Gung Ho

Garmin Vivosmart3 hits Third Space London

| tigeresskirby

When it comes to fitness trackers it can be difficult to know which one to go for and when you do finally choose, it can be even more difficult to work out how to use them most effectively. Luckily, I had Garmin on hand last week showing me just how to navigate the new vivosmart3 and how to get the most out of my workout via the device. We took to Third Space Tower Bridge to take on their Sweat X class and put the vivosmart3 to the test.

Firstly, I have to say a huge well done to Garmin for hosting at such an amazing location. Third Space is a dream and if you haven’t had the chance to go before, I recommend that you do. However, with facilities of such a high standard it’s only right that they have the workouts to match… cue the hardest gym class that I have been to yet.

Before being dragged to hell and back (in a good way, if that’s possible), we were kitted out with brand new vivosmart3 trackers. Extremely lightweight, with a super sleek design, the vivosmart3 is a watch that you can wear everywhere and anywhere, from day to night. It’s slim, discreet and has a hidden display that lights up only when you want it to- how clever- so can literally fit into most outfits helping you to track your activity 24/7. The watch is also good to wear whilst swimming or showering, so there’s no need to worry about it getting wet.

So it looks great and is easily wearable, but what about the features? Along with the usual tracking capabilities of most fitness devices such as step counting, heart rate, distance travelled and calories burnt, the watch has a number of additional features to really get that in-depth insight into your health and daily activity. The vivosmart3 is able to calculate your fitness age, track floors climbed as well as your sleep and even has a stress level indicator. You can see more of what the device has to offer by clicking right here.

We wore our fitness trackers during the entire trip to hell (aka the workout) and competed against each other as to who could burn the most calories by the end of the session. Combining upper and lower body circuits with treadmill running, the class covered both body strength and cardio aspects of training. We ran, lifted, pushed and sweated our way to the finish line to then compare calories burnt. I was sure that I would be up there with my 600+ calories, yet I was up against a tough bunch and the winner came in with over 700 cals burnt! Wowwee.

That wasn’t the end. We then used the rep counting feature to record how many reps of free weight exercises we could complete within 3 minutes. Again, showing us just how the clever features of the vivosmart3 can be used throughout any workout.

After class, we were rewarded with protein smoothies, the satisfaction of completing Sweat X and came away with a whole load of knowledge on just how to get the most out of our fitness trackers. I for one would definitely recommend the vivosmart3. Especially if you’re looking for a watch that can cover all bases and be worn throughout the entire day. Retailing at £129.99, the vivosmart3 is available to buy in three different colourways right now.

Speedo #Make1KWet with Nathalie Emmanuel 

| tigeresskirby

Speedo have launched a brand new campaign in the hope to get more people into the water and improve their fitness via the fabulous sport of swimming. #Make1KWet aims to highlight the  benefits of the sport and it’s ability to improve performance in other activities such as running. 

To celebrate the launch, we headed to the beautiful Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel to pick up our goody bags and then strolled across to Canary Wharf Virgin Active, where we took to the water! 


Wearing the latest Speedo kit- a body positioning swimsuit (which I have to say is amazing!) and Biofuse anti fog goggles- we were looking like pros, but could we keep up the pace once in the water? 

Expert coach Annie Emmerson led the session whilst Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou showed us exactly how it should be done with world-class demonstrations. Split into three different groups dependant upon ability, we were in the water for a good 45 minutes following instructions from Annie and putting our bodies to the test. 

As a keen runner and admittedly, a not-so-keen swimmer, the session made me realise that I have a long way to go if I want to master the sport of swimming. I learnt through isolation drills that, just like out of the water, my legs are much more powerful than my arms, which could be one downfall in my swimming game. My breathing technique also isn’t the best meaning that there’s plenty of room for improvement. 

Honestly, I have never had a desire to swim. From a young age I had to be bribed to go to my swimming classes with the promise of pick’&’mix afterwards. On holiday, I would rather sunbathe than take to the pool and the thought of trekking to a UK pool quite frankly sounded like the worst idea ever. However, I have to say that although I’m not going to be a swimming enthusiast any time soon (although never say never!), I do think that I am now more keen to make improvements and see if it really does have an affect in other areas. 

Once dried and fed we were introduced to Game of Thrones actress Nathalie Emmanuel, who is the face of the new Speedo #Make1KWet campaign. Nathalie explained her original swimming fears and her journey to overcome them with the Speedo team. She was sweet, funny and extremely honest- a very likeable character who has made me want to tackle my own swimming insecurities even more. 

Overall, I think that #Make1KWet is a brilliant idea- well done, Speedo. It’s refreshing to see a brand pushing people to take note of their health and fitness levels and encouraging more people to move away from their comfort zones. 

Now, with my new kit at hand all I need to do is find out the location of my nearest pool…