along with the moves & trying to keep up with everyone.

I took it pretty easy in the first class so as not to shock my body TOO much, and surprised myself by managing to come out the other side not entirely wrecked. My aim will be to be following along with 90% of the suggested moves by the end of the challenge.

Stay tuned for further updates as the challenge progresses! For more, follow along on Instagram.

See you there! xoxo

Be well,

Annette

The Best Australian (And New Zealand!) Free Youtube Yoga & Fitness Classes!

While luckily here in Perth we are safely out of lock-down and can enjoy going to the gym without masks (thank goodness!), I still love a home workout for those days you can’t be bothered to leave home, but still want to get the body moving. I have put together some of my favourite Aussie fitness YouTubers to help you workout at home, and the best part, for free!

♥ The Jungle Body also sell a range of cute merchandise

The Jungle Body

The Jungle Body is a biz based on dance and cardio-based workout classes that combine fun and fitness with great music. Started by Perth-born Tara Simich, you can find classes all around Perth and in over 20 countries around the world!

But for those times you can’t get to class (*cough* another lockdown *cough*), you can check their Youtube channel for some fitness-inspo. They also have some videos floating around on their website like this one. The best part about The Jungle Body workouts is that you can do them with minimal equipment; all you will need is a yoga mat and 5kg dumbbells. Failing that, you can always get away with a towel and a couple of tins of beans!

♥ Photo of Sjana Earp by Emily Abay.

Sjana Earp

If you use Kayla ItsinesSWEAT app, then you may already know Australian yogi Sjana Elise Earp. What you might not know is that Sjana has a great YouTube channel packed with yoga and guided meditation-videos, perfect for a wide range of abilities, from beginner to experienced yogis.

Sjana’s sunny attitude and encouragement really makes you feel like you are nailing that downward dog, and help to try your best each time you step onto your yoga mat. It’s also nice to move along to an Aussie voice, as most of the popular yoga YouTubers are American (no hate to Yoga with Adrienne of course!) My recommendation is this morning/before bed yoga sequence for beginners. Love any exercise I can do in my PJs without leaving my bed!

♥ Photo of Sam Wood & trainer Sarah Boulazeris


Sam Wood

Yep Sam Wood, former Bachelor, who you may know also now runs an online workout and weight loss program, 28 by Sam Wood. Luckily for us though, he also has a goldmine of free workout video on his Youtube channel. His videos range from short ones that just give you an overview of a routine, to longer work along-with-me type videos. I also love his “live” full-length workout videos that feature some cheeky cameos from family members… oh the joys of working out at home! He also has a playlist of videos using equipment, that are perfect if you have a home gym or if you want to follow the videos at the gym. My favourite is this workout you can do with your dog! The cutest.

♥ Photo of Korrie Gammer

Korrie Gammer

I first came across this radiant being while taking part in onboarding for a new role at lululemon – I’m lucky enough that the company I work for values mental & physical wellbeing very highly, and as such the remote team I was joining took part in a live yoga class with Korrie early one morning, to get us prepped for a day of absorbing information.

And it was incredible. Korrie’s voice, fluid style of teaching, and ease & grace is evident – and it flows effortlessly through the screen and lands softly in the body.

I was excited to learn afterwards that Korrie has a treasure trove of free yoga classes – available on Youtube under her brand, Yoga by Korrie, and she adds a couple of new gems every month. Definitely a new favourite of mine, and someone that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone who needs to weave a little bit more relaxation into their day.

So there you have some of the best homegrown and free online workouts to help you get your butt off the couch when stuck at home, or just to help you incorporate some different workouts into your routine.

Who did we miss? We’d love to hear your fave Aussie fitness influencers who are offering up free online classes – leave a comment below or come say hi on Instagram at @wellnesswa.


Leah is a freelance content creator from Perth who loves her dog, trying weird fitness trends, beach days and avocado toast. Follow her Instagram @leahonthedoor

I Used A Running App Every Day for 30 days, Here’s What Happened…

Credit: Flaunter / Lululemon

I used to be such a little gym class bunny, throwing myself enthusiastically into every class going, that is until COVID19 struck. Not only did it throw my whole routine out of whack, including forcing my current working situation into disarray and shutting down all sense of a social life, it also meant my fitness classes were to be no more. I don’t need to explain the rollercoaster of emotions I felt during the lockdown period (I’m sure many of you experienced/are experiencing something similar) but what I will say is that this bunny totally lost her workout mojo.

Especially at the beginning of the lockdown I felt lost and aimless, trying to get out for my daily isolation exercise, only to find I was boring myself by running around the local park in circles. Trying the much coveted isolation indoor workouts didn’t inspire me either. In my little apartment I kept bashing into furniture left, right and centre, and I felt more alone than ever, missing the energy of a real-life trainer and my sweaty counterparts. I felt as though I was falling into a serious funk! With my normal workout routine quashed I seriously lacked focus in other areas of my life too.

Until one day my friend mentioned giving a running app a go. I’d never been a big fan of workout apps, but I was ready to give anything a whirl in an attempt to get my workout routine back on track. Plus, hopefully, rediscover my sporty spark! So, I downloaded the Nike running app and have been using it almost everyday for the past 30 days. Not only has it revved up my cardiovascular system, and galvanised those endorphins, it also helped in other (more unexpected ways) too!

A Sense of Routine

I gave myself a daily goal of 5k, and by giving myself a workout focal point to the day it caused me to build structure into the rest of my day too, as I was forced to start organising my other tasks/chores/work around it.

Either I’d get up first thing and it galvanised me to start the day off positively, or I’d carve some space out over lunch, ensuring my other ‘to do’ list items fitted either side of it. At other times it would be my late afternoon round off the day/switch off activity. Having this one small focal point helped instigate the sense of getting a routine back on track (which I was now structuring for myself). This particularly aided me in the early days, when my normal work schedule had gone out the window and I had the creeping feeling of aimlessness enter in.

Feeling of Achievement

If you’re one of those people who thrives off praise, I highly recommend you give this app a go. I love being told ‘well done’, but when you’re feeling especially aimless and slightly lost, it’s very hard to give yourself some much needed praise. Particularly during uncertain times (COVID19 please enter here stage left) a small word of encouragement can energise my self-esteem and wellbeing, giving me the willpower and impetus to take on the task, day, week, month!

At the end of each run, not only would I have successfully hit my goal of 5k (oftentimes even surpassed it), my app would generate a friendly reminder – “You’ve just completed a 5k run, no-one can take that away from you.” The app was right, even if I did nothing else productive that day, at least I’d kicked my workout goal. That in itself was enough motivation to keep doing it day after day. Not only that, but the feeling of achievement really helped pump up my week in general.

Grounding

Ever get the feeling of being lost in your head?! Well that’s often where I find myself when things get stressful and uncertain. All my energy finds itself coiled in my brain, causing me to lose my sense of self and centre at times. Running has the wonderful ability of bringing me back into my body. Feeling the the ground pounding beneath my feet to my syncopated steps as my music bleeds into my ears, helped dissipate all the worries and stress I was holding on to.

I suppose it was a kind of meditation for me, a way of helping to clear my muddled brain, guiding to me to find clarity for the day. There is something brilliant about expending physical energy, which can in turn help calm your mind’s frenetic energy of thoughts, helping to clear a pathway of considered thinking through the clouds.

Appreciation for Little Moments in Nature

I had a new found respect for nature. Going on my daily runs, I started to notice all the fantastic wildlife (the birds and butterflies) which would fly beside me. In a busy life pre-lockdown, I realised I had oftentimes forgotten to notice the wonder of a vibrant earth all around me. Forgotten to notice the different species of the birds and actually hear the different tones of their birdsong. What running gave me was a reminder to just be in the present moment. Live in the time of the run, including appreciating and being in whatever the weather might be on that day, I would thrive in the wintery fresh sunlight, or feel alive when the droplets of rain would tickle my skin. Just a run a day, but it helped to open my eyes to all the beauty and life that is constantly present, and literally under our very noses.

The Power of Consistency

Using the app daily, over an extended period of time, allowed me a renewed optimism in the power of consistency. To start with, it was hard! Even trying to get to the finish line of 5k felt tiresome and a struggle, but week on week I felt physically stronger. My muscles weren’t so fatigued, the distance was so much more manageable. So much so, that on some days I had the power to totally surpass my 5k goal. Some days were still harder than others of course, but overall I could see how consistency really is king. If you keep chipping away at something, guess what, it really does become easier, and you do get better at it.

This philosophy spilled over into other areas of my life, as I realised if I could practise consistency there too, I could improve on goals and projects. It injected in to me a need to form some more good habits.

So there’s five really insightful things I learnt, all through starting just one new small habit a day. That’s the great thing about running, no one else is setting your goal, just you. It’s whatever pace and commitment you choose. Maybe you might start with just 1k, even a 1k walk and build up from there. For me, it helped drag me out of an aimless well I was quickly sinking into. And I realised, not only could I improve my health and fitness levels, it provided me with a lot of other positive by-products too.

Article by Katy Rachel Moore! She is into all things wellness and loves to get her teeth stuck into into the latest health trends.

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Soft Yoga Perth – Leederville Yoga Studio Review.

When I say that this yoga studio has changed and continues to change my life, I mean it. For many years now I’ve wished that the perfect yoga studio would magically open up on my street. A space to move and breathe and connect deeply to myself that has teachers I like, styles of yoga I like and that also happens to be minutes from my house. It never happened, until now.

As if the universe could read my thoughts, one day I was walking past an empty building that had just been leased on Oxford Street, Leederville and a thought popped into my head – ‘a yoga studio is going to open here’. It did, and the studio was Soft Yoga Perth – a womxns only movement space & a soft place to rest.

Specialising in ‘softer’ styles, such as slow flow, restorative, yin, meditation, breathwork, sensual classes and MORE (!!), this space exceeded my wildest dreams and then some.

When you arrive for class you’ll cocoon yourself in their impossibly soft and seriously cloud-like fluffy, grey blankets while sinking into the blush pink Lululemon mats which perfectly match the aesthetic of the studio.

In any given class, a gorgeous woman will lead you into a deeper discovery of yourself and you’ll leave feeling incredible, and maybe a few tears lighter as their classes are renowned for gently dislodging your deep emotions. I’ve cried there at least ten times, including today.

They also have the CUTEST shop selling the best little feminine goodies and treats – the Loca Love chocolates and La Loba Cliterally Amazing oil will change your life 😉

Do yourself a favour and discover this cute studio. You’ll need to book in advance as spaces are very limited – my personal recommendations are the Monday 9:30am Slow Flow with Tess, Thursday 9:30am Restorative with Brenna, any of the Slow Flow’s with Corne, and Courtney’s 9:30am Friday class!

Check out their intro offer for a month of unlimited yoga for $39. You’ll want to sign up for the membership once your month is up – trust me!

Soft Yoga Perth can be found at:

2/253 Oxford Street, Leederville
www.softyogaperth.com

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Beauty & Wellness Crushes: Light Illusion Vegan Foundation & Personal Training.

Flower Beauty – Light Illusion Vegan Foundation – $13.99

Drew Barrymore’s brand new vegan ‘Flower’ beauty range, available from Chemist Warehouse, has hands down been my beauty find of the past 12 months. I’m absolutely OBSESSED with the Light Illusion foundation – my shade is Porcelain. After years of spending $50-$100 on foundations, I am floored to have found something that’s cruelty-free, vegan, a perfect match to my skin tone, generously sized (lasts approx 2 months with daily use for me) AND just $13.99?!?!

The Light Illusion Foundation range has 15 shades and is WELL worth the effort to pop into a Chemist Warehouse and see if you can find a match. My skin is notoriously hard to match and I got one first go, so miracles do happen.

I feel like I’m in a dream I don’t want to wake up from. I pray this foundation never gets discontinued because it is just that good, and it’s saving me a tonne of money. And don’t even get me started on the lipsticks – more info on these coming soon!

♥ My Personal Trainer, Amy Richards

Dragging myself out of bed in the wee hours of the morning in order to better myself has never, and I mean never, been my forte, but I know I’m at my physical and mental best when someone is kindly forcing me to do exercises that are specifically tailored to my body and goals. Enter twice weekly 7am / 8am personal training sessions with Amy Richards for the past 6 months or so.

Now I will be the first to admit that I’m probably not anyones “ideal” personal training client. I don’t like working out very hard and often adopt the mindset of “well, I’m out of bed at a ridiculous hour so anything else is a bonus, I’ll just take it easy”. I’m also a mild whinger but trying to be better – haha. Anyway, since seeing the lovely Amy since June 2019 – once a week at first, and more recently twice a week – which is when I have really seen results ramp up. In this time I have gotten much fitter and stronger, seen a dramatic improvement in my body shape & tone (hi perky butt, hi fitting into old clothes), as well as improved mental health.

For anyone who has health & fitness goals on their 2020 to-do list, and perhaps like me has a bit of trouble with personal fitness motivation, I would highly recommend seeing a PT at least once a week – and can definitely recommend Amy! Check her out here.

I’d love to hear what you are crushing on at the moment! Hop on over to our Instagram page and let me know, or leave a comment below!

Be well,

xoxo

Annette