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Having been a member of Fitness First gym since 2008, I’ve had ample time to try out the various classes and workout options available, and have found some winners over the past few years.

I first joined the gym for the great range of Les Mills classes on offer, mostly because I had no idea what I was doing but they were a lot of fun and the instructor managed to keep me motivated for an entire hour! Since then, there are a few classes I’ve continued to go back to.

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♥ Body Pump

A favourite of mine because it allows you to build muscle strength and tone while also working on your general fitness. A pump class works your entire body using weighted barbells, focusing on a different muscle group with each track. If you’re thinking of trying pump for the first time I would suggest sticking with light weights for the entire session because you’ll definitely feel it for the next couple of days, but stick with it and you won’t regret it! I recommend exercising with weights at least 2-3 times a week to see noticeable results.

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♥ Body Attack

Another class I’m a regular at, Body Attack, provides an intense cardio work out – and trust me when I say your heart will be racing for the entire hour! I find this class to be a great complement to my running because it combines aerobic, agility, interval and strength training in the one class. This class works you damn hard but is highly addictive!

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♥ Body Balance

When I want to turn down the pace and have a more mindful workout I like to go to Body Balance, which combines techniques from tai chi, yoga and pilates and ends with a meditation. Bliss!

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♥ Goin’ Solo

I also like to work out individually when I’m not going to a class. Fitness First have a great selection of equipment and my local even has a women’s workout room if you prefer a bit of privacy. I like to alternate between working my upper body and my lower body, with a bit of cardio in between.

An example of an upper body workout I would do includes back exercises using the lat pulldown machine, the seated row machine and barbells for dead lifts; then working my biceps and triceps using the barbells and cable machine.

For a lower body workout I would start with squats and lunges using the squat rack and dumbbells, followed by the leg press machine and dead lifts, and finishing with abdominal work.

Before each workout I warm up with a bit of cardio – I love the cross trainer for this; and I like to end my upper body workout with a good run on the treadmill.

♥ Liz is one of the lovely PT's at Fitness First in Subiaco

There are always personal trainers around to answer questions, help with equipment and give you training tips (you can even ask them about the exercises or machines I’ve mentioned if any of it sounds like jibberish!). You can also arrange a one-on-one session with a personal trainer for more inspiration. Winter is the perfect time of year to get into a healthy routine, and going to a class or personal training session is great motivation.

Do you have a favourite work out you enjoy? We would love to hear about it in the comments below!

Written by Alice – fitness lover who is already getting excited for the return of summer!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, Alice is a paying member of Fitness First & all experiences are her true thoughts! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m a Perth girl born and bred, though after studying naturopathy I spent 6 years in my twenties travelling the world and the travel bug has never left me. I now share my passion for travel with others by running wellness retreats in special locations such as the Himalayas of Nepal, through my business Ashima Journeys. In fact we have our next retreat in Nepal coming up this October! I also consult part time as a naturopath at Eternal Health Clinic in Greenwood.

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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I have sensitive skin so I use an all natural salon-only skin care range called Osmosis. They use herbs and vitamins that have been specially formulated to actually get into the skin, rather than just sitting on the surface, and I swear by them!

♥ What's the one beauty treatment you can't live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

I have had incredible results with Omnilux light therapy. I had acne when I was younger and had some leftover scarring and redness, and Omnilux really improved the quality and texture of my skin, I was quite amazed. I like to get it done at Skin Deep in Mullaloo, as it’s very close to where I live.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

I must admit, for some reason I am not so fussy with my hair, I tend to go to the cheaper salons in the shopping centres, I find they do just as good a job as the pricier places!

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

French green clay masks, they are really detoxifying for the skin, and cost hardly anything if you make them yourself!

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♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Paw paw ointment, Australian Bush Flower Essence “Love Your Body” moisturiser, and Nude by Nature mineral foundation.

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♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Daily meditation and yoga helps me cope with the busyness of modern-day life.

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♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven't yet?

I would love to try a floating in a flotation tank, it sounds like it would be so relaxing. ED: A brand new floatation tank biz has just started up in the city, check out Beyond Rest Float, based in the city.

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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Nutrition is one of my passions, I usually start the day with a green smoothie, snack on goji berries and pumpkin seed throughout the day and have a small portion of carbs (quinoa, spelt, chickpeas etc) with salad, and lean protein like free-range chicken, fish or tempeh with veggies at night.

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♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I practice Ashtanga yoga regularly and walk a few times a week. Now that it’s getting colder and darker I want to join a gym and start running too.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements?

If only you could see my kitchen bench! I take heaps of supplements, mainly a plant-based protein powder, a probiotic, flaxseed oil, magnesium, glutamine, colostrum and usually some type of herbal formula I have concocted at the clinic where I work.

♥ How many hours sleep do you usually get each night? Do you have any bedtime rituals or tips to help you get a great nights sleep?

I usually get 8 hours sleep a night and I am a big believer in having “quiet-time” before bed. I have at least an hour with no computer, phone, TV etc before bed, where I just unwind, read, meditate or listen to music before going to sleep.

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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

Meditation is number one, I like to go the Dhammaloka Buddhist centre in Nollamara on Fridays for meditation and to listen to one of Ajahn Brahm’s amazing talks. That inspires me for the whole week!

Thanks to Sharee for sharing her inspiring routine 🙂 If you'd like to find out more about her work check out Ashima Journeys. Any questions please leave them below! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

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With the winter months well and truly upon us, it can be so tempting to go into hibernation mode and indulge in comforting foods while our fitness levels quietly disappear. As tempting as this sounds, you might be regretting all those sticky date puddings come spring when pretty little dresses are back in season. Just because its cold and wet, doesn’t mean your health and wellbeing should take a backseat; in fact, with so many cold and flu bugs around, winter is the ideal time to boost your health and immune system.

If you are looking for a place to stock up on all things health and wellness, then Karrinyup Shopping Centre is your one stop shop. Aside from retail giants David Jones and Myer, Karrinyup has a huge offering of health, food and sports stores that are sure to inspire some winter wellness! I spent a day at Karrinyup road testing all of the best places to get your wellness fix, check out what I got up to…

♥ lululemon Karrinyup yoga ambassador Susie McLachlan

♥ lululemon athletica

Everyone’s favourite yoga brand has tapped into a great community initiative and offer complimentary yoga & fitness classes in store. I’m not one for early Saturday mornings, but there was something so serene about starting my weekend with an 8am Yoga class. Lululemon’s classes are for everyone, so think gentle stretching, deep breathing, meditation and flexibility. It’s a bit distracting lying amongst all the colourful Luon and Wunder Unders though – I was picking out my favourites during downward dog, and just had to reward myself after the class!

Lululemon Karrinyup offers instore Yoga classes every Saturday morning, check out their community page for more info.

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♥ T2

After my Yoga class, I floated down the shopping centre to T2 where I spent some time tasting the newest brews on offer. Shopping in T2 really is a treat for the senses, not only does the tea taste and smell amazing but beautifully decorated and bright tea wares fill the store, celebrating the history and art of brewing and drinking tea. My favourite T2 treat is Buddhas Tears, a light green jasmine infusion that delights the senses and warms the soul. Whether you’re really into your tea, or just like the odd spot of English Breakfast, T2 has something for everyone. They are even selling tea biscuits, jam and iced tea now!

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♥ The Coffee Club

The Coffee Club have really spruced up their menu of late, with a large range of healthier meals now available. I stopped by for breakfast, and absolutely devoured the fruit and nut muesli with yoghurt and honey! The atmosphere at Coffee Club is nice too, amongst the buzz of shoppers (staying out of the winter weather probably!) So get along to The Coffee Club, order a fresh juice and a healthy brekkie the next time you’re at Karrinyup and enjoy excellent customer service as well as a nutritious meal!

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♥ Karrinyup Fresh

I love supporting local fruit and veg shops; they seem to be offering such a better product than most supermarket chains. The locally sourced, organic produce is of such a high quality and is really quite kind to your wallet too! Karrinyup Fresh have a great range of fruit and vegetables available, with a lot of Western Australian produce on offer. I also noticed a lot of items that are hard to come by which you might find in the ingredients list of a yummy Asian noodle or curry dish. Stock up on veggies and make some tasty vegetable soups to keep you warm this winter!

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♥ Healthy Life

Healthy Life has been providing premium quality health foods and advice for Australians since 1968 – helping customers achieve and maintain their best health and sense of wellness. Healthy Life have a huge range of vitamins and mineral supplements (stock up on Vitamin C and Echinacea to ward off winter colds!), whole foods, herbal teas, beauty products and sports nutrition and supplements. I picked up some Eco Cacao Powder which I love using for baking!

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♥ Lorna Jane

Inspirational activewear label Lorna Jane have some great winter styles in store at the moment. Put some colour into your cold morning run with gorgeous new tights and tops in bright pink, purple and orange.

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I am loving the new Max Impact Excel longsleeve top in electric purple – guaranteed to keep you warm and stand out in the workout crowd! Make sure you check out Lorna Jane’s gorgeous range of inspirational books and accessories too!

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♥ Dymocks

Australia’s favourite bookstore are now featuring a Healthy, Wealthy & Wise selection of books. Handpicked by Dymocks staff, these titles cover a range of topics including health, wellbeing, self help, religion and recipes. I picked up a couple of interesting titles: Religion For Atheists by Alain de Botton and I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson. Both of these reads are going to be eye opening for me, I am by no means an atheist but always searching for a bit more meaning in life and as for sugar, well, I know I can’t quit it completely but I’m looking forward to reducing my intake as much as I can!

♥ Belén

A day of wellness wouldn’t be complete without a bit of pampering! Belén Karrinyup is the perfect place to switch off from the world and indulge in a bit of luxury for a while. I was very lucky to be treated to a De-Stress Facial, which is a combination of Belén’s signature facial treatment and a 30 minute massage.

This was the most relaxing and rejuvenating hour of my existence. My aching muscles melted away, my skin was deeply cleansed and exfoliated thanks to Dermalogica and I emerged in a state of tranquillity. The staff are fantastic, I was so impressed with their client service and truly felt like a valued customer. I will certainly be back for some more pampering this winter!

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♥ Rawsome Treats at Stockholm Café

Don’t forget to stop by Stockholm Café for one of Rawsome amazing treats! These little winners are the perfect snack for boosting energy levels and curbing cravings all in one little raw, organic and healthy treat. They are so yummy you wont believe it’s healthy!

Review by Lucy Anderson.

* Lucy was a guest of Karrinyup Shopping Centre.

Be well,

xoxo

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Body language is a familiar concept to most, and the impact it has in our interactions with others is huge. But what about the 'conversation' our own body has with ourselves? It feels increasingly difficult these days to tune in to our bodies and the messages they send our way. Whether it be a job that keeps us constantly in our minds, endless technology distractions or the demands of looking after others, there can be precious little time in modern life to really connect with ourselves.

Meditation and yoga can be very helpful in this respect. There are also powerful approaches such as Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI) which I started working with about 18 months ago. SRI is a series of twelve simple exercises using breath, movement and touch designed to increase levels of perception in your body. Each of the exercises relates to a state of consciousness, such as feeling stuck, disconnected or conflicted in life. The approach was developed by Donald Epstein, the creator of network chiropractic. You can read about my experiences of Network Spinal Analysis here!

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Although simple, SRI is extremely profound. I recently worked with Ginette Hillman of Evolve Wellness Coaching , an experienced SRI facilitator who operates from the Fremantle area. The session starts with a conversation so that Ginette can ascertain which of the twelve exercises would be of most benefit to you. You then move onto a comfortable massage table and Ginette gently guides you through the relevant exercises, which involves placing your hands in various positions on and around your body, focused breathing and using specific phrases to express the state of consciousness you are working with.

In the weeks leading up to the session I'd been feeling pretty out of sorts – anxious, overwhelmed. As I worked through the SRI process I felt a strong emotional release and also some 'tingles' and coughing, as trapped energy was freed up. After the session I felt an incredible sense of lightness and the underlying anxiety that's plagued me for weeks has magically transformed into a deep peace. I'm sleeping better too.

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Ginette is wonderful to work with. She is extremely caring and understanding, which enabled me to feel safe and relax into the process. She has an intuitive gift to sense how you are feeling, including where you may be 'stuck' or disconnected, and to gently coach you into greater awareness and openness. Once you've had a series of SRI sessions with Ginette to learn and refine the technique you can also self-practice, making it a very empowering healing tool. In addition to SRI Ginette offers wellness coaching – see www.evolvewellnesscoach.com for more details.

Introductory Course 6 weeks

1 hour introduction to SRI plus 5 x 30 minutes sessions $297

An Introduction to the Discover Stages of Healing; stages 1,2,3

♥ Reduce stress and fearfulness
♥ Connect with your bodies messages and feedback

SRI Ongoing Sessions 30 minute sessions $47

How do you check in with your body? What do you find most helpful?

Article by a very 'zen' feeling Karen, holistic health coach and owner of Conscious Cravings whose mission is to inspire people be more nourished with food, life and love. Find her on Facebook!

Be well,

xoxo

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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am an almost 23 year old Marketing and Management graduate who lives in Perth/Northbridge/North Perth (the zoning is really weird, we are postcode 6000 but more Northbridge than Perth) with her partner and bulldog. I work 9-5 in the corporate world, and enter my fashion and blogging world via Little Miss Mon Bon outside of those hours. I have always been a dance fanatic and I don’t think I will ever grow out of that!

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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I am very minimalist in what I do to/put onto my skin. I have rather fussy skin in as it doesn’t need much (in way of moisturisers or treatments) and it hates a lot. If I am not careful with my products, I will end up with an ugly, bumpy face rash!

Each morning I wash my face with a gentle cleanser (my current favourite is the Neal’s Yard Rose Facial Wash), swipe on some mascara and dabble a little bronzing blush on my cheeks. To remove my makeup at the end of the day, I use the NYR Organic Make up Remover and wash my face with my NYR cleanser again. If I am going to moisturise (which is rare as my skin perspires badly under most moisturisers or breaks out in a rash), I prefer to spritz my face with a hydrating spray such as the NYR Hydrating Frankincense Facial Mist.

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♥ What's the one beauty treatment you can't live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

Massages. Massages for sure! As I am currently trying to save some money to buy new furniture and a car, my new favourite place to get a massage is at home from the boyfriend! Unfortunately I haven’t been able to indulge in a professional massage in a while, but a massage is a massage and I can’t complain. When I am not in money saving mode I like to salon hop and experience different massages from different salons – they all have something different to offer!

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♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

Bee Rizzi at Peggy Sues is my go to woman. Not only does she do wonders with my temperamentally curly hair, she is an absolute character. I love sitting in Peggy Sues eclectic space, cuddling Penny the sausage dog and chatting away to Bee. There is something so comforting about having your hair cut in a place that is very reminiscent of an Italian Nonnas house crossed with a music obsessed young woman’s room.

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

I really can’t go past a warm bath with Epsom salts. I am continuously aching and sore from dancing, so Epsom salts really are a savior!

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

NYR Rose facial wash, LimeCrime lipsticks and my mascara

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

In all honesty, I find that keeping it simple and just being me works for me! No overkill with the makeup, plenty of sleep and not being on a strict diet have all worked out pretty well for me so far.

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♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven't yet?

I would absolutely love to try aerial silks (Tissu). Coming from a dancing background, aerial silks have always fascinated me. The intense muscle toning and strength that would be built up over time would be amazing. I would also like to try pilates and a green smoothie (can you believe I never have?!)

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Seeing as most of my days are spent at work, I will walk you through my typical work day of eating. My partner and I can go all out with dinners sometimes, so I try and stick to a more healthy/lean breakfast and lunch to balance it all out.

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Breakfast:

♥ A bowl of oats with skim milk or some fruit (summer fruits are the best!) with Mundella greek yoghurt with honey.
♥ One cup of tea (white with one, lemongrass and ginger or chai)
♥ A glass of water

Morning tea:
♥ One cup of tea (white with one, lemongrass and ginger or chai)
♥ Some cheese and crackers or more fruit

Lunch:
♥ Brown rice, tuna, cherry tomatoes, avocado and feta or a ham, lettuce, tomato, avocado and jarlsberg roll
♥ Glass of water

Afternoon tea:
♥ Some cheese and crackers or more fruit

Dinner:
♥ Anything from meat and vegetables to a tuna bake. We don’t really stick to a strict dinner eating plan (but we are working on that in the coming weeks!)

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♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I am very fortunate to be living a stone’s throw from the city, and working in the CBD. Not only am I super close to work, but I get a good hour or so of walking in when I complete the round trip each day. Each week I take 2 Jazz dance classes on a Wednesday night, and a lyrical dance class on Saturdays. If I am feeling really good, I will go for a jog around Hyde Park.

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♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

I used to use Carla Oates Inner Beauty Powder, but since running out I haven’t repurchased it. I really love it because it is packed full of nutrients and it tastes great – even my partner enjoys it!

♥ How many hours sleep do you usually get each night? Do you have any bedtime rituals or tips to help you get a great nights sleep?

A lot! I love my sleep; I can’t function without a good night of shut eye! Since having glandular fever I find that I get tired very easily, and if I don’t sleep properly it causes all sorts of issues. Each night I get between 7-8.5 hours of sleep, and if I am lucky, I can get a half hour power nap in during the day when I am not working.

♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

I absolutely love sitting down with a big mug of tea and lighting some scented candles. If there are a couple of fashion mags thrown in there it becomes complete bliss!

Thanks Monique, check out her blog at Little Miss Mon Bon!

If you have any questions for Monique, please leave a comment below! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo