Deodorant Vending Machine

Am I the most brilliant person on earth or has this already been invented somewhere? A deodorant vending machine! Every gym and confined office space needs one. Am I wrong?

Ballet Sculpt - after class stretch for the feet

Any time you take on a new exercise, your body will be under pressure to adjust. This puts it in a vulnerable position so be patient with it. It's common to get cramps if you're new to pilates or barre training where the focus is on isolated movements and isometric holds and pulses.
Balancing your entire weight with your heels raised is also a big ask of your body!

If you experience cramping through the soles of your feet regularly, it is definitely worth asking your GP about.

After Ballet Sculpt, try these moves to relax and comfort the muscles in the feet. I also find it helps with my circulation, which is naturally pretty crap. Great on these cold nights!

Funkita - Cat Goes Primal Predator

As you all know, unless it's bright and amazing, I probably don't love it. So, I discovered Funkita while reading a fitness magazine on the iPad (brilliant way to pass time on the cross trainer!) and almost fell off I was so excited. 

Injury By Fashion?

Anyway, Funkita does swimwear, t-shirts and underwear. And much respect to them for doing a range for women who aren't size 6 - 12 or who have an enviably ample chest! It's called Funkita Form. There's also a range for men & boys: Funky Trunks!

It was hard to pick just one print from the sports crop/brief range, but I couldn't resist Primal Predator. At $42.95 for chlorine-resistant, high-quality Australian made sportswear, I think we should all support the economy one stylish piece at a time!

If you're a swimmer, get yourself a Primal Predator swimming cap!

Check out Funkita on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter

SoulCycle - What is it?

SoulCycle is huge in America. Huge! There are waiting lists for months. Why? It's taken a sweat-your-heart-out spin class and injected some zen affirmations and soul-nurturing stretches and mindfulness ideas.
We all know I love Kym Perfetto from KymNonStop (working out in high heels, anyone?) and she is a kickass SoulCycle instructor. Not only are all the instructors extremely gorgeous, they are all super fit and glowing with health. See the profiles here
Karyn (left) has recently been blasting some Depeche Mode and Owl Vision (listen to Holy S**t! here)
What I love about SoulCycle is that it isn't the competitive, beat the person next to you style spin class we're all used to. This is about a group effort! I'm hoping to find out more about bringing SoulCycle to Australia. Who'd be keen?
At SoulCycle we believe that fitness can be joyful. We climb, we jog, we sprint, we dance, we set our intention, and we break through boundaries. The best part? We do it together, as a community.

Nail (Love) Trail

I think we all know my nail obsession is bordering on the maniacal. Here's my favourite ideas. Just got a new delivery of Orly lacquer, and we all know I adore OPI.
Use Orly Royal Navy and Prisma to get this look (from Globe & Nail):

I'm also having an ongoing love affair with OPI Anti Bleak.

While I definitely need some practice, I'm inspired by all the nail art on Instagram to try polka dots and stripes. This will help! BeautyPRO Nail It Long Striper Nail Art Brush 

How I treat muscle and osteoarthritis pain - NO drugs!

I am not going to pretend this will work for everyone, but it works for me and if it inspires you to try a new method that helps, I hope it works for you too.
I have osteoarthritis through my left hip, which has eroded the joint to the extent that my only real option is to have a hip replacement (September, YES!)
While I used to run endurance-style (racking up 16 - 20km daily) as a teenager, thankfully I stopped that and turned to weight-training in my early 20s. Consistently training with challenging weights, ensuring proper technique and balancing front/back, pushing and pulling, upper and lower body has resulted in NO muscle wastage. According to my surgeon, this is extremely rare in cases of osteoarthritis and he has recommended I stick with my weight-training and low-impact cardio training. My left leg and hip are particularly vulnerable to post-training tightness and soreness that can keep me up in the middle of the night sometimes, but I have an arsenal of tools for when this happens. They are also great for back and neck tension/soreness, calf and plantar fascitis pain.

• Foam Roller
• Bak Balls
• Massage Ball
• Ice Gel

I massage my upper back and neck by placing the bakball against a wall and pressing into it with my body weight. By squatting down and keeping my back close to the wall, I can manipulate the tool to run up and down my spine. I use the softer red version. If I need to target right into a sore spot, I use a knobbly massage ball. I bought mine from a trainer at the gym for $10 (thanks Aaron!) but they are available through physios and online.

Lying prone and extended on the foam roller, I use my arms to help me to roll forwards and back, pressing my quadricep (upper, front thigh) into the foam roller from the front and outer angles. I also make sure to target the iliolotal band (fibres that run from hip to knee) because it tightens and pulls on both the hip and knee, causing an achy soreness that can easily be "rolled" out!

Mentholatum Ice Gel is available in supermarkets for under $5. It is insanely good. I apply it to the back of my neck and shoulders as well as to my hip and just above my knee. I also just had a nasty 48-hour killer sore throat and swollen glands. Ice gel applied around the glands in my neck gave me major relief! Considering cost per use, this is a MUST HAVE.

7 Day Challenge

I've had some Ballet Sculpt class participants raving about 30-day challenges. The 30-day squat challenge got the best review for being motivation to explore different squat options, increasing endurance and literally, dropping an inch around the posterior. Now, that is not a focus for all of us and be warned, if you're new to squats, there's every chance you'll ADD an inch when you build muscle. Fortunately, it looks fantastic, gives you great posture and definition, and allows you to keep squatting like a professional.
I know signing up for 30 days is like a lifetime for most of us, so I'm giving you a challenge that's a bit more intense, but requires less commitment (can't wait for a psychologist to analyse this...)
Every day you will do this for 6 minutes. That is ALL.

2a is a modification - any one-leg balance is a great option