Feelin good...

Xtend Barre

As we all know summer is here and as usual we are not quiet where we thought we would be in the quest for our perfect bikini body (read: we decided to have a meaningful winter relationship with food and again don't have the Gisele Bündchen body). So instead of accepting our failure we have rallied. Last night we headed down to Xtend Barre Melbourne and got the workout of our lives.

Xtend barre you ask...? Basically it is a system that sculpts the body proportionally so that all body parts are equally challenged. This total body workout serves to strengthen, lengthen, and stretch the body from top to bottom, from inside out. Think a hybrid of ballet, pilates, yoga and a core workout (my abs are still burning) plus we did it to Madonna songs, whats not to LOVE.

It's only the day after but my core already feels so much more activated which is always a sign of a good workout. We did a combination of plies in the centre with arm weights, abs and triceps on the floor, then we moved to the barre and did glutes, calves and quads which involved alot of plies and leg raises and finished with another round of abs and plank... phew! (See below for glutes and triceps workout pics)

Now as I've said this class is amazing and will give you a new idea of pain so if you are planning on heading down I suggest you don't do what I did and do a full gym workout before hand. Also don't forget to take a pair of method socks, we wore our NICE SHAKING socks by Lululemon but xtend bar also sell socks too.

So if you are looking for a new workout for toning (read: chiseled abs, arms and buns) with the friendlest teachers going around we suggest an Xtend session. They also do classes for yummy mummies and yummy mummies to be!

- NF x

For more details checkout their website: http://www.xtendbarremelbourne.com.au/ or twitter https://twitter.com/XtendBarreMelbo or facebook https://www.facebook.com/XtendBarreMelbourne

Summer...

At last summer is finally here (!!)  and there is some good news... this season is actually good for us!!

1. Reduces chance of heart attacks
Research indicates that you are less likely to die of a heart attack in the summer than in the winter.
2. People eat more fruit
Rising temperatures and increased availability of summer fruits make it easier to fulfill the recommended quota of eating five portions of vegetables & two of fruit a day.
They also boost the immune system and, because of their low calorie content, help with weight loss.
Calorie intake in general is lower in the summer because increased body temperature makes us less likely to reach for the sugary and fatty comfort food we use in the winter to stave off the cold.
3. Relieves skin complaints
Controlled exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can have a therapeutic effect on skin complaints such as acne, psoriasis and dermatitis.
4. Increases agility
The summer is an excellent time to begin an exercise programme. Not only do summer clothes provide an incentive to get the body in shape, but the feel-good factor created by sunlight boosts our enthusiasm to begin a fitness regime. Warmer weather also means our body ease into exercise quicker with less risk of a soft tissue injury.
5. Increases our water consumption
Water is vital to thousands of chemical processes that take place in the body's cells to enable it to function. These include promoting digestion, regulating body temperature, improving the health and vitality of our skin and flushing toxins from the body.
In the summer months we are more inclined to drink the recommended two litres of water a day needed for optimum health.
6. Helps migraine sufferers
Canadian doctors running trials testing the link between weather and migraines have concluded that clear, sunny and dry weather reduces attacks of migraine. However, if the weather turns muggy, watch out because the symptoms may return.
7. Helps to regulate sleep disorders
Waking up to the sun and getting early-morning exposure to its light can help those suffering from sleep disorders such as insomnia.
This is because sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock reset itself. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of sunlight between 7am and 9am each morning to help those who have problems getting to sleep at night.
Make sure you also go to sleep in a room without light because darkness increases the production of the sleepinducing chemical melatonin.

And thats just a few things great about summer. Don't forget the beach, icecream, christmas, new years, polo, triathlons & festival season just to mention a few.

- NF x