Stretching your lower body after a run isn’t just ‘nice-to-do’, it’s essential. You claim an array of benefits including the reduction of tightness in your largest muscle groups, alleviation of potential pains (including DOMS and the dreaded knee pain), the correction of muscular imbalances and even the improvement of actual running technique! Of course stretching after other forms of training (e.g. weight training) is also beneficial, so this post is by no means exclusive to running! The menu for available stretches is a broad buffet indeed, but in this post I wanted to showcase a specific few you might not have seen before, using a tennis ball or indeed a ‘physio ball’ like the one in my pictures. These therapeutic little spheres come in different shapes, sizes, and densities, and much like the foam-roller they enable a sort of self-massage. It’s a simple, cheap and hugely effective way to hone in on your specific needs, anywhere, anytime on the go, or at home. Dressed head-to-toe in Saucony, I went out for a 6k run around the basin city of Bath on a recent blog trip (full review coming soon!) and then dispatched this 5-stretch routine upon my return! Click MORE to get the full routine and give it a try yourself – all you need is a tennis ball! (more…)
Posts tagged 'Fitspo'
HIT IT OUT THE IVY PARK !
Today, I’m super excited to reveal my brand spanking new-look blog – it needed a bit of sprucing up since there hadn’t been an outfit change since it was born! To kick things off, I thought there was no topic more appropriate than the eponymous new monochrome collection from Ivy Park, to match the minimal pared-back B&W aesthetic I went with for this blog! Unless you’ve been living under a stone (+ blindfolded + ear plugged), you may have missed that one of the most iconic hyperstars on the planet just launched her own collection in partnership with Topshop. Queen B, aka Beyoncé, has put pen to paper with Sir Philip Green’s retail powerhouse to design an extremely intelligent line of flattering and affordable performance wear, and I absolutely LOVE the result! (more…)
TRAINING TRICEPS!
This post is about how to banish the infamous ‘bingo wings’, which secretly work to veil the triceps like a hood; those so-called ‘triceps’ are a large, three-headed group comprising a long, medial & lateral head, all positioned towards the back of the upper-arm. Whether in or out of the gym, we use them for every movement requiring a push, and indeed some that require pulls too. Weaker triceps could well limit the effectiveness of training shoulders, chest and back, and might also stop you from heroically saving the day if extreme arm strength is required in some sort of an emergency! When worked-out properly, you can actually sculpt these triceps so that they look just-so for an upcoming spring getaway occasion! Click MORE to see a full tricep-targeting routine shot wearing the latest collection of Forever 21 activewear … (more…)
YOUR INSPIRATION !
I believe that for every single one of us, there’s a customised formula we can follow to secure a resolute 2016; that formula might differ from person to person, but through it all, inspiration is a vital ingredient, a constant across every human I’ve met. The new year is upon us which means a bunch of us will set personal goals to which we’re statistically unlikely to adhere. I’ve previously written about how to structure your fitness goals (HERE) and help ensure you stick to them – this is more of a deep-dive about the very sources from which you might like to draw inspiration in the first place. That process of motivational influence is something I regard as the fundamental building block of a solid year! I was thinking about what truly inspires me as I went for a run around London’s Embankment (in itself a motivational experience!); this post collects together my top 10 inspirational findings! (more…)
EGGS FROM THE FOREST !
I couldn’t legitimately claim to call it Fitness On Toast if I didn’t whip up the occasional recipe on toast! This ‘Eggs From The Forest’ is one of my all-time favourite recipes which is super easy to make, fabulously healthy and boasts serious waves of delicious flavour and awesome texture, which work equally well at breakfast, lunch or dinner! Click MORE to see it all & get the recipe…
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PRAWN AND MANGO SKEWERS !
Recipe time: this delicious dish, as ever, is supposed to be quick, easy and healthy, whilst being loaded with nutritious flavour. My personal favourite part is the mixture of the sweet, smooth mango against the crispy fresh salad, the tangy ginger, lime and warm grilled prawns. It’s got such an awesome diversity of texture, temperature and taste, the holy trinity of ‘T’s’ 😀 I’ve added a touch of chilli, as I love a bit of a kick to fire up the metabolism. ‘Accessorising’ this salad with a skewer proves once again the breadth of variation open to you with these leafy dishes; experiment with salad, as it’s not limited to a tragedy of mere cucumber and tomato… (more…)
MONREAL IN EZE
A quick little post featuring the new ‘Queens Collection‘ from one of my all time favourite Fitness Fashion houses, Monreal London. I live in fitness clothes (mostly because it’s my daily ‘uniform’ to train clients), and as such, I’m always on the lookout for revolutionary design which straddles fitness and fashion. In this latest collection from Monreal, I’ve noticed a serious advancement from tennis-wear to genuine crossover attire; pieces that are smart enough to wear for anything short of a wedding, yet still casual enough to train in, thanks to a neat, purposefully minimal aesthetic. I shot this look on my recent active escape to France, in the grounds of Chateau De La Chèvre D’Or, as well as a couple of shots in my studio. (more…)
CLIFF-TOP HIKING IN IBIZA!
On my recent active escape to Ibiza (full review coming up!), I embarked upon a breathtaking clifftop hike, blessed with some of the most spellbinding views the island has to offer. I made my way along the jagged sandstone peaks towards the famous landmarks, Es Vedrà and Atlantis. You may have read my previous post on the Benefits of Hiking, from my Morocco adventure last year; this Ibizan trek included all those same ‘workout’ benefits as in Morocco – a leg workout seriously targeting glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves – PLUS the added work required to achieve stability, coordination, balance, core work and fun! It certainly toasts calories whilst you sweat in the sun and pick up some healthy colour! Staying hydrated in that draining scenario is critical, so I took my BRITA Fill & Go for a swig on the move! Read MORE for the details on my trek, & what I found along the way!
CITRUS SALAD = ‘SUGAR RAT’ POISON !!!
The 7 days between 24th Dec and 1st Jan are dusted with a special kind of carefree frosting (aka sugar), but now the festivities are over, it’s time to regain control over the wild indulgence and revisit healthier eating habits such as portion control – normal service resumed! Mulled wine is no longer the main source of liquids, 6 deep-filled luxury mince pies aren’t ‘just a cheeky little snack’, and it’s harder to find an excuse to nap off the food coma in bed during the afternoons! To properly wean off the sweet stuff is a gradual process, so I like to take it one step at a time. A great starting point is this Citrus Fruit Salad which is super quick-and-easy to prepare, loaded with antioxidant Vitamin C compounds for an immune boost, and contains a wealth of other vitamins and minerals to see you back on the straight and narrow! Click MORE to get the why and how-to 🙂 (more…)
MY HYPERFOOD SALAD RECIPE !!!
Right now, superfoods seem to be more ‘in vogue’ than Anna Wintour (not sure that’s technically correct, but you get the picture). To catch onto that theme, this post is about a salad I whipped up which packs plenty of the superfoods together, and is rich in essential fats, plant proteins, dietary fibre and scrumptious flavour. If Top Gear coined the term Hypercar to refer to an extremely exaggerated high-performing Supercar, then this dish is most definitely a Hyperfood salad. Read MORE to see why each one of the 10 fabulous ingredients will help nourish your body…