Westgate to host pop-up festival for FitFest Oxford

Visitors can sign up for a range of experiences as part of fitness and wellness festival FitFest Oxford, from 'twerking' and Hooptone classes to talks about stress and healthy eating.

FitFest will return to The Oxford Academy on June 15, and is hosting a weekend of activities at the Westgate in anticipation of the main day.

The pop-up studio will be at the shopping centre on January 26 and 27, and will include yoga, boxercise and spin classes as well as new fitness trends such as Hooptone, twerking and a skipping rope workout.

There will also be wellbeing talks addressing issues such as body confidence and stress relief, as well as hand massages, express facials, neck and shoulder massages, featuring retailers such as Aveda and Neal’s Yard Remedies.

Handmade cosmetics company Lush will teach visitors how to make their own fresh cleanser, while makeup brand Too Faced will run a guide on how to get healthy skin.

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The Jericho Kitchen and Cinnamon Kitchen will stage live cookery demonstrations, as part of the pop-up festival's focus on healthy eating.

Lydiah Igweh, one of the founders of FitFest Oxford said: "We have designed the pop-up weekend to offer energising classes, feel-good workshops, lots of mindful experiences and the chance to detox after the Christmas period.

"We’re committed to keeping people motivated, inspired and informed about all things fitness and wellness so they can reach their full healthy potential."

Last year's FitFest Oxford attracted more than 1,200 visitors, and promises to be bigger and better this year.

Brendan Hattam, general manager at Westgate Oxford, said: "We're excited to be hosting a FitFest Oxford pop-up at Westgate.

There are dozens of free sessions to experience, and we're expecting them to be very popular – what better way to kick-start the New Year?"

Everything is free at the event, but sessions must be booked in advance via fitfestoxford.com.