and reviews to build your practice

Tried and TESTED

HTM’s Jason Firmager spent his lockdown trying out some new products…

NORMALLY I spend a couple of hours a day, powerlifting in the gym, so lockdown meant I had to find ways of training at home. As well as some improvised weights made from rubble bags, I chose the UK manufactured weightlifting belt from Modifit, who hand make their belts from top quality French Top grain leather lined with soft Italian Suede.

Available in sizes small to 3XL, it fits waist sizes from 23” to 52”, it comes with a chrome lever buckle for a supportive fit that works much better than a standard buckle. It’s by far the best weightlifting belt I’ve ever used and comes with a lifetime warranty. Find it at https://tinyurl. com/yya66gcl

Airofit

Given that COVID-19 causes lung damage, I decided I wanted to make sure mine were functioning well. Airofit produce a neat little device that works with an app to increase breathing efficiency. We don’t tend to think of our lungs as muscles, but we know that our performance levels drop when we get out of breath. Our respiratory muscles tire so the rest of

our muscles get less oxygen.

The device provides feedback to the Virtual Breathing Coach in an interactive mobile app, allowing you to train your respiratory strength, vital lung capacity, anaerobic threshold, and other areas of your breathing.

The Airofit is also has tremendous value for those who have asthma or COPD. The training takes just three minutes, so it’s easy to fit into even the busiest of days. Find it at airofit. com for £235 for the Airofit Breathing Trainer, which includes the app, or £68 for the Airofit BASIC.

Oliver peoples Omalley blue light glasses from Opticians direct

There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests that the blue light from computer screens, phones, tablets and TVs has a negative impact on our sleep quality and patterns. I became interested in spectacles which block the blue light that these devices produce, as have many other people. In fact the global market for blue light eyewear is forecast to rise to $27 million by 2024. I chose frames by Oliver Peoples and had them fitted with the filtering lenses at online specialists Opticians Direct. Buying online meant they cost about half what I would have paid on the high street. I felt my sleep quality improved and my eyes felt more rested even after using a screen for extended periods. Check out opticiansdirect. co.uk for a huge range of designer brand frames and quality lenses at excellent prices.

Touch free Sanitiser Station

When the lockdown was lifted, I wanted to start seeing my hypnotherapy clients again in my practice room at home. I have two quite messy small children under the age of five, so anti-viral precautions are important to me. After a bit of research, I found Covid Essential’s free-standing sanitiser station. I liked that it’s a touch-free unit which looks good and doesn’t take up too much room. There’s even a shorter unit for children’s environments like nurseries and playgroups. The foot pedal operation isn’t silent, but it does deliver a 2ml dose of sanitiser directly to your palm, which is the perfect amount. It holds a litre of gel, so you get 500 applications per bottle. You can also buy 5 litre containers if you’re a heavy user. https://tinyurl.com/

y46egja3 for £165.