As the weather warms up, we know many readers turn their focus to getting outdoors and being active. This month, we hear from four inspiring local personalities who are making waves in the world of wellbeing. These Shore-based residents and business owners share their personal journeys, insights, and the daily habits that help them thrive, and they have some great advice for readers of all ages.
Jill Somerville
Cryo Health Solutions
Jill Somerville is the owner of Cryo Health Solutions in Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, which opened in 2019 and started with whole body cryotherapy, local cryotherapy and cryo facials. Since then, the business has evolved into a wellness clinic that offers multiple non-invasive treatments that make your body stronger, healthier and more resilient. Jill, her husband and two boys moved to New Zealand from California in November 2017. Jill’s background has always been in health, wellness and orthopaedic rehabilitation, receiving a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles. Jill says her passion has always been helping people to “look, feel and move better”.
Channel Magazine: What would be your advice to help readers kickstart their fitness and wellbeing for the new season and beyond?
Jill Somerville: When starting a health journey, my advice is to start small, but most importantly, be consistent. First, just pick an activity that you enjoy doing. Movement is very important. If you enjoy this activity, aim for short, consistent sessions rather than big bursts that you can’t sustain.
We all know the importance of a healthy work/life balance. How do you achieve it?
Protect your personal time! Treat workouts, social time, or rest like an appointment. You wouldn’t cancel a meeting at the last minute, so don’t cancel on yourself.
From your own life experience, what's the best advice you can offer for readers in regards to their physical fitness and mental fitness?
Focus on progress, not perfection. Your mental fitness grows when you set realistic goals and celebrate small wins. And remember, rest and recovery matter for both physical and mental fitness.
What does time out look like for you?
Time out for me is enjoying family time, walks on the beach, treating myself to a new health or beauty treatment, and quiet mornings with a nice cup of tea.
Do you have any special offers for Channel Mag readers to help continue or start a healthier, happier lifestyle?
We constantly offer many promotions every month within our clinic. We have treatments for everyone! If you are reading this and are new to Cryo Health Solutions, we would love to offer you a 10% discount on your first treatment with us.
Mary Buckley
Yoga Sanctuary
Mary Buckley is the proud owner of Yoga Sanctuary in Mairangi Bay. She also owns Shore Travel in Milford and says that same ethos guides both businesses, providing trusted, personal service to meet the needs of local customers. With Yoga Sanctuary operating for over 20 years, Mary is keen to see the business keep thriving under her ownership. Yoga and wellness have been a key part of her life since her late teens. Mary and her husband, Jason, have two daughters, Grace and Chloe.
Channel Magazine: What would be your advice to help readers kickstart their fitness and wellbeing for the new season and beyond?
Mary Buckley: So often, people think fitness requires them to get hot and sweaty, but instead, with yoga and Pilates mat (both offered at Yoga Sanctuary), you build core strength, while at the same time improving flexibility. Setting timeframes to focus on a new routine works well. For example, with summer around the corner, it’s a great excuse to set some health and fitness goals.
We all know the importance of a healthy work/life balance. How do you achieve it?
I’m probably not the best person to ask while juggling two businesses; I don’t get a lot of downtime. I’ve always lived by the motto of work hard and play hard to live a full and happy life. I love my work, so I don't feel I need to find a balance between the two. I’m happy to blend the two together. With health and travel both being passions of mine, I love that I get to do both as my ‘work’.
From your own life experience, what's the best advice you can offer for readers in regards to their physical fitness and mental fitness?
I was introduced to yoga at age 18 and have loved incorporating it throughout my life. As I’ve become older, fitness has become an anti-ageing technique. The biggest problem I see with older people is that they stop moving and lose both muscle and flexibility. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed tennis and gym/boot-camp workouts. Recently, I’ve been focused on less intensive home weight workouts intertwined with yoga and Pilates. We are so lucky to live close to beaches and parks, so I recommend a daily walk for both physical and mental fitness. I have a dog, which is a great excuse to get outside for a daily walk.
What does timeout look like for you?
I enjoy spending time at the beach, hiking or walking, gardening, spending time with friends or family, and of course, travelling.
Do you have any special offers for Channel Mag readers to help continue or start a healthier, happier lifestyle?
All newcomers to Yoga Sanctuary are welcomed with a first class free offer. Our other introductory offers are: three classes for $30 and unlimited classes for the first month for only $100. Offers can be found on our website.
Claire Bellingham
Les Mills Takapuna
Claire Bellingham, a Takapuna resident for 20 years and mum of two teenage daughters, joined Les Mills Takapuna when it opened in 2002, and became a personal trainer at the gym in 2005. In December, Claire will graduate with a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) in psychology. In addition to personal training, Claire now works at AUT, teaching and researching in health science. She has been in teams researching a variety of areas of health, such as sports-related concussion, sugar addiction and exercise in pregnancy.
Channel Magazine: What would be your advice to help readers kickstart their fitness and wellbeing for the new season and beyond?
Claire Bellingham: When people decide to make changes to their fitness and wellbeing, they tend to try to start with the tough stuff. Making changes in exercise and nutrition requires emotional energy. Lack of emotional energy is often how those areas became neglected in the first place. It can help to start with something easier, such as turning off the phone earlier and getting into bed half an hour sooner. Small changes can build confidence and momentum over time.
We all know the importance of a healthy work/life balance. How do you achieve it?
Anyone who knows me well will laugh that I’m giving advice on this! When I have lots on, I’ll go through periods where I’m up as early as 2am and I coffee my way through the day. But these short periods are balanced with longer periods of strong focus on resilience-building activities. I believe work/life balance doesn’t need to exist across the day or week as long as it exists across the month or year.
From your own life experience, what's the best advice you can offer for readers in regards to their physical fitness and mental fitness?
Physical and mental fitness are heavily interlinked; they spiral upwards or downwards together. Like gravity, they tend to spiral downwards by default. I try to support my clients in understanding their personalised resilience-building activities and how they can be stacked to create an upwards spiral of health and vitality. We get to the fitness and nutrition stuff eventually.
What does timeout look like for you?
My daughters are on the brink of leaving for university, so I’m enjoying the final time of having them both at home. At this junction, a lot of our timeout is spent together. We love walking our dog on the beach, going to Les Mills, the movies, or just walking down the road for coffee, a drink or dinner.
For personal training enquiries, contact Claire via email claire@clairebellingham.co.nz or mobile: 027 274 5549
Kelly Olsen
Wingspan Trust
Kelly Olsen has a background in leadership and currently serves as chief executive of Wingspan Trust, incorporating Northspan Wellbeing, which is a welcoming counselling space dedicated to supporting mental health in Takapuna. Wingspan is a registered charitable trust that is on a mission to achieve better mind health for everyone, regardless of their personal circumstances. Kelly has been married to her husband, Jeff, for 30 years. They’re the proud parents of two sons and one moko, aged 10. Kelly is also a celebrant and a certified health and wellbeing practitioner, as well as a certified practitioner for Herrmann Whole Brain Thinking®.
Channel Magazine: What would be your advice to help readers kickstart their fitness and wellbeing for the new season and beyond?
Kelly Olsen: Many of us fall into the trap of trying to completely overhaul our lifestyle, but big, radical changes can be hard to sustain. My advice is to start small and build positive habits gradually – it’s called habit stacking, and it works. For example, begin by focusing on drinking more water. Once that’s on track, carve out 15-30 minutes a day to enjoy a walk along one of our stunning North Shore beaches. And if you’re short on time, try putting your smartphone aside for a day; you’ll be surprised how much space opens up. Lastly, find a buddy! It’s harder to skip your daily move time when a friend is waiting for you.
We all know the importance of a healthy work/life balance. How do you achieve it?
I don't always! But I aim to keep the foundations in check: good nutrition, quality sleep, regular exercise, social connection, and gratitude. If I can achieve four out of five on most days, I know I’m on the right path. And remember, balance isn’t about perfection – a splurge meal or a day on the couch doesn’t mean failure; often it’s just your body asking for a reset. Since moving to Takapuna, I’ve loved starting my mornings with walks along Takapuna Beach; it’s one of the best ways I know to find calm and balance.
From your own life experience, what's the best advice you can offer for readers in regards to their physical fitness and mental fitness?
From my own lived experience, the best advice I can offer is to move your body every day. Research consistently shows that movement has a direct and positive impact on our mental health. Whether it’s hitting the gym, walking the dog, swimming, dancing, or something else you enjoy, 30 minutes a day of meaningful movement makes all the difference.
What does timeout look like for you?
For me, time out often means taking my standard schnauzer dog, Belle, for a walk along the beach. I also treasure time spent with family. Our sons and moko live in the Waikato, so visits usually involve playing at the park, throwing a frisbee, or catching up over coffee and laughter in a local café. Sunday mornings together are always ‘Mum's scrambled eggs’ on a bagel for breakfast; it's super fun... and often quite noisy with conversation, banter and laughter.
Do you have any special offers for Channel Mag readers to help continue or start a healthier, happier lifestyle?
Free health and wellbeing consultation with me. We have a Reiki master and would like to offer a ‘buy three, get three free’ Reiki sessions.
Booking details on the website. northspanwellbeing.org.nz
