Posts belonging to Category 'Reviews'

Exercise Battle Royale: Fitness First Murray Street VS CBD Health Spa.

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

Alternative / Massage Therapy Review: Huna Massage in Perth, Aloha!

Huna is a form of Hawaiian massage that stimulates the natural flow of energy within the body in order to bring about changes in your physical, emotional and spiritual state. This nuturing massage enables stress and tension to be released and can even help to improve your immune system.

With all this in mind I paid a visit to Scott Davey at Massage in Perth in Hocking where he works from home.

In order to experience the true magic of Huna it’s best to go commando, as in no underwear, with towels strategically placed to cover the important bits. However you can of course leave your underwear on and even have a large towel covering you if you wish. Scott emphasises that the MOST important thing is that you feel comfortable at all times. Never once did I feel uncomfortable.

Once the massage started I discovered what Scott meant. With the assistance of a silky oil there are grand sweeping strokes that run down your body almost from top to toe that make the stress just melt away. If you were wearing underwear these strokes would be interrupted. These amazing fluid movements are like waves that wash all of you worries and cares away. In fact if you were to watch a Huna massage it would look like a beautiful dance routine being performed by the therapist.

Almost no area is left untended, but it was the more unusual areas that really allowed my stress to dissipate. I never knew the palms of my hands and the bed of my foot just under my toes were the key to this! There were also a series of incredible wrap around strokes on my forearms, other movements actually sweep up underneath you.

By the end of my treatment I was in absolute bliss, centred and so relaxed I truly did not want it to end.

If you too think your soul could do with a little nurturing, your chakras in need of rebalancing and your stress to disappear I cannot recommend a Huna massage enough – my soul is still thanking me.

Price: 75 mins $100

Massage in Perth
Connect with Scott on LinkedIn
Ph: 0405 801 996
Therapist: Scott Davey
Location: Hocking

Review by Kristy Mollica freelance TV and radio presenter, lover of girl power & things that are so totally not beige!

Be well,

xoxo

Get Green with Wellness WA!

♥ The beautiful products from this article ♥

It ain’t easy being green – or is it Kermit, is it?

Well for me it has been easy to get my daily dose of green, knowing that there are a long list of benefits for your body inside and out. There are green smoothies, green tea and green veggies and endless varieties of each. Why not add a bit more green into your daily routine by trying some of these favourites of mine?

Green Tea and Pea Eye Cream – RRP $40

I bring to you Endota’s Green Tea and Pea for your peepers. The balmy green tea helps with anti-aging and the pea promotes elasticity. This soothing cream also contains grape seed and chamomile for those baby brown/blue/grey/hazel/green eyes. Beauty rest takes a whole new meaning with this little side-kick in your night stand drawer. (You’re also being green with the cute card-board packaging!)

Green Rose and China Jasmine T2 teas. I can’t rave enough about T2 teas and their green teas. When I drink a hot China Jasmine in the morning, it’s like a wake up call deep within my belly. For lovers of Jasmine this fusion with green tea gives you a dose of warmth and energising spirit to prepare you for the day ahead.

Green Rose is another favourite that I like to drink cold. I make a jug of this (4-6 teaspoons of loose leaf tea in a T2 iced tea jug) and store it in my fridge, and when I drink it it’s refreshing and cleansing, and since you know it’s good for you and it’s quick and easy, you’re more likely to want to drink it. I like to add slices of lemon for that extra kick and detoxifying feel in my tum.

Eating green veggies is the simplest ways to inject some green. The above (top o the article!) packet of snow peas will be making it’s way into my vege patch soon and when they start sprouting green goodness I will enjoy pea pesto crostinis, minted pea soup or home-grown snow peas and butter as a side dish.

BASICALLY IT’S EASY BEING GREEN. Kermit was cute, but oh so very wrong.

Share your green loves and tips, whether it be your favourite beauty products, food or recycling…let us know!


Review by Kelly-Anne, graphic designer and green lovah.

Be well,

xoxo

Product Reviews: Intraceuticals Range!

Intraceuticals Lover, Miranda Kerr!

Well, I’ll say this…Intraceuticals have no need to want for celebrity endorsement. They’ve got it in droves. Madonna, Miranda Kerr, Naomi Campbell…some heavy hitters. Specifically, our well-known friends talk about the Infusion Oxygen Facial: a procedure using hyperbaric oxygen technology combining pressure and hydration to achieve increased firmness and reduced fine lines. It’s popular to have before a big event (the next time you walk the red carpet perhaps?) because it’s non-invasive and you can put makeup on straight afterwards without ruining the results of the facial.

Oxygen facial!

The Intraceuticals line of products, therefore, is inspired by this jazzy little procedure (you can read barrels of oh-my-god-I-cant-believe-it-worked reviews online) but today we are talking about the products.

Intraceuticals products are formulated with a number of key ingredients- Hyaluronic acid (a nifty little component that can hold over 1000 times its own weight in water – very helpful indeed in keeping the skin hydrated), green tea, vitamins A, C and E and Squalene. It’s worth mentioning that Squalene is a natural oil that all plants and animals produce, no big deal there, BUT you may want to check the source of Squalene in your beauty prods, because it is most commonly taken from sharks’ livers OR olives. And maybe you don’t want Jaws being responsible for your complexion, but maybe you do want a tasty olive being responsible. We’re in the process of finding out.

Hoping for olive based squalene, fingers crossed!

Intraceuticals offer four different, very comprehensive lines in their skincare range- you have the choice of Rejuvenate to treat fine lines and wrinkles, Atoxelene – something stronger – a ‘Botox’ alternative if you will, Opulence for pigmentation and scars and Clarity to treat acne and enlarged pores.

Take away the celebrity hype for a moment and what you have is a focus on hydration and oxygen that seems to be what keeps most people coming back (apparently these products are great to use during and after flying) and I would have to agree that the Moisture Binding Cream and the Hydration Gel from the Rejuvenate range were my definite favourites. I liked using them in the morning because they were both very easily absorbed into my skin and I can see how makeup just glides over the top without a care in the world.

I am particularly interested in using these products in conjunction with the well-lauded facial to see what the true potential of these products really is. I’m going to have a search around to see where I can get one in Perth- I’m looking forward to seeing how they go, stay tuned!

Review by Adriane Daff, beauty lioness. 😉

Be well,

xoxo

Exercise Review: Bikram Yoga, Scarborough, Perth.


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