Top 5: Ways to Improve Your Week in LondonBy Alicia Grimshaw
Hump day? What hump day? From a hair chop to Pilates, here’s five amazing ways to improve your week:
1. For Trendy Specs: KITE Eyewear
What: What happens when you sprinkle British flair, mix it with Italian handmade artistry, and throw in a heavy dose of heritage and invention? You end up with KITE Eyewear; your new best friend. If you’re bored of the pretty dire frame selection on the high-street – you need to check out KITE Eyewear. Pronto. Based in Westfield Stratford, this uber trendy opticians sell some super cool and sassy frames. If you’re looking to pimp up your eyewear, the friendly staff will help you choose suitable frames to suit your money maker.
Why: Handmade frames don’t get much better than this. Each frame is handmade, with the highly trained hands developed from years of experience in Italy. And let’s face it, who doesn’t want a pair of snazzy glasses? Get yourself noticed with a pair of statement spectacles. Whether it is the quirky, bold or colourful look you’re going for, they have a selection of frames to suit your fashion flair.
Price: Frames from £150
Where: Westfield Stratford City, London E20 1EL
2. For a New Barnet: Neville Hair and Beauty Salon
What: A new haircut makes you feel like you can take on the world. We’re fully behind the phrase ‘new hair, new you’, because, in life nothing beats a fresh cut. And while finding a good hairdresser is like finding a decent shop bought brew (few and far between), we can fully vouch for the services at Neville Hair and Beauty Salon. Located on Pont St, Neville’s not only provides an excellent cut and colour service, this beauty salon also offers a wide range of services including manicures, pedicures, reflexology, and a scalp facial.
Why: The team here are not hairdressers, oh no, these guys are actual wizards. If you’re after a new colour, the talented team have a wealth of experience. Whether your look is natural, bold, eye-catching, or a total image overhaul, the colour experts can help. Think of them as the Ghostbusters of the hair colour world. And if you need a decent trim, there’s a team of scissor warriors who can turn your sad barnet into luscious locks. Neville’s have just introduced a new healthy food menu that’s worth checking out. On top of all that, they make a decent cuppa. We love.
Price: Cuts from £75
Where: 5 Pont St, London SW1X 9EJ3
Photo Credit: Elena Lavagni
3. For a New Fitness Class: Pilates Squared
What: We’ve all been there – a fitness rut. If you’re tired of pounding the treadmill or find your regular gym routine lacklustre, we have the answer: Pilates Squared. This boutique studio specialises in a new fitness trend that causing quite a stir, HIIP. If you’re not familiar with HIIP, here’s what you need to know: it combines principles of Tabata, Reformer Pilates, Classical Pilates, and HIIT in order to build intensity and burn calories.
Why: Because you will sweat. The one hour sessions is a combination of focused Pilates exercises, mixed with cardio to get the heart rate up which provides the opportunity for maximum change. By combining cardio with dynamic Pilates you can expect all of the changes typical to Pilates; better posture, muscle tone and definition, flexibility, and range of motion. Only faster. The one on one sessions allows you to target certain muscle groups and work on problem areas. And the trainers are fantastic.
Price: Sessions for £42
Where: 27 Emperor’s Gate, London SW7 4HS
4. For Back Pain Relief: Sophia Kupse
What: Think you’ve had back massages, think again. LT memory is so much more than a few oils and whale music. LT Memory is basically a treatment that resets muscle memory in the neck, shoulders and back. Like any computer or mobile phone when they get a blip, they need to be reset – so does our muscle memory. Sophia Kupse, a qualified holistic practitioner working with Eastern and Western therapies for over 20 years, is the pioneer behind one of the most advanced holistic back pain treatments available, ‘Langellotti Tri-Therapy’ (or LT Therapy to you and I).
Why: LT therapy identifies how the muscle pain occurred, resets and releases muscle memory so you are able to fully understand why they repeatedly build pain in the same area. The Tri-Method (founded by Sophia) is the only way to reset it. Manipulation alone, heat or ice alone cannot successful achieve this result. It will leave you feeling de-stressed, revitalised and well-balanced.
Price: From £55
Where: 2 Harley Street, London W1G 9PA
What: Need to amp up your fitness levels? We know just the place. Speedflex is a resistance training gym in Bank, and specialises in HIIT training. The machines allows for a professional athlete to train alongside a beginner, as the machines respond to your force as opposed to the addition of weights. This means there is no damage to muscles and you’ll experience little to no muscle soreness post session. Each session, you’ll wear a heart rate monitor which allows your to track your calories and heart rate on the tv screen.
Why: Welcome to hell. The instructors at Speedflex will push you to your limits with a range of exercises and movements using the resistances machines, combined with kettle bell swings, sprints and wall sits. Complain all you want, but it won’t help – the instructors don’t do whinging, although we have throw a fair few expletives at them from time to time. The team keep you on your toes with tabata training, HIIT cardio and ab exercises. Prepare to feel the burn.
Price: Classes from £20
Where: Lombard St, London EC3V 9BQ
