Hello_33_Fashion_Monthly_-_March_2020

HELLOFASHION.COM 103

hfm WELLNESS

Boxing champ Ramla Ali on switching

off and self-care, an energising

post-workout snack and mouthwash pills

boost

WORDS:

ELLE

SI

XSM

ITH

PHOTOS:

SHUTTERSTOCK

Q&A

RAMLA ALI

From Somali war refugee

to the first Muslim woman

to win an English boxing

title, Ramla Ali talks mental

health and wellness rituals

in and out of the ring.

What is the biggest

challenge you’ve

faced since going pro?

Boxing never used to

be a career choice for

women financially. Even

today, there is an obvious

disparity and pay gap

between genders. 2012

was the first year female

boxing was included in

the Olympics, but unless

you compete for a western

country, you wouldn’t

have the privilege of it

being your full-time job.

How do you take care

of your mental health?

I see a sports psychologist

once a week and we go

through everything – like the

pressure I feel from people

to succeed. That does

get me down sometimes.

For a lot of African

families, mental health

and issues like bullying

are a taboo subject.

So for me, it’s really

important to talk about it.

What is your

post-fight routine?

After a competition, I take

out my hair braids and

do something completely

different, like have a facial

or get my nails done –

that’s how I relax. On rest

days I wash my hair with

the Pantene Gold Series.

I leave in the Intense

Hydrating Oil, £7.99, and

that’s it. A bit of me-time is

very important. If boxing

becomes your whole life,

you start to hate it.

Use this

NATURAL SELECTION

Finally, a natural

deodorant that really

works. Mitchum’s

aluminium-free

Natural Power, £4.49,

feels comfortably

creamy to apply and

contains absorbent

bamboo powder

and anti-bacterial

botanicals to nix odour

and keep clammy

underarms at bay.

It even stood up to a

sweaty vinyasa flow

class – impressive.

ENERGY FIX

These tasty and nutritious

Swisse Me pouches

(£14.99 for eight) are

the perfect pick-me-up.

Try the mango blend with

magnesium to help stave

off the afternoon slump or

take spirulina post-workout

• it’s high in protein and
  amino acids for muscle
  recovery and the medley
  of apple, banana and
  pear offsets that ‘green’
  bitter taste. When you’re
  finished, chuck empties in
  your nearest TerraCycle
  recycling drop-off point –
  visit terracycle.com.

Try this

WASH YOUR

MOUTH OUT

Mouthwash doesn’t

get much cooler than

these eco-friendly

Georganics tablets, £8.90

for a three-month supply.

Housed in a miniature

glass jar, packaged in

compostable paper, each

pill is infused with sodium

bicarbonate and organic

oils like peppermint

and eucalyptus to help

maintain oral health and

freshen breath without

being overpowering.

Dissolve one tablet in

20ml of water to activate

and swish as normal.

Boxing

gloves,

£19.99,

Everlast

HELLOFASHION.COM 103

hfmWELLNESS

BoxingchampRamlaAlionswitching

offandself-care,anenergising

post-workout snack and mouthwash pills

boost

WORDS:

ELLE

SXSM

TH

PHOTOS:

SHUTTERSTOCK

Q&A

RAMLA ALI

FromSomaliwarrefugee

to thefirstMuslimwoman

to winanEnglishboxing

title,RamlaAlitalksmental

healthandwellnessrituals

inandoutof thering.

Whatis thebiggest

challengeyou’ve

facedsincegoingpro?

Boxingneverusedto

bea careerchoicefor

womenfinancially.Even

today,thereis anobvious

disparityandpaygap

betweengenders. 2012

wasthefirstyearfemale

boxingwasincludedin

theOlympics,butunless

youcompetefora western

country,youwouldn’t

havetheprivilegeof it

beingyourfull-timejob.

Howdoyoutakecare

ofyourmentalhealth?

I seea sportspsychologist

oncea weekandwego

througheverything– likethe

pressureI feelfrompeople

to succeed.Thatdoes

getmedownsometimes.

Fora lotof African

families,mentalhealth

andissueslikebullying

area taboosubject.

Soforme,it’sreally

importantto talkaboutit.

Whatis your

post-fightroutine?

Aftera competition,I take

outmyhairbraidsand

dosomethingcompletely

different,likehavea facial

or getmynailsdone–

that’showI relax.Onrest

daysI washmyhairwith

thePanteneGoldSeries.

I leavein theIntense

HydratingOil,£7.99,and

that’sit. A bitof me-timeis

veryimportant.If boxing

becomesyourwholelife,

you start to hate it.

Usethis

NATURAL SELECTION

Finally,a natural

deodorantthatreally

works.Mitchum’s

aluminium-free

NaturalPower,£4.49,

feelscomfortably

creamytoapplyand

containsabsorbent

bamboopowder

andanti-bacterial

botanicalsto nixodour

andkeepclammy

underarmsatbay.

It evenstooduptoa

sweaty vinyasa flow

class – impressive.

ENERGY FIX

Thesetastyandnutritious

SwisseMepouches

(£14.99foreight)are

theperfectpick-me-up.

Trythemangoblendwith

magnesiumto helpstave

offtheafternoonslumpor

takespirulinapost-workout

• it’shighin proteinand
  aminoacidsformuscle
  recoveryandthemedley
  of apple,bananaand
  pearoffsetsthat‘green’
  bittertaste.Whenyou’re
  finished,chuckemptiesin
  yournearestTerraCycle
  recyclingdrop-offpoint–
  visitterracycle.com.

Trythis

WASHYOUR

MOUTH OUT

Mouthwashdoesn’t

getmuchcoolerthan

theseeco-friendly

Georganicstablets,£8.90

fora three-monthsupply.

Housedin a miniature

glassjar,packagedin

compostablepaper,each

pillis infusedwithsodium

bicarbonateandorganic

oilslikepeppermint

andeucalyptusto help

maintainoralhealthand

freshenbreathwithout

beingoverpowering.

Dissolveonetabletin

20mlof waterto activate

and swish as normal.

Boxing

gloves,

£19.99,

Everlast