Month: August 2019

BENEFITS OF A STRONG SKELETON!

Every one of us will inevitably suffer a natural degradation of bone density as we get older; if we’re mindful of this, it’s possible to take some pretty smart measures to strengthen our skeletons now, which fit right in alongside our normal everyday fitness goals. This post highlights my top 5 ways to exercise and care for yourself in order to promote bone strength; what we can eat, and what we could avoid in order to help build a strong skeleton that’ll last us through life!

1) EAT RIGHT
This isn’t just for teeth and bones, but moreover for broader health. The body is in a constant process of self-renewal, incessantly churning out new bone, muscle, blood, skin etc. I believe that what we put into it determines the quality of its rebuild. Foods which are high in simple sugars – sweets and sodas for example – don’t just promote enamel-busting tooth decay, they can also inhibit the body from being able to absorb the bone-friendly calcium you’re consuming as well as depleting your supplies of phosphorus, both of which go to unduly reduce bone density. The same goes for salty foods which cause calcium to be lost via the kidneys.
Even if little is consumed, the body maintains calcium levels in the blood by sapping it directly from the bones, so most medical commentators suggest taking in c. 1200mg of calcium a day as a broad rule of thumb, which can be sought from (obviously) milk, yoghurt and cheese, but also more surprisingly, kale, broccoli, salmon and sardines – all staples on the Fitness On Toast recipe pages!
 
2) DRINK LESS
Regularly blitzing the recommended alcohol limits is unhelpful for most bodily functions, but it also has a direct effect on decreasing your bone mass. Apart from the heightened chance of goofing around and falling to fracture limbs, large amounts of alcohol can be toxic to ‘osteoblasts’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoblast (the cells which synthesise new bone). Furthermore, other sorts of drinking can be unhelpful, as too much caffeine is also thought to leach calcium from the bones and thus reduce their strength, as well as causing unsightly staining to the teeth and enamel degradation – reducing the amount of caffeine daily should do the job! Likewise, fruit juices consumed through straws should help reduce the amount of decay.
 
3) EXERCISE APPROPRIATELY
Movement and gentle impact can help to build bone strength, as well as any weight-bearing activity that makes us work against gravity! Thankfully that covers a huge number of active pursuits, but some of the most commonly recognised forms are:
  • skipping
  • power walking
  • dancing
  • hiking
  • stair climbing
  • tennis
  • jogging
  • aerobics classes / boxercise / circuit training
  • weight training

The beauty of the above is that your average day in the office might well dictate regularly climbing 4 flights of stairs (instead of the lift), and a 15 minute walk in the city to fetch your lunch (take the extra 10 mins, why not). Then if you’re able to manage 10-15 minutes of skipping at home each night, you’re really hitting that ’30 minutes a day’ activity target!

4) VITAMIN D
Essential to help body absorb the calcium you’re consuming via diet. It’s hard to synthesise, and is broadly produced when our skin is exposed to daylight and even more so in direct sunlight. There’s a perceptible mood effect too, which helps to bolster the overall sense of wellbeing!
5) DENTAL CARE
This is super important to me; growing up in Sweden, there’s a real focus on oral hygiene, as part of the national identity almost! A proper toothcare regime will help keep these exposed squares of bone in good order for life.

RESET FOR SPRING WITH GARNIER!

The eagle-eyed amongst you might have spied that I recently took over the @GarnierUK Instagram a couple of weeks ago as part of the fun of joining their team of super inspirational women! Apart from hosting some epic competitions, I was really keen for the takeover to showcase a few different practical tips to help you be the healthiest version of you and reset for spring! As ever, I always try to emphasise small but lasting changes to help clients feel good about themselves, and discuss them all in a little more detail below with my top 12 tips! I’ve also put some thoughtful care into compiling my ‘Custom Recovery Bundles’ which included some awesome Garnier essentials for Hair, Skin, Body & Sun – the lucky winners are announced in the post! Click MORE to see it all

In the video below which I shot with an awesome group of people in gorgeous Queens Park (North West London), I talk a little about how I start my day. I think if you start your day right it underpins everything you do throughout the ensuing 24 hours, and you’re consequently more likely to stay on track. Having said that I massively struggle with early mornings – if you’re like me, read the following tips on how to become more of a morning person! Mine kicks off at 05:30 everyday (aagh!), followed by a training session, the specific scope of which varies constantly. In the video, it’s a run, but can easily be a walk or a spot of gym-time too.  Here is a short video with some tips on how to maximise a quick morning workout!

Subsequently, I always have a big, proper breakfast, typically consisting of my Maxi Muesli (recipe here) with a splash of unsweetened almond milk, some fresh berries and some grated dark chocolate!

Not easy? I agree – but there are ways to become more of a morning person: Whilst I’m up at 05:30 every weekday, I think it’s important to declare that I’m not naturally an early riser! My body instinctively wants to stay snuggled under cozy covers and grab heaps of ever-more restorative sleep! But over time, to combat, and eventually conquer this, I’ve found a few tips that got me where I wanted to be:

1) Create a routine (starting the night before)!

  • Supposedly we have an internally-calibrated 24h clock (‘the circadian rhythm’) but how we each allocate these hours, differs. Getting to bed at around the same time every night and ensuring you get the much needed 7-8 hours of base sleep makes all the difference. It ensures you wake up rested and ready to go! (more on sleep here)
  • Set your alarm at the same time every day! This will mean your body clock will eventually align to this, so that every time it goes off, the incremental level of surprise should feel less dreadful.

2) Don’t leave it last minute

  • Allow yourself a good 30 mins of time to get ready, as nobody likes to start the day by stressing, manically, looking for keys, phones, wallets etc. Waking up that little earlier, sacrificing a little more sleep, to ensure you’re appropriately armed to leave home – that’s important for your state of mind for the ensuing day.

3) Natural light

  • Allow natural light to shine through your curtain, it’s much nicer if possible to wake up with the sun than pitch black darkness. Alternatively buy a syntetic-sun light alarm, as I’ve found the sensation of gradually waking to artificial sunlight can really lighten the burden!

4) Mental prep

  • Whilst under the covers, remind yourself how great you’ll feel once you’re up and ready to tackle the day!
  • In many ways, that’s the best part of the day; the beginning which offers so much opportunity and possibility, regardless of how unspectacular the day may eventually turn out to be! Being up early before everyone else, going for a peaceful power walk, for example is a lovely feeling.
  • Feel alive, looking after your body, investing in it, and it simply allows your mind to ‘zen’ out whilst you’re on the move!
  • If all else fails, think of how good a cup of coffee would taste, or whatever your morning spice happens to be!

5) Visual Prep/ goal seeing

  • If you’re a total zombie in the morning and struggle to construct a full sentence, let alone recall your fitness goals, then write a list and stick it next to your bed where you can see it!
  • Include a few short term goals such as ‘going to increase my squats by 5kg this week’, or  ‘want to feel more confident and strong when I go on holiday in 3 months’. Seeing your key goals will help you to pursue them.
  • Set short term and long terms goals. (more on this here) and try to mark yourself to market on those as you’re going. Three simple principles I try to live by;
    i) Set realistic goals.
    ii) Find something you genuinely enjoy, pursue it and you’ll be more inclined to stick to it,
    iii) Check & measure your progress on a weekly basis.

6) Plan ahead!

  • Work out exactly what you’re doing that day, and whatever you do, avoid showing up not knowing what to do at the gym. Book in a class in advance and schedule 3-6 more in the diary – this way you can just use them as you go, consume them and stay on track!

7) School uniform 

  • Do you remember laying your school uniform out the night before? Just a Swedish thing perhaps? Well either way, whilst school may be long since over, the same principle applies here – prepare your gym kit! This way your zombie self will just have to slip into trainers and leggings – no brain function involved at all, just autopilot.

8) Drink & Think!

  • Having slept for hours, first thing is to get some water in your system. A huge glass of cold water with a lemon slice squeezed inside does wonders. If you have time why not make a small cold-press ‘multivitamin hit’. Recipe: spinach, ginger, lime/lemon, parsley and ½ apple.
  • Having a stretch first thing in the morning can help loosen up both body & mind!
  • Small bite-sized steps make more of a cumulative and sustainable difference than one great leap.
  • Everyone starts somewhere, and the small initial motions can be some of the most important ones – remind yourself of this, as ‘You don’t have to be great to start, but start to be great’.

9) Training buddy

  • Buddy up with a partner, this way you’re less likely to cancel and disappoint a friend. It adds a layer of gentle competition, but also a form of adherence / compliance to the program!

10) Breakfast?

  • Upon waking, our blood sugar levels are naturally at a low point, and we need some form of kick-starting energy. Whilst it’s a vaguely tired cliché, this is THE most important meal of the day, so go to town! It’s a raw calorie hit at a point that your body needs it the most.
  • You’re literally restarting the body, breaking the fast, kicking the metabolism into life, refueling and re-energizing the system for the day ahead. Without it, you’re just spluttering about on empty, and given that blood sugar trough, will be more likely to fall off the bandwagon thereafter.
  • A breakfast of champions might consist of a source of lean protein, some complex carbs and a good source of healthy fats.
  • However, if you don’t fancy making an omelet with salmon and avocado, or anything else for that matter the a far quicker alternative is my Muesli! Whip up a massive batch on the weekend then just sprinkle a portion into a bowl, add some fresh berries and you’re done! Also, as in the video, occasionally, to add a little deliciousness, you could grate some 90% dark chocolate on top! Yum!

11) Whatever you do don’t hit the Snooze button!

  • It’s deadly and never works. Set a time and get up straight away!

12) Get out of bed!

  • If this is an issue put the phone on LOUD in another room. DO NOT go back to bed!

COMPETITION WINNERS

Congratulations to the following 5 fabulous Instagram entrants are the winners of my custom-created recovery bundles! @35allicat @fakander @iona_ldnr @debbieariella @jedwards81. Each 14-piece Garnier Recovery Bundle will help the winner to fully recover and restore post-workout, and consist of 4 categories:

1) HAIR:

  • 1 x 400ml Bottle of Ultimate Blends Sleek Restorer shampoo [HERE]
  • 1 x 400ml Bottle of Ultimate Blends Sleek Restorer conditioner [HERE]
  • 1 x Pot of Sleek Restorer Balm [HERE]
  • 1 x Bottle of Sleek Perfector Oil [HERE]

2) SKIN:

  • 1 x Moisture Bomb 3-in-1 [HERE]
  • 1 x Moisture Bomb Night [HERE]
  • 1 x BB Cream + Blur [HERE]

3) BODY:

  • 1 x 400ml Bottle of Ultimate Blends Restoring Lotion (Honey Treasures) [HERE]
  • 1 x Honey Treasures Restoring Butter [HERE]
  • 1 x Intensive 7 Days Hand Cream (Shea Butter) [HERE]
  • 1 x 400ml Intensive 7 Days Lotion (Shea Butter) [HERE]

4) SUN:

  • 1 x UV Sport Sun Protection Mist SPF30 [HERE]
  • 1 x After Sun Gel with Aloe Vera [HERE]
  • 1 x Dry Mist SPF30 [HERE]

Well done and stay tuned for my next collaboration with the Garnier family

ORGANISE YOUR GOALS!

There are two types of people; those with meticulously curated diaries full of bespoke post-its and colour-coordinated appointment notes, and then there are the disorganised others. For years I drifted aimlessly in the latter camp, but writing this blog forced me to upgrade my ‘planning skills’ alot, and I’ve learned a few things along the way, which I’m sharing in this post! If organisation doesn’t come naturally to you and you find yourself overwhelmed when considering the wiry tangle of chaotic strands that make up life – don’t panic, it can be done and hopefully these tips will help you! As I’ve seen with Personal Training clients over the years, organisation will categorically help you to succeed in reaching your fitness goals. Click MORE to see how I choose to approach organisation, with my top 5 tips!

When it comes to goal setting, a seemingly overwhelming number of jigsaw pieces need to come together, aside from having a structured realistic plan you need a whole lot of devoted discipline, as well a balanced approach to eating well (as well as hydrating, an effective and achievable exercise regime, plenty of sleep (ideally between 7 and 9 hours, though it very much depends on the person) and organisation!

A few years ago my life consisted of nutrition, fitness and more fitness, both in work and privately. Now it involves regularly posting on F.O.T, an infinite inbox, wrestling with legal documentation, pitch meetings, working as a personal trainer, and writing my first ever book! Given the proliferation and diversification of work, I often found myself struggling to find room to train me! To stay on top of it, I’ve had to seriously upgrade my own organisation skills to level 2.0! Here’s how I’ve approached it…

  1. WRITE IT DOWN!
    There is no replacement for putting pen to paper as a way to formalise, memorialise, and hold to account! The digital age has us under the comfortable delusion that all is well, with our schedules stored remotely in the cloud; but they’re just as easily deleted or ignored. Actually writing down your fitness goals will help you access the result, mentally. I like to have a physical copy of my thoughts and words in my hands; I write a thought down, and often draw a little image next to it, seeing the curve of a letter, creating a pictogram to accompany it – I remember the thought better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a tech-rejecting luddite zealot by any means – I write a blog after all – but carrying a physical copy in my bag fills me with comfort, the appointment is somehow more permanent, more weighty, harder to avoid! If cancelled, I have to physically draw a line over it with a pen, one which I’ll remember, which just feels painful! On the contrary, when I put a tick next to an achievement, a small wave of fulfilled satisfaction washes over me! I don’t experience any of these feelings when I pop something into my phone, which is impersonal, utilitarian, commoditised, and takes mere seconds. The analogue, physical process is made all the more special when it goes into a statement-piece diary, my 2016 choice being this jaw-dropping Portobello diary from my friends at Smythson.

  2. BE S.M.A.R.T. ABOUT IT!
    In many professions, my own included, people are trained to think ‘SMART’ when authoring their goals. It’s a handy little mnemonic which stands for Structured, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound; 5 components of organised goal-setting which will lead them to be more readily achieved.
    – Structured – simply, when are you going to do it, piece by piece, and when will you achieve the end-game? Calculate and break down the increments, and then diarise them.
    – Measurable – Think about how you’ll measure you progress, whether its an amount of weight you want to lift, the number of repetitions, distance run, intensity, speed etc, a spatial measurement you want to achieve, a weight you want to lose/gain.
    i) I would always encourage clients to take notes on how they feel; how did the session go, did you feel tired, was it easy, how did your body/muscles feel the the next few days? In time, you can return to your notes, see how the you’ve grown stronger, and notice how your recovery has improved. The notes may also relate to other components, such as not eating enough or eating too much.
    ii) MyFinessPal is great to keep track of your food intake, calories, macros (fats / carbs / protein) as well as helping to identify if you’re lacking anything on a regular basis.
    iii) Take photos as you go along, once a week same time, same day, front, side and back. For example, first thing Friday morning before breakfast. Same lighting, same angle. Take measurements, how do you clothes fit?
    – Achievable (or Actionable) – Set achievable goals; can you actually get to the gym 6 days a week – if not, diarise 2 or 3 sessions, per achievability, and then stick to it!
    – Realistic – this ties in with achievable, setting realistic expectations of oneself, not expecting to observe progress within an unrealistic time frame, being sensible and balanced about your application to the cause!
    – Time-bound Training – Finally what are you actually doing once you get to the gym. Plan that 1-hour of time well in advance; going back to point one – ensure it’s a structured approach. Knowing what you’re doing within the session will enable you to set a further-out time frame, over which you want to achieve your goal! For an e-Diary to complement my physical one,I use Cozi which is incredibly helpful; you can share your entire schedule or just certain appointments with gym partners, colleagues, and/or family. If everyone knows you’re training, chances are you’re going to go and train, and by planning your daily schedule ahead of time you wont have any excuse not to execute!

  3. SEEK SANCTUARY IN STRUCTURE!
    If your headspace feels a bit disorganised, it might help to ensure your surroundings are tidy. Everything has a place, and I feel that your home is your sanctuary, a spa-like retreat into which you can escape from the unrelenting pressures of the outside world. To maintain it requires constant attention, spring cleaning all year round, ongoing de-cluttering… I get rid of stuff I don’t use or want on a weekly basis, keeping only that which I find necessary. With the resulting organisation, I find, comes improved productivity and a better adherence to my targets. Deadlines sound harsh and unwelcoming but they make your life easier. Break them down into daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals.

  4. FOOD FOR THOUGHT!
    Write a list of foods that you constantly eat, ensuring always to have ample stock of those healthy foods. I try to avoid running out of something will preclude me from creating a favourite go-to healthy recipe. If you write the list in your diary and on the fridge, you’re more likely to remember them during those supermarket aisle brain-frazzle moments. Here’s my list;- Chickpeas and Lentils
    – Quinoa and Chia seeds
    – Sweet Potato
    – Kale, Watercress, Spinach, Rocket, Broccoli
    – Papaya, Grapefruit, Lime, Berries
    – Tumeric, Ginger
    – Fresh chiliPlan and ideally prep your meals too. Set aside one hour a week to plan your weekly food plan (ideally before heading to the supermarket). I like to cook a few things in bulk – some sweet potatoes, broccoli, quinoa or other foodstuff which can be refrigerated – and in so doing, give myself a time efficient, more affordable way to stay on track with healthy eating through the week. If you’re really organised you can even pop the food in meal sized portions in each container, but I understand why some might hate that idea!
  5. SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP!
    I’ve written extensively about this but we now know that sleep deprivation makes us less productive, affects our overall wellbeing and mood, and promotes the production of stress hormones such as cortisol. Further, the sensation of tiredness leaves us craving more unhealthy foods; it’s all counterproductive to the fitness goals, so there’s one simple solution. Impose a curfew and ensure you catch your optimal amount of sleep; the amount after which you typically arise naturally, unprompted, on a weekend, feeling fully restored. For some that’s 7 hours, for others it’s 9 hours. Any more than that is likely to be impractical (and to have an adverse effect), so get to bed earlier and you’ll see the improvements in your organisational capacity with immediate effect! It helped enormously with my memory capacity too – assisted by the book ‘Moonwalking with Einstein’ – an exceptional read which helped me realise just how much of my brain I’m NOT yet using!

Hope that helps, and please remember, that’s just my own personal way of approaching the topic. Many will have their own tips and tricks too!


I WAS WEARING:

Diary: Portobello Mid-Year Diary from Smythson
Pants: Forthcoming Summer Collection knotted Leggings by Peony & Me
Top: Long-sleeve Linen Top by Peony & Me
Jacket: Papin Leather Biker Jacket by All Saints
Bag: Small size Sac De Jour by Saint Laurent

BTS: COMPETITIVE SAILING!

You might remember this post from my recent trip to Barbados as I learn to sail ahead of Cowes Week in August, where I’ll be competing with team Helly Hansen! Whilst trying to figure out my Spinnakers from my Schooners, I was under the expert guidance of Team Concise‘s Captain, Ned Collier Wakefield; an award-winning, record-breaking professional ‘Competitive Offshore’ Sailor, who I thought would be perfect to tell the story of the physical and psychological challenges, as well as the fitness requirements of doing his job full time! Click more to see our interview together, and see if it can persuade you to dip your toe in the water, so to speak

F.O.T: What originally introduced you to sailing?

I’m told my first experience of sailing was crossing the Channel when I was six months old, however my first memory was sailing when I was about three. My Dad has always been an enthusiast and a great sailor and has taken me on many adventures over the years. Needless to say, I caught the bug!

F.O.T: How long have you been sailing at a professional level, and when/how did you make the transition from hobby to career?

My professional career started ten years ago when Tony [Lawson] and I decided to start Team Concise. I was 18 and had just finished school. Tony presented me with this opportunity and I’ve never looked back.

F.O.T: Many would presume the wind does the work. How much physicality, stamina and mental resolve is required to sail at a top level?

Sailing is a very physical sport. Sure, the wind pushes the boat forwards, but to harness that power requires a lot of physical input, hoisting sails that weigh 100kg up to 30m in the air, trimming on sheets with up to 5 tons of load on them are just a couple of examples. On top of this there’s the continual stress from the violent movement of the boat at high speed, combined with the lack of sleep that make it very physically demanding.

F.O.T: What does your regular training routine look like?

Fitness is really important for sailing to ensure we have the strength and endurance to sail for long periods of time, at the top of our game. As a team, we try to weight train in the gym every day, as well as an aerobic session. It’s important to change it up and keep it exciting, so things like road cycling are great, it’s easy to take your bike along in the container when we’re away from home and its also a non-impact sport, which means I can do as much as I want without the risk of repetitive strain. We also do at least three hours of sailing specific training on the boat, every day. Whether it’s coming up to a big race or spending the winter training in Barbados, it’s so important to get time on the boat with the team.

F.O.T: How do you prepare for a long journey, both physically (e.g. what sort of training & nutrition) and mentally?

You often lose weight in some of the longer offshore races as you’re often running at a calorie deficit, both working hard and struggling to eat enough in the extreme environment. To account for this and maintain performance throughout the season, we aim to peak with body weight before a race, this also has benefits for strength too.

F.O.T: How many calories do you typically consume in a day of sailing across the Atlantic and what do you eat?

On average you expect to be burning in excess of 5000 calories a day when you are racing and it is difficult to eat this amount, especially in the harsh environment. Our staple will be freeze dried meals which we rehydrate with hot water, this means we can save the weight of water from the food and instead produce de-salinated water as required. Specially made granola protein breakfasts are a treat and we try to snack on things like nuts, energy bars, dried meat, dried fruit etc.

F.O.T: It sounds like an utterly exhausting trip both mentally and physically; why do it? In your mind what are the best parts?

I guess its like any endurance sport and for me, the highs far outweigh the lows. It may be tough at times but for those spectacular moments that you wouldn’t find anywhere else and the sense of achievement when you win a race that you’ve worked so hard for, its all worth it.

F.O.T: Any hairy moments? Near-misses, capsizes etc? How do you recover from that sort of experience?

The 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre, I was racing to Costa Rica with my good friend and co-skipper, Sam Goodchild on our Class 40, Concise 2. After seven days of racing we had worked our way through two large low pressure systems and had taken the lead. By the time the third low pressure system hit us, the waves were about 8m and seriously confused. We gybed in the center of the low to make the most of the shift, but hours later hit a floating piece of debris and suffered serious hull failure. At the time of the incident we were 200 miles north of the Azores and had a 24-hour window before the next depression. The difficulty was that we had to sail the boat fast enough to get to the islands before the storm, but also try to keep the boat together, providing us with a fairly stressful 24 hours!

F.O.T: What’s next for you; where do you want to go with your sailing?

We’ve got a packed sailing/racing schedule for the summer, which is very exciting. We’ll be following the RORC season and obviously Cowes Week in August. We have the new Diam 24 which we’ll be training and racing as much as possible, focusing on the Tour de France a la Voile in July. Our two Class 40s will also complete a full season and of course we will be spending a lot of time on the MOD 70. We’re very much looking forward to spending more time competing against the other big players, such as OMAN and Phaedo.

F.O.T: For anyone who has never sailed but want to get into it what are your top tips?

Ask lots of questions! And try all the different types of sailing you can, being versatile is a valuable skill in whichever discipline you choose and there’s no substitute for time on the water. If you get the opportunity to sail with some of the biggest names and most successful guys, make the most of it, they’re always keen to pass on their advice and skills.

F.O.T: If you weren’t sailing the MOD-70 around Barbados, what would your other dream job be?

In 2008, I decided that I should have a Plan B – not because I didn’t want to sail every day, because I absolutely did, but just as a backup. I went to university and trained as an Architect – however, I’ve never used my degree and don’t really plan to!

ADIDAS AMBASSADOR + ULTRABOOST UNCAGED!

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!

In my opinion, the feel should be ranked above all else. When I first put my foot into the original UltraBOOST I felt a totally new sensation with a running shoe; it was as if my feet were experiencing that pleasurable sensation post-yawn, a cosy snugness that purely functional footwear hadn’t achieved for me in the past. This shoe develops upon that sensation, and masterfully improves it. This Uncaged shoe feels [and almost looks] like a sock, into which the foot just gently sinks. It’s seamless, with no tongue or abrasive labels to agitate the foot, and has been adapted from ‘track athlete’ foot technology to provide more support. That allows for plenty of movement in the front of the foot but still has the rigid brace to keep your foot locked in place at the back.

I think the result is unparalleled comfort combined with the awesome energy of the boost technology; impossible amounts of spring in each step, and superb traction (you’re basically running with Continental premium tyres on the bottom of the shoe!).

Also, they look pretty mean! It’s a more contemporary aesthetic (including that awesome ribbed knitted section around the ankle), with a streamlined, profile and their adidas Primeknit upper which leave my feet feeling aerated but not cold.

Whilst I’ve been working with the adidas team in an official capacity for 6 months or so now, I have harboured a real passion for this company for well over a decade. From visiting their secret showrooms, to interviewing members of their Executive Board, to touring their HQ in Herzo, I’ve gleaned insight into what’s turned them into the sportswear brand with the most global momentum, and I love it! I look forward to bringing you more behind the scenes insights into their innovations, coming soon!

Faya x

    

HEARTCORE IN KATE SPADE NEW YORK !

I’m regularly asked what classes I love in and around London, and we’re totally spoilt for choice here! Given that variety is one of life’s multiple spices (and also keeps the attitude towards training fun and fresh), I’ll typically try a couple of new classes on a monthly basis, which I thought I’d start to share with you here. I’m kicking it off with a session at Heartcore, a 55-minute dynamic pilates class which I tried this weekend in the heart of St Johns Wood. I’m wearing all Kate Spade New York in these pictures, a couple of super cute pieces from of their Beyond Yoga  activewear collaboration! Click MORE to see my full take on the class, the clothes and the rest of these images!

Having just powered out a big upper body ‘back & abs’ session in the gym the day before, I was feeling fairly sore and mildly apprehensive about being able to do everything properly. After the class, I realised this was the perfect sequence to do the next day to help speed up recovery and offset muscle soreness.  To boot, this space is possibly the most beautiful studio I’ve seen in London, so I was super excited about shooting my brand new Kate Spade New York look…

ACTIVE RECOVERY, POST WORKOUT – WHY?

On ‘rest’ or ‘recovery’ days, very often we’ll sit for hours on end at our desks or ‘rest’ on a sofa. To my mind, that’s totally suboptimal as it can prolong muscular tightness and allow DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) to really take hold. Instead, I like to implement fairly light exercise on my rest days to promote recovery (this can include walking, mobility drills, some light body weight exercises and a little stretching). This “active” recovery after a heavy weight training session can help soreness by stimulating blood flow and improving circulation to the muscles.

AND WHAT IF I DON’T?

Failing to recover properly can lead to all sorts of problems, but most concerningly, it can really put the body at a far greater risk of injury. For example, muscles becoming tighter and causing imbalances in your body can compromise how well you later perform an exercise; compound that ‘error of form’ up over multiple sessions and you have an injury waiting to happen, especially if you’re weakened anywhere in particular. Take the squat for example, if you don’t deal with tight hip flexors or Achilles tendons, this may compromise how well you perform your squat and your more likely to incur an injury. Always do your post workout stretches! I also recommend foam rollers and the occasional sports massage. And try and stay active/mobile the next day!

THE CLASS!

This class was indeed a superb post-workout ‘active recovery’ class. The perception your body gets from Heartcore is one of toning, rather than the brutal muscle-tearing sensation of a bench press; it’s a little more gentle but no less pacey and very tough! Here, based predominantly on the reformer machine, it logically focused on lengthening the muscles, on alignment and on core strength. The system complements this machine with a few light weights, intended for high repetition exercises – shoulder press, triceps and biceps drills. The upshot is an effective workout for those small, stabilising muscles that help us perform functional movements every day.

PACEY!

The class is fast paced, which I love in many respects as the energy is fantastic, but with so much going on (music, coordination, balance, instruction), the directions can be quite ambiguous to the newcomer. Given the class involves so many components, I’m always a believer that more specific instruction and focus on form is crucial, and complements an explanation of ‘the why’.

EPIC SETTING

This studio, a former church in St. John’s Wood, NW8, is by far one of the most stunning I’ve seen in London. The entrance corridor is softly lit and punctuated with aromatherapeutic scents, setting the gentle scene for a relaxed arrival. Then, your emergence into the functional space is quite an incredible experience; you’re overwhelmed by high, vaulted and whitewashed ceilings, with huge windows showering the space in a deluge of natural light. Everything smells fresh, the floors are clean and light, and the equipment is super well maintained.

GENERAL INFO

PRICE: The price is £27 for a single, which is a premium to many classes I take. 10 sessions for £220, i.e. £22/class in bulk.
LOCATIONS: 8 throughout London. (Kensington, Notting Hill, Hampstead, Chelsea, Fulham, City, Park Lane, St John’s Wood)
To give this a go and try something different in a beautiful space, book in  HERE.

Faya x

THE OUTFIT

As mentioned, I’m wearing Kate Spade New York‘s latest Activewear line, created in collaboration with ‘Beyond Yoga‘. It’s a luxurious-feeling and comfortable collection that’s fun, light-hearted and feels quite free-spirited with cute dotted patterns! It works just as well in the gym or outside of it, as you can see from the images here, where I’ve dressed it up with some elevating accessories. I discovered a little more about the brand’s activewear style credentials in a little more detail after our session with Royal Ballet Soloist Eric Underwood last week, which was awesome fun!

– TOP: T-back Bow Tank in Signature Dot, HERE
– LEGGINGS: Triple Bow leggings in Black, HERE
– BRA: T-back Bra in Blue, HERE

UNLOCKING LONDON: BENEFITS OF CYCLING

You might recently have spied a trail of breadcrumb-pictures on my Instagram where I’m riding London’s eponymous Santander Cycles, meandering my way around what I think are some of our wonderful capital city’s most picturesque parts; the gorgeous Little Venice area of Regent’s Canal, the Outer Circle in Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill… The Cycles are a ubiquitous and awesome fitness resource which anyone can use to see those parts of the city they’ve not visited before: I.e. go discover London for less than the cost of a green juice and get fit at the same time, it’s the perfect combo!!! For example – and it’s a bit of an unusual example – I recently attended a mind-blowing special spin class ABOVE the iconic landmark Tower Bridge, hosted by (and ON) Santander Cycles. The 80m glass walkway housed myself and 9 other lucky invitees as we Santander-cycled our way through an hour-long sweaty BOOM Cycle class whilst watching a deliciously romantic sunset over the Thames and St Pauls.

Typically, of course, Santander Cycles are not used as spin bikes in studios, but arguably they deliver the same cardiovascular outcome to their temporary tenants! Given that they’re scattered all across the city like a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, you can be comfortable that there’s one waiting for you nearby, and a place to drop it off at the other end; they’re ultra convenient lifestyle accessories, and that removes the ‘hassle factor’ which is a big barrier to doing it! Cycling is not only a fantastic form of exercise, gruelling cardio whilst gentle on the joints (and wallet!), it’s also a fun and rewarding way to view all of London, whilst getting to your destination 

Being half British and  thus having lived in London for c. 10 years now, I sometimes take for granted just how diverse and utterly beautiful this city is. Walking along the banks of the Thames, I just had to stop, breath and take it all in; a mindfulness moment, if you will!

Whilst London public transport is fairly quick and relatively efficient, cycling most definitely is the more enjoyable way to travel. What better way to get to your destination – fast, picturesque and delivers fitness in spades. You are the boss, and can tailor your pace such that you enjoy a ladylike gentle cycle or perhaps a more fierce formula one sprint! It’s a fitness cause I’m massively in favour of, so would highly recommend you sign up and unlock fitness in the city whilst you’re in London!

Happy and safe cycling! Faya x

N.B.  Santander Cycles are hosting a range of events with BOOM Cycle over the summer, like the one I showcased above. They’re very much ‘money can’t buy experiences’. At each event there will be a Boom Cycle class, all you need to do is sign up HERE !

Challenge Sophie – smashing it!

OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY !!!

It’s the big one – the greatest sporting occasion on the planet, the ultimate crucible where sport legend is made and dreams are fulfilled – and I was there in Rio De Janeiro, watching it all begin!!! I was gutted to have missed out on London 2012 (my home city, d’oh!), so this was my first in-person Olympic Opening Ceremony. Initially, after getting off the phone with my adidas family who’d asked whether I was keen to join in, I had a mini-breakdown with excitement and curled up into a little Swedish meatball! Fast-forward to the night of the ceremony and it became clear that this was to be the greatest adventure my blog had yet taken me on! This post is a unique perspective on what I saw on that opening night, and what I think it all means…

First, I must say what a dream the trip has been, and how utterly lucky I feel to have been invited to this epic event. Yes there were 79,999 others in that stadium with me, but that’s just 0.0001% of the world population! The adidas team had assembled a crack squad of 5 bloggers (including the gorgeous Caro Daur, pictured with me at the top, plus Adriene, Kefera and Rachel) to live in a super-cool minimal house in Rio’s awesome Barra district, and christened it Creator’s House. There, they scheduled an itinerary of awesomeness to help us capture some truly unique content, which I’m super excited to blog about over the coming few weeks!

Back to the matter at hand though, the Opening Ceremony; ‘immense’ is the only word I can summon to describe it – perhaps that and ‘intense’. The atmosphere inside the stadium was both of those. I was there with the London adidas crew but also their cousins here in Rio; Brazilians all around me cried with pride and happiness. It was ultra moving!

Olympic City is cavernous in proportion, and is vigilantly patrolled by the national military who remain reassuringly visible everywhere you go. Whilst it’s not where the opening ceremony took place (that was elsewhere at the eponymous Maracana stadium), the village looks as follows:

To me, the Olympic movement is an idealistic expression of where we should be; more than 200 nations casting aside their differences in the pursuit of honest genuine competition and glorious victory. Still we’re quite not there, but the aspiration is just as important as the goal! I think it keeps us on track, and it’s marvellous to watch!

The ceremony’s story line documented the entire history of Brazil in a tableau format, from the indigenous ancestors through to the European invaders, and then on to Gisele! Against all odds, Brazil has battled through a host of very public adversities, and has come together with great spirit and energy which was felt to my bones in the stadium!

As an opening ceremony, it was a visual spectacle unlike anything else I’ve seen, blessed with a special and electric atmosphere on the night. Stay tuned for what else adidas’ Creator’s House got up to during the week!

BRONZE AT COWES WEEK!

It’s almost impossible for me to believe, but last weekend myself, along with three other novice sailors (all of us bloggers) took Bronze position in the Cruiser B Class at Cowes week – the oldest and largest sailing Regatta in the world. We came in with a time of 2:53:41 which was actually second to the first placed 2:49:07 but factoring in the third-placed boat’s ‘handicap’, it meant we took home bronze. It’s a pretty mind-boggling achievement for us, following a solid year of training, study, toil and practise which went into our efforts, with our Helly Hansen family making the whole thing possible! Click more to read about and see the experience, with beautiful photography courtesy of Anthony Potts on the day!

Cowes week has been running since 1826; it’s an iconic institution in the world of sailing which sees around 100,000 spectators gather off the Isle of Wight for an 8-day schedule of racing, where around 1,000 boats and 8,000 competitors get involved. We raced on the final Friday of the week, with some of the most delicious sailing conditions I could imagine! Blue sky, beaming sunshine, and lashings of wind!

The team consisted of myself and three other bloggers (Sharon from Sportswomen.ie, Stuart from Average Joe’s Blog and Stephanie from EatSleepChic), who’ve all been learning to sail over the past year. I grew up sailing weekly in the south of Sweden but having not sailed for many years my skills were somewhat rusty, to say the least! On the morning of the race, I awoke to the most glorious day – resplendent sunshine and not a cloud in the opalescent blue sky. We headed down to the harbour to prepare our boat – an Oceanis 37 placed in the Cruiser B category…

We donned the garb, headed out to sea, stayed close to the starting line and awaited the canon-shot to kick things off. As we crawled close to the starting line, when the canon shot we were first over the line; the rolling start was a big boost to our momentum and energy! We were taking up wind with another boat close behind who eventually overtook us and placed first by 4 minutes 34 seconds. We came in second but with the third boat’s handicap, it meant that with re-calculations, we got bronze!

Over the past year, I’ve had terrible luck with the weather when sailing; it’s only ever been raining. Whilst it ‘dampens the clothes but not the spirit’, it often makes sailing a bit trickier. In contrast, however, this race was incredibly smooth. We made no major mistakes. A bit like the hare and the tortoise we took our time, slow and steady. Not taking any risks but following our mapped-out route pursuing the ‘percentage play’ strategy; this, in the end, paid off!

The Isle of Wight is an absolutely stunning island. As well as Cowes Week it also hosts Bestival (pretty soon now!) and of course Isle of Wight festival at different times during the summer. The people are incredibly friendly, and I couldn’t recommend a seasonal visit more highly! Our sailing day ended with a massive fireworks display, whilst Team Helly cheered our success on shore!

I must record a massive ‘thank you’ to my awesome teammates, and of course to Helly Hansen for making this incredible adventure a reality. What an epic experience, and one which I’ll remember forever!

Faya x

TENNIS & CHAT WITH STEFFI GRAF!

There are some sports figures who transcend the era in which they played; they’re few and far between, but they’re immortals, the ultimate hall of famers, era-defining legends, and their very names are synonymous with the sport itself. Bjorn Borg was such a character in my home country (and beyond), but on a scale almost unimaginable for two decades, it was Steffi Graf for the female game. During my Olympics trip to Brazil with adidas, I had the epic opportunity to meet, interview AND play with Steffi, who is herself a representative for the brand. It was remarkable for so many reasons! Click MORE to see and read about how we got on

Over her 17-year professional career, she was World Number 1 for 186 weeks in a row, won a dominant 22 Grand Slam titles which Serena Williams only recently equalled at Wimbledon ’16, and she remains the only player (male or female) in history to have achieved the Golden Slam (all 4 grand slams AND Olympic gold in a single year), as well as being the only player to have won every Grand Slam at least 4 times. Through the 1980s and 1990s, she was tennis, and that domination has a permanence that has rendered her ‘an immortal’! adidas even created a tribute shoe to her which you can see here and in their Herzo museum!

In person, she’s an unassuming 5’9 in stature and moves cautiously, but there’s an astoundingly imposing aura to her. In some ways, a remarkably normal mum-of-two, in many other ways, a legendary megastar, but at once relatable, gentle and quietly empathic. She came to Creator’s House in Barra, where I was staying alongside 4 other bloggers (Caro, Adriene, Kefera and Rachel), and after being joined by beautiful Lena Gercke, we headed outside to the courts for some drills!

Despite being retired and playing infrequently, what immediately strikes you is her inhuman ball-striking. You don’t get an appreciation of that on a television screen, but seeing it in person is remarkable. There’s an efficient elegance to her compact style, and a beautiful, controlled strength to her racket’s impact with, and through the ball. Further, her footwork is wonderful to behold, anticipating and repositioning with minimal fuss but maximum effectiveness. Even tricky half-volleys are struck sweetly and returned with pin-point perfect placement as if she were at one with the court itself!

Steffi was on a tight schedule as she had media interviews to conduct over at the Creator’s Base, so the rotating ‘drills’ session lasted for around 45 minutes. Then I had a 5-minute chance to hit one-to-one from the baseline with her, trading groundstrokes toe-to-toe (I once managed to pass her, and melted!). I stopped early so that I could throw out my three key questions I like to ask any serious sportsperson! Here’s what she told me:

F.O.T: Through your career, what have you found motivates you the most when you’re really struggling?

SG: Actually sports helps me through a lot of things, especially now that I’ve retired. It’s such an outlet for me! Being a Mum, and having a foundation in which I still work with partners, I’ve got so much going on that my sport is actually my release where I can gain energy and shut off from the world for 45 minutes! It’s my time, so it’s really sport that helps me more than anything!

F.O.T: Aside from being on the court, what exercise do you do, and what helps you with Tennis specifically?

SG: At this stage in my life, tennis is not really a big part anymore! I haven’t played for quite a long time, to be honest! My body doesn’t really want it too much, as it’s been through so much from a young age; I’m paying the price for it a bit now! But I do like to stretch, I walk a lot, I have 3 dogs at home, so I go on ALOT of walks, and if I get the chance, I’ll head to the gym once or twice a week too. Also, I like weight training a little bit – not too much, just enough to keep the shape up! But I’m a pretty active person, and we’re a pretty active family, so all it comes naturally to be active! We’ll go from snowboarding to a little basketball here and there, so it’s a busy life, but a lot of fun!

F.O.T: In terms of nutrition, do you follow a certain regime? What does a typical day look like for you? 

SG: I try to start my day healthy! That’s one of the things I’ve learned; give it the right start! Sometimes it’s not easy eating right in the morning, but I prefer vegetables with egg whites, which has become my routine! Sometimes I crave something sweeter or heavier, so I’ll have oatmeal. I will also make sure to get my sugar throughout the day, I need that and have always enjoyed it – I need the little pick-me-ups through the day… chocolate perhaps, but more like cookies and some sweets! But on balance, I try to find a healthy mix of vegetables, fruits and protein… and a little bit of a treat!!!

At that point, Steffi had to dash to her media obligations, but I’d heard everything I needed; if a 22x Grand Slam uber-champion can sanction cookies as part of her regular diet, then I must be sure to consider the same