31st August 2021 – FIIT’s September Challenges

I joined FIIT back in May, and I have been absolutely loving it in lieu of getting back to my gym (I’m not quite ready for that yet). Although I’ll be doing a full post about the app soon, I thought I’d share the challenges they’re setting for September. You’ve got the 600 challenge, which is to rack up 600 minutes of classes in September, and you’ve got Blitz 30, which is 30 classes in 30 days (but they stress – this is not a class streak. You could do a 25 minute cardio session and follow this up with a 10 minute stretch, and that would be 2 classes ticked off). 

Are you part of the FIIT Crew?

I

7th January 2019 – Adriene’s January Series is back!

I make no secret of how much I adore Adriene Mishler and her totally accessible yoga, and now she’s back with one of her brilliant 30 day yoga series for January. This year the theme is “Dedicate”, where Adriene invites you to play an active role in your personal wellbeing and hopefully provide you with the tools you need to expand awareness and “guide your energy towards actions, people, and conversations that serve”.

You can join Adriene (and me!) on the mat here. Plus Benji is always there!

18th January 2018 – GCAN (Greater Cambridge Athletics Network)

If you’re a member of a running group in the Cambridge region, you may not realise it but there’s a good chance that you’re part of GCAN, the Greater Cambridge Athletics Network. Not only does this allow you to get a discount with certain awesome physio companies, but it also allows you to access some amazing free talks at Anglia Ruskin. I’ve been to talks given by Mara Yamauchi and Goldie Sayers, and they’ve got some great ones coming up including a talk on nutrition for endurance. Check out their Facebook page here.

13th September 2017 – Sweaty Betty No.1 Carnaby

I think it’s fair to say that I am a humungous Sweaty Betty fan. Around 80% of my workout wardrobe is made up of their collections, and I’m Facebook friends with the last two managers of the Cambridge store (not just because of the connections you understand – they are also awesome types with crazy gorgeous Instagram feeds). I would move in to the shop if I could. So when I heard about No. 1 Carnaby opening I was GIDDY.

No.1 Carnaby is SB’s new flagship store in London (where else?) and is 3 glorious floors of fashion, food, fitness and beauty. They’ve got different studios coming in to do classes, a blow dry and braid bar from Duck and Dry, food from Farm Girl and of course racks and racks of their incredible clothing.

I cannot wait to take a pilgrimage there, and I reckon I can rope @theemiddlesis in…

21st February 2017 – Hydrotherm Massage at SK Clinic + Spa

I’ve been a customer of SK Clinic + Spa for a pretty long time now. Even though they’re in Bury St Edmunds which means I have to time my train journey perfectly (there’s one direct train every 2 hours from Ely), they are totally worth the trip. My friend Jana and I always go there when she’s visiting from Germany, enjoying Plantomer Facials in the dual room so that we can chat (before we relax into a state of semi-consciousness that is). They’ve got a great points scheme, and always send you a £5 voucher on your birthday.

But at this time of year, I’m always looking for a really nice massage to treat my legs after a half marathon, and I cannot recommend their Hydrotherm Massage enough. You lie on cushions of warm water so there’s no pressure on your sore limbs. It’s just so, SO good. I’m planning to book myself one for after the Cambridge Half. Maybe I’ll see you there?

Oh, and they didn’t ask me to write this recommendation! I just love, love, LOVE this spa and asked them if they’d be happy for me to feature them on here. They did supply the lovely photo though. I also recommend you follow them on Twitter, as they’re not averse to a giveaway!

4th October 2016 – Yoga with Adriene

I’ve been a long time fan of doing online yoga workouts. There’s some major talent out there and they’re all sharing their expertise for free with a global audience. But I have tended to flit from person to person, not quite finding the instructor that I really gelled with.

But then I stumbled across Adriene Mishler. She’s hardly some yogi newbie – she has nearly 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube, but she came up when I did a search for “Yoga for Runners” (naturally) and I’ve been hooked ever since.

The thing I love about Adriene is her utterly laid back technique. She constantly reminds you to do whatever feels good – it’s not about doing some epic stretch and twisting your body so that it hurts. It’s about giving yourself time to unwind and treating your body with love and respect. She has workouts with purposeful themes such as yoga for anxiety, sciatica, good sleep and more. And her videos on breathing in particular have been a huge help to me, and I now regularly turn to her alternate nostril breathing when I’m struggling to sleep. Go check her out.

30th August 2016 – Some Fast Fitness Bargains

Just a quick little note of some fitness bargains I’ve stumbled across recently! My OH bought me this awesome Anker running belt which is SUPER lightweight and just perfect if you want a bit of music on your long run (and the ability to take a selfie with the sun setting behind you perhaps?). It comfortably fits my Samsung S7 in its case, and it’s a real steal on Amazon right now (£7.64 instead of £25.99). Also on Amazon is this New Look Sports Bra with the price starting from £3.90.  There are only a handful of sizes left but if you’re lucky and they have your size in stock I can recommend it for Zumba or any other low or medium impact classes. The pink is super bright and it’s very similar in style to another well known (and far more expensive) “pink” brand! Lastly I’ve spotted this black Noisy May top over on ASOS which has been reduced from £20 down to £8 with all sizes still in stock. Go forth and enjoy! Let me know if you pick any of these up!

• 

• 

•