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About those oils...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:30:07 -0400

Have you ever stood in front of the shelf in your local supermarket and wondered what to use all those oils for? I have. Often. So I’ve dug out an old issue of Women’s Health, and made a copy of the page below, which explains what you should use each one for, and what its health benefits are. Handy…

Posted by Narina Exelby, senior features editor. Follow her on Twitter @NarinaExelby

What's in the box?

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:17:00 -0400

Ever been so harassed by an overly-efficient (or barely civil) beauty assistant you impulse buy? In the overly-lit store, the foundation seems to match… And if you buy an extra concealer, you get a free eyeshadow. You don’t really need either, but the little bag it comes in might be useful for gym. Besides, your lunch’s almost up and you have to get back to work. Hurriedly, you go for the first perfume you tried. You can’t smell anything after the second one anyway.

End the make-up dilemma and test products at your leisure. It’s all about the box! Don’t love the colour or scent? No problem – with the cute, trial size selection, monthly subscriptions delivered to you, and encouraged feedback – you’ll find something you love in no time.

Intrigued? In our January 2012 issue (page 30), we told you about Rubybox.co.za, offering a subscription to a range of trial-sized beauty products. And we were so excited to open this pretty new box from another brand, GlossyBox.

The principal is very similar: subscribe to GlossyBox.co.za for R130 per month (including delivery to your home/office & VAT), and receive 4-5 luxury trial size products from exclusive high-end and niche brands. Plus, by completing your BeautyProfile, you enable GlossyBox to match their products to your personal beauty requirements as much as possible.

Can you imagine the joy of receiving one of these pretty boxes within the first week of every month?! In addition to luxury trial products, the box contains product information* and application notes. And, they’ve created an incentive programme: for every completed individual product survey, you will receive 20 GlossyDots, and 100 GlossyDots if a friend you recommended subscribes. After 1 000 GlossyDots your next box is free!

* Our box contained: Burberry Body Eau de Parfuum; Creative Nail Design Scentations Hand & Body Lotion; Spapedicure Cucumber Heel Therapy; So Pure Hand Sanitizer; Piz Buin Tan Intensifier; Dr Hauschka Firming Mask; Urban Chic Eye Addict Cat Fight Eyeshadow; Beauté Chocolate Eyeliner Pencil; Anesi Beauté Stem C3 Emulsion.

When did you last go for a run? I’ve not laced up my shoes...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:43:17 -0400

When did you last go for a run? I’ve not laced up my shoes in about, oh, six years. But after watching “My 120 Pound Journey”, I think I might just dust them off this weekend. Because sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration.

PS Prepare for goosebumps. And possibly a tear.

Posted by Narina Exelby, senior features editor. Follow her on Twitter @NarinaExelby

Four moves for gorgeous legs

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:23:00 -0500

I know you don’t want to think about winter just yet but, when that first cold snap hits, you’ll be glad you did. Here’s a simple workout that’ll get your legs into gorgeous shape – and looking incredible when you wear wooly stockings and a teensy mini.

Posted by Narina Exelby, senior features editor. Follow her on Twitter @NarinaExelby

My Ballet Body

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 06:32:00 -0500

At the ripe age of 26, I am pursuing an unrequited childhood dream and have taken up ballet classes. To put it in perspective, the class I have found in Cape Town has a beginner’s class for adults… And then they have an “absolute beginners class” for special cases like me.

In gym clothes and socks, I first-positioned, plied and demi-plied for the first time – ever! While I’m convinced the unflattering ankle socks are mainly to blame for my lack of grace (and that as soon as I get real ballet shoes my technique will be transformed) all is not Swan Lake just yet. I feel like I have elephantitis when I do simple movements like skipping (essentially walking with a little spring) and galloping (leaping sideways while swinging my arms). Suddenly my hips are welded in place; my fingers are twigs that don’t belong to me; my knee clicks every time I bend; my mouth forms the shapes my feet won’t; and when the teacher tries to manipulate my spine or protruding ass, I am a solid block of unyielding concrete. To be fair, it is only my fourth lesson – ever.

Nevertheless all the while, no matter how ridiculous I may look, I am grinning moronically at my patient, saint-like ballet teacher. And afterwards, my legs are shaky and feel like they’ve been worked; I have a feminine glow on my skin; and my comfort zone has been challenged. Not only am I getting a workout, but I’ve taken a risk and now I am also standing a little taller… and sucking in my stomach.

Check out the Cape Ballet Centre here. Amelia Frenkel is a freelance writer and sub editor currently working on Women’s Health magazine. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Baby_Birdie

At Adventure Bootcamp...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:10:00 -0500

Do this to boost fat burning during exercise…

If you want to achieve maximum fat burning results push your heart rate up to maximum capacity at the end of a workout.

Our trainer Lea at Adventure Bootcamp said new studies show that it is better to push yourself to your limit at the end of a training session instead of doing it at intervals throughout.

In the past people believed that interval training achieved better weight-loss results (just think of cycling programmes at the gym). Now they say it is better to push yourself to 70%-80% of your capacity for the last 15 minutes of training.

Try it and let us know if you see results.

Here's to new beginnings!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:23:00 -0500

Did you start something new this year? A new job? A new diet or a new workout programme? Maybe you have a new baby or puppy at home? I started something new: this job. I’m the new Digital Editor for Women’s Health.

This is my first job in magazines. I used to be the editor for Channel24.co.za, SA’s biggest entertainment website.

While I studied journalism, it was always my dream to one day work in magazines, and here I am…

It’s funny how life can take off on a course of its own. A work opportunity opens up and before you realise, it ends up being what you do for a living and what you excel in.

At the moment, I’m really good at this – managing websites and dabbling in all things digital. And it is what I will be doing at Women’s Health.

Even though I’ve only been here a few weeks, we’re already in the process of rolling out a new mobile site. We’re also planning a massive facelift for the website and will hopefully surprise you with a few awesome apps later in the year.

Yes, a whole bunch of exciting new digital projects coming your way, so watch this space!

A clever guy, David Weinbaum, once said, “The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings”.

So, here’s to new beginnings!

Annel Malan

Digital Editor: Women’s Health

Boot Camp: the conclusion

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:42:00 -0500

It is with great sadness that I close the 8-week Boot Camp chapter, and say goodbye to Sergeant Shredder (“Nice and hard work!”) and Deputy (“Just 5 more seconds!”), Sita. As if in solidarity, the heavens unceremoniously opened and wept on Wednesday, the penultimate morning class and the final one outdoors on the school fields. Let me tell you, I was not a happy (boot) camper with the rain was blowing on us in different directions as we completed circuits of interval sprints, stair climb, side shuffles, step-ups and tricep dips. But, unsurprisingly, I left soggy… and elated: if there was one thing I could take away from the week is that there’s nothing – no sleep deprivation or weather conditions – that should stop me from getting, and keeping, moving.

The final Monday was the fitness reassessment. I was determined (and nervous) to see improvements, which is why I blasted off the 12-minute sprint circuit around the track. During my first assessment, I notched 15.5 laps and managed, with burning lungs, to make that 18.5, which is about 39 seconds a lap on average. I saw a decline in my waist and hip measurements and a drop in resting heart rate. My weight stubbornly plateaued, even to the .55, but I’m actually glad – there’s the likelihood (by my reckoning anyway), that what I lost was replaced by rock-hard muscle. Importantly I feel fit and ready to tackle a new challenge. I have also learnt to “rest” in the plank position!

Ready to join me? Sports Science is offering another 8-week programme only for women: the Tri-Fit is aimed at women who would like to complete their first triathlon or duathlon, with the target event being the Ladies Wellness Triathlon and Duathlon (1 April 2012 at the Sante Hotel, Resort and Spa in Paarl). Book now by e-mailing fit@ssisa.com or phoning 021 659 5600. You can also visit the website for more on all their fitness programmes www.ssisa.com. Happy, healthy holidays!

Amelia Frenkel is sub editor on Men’s Health magazine.
Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Baby_Birdie or as the MH Girl Next Door at http://twitter.com/#!/MH_girlnextdoor

It’s Not Over Yet…

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:01:00 -0500

Last week marked the final days of the Sports Science Healthy Weight Programme. And although I’m sad that it’s over, I’m excited about my future training.

I’m still enjoying the short runs I’ve been doing, and am planning on doing Cape Town’s Sundowner 10km run towards the end of December. It definitely helps when you have a beautiful city to run in!

Although my results for the last eight weeks weren’t as brilliant as the beginner programme, I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved. I lost more kilos but fewer centimetres, which works for me! I’m just over three kilos shy of my goal, and am aiming on getting there by mid-January. Besides being happy about my results, the programme has introduced me to some amazing, intelligent people, and I’ve made some great friends.

My results are as follows:

Weight: 4.9kg (5.7kg total)

Chest: 3cm (6.5cm total)

Waist: 2.9cm (14.6cm total)

Hip: 0.5cm (6.5cm total)

Thigh: +1cm (2cm total)

Bicep: +0.5cm (1.3cm total)

Crunches: 57 in 30 seconds (26 extra)

My BMI has come down from 28.1 to 26.1 and my dress size is now 35 to 36!

Interested in joining Sports Science’s healthy weight programme? Contact Cindy Wilschutt on 021 659 5733 or email cwilschutt@ssisa.com

Kirsty Carpenter is Women’s Health’s copy editor and features writer. Follow her on Twitter @KirstyCarp

We need a medic!

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:45:00 -0500

The last three weeks have passed in a blur. As the year speeds to a close, and my life is consumed by deadlines and year-end functions and planning meetings and the pressure of “wrapping things up” before 2012 arrives and general festive mayhem, I did something extraordinary. That’s right! Instead of sacrificing my exercise regime – which is normally the first thing to go when I’m busy – I went to Boot Camp. Sometimes, at 5.30 when my alarm went off, it wasn’t always willingly, but I did it. And we’ve just completed week 6! Just two weeks to go!

I thought I’d present a highlights package of the good, the bad and the ugly of last three weeks:

THE GOOD: During week 4, we headed to the Sea Point promenade for a seaside variation. Despite the looming grey clouds, the southern suburbers made it through passport control, and we had a full patrol. So impressive was the sight of us skipping and sprinting, jumping over cones and side shuffling, that the morning joggers were tripping over each other to get a look at the elite group of athletes. During a lunge, boot camper Lynne was heard to say, “Look how much further I can go. It’s actually embarrassing how fit you can get in four weeks!”
THE BAD: Slowly but surely, the soldiers have been falling with a calf tweak here and a cramp there. The biggest blow has been Sergeant Shredder’s car accident straight after boot camp. Neck brace and all, she was there to support (and supervise) her recruits today, while her deputy: the sweet, gentle-seeming Sita (who I now call “Deputy Dread”) took the reigns with both hands. Week 5 was proprioception week (a sense of joint position where one’s neuromuscular system is trained to make slight adjustments of balance to avoid injury) and week 6 has been strength and speed: squats and weight work is interspersed with endless sprints, skipping and shuffles. During one such zig-zag side shuffle, which looks a lot like a Scottish jig, I got a sharp pain in my toe. I tried to step on it again, only to get another shooting pain. I took my shoe off to inspect the toe, and found a tiny shard of glass, that must have mysteriously landed in my trainer. That’s pretty unlucky, right?
THE UGLY: On week 4 – halfway – Serg introduced us to the snake push-up: a “this makes sense in theory” (if you’re in the circus)-type of move that involves getting into a push-up position with your feet on the shoulders of the poor sod behind. When Serg called on two boot campers to demonstrate, the “sod” in this case was Dave who asked Lezandre whether she got inspiration for this exercise from the Kama Sutra! The idea is that once you’ve created a snake of precariously balanced fitness guinea pigs, everyone does a push-up. In reality, there is much groaning, wobbly arms, and one fractional elbow dip until everyones arms buckle. But, as serg says, “Pain is weakness leaving your body”. Okay, then.

Amelia Frenkel is sub editor on Men’s Health magazine.
Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Baby_Birdie or as the MH Girl Next Door at http://twitter.com/#!/MH_girlnextdoor

Women Do It For Breast Cancer Awareness!

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:12:00 -0500

October was Breast Cancer month and because Adventure Boot Camp (ABC) focuses on women and health they decided to get together to try raise enough money to open 10 mobile clinics, which would travel to disadvantaged communities and provide free mammograms, pap smears and other important tests. Their aim was to raise R40 000 to do all the above and each camp was requested to have “drop in camps” or hikes where all proceeds would go to CANSA.

Michelle Rozowsky, owner of Adventure Boot Camp Houghton was one of the organisers of this initiative and as she says: “I masterminded a simple plan with the initial goal of raising an additional R5000 from ABC Houghton over and above our contribution from the Gauteng CANSA hike we ran in October . I wanted to do something that combined Women’s Health Day with a CANSA fundraiser, seeing that breast cancer is a women’s health issue, it fitted in perfectly.”

Campers were asked to find 10 sponsors to sponsor them R10 to perform a whole bunch of exercises which they had to complete in 20 minutes on Women’s Health Day, which is run on the third Monday of every camp in conjunction with the magazine’s featured exercises.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that such a simple concept, executed with precise organisation, would be so incredibly successful,” exclaims Michelle.

“My ladies embraced this challenge with such passion and energy and we at Houghton are so proud of what we have achieved to make a difference in women’s lives. My goal was to raise R5000 from Houghton alone but we ended up raising in addition to our CANSA hike more than R58 000! Can you believe it? It just goes to show with a little dedication, teamwork and much inspiration, anything is possible!”

For more information on ABC and to get your health journey started, visit www.AdventureBootCamp.co.za and sign up for their next camp on 9 January 2012.

Two Oceans Newbie

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:14:00 -0500

I’ve signed up for the 2012 Two Oceans half marathon! Yes, me, the woman who has never run further than five kays. Call it peer pressure or a moment of insanity, but I’m excited (and a little more than nervous).

My friend had originally mentioned doing it, more as a joke than anything else. But then Murray asked me whether I’d like to do it, and when I laughed, he said there is still enough time to start training. So when my friend asked me again, a little more seriously, I gave in and signed up before I could have second thoughts.

I’m hoping to go for a run on the Sea Point promenade after work today, but otherwise will start training this weekend. I’m going to follow the Women’s Health running programme (go to www.WomensHealthSA.co.za/Fitness).

I’m really happy that I have a new goal for after the Sports Science healthy weight programme, as I was concerned that I’d get a bit lazy. But this way, I have no excuse! And I’m sure I’ll continue losing weight (I’ve lost another 800g this week, and my pants are feeling loose!). That’s the great thing about the programme – you begin to imagine yourself doing training and entering races that you would never have imagined before; it’s a complete lifestlye change.

After the programme finishes, I will be updating my running progress on the blog and Twitter, so you can see how I’m faring in my new adventure.

Kirsty Carpenter is Women’s health’s copy editor and features writer. Follow her on Twitter @KirstyCarp

Time To Back The Sisterhood

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:51:00 -0500

The Sisterhood is a team of well-connected women from a variety of professions and sporting backgrounds who enter sporting events around the world to raise money for worthy charities. Together they have paddled down the Amazon, dragon boated in the Venice Vogalonga, cycled the Argus, run marathons, paddled The Thames Great River race, swam the Bosphorus, adventure raced coast to coast in Costa Rica and also across England, swam the Freedom Swim and climbed Kilimanjaro!

In 2007 The Sisterhood, whose UK members have included Kate Middleton and Atomic Kitten singer Liz McClarnon, became the first all-female team to Dragon Boat across the English Channel.

In May 2011 the concept reached South African shores where a local cell of ‘ordinary girls doing extraordinary things’ was set up. Weekly dragon boating around Cape Town harbour, fun hikes up the mountain, extreme open-water swimming, adventure races, you name it – there’s nothing these girls fear.

Sisterhood SA has a very exciting adventure planned for the 19th of November 2011 – to Dragon boat with an all female crew from Cape Town to Robben Island and back! (This is very weather-dependent so we’ll keep you updated.)

The Sisterhood SA’s local charity is Malamulele Onward, a non-profit organisation that provides treatment to children with cerebral palsy living in the most underserved rural areas in South Africa. Visit www.cpchildren.org or more info. So far they have raised around R20 000 for Malamulele Onwards. Support has also come from MTN , Glider sunglasses and Transfitx gym.

The H-word

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:48:27 -0500

I don’t hate anyone. But at times, my dislike for Murray, our trainer, borders on the h-word. Only for an hour, mind you, but that hour is often so torturous that you can’t imagine it ending. In fact, when I ask Murray whether I’ve told him how I feel about him lately, he answers, “I’ll read about your hate on the blog”. He then proceeds to work me harder. Great.

I went back to gym last week, after about 10 days of illness. And although my muscle memory was still there, I struggled through each session, only to find myself shattered and sore. Then, the next day I wound up in the same position. This weekend, I was so proud of getting through a week back at gym that I celebrated with wine and cheese in the Franschhoek wine route. Bad idea – I picked up 800g, which started the cycle all over again on Monday.

My goal for this week is to eat better (and I’ve done well – yesterday’s tuna salad got many “Wow, that’s healthy” comments in the staff kitchen), and to manage four sessions at gym (I’ve done two so far).

As much as I complain, I really do love the feeling I get after exercising, and the times when I manage to beat my personal best during sessions. The best part? I’m far happier, as I seem to have endorphins constantly flowing through me. Murray should be pleased.

Kirsty Carpenter is Women’s Health’s copy editor and features writer. Follow her on Twitter @KirstyCarp

“Well done it!”

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:10:00 -0400

“Fast feet, fast feet!”; “10 more seconds” and “Well done it!” are just a few of the motivational statements uttered from the early-morning class’s Sergeant Shredder! And motivate us she does – Lezandre’s sessions are varied, challenging, well-paced and well-planned. Despite one injury and a range of skill levels, we all end the class flushed and smiling and much more lively than when we trudged in an hour before.

Flying back from Durban on Monday, I had to miss the morning class. And miss it I did – it felt like a long break from Boot Camp and I was really keen to get back into it on Wednesday. The session was held at Rhodes Memorial. Aside from a strong southeaster, the conditions were perfect and we sprinted up the stairs, performing planks in between; did squats, lunges and stomach exercises overlooking the city; not to mention the hike to and from the monument. I drove home with rosy cheeks, fresh air in my lungs and an enthusiasm for the day ahead.

A grey Friday morning, after a late night at the office on deadline, meant I wasn’t feeling quite as enthusiastic, but a circuit kept things varied and challenging. Plus we performed the circuit in partners, which was great motivation. The class was concluded with stomach exercises (accompanied by familiar groans), stretching, and talk of the next 5 weeks and who will win the attendance prize. I’m already trying to think of a contingency plan to stay motivated when Boot Camp is over!

Amelia Frenkel is sub editor on Men’s Health magazine.
Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Baby_Birdie or as the MH Girl Next Door at http://twitter.com/#!/MH_girlnextdoor

Get (Back) Into The Groove

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:26:00 -0400

After more than 10 days of being sick and missing out on three healthy weight sessions besides all the other workouts, I made it back to gym this week. And although I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it through the session, I was surprisingly energetic, and got back into it quite quickly.

The reason? Muscle memory - Sarah, the dietician, told me that it takes 14 days for your muscles to forget your previous workouts. Which is why, if you haven’t been to gym in a while, it feels like you’ve run a marathon when you’ve only spent 10 minutes on the treadmill.

I have lost another two kilograms, which takes my total up to five kilos lost. Now, it may not sound like that much, when I’ve been exercising and eating well for three months, but take into account the centimetre loss and all the other health benefits, and it’s great! I’ve noticed a trend in my weight loss - lose one week, plateau the next, and lose again the following week. Which is fine, because as long as I’m not gaining (or losing really quickly), I’ll be able to maintain it.

Holding thumbs (and my core)!

Kirsty Carpenter is Women’s Health’s copy editor and features writer. Follow her on Twitter @KirstyCarp

I’m a believer

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:23:36 -0400

I am still a bit in awe that I actually woke up at 5.30 (it’s the second week, humour me!) on a cold, grey Monday morning, found the boot camp location that had eluded me the week before, and was functioning enough to put my shoes on the right foot, and reverse my car, let alone run sprints or perform triceps dips. We performed total-body exercises in circuits, from lunges to bicep curls with dumbbells, occasionally interrupting the circuit for a lap of the field, shuttle sprints or stomach exercises to keep our pulses up. And, whether I was buoyed along by a smug sense of accomplishment or not, I flew through my day with energy and focus.

A recent study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that exercising outdoors makes you happier than exercising indoors. Participants reported feeling more revitalised and positive, with less tension, anger, confusion and depression when they exercised outside, compared to when they did the same exercise indoors. The participants also experienced greater satisfaction, and showed more interest in repeating the activity at a later date.

And repeat it I did, with an early-morning class on Wednesday that was kicked off by some friendly team soccer (during which I slipped and ended up scoring a goal like it was a try!) and a no-rules netball/basketball fusion game. As simple as it sounds: it was fun to play, and a great way of interacting with fellow boot campers.

I couldn’t make the early-morning Friday class last week, so attended the Thursday afternoon class. It was interesting to break the routine and get sweating at a different time of day amongst a different set of boot campers. Maybe it’s the time of day, the fact that the sudden shower changed the intended workout or that the class is much larger than the morning group, but I felt like I’ve worked harder in some of the morning classes. Maybe I am a morning person after all!

Amelia Frenkel is sub editor on Men’s Health magazine.
Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Baby_Birdie or as the MH Girl Next Door at http://twitter.com/#!/MH_girlnextdoor

Itching To Exercise

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:07:44 -0400

We’re three weeks into the intermediate programme, and I’ve managed a whole four sessions. And even though I have gymmed alone in between, it doesn’t make it much better. Last week, I was off from Wednesday as I was still ill. The cold had gone to my throat and chest, which, as Murray says, can put strain on your heart if you’re exercising. So I decided to lay low in bed and I’m finally starting to get better.

In the meantime though, I’ve missed gym enormously. I saw someone’s online status saying that she had just finished a 5km run and I was – wait for it – jealous! I never thought I’d be upset that I couldn’t work out, particularly when it meant a 5km run. It just goes to show how the healthy weight programme has helped me change my mindset, not just my body, which I think is even more important in order to maintain my weight loss and get my fitness level to a point where I don’t have a mini heart attack when walking up a flight of stairs.

Speaking of stairs, last Monday’s class was torturous. In between a circuit of weights, lunges and ab work, we were made to run around the blue floor twice, then up and down 10 (yes, 10!) flights of stairs, and around the blue floor again. I’m exhausted just thinking about it again. But I can tell you, reaching the top of the stairs felt like an achievement, and I felt renewed to run (ok, jog) down the stairs again, with a final burst of energy getting me around the blue floor.

Hopefully I’ll find myself back at gym this week. If not, I’ll be the increasingly large blob you see pushing itself up the stairs.

Kirsty Carpenter is Women’s Health’s copy editor and features writer. Follow her on Twitter @KirstyCarp

Early Mornings Missions

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:05:00 -0400

Let me state for the record: I am not a morning person. I set alarms for alarms, hit snooze for so long that I incorporate the sound into my dreams, and am generally still asleep for the first 5 minutes of my shower. So, it was with some reluctance that I chose the early morning time slot for Boot Camp. No margin of error, no time for snoozing – for the next 8-weeks, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5.30am is the latest I can laze in bed.

Well, I couldn’t have asked for a more balmy morning to test out my regime: a sublime, Cape Town sunrise greeted me on my drive to Sports Science where we faced a fitness assessment. (It was a Monday morning after all, so it couldn’t be all rosy!) We had to see how many times we could run around the SSISA track (140m) in 12 minutes. I managed an ambitious 15.5 times – I’m already dreading having to beat that marker in 7 weeks! This was followed by a sweat-inducing circuit made up of 45 second intervals of skipping, rowing, stepping, plank, and more… I left rosy-cheeked with a spring in my step and had a surprising amount of energy for the rest of the day. I can do this, I thought confidently!

The wet Wednesday class was a bit of a non-event since, being a Cape Town import who is yet to reside in the leafy suburbs, I parked at the incorrect school fields. I dejectedly ended up back at the SISSA gym to get some cardio in on my own. Ready to make up for lost time, I met Sergeant Shredder and the gang in Newlands Forest for some off-road conditioning. The session involved trail running uphill, some mild hiking, stomach exercises overlooking the city, tricep dips on tree stumps and a jog downhill back to our cars all the while surrounded by green trees, clean air and beautiful views (and the occasional dog turd!). It was the perfect way to begin my Friday and kick off the weekend!

Whether it’s beginner’s overconfidence or that fact that I have 2 days of weekend ahead of me (or that I technically only got 2 sessions in this week), at the end of week one, I am psyched for Monday’s class! Mark, a fellow boot camper who is also on his first “mission”, told me that his Garmin reflects he burns up to 25% more calories during a Boot Camp session than during a normal gym routine. Reason enough to keep motivated. Happy weekend!

Amelia Frenkel is sub editor on Men’s Health magazine.
Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Baby_Birdie or as the MH Girl Next Door at http://twitter.com/#!/MH_girlnextdoor

Let's Get Physical

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:49:02 -0400

Jane Fonda was onto something when she donned her lycra leotards, put on those legwarmers and changed the way people exercised in the ’80s. If you long for those days or wonder what it was like getting physical the traditional aerobics way, Virgin Active has a class for you. They’ve just launched their new Retro Aerobics group training class.

The class is a great all rounder with pre-choreographed routines to burn calories. It’s a one-hour class which is broken down into 12 individual tracks all with specified routines. The warm-up sequence sets the scene for both the body - as it’s full of basic rhythmical moves that prepare you for the work to follow - as well as putting the class into the right ’80s frame of mind.

Some of the 80’s tunes you can expect to hear which will result in your legwarmers shuffling up and down your lycra clad legs include:

- Sisters are doing it for themselves;

- I think we’re alone now;

- Fame;

- Walking on Sunshine;

- White Wedding;

- You spin me right round;

- Club Tropicana.

For more info visit www.virginactive.co.za

To get the retro aerobics ball rolling and build up to the ‘unveliling’ of Retro Aerobics on 10 October, Virgin Active have sponsored a leg warmer appreciation page on Facebook. Check out www.facebook.com/legwarmerlove to share, like and love all things legwarmerish and get your retro on!