BeFit
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| Pauline and I ready to BeFit! |
The exhibition was held at the Business
Design Centre in Islington, an 'easy' couple of stops on the tube from my (new!)
flat in Mayfair. I say 'easy' as my CityMapper
app had other ideas, taking me to the back entrance- a good 10 minute walk away from where I was meant to be! I needn’t
have worried though – there were plenty of gym gear clad females walking around
to follow in the right direction. As I got to the front door and waited for
Pauline, I had to laugh and the number of girls turning up apologising to their
friends for being late – “CityMapper took me to completely the wrong place”. At least I wasn't the only one!
Once we made it in we discovered a vast selection of amazing things to see and do….so much so that we didn't manage to fit in any of the exciting talks.... a good excuse to go back next year! Here's a little run down of my day....
12.45-1.15 – Barre By Frame Class
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| Barre by Frame in the Reebok Fitness Lounge |
Taken by specialist ballet dancer Diana van Heerden, this was an introductory taster session of the famous Barre classes held by Frame up in Shoreditch. As you may know from my review of Xtend Barre, I'm a huge Barre fan, and the taster session definately left me wanting more... so hopefully you may see Frame appearing in my reviews some time in the near future!
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| Stretching it out! |
1.30 – 2.00 – Bloggers Lounge
A seperate relaxation area exclusively for those with Press passes, with a fridge stacked full of raw pressed fruit juices and healthy treats from the exhibitors, this was the perfect place to go and make use of the WIFI and I-Pad's to Tweet and Instagram away!
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| Press Pass |
2.00 – 2.30- Health Check
Slightly nerve racking (it would be pretty bad if the Health and Fitness Blogger failed the health check!), Withings used their specialist devices to check my BMI, Blood Pressure and Heart Rate. Thankfully everything was in the green light - I was relieved to hear I have a healthy heart rate 60BMP and a blood oxygen level of 99% (anything from 95%-100% is good!). Phew!
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| Heart rate Monitor |
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| Cool device for blood oxygen level - no blood involved! |
Turns out Pauline and I are the exact same height...unfortunately closer to 5'4, and not 5'5 as I like to claim :(
2.30 - 3.30 – Browsing the stalls (i.e. Lunch!)
With so many healthy food exhibitors taking part, I tried so many different samples there's no way I could review them all here, so here's some of my favorites that I'd recommend you try out!
Aloe Refresh - Who knew aloe vera juice could be so tasty?! Originally I was a bit worried it would have that funny taste (as if I'd accidentally tasted a bit of my face cream), but it was surprisingly flavourful and refreshing! Excellent for detoxifying the skin, supporting the immune system and even promoting hair growth, due to a unique blend of vitamins and minerals only found in the natural substance.
Bounce Foods - One you've probably all seen in the likes of Waitrose, Wholefoods and Holland and Barratt, but it's that popular for a reason.... they're so tasty! I was able to taste their new 'Cocoa Mint Protein Ball', alongside my original favourite, the 'Coconut and Macadamia'. With around 10g of protein in each ball, I'm not quite convinced they're as 'high protein' as they make out to be, but a healthy on-the-go snack anyway! And don't be put off by the seemingly high calorie content (approx 200kcal for a small ball) - they're extremely nutrient dense, combining protein, fibre, slow release carbs and antioxidants.
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| A tasty little goody bag from the stalls! |
Infruition - A clever concept for those of us who struggle to get our 2 litres a day (I personally just find water too boring!), this little bottle contains an inside chamber that gets filled with fresh fruit, which then infuses your water with a pleasant flavour that's free from artificial sweeteners and preservatives.
Quest Nutrition- At last- Quest is launching in the UK!! You may or may not be familiar with this brand, but as the leading sports nutrition bar in the US, I was delighted to spot they had a stall at BeFit, and even more delighted to discover they are now available in Holland and Barratt online, and will be launching their own UK website in the coming months. Watch this space - I hope to update you very soon!
Upbeat - Anyone who has lived with me will know I enjoy a little post-workout protein shake, but it can often be difficult to find the time to prepare - taking powder and a shaker to the gym can be a bit of a nightmare. Hence, these great tasting dairy smoothies - each containing 20g of whey protein (the best type for restoring worked muscles quickly!) - were a gem to find! Easily available from the likes of Waitrose of Tesco, I'm definately planning on popping a few in my gym bag for times of a 'protein emergency'.
Lick - Fat free frozen yoghurt. With strawberries. Need I say anymore?!
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| Enjoying my Lick FroYo! |
3.30 – 4.00 – Barry’s Bootcamp Class
Finally, we attended a class by my favourite group - Barry's Bootcamp! Given there were no treadmills/free weights in the Reebok studio, I did wonder how they would be able to replicate the fantastic workout I'd experienced in their own studio (read my review here) . But I needn't have worried - these guys more than managed! Having us jumping up and down doing burpees, squats and chest presses, then blasting our abs with more crunches and planks then I could ever imagine, it seems Barry's will never fail to work you hard! But in a good way - these instructors really are more fantastic than words can describe - honestly, just try a session and I promise you too will be a Barry's convert!
Finally, we attended a class by my favourite group - Barry's Bootcamp! Given there were no treadmills/free weights in the Reebok studio, I did wonder how they would be able to replicate the fantastic workout I'd experienced in their own studio (read my review here) . But I needn't have worried - these guys more than managed! Having us jumping up and down doing burpees, squats and chest presses, then blasting our abs with more crunches and planks then I could ever imagine, it seems Barry's will never fail to work you hard! But in a good way - these instructors really are more fantastic than words can describe - honestly, just try a session and I promise you too will be a Barry's convert!
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| Smiling at Barry's - this was before the class! |
4.00 - Home time :(
The event ended at 4PM – unfortunate as there was still so much I hadn’t had a chance to squeeze in (but also quite lucky, as I had to rush off to attend the after hours viewing of the sold out Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition ... more on that to come in a future post!).
All in all, BeFit was a fantastic event, and I’d definately encourage anyone who missed it this year to sign up to their mailing list to get notified as soon as next years tickers are released. This is one that shouldn’t be missed!
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| Talk about a goody bag! |
This is a very useful post, thank you! I agree that innovations are the most important thing for most businesses because with today’s fast-changing world we need to stay on top of the changes if we want to survive.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very useful post, thank you! I agree that innovations are the most important thing for most businesses because with today’s fast-changing world we need to stay on top of the changes if we want to survive.