by Annette @ Wellness WA | May 1, 2024 | Other
Pilates is a series of over 500 exercises, both mat and equipment based, inspired by calisthenics, yoga and ballet. It was initially introduced into America in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates to assist athletes and dancers to safely exercise and maintain their fitness when rehabilitating injuries.
It is a system that enables tailoring and adaptation to individual requirements, both mental and physical, to ensure that the body is working in harmony: the specific focus is on abdominal strength and muscular activation, and coordination of breathing with movement.
A common question I hear is: what’s better for me, yoga or pilates? And the answer is, both are fantastic, in different ways. It will depend on what you need from your practice right now. If you are rehabilitating an injury or really in need of building abdominal strength and stabilisation through the core, commit to a regular pilates practice. There is no reason you cannot also do yoga – the body loves variety in movement and thought!
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Top Ten Reasons to Commit to Pilates
♥ 1. Improved stabilisation of the spine: consider how much impact you put on your spine through poor posture, twisting, bending, lifting heavy objects (this includes children!), poor running technique…to name but a few sins against the spine
♥ 2. Improved flexibility
♥ 3. Relaxation of the muscles through the neck, back and shoulders through improved postural awareness
♥ 4. Improved physical coordination and balance
♥ 5. Lengthens and stretches the muscles – through body weight and light weight resistance, there is an increase in muscular and bone strength
♥ 6. Time to focus on breath, movement and how the body feels
♥ 7. Improved proprioception (awareness of your body in space)
♥ 8. Released tension in the body equals a less tense and anxious mind!
♥ 9. Engages the mind throughout practice – no time to dwell on the outside world or get restless!
♥ 10. Learning to breathe in the pilates style (inhaling through the nose to fill the back and sides of the ribcage and exhaling through the mouth while bracing the abdominals) oxygenates the blood and increases energy and alertness
ED: Hopefully this has inspired you to get into some Pilates! Check out RENZ Pilates, PFIWA, Perth Pilates Studio & Sense of Space Pilates for some Perth Pilates options! x
Article by Cat Woods (http://catcore.blogspot.com; http://pinterest.com/catcore), Melbourne Pilates teacher (so check her out if you ever go for a holiday!)
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Feb 28, 2023 | Interviews
First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!
My name’s Nici and I’m a Mum, musician and I run my own Personal Training business – Move For Good. I started out with a trainer over 5 years ago and fell in love with feeling strong and capable! I’m a Mum of two boys so keeping up with them and being able to maintain a busy lifestyle is super important. I wanted to be able to provide a fitness and
movement service for people who, like myself, weren’t really fitting in with mainstream gym culture but wanted to train and gain strength and confidence.
What time do you wake up most days and how many hours of sleep do you aim for?
4am and between 7 and 9 hours sleep.
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What’s your morning routine to set you up for a great day?
I get up with my alarm. No snooze! Haha! I shower and get dressed for work then grab something to eat, usually Weetbix and protein powder with oat milk and a coffee. I usually have early clients so I’m always preparing the night before, kids school lunches packed and my breakfast is usually there ready to go (:
Describe a typical day of eating for you (Drinks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert – the whole lot!)
I’ve been working with an incredible nutritionist @cinfit_coaching to help me with an easy and accessible eating program. My struggle is always being time poor and her approach is very straight forward and no fuss. Its also realistic for a working Mum with a family as far as cost and easy to find products etc.
I don’t subscribe to diet culture and fads. Education and consistency is key for me.
I have my Weetbix and protein milk, sometimes with fresh or frozen berries for breakfast. A coffee (soy latte). Then mid morning I’ll have a piece of fruit and a yoghurt. Lunch is usually some sort of protein with a wholegrain wrap or brown rice as well as a bunch of veggies.
Afternoon snack is usually some nuts and another small piece of fruit. And dinner is genuinely some type of protein with salad and corn or potatoes or something like that. I love curry or our family favourite is nachos. I load heaps of veggies in 🙂
But that’s just for convenience. If I’m out I’ll eat whatever makes me feel good. I don’t drink any alcohol and haven’t for over two and a half years now as it doesn’t do me any good. Makes me feel garbage mentally and physically and there’s no way I could enjoy my life and all the things I’ve got going on if I did.
♥ Fenty Matchstix
Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?
I love skin care and makeup, I always have. Growing up in a show biz family I was always spending time with my mum in the bathroom watching her put her make up on and watching her routine.
I us GO-TO products and Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue both from Mecca. For daily make up I use Nars natural radiant long wear foundation. Fenty Matchstix bronzer and highlighter, Nars blush & mascara.
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Do you take any supplements, vitamins or special wellness elixirs? If so, we’d love to know!
I take Vitamin D, iron and Bioceuticals Ultra Muscleze Magnesium for bed which has been amazing to help me unwind and get excellent sleep.
Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?
I usually race around like an idiot trying to get everything done before I go to bed, lots of prep for the next day, try my best to put the house back together to start fresh for the next day and go through anything I need to remember to do for tomorrow.
What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables?
MIND! See a psych, look after your mind. There’s no shame in medication to help you with your mental health. I’m ADHD and on medication and its been an absolute game changer.
MOVE! Find movement that you love and that makes you feel good!
CONSISTENCY! None of these things work if you don’t put them into practice and be consistent. I think wellness is more about treating your mind and your body well and giving it a good foundation to get you through your life and get the most out of it. Fads don’t really serve me, Ive found my body feels and is at its best when Ive been consistently treating it well.
♥ Satchmo by Tori Lill
Your absolute favourite healthy cafe in Perth is?
Satchmo.
Favourite farmers market or healthy place to shop for healthy goodies.
We have a lovely place up in Mundaring, Hills Fresh, that always has really lovely produce.
What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?
I like weights, strength and conditioning. Ive recently tried EMS suit training which I really enjoyed and I love whole body vibration for an intense workout as well as recovery.
♥ Nu Form LS Top & Shorts!
If you could only wear one brand of activewear for the rest of your life it would be…
Nu Form.
What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place
to have it done?
I love a good micro dermabrasion for a little pick me up. But the best beauty for me is to be moving and feeling hydrated & healthy.
What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t got around to
yet?
Float tank! I have a voucher I need to use (:
Are you into any woo-woo wellness trends? (think crystals, sageing, tarot cards etc)
No, I have a beautiful friend that does my tarot sometimes and its so nice, I find it really reassuring in a comforting kind of way, but Im not really into that kind of stuff usually. I ask too many questions!
You’ve got a big event in 7 days time that you need to look incredible for. What’s your plan of attack to look & feel your absolute best?
Move and eat well. Stay hydrated and wear something you feel rad in. I don’t subscribe to cramming or crash ANYTHING. I would just try to look after myself as best as I can.
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If you could have the ultimate day of wellness & happiness in Perth what would it involve and where would you go?
I’d probably go and get a massage at Endota Spa and then lunch at Satchmo.
What’s your dream wellness vacay?
Ummm a girlfriend and I dream and plot about going and staying at some fancy retreat somewhere on the central coast and getting massages and drinking yummy drinks and eating all the food and not doing any dishes. That’d make me feel pretty well!
And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Keep Moving, drink water, don’t sweat the small stuff and eat to live!
Thank you so much to sweet cutie Nici for taking part in our daily wellbeing interview – to find out more about Nici & MOVE FOR GOOD you can visit her website, Instagram, or Facebook.
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Dec 20, 2022 | Other
Where did the year go?! It’s only a matter of days until Christmas / the holidays and all the fun and festivities that go along with it. And, if you’re anything like us, you have left your present shopping until the last minute again (no judgement here).
Luckily, Wellness WA have sourced some fantastic gift ideas to help promote self-care & sustainability to those you love these holidays. And yes, you are included on that gifting list too!
♥ Zero Co – #imgoingzero
If you and your loved ones are trying to be more conscious of how you are treating Mother Earth, then gifting a present from Zero Co is a great step! Zero Co are a local Australian company that make single-use, plastic-free body care and home-cleaning products that are vegan, cruelty-free, grey water safe and made from plant-based formulas.
Not only are their products great, but even the packaging they come in is earth-friendly. All of their products come in ‘Forever Bottles’ and refill pouches that you can use and re-use forever (and ever)! Forever Bottles are made from ocean, beach and landfill (OBL) plastic that is sourced from clean ups, funded by Zero Co and refill pouches are made from recycled materials diverted from landfill.
When you gift Zero Co’s refillable products, you’re helping to fund ocean clean ups around the world and eliminate the production of more single-use plastic – how great is that?
♥ The Body Care Christmas Gift Box
Sound good? Head here to grab one of their Christmas Boxes like the Body Care Christmas Gift Box or their Home & Body Christmas Gift Box for your special someone. They’ll ship it to you, or straight to your loved one’s door with a letter from sustainable Santa to explain how it all works. They even have gift cards for those harder-to-buy-for people in our lives (we all have one). It’s an easy & festive way to have a big impact on our planet.
♥ Soul Nurture Wellness
2022 was a stressful year for many of us, and the festive season can sometimes add on even more stress! Imagine if you could give the gift of relaxation … that’s where Soul Nurture Wellness comes in.
Specialising in holistic and nurturing massage, meditation, and ultra-relaxing treatments, it’s the perfect present for those in your life who need a bit (or a lot) of bliss and calm. You can select a gift card amount, or choose to gift whole treatments to that special someone. See their range of relaxing treatment offerings here. We recommend the 2 hour Wellness Journey as the perfect kick starter.
Check them out on Instagram too for last minute appointment availability!
♥ Healthy Hampers
If you’re after a delicious gift idea for that special someone – then look no further. Healthy Hampers specialise in delicious and generous hampers, carefully curated for those with dietary requirements or diet preferences. They have just released their extensive range of hampers that meet many dietary requirements including vegan, gluten-free, keto options, and everything in between – perfect timing for the holiday season!
Some delicious options include the Vegan Snack Attack Hamper or the Gluten Free Bake & Snack Hamper. With so much to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect selection to spoil your fussy loved ones.
Visit Healthy Hampers Australia to start shopping.
♥ Veggie Saver
Did you know that the average Australian household throws away over $2,000 of food waste every year? Even more so, Christmas is notoriously the most wasteful time of the year, with 90% of Aussies throwing away more than 25% of their food during the festive period. If those numbers make you feel a bit sick (and not just from too much Christmas ham), we have a solution.
Veggie Saver is an award-winning, Australian-owned food storage system which is designed specifically to keep fruit and veggies fresh and crisp for two weeks or more – so your Christmas leftovers can still be enjoyed well into 2023!
Additionally, 5% of every sale of Veggie Saver is donated to Destiny Rescue, a not-for-profit leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of children from sex and slave trafficking. Win-win!
For more information on the Veggie Saver and to find a stockist near you, check out their website here!
♥ Bare and Wilde Memberships & Retreats
Established in 2018, Bare + Wilde has built a fanbase of Australian wellness enthusiasts who have a thirst for discovering new healthy products through their wellness subscription boxes and hosting wellness retreats throughout Australia. Late in 2022, they also launched their own Self Care range of products.
Their Rituals Boxes and Memberships and self care bundles are a thoughtful gift for a loved one who needs more “me-time” in their life. Or for someone extra special in your life or if you need to treat yourself, why not check out one of their upcoming retreats?
There are a few already planned for 2023 so you can start planning your best year yet.
♥ Open House Yoga <3
♥ Yuletide Yoga
Yoga is one of our favourite pastimes and with good reason; researchers have found that regular yoga practice may produce health benefits including increased cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength, and normalisation of blood pressure.
Whether you are a seasoned yogi, or a first-timer, make 2023 the year of yoga by treating yourself or a loved one with a yoga class or two at your favourite yoga studio.
Some of our go-to’s are Open House Yoga, YOGALAB, Common Earth Studio, and Yoga Folk.
We hope that you were able to find some holiday gifting inspiration from our curated list, or maybe you have a few ideas for your own wish-list!
Either way, we hope that everyone has a very merry festive season, and wish you all the best for 2023! Bring it on!
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
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