Fitness on Toast

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

20/01/2021

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… (more…)

REVIEWED: APPLE WATCH SERIES 6

13/10/2020

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…

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10 AUTUMN ‘HEALTHY GETAWAY’ ESSENTIALS!

09/10/2020

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… (more…)

MY BABY LOCKDOWN

28/07/2020

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…

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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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MY FASHIONMONITOR INTERVIEW: “WELLNESS TODAY”

21/10/2019

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. (more…)

HOME-MADE HEALTHY ROCKET ROLLS!

15/10/2019

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! (more…)

5 WAYS TO SQUEEZE EVERY BIT OUT OF YOUR MORNING

31/08/2019

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!

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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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JUST LIKE RIDING A BIKE!

01/07/2019

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.

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