1. EXERCISE OF THE WEEK

This week we learn some tips and tricks to do a really effective push up from Adam Shafer of Mind Pump TV, to add to your at home repertoire! We’ve already shown you how to do an effective squat, with a good solid push up to add to your routine you’re now working a serious group of muscles! With these two moves you’re almost getting a full body work out! You could probably just do these two every night and be fine but we will help add some variation and interest to your work out over the coming weeks to keep your mind engaged. Sometimes it’s a mind trick! You need to FEEL like you’re getting a decent workout, not just do it.

A correctly performed push up will engage:

• chest muscles, or pectorals - a great workout that includes these muscles is basically a non-surgical breast lift ladies! I have gone up half a cup size since I started working these muscles properly and regularly and my chest is nicely shaped and perky. Benefits!
• shoulders, or deltoids - nicely defined shoulders give your body a very healthy look. It’s quite a noticeable change in your physique.
• back of your arms, or triceps - similarly sculpted arms give your physique a really healthy look.
• abdominals - the key to almost everything we do and critical in lower back support.
• the “wing” muscles directly under your armpit, called the serratus anterior - how many of you hate the fat/skin that congregates under your armpits?! It’s one of the most common things we hear customers complain about when they’re trying garments on in store! Add some correctly performed push ups to your routine and tone this area!

Watch this quick video where Adam talks you through common mistakes when doing a push up and teaches you a couple of little tricks to make sure you’re engaging the right muscles and performing the push up correctly. If you’re spending your time doing these exercises you want to be getting every rep right so you’re getting the benefits!

2. RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Our recipe of the week is one of my faves from Aussie legend, Donna Hay: Beef Eye Fillet Steaks with a Cucumber and Apple Salad dressed with a Dill Buttermilk Dressing.

Delish!

It’s fast, fresh and tasty! And even the kids will love it!

Click here for the full recipe.

3. HEALTHY HABIT OF THE WEEK

We only get so many opportunities to eat per day and our bodies need so many vitamins and nutrients to function at their best, are you wasting opportunities to nourish your body by eating the wrong things? Do you eat low nutrition snacks? What does your breakfast look like? Is it contributing to the huge amount of vitamins and minerals you should be consuming each day? If not, it’s a wasted meal! Take a look at your diet and see where you can switch things up so you’re not wasting those opportunities to nourish your body. Breakfast and snacks is one of the ones where a lot of us go wrong!

We should be eating 5 serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit a day. So if you’re eating toast or cereal for breakfast you’re missing the first opportunity to get those into your body and leaving it for lunch, dinner and snacks to make up for it!

Think about ditching the toast and cereal for these healthy, nutrient-packed options and feel the difference!

Savoury options:

• 1 slice of toast instead of your usual 2+ topped with:
• a cup of baked beans heated up with a BIG handful of baby spinach, OR
• half an avocado smashed, on a bed of baby spinach topped with a little salt and pepper for taste (or smash with salt, pepper, lemon juice and dill!)
• 1 egg and 1 egg white scrambled with a generous handful of baby spinach, half a tomato diced, some red onion, a small amount of chopped ham and a tiny bit of cheese (this can be done in the microwave in a few seconds and can be consumed with or without toast!)

Sweet options:

• A cup of your favourite yoghurt but make sure it’s topped with a good helping of blueberries (a super food!) and strawberries or any other seasonal fruit you love and a good tablespoon of LSA or other health food mix (found in the health food aisle of your local supermarket!). LSA is delicious and nutty and suits a yoghurt and fruit dish perfectly but is also packed with omega fatty acids, dietary fibre, vitamin E, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and a very good source of manganese. These can be quite hard to get into your diet but a big scoop of LSA on top of your yoghurt is a brilliant start.
• A good old fashioned fruit salad! This could be your entire two serves of fruit knocked off in one meal and can be easily prepped days before. I often make a fruit salad at the start of the week and scoop it out each morning for a quick nutritious breakfast or snack. Add mint if you like it because mint is still a green leafy herb with lots of antioxidants and Vitamin A in it so you’ve just upped your daily intake of those too! Wooo! See how much healthier your diet can be if you give it some thought?!

Thought is the key and that’s our healthy habit for the week! Take a look at your diet and see where you may be eating empty, less nutrient-rich meals or snacks and switch them for vegetable and fruit heavy options so you’re getting all of those vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body needs.

4. MENTAL HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK

Make time for 3 minutes of meditation a day! Research shows meditation positively impacts:

Stress

Focus

Mood

Compassion

Aggression

Self-compassion

Work

Anxiety

Depression

Headspace decreases stress. An internal study that was published in the top mindfulness journal found that only 10 days of Headspace reduced stress by 14%. 

Headspace can make people kinder to others. Separate studies conducted by Northeastern University found that 3 weeks of Headspace increased compassion by 23% and reduced aggression by 57%. In addition, an internal study found 10 days of Headspace reduced irritability by 27%. And Kinder to themselves. A study with health professionals found that only 10 days of Headspace improved self-compassion.

Headspace improves focus. We spend almost half of our waking hours lost in thought and distracted. Research published in a journal focused on cognitive enhancement showed that Headspace improved focus by 14% and significantly decreased mind-wandering.

Headspace can make people happier overall. A study with students found that just 10 days of Headspace increased positivity and well-being.

And Happier at work. Studies conducted with different populations of employees have found Headspace can reduce stress and job strain and improve job satisfaction.

Download the Headspace app here and see what 3 minutes a day does for you!

Images and facts sourced from headspace.com

5. OUTFITS OF THE WEEK

Our resident PT, Sally, loves PE Nation for its strength and resilience when training. No visible undies in these leggings! She’s wearing the Level Up Legging, Sports Bra and Jacket!

Ebony is loving the brand new Track Record Tank, Arena Sports Bra and Easy Keeper Legging!

Lily is loving the Full Court Sports Bra (also one of Pip Edwards's faves), Easy Keeper Legging and Lead Right Puffer Jacket (only 4 left!)

Courtney’s fave legging is the Level Up Legging and she’s currently loving it in and outside the gym with the Full Court Sports Bra, Refresh Hoodie and DOF Dixie Sneaker in black.