I can’t remember the exact
moment I decided to join the
gym last summer. I was in the
throes of a horrific breakup
— the messy, all-consuming kind
of heartbreak, where putting one
foot in front of the other feels like
trying to run a marathon with
your legs tied together. My
three-year relationship had
crashed to an end and my
confidence was in tatters. As
much as I want to say my
motivation for getting fit was to
make myself stronger, it wasn’t:
I wanted a revenge body. I had
dabbled in fitness before,
meaning I’d start every January
with a new year’s resolution to
get fit, buy some dumbbells on
Amazon and then give up a few
weeks later. But this time giving
up wasn’t an option, simply
because my crumbling self-
esteem couldn’t take it. I hired a
personal trainer to teach me to lift
weights and signed up to every
class I’d been too scared to try
before, like boxing and Pilates —
now both favourites. A few
months in and although my heart
was still hurting, I felt amazing
— exercise really does make you
feel better. Eight months on, I’m
still in the gym six, sometimes
seven, days a week, and with
every squat, hip thrust and
deadlift, my confidence grows
along with my biceps. And there’s
a lot more to be gained from
working out than a revenge body
(although being told you look
great after a breakup never hurts).
There are the new friends I’ve
made at classes and the pride in
seeing myself physically improve
at something week after week.
Best of all, I’m not exercising
because I’m heartbroken now —
I’m exercising because I love it. ■‘My heartbreak
workout gave me
a revenge body’Roisin Kelly Style staff writer
and editorial assistant9 Sea, sand
and sit-ups
Now that hassle-free travel is back on the agenda,
this summer’s Instagram brag will be all about
the fit-break. It’s part of a wider trend: a recent
survey found that almost 70 per cent of us will
focus our next trip on wellbeing gains.
Meanwhile the global wellness travel industry
is predicted to reach £697 billion this year.
A raft of hotels is popping up to meet the
challenge. In May the Peligoni Club (above) on
the Greek island of Zakynthos will host Pace, a
week-long wellness programme, with experts
including the celebrity nutritionist Rose
Ferguson, Olympic gold-medallist Chris Hoy and
DJ-turned-meditation teacher Rob da Bank.
For the amateur athletes, Six Senses Ibiza is
hosting its first triathlon at the end of this month,
with Olympian and former world champion Iván
Raña headlining the programme. The four-day
retreat includes biohacking, inspirational
lectures, restorative yoga, meditation and
massages — and will be rolled out to other Six
Senses properties.
And for those who fancy their usual gym
transported to a Greek clifftop, Daios Cove in
Crete has the perfect answer. Along with cutting-
edge fitness equipment from Technogym, it has an
outdoor functional training rig and hosts boxing
classes overlooking the sea. Because who doesn’t
fancy four rounds before dinner?
peligoni.com; sixsenses.com; daioscovecrete.comSports bra, £79, and
leggings, £109, Reebok x
Victoria Beckham
The Sunday Times Style • 15