Active | Fitness on Toast

Posts tagged 'Active'

WELLNESS ESCAPE TO THE WESTIN MALDIVES MIRIANDHOO

11/01/2020

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 Miriandhoo, 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…

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SEA TO SEA IN ISRAEL!

06/08/2019

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!

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AUSTRALIA pt 2: MY ‘SYDNEY TOP 10’

22/01/2018

Across the world, countless bloggers have majored on Australia as a destination; there’s also a ceaseless stream of toned and fashionable Australians who dominate a casual perusal of the Instagram ‘Explore’ screen as if the algorithm is calibrated to go overweight Aussie beauty! My experiences, however, are just that; my own, not ‘new’, but just from me. That said, I sure as hell did my research before arriving in Sydney, systematically surveying every single Australian I know, then distilling their collective output into a one-week, extensive plan of attack! Indeed, having done-and-dusted with my experience in the Great Barrier Reef, pursued my full Sydney scheme precisely as it was sketched out, it gives me great joy to recount and depict the choicest of experiences here to you dear reader, whether you’re just curious or are planning an adventurous ‘Active Escape’ of your own! This post makes up Part 2 of the Australia series – and I sense there will be countless more parts to follow upon my future return to that magnificent country! I discovered an outdoor-dwelling society, predisposed to health and fitness, blessed with supreme weather and a fresh fish-based diet, in a culturally diverse and well-invested city where inhabitants genuinely smile. In fact it’s so good, this could conceivably be ‘home’ one day! Click MORE to discover my Top 10 experiences in Sydney…

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WHY TO START TRAINING – NOW !!!

11/12/2017

Amidst the snowy deluge of a brutally frosted British December, Summer is but a moribund memory, seemingly belonging to a different planet (or Sydney in the case of my shots here!). Bikinis and/or trunks are consigned to a forgotten section of the wardrobe and instead, it’s acceptable to hide under countless layers of knitted misc. The commercialized ‘beach body’ frenzy is over; we feel as though we can relax, without the pressure to get naked! It’s also a time when we naturally eat and/or drink a little more than we otherwise would; t’is festive season leading up to Christmas…

For that reason, I say TRAIN NOW; this way whatever excess you’re consuming, at least you’re burning it off at the gym! Furthermore, you’re establishing a fitness routine now rather than leaving it to January, when going cold turkey will feel like a tragic uphill struggle. By the time the equally commercialized ‘new year new you’ fallacy comes around, you’ll already have a strong, regular thing going on; new year, same you! BTW, I don’t subscribe to the January frenzy, instead I believe healthy is a lifestyle choice all year round! This post contains a few 101 tips to get started, right now!

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SLEEP YOURSELF STRONGER!

16/01/2017

This Monday is known as Blue Monday, a statistically miserable day by virtue of things like rain, dark, cold, work, abandoned resolutions, fatigue etc. I recently attended a fascinating TEDx talk by Professor Adrian Williams, a 30-year-practised leading authority on Sleep, based at London’s Guy’s & St Thomas’ hospital; I was reminded of sleep’s unsung value to our lives. Consequently, to combat Blue Monday, I’ve decided to revisit the theme of ‘the importance of sleep’ and have added a few bonus bits & pieces! I think most of us recognize we can benefit from it, but we don’t approach it in a structured way. The appropriate length and quality of sleep allows your body to function at peak efficiency both mentally and physically, and it’s just as valuable as regular exercise and wholesome nutrition. A good night’s sleep can improve overall health and make every aspect of the subsequent day more productive, so I’ve detailed what I think are the key reasons why we should all invest more time in our rest! In this post, I’ve also collaborated with Philips to test their Wake-up Light, as getting up is the part of sleep I find the most difficult! Click MORE to see it all… (more…)

ACTIVE ESCAPE: POST RANCH INN

18/12/2016

Soaring 1200 feet above a gentle stretch of the sweeping North Pacific ocean lies the ultimate meeting of man and mountain. A steel skeleton is fused with the granite cliffs, clad with wood for organs and glass for skin; the Post Ranch Inn is this eponymous structure, and coincidentally the scene of an epic wellness escape on a recent trip to America. Many believe that it claims the most tranquil, unspoiled and awe-inspiring landscapes in the country, and whilst I’ve got quite a bit of the country still to explore, I can’t disagree yet. The Sunsets trump Santorini; the vista rivals the Amalfi coast, and the service is as attentive and well judged as any world class American institution can be. The whole place has an ecologically sustainable skew, and I had the most magical visit. This post is a little insight into a precious Californian treasure which, quite rightly, has earned the accolade of ‘best hotel in America’ from more sources than I can recall… (more…)

ADIDAS AMBASSADOR + ULTRABOOST UNCAGED!

08/07/2016

Back in January 2015, I was thrilled to join my friends at adidas for the global launch of the UltraBOOST, which has since become the hottest casual running shoe in the world! Now, 18 months on, they’ve developed generation 2.0, the UltraBOOST Uncaged; a new and improved version which is a reaction to the way it was being custom modified by enthusiasts! As a self-confessed shoe fiend; I feel privileged to have been one of the first to road-test these as part of my ambassadorship with the company.

Growing up I was relentless in pleading with my parents for a pair of trainers! So, when I finally got hold of my long sought after Stan Smiths, I would cherish them and wear them every single day, until they were falling apart, but I didn’t care. I’m now working with the brand I have loved and admired from such a young age, and as corny as it may sound it really is a dream come true. I’ve always been heavily into sports and living a healthy life, and to work with a company with such a strong, complementary ethos is quite unbelievable! To me, adidas represents a passion for sport – functionality, style, quality; it speaks of so much heritage whilst constantly innovating and delivering new technology to further the athletes out there! Massive thank you to the adidas team for allowing me to channel my innermost excited 8-year-old sporty self! To kick off, this post is a collection of thoughts on the new shoe, as well as some pictures we shot on the marvellous Croisette in Cannes, along which I ran every morning to put my pair (in Ray Red camo) through their paces!
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‘WESTIN MAURITIUS’ WINNER!

01/05/2016

A quick post today, firstly to say a huge thank you to everyone who entered the competition hosted by Westin Hotels & Resorts to win a trip to Mauritius and well done to those who battled the unseasonably freezing rain with me for our Olympic Park run. But more seriously, this post is to announce the winner of the most awesome competition I’ve ever run! There were hundreds of fabulous fitness devotees who entered, and regardless of whether you came to the run or not, you were in the running (no pun intended) to win the Active Escape to The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa Mauritius. Click MORE to see who the winner was, and to check out the shots from our 5k around the scene of one of the greatest ever sporting spectacles! (more…)

YES TO HIIT CLASS!

07/12/2015

Last week, I hosted a 30min high-intensity fitness class for a group of awesome girls, as part of my ongoing partnership with Yes To the natural skincare and hair care brand, at the beautiful Mind-Body studio in Virgin Active Mayfair. When I train, I like to combine high intensity exertion with bodyweight exercises, and often skipping too; it’s a highly portable and ultra-effective workout technique which you can easily dispatch from the comfort of your own home, or even a hotel room whilst travelling. For this reason, it’s how I structured this half-hour power-class! It’s especially good if you’re short on time, have a limited attention-span, are keen to toast fat, to improve muscle definition, and to build serious stamina that you can draw upon in a moments notice! Click MORE to get the ‘how & why’!

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BENEFITS OF IYENGAR YOGA !

09/11/2015

I’m a big fan of Yoga as a holistic form of exercise for both body and mind, as you may have noticed from the multiple musings on this blog! In my quest to discover ever more of the intricate fabric that makes up the tapestry of the ‘Yogasphere’, I sought out Iyengar Yoga as an additional way to engage with this discipline. Whilst you may or may not have heard of the Iyengar variety, it’s thought to be one of the most commonly practiced forms of yoga in the western world. It was brought here by B.K.S. Iyengar and focuses on posture, technique as well as breathing and timing; for this reason, I find it somewhat of a meditative practise, and incredibly relaxing. This post talks about the discipline, and is shot outside one of my favourite studio spaces – The Iyengar Yoga Instutute, founded in 1984 where the man himself taught! I’m also taking the opportunity to highlight some of my favourite yoga kit of the moment, including these gorgeous Stance socks & this equally awesome Yoga Design Lab mat. Click MORE to see it all…

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