Time for a challenge: sleektechnique and sleeksweat

Flik Swan and Victoria Marr

I like a good challenge, be it intellectual or physical.  Challenges help you to refocus and break bad habits. Obviously you need to consider the challenge very carefully and be sure that it is right for you, assessing the nature of the challenge and your own limitations. Once you know it is feasible all you need to do is stick to it and the best way to do so is to tell as many people as possible that you are doing a challenge. It works for me, and once I take on something I have to take it to completion, and not 'losing face' becomes a further incentive.
The last time I seriously challenged myself was when I was a Bikram yoga 'devotee', around 2009, and did the thirty day challenge, one 90 mins class a day - I still have the tshirt I was given when I got to the end!
The downside of that challenge was the fact I had to plan my day so that I would be at the studio by the appointed time. Easier said than done. I did it in summer during a long holiday because I needed a lot of time, travelling around London is very time consuming.
But the actual challenge was wonderful, it did wonders for my well being.
Now I have the opportunity to take on another challenge and I have already begun.
I have been doing, for my fitness,  Sleektechnique since the spring of 2014 and loved it from day one. It is ballet based, it combines cardio with stretches and a great ballet barre routine. The most wonderful thing is that it can be done at home, or anywhere else, using streaming workouts and participating in real time classes through Vidyo.  All you need is an internet connection and a device, laptop, iPad, phone.
Though I continue to go to dance classes when I can  Sleek is part of my daily routine and since classes are max 45 minutes each and there is a choice of morning and evening classes  I often do two classes a day.

The enCore workout
 Sleek founders Victoria Marr and Flik Swan  have worked together with Sweaty Betty and have devised a new streaming workout called enCore, which is available from the Sweaty Betty website. After teaching it live at Sweaty Betty they issued a challenge starting from this week for anyone to do one enCore routine coupled with a barre workout three times a week for six weeks and post about it on Twitter, Facebook or  Instagram using hashtags #sleektechnique and #sleekandsweaty and picture of themselves striking a Sleek pose.
I was told about the challenge last week during one of the live classes, by one of the trainers. It really is a challenge aimed  at newcomers, people who have never 'sleeked' before (we have a verb for it!). But I felt I also had to do it, the moment I heard the word challenge I could not stop thinking about it. However cutting down my daily routine did not seem the right thing to do. So I have adapted the challenge to suit my needs. I am still doing my regular live classes (minimum one a day, depending on my time commitments, sometimes I even squeeze in three) and my regular streaming workouts when my body needs them - I often throw in a Stretch and Flex quick workout because my body clearly demands it. But I have added the enCore workout and one of the barre routines three times a week.
Week one is nearly over for me, I have already done two days, Sunday will round up the week.
Why do this challenge? It is purely for the joy of taking on something for a while and really give it my best. Winter is coming, the time of the year when you may begin to feel sluggish. Knowing I have to do my workout helps me to focus, be alert and I learn about my body and its needs. I pay attention to my hydration a lot more, for example, and have learnt to tell good pain from bad pain. The most wonderful thing is that I am in absolute control and I can stop any time if I find it is taking too much out of me. No one is forcing me. But so far I am enjoying it.
The enCore work out is tough but then it is meant to be all about strengthening your core.
I am not doing this to lose weight, I am fine with my current weight but  I aim for tone and long muscles. I also find that when I am in this challenge mode I eat all the right things and naturally discard unhealthy food. I also become more efficient in the way I go about my tasks. I am writing more for example, working on my book based on my research on fashion  in Indonesia and sitting at my computer all day long is not good, I need to move.
The real challenge for me will be to keep this up when I travel at the end of the month, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Meanwhile if anyone is inspired by the idea of a sleek challenge, do join us for some happy sleeking!
Off topic, below is one of my latest images taken by Christopher Luk from Hong Kong while he was in London for Fashion Week. More on my Instagram.


(I nearly titled this post 'Challenging Times' in an attempt to be playful then I immediately changed my mind, feeling it might be seen a tad inappropriate. We do indeed live in extremely challenging times, the world around us seems to be swept by a wave of violence and disrespect for our fellow human beings).

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