Wellbeing

2026 – A new chapter in wellness, fitness and eating well

January 26, 2026

I’m going against the norm a bit here, writing my new year, new me post at the end of the first month – but this gives me the added insight of how my wellness journey is actually going here at 25 days in. At the start of 2026 I signed up to my first ever half marathon. There’s nothing like a looming challenge, completely out of your comfort zone to spur you on as you start a new year health kick…. and this is definitely way out of mine. I’ve been running for a few years now, but never more than 10km. I’m still working on building up my distance, with the event just 5 weeks away I’m starting to feel the pressure.

Smartwatch

In an effort to manage my overall fitness in I’ve been researching smart watches. I’ve always tracked my runs with Strava but I think having a smartwatch is a bit like having a personal trainer on your wrist. Having read a number of reviews, I chose the Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch with the promise of being user friendly, easy to wear and ideal for tracking activities. I’m now in my third week of wearing my watch and have found it an excellent tool for monitoring my quality of sleep, heart rate and the impact of my runs.

Highlights include:

The option of choosing your own goals from steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, or active zone minutes to track how much exercise you do every week. This allows a greater focus on specific areas you’re looking to challenge or monitor progress in.
An easy to use slide screen set up making it super easy to access a wide range of information from your watch. The watch connects to an app on your phone which also allows you access to more detailed stats and goals.
A Daily Readiness Score that tells you whether your body is ready to engage in physical activity – based on activity, sleep, and heart rate variability.

Thoughts:

I feel more informed in terms of my general fitness levels. I tend to check my sleep score as I sip my coffee in the morning – I find it fascinating to see how long I’ve been in deep sleep, light sleep or REM. I also like to check in on my heart rate. I’ve already gained some insight into how certain activities impact on sleep and stress levels such as drinking alcohol or going to bed too late. Having these insights is definitely making an impact on my decision making and my overall wellbeing.

Ninja Blender

In an effort to eat more superfoods I’ve also introduced using a Ninja Blender to my daily routine. I’ve never been into juicing or smoothie making before so this is all new to me. I chose the Ninja 2 in 1 blender because of the attachable cup option – as someone who always leaves everything to the last minute the idea of blending and running out the door works.

My blender came with a small recipe book which inspired me to research further online. I had quite restricted ideas about what you can use a blender for, but in the past month I’ve learned to use my Ninja for milkshakes, pesto sauces, guacamole and soups. I’ve definitely been able to broaden my horizons in terms of including a wider range of superfoods into my diet, especially things like garlic, kale and spinach.

Highlights include:

The facility to switch between a large blender jug for soups/sauces and a cup with a sip-and-seal lid for personal smoothies.
The blender is incredibly powerful allowing it to blitz through tough, fibrous greens and hard ingredients, ensuring a smooth, lump-free texture.
The blender uses a range of pre-programmed settings (blend, crush, pulse) that automatically adjust speed and timing for consistent results, requiring no guesswork.

Thoughts:

Whilst in reality, I know the novelty of having a now blender may wear off – I am determined to make this a part of my routine during my down time and days off. Topping up on my greens at the weekend is an easy win. I’m also inspired to explore more sauces, soups and blends now that I’ve got the bug. Whilst I may not have time to blend everyday, I’ll certainly make time very week.