♥

When I first heard the words ‘vacu power’ I had images of a space age machine rolling over my body, whilst I was wearing a space age compatible suit, sucking out any parts that I didn’t like. Then I remembered that this is a surgery called liposuction (sans space age suit) and that ‘vacu power’ probably meant something else.

BUT GUESS WHAT? I wasn’t actually too far off. The Vacu Power machine at Body D’vine in Midvale can easily be described like this, a machine (see?) on top of a treadmill. You get into a wetsuit-like half suit (SEE?) that goes over your shoulders and creates a ‘skirt’ around your middle. You step into the machine and the skirt zips in creating an airtight lock. Then you turn on the treadmill, start running/walking and the machine creates a vacuum suction that makes your legs work HARD.

Motivational material comes with the session!

This treatment is described as ‘body sculpting’ and is meant to help you lose weight and eliminate cellulite by making you exercise certain parts harder and smarter. The great thing about this treatment is that you are still increasing your fitness and doing something very active to try and achieve results (better than surgery hey?) AND you can do it while watching something on your own personal TV attached to the machine (they have a large range of DVDs at Body D’vine to keep you occupied for the 30 minutes, ‘Cher in Concert’, anyone?) All you have to do is wear your gym clothes, bring your running/walking shoes, a towel and some water. Everything else (lockers, headphones) is provided.

So does it work? While trainers will tell you that there is no way to spot reduce fat on JUST your legs, there is a whole wall of photos at Body D’vine of lovely ladies of all ages smiling large above a number- the amount of kilos and centimeters they have shed all over since starting Vacu Power. A sign the body sculpting is at work.

Random picture of attractive legs for good measure!

Personally I found this enjoyable, the 30 minutes flies by when you have your mind on something else (music, the TV etc) and you can go as hard as you feel comfortable (this is not a group workout). Each time I went I was able to go faster and I saw my fitness levels increase even over the relatively short period of 2 weeks. I felt all the normal effects of good exercise in the short term- that little extra bounce in your step- and would actually describe the whole Vacu Power experience as just a different form of exercise. If you are expecting dramatic and literal ‘vacuuming’ this isn’t for you. The staff and other clientele (mostly women) are lovely and there is a real sense of community in the place. My ONLY gripe is that it is in Midvale and the opening hours were limiting for my schedule. But this could be for you.

Find out more at the Body D’vine website – Body D’vine.

Review by Adriane Daff, super-duper famous actress and TOTAL Cher lover. 😉

Be well,

xoxo

♥

A day at a day spa… the scene was set with a perfect, blue-skied, almost winter day with a latte, Johnny Cash bellowing poetry on the speakers and my GPS pointing me in the wrong direction.

When heading out to the dreamy wonderland of Brookleigh – don’t trust your Sat Nav, people! Fortunately, I knew Brookleigh was next to Belvoir Amphitheatre and a lot closer than the GPS suggested. And it’s a problem the owners of Brookleigh have dealt with a lot, so get your directions clear before you hit the road unless you want a 45-minute detour.

So, back to the blue skies, latte and Johnny Cash… I arrived feeling pretty peaced-out and ready to relax. I met the wellness consultant and personal trainer, Rachel and owner Nikki on arrival and was impressed by how healthy they both looked. Both had glowing skin, very fit bodies and huge smiles… these were happy people and I was ready to discover the secret to their sunshine.

A Brookleigh horse

My day began with a personal training session with Rachel. We jogged past the beautiful horse stables (Brookleigh started out as an equestrian centre and still is an Olympic training venue), the chateau where the spa resides and guests stay and a “roundabout” which is a gorgeous, meditation-style garden.

Roundabout

We kept on joggin’ past all of these beauties and out the back of the property where an “obstacle course” awaits. It’s also an equestrian training area but nicely doubles as a people fitness area too. The jumps were utilised as push up, dip and sit up stations while a trotting area was used for some punishing sprints (it was here the heart rate monitor I had to wear really betrayed me, sounding like a hideous alarm going off as if warning everyone I was about to drop dead).

After the PT workout, we stretched by the small lake where Brookleigh hosts weddings every weekend throughout October to May. You can see why, with a quaint gazebo overlooking the lake which is perfect for the ceremony to take place. Huge trees, the neighing of horses and the surrounding paddocks combine to make you feel as though you are far, far from civilisation.

Next up was the spa treatment. I met with the lovely consultant, Lisa, and discussed facial options and confessed my skin woes. Breakouts in certain areas were plaguing me and I definitely needed help. I was treated to a lime sugar exfoliation to start, which sloughed off any dead skin on my legs. Despite Lisa warning me it might hurt a little as the sugar did its job, the scrubbing felt just right and my skin was glowing by the time it finished. The smell of lime was delicious. The massage was next and thankfully Lisa applied just the right pressure for the knots in my muscles to be erased while sending me into a state of utter bliss. Despite trying very hard not to, I also fell asleep in the later stages but I guess it’s a sign of ultimate relaxation so I tried not to beat myself up about it too much.

Guinot Facial @ Brookleigh.

The facial did wonders for my skin. Brookleigh has either Guinot or the local, organic range Joi Pure. Despite trialling Joi Pure previously and knowing it was delicious, my skin was in need for something a little stronger and Guinot was enlisted. I had the classic facial and Lisa used a peel around the troubled areas to break up the congestion. Despite my skin glowing afterwards, it was also a tad red and it wasn’t until a couple of days later that I really noticed the benefits. My skin really cleared up and it totally confirmed what I’d suspected all along… I need to be getting regular facials.

To complete the day spa package, I had lunch at Stewart’s Restaurant which is also a part of Brookleigh. Stewart’s is one of the best restaurants in the Swan Valley and has plenty of healthy options to complement the day spas and health retreats that are on offer. I had the salmon with roasted beetroot and pumpkin with a lemon sauce and holy yum, it was sensational. And post-meal, I felt as though my body was being further nourished rather than overly-full like you might at many of the wineries boasting first class restaurants in the area.

Urban Spoon rsetaurant rating:

Nikki and Rachel mentioned the three and five-day health retreats now on offer and I think they sound fabulous. Half a day out at Brookleigh and I felt rejuvenated and as though I’d been much further from Perth than the 45-minute drive it was.

If you’re looking for a girls’ weekend (classy hens’ weekends would be perfect there), doing something for your health or simply a getaway from the daily grind without travelling too far, Brookleigh is the place you’re looking for.

Check out their website to see enticing pics and more info, call (08) 9296 0018 or email Nikki or Rachel on info@brookleigh.com.au.

Brookleigh is located at 1235 Great Northern Highway,
 Upper Swan in the Swan Valley.

Article by Lisa O’neill, Freelance Journalist and Brookleigh’s newest devotee!

♥

Gyms stand for everything that makes me uncomfortable. Sweating profusely in public, wearing ugly shoes with unflattering clothing and being around people who may judge you because you cant lift your own body weight above your head. However, recently I started thinking about changing my exercise routine up a bit to include a bit more…well…routine.

Lots of gyms offer free trials for various periods of times you can find one near you on Good Gym Guide, it’s a great way to see whether (realistically) this is likely to be something you are going to be able to easily make a part of your day to day doings.

For this Battle Royale (number two if you’ve been following) I have chosen two gyms located in Perth’s CBD, Fitness First Murray Street and CBD Health Spa.

Home sweet home to our battlin’ gyms.

Round 1 – LOCATION

Ok well, both of these gyms are located right in the city so the ‘location’ point on the surface is kind of tied. So, let’s go into more detail. CBD Health Spa is open 24 hours a day so is as convenient as you like – you can sweat it out at 3am if it pleases you (Ed: Coincidentally, I have actually done this, 2:30am to be precise. Carry on!). It’s in off the street and is spread out over two levels, and has the better layout of the two gyms while also being the biggest. Fitness First has put their cardio room right at the front with nothing but a glass wall separating you and your sweat zone from the escalator to the Murray Street Mall. I didn’t dig it. But both have separate rooms for their classes.

You wont be him at either gym!

Round 2 – EQUIPMENT

CBD has older equipment but in the weights room there is a better mix of machines and free weights than at Fitness First. The locker rooms kind of feel like you are back at high school (a llittle bit old and the sort of place where you would want to wear thongs in the shower) but the lockers are free to use as long as you bring your own lock. The bike lockers are located inside the building right near the reception desk, which ensures max security. Fitness First has the newer equipment by far, fans built into the treadmills, ability to plug your headphones in to listen to/watch whatever is on one of the many TVs. The locker rooms are beautiful and very clean and your membership card is also your locker key (barcode = state of the art). Hairdryers are supplied at both places which means you don’t have to leave looking like a damp rat.

Round 3 – PRICE

Fitness First is about $22 a week and you are locked into a 12 month contract, CBD is about $17 a week when locked into a contract or $20 a week when you pay month by month (no contract) HERE.

Round 4 – ATMOSPHERE

CBD was the less intimidating and less gym-like, just a mix of people (student, corporate, young, old) doing their own thing. They always have Channel V on the TVs, which I loved because I like to catch up on what my girl Beyonce is doing these days. Fitness First has their own TV station (video clips heavily influenced by the 1990s – I saw video clips from AQUA and All Saints, multiple times whilst there, no lie), they have lovely staff and a big supplement store next door, if that’s your thing.

The worst thing about Fitness First is what I call the ‘leery’ atmosphere. The cardio room was ok, but the weights room was very intimidating. I was nearly always the only girl in there (sometimes there would be two, three tops) but I felt uncomfortable. This last point coupled with the 24 hour convenience of CBD Health Spa and the fact I can pay month by month (and the Channel V, I admit it) is what pushes it over the edge for me in this round of Battle Royale. Sorry Fitness First you came damn close. I guess it’s now time to find some not-so-ugly shoes.

Find out more info about both places here;

♥ Fitness First
♥ CBD Health Spa

Battle royale by Adriane Daff, newest convert to the exercise ‘dark side’!

Be well,

xoxo

I had done hot yoga a couple of years ago when the first Perth studio opened in North Perth. I was completely impressed by the long list of health benefits, but in all honesty, I wasn’t a fan. It was just soooo hot.

However, two of my best friends had been going to the Scarborough Bikram Yoga and raved about it. One had a bad back and was told he wouldn’t run again, now his doctor is considering his appeal to run another marathon. From nothing to 42.2km! The other is just as much as sport nut and had bad knees. She’s gone from ITBs so tight she faced the dreaded “roller” every night after exercising to not needing it all and just competed in a Half Ironman triathlon. There had to be more to this yoga than a hot room. I had to go back.

My first session was hard. I counted the minutes and felt every bead of sweat dripping down my legs. The first exercise was a breathing one and the darth vader sounds were freaking me out, I felt claustrophobic. I didn’t notice what the yoga was doing for my body, I just did what the instructor said and waited for it to finish. One of my buds was there and applauded me for getting through the first session without having to lie down or leave the room. I felt a flicker of pride but admitted I wanted to leave, I just couldn’t get past the heat.

However, I had five sessions to trial and I went back for more. The second session couldn’t have been more different. My head had wrapped around the concept of the heat and I used the breathing time not wondering if I had packed a light saber, but on opening my lungs. Despite telling my friend that I hadn’t done any proper stretching in the first session, I now found myself in deep hamstring stretches, reveling in the glorious feeling of these tightly wound muscles lengthening. I noticed my quads strengthening in various poses and my hips opening in others. Suddenly the class was over… it had flown by and my body was singing, skin glowing and face smiling. It was an “aha!” moment where I realised that once you get beyond the heat, Bikram does incredible things for the body.

More things I like about Bikram Yoga – nobody seems to be body conscious. Most people wear sports bras and short shorts and the men don’t wear tops, practical for the heat. Nobody cares what anybody else looks like (well except me, I took note of a few exceptionally fit looking footballer types… only on the first session of course, before I was transformed) and they seem to embrace their bodies in this class. Nicer than gyms where people seem to punish their bodies rather than revel in them.

I also like that it detoxifies the system. With all that sweat, make sure you’re putting back in at least an extra litre of water than you normally would and your skin will boast the benefits.

Make sure you take a yoga mat and towel too to avoid the couple of bucks charged to hire them from the studio. Give Bikram at least three tries, apparently most people struggle like I did on their first go, but go back for another couple of tries and you will have a completely different experience.

Article by Lisa O’neill, Freelance Journalist and Bikram yoga convert!

More info;

♥ http://www.bikramyogascarboroughbeach.com.au/
♥ Facebook

Bikram Yoga Scarborough Beach

A: 19 Scarborough Beach Road Scarborough 6019
P: (08) 9341 6095

Be well,

xoxo

Enough said! [source]

Howdy wellness partners! Since our coverage of the free yoga / running / pilates / body balance at Lululemon was so popular last month, we’ve decided to enlighten you again by sharing the timetable for May 2011!

This month there’s a special theme: Mums! Pre and post-natal yoga classes are available FREE for the month of May, as well as the usual offerings.

Tuesday, May 3 – Pre Natal Yoga with Michelle Papa at 6pm

Wednesday, May 4 – Run Club with Sean O’Neill at 5.30pm

Thursday, May 5 – Flow Yoga with Caitlyn Hunt at 6pm

Tuesday, May 10 – Post Natal Yoga with Laila Mahmud at 6pm

Wednesday, May 11 – Pilates with Leonie Fancourt at 6pm

Thursday, May 12 – Iyengar Yoga with Masayo Baba at 6pm]

Tuesday, May 17 – Pre Natal Yoga with Michelle Papa at 6pm

Wednesday, May 18 – Pilates with Martina Turiakova at 6pm

Thursday, May 19 – Body Balance with Kate Trevenen at 6pm

Tuesday, May 24 – Post Natal Yoga with Sara Evans at 6pm

Wednesday, May 25 – Pilates with Martina Turiakova at 6pm

Thursday, May 26 – Vinyasa Yoga with Jane Lewis at 6pm

Tuesday, May 31 – Post Natal Yoga with Erica Hua at 6pm

So bring your fitness gear with you to work, and pop on down to help you unwind after a hard day at the office!

Lululemon city store is located within the Enex100 building @ 683-703 Hay Street Perth WA 6000.