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SO I MADE A LIST & CHECKED IT TWICE, BUT…

Dear reader, if it’s not too late, I wish you a superb new year. Xmas ’20 came and went and is but a speck in the rear view mirror of an annus horriblis, but Santa kinda didn’t show up. Yes, it was different partly due to the pandemic having robbed us of the warm fuzzy festive experience that anchors the end of each year… but personally speaking, I have now become a Mum, and everything has seismically changed overnight. To others, there’s likely nothing revolutionary in my experience, but it’s new to me, and I’m overwhelmed by the intensity of it. My priority is this little bundle of love, and external experiences / material items seem less important than they’ve ever been. Whilst my body is recovering, my fitness activities are limited, and mainly anchored around long walks with a pram, as anything more hardcore is off the cards for now. So this year’s list is a post-xmas, New-Year-sales kinda list (and there are some decent bargains to be had!) tilted mainly towards my new lifestyle; gentler, slower fitness and wellbeing, with the little one in mind! Here’s a ‘top 8’ of things that I’ve found essential during pregnancy for slow fitness during Covid, relevant for both now and beyond! (PRE WARNING: some things are basically new-parent oriented). Click MORE to read the full list…

During pregnancy, I’ve really taken ‘maternity leave’ from Social Media and dedicated my conscious energy more towards nourishing my baby and other aspects of work life. I’ve been engaged in this writing venture for over ten years and whilst I totally love it, it’s also been quite wonderful to switch off from it fully for the first time in years. Having said that, I’ve not been able to help myself and have found myself perusing Instagram and Stories here and there for a little hit and a fix! I do miss the creative process – writing about all things health-related, heading off on Active Escapes, sharing new recipes, exploring new restaurant masterpieces, and encountering fitness discoveries. Whilst I don’t intend to turn FOT into a full-blown preg-blog, I’ve been working with Personal Training clients for pre and post-natal purposes for years, and going through the journey myself it would seem a shame not to share some of the most useful exercises, thoughts, tips and bargains along with the way.

  ITEM 1 – I’m going to start with something for him. Helly Hansen Outerwear. (Left = ‘Arctic Ocean Parka‘ in Ebony – £500, or Right = ‘HP Foil Light Jacket‘ in Navy – £190), though you can find these online at c. 20% discounted at present! GREAT FOR DAD & MUM PRAM WALKS (available for Women too).

I’ve worked with Helly Hansen for years; I raced with them in Cowes Week and trained with world class teams of theirs. I grew up sailing in Sweden wearing Helly gear. In my mind, it remainis the most technical, sport-specific outerwear for the inclement weather associated with sailing. Now the UK gets wet and cold, especially during winter walks, which I’m taking plenty of right now with a pram! And given that national lockdowns continue to interrupt gym-going, husbands need protection from the elements, for when they’re out walking the baby, so mum can get her sleep in back home! Really, nothing protects better than the coat on the left; the Arctic Ocean Parka is as close to maximum protection without going for the full Aegir Offshore race suit (which given it’s bright red doesn’t exactly blend into the crowd). This is a heavy duty, warm, wind-proof, water-proof hyper-coat, which is breathable, and way lighter when on than you’d expect. Read more about it HERE, and prepare to be intrigued/impressed! I consider this the ultimate frigid-weather coat, but it’s not cheap at GBP500. The jacket on the right is still ultra technical and waterproof/windproof, but it’s more of a shell layer to wear over warmer under-layers, and it’s more affordable at GBP190.

  ITEM 2:  Bump friendly clothes. LuluLemon Align Pants – on sale for 64 GBP vs 94 GBP RRP.

These are an evergreen athleisure wardrobe piece, and they’re on decent sale right now. I’ve quite literally been living in the high waisted Align leggings. At first, I bought a couple of pregnancy-specific jeans and leggings but found none of them felt particularly flattering, and worse weren’t very comfy. During pregnancy, I found more than ever that I just wanted to wear materials which were super soft on my skin and not too tight. Whilst the Align pants are fitted and hugging, they don’t feel tight and the material is so soft that you forget you’re wearing them. I sized up twice during pregnancy, but I know they’re stretchy enough to wear in a postpartum world. That saves me having to buy clothes which I’ll never wear again. Did I mention how comfortable they are?!

  ITEM 3: Feeling sickly during pregnancy? Sip away at a little refresher! Fever Tree ginger ale 8-pack, GBP 3.99 at Tesco – just 50p a serve.

The first 3 or 4 months of pregnancy left me perpetually on the brink of vomiting – a testing experience to say the least. Coping mechanisms were required; one exceptional discovery which has stayed with me now, and will remain with me well into the future, has been ginger ale. The 150ml Fever Tree cans, whilst hardly nourishing, are a fabulous and light-weight refresher, with a mere 17 calories of impact, and 4g of sugar, which is less than a teaspoon. They punch way higher in the satisfaction stakes than their nutritional stats would suggest; i.e. alchemy. – Ginger ale, I found, was able to settle my stomach and neutralise the feeling of sickness. A can comes with me anywhere and everywhere. Note; even though it’s known as ale, it’s non-alcoholic. – There are also plenty of interesting flavours which keep me interested; i’m a big fan of the Aromatic Tonic Water with a little Angostura Bark. ITEM 4: Buggy. Buggaboo Fox 2. Now 20% off at Mamas & Papas. £903.20 (Was £1,129), sale saving of £225.80.

The pinnacle of pushchair engineering, this is my daily prop. It guarantees a 2 hour sleep for the baby, and a 2 hour walk for me, whilst pushing a weighted resistance sled (a.k.a. buggy). It’s the perfect excuse to get my 20,000 steps in each day, with low-impact exercise, that’s perfect for burning off pregnancy fat stores. For more on the benefits of walking, see my previous article HERE. This item isn’t cheap, but it needn’t go on sale, as it’s something that’s permanently in demand. This is a new year’s sale bargain  to my mind! Well, it is if you’ve just had a new baby at least – it’s probably not that relevant otherwise!

  ITEM 5: Back relief….

As someone who’s a trained sports masseuse, and who loves the feeling of a great sports massage herself, Covid, lockdown and pregnancy-related back pain has been a frustrating combo. I found a few things very helpful aside from specific exercises to combat the pain.

i) A bath: This has seriously been heaven-sent. Getting into a hot (not too hot) bath has really helped south any tired aches and pains. It has become a bit of a daily routine.

ii) Vastgun – the handheld massage gun :

This was kindly gifted to me and has proven super useful over pregnancy. It’s an acquired taste – some people love a handheld massage device and some people quite dislike it. Whilst I personally prefer a good old fashioned sports massage with thumbs working out the knots in deep muscular tissue, the Vastgun has been awesome during the lockdown when it hasn’t been possible to visit a professional practitioner, and I really look forward to using it once I get back to my normal strength training as I know it’ll be perfect for to relieve muscle tension and knots post-workout.

iii) A helpful husband: Get your husband to massage your back – I found Bio-Oil to be the best for me. It serves as an anti-stretch-mark oil, and really absorbed deep into the skin after a long hot shower or bath.

ITEM 6: Pull Up Mate, GBP 99.95, down from GBP 120.

Gymgoing is off the cards given Covid lockdown, and my conditioning isn’t what it once was, so I’m working my body back up to strength with this home gym equivalent from the good folks at Pull Up Mate. With this simple structure which is permanently assembled in my back garden, I can do Leg raises, Knee raises, Modified push ups, Dips, Chin ups and Pull-ups to name but a few.

ITEM 7: Alllll of the literature.

Someone said to me that ‘the best approach/method to parenting can sometimes be the instinctual maternal one’. It stuck with me, it’s comforting because mothers have been successfully guessing their way through parenthood for millions of years, guided only by the oral tradition. Still, babies aren’t little machines that take instruction, regardless of how prepared you are. As such, I personally like to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible, so that WHEN a panic unfolds, I don’t just throw my hands up in the air and manically search the answer online. I like to have a few tools at my disposal or have an idea of what to expect/what’s going on.

The other piece of advice that stuck with me was ‘if you decide to read parenting book methods, read as many as possible. Avoid sticking to only one as it’s one person’s idea’. So instead I read many… about 20, then formed my own aggregated conclusions. Some were utterly fascinating, whether you’re a baby kind of person or not. These fascinating books have totally impacted the way I chose to approach parenting, and I would be happy to recommend this reading for consideration, so here’s a brief TOP 3;

i) What Every Parent Needs to Know, Dr Margot Sunderland

This has by far been my favourite book. Dr Sunderland’s approach reveals what neuroscience and neurochemistry can teach us about parenting that’s consistent with good social outcomes, and therefore how to make informed evidence-based decisions about how to optimise the way you care for your child. Reading this has been a real eye-opener for me, as it turns out babies are remarkably sophisticated and a baby’s brain development in the first year alone is astonishing. Dr Sunderland explains how screen time affects the child’s brain, and lends a particular focus on how love, nurture and play can contribute to your child’s social development, and disarm the stress and alarm systems that can seriously undermine their neural development as they age. My top book.

ii) What to Expect – The First Year, Heidi Murkoff

This is perceived to be the holy scripture when it comes to babies, and is probably the book that most first-time parents turn to. It covers pretty much every practical thing you need to know month-by-month explaining everything you need to know for the first year with a new baby for example – shopping list for baby, feeding (breastfeeding/formula/preparing homemade baby food), charts for key development stages and sleeping habits and so much more. I read it before birth and I have been dipping back into it daily after birth; it just nails it for me.  

iii) Contented Little Baby Book – Gina Ford

Possibly the most divisive book out there, the author is the Routine Queen, known to be one of the strictest and most decorated midwives. Dislike or love her methods, as a midwife she’s worked in the industry for a long time and countless parents have experienced material success using her methods. Personally, I like the idea of having a schedule around feeding, sleeping and playtime. I like to know what I’m doing and when so I can plan my day accordingly – I turned her book into an daily excel schedule for my kitchen board. There are a few things in the book which instinctively I don’t feel comfortable with, certainly not for the first year, but recognise that other parents will be comfortable with. For instance, Ford suggests if the baby isn’t settling, to avoid soothing the baby, refrain from making eye contact, or from speaking to him/her. Some components of her framework structure appeal to me a lot though, and therefore my approach is a Frankenstein’s monster of all the 20 books I’ve read!

  ITEM 8: Hands-free pumping. The Elvie – revolutionising expressing.

I don’t want to dwell on this too much, but this device has essentially unchained lactating women from the power socket, and rendered the process of expressing breast milk into something you can do *whilst you’re doing anything else*. Liberating times. Purchasing this was a high quality decision, and I’m glad I listened to the random customer in John Lewis who implored me to spend the extra money on it. You’ll need something to contain it… Nursing Bras! I tried around a dozen different nursing bras but found the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Maternity & Nursing Bra ( https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/bravado-body-silk-seamless-nursing-bra-dusted-peony-e3722.html) to be the softest, offer the most support and the most comfortable.

  Well at risk of maternitying you out, that’s the top 8 list. More to follow as I navigate this journey!

Faya x

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REVIEWED: APPLE WATCH SERIES 6

If you’re as stubborn as me, and are convinced that there *ARE* yet days remaining of the summer, here’s a remarkable day trip idea for you! Earlier in the month, I spent one such day enjoying the exquisite Jurassic coast, on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England’s only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site – which was really quite resplendent in glorious British sunshine! Whilst I’m 8 months pregnant, a gentle hike along the rolling chalk cliffs is just about the perfect level of exertion for me and the little one, so I/we packed a bag and headed down to Durdle Door for a walk and an afternoon of calming ocean breeze. It was an excellent destination to trial my brand new Apple Watch Series 6 (previous reviews HERE) on the hike. Plenty of interesting insights packed into this one, my dear reader, so read on…

And so, without further ado…

APPLE WATCH SERIES 6

I’ve owned each of the preceding 5 series’ of watch and have become somewhat dependent on how they add to my communication capacity as a social human. I miss less conversation, I catch more news, I remain better informed, and I stay reachable if I want. Series 6 is a really nice evolution which I think lays the groundwork for a revolution in automated diagnostics. I should say from the outset that Apple kindly seeded me with this watch, but these impressions are my own and not influenced by external factors. Things I like about this?

STYLE: the familiar form of the case itself remains unchanged, but there are some new colourways such as Blue and Red – I am enjoying this updated classic yellow gold colour, as it feels a little more ‘precious’ than the anodised aluminium cases of old, yet costs no more. Away from the case, the braided yarn solo loop is a bit of a style triumph to my mind, and I have since already accessorised with it, per the picture below – the interwoven nylon-elastic diagonal mesh is super-comfortable, well-machined, and ultra-practical! You barely feel that the watch is there; it is the most comfortable watch strap I have worn, for digital or mechanical devices.

STATS: The Blood Oxygen Sensor is probably the most radical new feature on the Apple Watch, and it’s one that I’ve found myself using more frequently than I’d expected. LEDs on the back crystal can measure light reflected back from my blood stream and glean how well oxygenated it is – it keeps a watchful eye on my telemetry, much as with the ECG rhythm anomaly features and heart rate monitor. So what? Well, I think Apple Watch is gradually accumulating an array of sophisticated diagnostic capabilities which sets the direction for a revolutionary ‘personal doctor’ on the wrist which is constantly monitoring you for nascent signs of illness and disease.As you can see from my watch face setup above, I’ve custom specified something with complications that help me to launch a workout and track my movements, measure my activity rings easily at a glance, check my power reserve, trigger a walkie talkie conversation, and tap into the sensor array via ECG/HR/SpOX – it even imputes my VO2 Max score, which is a fantastic metric by which to gauge my overall fitness. I like this health-focussed data setup because that’s really what I feel gives me the most information, most easily accessibly, any time – which is the whole point of a smart watch rather than a classic analogue timepiece!

PERFORMANCE: This is noticeably faster, supposedly 20 per cent so, but it feels immediate. I don’t run out of juice by the end of the day, with the 18-hour stated battery life regularly clocking in at ‘40% remaining’ when I take it off for the night-charge. Charging is faster (1.5 hrs back to 100%) so if you want to wear it for sleep, you can reload fast the next morning. I’d love to see a battery life that neutralises even the most subtle cases of charge-anxiety in the next edition, as this is perhaps the only conceivable draw-back at present, in what is otherwise a category-defining product. I particularly like the Always-On Retina display on Apple Watch Series 6 – even in direct Dorset sunshine, it had brightness and clarity which rendered it fully legible, whereas I’d really struggled with this in Series 6’s  predecessors.

FITNESS+ – For someone who is slightly obsessed (in a good way) by my activity rings, and in a post Gym world, I’m excited about the new addition of guided workouts which can be streamed on my iPad/AppleTV/iPhone and synced with the Apple Watch. I’m trialling this over the coming week so keep an eye out!

ALTIMETER: Not just for pilots, this is a cool feature and one I used as I descended and ascended at the Jurassic Coast as it gives you real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks. It’s perfect for outdoorsy people like myself, helps to more accurately track my ‘flight count’ of steps climbed each day, and I’m looking forward to trialling this further on my next ski trip.

In short, this is the most seamless smartwatch experience from Apple to date. I can see where they’re going with it, and I am a huge fan of the telemetry to which I now have access, simply by wearing my watch. The more I lean into the features, the more rich an informational experience I can take from it. I look forward to seeing what diagnostics get added to Series 7, but for the coming year, I’ll very much enjoy the Series 6 companion on my wrist!

Faya x

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THIS POST IS A COLLABORATION WITH APPLE WATCH SERIES 6 AND IPHONE 11 WHICH WERE SEEDED WITH ME ON A TEMPORARY BASIS SO THAT I COULD TRIAL THEM FOR MYSELF. FOR MORE ABOUT WHY I TAKE ON SUCH PROJECTS, PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE PAGE. THANK YOU.

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10 AUTUMN ‘HEALTHY GETAWAY’ ESSENTIALS!

The summer may be well and truly kaput, yet your travel aspirations invariably live on… The deluge of the past week has unquestionably marked the seasonal transition to Autumn, and whilst we weren’t exactly travelling abroad en-mass over the summer, the ‘Blighty staycation’ certainly came in handy as a welcome relief from cabin fever. Whilst I have around 8 more weeks until my little one bids a hello to the big wide world, I will try to punctuate the weekends with a few more mini countryside/coastal getaways. Given my size as a heavily pregnant woman, the items filling my getaway bag look altogether different to my usual Active Escapes! This post shows 10 key essential items I pop in the bag when I’m after a wellbeing escape to some wonderful part of the country, as you might be considering this ‘fall’! Read on, dear reader…

SO WHATS IN MY DAY TRIP BAG?

Fitness Essentials:

i) KEEPING TRACK: Apple Watch Series 6 to track my health stats. The data I want to record and check out daily is my calorie burn, number of steps, number of flights climbed, heart rate range, average and peak, blood oxygen levels… and how my ‘Shared’ competition fared for the day! I find a little step-based oneupmanship can be quite motivating when I’m thinking of stopping!

ii) THE KIT: Lululemon Align leggings and yoga mat – not only does this enable your practice anywhere, but it also turns out to be the perfect beach blanket on which to lie for pebbled, British beaches – so if you’re planning a coastal Autumn escape, this is a bag essential.

iii) SOMETHING IS AFOOT: Adidas Trainers …in hindsight, white may not be the most practical colour given the resurgent mud, but it’s nothing a good wash won’t clear up :). The Boost midsole remains the most comfortable thing underfoot to my mind, and oh the silhouette looks so crisp.

iv) NOW LISTEN HEAR: AirPods Pro – these are crucial to keep the mind exercised; silently imbibing the distilled wisdom of the podcast literati is the best way to pass long walks. To complement this, I keep a fully charged Anker powercore bank in my bag too, as i never want to be caught out on a day out after heavy technology use!

Blogger & Beauty Essentials?

v) SNAP! An awesome camera – I used my Apple iPhone 11 Pro to capture this breathtaking landscape (see images below!) and I’m getting closer to not requiring a hulking professional camera body!

vi) SMELL DIVINE: One of my favourite women’s perfumes the delicious smelling Flora from Gucci – the scent of a fragrance can be both comforting and transportive at the same time, and this has always been a staple travel scent for me, full of subtle romance and energy. A cute little 30ml ‘voyager bottle’ is always to be found in my travel bag!

vii) RE-GLAM: Hair Essential – long country walks, or salty coastal air tend to take a toll on my hair. I always pack a bottle of my favourite Kerastase Elixir Oil spray to replenish and nourish through the day, with a wide-toothed comb to help evenly distribute it.

viii) SHOW SOME TEETH! Nothing ruins a care-free day out in the rolling hills like the paranoia of an un-removable piece of spinach wrapped in-between the teeth. It remains something I am hyper-attuned to, and as such, I never go anywhere without at least 5 floss picks in my bag.

Sustenance?

ix) DRINK UP: Icy water in my ‘Stay Hot Keep Cold‘ Bottle (28-degree heat required some serious hydration)

x) OMNOMNOM: A heart-healthy assortment of Nuts packed with protein and good fats from Graze. Awesome energy to draw upon throughout my hike.

All photos shot at Coworth Park, which I reviewed HERE.

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THIS POST IS A SPONSORED COLLABORATION WITH NOTINO.  FOR MORE ABOUT WHY I TAKE ON SUCH PROJECTS, PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE PAGE. THANK YOU.

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MY BABY LOCKDOWN

I’ve wanted to share this supremely exciting news on the blog for, well, just over 6 months now. Things are changing, FitnessOnToast is quite literally expanding; I am pregnant (not just gluttonously engorged)! Amidst the COVID lockdown and what can only be described as an ‘atypical yet unforgettable’ year, I found myself wanting to withdraw from the stresses of this deeply unnerving world, (quite literally by switching off the TV around the house, and escaping the social media maelstrom in my hand), and instead simply focus on pouring all the best ingredients into the little miracle growing inside me. Whilst I gained professional qualifications in the ‘pre-and-post-natal’ space a decade ago, I’d never been that ‘baby person’ who simply loves holding, cuddling, looking after babies. In fact, in my youth they once seemed rather monotonous to me – eat, sleep, nappy, repeat. My view has long since changed, and during this time I’ve been reading books on babies voraciously, and it turns out they’re actually pretty remarkable little contraptions! (I’ll share some of my favourites from the reading list at the bottom). This post is intended to share just a few of the key reasons as to why I believe it is worth continuing your training into pregnancy & beyond, and is relevant for both women considering starting a family, and for their partners to be aware of too – it’s a team sport! Click MORE below for the thoughts, and do feel free to ask questions in comments if there’s anything I can help with…

Pre & Post Natal

One subject which has however always fascinated me is the way in which the female body carries a baby. This is no trivial undertaking, the changes that take place throughout each trimester and the body’s ability to revert to ‘normal’ afterwards is truly amazing. Having worked with dozens of women as a Personal Trainer throughout their pregnancies, it’s clear that everyone I speak to experiences a different story and journey; pregnancy is far from a cookie-cutter, forecastable process. Some fall pregnant as soon as they start trying, whilst others navigate long and complicated journeys. Some had planned it, others were uncertain. One thing they all had in common is an overwhelming want to do the best and provide the best for their babies; to optimise the pregnancy process! I’m often surprised by how little women, in general, seem to know (or want to know) about the changes that growing a life inside of you bring, both anatomically and emotionally, as the different stages of the trimesters unfold. Often some women I’ve seen appear torn – on the one hand, they want to train, but they’re gripped with fear that training might adversely harm their baby. When I embarked on this journey for myself, I wanted to share with other women what I know, and help others stay healthy and confident in their own training. However, it was the first time I could really relate to the fear I’d had described to me over the years…

Parking that fear (for now at least), there are countless benefits for training during pregnancy – everything from mental health boosts through the dopamine and serotonin production of a gym session, helping with the delivery and of course with recovery. I’d love to share how you can make that journey confidently too. To help arm you with the knowledge of what’s happening to your body every step of the way. So, this is a first little post listing some of the many benefits of training during pregnancy, with a few pregnancy shots we took on a long walk in Kenwood to memorialise this magical time for me…

Benefits of training during pregnancy?

I’ve often been told by people to ‘take it easy’, to cut back on or avoid exercise during pregnancy. However a substantial corpus of research and strong evidence now exist to suggest that not only can exercise be safe during pregnancy, it can actually have a positive effect on the health of both mother and baby. But when you hear the ‘take it easy’, ‘don’t train’ by people and it can feel confusing. Ultimately you have to listen to your own body, and operate within the envelope of your personal comfort; if you produce heaps of cortisol for days on end by fretting about having harmed your baby from a set of gentle lateral raises, then adapt your activity down to comfortable yet useful levels; a long aerobic walk will still yield serious benefits. So why train at the prenatal stage?

Prenatal benefits include:

1) FITNESS LEVELS: Training during pregnancy maintains general fitness levels and improves cardiovascular fitness, whilst there are countless bodily changes occurring (for instance, mother and baby’s circulation systems are inter-mixed through the placenta). Blood volume running through your system increases by up to c.30% near term, as well as stroke volume and cardiac output – all changes to bear in mind and tailor training to accordingly, staying active will keep up you cardiovascular fitness which will help you through delivery as well as post-delivery recovery.

2) BLOOD PRESSURE: It can reduce the  risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), as by keeping active and doing some physical activity each day, your body better regulates its blood pressure within the normal range. Complementing this with a balanced diet and keeping your salt intake measured will also help to regulate the risk of high blood pressure.

3) WEIGHT GAIN CONTROL: during pregnancy the body will exhibit an increase in fat storage and therefore weigh gain will unfold naturally, due to the growing baby within. How much weight you should gain during pregnancy will be based on your body mass index (BMI) which will be measured before pregnancy and should be calculated by a qualified midwife.

4) REGULARITY: Training eases constipation – during pregnancy the levels of progesterone increase which relaxes the smooth muscle tissue in the walls of the digestive organs, leading to an impairment of their function. All of which can affect digestion, heartburn and constipation. Training has been shown to alleviate this effect.

5) SLEEP & MOOD: Personally I’ve always found that when I’ve been active during the day, my mind and body are both more likely to fall into deeper sleep more easily. I’ve written extensively on the importance of sleep here and here. During pregnancy, where many people find their sleep patterns interrupted by the baby kicking and moving (myself included), I found days when I’ve exercised that I sleep far better. Needless to say the serotonin boost from exercise does wonders for the mood too, even if your training for the day is a simple walk through a park.

6) POSTURE & MUSCULAR PAIN: Training when pregnant will help to improve posture and can reduce back pain too. Aside from enlarged breasts (as the body prepares for lactation) which can lead to rounded shoulders, the body is also experiencing the increased weight of the bump and the forward-shift of the centre of gravity. This is pretty radical, as you’ve spent your life learning to balance in a certain fashion, and that is now out of date information for your brain! On top of this, the effect of the hormone relaxin creates laxity of the ligaments in the vertebral column and the weak abdominal muscles which are able to give less and less support the back/core with each trimester. It’s therefore especially important to train correctly and help ensure correct postural training.

7) RISK REDUCTION: Training during pregnancy may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and caesarean delivery – Gestational diabetes is usually improved by exercise as the exercise improves the body’s insulin sensitivity and therefore increases the muscular and other tissues uptake of glucose.

8) PERCEPTION: It increases body awareness and generates an improved self-image, as well as  leading to renewed energy, a sense of euphoria and a boost in the ‘feel good’ factor. Some women worry they might lose their bodies through the changing demands of pregnancy, but training is proven to help maintain and renew it, so keep on going!

That’s just a start, there’s plenty more to discuss around the postnatal period too. More to come over the following months as we dig into this fascinating topic a bit more, from a health and fitness perspective, flavoured with a little Swedish-style insight into this domain!

Faya x

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WELLNESS ESCAPE TO THE WESTIN MALDIVES MIRIANDHOO

I recently returned from 9 days in planet Earth’s most rapturous dreamland – the Maldives. I’ve been fortunate to visit this heaven on prior occasions, and I am struck by how its luminous beauty never dulls; on this trip, I visited the wonderful Westin Maldives Mirandhoo, a jewel in the crown of the Westin  Hotels and Resorts group. I’ve worked with Westin for many years as their Wellbeing Movement ambassador and I’ve experienced several of their properties around the world; as such, I know the wellness ethos that pervades every detail of this hotel group well, and it’s one that I feel passionately about infusing into every trip I take. Whilst I was hosted at the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo (henceforth WMM), I experienced the purest expression of their Wellbeing philosophy, free from the restrictions and confines imposed by a bustling cityscape, and instead, able to indulge in the secluded tranquillity of island life. Picture-perfect postcard-style, powdery-soft sandy beaches, mesmeric sunsets, the freshest seafood and perfect temperatures, all render it an unsurprising top honeymoon destination; for me, after only a few days, I recovered the hitherto lost sensation of feeling recharged, relaxed and renewed. Thereafter, the ensuing week of pure revival left me ready to take on 2020 with gusto! Click MORE to see and read about my experience of this nirvana…

For your ease of consumption, this review will be laid out in alignment with the 6 key pillars of the Westin Wellbeing Movement, so as follows; 1) Feel Well, 2) Move Well, 3) Eat Well, 4) Sleep Wel­­­­­­l 5) Play Well and 6) Work Well.

1) THE SPA COMPLEX – ‘FEEL WELL’

Part of any wellness escape necessarily includes the opportunity to check-in with one’s own physical and mental wellbeing, and to focus on nourishing self-recovery. I maintain that there is no better way to do this than to dedicate an hour or two to literally doing nothing. Switching off fully, detaching the consciousness from worldly concerns, and letting the body and mind relax is something I can only really achieve at a tranquil spa, and this heavenly facility excels at exactly that.

As you wander over the bridge you uncover ‘The Heavenly Spa’ elegantly perched on the apex of the island, surveying the vast turquoise expanse beyond. A dramatic yet soothing view awaits you inside, and the placid silence is only punctuated by the sounds of the waves meeting the coral reef outside.

There are countless treatments on offer. If you get a massage you could, of course, close your eyes and fall asleep or keep them open to watch the fish swim below through the glass floor. Personally, as a trained sports masseuse, my preference is always a deeper massage to really iron out any knots and muscular imbalances.

  The Feel Well credentials extend beyond the spa, and pervade the entire island, and are fed by the ensuing 4 pillars.

2) THE FITNESS CENTER – ‘MOVE WELL’

Upon check-in, you’re offered a running session with the in-house trainer as part of Westin’s ‘Run Concierge’ concept. Bright and early on the first morning, we circumnavigated the c.2km island a number of times whilst the Maldivian sunrise bathed the island in crepuscular radiance. The run, at this early stage of the trip, is a great way to see the island, establish your grasp of the spatial geography and learn the layout, as well as burn some calories early to set up a full and fresh day ahead.

Fitness apparel from the beautiful Silou London (https://siloulondon.com/)

No training kit with you? Not a problem, as WMM will lend you a fresh set of workout clothes so nothing can stand in your way. One thing I especially like about Westin properties is that they engage in this ‘Gear Lending’ program so that every guest can hire fresh New Balance branded kit, including fresh sneakers, for no more than 5 USD, and in some properties (including this one), at no cost at all. This means you can pack light, and fitness activities are accessible to all guests, even if it wasn’t a core reason for which you booked the holiday.

The gym complex itself is absolutely gorgeous, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the beach and ocean outside, raised a level up. That’s rare in the Maldives, as most buildings are at sea level, but this glistening panopticon gives you a glorious perspective of the ocean and broader island. Kit-wise, you’ll find an ample array including TRX, kettlebells, treadmills, rowers, ellipticals, cable machines, dumbbells and much more as well as an in-house trainer to guide you should you need some help or motivation. This was a very easy gym in which to have a workout, meaning there was one fewer reason not to get involved.

I started the second morning with the glorious sunrise yoga session. It was just what my body needed. After ten long hours of sitting on a plane, my body was so tight, and even a gentle yoga session was a struggle, but I enjoyed so much relief afterwards. This is part of my compulsory routine (where possible) anytime I travel and is a given at this Westin too.

3) THE RESTAURANTS – ‘EAT WELL’

The Westin group has a nutritionist-led partnership with SuperFoodsRx and has created a nutritionally balanced, super healthy menu for all their hotels, complemented by a suite of revitalising juices curated by The Juicery. At WMM, the Executive Chef has overlaid this template with local Maldivian flavours, to reflect what can be locally sourced, and what makes up the mainstay of the local style; I had the pleasure of a cookery class to make a Maldivian Tuna Curry dish to sample this style and was enamoured with it (recipe to follow shortly!). This made it very easy to order from the regular menu throughout the whole stay without having to ask the chef to alter any dishes to make it healthier. There are 5 key ports of call to cover off when it comes to food;

ISLAND KITCHEN

This was my preferred restaurant on the island. It’s set within a vast, bright and airy space overlooking the hotel’s infinity pool and ocean beyond, with cavernous triple-height ceilings, and a satisfying aspect. It gives you the option to sit indoors or out, without feeling as though you’re having to make a choice between either. On the menu, you’ll find the ‘Eat well’ options which consist of fresh ‘catch of the day’ (often the likes of Maldivian yellowfin tuna/barramundi/reef fish), as well as superfood salads and filling soups to name but a few. There is a wide choice here, which helps to keep things interesting throughout the holiday, meaning you don’t suffer the ‘menu fatigue’ often experienced on captive island settings.

HAWKER

This is a smaller, more intimate beach restaurant where you can watch the chefs create each dish in the ‘live kitchen’. There’s something impossibly relaxing about sitting barefoot with your feet basking in the powdery sand whilst tucking into your locally-sourced fresh fish dish. Flavours are spicier than Island Kitchen, with more shellfish on offer here.

THE PEARL

I was lucky enough to be at the WMM on the same day as a vast yellowfin tuna had been caught and was being prepared to be part-eaten, and part-frozen given the hulking size of the thing! Without doubt, it was the freshest, most delicious tuna I’ve ever had, with just a lick of soy sauce to render it a savoury masterpiece.

The Pearl itself is the centrepiece restaurant on the island and allows you to enjoy your meal either outside on the open-air deck, or inside. It’s a tribute to the great Japanese restaurants of London but with the characteristic fresh ingredients of the local fishermen.

SUNSET BAR

This generous veranda projecting out over the reception, one level up, is part of the play space, where you can shoot some pool, enjoy board games or just hang out. It’s a lovely place to mingle with other guests should you prefer to socialise – or simply grab a drink and watch the explosions of colours over the Indian Ocean. It also doubles as a cosy night-time rain shelter for when an evening monsoonal interlude decides to unfold at full-pelt!

THE BREAKFAST BUFFET

This is the mainstay of an indulgent hotel experience; there’s a vast array of choices here catering for a suite of cuisines – Chinese, Japanese, French and many more. My preferred choice is a classic omelette and one of the freshly squeezed juices on offer, as well as some of the exotic local fruit, but that covers around 2% of the available offering! The breakfast venue is physically based in the wonderful space of the Island Kitchen, so there’s a fresh feel blowing through the whole breakfast experience.

4) THE ROOMS – ‘SLEEP WELL’

The beach villas (my chosen form of accommodation, as I quite like solid ground underfoot!) are spacious, minimally appointed in a fashion which promotes cognitive ease, and are all sea-facing. They each have their own little private slice of beach and of course, their own private pool. Depending on the orientation of your villa, you’ll either enjoy stunning sunrise to wake you in the morning or a sunset masterpiece to send you to sleep.

For any regular readers of FitnessOnToast, you might think I’m slightly obsessed with sleep… That would be accurate. And why not?! We spend a full 1/3 of our lives sleeping so it’s important to nail it. Sleep helps enhance muscle recovery, restores & maintains mental alertness, dissipates neurotoxin build-up which accumulates during wakefulness, releases Human Growth Hormone so you can recovery among many other things, so it’s worth investing in. After a few fairly stressful months in London, I hadn’t realised how stressed and tired I was until I arrived in the Maldives. After a few nights of tranquil sleep in the Westin Heavenly Bed (a global standard at these hotels, and essentially a vast chasm of mattress, perfectly supported and enrobed in blissful 250-thread-count sateen sheets), I felt human once more. The addition of a special sleep-well menu which promotes rest is a lovely touch.

5) THE ACTIVITIES – ‘PLAY WELL’

There is a popular misconception that an island escape is synonymous with ‘activity poverty’; quite the opposite. There are countless activities to be ticked off here, many of which hail from the well-equipped Dive Center on the island! I’ll list just a few of note…

Snorkelling – the Mirandhoo reefs offer some exceptional viewing – you’ll find clown triggerfish, powder-blue surgeonfish, I spotted manta rays and countless other species. You can snorkel just off your private beach any time, and there are island villa reef tours or excursions to reefs nearby organised through the hotel.

Dolphin watching – as you can imagine there’s no guarantee that you’ll spot a dolphin since this is after all their home ad they could be anywhere in the Indian Ocean. But the staff know their whereabouts surprisingly well, so sightings are common. The dolphins will swim very close to the boats whilst driving, such that you’re almost a bit scared they might hit the hull – but it’s perfectly safe!

Tennis – there’s a large tennis court which you can book at any time for a game. It also doubles as a football pitch in case you want to get involved in any of the staff matches!

Cookery classes – The island is staffed by locals, which means that there is a wealth of culinary knowledge indigenous to this part of the world. That is an exceptional opportunity to get under the skin of the Maldivian fare so that you return home not only with a sense of restfulness but also with an additional string to your gourmet bow!

6) WORK WELL

Amidst such isolation, one might not expect such a fully equipped business center with super-fast wifi, a comfy ergonomic chair and all the chargers you’ll need, but there are in fact several of these hidden around the island. They host corporate escapes and offsites and have a number of conference rooms with presentation facilities. Whilst this wasn’t relevant for my holiday, I appreciated the subtle presence of the facility. I did make regular use of the super-fast wifi though, for all manners of Instagramming, as well as Netflix streaming on a couple of slightly guilty occasions!

CONCLUSION

My 9 days here were transformative. I sampled almost everything there was to experience and drank deeply from the restorative elixir which flows from such beautiful island life. If you’re already familiar with the Westin proposition, this will be your nirvana. If you’ve never sampled it before, this is the ideal place to induct yourself. Their formula contains key threads which run through all of their properties, so I always have the sense of returning to something comfortingly familiar, yet different enough each time so as not to feel like a bereft carbon copy. Whether or not you’re new to this, there is the certainty that the exquisite weather (even the rainstorms blow over within 30 minutes), cuisine, facilities and vistas will leave a permanent impression on your holiday history. Whilst it was not my first visit to the Maldives, it was no less special and left me with a valued sense of calm and peace which has guided me through the start of 2020.

These gorgeous glasses with gold chain from NeonHope (https://www.neonhope.com/)

The post WELLNESS ESCAPE TO THE WESTIN MALDIVES MIRIANDHOO appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

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MY FASHIONMONITOR INTERVIEW: “WELLNESS TODAY”

I recently had the opportunity to share some thoughts with FashionMonitor.com for an interview ahead of a panel at the Festival of Marketing, on which I sat to discuss trends in the fitness industry. The interview caused me to think quite alot about several of the challenging topics posed to me. FashionMonitor presented a gently precised version of the interview HERE, but for those looking to explore the more complete answers I scribed, click MORE below to get my full thoughts on the trends shaping the industry at present and over the coming years, along with perceptions surrounding the influencer marketing world.

1.     What trends have you witnessed within fitness in the past few years?

I started working in the industry over ten years ago as a PT in a commercial gym, Esporta (which has long since been acquired by Virgin Active) and there have been many trends that have come and gone over the years. But to mention 5 more broad changes I see, it would be

i) PT as an occupation has gained mass popularity – social media has transformed and glamourised the job of working in fitness.

ii) ‘The gender swap’ – women train more like men and men train more like women.

iii) With mass popularity in social media and health there’s been a sort of ‘information overload’,

iv) This has sparked the growth and evolution of countless different flavours of ‘fitness communities’

and finally v) sports fashion ‘Athleisurewear’ has completely reinvented itself.

i) PT-ing ten years ago didn’t carry the same cache that the occupation enjoys now. Working in what certainly was a male dominated job was considered a bit more unusual. It wasn’t anywhere near as glamourized as it is today – Instagram as a fitness marketing tool for one didn’t exist. Today being a PT is associated with beach workouts, raw pressed juice on tap, and gorgeous bodies clad in expensive ‘athleisurewear’, not to mention crisp designer sneakers. For a lucky few this may be the case but more often than not this couldn’t be further from the truth, something I’ve written about on my blog. It’s a tough slog building a sustainable fitness business as a personal trainer!

ii)    ‘The gender swap’ may be a generalisation perhaps, but in my experience more often than not, it used to be the case that women would focus on cardiovascular training and men would focus on weight training. As a PT, trying to convince a woman to venture into the male dominated free weight area was not easy. There was the eternal fear of ‘getting bulky ‘. I remember distinctly walking into a weights area and being asked by a pretty stacked guy if I was lost. I think for women, encouraging weight training has been empowering, women feel bad ass and it has certainly introduced more fun, varied and effective training. For men, I see the change that it’s more acceptable and ‘mainstream’ to focus on mindfulness, yoga, meditation etc. So overall, men and women have merged somewhere in the middle.

iii)    ‘Information overload’ – with the explosion of fitness fashion, yoga and gym studios etc people through osmosis are more informed than before. There’s a real thirst for knowledge. People don’t just ask what they should train but also why. That’s something that rarely happened a few years ago. This has also brought with it MISinformation; the ubiquitous nature of advice is a potential danger to those who aren’t aware of the risks, and those ‘advisors’ operating without appropriate qualification can be easily elevated in this new social media world which introduces additional risk factors for people’s wellbeing and training regimes.

iv) You can find fitness communities everywhere today and brands recognise its power. As an example, today if you walk into a store, for example LuluLemon, you’re not just buying a pair of leggings, you’ve become part of a very large community. You’ll most likely be receiving newsletters not only promoting new products but you’ll find inspiring interviews, healthy recipes, invites to free yoga classes, workshops etc.

v) Athleisurewear – there has been an explosion of fitness apparel on the market. Large brands like Nike and Adidas are leading the way but I get several start up fitness brands reaching out on a weekly if not daily basis asking if I’d be interested in featuring their leggings.

2.     Which brands do you think are key disruptors right now?

My challenge in response would be ‘define ‘disruptor’. No fitness brands are doing to fitness what Uber did to transport on demand, nor really what Amazon has done to bricks and mortar retailing. They are however tapping into the trends I describe above; social media, community, innovation, gender stereotype developments in fitness.

bespoke tailoring is a thing. Adidas custom body scans, the speed factory that scans your foot and 3D prints a shoe that fits within the hour whilst you wait.

Conscious sustainable production. Small batch creations imbued with ethical values, like the Adidas Parley for the Oceans collaborations.

There have been a wave of new brands on the market over the last few years but Adidas and Nike are still the dominant players – it’s hard to see this model being disrupted, but rather, evolved….

3.     How do you see social media progressing in the future?

It’s an interesting question.

On the one hand people have become more mindful of how they use social media, perhaps more selective and time conscious (setting reminders etc), tuning out of content that imparts stress,

On the other hand brands are spending more money to work with influencers than ever before, as well as finding new and innovative ways of promoting themselves. There are constant trends coming and going. At the moment, I sense the trend is very much for a brand to be ‘passionate’ about something – whether it’s taking a stand for the climate, following in Greta Thunberg’s footsteps, or being a ‘conscious consumer’, gender equality, or matters of migration.

Not only have *brands* invested in social media, it’s becoming ever more of a platform for activists, politicians as well as influencers. It is a way to excite and rile up communities.

As the young Social media user base evolves and grows up, so too will the platforms. New platforms spring up like TikTok for new users, but the core platforms that for the base of social media have been established now.

The way we interact with those will change. People engage in longer form content but also the attention span is super short. It is a medium of significant contradictions.

4.     What causes are you most passionate about?

Primarily, wellbeing and health and fitness. Going back to my previous point (above) there is a real trend online now to be or be seen to be very passionate about a cause, whether it be the environment, feminism, migration etc but my platform is and will carry on only being about health. It’s completely politically neutral. I have grown up in Sweden, I have cared about nature and the environment since birth, but these are broadly private views for me on my platforms.

5.     How do you drive engagement on Instagram?

You need to post consistent, new, relevant and engaging content, dabble with new formats and placements, go stories, optimise for mobile first creative (vertical, sound on, key message in the first 3 seconds, fun stickers etc) – it’s got to be candy floss!!

6.     What is the key to a healthy, balanced diet?

The longer I’ve worked in the industry, the more I’ve realised that everyone is different and reacts differently to different foods. In order to enjoy and stick to a healthy way of eating you need to find something that you enjoy which is realistic. Anyone can stick to ‘the perfect diet’ if they were committed enough. At the end of the day it’s a question of what do you want more… the ice-cream or the six pack. For me, I like to think as long as I’m healthy most of the time, at 80% of my ‘best’, when I really wish to up the game before a holiday or something I’ve only got to increase my intensity/commitment by 20% – totally reasonable and realistic. What I would say is, it’s about portion control, eating quality foods (not eliminating any macros from the regimen – fat, protein, carbs), and timing – aiming to eat small amounts, regularly throughout the day. Fresh, locally sourced produce is best.

7.     Which influencers, celebs or activists do you admire right now?

I follow a bunch of different people for different reasons. I’m a big fan of Yoga with Adrienne, I also love interior design and Sophie Paterson is a definite fave. I enjoy Sheerluxe for fashion and chit chat.

8.     What do you think is the modern definition of wellness

I think wellness is timeless in the sense that it remains a product of its key ingredients – nutrition, movement/exercise and mindfulness (recover, sleep, etc). The optimal blend of those ingredients I believe differs from person to person depending on their metabolism, human makeup etc.

Perhaps the modern definition is based more on what’s realistic given the time constraints and lack of movement in most people’s everyday lives. For many who sit for 10 hours a day, walking for 40 minutes to work can be the most they move in a day. It’s a case of incorporating as much ‘wellness’ as possible, in as realistic and achievable a manner as possible.

An additional dynamic may well be the auto-recognition and normalisation of stress and mental distress; wellness isn’t just about *physical* wellness. We all face psychological struggles of some sort and the contemporary narrative around this is far more accepting, which in turn helps with wellness.

9.  Where is the best place you’ve ever travelled to and what did you love about it?

I lack the words to convey my wonder for the Maldives – it’s like stepping into a postcard, a photoshopped existence where the saturation has been maxed out. The turquoise waters are impossible, the temperature delicious, the relief so gentle and shallow, the sand is like flour under your feet and every morning you wake up in awe as to how beautiful the world truly can be. I return from the Maldives as if I’ve been somewhat reborn. From one’s first trip, everywhere else is ‘just not quite the Maldives’ thereafter.

10.  Do you think there is a bigger duty of care to audiences when dealing with the topic of wellness?

Yes, it’s why many of my blog posts have always strayed toward the ‘biomechanics manual’ rather than the 1-minute read. I am and have always been very careful as to what I advise, what I choose to promote and how I word my posts related to health online. There is a big difference between saying ‘here’s a delicious salad recipe’ and ‘this salad recipe will cure cancer and make you skinny’. Someone who may not be qualified to promote fitness online, may encourage someone to get up off the sofa that day – but on the other hand, that person may be more likely to sustain injury as the advice given isn’t necessarily safe or pursuant to a professional beat practice. It’s a tough one. Do we start regulating sites?

11.  What’s item can you not leave home without?

Four critical things; keys, phone, wallet, air pods.

12.  What makes you angry?

Untrustworthiness and unreliability…. People who let you down, or lie, or try to screw you over.

13.  Do you think it is the brand or the influencers responsibility to ensure authenticity and transparency?

I think it’s both parties responsibility. If you are sharing something on your platform, you’d hope it’s authentic – either you genuinely love the product, have been using it for year, or have tried it and can vouch for it. However, there will be times when the brand needs to point out certain details that may be unknown to the influencer. It’s a capitalist world out there and advertising buys into that wholeheartedly; people are going to try and sell stuff. But if content is flagrantly advertorial, you’ll know – and consumers are too smart for that!!

14.  What kind of email PR pitch would turn you off immediately?

I always like a face to face meeting with PR, as it adds a touch of old school human interaction, and helps to build rapport on both sides. However in my line of work, I see poor email outreach quite often. There’s a wide array of approaches; at the weaker end of the spectrum are lazy emails – dripping with spelling mistakes, and rarely getting my name right. That doesn’t mean the pitch will be weak, but if the PR outreach demonstrates a clear lack of insight as to who you are, by name or substance, it’s unlikely to bear fruit thereafter. Detail matters in order to find the right fit. Poorly structured, rambling emails that don’t make it totally clear what the pitch is about are a major turn off too. There’s too much noise in any given inbox, and crisp PR pitches cut through easily. Shorter, sweeter, more precise and to the point makes everyone’s job easier .

15.  Who takes your pictures?

Whilst it’s not his full-time job, my husband is a professional photographer, and when he can, he will always take my pictures. It is quite a help having your production facilities in house as you can move as fast as you want!

16.  What do you miss most about Sweden?

Mainly the proximity to nature – the fresh, invigorating smell of the outdoors, actually being able to see the horizon, as well as the proximity to the ocean. I also miss the food, especially all the fresh fish, and of course the cinnamon buns! It’s all about balance.

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HOME-MADE HEALTHY ROCKET ROLLS!

Short on time, but desperate for some existentially-redefining delicious food? Well dear reader, look no further, for these seriously-yum & super-easy-to-make ROCKET ROLLS are precisely what you’ve been looking for. Search your feelings, you know this to be true. They look so pretty & are guaranteed to impress all possible guests with their colourful, versatile & healthy ingredients. They are also the perfect lunch to take to work, given how neat and filling they are. Aside from that delectable sauce, the ingredients are all pretty healthy, consisting mainly of fresh veggies and herbs – they combine to deliver a proper knockout flavoursome punch! When it comes to the dressing, it has quite a rich essence and therefore you don’t actually need to use that much of it. The rolling of the rice sheets can demand some dexterity, but frankly by the third one, you’re guaranteed to get the hang of it. Click MORE to see the full recipe – I hope you love them as much as I do!

  The post HOME-MADE HEALTHY ROCKET ROLLS! appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

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5 WAYS TO SQUEEZE EVERY BIT OUT OF YOUR MORNING

Despite having woken at some ungodly hour for countless years as a Personal Trainer, I am not, nor have I ever been, a morning person – but I have my tricks! If you too are a regular human being and struggle with your daily breakup from that cozy sanctuary known as ‘bed’, I might be able to help you turn those dreaded early mornings from snooze mode to cruise mode! This post contains my favourite 5 universal methods to unlock some more of your morning potential! As a busy multi-tasking butterfly, I’m forever rushing to get out of the house, so grabbing something healthy, quick and easy is somewhat of a saviour. Tropicana, with whom I’ve partnered for this post, is a great option, and is a juice I’ve been drinking regularly since my youngest days in Sweden. Their new Whole Fruit juice is filling (the texture is velvety and rich), and it delivers an even greater knockout punch of nutritional value. Click MORE to see why I grab this on a busy morning, as well as my 5 key tips to help you live your best morning!

1. HYDRATE & NOURISH 

Hydration is critical since our bodies are c.70% fluid; very often when we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty; the brain often mistakes dehydration for hunger, so by eliminating the former (by drinking up), the latter may also subside. We lose alot of water during the day, especially in the dry air-conditioned office environment! A regular swig helps keep me alert and focussed.

For me, starting my day hydrated and combining that with natural fruits and fibre is a key tactic. Consider that you’ve been in mini-hibernation zone for a good 7-8 hours and at this point, your body has depleted its short-term reserves just ticking over through the night; it’s in need of some serious hydration, and the metabolism could use kick-starting too.

The Tropicana Whole Fruit in the ‘On The Go’ size I’m using has 50% more fibre than smoothies and juices on average. Moreover, this shot of goodness is made up of more of the edible parts of the fruit giving a richer thicker texture, making it a whole new way to drink fruit, and an easy way to get one of your 5 a day (given that about 2/3 of us Brits don’t make the 5-a-day goal*). As a result, I get more of the nutrition from the whole fruit, more of the fibre, and basically everything but the pips & peel!

Whilst I’m a traditional ‘OJ’ kind-of-girl, I am partial to the delicious apple flavour for its wonderful velvety-smooth textural consistency, which for whatever reason, transports me right back to my young carefree days growing up in Sweden on a farm! Apple juice can be surprisingly evocative

2. STRETCH IT OUT & MOVE!

The morning brings a stiff frame, so it’s time to maximise mobility! Essentially, I’d advocate regular stretching in as much depth as possible along with regular, hourly walking breaks to encourage a more consistent change in position, as well as some motor locomotion! If you’re training (and even if you aren’t but spend hours each day sat at a desk) there are vast benefits of stretching.

It can help to reduce the risk of injury, and keep the body mobile as it grows older.

It can help to improve the flexibility

It can help to speed up muscle recovery after an intense workout.

For a full ‘why to’ of stretching, check out my post HERE, but to add to that, why not:

Take the stairs rather than the lift at work; every little helps when it comes to moving well

Go for a walk mid-morning and you’ll be helping to develop stronger bones, to clear the mind, to energise the body by stimulating oxygen flow, and to tone up the muscles!

3. TRY A MINI-MEDIDATION

This is one of my favourite ways to lift the morning fog. Everyone’s daily pressures differ, and mine come in the form of juggling personal training clients, meetings pertaining to this blog, and a few other projects I have on the go. For me, seeking a moment of tranquility to escape the relentless chaos to come, is best served through a moment of meditation. Spending 5 minutes a day meditating can help to achieve a slower heart rate, less muscular tension, reduced stress and a better outlook on life. More on the how-to HERE!

4. CLEANSING AND PREENING

A well planned cleansing ritual to start the day can help me stay focussed later on; it is a relaxing, modest indulgence in the self, and promotes a clear, gentle mindset before the stresses of the day can intrude. Starting with the teeth is always my go-to; flossing, picking, brushing and washing. Thereafter I cleanse the face and gradually apply some light makeup. The daily ritual, accompanied by some gentle Jazz or Classical music, is a crucial way for me to generate more mental bandwidth to allow my mind to wander.

5. MEAL PREP!

Leaving meal decisions to the last minute, or perhaps just forgetting to eat, all have consequences; from experience with clients, it most likely means you’ll be eating lower quality foods and/or overeating, whereafter only delicious snacking will help. That’s a vicious cycle… instead, set aside 30-60 minutes each week to plan your weekly food blueprint (ideally before heading to the supermarket). Know what you’ll need and want, so that you eliminate the guesswork and statistically reduce the possibility of wavering…

If you’re time-poor (who isn’t?!) then cooking in bulk is a more efficient and a way more affordable way to stay on track with healthy eating through the week. Prepping for healthy mornings is especially important, as they’re your starting point for the day, and set you up for the coming adventures! I like to prep things like a fresh bircher muesli which can stew overnight, or a batch of coconut quinoa porridge as well as other high-quality foodstuffs which can be refrigerated, in big-batch Tupperware, then be dipped into through the week as needed.

Tropicana’s Whole Fruit retains more of the fruit fibre which is normally lost during the juicing process. I like that because it tastes real and is real. Fibre is an important nutrient in our diet; I get around 50% more fibre in this bottle than the majority of juices and smoothies (along with the bottle containing 50% recycled polyurethane!); important given that only about 10% of us Brits get our 30g RDA of fibre! Tropicana makes it very easy and convenient to get one of the five-a-day in every portion..

Next time you’re running out of the house, why not try one of the delish flavours from Tropicana. It’s both a morning treat, and daily nourishment for me!

Enjoy,

Faya x

______________________

*NATIONAL DIET AND NUTRITION SURVEY (NDNS): RESULTS FROM YEARS 7 AND 8 (COMBINED) 2014/2015 – 2015/2016. AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.GOV.UK/GOVERNMENT/STATISTICS/NDNS-RESULTS-FROM-YEARS-7-AND-8-COMBINED

This post is a sponsored collaboration with TROPICANA. For more about why I take on such projects, please see my DISCLOSURE page. Thank you.

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SEA TO SEA IN ISRAEL!

When first I visited Israel – a decidedly middle eastern country – I didn’t expect to find myself strolling amidst a Gay Pride parade with over 100,000 people revelling on the beaches of Tel Aviv. On my recent and second visit to Israel, I had the great honour of being invited by The Ministry of Tourism, who ushered me and two journalists on an equally unexpected – and remarkably broad – historical and cultural tour of this breath-taking country, called ‘Sea to Sea’. Israel is a delicious melting pot of religion, culture, people and food; where Mediterranean meets Middle-Eastern, and where modern meets traditional. On this expedition, I discovered some truly ancient sites, voyaged through one of the oldest cities on the planet, enjoyed exquisite Israeli restaurants, feasted my way through vegetable/fruit and fish souks, and languished in the intimate boutique hospitality of this country. The list of highlights is impractically long so I’ve listed my absolute key takeaways if you’re thinking of a trip – and at the bottom of the post, other things to do whilst you’re there, should you have time. This is an active trip to remember!

So, faced with the massive suite of possible highlights, my absolute favourite spots from the trip were Jerusalem, in particular, the Old City – as well as Masada and The Dead Sea. Tel Aviv is always something special to behold too! Here’s the list with some visuals to bolster the imagination…

Jerusalem

Visiting Jerusalem enabled me to tick off a major box from my ‘life bucket list’. It’s the capital city of Israel, one of the oldest municipalities in the world, as well as the Holy City for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The narrow limestone walkways paved by Olive trees have been walked by some of the most significant religious leaders to have written history, and are the reasons as to why the world looks the way it does today. Jerusalem is a historian’s dream location, steeped with significance that you can almost taste in the air. The places to visit include;

1. Christian Quarter with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre This is Christianity’s most important church, located in the centre of the Christian quarter. It is the site where Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers.

2. Rebuilt Jewish Quarter and Cardo The ruins of the main street from Roman times.

3. Western Wall (Kotel) This is Judaism’s most sacred site. It’s a limestone wall built by King Herod in 20 BCE. For hundreds of years, people have prayed at the wall.

4. Best view of the Old City? Mount of Scopus (In Hebrew it means “lookout”) offers the best panoramic view of the city.

5. Mahane Yehuda market (Shuk) We visited the market during the day, and indeed a memorable imprint it left – tasting and eating your way through fruit, vegetable & fish stands. However, it was only when we chose to return one evening to experience the nightlife that this became an absolute highlight of the trip!

I’ve never experienced anything quite like it and was totally blown away. The atmosphere was electric. To wander through the market at night is to observe the very essence of a melting pot for people of all religions and ages. There where Orthodox men out on ‘date night’ with their wives, orthodox Muslims, bakers shouting selling their goods, whilst girls and boys were dancing on tables in the immediate vicinity to the tunes of live DJ’s. So many walks of life intersected here that it verged on the surreal and wandering through the streets with a drink in my hand, I couldn’t help but smile; it was exhilarating. I wished I’d partied there as a teen and not in some dark club sitting at a table.

6. Dinner? We enjoyed a delicious meal at Satya Restaurant in Jerusalem. The menu offers a real mix of foods which are perfect for sharing. I could happily just eat all the starters in Israel including herring with sour cream and cucumber salad, sashimi or sea fish tartar and plenty of vegan options like vegetables with shitake mushroom sauce and white rice. All super fresh and benefitting the wonderful climate.

7. Accommodation Situated in the heart of Jerusalem, The David Citadel combines a sense of heritage and modernity, fusing old and new with consummate style and understated elegance. I awoke rested in a spacious calming modern environment, and upon stepping out onto my balcony I could enjoy views of the Old Limestone Wall alight in the morning sun. I loved the garden terrace, full of birdsong, cocooned within the hotel walls whilst overlooking the pool and the Old wall – this was a favourite as was the exquisitely appointed spa, an oasis of calm in an otherwise bustling metropolis

What to do in Tel Aviv…

1. Stand-up paddle boarding This was such good fun, but I would observe, is materially harder than it looks; great for balance and core strength. The view of Tel Aviv from the ocean is totally worth it and the activity delivers a great, all-round workout too.

2. Stroll along the beaches The sweeping beaches flanking Israel dominate their 200km of Mediterranean coastline from Rosh ha-Nikra to Ashkelon on the Central and South Coast. It’s quite breathtaking to behold, and Tel Aviv offers as dramatic an oceanscape as I’ve seen with its skyscraper coastline peering out over Jaffa… There’s also the machine-gun-like barrage of ‘Matkot’ – a beachside racket game where two or more players just try to keep a squash ball alive with a wooden bat. It’s a bit of a national sport, and a stroll along any Tel Aviv beach will show just how popular it is!

3. Where to eat? Mantaray was exceptional with views overlooking the golden beaches. The Israeli cuisine is so light and healthy – fresh sun-drenched veggies, fruit courses, fish is preferred over the meat, & goats milk as standard. It has a relaxed aspect which is just perfect to take in the vibrant orange sunsets. As you walk around the city, you can see some stunning Bauhaus architecture brought by the European migrants around the time of the war.

4. Explore Old Jaffa Here you’ll find craft shops, art galleries, and stalls selling antiques and jewellery at the lively Jaffa Flea Market. Landmarks include the Clock Tower and St. Peter’s Church, while the Ilana Goor Museum shows Israeli and international art.

Check out Caesarea…

It was so interesting to see some Roman architecture in this part of the world, and learning about the history of that ancient civilisation, as well as how it influenced Israel; most unexpected! An ancient port built by King Herod, which at the time was one of the largest & most important cities in the Roman world. It acted as the capital of Judea during the time of Jesus, as well as a crusader fortress along the road from Acre to Jerusalem. This used to be a large entertainment venue with 10,000 seats, called a hippodrome, where horse races were conducted. There’s a beautiful amphitheatre and make sure to check out the remainder of Kind Herod’s bathhouse too.

The Dead Sea

We visited the iconic lake and one of the most amazing wonders of the natural world, the Dead Sea; yet another big fat tick on the bucket list. For thousands of years, the Dead Sea has attracted visitors who come to enjoy its health-promoting properties. The mineral-rich mud contains the likes of sulphur, magnesium, calcium, chloride, sodium, bromide and potassium, creating a natural body & face “mask”. The mud stimulates blood circulation & is thought to help skin diseases (Inc. psoriasis, arthritis & dermatitis). The mineral composition of the body of water itself, including the 30% salt content, makes you exceptionally buoyant so that you simply float on the surface! The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, set at 430 meters below sea level, landlocked by the Jordanian desert mountains. It is an otherworldly place to visit, and quite incredible.

Hike Masada

If you can, and people generally recommend that you do, hike up Masada mountain at sunrise. We arrived at noon, and amidst the relentless 40-degree heat, opted for the cable car to save a punishing and futile ascent by foot.

Once you arrive at the crest, the views are spectacular – looking down onto The Dead Sea, the desert and the Judean mountains. It is a panorama which is forever sered into my mind!

Other places to visit include…

Discover what life is like on a Kibbutz – I spent some time on Ma’agan Michael, which was founded in 1949 and is a collective community, traditionally based on agriculture.

See Akko (Acre) – a beautiful ancient Phoenician & Crusader seaport and a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site. Check out the Old City, Hammam, Crusaders Knight Halls & the Green Mosque!

Grottos – Cable-carring to the sea-carved grottos…

Haifa – Israel’s third-largest city and second-largest port, on the slopes of Mt. Carmel…

Abu Ghosh, a town outside Jerusalem, an Arab-Israeli village.

The Sea of Galilee (a.k.a. Lake Tiberias) – is a mega 230 sq. km & is cocooned by the hills of the Galilee and the Golan Heights super magical to behold

Tiberias – the capital of the Lower Galilee.

Decks Restaurant Tiberias – Such a beautiful view overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and a great atmosphere with music & dancing.

Hope you enjoy planning your trip

Faya x

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JUST LIKE RIDING A BIKE!

Road biking through undulating vineyard topography, and during the more stationary moments, unwinding at the glorious Château St. Pierre de Serjac; as far as active press trips go, this was set up to be highly compelling! In the event, it was *so* compelling that I scribed a piece for Women’s Health on the affair (which should go live very shortly, so do keep your eyes open). The experience was extremely well balanced; road biking is unexpectedly demanding from an aerobic perspective, and the Château St. Pierre de Serjac is just a  heavenly sanctuary in which to relax; that exquisite channel in the middle where those parameters meet is what governs a highly successful active break! As an aside, if you do read this and think ‘hmm, I could quite imagine myself giving that a shot’, I would strongly urge you to wear padded bib shorts, as road biking saddle soreness is orders-of-magnitude more intense than gym-induced muscular soreness! . Find my full review of Road Biking and Château St. Pierre de Serjac below.

‘Just like riding a bike…’

The initial impressions whilst mounting the carbon-fibre road bike in the majestic grounds of Château St. Pierre de Serjac are that this will be a wobbly uncoordinated affair; yet under the watchful eye of VéloRoo’s Steve Prokop, an outrageously infectious Aussie cycle master who oozes pure optimism, you’re ‘on your bike, mate’ just as soon as you’ve clipped up your cleats! The technical gear, aerodynamic body stance and padded ‘bib shorts’ are a world away from the ladylike push-bikes adorning Instagram’s grids, with peonies, puppies and wicker baskets aplenty; this discipline is a whole lot more badass, and that impression hits you fast!

Social Climbing!

Life observation; an uphill climb can be a rewarding struggle. Quite so here; towards the top of the sweeping hill scapes of the undulating Languedoc, the quads scream for mercy, brimming with lactic acid. With the help of a friendly peloton in tow, you push through it and reach the crest, whereupon a powerful sense of elated achievement washes over you like a glass of Château Les Carrasses 2015. Much like HIIT, road biking shifts between intense bursts of activity in the dreaded anaerobic zone, and relatively calm active recoveries during descents, which keep the heart rate elevated, as well as remaining gentle on the joints. Throw in some friends and a casual Strava-led ‘stats’ competition, and it’s a compelling way to see this breath-taking part of the world!

Recover hard!

After 40 gruelling miles on the road, the Château delivers the holy trinity of revival; i) refuel with classic Mediterranean fare, ii) recuperate with spa time, and iii) restore with an unbroken night’s sleep. The menu is light and governed by what’s growing in the chef’s organic garden; their ‘Pan-fried John Dory Fillet with Butternut Squash Risotto & Organic Vegetables’ ticks the lean protein box and the veggies provide the complex carbohydrates the body needs post cycling (Pro-tip: it would be folly to overlook the fresh flaky croissants pre-cycle). The restaurant terrace shares a vista with the spa, surveying the rolling vineyards beyond, festooned with flowers, herbs and aromatics; a magnificent accompaniment to a Moroccan Hot Argan massage from the heavenly Cinq Mondes Spa, where the ‘pumping’ (focussed stroking) of soft tissue, both longitudinally and laterally, helps ward off cycle-induced DOMS, leads the body to relax and release endorphins which lift the mood and de-stress the mind. This, in turn, guarantees a night of fluffy sleep in the cosy, château-chic rooms with their all-enveloping beds. Here, you recover harder than you cycle.

So why cycle in the first place?

When done correctly there are many health benefits of cycling. Cycling involves, much like HIIT, switching between intensely focussed bursts of activity (the dreaded anaerobic zone) and relatively calm motion – the continuous motion keeps the heart rate elevated and it’s, therefore, a great form of cardiovascular training. Compared to running which puts a lot of stress on the body (especially the knees), cycling is very low impact exercise and is far kinder to your joints. Cycling also develops muscle, especially in the lower body as power is generated by the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, which will fuel additional calorie burn even after the journey has ended since muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so this is an exercise that keeps giving!

The Descent

Anyone who knows the exhilarating feeling of skiing down a slope, wind in your face, adrenaline coarsing through the veins, blue skies and natures stunning scenery passing you by; cycling feels much the same.

Steve, who cycles 3-4 times a week can hit speeds up to …..km/h. Whilst a beginner (depending on the slope) might be at the fairly lower speed it feels very fast indeed.

The Bicycle Community

Whilst cycling you’ll pick up on some road bike lingo and there is a real sense of  community, all of whom take their passion very seriously. The lingo revolves around elevation, speed, distance, gear, equipment and technical details. What is quite striking is how cycling attracts all ages and all fitness levels. Everyone is truly welcome and everyone has a different story as to why they started cycling; amongst those I heard, ‘I wanted to be fitter for my children’, “I needed to lose weight’, ‘I knew I needed to improve my cardio but after knee surgery, I couldn’t handle the impact of running…’, ‘I wanted to get outdoors as I was sick of the gym’. Ultimately, road biking ticks a lot of boxes – it allows you to get from point a to point b, it allows you to discover new places, it’s practical, cost-effective (depending on the bike you get) and tackles many municipal challenges. Unlike golfing for instance, which requires an expensive membership the road is totally free.

I hope this has been an interesting journey down to the South of France with me, and that it’s given you cause to consider ‘saddling up!’

Faya x

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BEING AVATAR FOR THE DAY!

I want to share an extremely rare behind-the-scenes experience I recently had with Cirque Du Soleil in Finland. They’re the world’s largest & most profitable circus troupe, and I’ve been fortunate to have seen several of their shows – and have been uniformly delighted by their exceptional choreography, their enchanting imagination, and their unbridled connection to the human soul. In Helsinki, I viewed Toruk: The First Flight, at Cirque Du Soleil ahead of the London premier, which debuted last night, on the 23rdJune. For a few magical days, I was immersed in the world of Avatar, as this Cirque iteration breathes new and unusual life into James Cameron’s remarkable epic. I watched the show and spent a full day backstage meeting and interviewing the artists about their gruelling lives as world-class performers (click MORE for the full interviews), worked alongside the costume designers and makeup artists, tried out the equipment with the performers, and experienced what life as an Avatar at Cirque Du Soleil might be like for a day. I left with new levels of respect and humility for the raw talent of these super-humans. Read on to see for yourself why this is one show you (and the family) NEED to catch!

  THE SHOW

The first thing that hits you is the sheer scale of the stage and production. There are 43 artists in the cast (1 actor, 1 singer, 1 percussionist, 1 kite specialist, 1 boomerang specialist, 6 puppeteers, and an enormous number of acrobats including 1 contortionist)

To complement the physical performances, there’s digital media too;  no fewer than forty video projectors with a projection surface of approximately 20 000 square feet, (more than 5 times the size of an IMAX screen) transforms the stage within seconds creating new shapes, textures and colours, which helps to emulate the world of Pandora. The colours have a bioluminescent quality in shades of blue, purple and green. Next to the Na’vi’s 25 shades of blue which were invented for the costumes and 4 blue-base skin tones to depict the different DNA variations among the Na’vi beings, it looks truly magical and is quite the overwhelming visual spectacle. 

THE NA’VI

Whether you’re an Avatar mega fan or not, you’ll easily be able to follow the story, so don’t worry, pre-knowledge is not required! The First Flight differs from other Cirque shows I’ve seen in the past and not just because of the vast stage, unlike the conventional structure you may have come to expect from Cirque – the artists don’t speak the invented Cirque language, but instead they speak Na’vi and the storyteller who beautifully guides you on the odyssey speaks English. There is less live music, there are more spectacular acrobatics, but it is all part of the storyline with several artist on stage at the same time. In some ways, it’s a little bit more like a musical than a traditional act. Also, you won’t find any of the slapstick clown humour which renders this format so universally appealing; that said, the most important ingredient it shares with Cirques is that it takes you on an imaginary immersive journey, and it does it with the same excellence you’d expect from this venerable troupe. I was completely blown away – it was pure escapism; the music, the scenography, the venue and undiluted talent. Remarkable.

  Lydia, the Viper Wolf

Lydia who plays a Viper wolf and is part of the 14-puppet crew who represent the creatures of Pandora. The largest puppet is the titular Toruk, which has a mammoth wingspan of 12 meters and weighs approximately 115 kg. All the puppeteers are equipped with microphones and make their own animal sounds for perfect synchronisation with their movements.

Kiter

…. Is head of the 19 kites that feature in the show: that comprises 6 quads (kites equipped with four-lines), 11 kites on poles, and 2 giant ‘traction kites’ which fly over the audience. A traction kite is typically large enough to pull a vehicle on land, snow, ice or water, and it is exceptionally difficult to mobilise with any degree of control – I can attest to that personally! How these kite magicians extract such precision will remain unknown to me!

Interview time! I sat down with a number of the performing artists, but focussed on fellow brit, Lydia Harper, the double cloud and Chinese pole artist, whos responses are forged into the following fascinating insight into the life of a world-class performing artist!

TRAINING LIKE A CIRQUE’R!

What’s your training background?

My Background and introduction to Cirque is quite different to everyone else’s. I was an actress in my youth and went to the national centre for circus arts. I got in to it more from a performance side and then got in to the physical side of it. A lot of people that I work with are gymnasts or dancers who ‘started training when I was two and I’ve been doing back flips for years….’, whereas I started when I was 15 years old, which is considered late. Most people have been doing this their whole life. It puts me at a slight – not disadvantage – but at a different level when it comes to training, whereas there are some people who just don’t need training as much because their body is conditioned to do this, whereas my body is conditioned to eat crumpets and watch tv and drink tea so I have to train in a different way to them. So at 15 I had to do a bit of catching up to get to the same level.

What sort of training did you do?

The sort of training I did was trapeze and rope, and when I went to circus school I started learning Chinese pole and cloud swing. Cloud swing is like a loop of rope, some people do it swinging and do big tricks. I do it in a very contemporary fashion. I have these two loops – one above the other, I hang off one and drop off the other one.

When did you decided you wanted to get into Cirque?

It was sort of a joke, I just emailed a show reel to them, just out of the blue, going I really need a job… these are all the companies I’d like to work for… expecting them never ever to contact me. Most people have to do this really big audition process, they get cut, two day gruelling auditions… I kinda skipped all of that and about 7 months after I sent in my show reel they sent me an email asking if I’d like to join the show. I feel super lucky and like ‘teee heee, I didn’t have to audition’!

In this show we have a lot of what’s called ‘generalists’, which means we’re very good at lots and lots of different things. You can say ‘hey can you do this new trick, we’ve got these ropes and we want you to be able to use them like this. And then we’re like yeah ok. Whereas in other show in Cirque Du Soleil they have specialists – you have a contortionist, you’ve got jugglers whereas on Toruk we do everything.

What’s a typical day like in terms of training now that you’ve been here for four years?

I’m an artist coach so I have to be here (in the gym) very early; i’ll do about 45 minutes to an hour warming up, and some physiotherapy. I’ll do like 20 minutes on an exercise bike, I usually do interval training, then I’ll do a shoulder warm up sequence, so lots of exercises for my rotator cuffs, and the hanging shoulder shrugs, then I’ll do some hanging leg lifts, and then a lot of core work, then I move on to my gluteus and legs. I do a lot of gluteus strengthening and hip releasing exercises as well. We have two physiotherapists who tour with us full time. They are there for general maintenance, helping us build training programs, for instance if your knee is getting a little bit sore because you’re doing a lot of jumping they’ll suggest a program as to how to strengthen that.

Then I’ll do some on stage training so if there’s something in the show that we need to work on, integrating new artists, making some artistic changes, we’ll have on stage training sessions. Then I’ll do my makeup which takes about an hour, then in the middle of that I’ll have meeting about who’s doing what in the show. Then we do the show, the after the show I’ll do a strengthening workout including free weights, pull-ups, squats and squat jumps. I do my strength training workout after because I want to be in the best possible shape for the show. I don’t want to exhaust myself by lifting heavy weights prior to the show, so I do it afterwards. It’s quite a nice cool down as well!

So to summarise, we have a 45 minute warm-up which includes at least 20 minutes of HIIT training, followed by a two-hour show, followed by a weight session in the gym, and finally a 15-20 minute cool down. That’s a good solid 5 hours!!

What would you say is your top tip to help with recovery?

Drink loads of water, because you sweat so much more than you know. We really notice the difference when we don’t drink enough. For example when we were in Australia recovery took a lot longer because we were so hot and dehydrated. I reckon I drink about 5 1/2 litres of water a day.

We also get massage therapist who come and visit us in each city. We can sign up for massages each week. Our physiotherapists give hands-on treatments if we need any soft tissue release. I’m a fan of dry needling; so I get dry needling in my back and scream but that’s really nice as well. So everything you could possibly do for your body, just do it! 

What does you weekly training routine look like?

So I train three days a week for 5 hours, because we have 2 shows and no training. On a Monday we travel so we have that day off and we have Tuesday off too, but most of us will go train for an hour – resistance or yoga or something. Still exercise but much more chilled.

How do you complement your training with nutrition?

Everyone is very different. I expected everyone to have the same sort of diet but it’s completely different. For me personally I don’t do very many carbs. Like I don’t do pasta and rice but I do loads of protein and salads. I don’t eat pasta but I do eat cake. Whereas some will go just rice beans and pasta and then no cake out caterers provide such an array so there’s really something there for everyone.

How do you balance work life situation… how do you make time for yourself?

You really have to force yourself to especially when travelling to different cities every week. You want to go out and explore the city but we just came out of doing four weeks with nine shows in a row which was quite intense so then this weekend my ‘me time’ was going to a sauna, going to a tiny coffee shop and just reading a book. It’s a hard balance. Like it’s a beautiful day outside but I got here at 10am and I’m not going to leave until 10 pm so I don’t know what the weather is like so you need to find the things that make you feel human… I have a lot of Lush bath products, and I have to have my lush bath at the end of a long week and that’s the sort of thing that makes me feel human again.

What’s your favourite thing about working for Cirque Du Soleil?

Everyone thinks you’re really cool! It’s amazing to be able to travel the world and make people happy. That’s what Cirque du Soleil does, it’s this magical world where you go and see a show and your mind is blown – the costumes, the characters, the music, the acrobatics – it’s all just incredible. To be a part of that is really really special whilst you get to tour the entire world doing it.

What’s the coolest place you’ve been to?

New Zealand was my favourite country ever but I’m pretty excited to go to the U.K. because I’ve been touring for four years so now, I’m coming home!

KITE FLYING WITH CHRIS GOFF, KITE SPECIALIST!

What got you into Cirque, Chris?

I started playing kites when I was six years old. My dad wanted something for the whole family to do something outside rather than spending so much time inside inside watching movies or whatever. So he bought some kites, we headed out onto a field. A local kite shop saw me and asked how long we’d been flying and my father was like, 30 minutes. This was in Stockley park just outside of London. It ended up that I had a natural ability for it and it allowed me to travel around the world and it brought me to here. I was the only one in my family apart from my dad who actually took it up.

Did you apply to Cirque?

I didn’t originally apply to Cirque. The I got a message out of the blue asking if I’d like to met the kite team. It’s quite a niche skill, and now I’ve been here for 2.5 years!

Once you joined was there a lot of training involved?

Completely, first I went to Montreal for 3 weeks (it’s a Canadian company), learning how to do makeup lessons, 2-3 acting lessons a day. Then I had a trainer who helped me get my fitness levels up as I’d never done anything like this before. It was a real shock to the system. 

What was the hardest part for you?

The hardest bit was the acting, and just feeling comfortable. Also the fact that the costumes you’re in are complete Lycra so there is no hiding in that. You have to be completely comfortable just being yourself, not being self conscious in front of 7000+ people.

What else do you do on the show aside from the kite discipline?

Most people on the show need to do at least two clans (the different Avatar tribes-people), so I do the Mataky which is the first one, then I do Takamay, then I do Kattaney – the kites.

What’s a typical day like in terms of training regime?

A typical day now is as follows… what I really like is that there are no early mornings – you normally start in the afternoon. You come to work about 1 o’clock if it’s a one-show day. You do gym work mostly after the show because you don’t want to do too much beforehand. For me, the kites are very light-weight, and it’s all about muscle memory, so if you work out before the muscles are pumped and you’re going to pull too hard. With the giant kites it’s all on the legs so you don’t want to do too much leg work beforehand. With the giant kites you need to be able to run a good 20% faster at all times because if it ever begins to fall you need to run faster. So you never want to be sprinting full speed but you always have to have that there if needed.

Going back to what my normal day is like, I come in and stretch in the morning as you stiffen up overnight. Then I eat. I eat a good hour before the show because it’s not much fun being in a harness when you’re still digesting food. Then you do the show and I’ll eat after the show.

Photo Credit: Jesse Faatz

What does your typical diet look like, if you have one? 

The good thing is you can eat really whatever because you’re constantly burning so much energy. The catering is amazing at Cirque. The body does tell you what you need and crave, so I pay attention to it and act on it. 

What difficulties have you come across on your time with Toruk?

We’ve experienced it here, for example last week the wind was totally different to the week before because we had humidity. So the kites were suddenly feeling heavier. The air’s denser. We did Mexico City so there was literally no air. We were pulling this massive kite, it was still flying but you’re so high up with the altitude so you’re pulling this kite but you can’t feel it because it’s so light!

What tips do you have to anyone who’s interested in getting into kite flying? 

My tip tip would be spending a little bit more money when buying a kite because often the problem is the kite doesn’t fly properly and then people get bored and never fly again. Especially if you go to a proper kite shop they will advise you on what’s best. It’s so healthy for you, these days most people walk around with their heads down so just to spend a few hours in the middle of a field looking up, is so different. Also kites are cheap. Once you’ve bought your kite you’re only reliant on the wind, the rest is down to you. Before I had this job, I flew once a week and if I didn’t fly once a week it would change my whole posture and attitude. When you’re flying outside you’re feeling the wind and I can map the wind now from just feeling it behind the neck!

I hope that has been an intersting journey into the backstage secrets of the latest offering from Cirque Du Soleil! You can book HERE – enjoy

Faya x

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KEEP IT FRESH!

The freshness of ingredients is *critical* in the pursuit of optimal nutrition. I’ve written extensively about purchasing fresh produce in the past, but a consideration which has been often overlooked and which is starting to be highlighted in new studies, is the importance of the packaging itself. This post touches upon that subject, and is in partnership with Noluma, leaders in light protective packaging technology and certification – together, we hope to raise awareness as to why this is an important consideration for consumers. To me, the reassuring knowledge that I’m *actually* getting the promised freshness, taste and nutritional content (vitamins & minerals) from my food is important. I’m a cynic, and often question whether the label tells the honest story. Noluma’s commitment is to provide light protective packaging technology that will help consumers get the nutritional content they are expecting, and that works for me. Click MORE to see the full take…

Research shows that food and drink exposed to indoor lights, because it is not properly packed, degrades in freshness, taste, colour and nutrition from the moment it’s made, while it’s on shelf and until the time it is consumed. By shortening shelf life, inadequate packaging can also create more waste. It varies by packaging type, but it happens across a range of glass and plastic bottles.

With an hour of light exposure, for example, up to 28% of the milk’s Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) content (important for growth and turning carbohydrates, fats and protein into fuel for the body) can be lost. Not only that, but flavour begins to degrade after only 15 mins of light exposure, and the Vitamin A content can halve in only 16 hours.

Noluma advises on light-blocking packaging to preserve nutritional freshness, and certifies products which meet their gold standard accordingly. The notion that foodstuffs ‘should be kept in the dark, but consumers shouldn’t be’, very much resonates with me, and I hope it might with you too.

Faya x

Want to do something about it? It’s time to ask for milk bottles and cartons to be light-protected and certified. How? Let your favourite retailer or milk brand know you want them to light protect their products. Visit lightdamageisreal.com today and stand up for milk goodness!

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This post is a sponsored collaboration with Noluma. For more about why I take on such projects, please see my DISCLOSURE page. Thank you. 

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HAIR HEALTH & COLOUR MIRACLES!

The training cycle is tough on the body, and with successive workouts-and-showers, nothing takes a much of a gruelling battering as the hair. As such, and in direct response to several curious, hair-conscious reader enquiries over the years of scribing fitnessontoast.com, this post is fully dedicated to hair health. I may be a highly qualified professional when it comes to training and the likes of sports massage, but I’m only an enthusiastic amateur on matters pertaining to the hair. As such, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you, and picked the brain of multi-award-winning superstar hair artist Siobhan ‘Shivvy’ Jones for all the choicest pro-tips. Shivvy is a L’Oréal Professionnel teacher & Guest Artist, hair stylist on X Factor, Next Top Model, and artist to the likes of Little Mix, as well as being the Owner and Creative Director of Rose & Wild Hair, her delightful new studio in Fulham where we shot these pics! Those are some of her professional credentials, but beyond that, she enjoys heavyweight repute for setting the tone on colour technique and trends in the fashion industry. If like me you wash your hair too frequently post-training, Shivvy’s insights will help you to find and get the perfect tone, products to use and much more! Read on…

Some biblical character once said ‘your hair is your crowning glory…’ – well, with Corinthians 11:15, I agree – a haircut can indeed totally transform the mood, poise, purpose, and even fortunes. I wanted to share some tips from my favourite hair ‘confident’ who has helped me not only achieve healthy and long hair but also managed the impossible – realising my dream tone.

I first met Shivvy before my wedding in 2015, when I had developed a quest-like obsession with achieving the perfect shade of blonde. [[ Shock alert, whilst I was born with stereotypical Swedish blonde hair, it darkens over time, so I have a little help once in a while!]] In the past I’d often gone to see a local hairdresser and come home with one ‘good’ tone of blonde, though the next time it would be a noticably different shade of blonde… there was such variety and inconsistency, sometimes I’d be happier than other times – but it really didn’t play on my mind too much.

Then like many other brides-to-be ahead of my own wedding (I’d like to think), I went a bit mental because suddenly I needed THE colour/tone to be just right ahead of immortalising it in the photos (see one such below)! I had seen a dozen or so hairdressers and at this point my hair was starting to break apart, because it was in unloved, brittle condition. Through sheer technical mastery, Shivvy achieved a miraculous result for me; she looked at my #pinspo board of hair colour that I wanted, and hit the nail on the head first time, and every time since! Hallelujah!

I didn’t take this lightly (lol pun?) because prior to experiencing Siobhan I had tried 5 hairdressers (some incredibly costly) all promising they could fix my hair, and yet then didn’t. However, not only is this master the friendliest, loveliest woman but she listens and is honest. If I show her a hairspo picture, she’ll say up front, gently and respectfully, if something may be unachievable / different because of the intricacies pertaining to my hair are different – rather than telling me of the disappointment afterward. Shes also a magician when it comes to colour, truly elevating hair tones to a different existential plain. It’s the difference between buying a shop-bought croissant and one which is freshly made at the artisanal bakery in Paris. At first they look the same but on closer inspection they are simply incomparable. Her creations are perfection, so beautifully and elegant.

Here follow Shivvy’s responses to my questions around hair health, specifically from the angle of one who gyms regularly. I hope her insights help you in your quest for continued hair health.

1. What advice would you give to someone who trains regularly, sweats and therefore showers/washes their hair too frequently, c. 4-5x per week?

Washing your hair often can often lead to dry hair as you are constantly removing natural oils so ensure you are replacing these as often as possible. Add the moisture to the areas that are most likely to not receive the natural moisture such as the ends of your hair . Product-wise, Kerasrase masquintense is a great treatment that can nourish the ends of the hair after shampooing and they also have an elixir oil which can be placed in the hair before drying, after drying and also pre shampoo to nourish the hair before the cleansing. Dry shampoos such as batiste are great alternative to shampooing everyday as it helps to remove and disguise natural oils

2. What are the best shampoos / conditioners for dry hair or greasy hair?

Kerastase is the most definitely the best range for all your hair needs as it’s prescriptive so any hair issue can be tackled . For dry hair I would recommend Bain satin. It comes in numbers 1-3 dependant on how dry your hair is . For greasy roots my absolute favourite is Bain Divalent . Most shampoos for greasy roots can be incredibly drying on your hair however this one not only purifies the scalp it gently nourishes the lengths and ends

3. Are there any particular ingredients you should avoid when picking a shampoo/conditioner?

Sodium laurel sulphate or sodium laureate (detergents)  create a lot of foam when shampooing so subconsciously it feels as if your hair is getting cleaner. In fact all that the detergents are doing is drying your hair out. Remember extra foam doesn’t mean it better or cleaner. The shampoos that foam less are more likely to be more caring for your hair whilst cleansing just as well!

4. I like an icey, cool blonde look; what are your best tips to achieve this?

To make sure hair is icy there are 3 major things to consider; 1) the hair needs to be lifted light enough. If it is only lifted to a gold or yellow it will always fade yellow. 2) once the hair has been lifted to the correct or ideal lightness then a colour called a toner can be applied. Your colourist can create a bespoke toner dependant on the desired tone. There are different types of ash. Some appear more white whilst others can appear more pearly or vanilla. Find your ideal blonde in a picture and ask your colourist to design the ideal tone for you. 3) When looking after your hair at home, tones of yellow can start to appear so using a purple toning shampoo and conditioner once a week can help to prevent this. My favourite is Kerastase blond absolu as it removes brassiness and yellow tone whilst still caring for your hair

5. What can you do to avoid the look of dry/split ends?

To tackle actual split ends the only thing really to remove the problem would be to trim them away. The more regularly you trim your hair the less you will need to cut and the better it will look. However to reduce the look of them, then a styling oil is going to be your best bet. This can be placed in your hair whilst you blow dry and used also to finish and seal dry hair. My favourite is Elixir Ultime – it’s hydrating for the hair but also seals the ends

6. What can you do if you’re washing your hair too often yet it looks greasy/oily/dirty quickly?

The more you wash your hair the quicker natural sebum will be produced so where possible try to get into the routine of washing your hair not quite so often. To help reduce the hair looking greasy and dirty avoid styling your hair smooth and embrace its natural textures. Textured powders like Loreal super dust are going to help remove oils whilst giving an Uber cool lived in texture to the hair

7. Any tips on how to retain your hair’s professional styling for a couple of days (and how do you avoid ruining it in bed)?

Silk pillows are great for reducing fluff and frizz when sleeping but encouraging movement and texture will always be your best bet and also will give the impression of more volume . Transitioning your hair each day will also be quite fun. Day one – blow dry with bounce. Day two – tong your hair. Day three – add dry shampoo or texture dust ( Batiste or super dust ) and give your waves a lived in texture. And day 4 – work a cool pin up do or undone pony . There are some great little videos on YouTube!

8. What is least harsh on the hair when styling – blow drying or straighteners?

Blowdrying can be the least harsh but that is only if it’s done properly. I,e you always need to use heat protector – my favourite being the thermique range by Kerastase. They have different types one for strengthening, one for hydrating and one for removing frizz. Also only add a brush to the hair once it is over 85% dry because before that the hair is at its most fragile and can you can cause breakage by pulling the hair when wet. However when straightening the GHD new range of stylers have ultra zone and predictive technology which means you only need to stroke them through your hair once to get great results rather than repeatedly passing through a hot iron over an over again and causing extreme damage.

9. Any tips for creating a professional blow dry look at home when getting ready for work in the morning and you have limited time? (Any special hairdryer/ hair dryer temperature etc)

Always use a professional hairdryer as the heat and speed will give you great, fast results. I’m a big fan of the brand Parlux for value for money or if you are looking for something more high end then GHD professional hairdryers look flash and give an amazing finish.

10. You specialise in colour; for anyone who’s a bit unsure what to ask for, or maybe even what suits them, are there any tips how to figure that out what to go for?

If you look at the colours in your wardrobe it can generally give you a good indication on what colours you are drawn to which will often simulate what suits you. I.e. if you wear a lot of coral, pink or mustard you are most probably more suited to warm shades where as if you find your wardrobe is filled with more grey, blue or purple then the cool route is most probably your thing!

11. What trends/styles do you predict are or become popular in 2019?

Experimental colour is definitely a thing for 2019. Due to the extreme amount of experimental colour that we are exposed to via social media, it’s created a real buzz around it . This means people are a lot more open with colour. This does not necessarily mean EVERYONE wants to be bold and bright, but it has opened people’s minds to be ready for change and open to playfulness. When people are more open it encourages a wider range of ideas and concepts and a less obvious one off trends you can pinpoint. Stand outs for me however are play on tone – which is the use of playful hues such as coral, rose , blorange and pearl and Beautifully Blended colour which is multi-tonal colour that has a seamless transition. This is very similar to what I have created on your hair, Faya. It’s colour where you can’t quite pinpoint where one colour ends and another starts.

12. Rose and Wild is the most remarkable, cosy and comforting salon I’ve been to; what was the inspiration behind it?

I wanted to create a space that is more than just a salon but a feel good location . A go-to happy place for clients and the colourists to enjoy also. To achieve this it meant I needed to create a space that was relaxed, lived-in and comfortable . When researching and flicking through millions of interior design pictures on Pinterest it was clear it needed a homely feel so I decided to create a kind of Instagramable living room that wasn’t afraid to be playful with colour. I worked with an incredible designer Gillian smith and she helped to bring the dream alive. Each area of the salon has a different colour palette which means you partake in a kind of salon journey experience in each area you move from the consultation to the hair colouring stations and then the hair spa.

13. What made you decide to work in hair?

I originally trained in theatre and decided to learn a skill that I could have to do in between auditions etc but I totally fell in love with the feeling you get when you make someone feel and look amazing each and every time you do their hair . A chef once said to me, you don’t know how lucky you are to be client facing and you constantly receive praise and thanks and it’s totally true. It’s like daily therapy haha I now also have the added bonus of being creative and designing campaigns and sharing my knowledge internationally by educating colourists wishing to update their skills. It really is a phenomenal diverse and interesting industry to work in.

14. You’re super inspiring – you manage to seemingly do the impossible – see clients, teach, travel, you recently got married – and meanwhile opening your own salon! How do you find the time and still have abundance of positive energy left over?

Time management and balance is what we are all seeking and and if I’m totally honest I always feel I could do it better, but I think what has worked best for me is to assign specific time and energy in what I’m doing at the moment and nothing else. I allow days for administrative things and that only and when I’m teaching or in salon I will be in the moment and focus my time on that and that only. My phone can often cause distraction so I’ve learnt to put it in a different room or away in my bag if I’m doing something or with people that need my full attention and time ( my husband included)

Rose and Wild is a remarkable salon, from the moment you walk in and instantly feel relaxed. It’s like being cocooned in soft, pink tranquil macaroon. It’s fresh and clean but cosy, and is stunning but not pretentious, rather inviting and warm. If you’re seeking a colour miracle too, here is your destination:

Rose & Wild Hair 61 New Kings Road SW6 4SE

Happy monday. Faya x

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READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪

One of my evergreen ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is to gain breadth through a spot of reading; the brain is similar to the body’s muscles in the sense that lack of regular exercise sees it shrink! So following a frenzied two months of book-worming, I wanted to share a varied suite of 8 ‘health books’ that have had somewhat of a positive impact on me, whether they be books on mindfulness, educational fitness or nutrition/recipe books. I’d love to hear what ‘health’ books you’ve enjoyed reading as I’m always on the lookout for a good new read, so please pop a comment below with your top picks! Hopefully you might feel inspired to think through the pages of one or two of the books listed here…

1) It’s All in Your Head, by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I sort of HIIT-sprinted through ‘It’s all in your head’ as I was struggling to put it down. This is the first book of Suzanne O’Sullivan, a clinical consultant in neurophysiology and neurology with over 20 years’ experience. In it, she shares a collection of real-life stories of patients who she’s seen over the years who all suffer from psychosomatic illness also often referred to by some as ‘imaginary illness’. It’s a subject I personally knew very little about but found it utterly compelling. That the mind has control over physical outcome such as blushing when we become embarrassed, or that feeling nervous can trigger ‘the sweats’ is accepted, but I’d never considered how that crosses over to psychological and physical illness in far greater and unexplained ways. These stories enlighten in a very real, humbling and equally baffling way, just how powerful the mind can be over the body.

2) The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing

This biography explores ‘the art of being alone’ – something which I personally have felt in my life, but haven’t really spoken about and certainly not read about. Laing takes you on a meandering trip through the urban artistic 20th century landscape of New York up to present day, told through the lives of iconic artists. For a book about solitude, it’s surprisingly uplifting and helps you see how to bridge isolation and creativity. It’s rare that I pick up a book in my life and have someone put words to thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had, in such a beautiful, honest and vulnerable way. I think it’s a fascinating read as resonates disturbingly with the world in which we live today, one which is so superficially connected via the internet and social media, yet which can feel socially isolated. There are multiple lenses through which to view this book.

3) Trail Guide to The Body

For anyone who is interested in anatomy and wants to geek out or gain a better understanding of the body, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It is beautifully illustrated which really helped me to visualise and conceptualise how my body works, and it also comes with an online interactive platform which through massage and movement, beautifully illustrates the muscle origins and insertions. It’s not cheap (£55) but it’s my go-to book (still, after all these years) and I LOVE dipping into it! Highly recommended for Personal Trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike!

4) 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from ‘the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now’ (New York Times) Written by the Canadian clinical psychologist and physiologist professor Jordan Peterson, this book has become a best-seller, fast. It’s proclaimed as ‘an Antidote to Chaos’, and is a variant on the form of ‘self-help’ book which administers life advice. I’m around half way through at present, and am massively enjoying it. Much of Peterson’s advice is surprisingly straightforward and logical, and I’m yet to bump into anything close to controversial – a trait for which he’s known. I’ve watched several of his YouTube videos/lectures and find much of what he asserts to be fascinating (and at the very least engaging), so I can’t imagine the second half of the book will disappoint at all. A mind-sharpening read, best orated in your head with your finest ‘Peterson’ voice switched on!

5) Not in Your Genes: The real reasons children are like their parents, by Oliver Jones

A friend recommended this book to me at the end of last year and it genuinely blew me away. It’s written by child psychologist Oliver James and explores the nature/nurture debate. The idea he tests and re-tests throughout the book is that genetic predisposition accounts for only a tiny fraction of what constitutes ‘personality, mental health and one’s emotional outlook’. Rather, it’s nurture which plays the biggest role. All of what Jones writes is backed up through clinical, medical research and evidenced in an unexpectedly compelling fashion. I found this book liberating and hugely empowering, and helped me to internalise that the beliefs you may hold regarding your identity, are entirely your own choice.

6) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle.

This falls into the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ category. I read it many years ago when I was 20 and travelling though India; I was staying at Osho, an Ashram in Pune when I came across the book. It’s your stereotypical ‘Guru’ book but despite that cynical lens, I genuinely really enjoyed the read. It’s the kind of book you can pick up whenever and read a random chapter in total isolation, then return to it a full month later when you’re in the mood for some incremental soul searching!

7) The Food Effect Doctor

This compact tome is authored by my dear friend Dr. Michelle Braude, a qualified medical doctor and nutritionist who’s advice I genuinely trust and cherish. Forget unhealthy ‘quick fix’ restrictive diets, this book is a heavyweight in delivering a realistic long-term and healthy way of eating, also making allowance for alcohol and chocolate. The book also contains a four-week programme including menu plans which can be adapted to suit different taste preferences, lifestyles and nutritional needs, and 70 delicious and easy recipes, many of which I’ve tried!

8) The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, by Robin Sharma

This is a sweet tale which tells the story of the title, namely a man who one day through a major wakeup call decides to radically change his life and ends up becoming a monk. He shares the many learnings to his old friend and college when he returns home from India. It’s an easy read, a lovely story and reminder of the importance of seeking balance in life.

That’s a brief precis of my list. More to follow after my next literary haul.

Faya x

P.S. These glasses were a gift from my friends at Specsavers, who have a 2-for-1 offer on Balmain glasses right now. £169 for two pairs, including eye test and lenses. That is good!

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HOW TO WEAR COMFY SPORTS LUXE!

Fashion post alert! I recently fell in love with this look I was sent from the new DKNY Sport collection. I was en route to an event at the Edition Hotel – a “sacred cacao ceremony” with meditative gong vibrations (more on vibrations and sound baths HERE) with some utterly glorious, crisp January London weather. My photographer and I managed to snap some impromptu pics in Fitzrovia. The oversized jacket is rendered in the most gorgeous inky velvet material which catches and plays with the light in a wonderfully intriguing way. Paired with subtly matching velvet leggings and my Adidas Superstars it’s the sort of sporty look I’d happily wear in or outside of the gym. Due to the oversized nature of the proportions, it’s also super comfy and all-enveloping, but the pluming nature adds more of a relaxed-yet-luxe sporty aesthetic. Whilst it was sunny it was uber cold, so I layered up, wearing a DKNY hoodie and the perfect polo underneath to keep my neck warm! I love an oversized jacket and this one I think is a classic – I’ll have it for years – paired with a pair of jeans, tight leather pants with sneakers, heels or boots. I’m trying to say that its versatile. I also love playing with proportions; wearing something super duper oversized on top always makes the legs look proportionately smaller which I love as a silhouette. Click MORE to see the rest of our shots and some shots from the choco-meditation ceremony!

Discreet fitness lux – it’s all in the details! Whilst fitness trends have been pretty ‘out there’ and guerrish for the last few year – think bold patterns and wild colours – the wind is turning and it’s becoming more subtly utilitarian, and elegantly functional. We’re seeing more discreet ‘fitness luxe’ with a focus on the refined detailing – more emphasis on fit, materials and finishing touches. Pair a crisp oversized T-shirt with beautifully fitted black leggings featuring understated-chic flourishes – like an ankle zip or a velvet seam running down the outside of the leg – with a pair of bright statement trainers. The shouty pieces are still there but are less overpowering and less dominant in any one outfit.

50 shades of….your favourite hue! If you’re thinking that sounds too boring, why not try subtle colour combinations. Hues of purples in one outfit or hues of blues or army greens. Pick your fave colour and go with it!

Alternatively, go nude! Yes, nude and neutrals are is still very much a trend even for fitness. Try Stella McCartney’s signature nude tones for Adidas, just insure whatever you go for it’s not see-through, unless of course that’s your thing!

I WAS WEARING:

Velvet jacket https://www.donnakaran.com/product/quilted+velvet+bomber+jacket.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&page=2&from=fn

Velvet leggings, similar here

https://www.donnakaran.com/product/high-waisted+logo+legging+with+mesh+panels.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn

Hoodie, similar here

https://www.donnakaran.com/product/colorblock+two-tone+logo+hoodie.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn

Adidas Superstar sneakers

 https://www.adidas.co.uk/superstar-shoes/DB3346.html

Gorgeous yoga mat from Yoga Design Mat

https://yogadesignlab.com/product/combo-mat-mandala-sapphire-us/

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7 WAYS TO SMASH THROUGH YOUR PLATEAU!

Happy New Year, my good reader! If you’re anything like me, you’re most likely not new to the whole fitness thing; you’ve possibly been training for years, and you might even be in groundhog mode with your regime – which would be totally normal, we all visit that place! Hitting a plateau can be super confusing because you probably don’t know what’s causing it. The sorts of questions swirling around your mind are likely; am I not training enough, am I training too much, am I training the wrong way, in the wrong place, with the wrong people, wearing the wrong clothes, listening to the wrong music (etc.)? Well fear not, dear 2019-ready reader, for this post contains my top 7 simple tips to help you to break through that training plateau! Click MORE for your download to start the year the way you mean to go on – in blitz mode!

IMPLEMENT ‘PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD’ TECHNIQUE

With any form of training, this technique can be implemented. In its simplest terms, it means that you’re sequentially increasing the volume of your training – whether that’s increasing number of reps, sets &/or weight-load – in order to keep the exercise challenging. In theory if you are comfortably squatting 15 reps x 3 sets of 20kg, you could make it harder by either:

Increasing reps to 20

Increase sets to 4

Or by increasing the weight by some challenging percentage.

Remember that the body is outrageously smart and adapts to any stresses placed upon it. When those stresses are balanced, the body itself will remain in balance. Soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) will adapt to gravity, momentum and ground reaction forces by sensing and reacting to body position. Soft tissues are placed under both static and dynamic stress in everyday activities and thrive under that stress by improving and adapting accordingly. However, if you’re looking to get stronger, faster, leaner – whatever it may be – you need to keep your body guessing. Once your muscle memory has become accustomed to 3 sets of 15 reps at 20kg, you simply have to change it up or you’re only to blame for indulging your plateau!

STEP UP THE FREQUENCYThis could be for your overall training program – so for instance training 4 times a week instead of 3. Or the frequency in which you train a certain muscle/muscle group (remember recovery is key!). It may be that to observe real, demonstrable progress with a muscle group such as shoulders / upper back, you’ll need to train more frequently than once a week, provided there’s the requisite rest period in between. This ‘targetted’ frequency consideration will help you advance specific muscle group goals.

MAKE IT MORE COMPLEX

In this instance, complexity refers to the degree of biomechanical difficulty provided by the exercise. The performance of more complex exercises in training can increase training intensity. Doing the same exercises week after week, month after month isn’t going to break a plateau, but rather reinforce it. Going back to my earlier point that the body adapts accordingly, and that after a time you need to ‘fire up’ the body by doing something different, this complexity point is critical. It’s also going to prevent boredom and who doesn’t love a challenge?

PICK UP THE TEMPO

Tempo training – increasing the ‘time under tension’ to which you subject your muscles (i.e. for how long is the muscle contracting) is also a way to implement a form of progression without having to necessarily add more weight. The muscle is working harder for a longer period of time. This also touches on eccentric and concentric training which you can read more about HERE.

THAT’S INTENSE, MAN

Increasing intensity really comes down to honesty with oneself. You’ve got to ask yourself ‘how much effort did I really put in to that session?’ If you think out of ten… was it a 5 or a 7? For how much time are you ‘resting’ between sets, whilst chatting to your mates or looking at Instagram… You don’t necessarily have to give it a 10 every single time and be a quivering exhausted wreck plastered to the gym floor, but if you’re leaving every time and haven’t really broken a sweat then maybe it’s worth stepping the intensity up a notch. I have had a lot of female clients throughout the years coming to me with huge goals and aspirations to be followed by the comment ‘by the way I really don’t like and want to sweat’. Some people naturally don’t sweat very much but the likelihood is that if you don’t train hard enough, you won’t see the results you want. Intensity is key, and only you’ll really know how hard you’re pushing it.

DON’T OVERTRAIN

This is something many people overlook; overtraining is often caused by repetitive overuse or overstretching. Muscles and tendons have an elastic limit at a point whereby an elastic structure cannot stretch any further and is likely to rupture. It’s the combination of training the muscle incorrectly in the sense that it’s pushing it too farwhereby the body cannot adapt to the stresses or demands placed upon it and is not receiving enough rest and recovery in between training sessions. When you train hard, fitness levels will naturally increase but fatigue will also increase, which can reduce your preparedness for the next session. My view is that you want to step into the gym (or to approach whichever form of training you’re about to do) full of energy, not feeling mentally and physically depleted. For me, a minimum of 7 hours sleep, enough recovery between each training session and the occasional sports massage does the trick nicely. There should be no guilt about taking a break when it would be detrimental not to do so.

HOW’S MY FORM?

Form & Technique – possibly the most important point I can make in this post. If you’re not performing the exercise correctly, you’re not targeting the right muscles and it may be your doing more harm than good. There’s a chance you’re compensating for your poor form by engaging the wrong muscles in the wrong plane; so, before you start loading your squat with too many plates (machismo alert!) ensure you’re doing the exercises correctly, so you don’t end up damaging your back instead. Once you sustain a back injury from squat, there’s a decent chance that will haunt you for a long time to come. My preference is always to go slightly lighter, but to ensure my form is right. Use the mirrors to help you gauge body planes and angles, and don’t be afraid to ask a PT at the gym to help show you an exercise if you’re not sure.

That’s not by any means an exhaustive list, and there are of course countless considerations such as nutrition, supplementation, sequencing of training load (etc…) but I thought we’d start there! Hope that’s given you something to bite into for now. Best of luck for 2019 and once again, a very happy new year!

Faya x

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10 WAYS TO BE A DUFUS AT THE GYM!

FitnessOnToast.com has always been a warm, friendly, inclusive place to share helpful, optimistic, focussed material. Well, NOT TODAY motherfos. This Gym Etiquette 101 post is motivated exclusively by burning rage and shall act as a form of cathartic therapy for me! I go to the gym on a regular basis, between 3 and 5 days per week. I consider the gym to be a shared space in which many people pay a fee to be allowed its use. However, my observation over 15+ years of gymming is that many people believe ‘once I’m a member, it’s my space’. They’re often disrespectful to the equipment, staff and other members, are messy and all too often, just really, really loud – just to name a few pet peeves. For me, I think of it as a privilege to use the gym. Yes, one pays a fee – sometimes a substantial one at that – but it’s not your property, or your private space. The better I look after the equipment, and the more respectful I am to other members, the more enjoyable and easier their time will be using the gym. In return, I’d expect the same consideration from others. So, without further ado here’s my TOP 10 of things that drive me up the wall every single time I go to the gym! Maybe you can relate to a few of them – alternatively, feel free to add your own irritations in the comments section below. I’d love to know if I’m the only one who feels this way.

1) PLEASE HAVE SOME SPATIAL AWARENESS

Yesterday, I was doing some deadlifts and an oblivious meat-head almost walked into me – thankfully my gym buddy stopped him just in time. This is incredibly dangerous; were this chap to have collided with me, I could’ve been seriously injured, as deadlifts can already render the body quite prone to injury – add in a push from an unexpected plane, and it could be game over for your back.

Faya’s considerate tip #1: Whilst it sounds obvious, try to be aware of the space around you. At times, the gym equipment layout is planned badly. For instance, I would personally never place the squat machine near a heavy tracking area where people are frequently running / walking behind you. The likelihood of someone accidentally walking into you is greater. However, space is limited, and compromises are made. People often walk around looking at their phones whilst playing music and aren’t aware of what’s going on.

2) PLEASE BE QUIET

Sounding like a cow in labour whilst squatting is NOT macho, sexy or endearing, and nobody ever found this a turn on. It’s ultimately unnecessary – at times humorous, given how absurdly preposterous it can sound – but mainly it’s just annoying beyond about the 3rd rep. I know that focussed exhalation and deep breathing can be important to maximise oxygen flow and power, and that’s obviously fine, but the level and variety of noises I hear in the gym is a truly ludicrous symphony of dying animal groans.

Faya’s considerate tip #2: Don’t imitate The Hulk when at the gym. Probably no one wants to hear your stupid noises.

3) BRO-HAVIOUR

Shouting out something moronic to your mates across the gym floor? Studies show you’re 100% definitely an idiot. I have to laugh, because this stuff happens all the time, and the laughter therapeutically dissolves my maniacal rage. Typically, it’s a group of guys.

‘No Bruv, I’m carb cycling. I’m on 50 grams innit’. ‘Listen, yeh, you gotta get them CLA’. ‘Yeh Bruv, I smashed out 300kgs – BIG leg day POW.’

Hmmmmm.

Faya’s considerate tip #3:If you’re about to misbrohave, stop yourself, and observe how literally nobody at the gym gives two hoots about how many grams you’re on – probably not even this ‘Bruv’ chap – who coincidentally, seems to be in all British gyms everywhere at the same time. Absolutely everyone just wants you to be quiet.

4) WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?!

Now this could be a post on its own… and of course people can wear whatever they want but here are a few points to consider if you haven’t already…

a) Crotch Sweat…

We all sweat, some more than others. In many ways, it’s to be encouraged in the gym. Just remember that certain colours and fabrics show sweat patches more than others.

Faya’s sweaty crotch tip #1 – I recommend avoiding greys and cottons if you tend to sweat a lot. No one wants to see a sweaty crotch whilst you do a stiff leg deadlift, and the likelihood is you don’t want to show it either.

b) See-through Pants

Faya’s visible crotch tip #1 This one mainly goes out to all women. Before purchasing any leggings, check in the mirror… if your pants are even mildly see-through, don’t buy them; it’s a waste of money because under the bright lights of the gym, with a little stretching, you might as well just walk around in your knickers instead and save yourself the £££. Perhaps I’m a prude, but unless I’m running along Miami Beach hoping to catch a tan, or in a Bikram class, whilst in rainy cold London, I don’t train in transparent hot pants and see through sports bra.

c) Men and tight pants…

I swear I could see absolutely every little millimeter of one gentleman’s modesty at the gym last week. The anatomical study of the human body fascinates me – I went to see Body Worlds the other day and it was mind blowing. However, at the gym I only want to see Swiss and medicine balls. Please guys, retain a little sense mystery!

Faya’s visible crotch tip #2 – If I were a gentleman, I would consider avoiding tight lycra leggings and opt for altogether looser shorts or joggers instead. Channel your inner ‘80s dude’ and go baggy.

5) ‘MY TRAINER FORGOT I WAS HERE’

Trainers on their phones whilst training a client – well, this isn’t gym etiquette per se, but I want to throw it in here anyway as it actually upsets me. To channel Mr T, I pity the fool. A client is willing to pay you good money, and you’re on your phone looking at photos of yourself from your last body building competition? This is what gives PTs a bad reputation. You should be looking at your client’s form, correcting their technique, inspiring them, and delivering them the specialism they’ll require to get stronger, fitter, healthier!

Faya’s considerate tip #4: Trainers gonna’ train.

6) CRASH-BANG-WALLOP

Breaking the equipment, and in particular, dropping the cable machine; MEGA ANNOYING. In fact, this is probably what annoys me the most. We all share a space, we all pay membership, yet there is a small group of people who ruin it for everyone else. The cable machine always breaks because some meat-head muppet insists on dropping the weight after every set, therein tearing the cable. This not only confirms the unfathomable nothingness between said people’s ears, but it means next time anyone goes to use the machine it’ll be broken for them too.

Aside from the obvious breakage point (bad!), we often forget about the subsequent lowering of the weight after it has first been lifted.

Faya’s form tip #1: By exclusively pursuing this noisy and dangerous approach of throwing down the weights, the ogre is missing out on a vital part of the exercise – the eccentric phase. Rather than just letting gravity do all the work for you (i.e. where you just drop the weight as if ‘meh’), actually controlling the weight’s passage on the way down delivers significant benefit from a workout perspective. So, have a look at the brief explanation as to what the different phases are below, and then have a think about your own workout technique, and how you might apply it to the likes of press-ups, pull ups etc to squeeze that extra 25% out of your sessions! For more on this read here:

 http://fitnessontoast.com/2018/06/18/technique-freak/.

n.b. Faya’s considerate tip #5: Avoid being an inane ogre, by being gentle with the kit!

7) MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL…

…who’s the vainest of them all? Turns out, loads of people are equally vain at the gym! I understand that for many people, gymming is in itself a narcissitically aesthetic pursuit (I disagree), but endless flexing…checking your reflection after every set in the mirror is unnecessary. It’s been 2 minutes my friend, nothing’s changed – trust me you still look exactly the same. Are you doing it for yourself, or perhaps for everyone else? They probably don’t think it’s cool either.

Faya’s form tip #2: On a serious note, a lot of people don’t know but mirrors are a very useful tool in the gym,  perhaps the most important tool. They are there to ensure your form and technique is correct when training. Observing alignment, monitoring pace, overseeing planes… these are all helpful activities involving a mirror. Auto-arousal is not.

8) SHARING IS GLARING

Occupying one or several pieces of equipment for long periods of time is just inconsiderate.

Common scenario 1: It’s leg day and today I’m going to get my personal best on deadlifts. I’ve worked hard on this for weeks and I can’t wait! Only problem is the dude in the gym is doing not 3 sets, but 8 sets…. this is truly ridiculous as it’ll mean I won’t get a chance to do my deadlifts. Of course, in this instance you’d share. It’s something we learn at kindergarten – to share the toys. I could easily do a set IN BETWEEN his sets. That is gym selfishness and totally unacceptable! “ASK!” you say? I shouldn’t have to.

Scenario two: Two friends are training together and rather than share the squat rack they’ve taken two! And refuse to allow anyone to jump in to do a set in between their sets!!

Scenario three: This guy has some sort of Round-Robin circuit going on and has taken three machines which he uses back-to-back and in no way can anyone use them in-between his sets!

Faya’s considerate tip #6: I don’t know, be nice, or something. Just don’t man-spread the gym equipment – everyone needs to use it.

9) TIDY UP AFTER YOURSELF!

Perhaps you’re used to your mum making your bed, but in the gym, once you finish using something put it back where you found it. Thanks guys, walking up to the squat rack the first thing I have to do is remove all your weights! This is super mega inconsiderate.

Faya’s considerate tip #7: Also a little wipe down every now and again doesn’t go amiss. Most gyms have towelettes for precisely this purpose, and even a little sanitising spray. Disinfectant is a nicer thing to see on a bench than a dribbling shiny bacteria-laden slick of perspiration. :: shudder ::

And finally 10) BE PATIENT!

Aware that I currently sound like the worlds least patient gym-goer, but a little bit of patience goes along way. If someone is doing a set, perhaps wait before jumping in to grab a weight right beside him/her. I know myself if I’m on a set, I’m really focused, maybe its PB day and someone skirts in beside me and grabs weight…. It blocks my view of my form in the mirror, interrupts my headspace, breaks my concentration, makes me think about whether they’ll bump into me by mistake… this is all super distracting, so just take a moment and jump in when it’s safe to do so!

Well, that’s all for now. Only another 250 pet peeves left on the list, but that’s enough to start things going…

Thanks for reading my vented-scribbles of fitness frustration, and if you have any more to add to this list, PLEASE PLEASE write them in the comment section below! I would absolutely LOVE to know what ticks you off at the gym, because I’m probably the same too

Faya x

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Wearing: Lululemon Pants & Hoodie, Adidas Ultraboost Uncaged shoes..

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