by Mollie Millington | Oct 20, 2017 | class review, cycling, dancing, exercise, fitness, travel, water sports
When travelling, I love to use my free time to prioritise fitness and try new things. I spent a lot of time researching different fitness trends in Chicago that were not commonly seen in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try them all. Here is what I suggest you do next time you visit The Windy City.
AIR® class in River North
This studio offers beginner/foundation to advanced aerial exercise classes, such as Flow and Core. The fabric, called a hammock, hangs from the ceiling and can be twisted together for additional strength or extended to fully suspend your entire body. Don’t worry, it really is strong enough to support you while laying horizontal a few feet off of the ground. Alexis taught my class and was very good at explaining which ways we were to flip our bodies up and around in the fabric. The two other women in the class had been to the studio before and were much more confident with their ability, while I had never done anything like this. (I did a cocoon class at Gymbox once but that was just for relaxation). Within the first few minutes of class, I was already hanging upside-down during the warm up. It was such a strange sensation to feel the pressure of the hammock on my lower back as the blood started to rush to my head. It took me some time to learn to trust the hammock and relax into each movement. Alexis, a former dancer, taught us a few separate sequences to build a one minute routine, which we tried at the end of our 50 minute class (click here to watch a video of Alexis demonstrating). Unfortunately, my lack of upper body strength hindered my ability to do several of the moves. I was sweating profusely throughout the class, had to take a few breaks, and definitely felt the session in my arms the next day. Classes can hold up to 22 people at the River North location. The studio has recently launched Floor Lab too, which is a barre-inspired workout session that covers plyometrics, planks, and push ups.
 |
| My most advanced move |
AquaMermaid
 |
| Lovely mermaids before we plunged in the pool |
 |
| Learning to float |
What woman didn’t dream of being a mermaid when she was a little girl (or even now)? Splash was one of my favourite movies growing up. I used to swim like Madison in all my friends’ pools. When I saw I could do this as an adult with a real tail, I knew I had to try it. AquaMermaid Chicago offers classes on Sunday mornings at UIC Sports and Fitness Center. The classes can also be arranged for birthday or bachelorette parties. I roped two of my good friends, Lisa and Pattie, to try it out with me at the Hilton Chicago pool. All I can say is that I was smiling from ear to ear from the moment the tails were pulled out of the bag. Our swim instructor, Cora, was very friendly and patient as she taught us how to float with the tails on, swim from one end of the pool to the other, and how to do a somersault. She also tried to teach us how to do a dolphin circle (not sure if that is exactly what is was called. We had to do a backwards somersault while keeping our legs straight) towards the end of our session. But by this point, we were getting tired and water kept going up our noses. A few moves were challenging for us to do because we only had one lane of the lap pool available to move about. We made it work though, as you can see from the photos. We all got a few foot cramps from the monofin so make sure you eat a banana earlier in the day and take the time to warm up before the class. Overall, this was an absolute blast!
Explore the 606
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to The 606 but I absolutely love the idea of it. It is an abandoned railway line that now provide 2.7 miles of trails for walkers, runners, and cyclists. Along the way there are art installations and green space. You can have a look at all the maps here.
Divvy, Chicago’s version of Boris Bikes
OK, yes you can rent bikes in London, but I didn’t realize Chicago offered this too until my last few days. I would have much rather ridden a bike around town that taking the subway. You can see things from a pace riding through neighbourhoods rather than from the train line. Prices start at about $10/day (or $99 for the year), where a one way ticket on the L train is $2.25 and a one day L pass is $10. In Oak Park, the suburb where I was staying, I saw several commuting cyclist and numerous cycle lanes. The only downside to the bike rentals is there isn’t a helmet included, but you could probably rent one of those too from a local bike shop. If you are confident on a bike and up for exploration, I highly recommend trying these out.
There were many more things I wanted to try, like a kayak architecture tour and indoor surfing class, but I just ran out of time. If you have a suggestion on other active travel for Chicago, please leave a comment below.
by Mollie Millington | Jul 14, 2017 | exercise, product review, water sports
This week was the last of my complimentary swim lessons with Swimming Nature. I am sad to see them end, not only because it was nice to have a refreshing dip on some the hottest days so far this year, but also the one-to-one tuition has been invaluable. Much like having a personal trainer, I could tailor the lessons to what I wanted to work on, taking more or less time on specific skills I wanted to perfect. Swimming efficiently comes down to good technique and that is what I needed to work on. Sure, I can get around a pool or open water lake but I knew I wasn’t conserving energy at all. In a triathlon, it is about finishing as fast as you can, right? More and more, it is looking like I need to go back to triathlons due to everlasting injury, so I am very happy that I have some drills to practice with and several pointers to consider with each stroke.
When I started my lessons, I wanted to improve my front crawl to make it more efficient. In our last lesson, I swam laps am giving me one point to work on – kicking more, longer glides, bringing my ear to my shoulder when I breath, having left hand enter water rather than left forearm. Feedback from my coach, Sam, after my lessons over the last four weeks:
- Kicking is improving
- Don’t rush
- Need to work on developing more stretch/reach on both sides
- Also remember to bring ear to shoulder when breathing
He also noticed my timing is different on my left and right sides, possibly due to where my left forearm enters the water. He videoed me lap during this last session to show me what I was doing differently on each side. This was really helpful for me.
Swimming Nature provides one to one tuition all over the United Kingdom, as well as group sessions. I found a location that was near work so I could swim before going home for the evening. Lessons are open to all ages and for any reason- triathlons, new challenge, need a low impact sport due to previous injury or health. Kids programs involve regular time trials and a medal at the end of term, which is pretty cool.
I asked Sam for some tips on how to make the most of your investment in 1-2-1 swim lessons:
- The more work you put in outside the lesson, the more you will benefit.
- Have patience. You will not perfect a new stroke in just a few lessons.
- Drills are mean to be done slow.
Unfortunately, I only managed one swim session a week outside of my lessons, but I wish I had done more. I really have no excuse because I live near the Olympic Park and the Aquatics Centre is pretty fab. The 50m pool nearly killed me though, it is so much farther than what I am used to! I am confident I will stick with my weekly swims though, using the drills Sam gave me, to keep up my aerobic base and continue to develop muscle memory. If I do end up switching back to triathlons, I will purchase a set of lessons to help me save energy for the bike and run.
Thanks again to Swimming Nature for the complimentary set of lesson and Sam for his patience. All opinions are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Jul 14, 2017 | exercise, product review, water sports
This week was the last of my complimentary swim lessons with Swimming Nature. I am sad to see them end, not only because it was nice to have a refreshing dip on some the hottest days so far this year, but also the one-to-one tuition has been invaluable. Much like having a personal trainer, I could tailor the lessons to what I wanted to work on, taking more or less time on specific skills I wanted to perfect. Swimming efficiently comes down to good technique and that is what I needed to work on. Sure, I can get around a pool or open water lake but I knew I wasn’t conserving energy at all. In a triathlon, it is about finishing as fast as you can, right? More and more, it is looking like I need to go back to triathlons due to everlasting injury, so I am very happy that I have some drills to practice with and several pointers to consider with each stroke.
When I started my lessons, I wanted to improve my front crawl to make it more efficient. In our last lesson, I swam laps am giving me one point to work on – kicking more, longer glides, bringing my ear to my shoulder when I breath, having left hand enter water rather than left forearm. Feedback from my coach, Sam, after my lessons over the last four weeks:
- Kicking is improving
- Don’t rush
- Need to work on developing more stretch/reach on both sides
- Also remember to bring ear to shoulder when breathing
He also noticed my timing is different on my left and right sides, possibly due to where my left forearm enters the water. He videoed me lap during this last session to show me what I was doing differently on each side. This was really helpful for me.
Swimming Nature provides one to one tuition all over the United Kingdom, as well as group sessions. I found a location that was near work so I could swim before going home for the evening. Lessons are open to all ages and for any reason- triathlons, new challenge, need a low impact sport due to previous injury or health. Kids programs involve regular time trials and a medal at the end of term, which is pretty cool.
I asked Sam for some tips on how to make the most of your investment in 1-2-1 swim lessons:
- The more work you put in outside the lesson, the more you will benefit.
- Have patience. You will not perfect a new stroke in just a few lessons.
- Drills are mean to be done slow.
Unfortunately, I only managed one swim session a week outside of my lessons, but I wish I had done more. I really have no excuse because I live near the Olympic Park and the Aquatics Centre is pretty fab. The 50m pool nearly killed me though, it is so much farther than what I am used to! I am confident I will stick with my weekly swims though, using the drills Sam gave me, to keep up my aerobic base and continue to develop muscle memory. If I do end up switching back to triathlons, I will purchase a set of lessons to help me save energy for the bike and run.
Thanks again to Swimming Nature for the complimentary set of lesson and Sam for his patience. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 26, 2017 | product review, water sports
In my home state of New York, everyone has to pass the Red Cross level 5 swim lessons in order to graduate from high school. Every since I was little, I have always loved the water (maybe because I am an Aquarius?). It just feels relaxing and soothing to me. When my Achilles tendinitis began to persist in my late 20s, I decided to do triathlon to ease off the pressure on my joints. I am an OK swimmer. I get around in open water or in the pool but can’t do flip turns. I can breathe on both sides but always swallow lots of water. My last summer in Michigan, I signed up for masters classes at the suggestion of a friend to help improve my technique. Instead, I found myself suffering through the drills as I was the only non-competitive swimmer and hence the slowest.
The first few years we lived in London, we signed up for a few triathlons. With these events in the diary, we spent one night a week at the local pool doing laps. I knew my technique still wasn’t great but I was able to get quicker yet no more efficient. I tried to find lessons for adults who wanted to improve but didn’t have much luck. Until now.
My chance finally came when Swimming Nature contacted me to try out four complimentary 30 minute lessons. The lesson would be 1-on-1 tuition with one of their accredited instructors. My coach is Sam and he and I will be meeting for the next 3 weeks in a follow up to last week’s lesson.
 |
| First First Baker Street pool |
I arrived a little early at Fitness First Baker Street to make sure I knew where I was going and in case I needed to fill in any paperwork. The front desk staff were very friendly and lent me a padlock as I didn’t know I needed to bring one. I brought my own towel or could have hired one for £1. The women’s locker room is pretty big with lots of showers and lockers. The pool is 18 meters with 3 lanes. One lane is dedicated to lessons and the others are for members to use. Sam and I shared the lane with another 1-2-1 lesson but it didn’t really any impact us or our drills.
To start with, Sam had already watched me during my warm up laps across the pool, so he had me kick without using my arms to see my technique up close. He said it looks like I have tight glutes because the range of motion from my hips isn’t that great. I quickly let him know that I am a runner and that could be way the glutes are tight. (Note: I now need yoga lessons). He also observed that I don’t pivot too much at my hips while most people would a bit more.
Homework #1 Kick like you mean it from the hips.
Next we worked on 8-10 kicks on my back, rolling onto my front for 8-10 kicks and then back to my back (without getting water up my nose)- all without using my arms. I start sinking before I can get on my back again which doesn’t always end well for my nose.
Homework #2 Practice this drill
Finally, we started to talk about arm positioning on the ‘catch’ of the front crawl, which is when your hand first enters the water and then pulls you along. Of course, my technique of an S shape and “zip the dress” are old school. We worked a lot on proper arm positioning for the catch and started to build it into one stroke but ran out of time.
Homework #3 Work on my catch and follow through of the stroke.
This week we will add in breathing but I have a lot to work on between now and then. Sam said it was a good idea to meet every week but that I should try to practice at least once between sessions. The Olympic pool is near enough to home but between the Salomon Sunet Series and riding to Brighton, I ran out of time for a swim.
Have you ever taken swim lessons? How did you fare?
Thanks to Swimming Nature for these lessons. All opinions and experiences are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Jun 26, 2017 | product review, water sports
In my home state of New York, everyone has to pass the Red Cross level 5 swim lessons in order to graduate from high school. Every since I was little, I have always loved the water (maybe because I am an Aquarius?). It just feels relaxing and soothing to me. When my Achilles tendinitis began to persist in my late 20s, I decided to do triathlon to ease off the pressure on my joints. I am an OK swimmer. I get around in open water or in the pool but can’t do flip turns. I can breathe on both sides but always swallow lots of water. My last summer in Michigan, I signed up for masters classes at the suggestion of a friend to help improve my technique. Instead, I found myself suffering through the drills as I was the only non-competitive swimmer and hence the slowest.
The first few years we lived in London, we signed up for a few triathlons. With these events in the diary, we spent one night a week at the local pool doing laps. I knew my technique still wasn’t great but I was able to get quicker yet no more efficient. I tried to find lessons for adults who wanted to improve but didn’t have much luck. Until now.
My chance finally came when Swimming Nature contacted me to try out four complimentary 30 minute lessons. The lesson would be 1-on-1 tuition with one of their accredited instructors. My coach is Sam and he and I will be meeting for the next 3 weeks in a follow up to last week’s lesson.
|
| First First Baker Street pool |
I arrived a little early at Fitness First Baker Street to make sure I knew where I was going and in case I needed to fill in any paperwork. The front desk staff were very friendly and lent me a padlock as I didn’t know I needed to bring one. I brought my own towel or could have hired one for £1. The women’s locker room is pretty big with lots of showers and lockers. The pool is 18 meters with 3 lanes. One lane is dedicated to lessons and the others are for members to use. Sam and I shared the lane with another 1-2-1 lesson but it didn’t really any impact us or our drills.
To start with, Sam had already watched me during my warm up laps across the pool, so he had me kick without using my arms to see my technique up close. He said it looks like I have tight glutes because the range of motion from my hips isn’t that great. I quickly let him know that I am a runner and that could be way the glutes are tight. (Note: I now need yoga lessons). He also observed that I don’t pivot too much at my hips while most people would a bit more.
Homework #1 Kick like you mean it from the hips.
Next we worked on 8-10 kicks on my back, rolling onto my front for 8-10 kicks and then back to my back (without getting water up my nose)- all without using my arms. I start sinking before I can get on my back again which doesn’t always end well for my nose.
Homework #2 Practice this drill
Finally, we started to talk about arm positioning on the ‘catch’ of the front crawl, which is when your hand first enters the water and then pulls you along. Of course, my technique of an S shape and “zip the dress” are old school. We worked a lot on proper arm positioning for the catch and started to build it into one stroke but ran out of time.
Homework #3 Work on my catch and follow through of the stroke.
This week we will add in breathing but I have a lot to work on between now and then. Sam said it was a good idea to meet every week but that I should try to practice at least once between sessions. The Olympic pool is near enough to home but between the Salomon Sunet Series and riding to Brighton, I ran out of time for a swim.
Have you ever taken swim lessons? How did you fare?
Thanks to Swimming Nature for these lessons. All opinions and experiences are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 16, 2017 | class review, climbing, travel, water sports
In the last few months, I have been lucky enough to try a few things in London that are perfect for hot summer days. Whether you are visiting during summer vacation or local resident, check out these options to stay cool in sunny London.
Ice climb in Covent Garden
Ellis Brigham invited me down to their Covent Garden store in early May as part of the #HerOutdoors campaign. They are encouraging women to find the right kit for exploring the great outdoors. We spoke to major active brands Keen and Osprey about what products they have to offer women specifically. Read my review of the Keens boots here and Osprey bag here.
 |
| Strapped in but still need my spikes. |
I was most excited to enter their frozen world at the back of the store to try ice climbing, Vertical Chill. This is something I had never done before and I thought I would be rubbish at it because I am not great at wall climbing. The store staff suited us up in long pants, jackets, boots, helmets, gloves, and spikes on our shoes. We had a safety chat once we enter the 3-story-high room with three walls covered in ice (the fourth is a large window). The basics of ice climbing are to jam your toe spikes into the ice so your foot is perpendicular to the wall and wider than shoulder-width. Then you throw your pick deep into the ice above your head, shoulder-width apart. Finally, pull yourself into a standing position against the ice. Simple, right? I took the easy route to the top of the wall, falling off once or twice. I was belayed by a store employee and felt safe at all times. When I got to the top, there is a cow bell to ring in victory.
Sessions start at £25 per person. You can get more info and book in here. Please follow the instructors’ advice when ice climbing and not my novice summary above. Safety first!
SUP and SUP Pilates with Wake Up Docklands
 |
| Side plank |
A few summers ago, I was able to try SUP yoga and really enjoyed being on the water. I have always wanted to live one hour from the mountains and one hour from the ocean, but London doesn’t quite meet this criteria. When I got an invite to try SUP Pilates here in town, I dove at the chance. Wake Up Docklands (WUD) is located near Royal Victoria DLR station and underneath the Emirates Air Line. It opened in 2012 and offers a mechanical wakeboarding line with jumps and paddle board hire. The taster session I attended was for bloggers and was divided into a 45 min SUP Pilates session with Ruth Tongue and a 45 min SUP introduction with Jason, owner of WUD. The boards were anchored in shallow water during Pilates which meant you didn’t have to worry about floating away. Ruth was also on a board and tailored the class to our ability and comfort level on the water. The boards are actually really sturdy and none of us fell in during Pilates. The board adds an extra challenge to your workout because the instability of floating means your muscles have to work a bit harder. You will get wet up to your knees wading to the board and from laying on the board itself after you stand up after wading out. We all wore activewear instead of swimsuits and it worked out.
 |
| Child’s pose |
We were treated to some delicious juice and energy ball from C Press between sessions to refuel. The weather was absolutely amazing and chilled out tunes were coming from the speakers on the deck that overlooks the water. You didn’t feel like you were in London but instead someplace warm and tropical.
 |
| Thank you Cold Press |
For our intro SUP session, we all received life jackets and a paddle. We could have wore wetsuits, but it was very warm out. The lesson started on land, with a review of what the different parts of the paddle were called and how to paddle most efficiently. We then mounted our boards and set off. Initially, we stayed close to shore to figure out how to turn, brake, and avoid colliding with each other. Once Jason was happy with our skills, we ventured a little further to an open area where we had more space to maneuver. It was over here where I fell in as I tried to paddle more efficiently. The good news is that I didn’t loose my sunglasses.
Take a dip in the pool with Everyone Active
Most hotels in Europe won’t have a pool like we would in the USA. That doesn’t mean you can’t pack your swim trunks for a London vacation. Everyone Active offers open swim sessions at many of their 140 UK locations. You do have to pay a small fee and need to bring your own towel. Here are four London locations you should check out:
Seven Islands Leisure Centre recently reopened its pool after it underwent refurbishments as part of a £2 million investment in the facilities at the centre. The revamped 33m pool is now open for public swimming. All borough residents are now able to use the gym and swim for free* at Southwark Council leisure centres. 33 m pool is pretty long for London. Get those extra laps in.
 |
| Castle Centre swimming pool |
The Castle Centre recently underwent a £20 million redevelopment, and now boasts two brand new swimming pools; a 25 metre six-lane pool and a learner pool with a moveable floor, as well as a sauna and steam room. All borough residents are now able to use the gym and swim for free* at Southwark Council leisure centres. The learner pool is a great place for small children.
Marshall Street Leisure Centre is situated in the heart of central London, off Oxford Street. This beautiful grade II listed centre has something for everyone, with a beautiful, fully restored pool with marble floors dating from the 1930s, as well as a spa where you can pamper yourself after a swim. I think I am going to have to check this spa out.
 |
| Porchester plunge pool- lush! |
The Porchester Centre has recently undergone a £1.2million refurbishment and has two beautiful swimming pools and a lush spa. Visitors will experience in an oasis of calm with its traditional decor of green and white tiles and original features still intact from when the building was built in 1929.
What other suggestions do you have for people to stay healthy in London this summer? Leave a comment below.
*T&C apply, see Everyone Active website for more details.
Recent Comments