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It’s no secret that Ashy Bines has had her fair share of challenges and controversies. But there’s more to the fitness expert than just Lycra and squats. This month, Retail Pharmacy Assistants’ Margaret Mielczarek chats with the personal training star about health, wellness, beauty, balance, online bullying and more. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a wife, speaker, activewear designer, co-founder of the Balance health, fitness and wellness app and, most importantly, I’m a mother to a gorgeous little guy named Taj. I have a passion for helping women find their happiness and confidence through living a balanced lifestyle, which includes all things that make them feel great. You have an inspiring business story. Talk us through that and how you came to create the Ashy Bines group. I’ve always loved being fit and active. From a young age, I was involved in all sports and really enjoyed dancing, netball and touch football. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[Fitness\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\] was a passion and a hobby, but also something I turned to through all my hard times when I was growing up. It wasn’t until I met my husband, when I was 19 years old, that I really started to learn about the health side of things, especially food. I fell in love with the boot camps he was running, inspired by seeing the way he turned people’s lives around through health and fitness. It motivated me to go out and get my personal trainer qualifications, and that’s how it all started. Together, we were running a program that spread quickly across Australia and we ran it successfully for seven years, until we realised there was a gap in the market. We could see there was a real need for an online space that could help all of my followers no matter where they were located, which meant they could still join the program and be a part of our face-to-face challenges. We developed many online workout programs and meal plans over the years and then put it all together to create an app, which is now able to help millions of women around the globe. You also have an activewear brand – you describe yourself as an activewear designer on your website. Tell us more about this. What is the mission of Baseline by Ashy Bines and how did you come to design activewear? Activewear is what I live in. It’s been my everyday go-to for the past 12 years. It’s comfortable, looks amazing and lets you do everything you need in life: train, work, be a mum or simply chill and always feel good. It honestly was the fact that I just love wearing it so much and really knew what I wanted and what was needed that inspired me to create my own activewear line. I knew so many other women were feeling just like me, never being able to find pieces that ticked all the boxes. I wanted my activewear to look great, feel amazing, be great quality, last for ages and support me in all the right areas, too. So, I thought, why not create it? Of course, it’s a lot harder than just saying it, because so much goes into every single item and collection, but it really lights me up that I get to call this my job and career. I couldn’t be happier, creating beautiful pieces and seeing other women feel empowered and inspired to raise their own baseline in all areas of their life so they, too, can achieve everything they’ve ever dreamed of. How would you define the concept of health/wellbeing/fitness? What does it mean to be fit and healthy? Personally, I don’t see health as being a one size fits all. Remember, it’s not just about what you look like, it’s actually got a lot to do with what’s going on inside both our bodies and our minds. Health to me begins with having a healthy relationship with yourself. It’s about how you speak to yourself, how you treat yourself and then also your relationship with food. Mindset really plays such a big part in our overall health and wellbeing. I find when we have self-love and self-respect then being healthy, fit and strong comes a lot more easily and naturally because the decision to choose certain meals or choose to move our bodies comes from a loving place, not a punishment mindset or a place that’s restrictive. This also helps us to eventually explore further and dive deeper. The thing I really value when it comes to health is my gut health: eating wholefoods that are as natural as possible, and organic where possible, plus having a nice balance of energy in and energy out. How would you define beauty? Talk us through your beauty routine. What are your must-have products? I know it sounds cheesy and you’re probably thinking, ‘Of course she’d say that’, but beauty really does come from the inside out. When we take care of what’s inside our body and mind, it shines on the outside. So, gut health and eating wholefoods really comes through in my energy, productivity and my skin. My top beauty products that I’m loving for my skin right now are face oils and serums, and I’m obsessed with taking care of my ‘under eye’ area – I’ve stocked up on a few beautiful brands to take care of that. When it comes to my body, I just love ‘hideAWAY’ body butter oils because they make your skin so hydrated and soft. How did becoming a mum change your definition of fitness and health? How has it shifted your goals and priorities? Your priorities shift instantly. It becomes all about your child. But I soon realised I also need to look after myself and make time for myself so that I can show up and be the best mum I can be. My goals were no longer about having a six-pack (laughs). It was about energy, state \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[of mind\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\] and finding a routine that fits really well with myself, Taj and my husband. When I used to train, it would be really hard, tough, long sessions as heavy and fast as I could go. It definitely was more about my ego wanting to take over and more focused on getting really toned. Today, it’s more functional and to help keep my body injury free so I can always pick my kids up and remain fit and healthy for them – to help keep my mindset positive and my energy flowing. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 15 “I wanted my activewear to look great, feel amazing, be great quality, last for ages and support me in all the right areas, too. So, I thought, why not create it?” TO PAGE 16 RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • AUG 2020