6 Health Trends to Make You Happy

Michelle O’Brien has Thai treatments and ballet steps to boost body happiness.

Barre none
Ever since Natalie Portman jet?-d across our screens in Black Swan, ballet has regained prominence as a strengthening, sculpting workout. Fancy learning from the actress’s very own trainer? Well, now you can. Join the poised Mary Helen Bowers, a former dancer with the New York City Ballet, and her team, as they tutor online with classes streamed to your living room. Who knew being interactive was so nuanced? We approve. Monthly subscriptions from approx €30, balletbeautiful.com.

Bottoms up
Liquids are having a revival. These days, it’s perfectly acceptable to meet our nutritional requirements through a straw, with food juiced, blended and fused to fit neatly in a plastic cup. So it’s no surprise to see these bewitching bottles of supplements on the shelf. The colourful range covers everything from happiness to hair; take two teaspoons daily to boost your beverage. Fountain, from €25.99 at Brown Thomas.

Ssshhh ?
Bedtime brings tears and tantrums to many, but what if it’s the grown-ups making the noise? Sleep disorders are on the up amongst adults, so when counting sheep doesn’t help, those in the know are turning to yoga nidra, a deep conscious relaxation. Classes from €10 at The Yoga Hub, yogahub.ie.

A sunny satiation is the goal of Dr Jane McCartney’s guide, Stop Overeating: The 28-day plan to end emotional eating for good (out now on Amazon). Understanding the triggers and learning the tools can help you start to stop.

Trendy in transit
Choosing commuter footwear can be a minefield. The ill-fitting but beautiful brogues, or the battered runners that create a sweaty office perfume? As the weather improves, we’ve decided to match our high spirits to our shoes with a chroma burst from Skechers GOWalk 2, the pump designed especially for an enhanced striding experience. Step to it. From €60 at Skechers retail stores nationwide.

Don’t curb your enthusiasm
Acronyms and nutrition go hand in hand. Between RDAs, DRIs, GIs and now GLs, we feel we’ve earned those biscuits in brain energy burned alone. A little learning could change all that. Zest4life’s Superhealth course offers a motivational approach to weight loss and aims to curb those pesky cravings for good. Programmes run for ten weeks, from €249, including all course materials, zest4lifedublin.ie.

Michelle O’Brien covers health for IMAGE Magazine