It’s not every day you’re invited down to London to take part in a wellness day organised by a technology giant, but that’s exactly what happened to me on Wednesday.
Samsung had organised a day especially for food and fitness bloggers to take part in various activities that would highlight how their latest technology can benefit personal wellness in our every day lives.
Whenever I go to London I always wish I could spend more time there. Perhaps if I lived there it may not be as exciting but it really is so wonderful, even going from one tube station to another!
Living on the Wirral I awoke at 5 in the morning to get dressed and catch the early train to Liverpool and then another to Euston. I wouldn’t have done this for any brand but Samsung has been my phone brand for some time now and I was really excited and intrigued to learn more about their latest tech and how it could benefit my own health and wellness.
As I arrived at The Violin Factory in Waterloo I was already rushing as a result of the 10 minute train delay. I walked into a vast room with around 20 bloggers surrounding a very large table. The atmosphere was one of excitement and anticipation for what they had in store for us.
I was given a bag full of Samsung goodies including their latest flagship phone, the S9+ as well as their IconX wireless earphones and their Gear Fit 2 Pro.
Apparently this huge modern building was actually somebody’s house! It looked more like an Art exhibition venue but perhaps this is common for houses in London?!
Waking up at 5 that morning didn’t fill me with much of an appetite so I was quite relieved to be offered some breakfast, and in the spirit of health and wellness it was all very appealing! From avocado and chilli on toast, to smoothies, to yoghurt with oats and blueberries. This was a breakfast for real fitness bloggers!
I was impressed with the high level of energy in the room. It was great being surrounded by people like me who were motivated and so passionate about health, fitness and nutrition and I felt right at home. It was also nice to see a few male bloggers as we know the industry is predominantly female!
The Sessions
As there were so many of us we were split into 3 groups and would rotate between the prepared sessions.
The first in my group was with renowned nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert who gave us a scientific briefing on nutrition whilst preparing a healthy, nutritious pizza omelette for us.
I loved how passionate she was about nutrition. She has been educating herself for many years getting degrees, masters and many other certificates, so she really knew nutrition.
We were then shown how we could use the Samsung Health app on our new phones to accurately log our food in-take. I was wary of this based on previous experiences as the databases often don’t recognise certain foods, meals or ingredients. Yet this was a very extensive database as demonstrated by one of their employees.
After a short break we were taken up to the first floor to be greeted by a Yoga instructor.
Most of the other bloggers had tried Yoga before and I was probably one of the only ones with no experience in this type of class. Thankfully I was in great hands and would follow along with the more complicated movements and positions (and this was a beginners class!).
As I was given the Gear Fit 2 Pro I was shown how to ‘start an exercise’ on the tracker before going into the yoga session itself. This would then record calories burnt, duration, heart-rate and probably much more which would then be synced automatically with the Health app on the phone for later viewing.
I’ll admit that since receiving this tracker I’ve not actually taken it off!
It does so much more than my existing one does, not only from a fitness perspective but also with the use of my phone. I can accept or reject calls, view emails and texts, control my Spotify all without touching my phone!
It also reminds you to move if you’ve been sitting for a while or to do some stretches if it thinks it would help. Just having this ‘coach’ on your wrist reminds you of the importance to move and be active, which can often be forgotten in day-to-day life.
Despite falling a few times the instructor was always there to fix a position or to help push you to really get the most out of it, he was excellent and top of his game.
In fact the next day I was aching all over and couldn’t think why! I mean I hadn’t been to the gym or played 90 minutes of football. Then I realised it was the yoga and how it’s more physical than I’d anticipated!
The final session took place on the second floor and as we went up we were greeted by two ladies surrounded by numerous blanket beds and we were invited to hop on in!
The order of our sessions couldn’t have gone any better. After the physicality of the yoga session I was ready to turn in for a little nap!
There was light music playing in the background as I approached my bed and as I took off my socks to get comfy I was asked to smell one of the oils and rub some over my hands which added to the relaxation.
As I settled in, another one of the Samsung team came over to show me more about my new Gear Fit Pro and how I could monitor my heart-rate throughout the session.
The session was known as a Sound Bath in which various sounds would be played whilst being kept in a full state of relaxation. The aim of which was to reduce the level of stress and anxiety and to promote calmness.
And boy did it work!
I think I recorded my lowest ever resting heart-rate of 41!
After 30 minutes of complete relaxation I opened my eyes and was given a small mug of tea. Now I’d never actually tried tea. I had a bad experience when I was very young with coffee but knew that one day, when the time was right I’d take the plunge!
This was that moment. I was in a place of blissful tranquility and it just felt right. It tasted much better than I’d anticipated!
After the three sessions were over we had the most wonderful lunch. Kung Pao Cauliflower has become a new favourite and I’ll definitely be creating a recipe for it! This gave us a chance to relax and do a bit of networking and getting to know each other better.
Our final part was a presentation from lead GP Hannah Allen, who was part of Babylon specialising in Health. They’ve teamed up with Samsung to help deliver access to a GP directly through your phone through their Health app.
The whole idea of being able to speak to a doctor through your phone is a whole new concept but as Hannah explained it gives people easier access, as well as that added comfort that you can get help wherever you may be. It really is going to be the future.
Summing Up
The whole day was filled with the theme of health and wellbeing, and despite already having high expectations of Samsung and their products, they more than delivered.
From what you can log in your day-to-day life, no matter what level you’re at fitness-wise, to what they’ve got coming out in the near future. They are so passionate about their products and how they can help us with our own personal wellness.
I want to say a big thank you to Ketchum for inviting me to be part of this special event, and to Samsung for their incredible products that are shaping lives every day.
Adam Warren
For people who love the world of Food & Fitness. This blog brings together recipes, ideas, knowledge & articles from both of these exciting areas! 