I know, I know.. You’ve probably been told this a million times over and over, but listen up; I’m here to tell you again – just in case you forgot; START FOAM ROLLING!

I know it’s another thing to ‘add to’ the never-ending list of ‘Things To Do In Life’.. But really, you should be adding this to the top of that list, because the benefits of it, the more I look into it and feel it on my own body, seems to be never-ending.

Foam rolling helps to create and maintain long, smooth muscles by massaging out the knots and releasing trigger points. It’s also a fantastic (and cheap!) way to release the fascia, which is the thin layer of connective tissue that lies under the skin and wraps around every muscle and organ in the body. Fascia helps connect the muscles to the bones and joints and plays a key role in our structural integrity – so in a way it is like the scaffolding of the body.

Fascia is also where the nerves and the lymph nodes sit – so it is now being called a sensory organ because this is where pain originates and is communicated to the brain. Crazy, huh?

I started Foam-Rolling only a few weeks ago, and boy has it already changed my life. My body is really struggling at the moment, with a bad lower-back, tight hammies, ITB and hips that are out of whack. It’s all interlinked, and so when one thing is off, the body tries to make up for it in other ways, and overuses certain muscles for certain exercises or movements that it’s not meant to, leaving your body unaligned.. Which is what I’m currently suffering from.
However, foam-rolling every morning has taken away a lot of that pain of which I’m otherwise experiencing daily.

So are you listening to me now, when I say you should start foam-rolling? Or do you need more reasons?

If you do, then read on below for 5 reasons as to why you should make Foam-Rolling your new best friend.

1. It will break up scar-tissue:

Breaking up scar tissue and adhesions between the skin, muscles and bones is crucial for a healthy body. When you foam roll, you put targeted pressure on your fascia, releasing trigger points where you’re feeling pain. The process relieves pain and usually clears up problems caused by tight fascia and muscles pretty easily.

2. It can improve digestion:

Many people, including myself, are dealing with digestive issues as a result of diet, stress, food allergies, and other environmental factors. Using the roller not only helps smooth out “knots” in the muscles and joints, but it helps create support and calms your nervous system, improving blood flow and circulation to the organs, which benefits digestion.

3. It can increase your flexibility:

We all know how important it is to stay flexible, especially as we grow older, and foam rolling can help with that too. Maintaining flexibility throughout your life reduces injuries, improves your athletic performance and keeps you strong and healthy into old age. So whether you’re into HIIT, yoga, or any other form of exercise, foam rolling can improve your performance and make you a more flexible, healthier athlete in general.

4. It helps prevent injuries:

When you work out hard, your muscles end up tight and develop knots from constant stress. And unless you want to end up with injuries and small knacks all the time, your best bet for staying injury-free is to foam roll as often as possible.
When you foam roll out the tight spots, it prevents those areas from becoming injury trigger points which could eventually lead to shin splints, neck immobility, knee pains and painful IT bands.

5. It will help improve your posture:

Good posture is so important because of two things; the way you carry yourself and how the world sees you, and also because bad posture increases the risk of back and neck pain along with other things. Using the roller improves circulation and blood flow, allowing the body to restore and align, making you taller and more confident.

So the next time you go to the gym and see all the foam-rollers sitting in the corner, don’t be shy to pick one up and give it a go. Even better, invest in one you can have in the house and use for a few minutes every day.

If you dedicate a little time, every day, you’ll quickly see and feel results. I promise!

Stay tuned for a series of Foam Roller Exercises to help with tight IT bands, glutes, hammies and back-pain.

Anna x

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With quite a lot of you asking for what I eat, what I train or how I spend my days, I thought I’d write a little about what my days have been like for the past month, and how it’s usually like for the time of Spring. Where the days are longer, sunnier, warmer and a lot happier ;)

Early Morning:

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Can you nod yes to the above? And can you genuinely say, hand on your heart, that it hasn’t just been excuses upon excuses continually, that’s been the reason why you still haven’t tried yoga or incorporate it weekly into your exercise routine?

Or, maybe you’re a super keen yoga-bean that’s practising every-day but just want to delve further into the why of yoga?

Well, let’s take a look at my 8 Reasons Why Yoga Is Worth Doing.. Buckle up!

1. Yoga reduces stress and anxiety

The conscious link between the mind & body that we create when we practice yoga, uses a combination of physical poses, controlled breathing, and relaxation techniques that has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, both of which help control our stress-levels and thus regulate our anxiety-levels, too.

2. Yoga can help with depression

Practicing yoga regularly, can help reduce symptoms of depression. In a study out of Alliant University in San Francisco, looked at the effects of Bikram yoga on a group of women between the ages of 25 and 45 found the following results: When these women practiced twice per week for two months, their depression symptoms decreased. “These studies suggest that yoga-based interventions have promise for depressed mood and that they are feasible for patients with chronic, treatment-resistant depression,” said Vollbehr.

3. Yoga can change your life

Do you feel like there’s more to life, than what you’re currently experiencing? That’s because there is.. Getting onto your mat and out of your head can be the highlight of your day. When we step onto our mats, and leave the world at the doorstep, the mat becomes your therapist, your sanctuary, your safe haven to find peace and quiet from all of the chaos and anxiety rattling around in your brain. Your yoga practice will soon begin to embody the life you never knew was simply waiting for you. Just take that step onto the mat; the hardest part is getting on to it, the easy part is when you arrive.

4. Yoga can help with weight loss and toning of the muscles

It’s a common misconception that yoga isn’t a type of exercise that will condition your muscles and help you become stronger. Yoga lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that prompts your body to collect belly fat. By using natural body weight and resistance, the discipline also helps build lean muscle and creates definition. Practice hot yoga or vinyasa and you will quickly see how hard the body works during a class.

5. Yoga will help you detox

Yes, it’s true. Certain poses, especially those of twisting the spine, are great for our bodies and to help eliminate the toxins that will build up inside. Poses can help stimulate your circulatory, digestive, and lymphatic systems, helping you rid your body of build-up waste.

Poses for detoxification includes:

• Revolved Chair Pose
• Revolved Triangle Pose
• Plow Pose
• Headstand
• Supine Spinal Twist
• Seated Spinal Twist
• Revolved Side Angle Pose
• Revolved Half Moon
• Eye of The Needle

6. Yoga helps you find strength in your vulnerability

Many people like structure and predictability and consistency. Adversity can challenge all of these things. Yoga can push you in positive ways that address being strong, while still being vulnerable. The variety of poses calls for aspects of adapting to your body’s needs. This level of awareness you build through yoga training, is incredibly healthy and beneficial.

You may challenge your focus and endurance in given poses and throughout yoga training. This teaches you perseverance and focus on each and every breath, and believing in your progress with steady commitment. Adversity understandably brings pain, and this can make you shut down, or it can encourage you to be more open. Which do you choose?

7. Yoga will help you become more flexible

I know you’re thinking, that you won’t ever be able to do Pose x and definitely neither Pose xxx.. However, please try not to listen to your mean voice inside of you, that is only there to bring you down..
Inevitably, if you continue a steady yoga-practice, you will become more flexible with time. Yoga poses stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion, along with working your cardiovascular system, resulting in long, flexible and wide-range motion muscles and joints.

8.  Yoga helps you cultivate perspective and give thanks

The more adversity we experience, the more relatively calm we are about life experiences as they come forth. This is not to encourage desensitization but to emphasize with perspective, some very strong coping mechanisms. These coping mechanisms are a form of strength found through perspective.

This perspective leads to showing a lot of thanks for simplicity. As you go through your yoga practice, you will have a different perspective and appreciation for the practice after consistent commitment. There are times when the workout may be challenging, however you will feel great for pushing yourself. Your perspective changes from not knowing whether you can push through, to it being the best choice you could have ever made. Be patient. Stay simple.

Did you know the above about yoga, or is it already something you’ve incorporated into your life?

Love and light, Anna x

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And so, obviously, it was a no-brainer when Westfield asked me to head in to find my favourite look to get bendy and active in – more so than I am. I jumped at the opportunity to head into my favourite; The Upside – I love the fit and feel that Jodie and the team is creating with The Upside. It hugs & tightens at just the right places and doesn’t at others (read: love handles).
And the prints are next level – as you know, I’m a mixed bag of lollies, so it suits me and my personality just right!

What Westfield does GREAT is curating the season’s best fashion under one roof, so that you can find fashion that fits your style – without the inconvenience of having to jump in the car to go to yet another store.

Westfield has launched its Spring Summer 2016/17 campaign ‘The Front Line’ which aims to capture the energy and confidence that comes from pursuing your ambitions, while embracing a unique and individual approach to who you are. To bring this ethos to life, Westfield has partnered with iconic Australian model Robyn Lawley as their SS16 Wellness & Beauty Ambassador – and hey, I’m doing a spin class with Robyn tomorrow morning (lucky me!).

From 15 – 16 October 19 Westfield centre’s across Australia will also host a Beauty and Wellness Weekend where shoppers can enjoy a range of beauty, health and wellness events – everything from beauty masterclasses to free yoga sessions and healthy juice bars. Visit westfield.com.au/beauty-wellness to view all the details for your area.

To give you a little snippet of, not only my awesome outfit from Westfield, but also a look into a few of my stretches & arm balances on a regular day, I’ve put together a little programme below you can use – please make sure you have exercised/are warm before trying out these exercises and stretches as it’s particularly hard on your lower back. And above all; listen to your body and fitness-level!

You can shop the latest from The Upside here and also brows the activewear trends here!

Enjoy and let me know how you go,

Cxx

Arm balances & Stretches:

1. Handstand leg reaches (against wall)

2. Ganda Bherundasana (no chin touch)

3. Bakasana (Crow Pose)

4. Uttanasana (standing forward bend)

5. Tricep Stretch

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So, after getting back home to Australia 19 hours ago, I’ve been doing all the things I loved and missed: going to the gym, practising yoga, running and cooking (and eating of course). But over the next few days I’ll be giving my body a break and only eating veggies, fruits and nuts.

I finally got to work on a delicious raw tomato sauce which I’ve been meaning to do for ages. Finally nailed it. Don’t be scared that it’s ‘cold’ and not cooked. Firstly, it’s so much better and more nutritious to keep the vegetables in their purest form, that is raw. If you don’t like it cold, you can warm it up after making it – I’d think that would work just fine. I had my tomato sauce with some delicious raw zoodles – which is zucchini’s that are made into ‘noodles’. You do this with a spiralizer or grating tool. Super easy!

Ingredients:

• 2 small zucchini’s
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Rice Malt Syrup
• 1 clove of Garlic
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1 tsp dried Oregano
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grate the zucchini’s on your grating tool or a spiralizer. Put in a bowl and set aside.
2. Combine chopped tomatoes, avocado, lemon juice, rice malt syrup, garlic, basil, oregano and salt & pepper in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. I like mine a bit chunky, but keep pulsing until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Add more herbs and salt & pepper to taste if you feel like it.
3. Grab your bowl of zoodles and ladle the tomato sauce over.

This recipe serves 1 person – there may be a little bit of tomato sauce left over depending on how much you like on your zoodles.

Hope you like it x

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