Steve Smith won’t be playing in tonight’s Big Bash final, but that hasn’t stopped him taking the mickey out of a frustrating situation.
Welcome to news.com.au’s coverage of tonight’s Big Bash final between the Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Sixers.
The Scorchers have been the team to beat throughout the tournament and the Sixers have been the next best, as the perennial powerhouses square off in a BBL final for the fifth time.
Watch every KFC BBL Finals game Live & On-Demand on Kayo or catch up for FREE with minis on Kayo Freebies. Join Kayo Now >
Both teams are aiming to win their fourth BBL title, with the Sixers going for an unprecedented three-peat.
Sixers to bowl first
The Sixers have won the toss and have elected to bowl first.
The roof at Marvel Stadium will be closed for the game due to heavy rain lashing Melbourne.
Captain Moses Henriques and Steve O’Keefe will both play tonight, despite the duo nursing calf injuries.
The men in magenta are also without star opener and wicketkeeper Josh Philippe who has Covid-19, while brothers Jack and Mickey Edwards will also miss out as their Covid isolation period finishes at midnight tonight.
Jordan Silk is also out with a hamstring injury, while Daniel Hughes faces a late fitness test on his ankle.
Smith had a laugh about the frustrating situation on social media ahead of the final, wishing the Sixers good luck alongside an image of “Italian import Stefano making his debut”, complete with a large moustache and glasses over his face.
The replacement pool of players includes batters Nick Bertus, Jake Carder, Lachlan Hearne, Sam Whiteman and Paddy Rowe, along with bowlers Iain Carlisle and Nick Winter.
Wicketkeeper Jay Lenton, who filled in for Philippe in the Challenger, will keep his place behind the stumps.
For the Scorchers, Mitch Marsh will play after he suffered a hamstring injury while batting last weekend.
The final will get underway at 7.40pm (AEST). You can watch it on Kayo.
A quick flashback to 2020 when the COVID-19 lockdowns were in full force globally. Gyms were shut down, home fitness trainers were locked indoors, and people sat around all day – eating, working sometimes, sleeping, and flopping out of shape.
Fitness apps were the heroes in digital form.
A 46% increase in downloads was recorded globally as everyone got serious about staying in shape. And who says we should stop now that the world’s opening back up? Alongside your gym-visiting efforts, a fitness app can nicely bring your body, health, and nutrition goals together, all from the comfort of your everyday devices.
2022 is almost upon us, and below is a list of the top five apps you should totally check out to make fitness a fun priority.
To get ripped abs and stay green – The Sculpted Vegan
Who said a vegan diet makes it impossible to get shredded?
Photo credit: Kim Constable, with permission
The Sculpted Vegan is the world’s first pro-vegan fitness app, created by retired professional Irish bodybuilder and business coach, Kim Constable. In collaboration with some of the top vegan diet coaches around the world, TSV was created to redefine and streamline the vegan fitness journey. It offers a comprehensive catalog of expert-instructed home and gym workout videos, well-curated meal plans, recipes, motivational and instructional audio guides, and 24/7 support from expert-trained coaches around the globe. You can also log your workout efforts, track your meals, store your progress photos in a private encrypted space, and track every changing metric in your body such as water consumption and heart rate.
The Sculpted Vegan offers a 7-day free trial period and you can sign up for $29.99 monthly and $149 yearly. This app is also wonderful for non-vegans and you can identify with several in-app communities to thrive in communal progress!
Workout Trainer by Skimble is a fitness app that curates your workout journey with personalized exercises and workout plans for the home and gym. You fill a questionnaire while setting up and gain instant access to thousands of videos, audios, and guides created by expert trainers. Users can also hire personal trainers for exclusive live sessions from the app. This app offers a similar growth experience as can be enjoyed in the gym – getting help to work your way up from fearful beginner to absolute ripper.
A paid pro version offers over 100 exclusive programs spanning multiple weeks, exclusive forums, advanced heart rate analysis, and freebies from the company. Subscription costs $6.99/month or $59.99/year.
Sweat is a subscriber-only female fitness app that offers some really challenging and invigorating workouts for your routine. The app has options for beginners as well, but if you need that energy-packed motivation to firm up and get ripped, Sweat’s got you covered.
Sweat is popular for its top selection of fitness trainers offering expert help with weight loss, bodybuilding, meal plans, strength training, yoga, and goal setting. It also has one of the largest communities of female workout enthusiasts for communal growth.
Sweat’s membership costs $19.99 monthly (with a free trial) and $119.99 yearly.
Yogis on all levels can rely on the Daily Yoga app for super-helpful instructions on hundreds of yoga, meditation, and Pilates techniques. It offers tons of classes curated by some of the most skilled yoga teachers in the world. Whether you’re a beginner struggling with the mountain pose or an advanced yogi aiming for the forearm stand, Daily Yoga has got you covered with all the video, photo, and written content to get started.
This app allows you to create your own private yoga plans and track personal data across all your devices. Daily Yoga is free but it offers “silver” and “gold” membership plans ranging from $12.99-$49.99 monthly and $39.99-$69.99 yearly.
This awesome app was created for total newbies to the running game and it offers a 9-week program for strength building and weight loss. Users engage in three running sessions each week as the app maps out routes and tells you when to run, walk, jog, or catch a breath. You get to choose one of four special instructors, starting easy and working your way up to a final race.
Couch to 5K was created by the UK’s NHS in collaboration with BBC and is totally free of charge.
Taking dailyvitaminD and fish oil supplements may help protect older adults from developing autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, thyroid diseases and polymyalgia rheumatica, an inflammatory disease that causes muscle pain and stiffness in the shoulders and hips, a new study found.
People age 50 and older taking 2,000 IU (International Units) of vitamin D3 for over five years had a 22 per cent lower relative rate of confirmed autoimmune diagnoses, said study author Dr. Karen Costenbader, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in the division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity and the director of the lupus program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
That dosage is two to three times the recommended daily dose ofvitaminD for adults, which is 600 IU for people up to 69 years old and 800 IU for those age 70 and up, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Continuous consumption of Vitamin D significantly rose the prevention rate of auto-immune diseases. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Once people had been takingvitaminD for at least two years, the prevention rate from autoimmune disorders rose to 39 per cent, according to the study, published Wednesday in the journal BMJ.
The study also found a possible link between taking 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) and a reduction in autoimmune disorders, but the association was not statistically significant until possible cases of autoimmune disease — not just confirmed cases — were factored into the analysis.
However, the study did find that taking both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplements, versus the placebo alone, decreased autoimmune disease by about 30 per cent.
Vitamin D toxicity
People should not just run out and start popping vitamin D pills to boost their chances of avoiding autoimmune disease, Costenbader warned, as there are significant consequences to taking too much of the supplement.
Unlike water-soluble vitamins, which the body can easily eliminate, vitamin D is stored in the fat cells of the body and can build up to toxic levels, leading to bone pain and kidney damage.
Because the body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunshine, and milk and other foods like cereals are often fortified with vitamin D, many experts say healthy, younger people are not likely to require vitamin D supplements, especially in amounts over the recommended level of 600 IU/day.
Consult your doctor before consuming vitamin D regularly. (Getty)
Levels do drop in older age, but “I would say everybody should talk to their doctor first before taking 2000 international units of vitamin D on top of whatever else you’re taking,” Costenbader said. “And there are certain health problems such as kidney stones and hyperparathyroidism (a rise in calcium levels), where you really shouldn’t be taking extra vitamin D.”
Costenbader’s study analysed 25,871 men and women age 50 and older who were participating in VITAL, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled research study designed to see whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (1,000 mg of Omacor fish oil) would reduce the risk for developing cancer, heart disease and stroke in people with no prior history of these illnesses.
That trial showed no benefits from the extra supplementation in preventing either cardiovascular disease or cancer.
Because prior research has shown both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids derived from seafood can have a positive effect on inflammation and immunity in autoimmune disorders, Costenbader decided to use the same trial to investigate whether the supplements might prevent such diseases.
Elder people are at more risk of developing auto-immune diseases. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s natural defense system suddenly sees normal cells as invaders and begins destroying those cells by mistake. In rheumatoid arthritis, for example, the immune system attacks the lining of joints, creating inflammation, swelling and pain. With psoriasis, overactive T-cells — which are among the body’s best defenders — cause inflammation that creates raised, scaly patches on the skin.
In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s defenders destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. There’s even some evidence to show that inflammation throughout the body might be part of the progression of Type 2 diabetes.
Autoimmune disorders can develop at any stage of life but do appear more among older adults, particularly women, Costenbader said.
To date, no large randomised clinical trials (considered the gold standard of research) had investigated whether fish oil and vitamin D could actually prevent the development of autoimmune diseases.
“This is the first direct evidence in older adults that taking vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids — or a combination — for five years reduces autoimmune disease incidence, with more pronounced effect after two years of supplementation,” Costenbader said.
At five years into the research, the study could not tease apart which of the 80 or more autoimmune diseases might benefit most from vitamin D and fish oil supplements, Costenbader said, but research is continuing. The study is now in its seventh year, she said, and more data should be released in the future.
The race among alcohol purveyors to make the lowest calorie and carb beer (or hard seltzer) has a new entrant with Bud Light Next. This beer (“beer?” we’ll get to that in a bit…) boasts some impressive stats for those looking to keep their macros low when getting their drink on: zero carbs, 80 calories, and 4 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Those are great numbers for weight-conscious beer drinkers and those who prefer light, sessionable quaffs over bitter triple IPAs, heavy saisons, or malty porters.
The new light beer took Anheuser-Busch almost 10 years to craft to their liking, which they stated needed a “brewing breakthrough” for it to come to fruition. Though they won’t say what that amazing breakthrough is: “When you combine technology with Bud Light’s innovation, the impossible becomes possible!”
What they came up with is, for sure, something you can drink to get a buzz without imbibing a bunch of calories or any carbs. But, with that drastic drop in carbs and calories, you inevitably end up losing what most love about beer—flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel.
Courtesy Image
The lager is brewed with malted barley and rice (hard seltzers get their alcohol from fermented cane sugar). Though we can’t say it tastes anything like a beer. Anheuser-Busch says it has a “super crisp” taste and is “refreshing,” which we’d say is true; but that obfuscates the fact it’s on par with plain seltzer. Water that’s got some bubbles…and some alcohol.
It’s a fine drink as is, and would be nice on a hot summer day when you don’t want any semblance of flavor tickling your taste buds. Or you could use it as a mixer for any manner of warm-weather cocktails. Next would work great in a vodka or tequila soda.
But really, if you’re seeking some flavor in your downtime beverage of choice, you’re probably better off just sticking to a zero carb hard seltzer, and there are plenty out there to choose from. If you—technically—want to be drinking a “beer” and are a diehard Bud Light fan looking to shave some carbs and calories from your brew, then Bud Light Next will be just what you’re looking for.
Just don’t expect major flavor or taste.
Courtesy Image
Oh, and that’s not all…the ad wizards at Bud Light (you know, just a plucky brewery that happens to be part of global juggernaut Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV) have included the buzzwords of the moment: NFTs and metaverse.
Called the “Bud Light N3XT Collection,” it’ll feature 12,722 unique tokens in similar hues to Bud Light Next’s light blues and white. Anyone who buys an NFT (only $399 a token!) will be able to vote on Bud Light Next merchandise, have access to Bud Light Next brand and partner events, and other unannounced opportunities centering around the light lager.
Those Bud Light stans that ride or die Bud Light can keep up to date on the latest by following Bud Light on social media.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.
Have a question or comment? Get in touch: Email us: info[at]breakingmuscle.com
Ash Barty is looking to reach the Australian Open final, but a different challenge is standing in her way. Follow the action LIVE.
The 25-year-old has been near untouchable over the first 10 days of this year’s tournament, and can on Thursday reach her first Australian Open final – where she’d become the first Australian woman since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 to do so.
But Barty’s ruthless efficiency through five wins – spending just five hours and four minutes on court – has her in position to match the extraordinary feats of German ace Steffi Graf’s domination of the 1989 event.
Barty’s buzzwords of the week have revolved around “problem solving” and making opponents feel “uncomfortable”, traits she’s delivered in spades.
It took Barty all of three points to figure out the key to dismantling quarter-final victim Jessica Pegula – fighting from 40-0 down in the opening game to break the shell-shocked American and kickstart her most ruthless performance of the tournament.
Her stunning 6-2 6-0 win means Barty has tallied 17 games conceded across five matches at this year’s Australian Open – putting her in the ballpark to better Graf’s extraordinary 1989 triumph, where she dropped just 24 games.
If the pressure is on Barty, it isn’t showing with the Queenslander as calm as you like on and off the court.
“She’s number one, top seed, home slam and chopping everyone up. She should be that favourite,” former Hopman Cup teammate Matt Ebden told News Corp.
“She’s played amazing the first week and hopefully she can keep that up. There’s still a few more matches to go and that’s where she’s gonna need to play her best tennis again.
“But all signs are she’s playing amazing so far, so if she can carry that through I wouldn’t be surprised if she wins.”
Having wiped Americans out in the past two rounds, Barty has a chance to go for a hat-trick when she faces the unseeded Madison Keys in Thursday’s semi-final.
Keys presents a different challenge to those who’ve tried and failed against Barty so far, but the Australian is ready to put her problem-solving to the test.
“Maddie is an exceptional athlete, she has a great serve, great first strike off the return and off her first ball after her serve,” Barty said.
“A lot of the time it’s about trying to put her in an uncomfortable position, try and get her off-balance, because if she controls the centre of the court the match is on her racquet.
“I need to be able to find a balance, problem solve my way through it, try and work out a way to nullify her strengths and bring it back to my patterns if I can.”
Amanda Bisk became a yogi after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue | INSTAGRAM / @amandabisk
AS WE APPROACH the end of January, many of us may be loosing our “new year, new me” momentum when it comes to maintaining our workout and fitness routines. And to make working towards our health goals even more of a challenge, many of us are working from home again (thanks COVID), which means less day-to-day incidental exercise and more temptation to skip that gym class we usually attend on the way home from the office.
Luckily, thanks to the continual rise of fitness accounts and virtual workout options, there’s plenty of motivation available via our devices. We’ve rounded up a list of Australian influencers, (including YouTube’s top content creator of 2020, Chloe Ting), sure to get you out of any fitness-funk.
See below BAZAAR‘s round up aussie fitness influencers to follow on Instagram.
Chloe Ting
She’s the once-Melburnian now living in Singapore, who’s made it big on YouTube. With 22.7 million subscribers on her self-titled channel and 3.2 million on her Instagram, Chloe Ting is lauded for her intense yet gratifying workouts. While some routines, such as her “short ab circuit” seem feasible for the average fitspo chick, rest assured it’s far more challenging than meets the eye. But that’s what you want from an online trainer, someone to push you through the interwebs, right?
Ting rose to fitness fame during 2020 on TikTok — with her time-efficient and terrific home exercises. Notably, her “Two Week Shred Challenge.” In December of that year, YouTube named her as one of their top creators in 2020, while the AACTA Awards named her as finalist for their Best Online Entertainment category.
While Ting will whip you into shape, she’s also down-to-earth and relatable when it comes to health. On Instagram, she shows how particular bodily poses can be deceiving and has previously discussed some of her medical conditions such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), which causes bloating stomach cramps.
She’s only 30-years-old but Kayla Itsines is one of (if not) the most prominent fitness influencers in the world. Back in March 2016, the Adelaide-based exercise guru was among the top 30 most influential people on the Internet — as named by TIME magazine. And then in 2021, Itsines and her former partner/business partner Tobi Pearce sold their company, Sweat, to US-based iFIT Health & Fitness for what’s believed to be a $400 million dollar deal.
What began as a humble Bikini Body Guide in 2014, to then an e-book featuring Itsines HITT style workouts — later became one of Apple’s most downloaded fitness apps. The workout and meal-planning app, Sweat with Kayla, saw the professionally accredited personal trainer travel around the world for sold-out bootcamps.
On Instagram, she shares progress images of her “BBG” girls, as well as videos of them tackling her workouts — including her latest. The treacherous Ab Burn Challenge. As a mother-of-one, who also shared her personal fitness journey while pregnant, she’s also create a range of pregnancy-safe exercises. She’s also a strong advocate for balanced eating — often talking up her love of pizza and pasta. We love to see it.
Rachel Finch may have been our Miss Universe winner in 2009, but she’s also a front-runner in the fitness world. The television host, certified health coach and personal trainer, has a slew of savvy businesses with a focus on wellness and holistic living. Her expert-backed workouts from her Body by Finch app incentivise even the most time-poor and unmotivated of people to get physical in just 30 minutes.
When it comes to nutrition, Finch encourages members to develop a healthy relationship with food as opposed to being on a “diet.” Satisfyingly, meal preparation is also around the 30-minute mark. Away from her fitness app, Finch also owns a popular vitamins range, Kissed Earth. She even designs her own luxe athlesiure, which goes up to a size 18.
And if you need any further proof about Finch’s ability and values, Instagram users only need to look at her profile. The entrepreneur posts an eclectic range of wholesome photos from hearty yet healthy recipes,breathing techniques and even cardio-based skipping rope exercises. Even without much outdoor space, Finch (who also lives in apartment) proves you can workout anywhere.
Riley Hemson has nearly half a million followers on Instagram — and for good reason. The fitness influencer and founder of athleisure range, Remmie by Riley, is all about body confidence at any age, shape or size. Her sustainable label only emphasises her values with pieces specifically designed “to hug your figure in all the right places.”
On Instagram, Hemson shares an eclectic mix of daily posts from motivating leg day videos at the gym to wines at dinner — because life is all about balance, right? She’s also a force in the fashion world, casually hanging out at Australian Fashion Week and featuring in major Aussie campaigns.
While Hemson used to be “embarrassed at school uniform fittings” due to her size, she’s now adopted a “‘you’re more than a number’ mindset.”
“I’m now on websites, in a magazine, a shop window in a mall; modelling this number. It holds power again but in the complete opposite way,” Hemson wrote in an Instagram caption.
Amanda Bisk is a former Professional Pole Vaulter, who represented Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. However, her career got cut short when she began training for the 2012 London Olympics. The-then 25-year-old got diagnosed with chronic fatigue. While she could no longer work as an athlete, Bisk turned her attention to yoga and pilates for stress-relief. Since then, Bisk has become a qualified yoga teacher, personal trainer and exercise physiologist. She too created her own series of online fitness programs through her Fresh Body Fit Mind app, which focusses on core and strength workouts.
“I am a yoga teacher, I am PT, an exercise physiologist, I am doing all these fun amazing exercise-related things I don’t think would have been possible had I gone down another path,” Bisk told news.com.au.
On Instagram, Bisk also shares snippets of her exercise routines, plant-based recipes (like this yummy vegan pasta bake) and motivational quotes. She also gives us plenty of travel lust with her scenic yoga pose shots.
Emma Ceolin‘s an international yoga teacher and wellness influencer, with the prettiest of feeds. The Yirrganydji woman’s dreamy shots showcase a slew of iridescent beach shots — to feed our natural wanderlust — as well as wholesome and meditative vids of her performing various yoga poses. As the founder of Yogaventures, Ceolin offers both online and in-person classes at her studio in Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. Her all-female team endeavours to “empower” women and share their love of yoga in a non-judgemental environment.
“We’re a small group of visionary women who share the passion of making the world a better place through the practice of yoga. We believe yoga is real life magic.”
Ceolin, who’s also a freediver, scuba diver, skydiver and surfer said she originally found “yoga as a therapy for anxiety and depression” — but eventually decided to take the professional route.
“It set me on this path of wellness and inspired me to build my best life.”
Sisters who slay together, stay together. Diane Johnson and Felicia Oreb are the dynamic personal training duo of Base Body Babes, who focus on sustainable, strength-based workouts. Having tried and tested a plethora of popular training methods and experimented with a slew of foods, they’ve gone back to basics with a simple and holistic take on exercise and eating. They’re passionate about educating women on nourishing the mind, body and soul — and on a mission to prove that weight-lifting doesn’t necessarily translate to a bulky build (unless you want it to).
The Sydney-based sisters also share fitness advice on their blog and podcast as well as workouts designed for partners to their Instagram. Base Body Babes’ profile is all the more pleasurable (and motivational) with their minimalistic and cool-toned aesthetic.
She was once a competitive long-distance runner, but after injury-upon-injury — Tanya Poppett decided to give her body a break. On a hunt to find some safe and suitable workouts for ankle and joint pain, Poppett discovered (and loved) high-intensity interval and strength training. As such workout activities were less repetitive than running, the Sydney PT regained her strength as well as toned her body and increased her muscle mass. Poppett eventually branched out with her app and training, aptly named Train with Tanya.
As a mother-of-one (with a second currently on the way), Poppett has created a range of pregnancy safe workouts too. Her 360,000 Instagram followers are taken step-by-step through the resistance process and also relish in a few yummy, yet all natural, snacks and meals. Prepare to drool at her protein brownies.
Katie Williams may have appeared on reality television last year, but she’s been in the public eye for some time. Williams was a former national and world champion sprinter who took out triple gold in Australia’s national under-19s category for beach sprint, beach flags and beach relay. While Williams is no longer a professional sprinter, she made a career out of fitness passions through alternative means. Rather than developing an app, the personal trainer is a presenter and podcaster who chats about all things health, wellness and self-development on her Live Better with Katie Williams podcast.
Sunshine Coast mum Victoria Vanstone, 45, was a “classic party girl” drinker. After welcoming her first child, she escaped motherhood on the weekends to binge-drink and get wasted at nightclubs.
Back at home on a Sunday morning, the anxiety and dread crept up and made her miserable.
“I tried to be a mum and be the party girl, because I didn’t know who I was without it and I had expectations and a reputation to keep up,” Victoria, co-host of theSober Awkwardpodcast, tells 9Honey.
“I was a perfect mum during the week, and then at the weekend I was like a wild banshee. But I just couldn’t stop that pattern.
“I kept this up for two years, hen anxiety and shame would infiltrate my hangovers, and I couldn’t cope with the fact I was so hungover I couldn’t look after my child.”
Victoria isn’t alone in her experience.
According to an Australian study published in theDrug and Alcohol Reviewjournal, around 21 per cent of women aged between 45 and 60 are drinking at “binge drinking” levels.
It is a concerning jump from the 13 per cent of women in this age bracket who identified as binge drinkers in 2001.
Research has found 21 per cent of women aged 45 to 60 admit they are ‘binge drinking’. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Victoria says the research, while worrying, isn’t particularly surprising, as a lot of women tend to return to drinking after their children get older and move away.
“It’s almost like a rebellion — like, ‘I’ve done my mothering and I’ve done the work. Now It’s time to escape that and drink like I used to in my 20s and 30s’,” she says.
“You have this freedom and if you’re not getting up early in the morning or making school lunches, you tend to start drinking.”
Alcohol abuse among older women isn’t always obvious, like in Victoria’s case.
It starts with a normalised drinking culture that seeps into your everyday. Soon, the 5pm Pino Grigio is poured at 12pm and then you can’t have dinner with friends without it turning into a drunken night out.
“I was never picked out as a problem drinker, because my drinking was absorbed by everyone I surrounded myself with and it was so normalised,” Victoria explains.
Victoria hit rock bottom after a vomit-soaked night out. (Supplied)
“No one ever put their hand up and said, ‘You have a problem’ and that was the issue.”
The paper found a “drinking culture” in Australia tended to be a driving factor for the binge-drinking in all age brackets, particularly in rural areas.
“Some qualitative research has demonstrated that those in rural Australia view alcohol use as central to their local culture, with strong normative pressure to drink and a sense of belonging associated with alcohol use,” the research states.
Victoria says she hit rock bottom six weeks after giving birth to her second child.
Her husband had to hose her down in the shower after she vomited in the taxi during a night-out. It was a sobering moment for the mother-of-three, in every sense of the word.
“I woke up the next morning and said, ‘I can’t do this anymore’. I’d tried to moderate and slow down, but I was going out and coming home covered in vomit. It just wasn’t working,” she recalls.
“I said to my husband that I needed professional sport, and that kickstarted my sober journey.”
The research paper also found drinking at home can be “equally as harmful” for middle-aged women with binge-drinking habits.
The mum-of-three is now four years sober and hosts a podcast about sobriety. (Supplied)
While in Victoria’s experience it was wild nights out that resulted in dangerous drinking, the pandemic has forced alcohol consumption behind closed doors.
“A recent study of 2411 adults in the USA (mean age 42 years, 67% female) which found that loss of employment related to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased alcohol use, with the main self-reported reasons for increased use being more time, boredom, less responsibility, worry and loneliness,” the paper states.
“Whilst historically alcohol research and policy has focused on drinking outside of the home due to the visible harms, more recent research is demonstrating that risky drinking in the home may be equally as harmful.”
Victoria says drinking at home can be a serious issue as it is a step beyond the “socialised” aspect of alcohol.
“It can get a bit out of control because there’s no one there to tell you off about that second bottle,” she explains.
“I’ve spoken to people who were drinking during the pandemic and it spiralled out of control, and it got to the point where they were on their own they’ve looked in the mirror and realised “Oh my god, this is a problem’.”
Victoria will mark four years of sobriety in March, an incredible milestone for a former binge-drinker.
Despite her progress, the busy mum says there are still moments where she feels compelled to reach for the drink.
“I think I’ll feel like that for the rest of my life, I know I won’t drink but when I reach for a drink I know my behaviour so well, I know I can’t just have even one,” she says.
“It never ends well for me — I’ll sit there and fantasise about a drink but then I’ll play the tape forward, and realise I’d do something I’d regret or have hangover anxiety and it’s just not worth it.”
“I’m a lot happier and more content now.”
Victoria blogs about her journey with sobriety on her Instagram,@drunkmummysobermummy.
If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. In an emergency, call 000.
When shopping for new gear, you’re usually limited to the colors, patterns, and styles designed by the brand. Those shoes in electric blue might not be your vibe, but it’s either that or neon green. But by creating customization options online, some companies have begun to offer more ways for you to get exactly what you want in your gear. You can use these customizable gear platforms to unleash your creativity and make something completely unique. It’s not all aesthetic, either: In some cases, you can use the customization platform to get an improved fit and adjust features for the conditions you’ll face.
Whether you want something to match the gear you already have in your closet or you’re looking to stand out on the mountain, these nine outdoor brands will help you do it. The list below, including top custom offerings like Nike By You, will help you find ways to customize everything from shoes to ski goggles to pullovers.
The Best Customizable Gear
Fjällräven Kånken Me PackCourtesy Image
1. Fjällräven Kånken Me Pack
Last fall, Fjällräven debuted Kånken Me, the brand’s personalize-able iteration of its classic Kånken pack. Introduced in 1978, this particular pack featured an innovative design that redistributes the bag’s weight to help reduce back problems. Previously available only in bright solids, fans can now choose the colors of the pockets, straps, panels, buckles, and interior—14 color choices on 15 parts of the pack, which equates to over 100 billion possible combinations. An online configurator lets you experiment with the design before deciding on your final product. With this tool, no two packs will be alike.
First, pick the shoe. High tops? Cleats? Air Force 1s? Then, customize nearly every part of the shoe with your choice of colors, graphics, and materials. Before dipping your toe into designing, explore Nike’s compilation of tips and tricks from top designers. They’ll teach you how to avoid decision fatigue, envision yourself as a shoe, and focus on function. There’s no wrong or right way to do it, they say. The only catch is that you need a free Nike membership, which requires creating a login and downloading one of the brand’s apps.
With the MyChaco platform, you’ll start with a blank canvas: an all-white sandal that’s just begging to be customized. You can choose to makeover a pair of Chillos, Flips, or one of the company’s four Z sandals. Opt for solid colors or one of Chaco’s many patterns, including everything from sunflowers to tie dye. When you get to designing the footbed, an extra $10 will upgrade you to Cloud for an added layer of cushioning. Lastly, you can even get them embroidered with your name or another message on the heel straps. Already have sandals? Chaco also lets you personalize accessories like belts and dog leashes.
This western North Carolina climbing company launched a harness builder in 2017 to give climbers more of a say in how their gear gets built. Select your belt and leg loop style, interior and exterior colors or patterns, and size from XS to XXL. You can also add or remove loops for gear management. Use the online platform to get a 3D view of your design before adding it to your cart. Just keep in mind that some add-ons cost extra, Misty Mountain won’t let you exchange or return your personalized harness, and producing it may take up to four weeks.
Seattle-based Swift Industries makes some of the sleekest, most ergonomic bike bags on the market. The brand also has a customization feature: You can select the bag’s body color from 21 bright shades like spa blue, saffron, and black heather. For some pouches, such as the Peregrine Randonneur Bag and Zeitgeist Bag, you can even choose the pocket and flap colors. Now you can match your Bandito Bar Bag with your bike frame, jersey, socks, and the rest of your cycling kit.
This backpacking quilt is the Winona, MN brand’s best-selling product for a reason: Customers can personalize it to their height, width, color, and temperature preferences (down to zero degrees Fahrenheit). The company caters to long-distance hikers, and it provides thorough size charts and spec sheets so you’ll be fully informed on the weight, fit, and measurements before ordering.
You can really go nuts with color when designing a PolarFleece pullover. Even though the body and sleeve color options are limited to ivory, black, heather gray, and midnight blue, there’s a wide range of options when it comes to the pocket, ribbon, collar, button, binding, and thread. Every fleece is made out of 100-percent Polartec Thermal Pro shearling with brass snaps, and you can even watch how they’re cut, sewn, and finished in the company’s New England factory.
The key advantage of custom clothing over store-bought apparel is that the garments are designed to your body’s exact measurements. Made is trying to bring the tailored concept to the masses through its innovative line of ski apparel. It works like this: After selecting the features you want in a shell jacket or pants, you’ll scan your body through Made’s AI-based measurement tool. The tech records more than 75 measurements that are fed into the brand’s patterning software for a specialized fit. Once you get your item in the mail, Made will make adjustments if it isn’t perfect.
Goggle makers have a hard job building a pair that matches every face. To make the job easier, and the customer happier, Smith introduced its new Imprint 3D Technology that maps a person’s face to create a goggle with an improved fit. To use it, choose your lens and strap, then get the Smith app to upload the dimensions of your face, which the company uses to craft your custom goggles. The precise frame paired with a thinner DriWix face foam reduces light leaks, air gaps, fogging, and hot spots. Frames are 3D printed, assembled by hand, and delivered within 14 days.
Nick Kyrgios was at his box office-best on Tuesday but he saved his most brutal sledge for last as he and Thanasi Kokkinakis won again.
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis had the last laugh over Tim Puetz and Michael Venus on Tuesday and the Aussies savoured every delicious moment of their victory.
The hometown heroes — dubbed the “Special Ks” — stunned the sixth seeds 7-5 3-6 6-3 to move into the Australian Open doubles semi-finals and, as has been par for the course at Kyrgios matches this month, the crowd was going absolutely bananas.
Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >
Plenty thought spectators went too far by jeering during points and when Venus and Puetz were serving, but Kokkinakis summed up the Special Ks’ attitude in a post-match interview when he told tennis fans in Melbourne: “Sink p**s and come here.”
It may have been a four-person contest but the friction between Kyrgios and Venus in particular was obvious to everyone. During the final game of the second set, the pair jawed at each other as Kyrgios complained to the umpire about the Kiwi repeatedly redoing his ball toss.
Venus chatted to Kyrgios as the Canberra product strutted around the court and then let out a huge, pointed roar while staring at the other side of the net when he and Puetz won five straight points to claim the set and send the match into a decider.
Kyrgios didn’t forget. He mocked the New Zealander’s ball toss in the third set by intentionally throwing balls away but he saved his most cutting blow for the very end.
With three match points on offer after serving the Aussie duo to 40-0 at 5-3 in the third, and with the crowd going ballistic, Kyrgios suggested Venus had gone all silent.
The 26-year-old cupped his left hand to his ear and said something to the effect of “I can’t hear you”.
A couple of points later and it was all over when Venus clunked a forehand into the net, sparking wild celebrations at Kia Arena.
Former Aussie star Sam Groth loved the byplay between Kyrgios and Venus.
“There was the occasional Kyrgios blow-up — he wasn’t extremely happy — then Michael Venus started giving it back to Nick as well,” Groth told Nine on Wednesday.
“He was getting caught up in the whole situation.”
Todd Woodbridge added: “I enjoyed Michael Venus coming back and actually antagonising Nick a little bit, because you get to see how Nick reacts.
“He doesn’t always like it. He loves to be the conductor of his on circus … the ringmaster. But if someone comes at him he gets a little bit gnarly. I thought that was as entertaining as everything else out there yesterday.”
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have now knocked out the top seeds, 15th seeds and sixth seeds on their way to the semi-finals — and ruffled feathers along the way.
Some members of Croatian Olympic gold medallists Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s entourage threatened to fight Kyrgios after their match last week but the secret to the Special Ks’ success has been a refusal to be overawed by more experienced pairings with better rankings.
“To be brutally honest, I just don’t even worry,” Kyrgios said in a post-match press conference when asked how much research he and Kokkinakis are doing on their opponents.
“I didn’t even know who we played yesterday — I mean, two days ago.
“I didn’t even know but when I walked out there.
“I just know if we play our game and we can use the crowd, use the energy, serve well, worry
about us, don’t worry about the external, just control what we can control and we’ll be fine.”
