We’re mixing the latest exercise trends with hints for a happy mind. This is all about discovering what puts a smile on your face and a burn in your booty, finding ways to free up your body so it’s not holding you back, and seeking out self-care that leaves you feeling light as a bird.

GET FLEXY

Cityscape checks out where you can relax your mind and lengthen your limbs.

Grassroots Yoga & Health Owner Veronica King, who has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years, believes yoga can be your personal sanctuary in this modern world; and that’s exactly what she’s created. Natural light filters into the airy studio, and the room’s historic exposed beams crown the space. Grassroots’ team have yoga for everyone, with specialised classes for over 65s, prenatal yoga classes, yoga restore, and Zoom yoga nidra, a deeply relaxing guided meditation practice you can enjoy from home. Grassroots Yoga also runs frequent programmes for anyone who wants to go a little deeper into their yoga practice. In November, Veronica is running a four-week Yoga Nidra for Mental Health programme, where you’ll explore how yoga relates to topics like stress, depression, unhealthy habits and sleep.

grassrootsyoga.co.nz

Soul2Sole Robyn Alderson started Soul2Sole Fitness after developing a love for yoga and Pilates while she was studying with the Hagley Dance Company. She’s now practiced yoga for over 15 years, developing an accessible yoga style influenced by her contemporary dance training. Robyn’s yoga classes incorporate flexibility, core strength and technique, and focus on fluidity of movement and awareness of breath. Soul2Sole is a perfect spot for anyone who wants to ease their way into yoga; Robyn caters for yogis of all skill and experience levels, and her welcoming community will keep you coming back.

soul2solefitness.net

Play your cards right

Need an educational wellbeing boost? These new Wellness Cards from nutritional biochemist Dr Libby will get you there. Each of the cards has a health tip, either nutritional, biochemical or emotional, that will help guide your holistic health practices. Use these cards as an opportunity to pause throughout your day, for some immediate inspiration on the go, or as a guided way of focusing on an aspect of your health.

drlibby.com

Relax, recover, rehab

Take a load off in these great Christchurch spots for a lie-down.

We tricked you; this lie-down won’t be comfy. Muscle People Physiotherapy wants you to lay back on an Oov, a new bit of kit designed by an osteopath and neuroscientist. The Oov mimics the natural curve of your spine and is made of super stiff foam, and we’ve heard it isn’t exactly relaxing. But it’ll be worth it. You’ll improve your joint movements, work your hard-to-target inner abdominal muscles, and improve your balance and stability.

musclepeople.co.nz

You can pick your ‘good pain’ at Kawakawa Clinic. Katrina offers remedial deep tissue massage therapy, which treats muscle tension and spasms and also reduces mental stress and improves sleep quality. For pure bliss, the Swedish relaxation massage gently eases muscle tension and winds down the mind. Her visceral manipulation massage can reduce stress and nervous fatigue in the body.

kawakawaclinic.co.nz

Give your brain and your body a break at In Essence. Valerie recognises that everything we feel affects our bodies and our minds. To help you recover in every way, she offers holistic treatments such as mental and emotional massage therapy, soul alignment massage therapy, and hot stones and aromatherapy to enhance the experience.

in-essence.co.nz

5 ways to feel more energised

Harvard Medical School tells us that there are a bunch of things we can do to raise our energy levels naturally. Here are five of the most effective:

1 Stay active - Exercise has two advantages: firstly, our bodies release stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which make us feel energised. Even a short, brisk walk at lunchtime can sharpen you up for the rest of the day. Secondly, exercising during the day almost guarantees you’ll sleep more soundly at night. Win-win.

2 Lighten your load - All of us are susceptible to feeling fatigued when we’re overworked – which can be caused by professional, family or social obligations. Write a list of the tasks you’ve got on and decide which ones are must-dos, and which ones aren’t as important. If your overwork is mostly professional, consider asking for extra help.

3 - Be smart with caffeine Hooray! Caffeine does help increase alertness, so having a cuppa joe in the morning can sharpen your mind. But be careful – for caffeine to work well, it has be consumed at the right times. Drinking coffee after 2pm can affect the quality of your sleep, so use it as a morning pick- up only.

4 - Eat for energy Avoid overeating. Smaller, more frequent snacks and meals are better than overfeeding yourself just a few times a day. Eating low-GI foods – food whose sugars are absorbed slowly – can help provide even energy across the day. Whole grains, high-fibre vegetables, nuts and healthy oils are all wonderful options.

5 - Have fun with friends There are some great reasons to line up board game nights with your buddies or arrange a regular morning meet-up. Laughter is a proven stress-reliever and it’s been shown to boost energy. Studies also show that people who are less social generally aren’t as happy and sleep worse than people who interact with others regularly.

TURN UP THE HEAT

Exercise like you love it with Ōtautahi’s best booty-shaking establishments, and get that rump toned up.

Pilates + Barre founder Noeline Boet loves Bootybarre – the fusion of Pilates, dance and yoga, set to upbeat music; think ‘Run the World (Girls)’ by Beyoncé and a super-pumped version of Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’.

pilatesplusbarre.co.nz

Newbies and experienced dancers alike meet at Brazilian Beatz to salsa the night away. Leo and Becky Neves, who run the school, offer a range of beginners’ classes, in salsa, Brazilian zouk, and bachata.

brazilianbeatznz.com

At Studio Six’s private studio in Burwood long-time yogi Kyla or her heavy-lifting husband Ryan will squat you into shape with training sessions tailored to your needs. Crank things up with, boxing, cardio, group fitness and yoga.

s6.co.nz