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IMAGE’s Lizzie Gore-Grimes shares the sacred simplicity of her wellness routine
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Striking the balance between boxing and Pilates, celebratory pints of Guinness and restful reading time, Lizzie’s personal wellness routine is peppered with the small things that bring her the biggest comfort.
My personal wellness routine is pretty basic and probably very clichéd, I imagine. If I think about the simple moments that I cherish, moments that feel like they are just for me… it’s retreating back to the bed with my cup of tea and book on a Sunday morning; filling the bath to neck-high with water hot enough to turn my skin pink and melt away the tension of a long day; the sound of the dishwasher quietly swooshing away in the silent kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed (there’s something about the comfort of things being washed and prepped for the next day while I do nothing) and, of course, there’s the dog.
I love taking him to the beach, putting some distance between us while he sniffs away at the rocks, then calling him and watching him bound towards me, across the sand, ears flapping out to the side like an airplane; it never fails to make my heart soar. There’s also a particular softness and smell to the tufty fur behind his ears, the way he shows off his tiny bottom teeth when he ‘smiles’, and the feeling of his weight against my side as we watch TV – just a few of the ways he brings endless comfort and company to our days.
These small, ordinary moments are so easy to undervalue, but one of the great things about getting older (I turned 50 this year) is that I feel I’m beginning to see them now for what they really are – flecks of gold in the mottled marble of my life.
Turning 50 has also provided proper perspective, as you realise what a privilege it is, when others we love didn’t make it. Who cares about wrinkles and grey hairs when you’re dancing around the kitchen table with lifelong friends, and celebrating with a Connemara camp-out with family; these are the lines of your life that really matter.
Another crucial wellness support for me is my fitness fix. I have discovered that being a ‘pay-as-you-go’ member of a number of different places works really well for me. I have Headon Boxing for that essential high-cardio, high-energy tension-purge; there really is nothing like pounding a boxing bag to get rid of any work-life-stress (big shout out to my amazing trainer Oisin). Then I go to Strong Pilates for a sweaty-strength boosting mix; Strong is new enough to Ireland with hybrid half-rower-half-reformer machines and classes that involve a mix of high-cardio bike/row blasts with weighted resistance work on the reformer. You certainly feel it afterwards. Then I have my OG Platinum Pilates that feels like pouring warm oil over a squeaky hinge; the whole body just exhales at the end of the class.
But the space and place where I find the most comfort is undoubtedly just at home with my family. Hanging out, just five of us – or six rather – including our ear-flapping friend above. That is undoubtedly my happy place. Even though three out of the five are teenagers, notorious for being painful, they can also be really great company. Spending time with my children now as they become young adults feels like making new friends, we’re still parent and child of course, but it’s fascinating to watch a new type of relationship develop.
My parents bought a small cottage in Wicklow before I was born and my siblings and I recently did it up a bit; this has now become my go-to decompression chamber. Throwing the few essentials into a bag on Friday evening (tracksuit, woolly socks and book is pretty much all that’s needed) and spending time there with the kids, with little to do except walk the dog, enjoy a pint in the local pub, light the fire (outdoors) and talk. I’m also dabbling in a bit of gardening there for the first time and reaping the relaxing reward.
Simple, small things but sacred to me.
The IMAGE Wellness Project is sponsored by Activia and Irish Life Health. Visit our IMAGE Wellness Project Hub to follow weekly updates including interviews, videos and podcast episodes with leading wellbeing experts.
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