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Having to get up and out of bed on a Sunday can be pretty difficult, but attending the Inspirit Mini-Retreat at The Lowry Hotel was well worth the effort!
Yoga at the Lowry HotelBased at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester city centre, the team from Inspirit will take you through a series of fitness and wellbeing activities. Lasting three and a half hours, these activities are designed to leave you feeling energised and ready for the rest of the week to come!
High-interval training to warm up
We started with a 45-minute high-interval training (HIIT) session, designed to get you warmed up properly by increasing your heart rate and getting your blood pumping. During this HIIT session we did high knees, burpees, push ups, lunges and more.
After this, you can breathe a little easier knowing that the rest of the retreat is a lot calmer and more relaxed.
Smoothies to give you a healthy boost
We took a quick break to taste the freshly blended, healthy smoothies – one made with kale and cucumber and the other made with a mix of berries. I’d recommend trying one of each as they as exceptionally good and completely guilt free!
Smoothies at the Lowry HotelYoga and deep breathing
The retreat then continues with a 45-minute yoga session led by an expert instructor. We concentrated on stretching the entire body in various yoga poses such as warrior, downward facing dog, tree, chair and happy baby.
We finished off the yoga session with a deep breathing workshop which aims to increase awareness of mind and body.
Lunch
After that we were able to take a seat and help ourselves to the gorgeous buffet lunch provided – consisting of five healthy dishes:
- A delectable rosemary-roasted butternut squash and papaya with watercress, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. (Vegan and gluten-free. Contains sulphites, dairy and nuts.)
- Deliciously cured poached Scottish salmon, grilled globe artichoke, pomegranate and asparagus salad with linseed crackers and a horseradish dressing. (Contains sulphites, dairy and fish.)
- Fragrant Moroccan spiced chicken thighs with radish, watermelon and a honey dressing. (Gluten-free, dairy free and nut free.)
- Filling mixed bean burrito sala with, quinoa, avocado, crushed tortilla crisps, red chillies and coriander. (Vegan, Gluten free, Nut free. Contains sulphites.)
- A tasty saffron potato salad, kalamata, olives, roasted beetroot, confit tomatoes and compressed cucumber. (Vegan, gluten-free. Contains sulphites, dairy and nuts.)
Food at the Lowry HotelWhile I recommend trying all of the dishes, my personal favourite was the Moroccan spiced chicken thighs, which were so good I had a second portion.
Question and answer session
After lunch there is a relaxed and open Q&A session with the Inspirit team, who are able to answer any questions regarding fitness and lifestyle, workout routines, food and drink habits, or anything else you may think of.
More information
The cost of the three and a half hour session is only £45. It’s well worth it for the exercise and information that you receive from the team, as well as the great food you will taste which will inspire you in your own kitchen.
The next available session is on Sunday 5 April at 10.45am. Spaces are limited but more sessions will keep being added at later dates so keep looking back to find one that suits you!
For more information or to book the next Mini-Retreat, visit the Lowry website.
About Inspirit Retreats
Inspirit Retreats is a luxury fitness retreat based in Portugal. They strive to create the ultimate personalised experience for people who want to improve their health, lose weight & rejuvenate their mind and body. Their expert team will create a plan for you to achieve your personal health and fitness goals, whilst enjoying the company of others in luxury surroundings. To learn more visit their website, Facebook or Instagram.
