50 shades of Pilates!

Tonight I attended my third session of my latest hobby at the new Pilates Studio that has opened in Richmond.  I am already a member of Your Gym, which is behind the new centre, and I am a massive fan of their set up.  I had started to research which gym to join when I moved to Richmond in the months before I arrived but was getting slightly concerned about the massive monthly fees some of them seemed to be charging.  Fortunately on our first day in Richmond we stumbled across Your Gym by accident as we were trying to find our way from the riverside to the town centre and as soon as I entered the place I knew I had to join.  Sometimes I really do believe in fate and I honestly think that I was guided down that side street by a greater force in order that I would find Your Gym.

Your Gym has a great selection of training equipment from the more traditional machines you would expect to find in any gym to power plates, ViPR equipment, TRX bands and Kettlebells.  The best thing about Your Gym is that there are always people on hand who are willing to set you a programme or guide you through your workout.  It also follows my preferred style of training, similar to tabata training, where it's all about working out smart not long.  Interval training is key and my fitness levels, stamina and strength have gone through the roof!

The Pilates Studio has only been open a few weeks but has already started to attract some major A List celebrities (I won't be indiscreet and say who but I will say it's my favourite celebrity in the whole wide world).  However, tonight it was my turn to put all of the equipment to the test.  I will warn you that I am one of the least flexible people ever so you are not going to see the best posture and positioning in the world from me but I do like to remind myself that I have only been seriously into exercise for the last 2.5 years and so I have 24 years of laziness to undo.  When I first started with my personal trainer and doing bootcamps I couldn't even do a sit up but I am progressing steadily and I am determined to continue to develop my core strength and fitness.

The studio is small offering intimate and personal class sizes.

To warm up I started with some stretching exercises on what is known as The Barrel.  First off I did a quad stretch followed by a stretch of the glutes below.  Having the equipment to aid your technique really helps you to push into the stretch and feel it deeply.

Trying that little bit harder to sit back into the stretch.

I then used the barrel to get in a hamstring stretch, I suffer from really tight hamstrings and this is the best equipment I've used so far to get a deep hamstring stretch where I can touch my toes.

Finally we did some back bends which, as you can probably see from my facial expression, are a lot harder than they appear to be!

We then moved on to the back of the reformer machine and did some squats.  The instructor was getting a little bit frustrated at our technique but I finally got it as seen here, using very little arm and focusing all the attention into the legs to squat down in a controlled manner keeping the back straight.

Next was on to some core exercises.  This is the area of the body I most need to strengthen up and it is only when you are shown how to do some of these abdominal exercises properly that you realise how weak your core strength is.  The machine below is The Cadillac and I was using the springs to pull out to the chest and then lower myself down before peeling myself back up using only my stomach muscles to do so.  A few of these and you really start to feel an ache in your muscles!

Next was lifting the hips up into a bridge with a leg extension.  This was actually a lot harder than it appears as you have to keep the bar still whilst maintaining straight legs and back.  The raised leg is supposed to be perfectly straight as well but I am not quite at that stage yet!

Finally, I finished off with The Reformer, this move below really stretched out the inner thighs, once I had overcome the fear that I would lose control and inadvertently do the splits (which would result in a lot of pain for someone as stiff as me)!

Here is a final bridge on the reformer, this really gets your muscles trembling after a while.

Pilates is the best toning tool in my opinion and I am hoping to see some massive differences over the coming months if I keep up a couple of sessions a week.  I still look back fondly to when I lived in Spain and was at my thinnest and Pilates was the only exercise I did.  I'm sure tomorrow I'll wake up a bit achy but that's always a sign of a good workout!

Wintry Richmond and Alexander McQueen

Today was a wondrous winter's day in Richmond and another occasion where I felt like I had walked into a Dickension novel.  We were up and out early for a walk around Richmond Park after I completed my morning workout tabata training (11 minutes of mountain climbers, 20 seconds on 40 seconds off).  Below is the view of Richmond Gardens opposite my flat. It looked beautiful and was so nice to see families sledging down the hill, it always makes me feel so lucky that I live here.

After the walk, I was starving but it was only 10.00 am and I had to wait until half 11 for my first feed so I threw on a Pashmina and headed down the hill to see if I could try on the Alexander McQueen coat that I had been eyeing up in the window of Vintage Rose for the past two weeks...

I am wearing: Tesco headband / HnM Snood / Pasmina from John Lewis / Lusso London Cashmere gloves / Armani exchange leather and cotton trousers / Ash biker boots / Topshop jumper and Longchamp handbag.

       

Alas it fitted and what's more they knocked a further £25 off for me, making it a steal compared to what it should have been full price! The pictures of it are above, I cannot wait to wear it out!!

I then headed over to Hampton Wick near Kingston to get my nails done and immediately felt a lot better for it.  There is nothing worse than having chipped nail varnish, especially when it's gel and you just want to peel it off (something my manicurist told me off for, oops!)

OPI GEL, You don't know Jacques

I have really struggled to avoid caffeine today.  It's so cold, exactly the sort of afternoon for coffee and a cake! I've had to really push through and stick with the peppermint tea when all I really want to do is head to a coffee shop and have a big mug of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake!!  I did weigh myself this morning though (which is apparently not allowed, so my scales have now had the battery taken out of them by my husband) and I am 3lbs down in 5 days which is a great incentive to push through! Just another half a stone to go until I'm back at my wedding weight!!

I am going to have a power nap now to stave off the hunger pains before doing the second workout and having dinner followed by a movie off sky box office...detoxing is so not rock 'n' roll!

My favourite shops of 2012

As 2012 draws to an end I thought I would share with you some of my favourite fashion finds of the year...

Independent Boutiques:

Despite now living in London and being able to find a large amount of the brands sold in these independent outlets, I would still rather travel and visit these shops than head to Harrods, it's much more personal and I love a good natter with the people that work there.  I am looking forward to searching all the nooks and crannies of London to discover some more hidden gems I can fall in love with. I think it is important to support independent traders so if you can check out these places below:

Rumpus Resort Beachwear, Wilmslow, Cheshire. http://www.rumpusresort.com/
Even if I am unable to make it back up to the North West before I go to Barcelona in June, I will be ordering all of my swimwear online from this fantastic beachwear shop on the outskirts of Manchester.  Stocking a range of well known swimwear from Vix and Missoni to Melissa Odabash, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable and if you are lucky you may even be treated to a glass of champagne whilst you are trying on their fabulous spoils.

Vix Bikini and Kaftan and Melissa Odabash Hat from Rumpus Resort

The Style Clinic, Allerton Road, Liverpool. http://www.styleclinic.co.uk/
This friendly and on trend boutique in the heart of Liverpool's Mossley Hill is great for unusual and edgy wear.  It stocks a range of smaller brands such as 18 and East and Ella Luna (my two favourites) as well as being a big stockist of Ash footwear (I have some of their wedged trainers and am hoping Santa will deliver some of their studded biker boots - well one can dream).  Follow them on Twitter @style_clinic and you may get some good offers on their stock.

Ash Studded Biker Boots available at both Style Clinic and Think Bubbles

Think Bubbles, Cleethorpes (no website but they are on Facebook).
Situated on Cleethorpes seafront this designer boutique is now stocking a range of labels that all the trendsetters in East London are going mad for due to their buyer being based in Shoreditch.  Marc Cain is still their biggest seller but if you are looking for a younger, more affordable look check out their stock of Wildfox, The Pretty Dress Company and MinkPink.  You can also find a range of this season's favourite platform boots by Jeffrey Campbell as well as Ash Footwear, previously mentioned above. They also stock a range of designer childrenswear (my favourite being their Baby Dior collection which is to die for)!


Sonia Rykiel Trench from Vintage Rose in Richmond and Jeffrey Campbell boots from Think Bubbles, Cleethorpes

Vintage Rose, Richmond Hill, Richmond (no website).
This fabulous designer vintage shop has given me some fantastic bargains from a Sonia Rykiel trench for a mere £65 and an amazing pair of Alexander McQueen heels at a fifth of the cost of their original £600 price tag.  You have to search regularly to grab a bargain and when you see something you like in your size consider it fate and snap it up immediately.  Currently in their window at the moment are a stunning pair of John Galliano heels, Louboutins and a tweed Chanel jacket for just £450.  It really is a label whore on a budget's treasure chest.

International Labels:

Cop Copine. http://www.cop-copine.com/
Chic, timeless, structured, classic, quality cuts are what spring to mind when thinking about this label.  Their clothes are all monochrome and are guaranteed to make you look and feel fabulous.  Their designers are Japanese but the brand is French and the fusion of these influences create a fabulous look.

Maje.
Keeping with my love for all things French, Maje is the home to my favourite purchases of 2012 in the yellow cape dress and jewellery I purchased for a wedding earlier in the year.  Although I stocked up in Lille and Paris there are plenty of stores splattered around London as well as being stocked on www.net-a-porter.com.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed with their collections.

High Street:

Zara and River Island remained my favourite High Street go to places this year.  Zara has a range of high end looks at affordable prices and River Island is the best for summer dresses at ridiculously cheap prices.  Of course when times are really hard and you still need a fashion fix Primark and H&M never disappoint.

A selection of dresses from Zara and River Island with my Maje cape dress at the top