All posts tagged: Fitness

Athleisure is The Trend That Won’t Go Away

Athleisure took hold of our collective consciousness a couple of years back when suddenly everyone was working out, into hashtag #fitness and the training gear that celebs wore to spin their butts off (literally) at SoulCycle started spilling onto the streets. It was soon picked up on the catwalks, Alexander Wang being the poster boy for this new trend, and then high streets the world over. Like most fashion trends many people thought this would be a flash in the pan, but we were all proven wrong. It’s still here. So why this trend? Why is athleisure going from strength to strength? For me, I like to wear sports gear because it’s comfortable. When you lead a busy lifestyle comfort is key. It’s nice to be able to do a BOOM Cycle on a Sunday and then throw on a swear with my workout leggings and still look passable. Plus, sportswear fabrication are often pretty technical and offer support and dry technology so that you actually look better in your gym gear than your mufti. A …

12 Amazing Gym Classes to Try in London

I have a love/hate relationship with fitness… I basically hate working out, but I love the afterglow when all the endorphins are rushing around your body and you feel invincible. However, it is a struggle for me to get to a class, I fight against it all the time. So knowing that a class is going to be fun and the showers are better than my own at home helps motivate me. Here are 12 of the best in London.   Rumble, 1Rebel 45 minutes of punching the crap out of a punch bag, in the dark to a soundtrack of grime and hip hop. Lots of horrible burpees but very luxurious showers and changing rooms. 1 Rebel, Broadgate London EMS, Excerceo training The class where you get electrocuted while you work out. It doesn’t actually feel that bad, plus, you only have to work out for 25 minutes. Bonus. Exerceo Training TRX Yoga, Ethos A mix of yoga and TRX that really works on strengthening your core, it’s pretty hard but yields great results. …

pure ride spin class moorgate

Workout of The Month: Tribe Ride at Pure Ride

Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. This month it’s Tribe Ride at Pure Ride, a spin class with a difference…   Overview I think Pure Ride is owned by the cheapo gym chain Pure Gym, not this is something that I could google but I don’t want to. The reason I think this is the name and that Sir Chris Hoy, the cyclist, is spokesman for both gyms. Anyway, there is no similarity between the gyms, Pure Ride (which is located in Moorgate, heart of The Square Mile, and yuppie central) is state of the art, gorgeous and new. They just do spin classes, hence the name. The workout …

classpass london review

Workout of The Month: Box & Bell at BLOK London

Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. This month it’s Box & Bell at BLOK London, where you can perfect your left hook… Overview BLOK is based in Clapton, so it’s pretty out of the way unless you live in Clapton, but don’t let that put you off it’s a great little gym with a community feel. The Box & Bell class does what it says on the tin, it’s a mix of boxing and kettlebell work. The workout The classes are kept small, around eight people, which means there’s a chilled atmosphere – I felt like I was doing a class in a village hall – which I mean …

the refinery e9 gym

Workout of The Month: AAA at The Refinery

Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. (Pssst! get £30 off a ClassPass with by clicking HERE) This month it’s AAA (Arms, Abs and Ass) at The Refinery… Overview The Refinery is a fairly new gym in East London and it’s definitely a boutique, hip workout space. They offer many classes including yoga and even meditation workshops. I wanted to target my problem areas, also known as my entire body, and AAA seemed to cover most of that. You can try your first class for £5 or do three using Classpass. The workout AAA is a hard as balls workout that uses cardio, HIIT, kettlebells, weights and mats. The warmup …

1rebel 1 rebel gym

Workout of The Month: 1Rebel Upper Body Reshape

Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. First up is one of my absolute favourites, 1Rebel’s Upper Body Reshape class… Overview 1Rebel is a boutique chain of gyms, well there are two – both in the city – owned by the son of the founder of Fitness First. The first gym dynasty? It doesn’t have memberships; you simply pay by session or you can buy a block. Or you can get three sessions per month on Classpass like me. Upper body Reshape is a HIIT-type class which mixes treadmill work and weights, all to a pumping soundtrack and low, moody lighting. The workout You’re given a number when you check …

classpass london blog review

ClassPass London Review

In case you don’t already know, ClassPlass is a subscription fitness service – you pay one monthly fee and get to go to classes at hundreds of gyms and studios in London. It’s like Netflix for your health. I was interested as I often book a hot yoga class or Frame class which can cost £15-£20 per class, so it adds up quickly. There are two plans with ClassPass: £55 Where you can visit 5 classes in a month £110 Where you can visit unlimited classes in a month WHAT ARE THE PROS? You can save a lot of money as the gyms you can use are super luxe and include Boomcycle, Triyoga, Frame and 1 Rebel amongst others – these classes are without a doubt much better than the ones included in your gym. I personally love 1 Rebel, it’s the most beautiful gym and a killer workout, but their classes usually cost £20! It’s nice to change up your routine, and you can use gyms at multiple locations. The booking system is super …

How to Make Your Own Raw Superfood Energy Balls

I love energy balls or raw food balls, whatever you wanna call them – they’re a tasty and healthy snack when you need a lil’ something. And they are far better for you than a Wispa (my usual go-to). The only drawback is that they’re incredibly expensive, so I thought I’d make my own! Here’s the recipe, it’s crazy simple and they’ll last about a week in the fridge.  INGREDIENTS  100g Frozen berries 50g Oats 100g Mix of Chia, raisins, any seeds, goji berries (use whatever you have in the cupboards) 1 tbsp Coconut oil 3 tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup 1 tbsp Protein powder METHOD  I use frozen berries in smoothies all the time because they’re so much cheaper and last longer. Melt these down in a pan until coulis-like in texture. Add the oil and honey.  Mix all your dry ingredients well in a bowl. Then add to the wet mixture.  Mound into small balls, the texture should be sticky.  Leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours and enjoy …

Sheree’s Super Smoothie Bowl Recipe

Since my trip to Bali where I tried my first smoothie bowl at this awesome cafe (Alchemy, check out the review here) I have been craving smoothie bowls like there’s no tomorrow. Which makes a change from craving Toffee Crisps, and is much, much healthier. So I thought I’d have a crack at making my own since they are incredibly expensive to buy here in the UK. So here is my recipe, oh and it was DELICIOUS!!!! 3 Steps To Breakfast Heaven STEP ONE: The Smoothie Base This is important because it’s the main component of your bowl, your smoothie needs to be thick, a lot thicker than a usual smoothie. So I use bananas because they thicken anything up and they’re cheap, but you can also try avocados, yoghurt (or a dairy free alternative if you’re lactose intolerant like me. Blend everything together in a Nutribullet or blender. 1 Banana Handful Frozen summer fruits Almond milk Manuka Honey STEP 2: The Fruit You can use anything here to be honest, just chop up some …

Living in a Bikini When You Don’t Have a ‘Bikini Body’

One of my biggest trepidations about going travelling, especially to Thailand where I am now, was my body. I’ve spoken previously on the blog about rejecting the media’s portrayal of the perfect female form, and I do stand by that. It’s just hard to wash away 20 years of body neuroses in an instant. I went travelling right after Xmas. With the Christmas weight of a girl who knew she wouldn’t be home for a long time. I honestly thought I’d lose weight in India due to Delhi belly but sadly/gladly the food was so tremendous I gained weight! Even a bad case of food poisoning didn’t make a dent in my behind. And so the time came to shed the layers and get into beach life in Thailand. Honestly the first time I put in a bikini I had a nervy spasm. You know when you look at your body and think ‘who even is that?’. Inevitably when you’re in a tropical paradise there will be beautiful lithe women who make you feel inferior, …