Mojo Reformer Pilates class review

Now this Pilates reformer class at Mojo is a class that I really rate and have gone back to again and again!

The first time I walked in the 'machine' looks a bit sinister but after a while it totally makes sense! There is a sliding platform, springs that control the weight and two ropes connected to the springs with loops that either go around your feet or your hands.  There is a bar at the front that can be moved into different positions depending on the movement as well as slide to the back of the machine. 

There are also loose items including a box that you can put on the platform, a stick to help balance, dumbells and a flex circle that you can squeeze. 

A pretty basic move would be squats- you lay on your back on the platform with your head between the arm rests, the bar at 90 degrees and your feet on the bar. Then you push up and then back down and the platform moves and you are essentially doing a squat but laying down! 

My instructors are usually Trent or Jelena and a typical session includes a warm up and then a series of full body movements that really target each specific area. Then a quick warm down. Each session is to energising music and has a great atmosphere- you feel awesome after!

An example of a move to target the glutes (and everyone wants a nice butt right!) is to lay on your side on the platform with the bottom leg bent. You put the big loop over the foot of the top leg and then put it straight down. Then you go through a series of moves including lifting it straight up or straight out in front of you, or bending it and pushing down or doing large circles with your leg. Then you switch sides. Honestly after a few of these moves you really really feel it in your glutes! 

The instructor will tell you what springs to put on for a mild, medium or hard workout so it really is up to you how hard you push yourself. I generally go for medium to hard and then go down a spring if I'm struggling! 

Based in Concorde Tower in Media City, Dubai, Mojo Reformer Pilates studio has one studio with about 15 Pilates reformer machines and a private room for one to one training. It also has a juice bar and showers. You can park right outside for 8 dirhams- just remember to get your ticket stamped by Mojo- or there's parking on the road and nearby. The new tram also stops right outside now.

It's a friendly place and is super easy to book online.  A one off class is 110aed but there are a few packages you can pick from which save you a bit of money- and are valid for a year from purchase- which is brilliant and I wish more places did that!

Definitely recommend! See more here: www.ilovemymojo.com

Here's a couple of pics of the machine (not mine)

And here's a pic of the Mojo studio from Sport360 (here's their review too: http://sport360.com/article/health-and-fitness/19084/get-your-mojo-back-reformer-pilates )

Gold, grey and black - perfect for blue eyes

This was a subtle yet sultry look for the rugby 7s this weekend. A great look to make blue eyes pop is a combination of neutral peach, creamy white, grey, matte gold and black. 

I primed my lids with Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion before sweeping a neutral peach shade close to my skin tone all across the lids and right up to my brows using the Bare Escentuals tapered eyeshadow brush. Then from about half way I patted a matte gold shade under the crease and to the outer edges. That was followed by a dark grey in a v-shape in the creases and along the outer lash line. 

Then I used the fluffy 217 brush from MAC to blend a creamy matte white along the brow bone under my brows and in to the corners of my eyes. 

Then I switched to a flat angle brush from models own to apply black eyeshadow across the upper lash lines starting where my lashes start (so not right into the inner corners) and pulling out into a winged shape.

Then using the make up for ever straight angled 172 brush and some black gel eyeliner I painted a thin line from the inner corners to the out corners, staying close to the lash line. I then placed a tiny bit of black on the lower inner corner.

This was followed by lashings of blackest black blow out mascara from Boots 17 on the upper lashes and a lighter application along the lower lashes. 

And ta da! An easy look that really makes the most of my blue eyes :-) 

New fave everyday haircare range

I have quite unruly, dry, wavy and thick hair which is bleached at the ends and coloured at the roots. It takes forever to brush, wash, brush and dry and I tend to leave it to air dry whenever possible to try to keep it healthy (which can sometimes take a full day to dry- wash in morning then get home from work and it's still damp!).

I tend to use Redken shampoo and treatment mask as a conditioner on special occasions like a night out or big event etc (most weekends!) but for everyday weekday washes I like to use a more affordable alternative. And that's where the L'oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil nourishing shampoo and conditioner for 'normal hair with a tendency to dry' comes into play! 

I have been religiously using the L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil for coloured hair for a while now and so was excited to try this new shampoo and conditioner. 

Both are enriched with six flower oils to nourish, add shine and make hair feel soft and supple. It is a clear shampoo and the conditioner is an opaque golden colour which looks as if it has iridescent sparkles in it to add shine.  Both smell divine, just the right amount of fragrance- nothing heavy or overbearing. 

The flower oils included are:

Rosa Canina - Rose

Chamomilla Recuita - Chamomile

Linum Usitatissimum - Flax

Nelumbium Speciosum - Lotus

Gardenia Tahitensis - Tiara

Hellanthus Annuus - Sunflower

The shampoo lathers nicely and gives hair a good clean and the conditioner has a thick and luxurious feel. 

I apply the hair oil on wet hair before brushing it and it detangles and immediately my hair is easier to manage. I use waaaaaay more than the few drops it recommends due to the thick and voluminous nature of my hair but it is not greasy or sticky and it applies easily- my hair seems to lap it up! A friend stayed with me recently and used it and she has completely the opposite hair to me: poker straight, thin and fine, and she loved it too! 

I'll be buying this range again and again and I definitely recommend it as an affordable, easy to find, easy to use haircare range. 

Wakeboarding near The Palm, Dubai

A long time ago on a cold, windy, rainy day in Wales, dressed in an immensely unflattering wetsuit, I tried waterskiing- and really loved it! My friends who took me out told me I was a 'natural' and afterwards I gave it another few tries at a cold, rainy, windy lake full of algae in Manchester. Needless to say I eventually gave it up for warmer hobbies... 

However since that time I have always wanted to give wakeboarding a try... Fast forward a few years to when I'm living in Dubai with incredible weather and a whole big inviting Persian Gulf sea on the doorstep and I decided to give it a go!

I found a willing (and wakeboarding experienced) friend and we booked at hour session with Sea Riders UAE, a company who a friend recommended. (550aed for one hour, two people with two instructors on the boat).

We met them near Marina Mall, Dubai Marina and jumped in the boat. As the water is so warm there was no need for wetsuits, just lifejacket and I wore my bikini with a rash vest and swim shorts over the top. 

The speed boat took us out to near The Palm and in front of One and Only and I went first. I was strapped onto a board- very much like snowboards with bindings. After being told that I needed to let the boat pull me up onto the board, keep legs bent until the board is flat on the surface and stand straight keeping knees soft and lean back, bend your elbows and keep the rope handle near your hip. You will naturally turn to your lead leg as you get up. 

At first I wasn't too great- the force of the boat just seemed to pull me over face first into the water much to the amusement of the party yacht near us :-( but after a while I got used to the force and managed to stand up and be pulled along for a good few minutes- hurrah!  The knees are soft to take the impact of the bouncy waves etc- especially when we had to turn in the wake (generally I fell off at this point!).  

I'll be honest - this is quite a strenuous sport, perhaps when you get used to it you don't notice so much but you really feel the burn when you are up in your lowers arms, shoulders and abs whilst you are doing it and then after you get a serious ache in the legs! 

Also you should probably be quite a strong swimmer and quite comfortable being thrown into the water etc as there is a lot of this! Not once you get more experienced of course, but to start with expect to swallow a lot of sea water! 

Once you get good you can jump, hold with one hand, cut in and out of the boat's wake and switch leading foot. My friend was pretty good at jumping but stayed up for ten minutes as he knew how much he'd ache from past sessions!

I was out for 40mins which is apparently longer than most beginners and had blisters on my hands from the rope handle but all in all it was an awesome experience and one I'm definitely planning to repeat again! 

MMA Tecom Kettlebell class review

So very close to where I work in Tecom is a gym called MMA Fitness.  I thought I'd give the Kettlebell class a go on a Thursday night after work.

I arrived early to sign up to the class as apparently it's a busy one and members get first refusal. It's 100aed pay as you go, however if you speak to a membership consultant and if it's your first time in the gym then you get one class free to try it out- woohoo! 

The class started late which meant I was waiting for nearly an hour, however I massively enjoyed it once it got going. It's a proper blokes gym (although v welcoming to women) offering boxing, martial arts and kickboxing etc so the class was two thirds men and a few girls. The instructor was awesome and didn't take any prisoners- he pushed us and shouted to keep trying etc.  

There were no niceties like many classes eg asking if anyone was new or if anyone had injuries etc, he just got stuck right in and the class followed. 

Having never done kettlebells before I was a bit unsure how to hold or grip the weights but soon got the hang of it. Although the guy next to me dropped his right next to my foot!!! (Would've been a broken toe if it had landed on my foot argh!). 

We warmed up doing everyone's favourite: burpees, as well as running on the spot, squats, lunges etc and then picked up the Kettlebell to progress through a number of swinging movements that really worked your core, arms and legs.

After that was floor work, doing sit-ups keeping the weight raised up in one arm- super tough!  Then we did a series of standing movements that included swinging the weight, leaning to one side with it in the air (a killer on your abs!) and then lunging. 

Then, just when I thought it couldn't get any tougher we did a rolling movement on our backs with the weight where we flung our legs over our heads and with the momentum then stood up holding the weight in the air... Youch!!! 

There wasn't much of a warm down, the class kinda just ended but there was a great atmosphere in the room when it finished as everyone had worked hard and enjoyed the workout! 

Would I go again? Absolutely! I felt incredible after as I was happy I'd survived a tough class and I really felt like my core had got a great workout - especially down the sides which is not often an area that ever aches after exercise!

My only niggle is that I have a weak wrist and it ached big time after as you are holding the Kettlebell weights in the hand for most of the class so puts a lot of pressure of your wrists. Next time I'll know to wear my wrist support! 

Kettlebells are meant to burn more calories than a usual aerobics class due to the weight and movements you use, am sure there are more gentle classes than the MMA one I went to, however if you want to sweat in a no-nonsense environment then head to this Tecom gym!