URBAN WARRIOR
The sizzling season is upon us - Stylerunner and Erika Heynatz talk bikinis, body brushing and the magic of a good pair of leggings.
“Bikini panic!” Erika Heynatz exclaims. She's kicking back at Stylerunner HQ and her eyes are wide.
“Flesh open for all to see, that walk from towel to shoreline. I have been known to yank my husband behind me to 'hold hands romantically' but really, he's just on butt-cover duty.”
Toned, terrific and inexplicably glam in boyfriend jeans and a white tee, it's boggling to think the model/actress/singer could dread swimwear. But she is human, and she's divulging all her secrets.
The first is love thyself.
“So much of it is posture. If you’ve been sitting at your desk or particularly, if you’re feeling self-conscious, your posture changes quite significantly. Doing some yoga stretches makes your limbs longer,” she says.
“More important is to remember that ultimately, we’ve got the body we’ve got. You’ve got to stand tall, love it for what it is and nourish it in the best possible way – with a healthy attitude. And the best fat-sucking tights you can get your hands on.”
And on that slightly wry sidenote, she introduces her latest obsession – body brushing;
“It's the business,” she says.
“At first it hurts and your skin gets rosy, but it never breaks. It's one of the best things for stimulating circulation, and it blasts excess fluid – especially where women hold it.”
Alas, as we well know, a body brush alone does not make a bombshell. Rule number one: You can't out-train a bad diet.
“My worst fear is being caught without good food,” she says. “My car is like a lunch box on wheels.”
Unsurprisingly, however, it's her active lifestyle that seals the deal. Now staring down the barrel of her latest conquest – the ultra-competitive business of musical theatre – Erika works out at least five days a week doing everything from Tabata (interval) training to Xtend Barre.
“You're looking to a whole new level of lung capacity you need in order to be able to sing and move at the same time,” she says.
“With musical theatre shows you can go a year and a half, working six days a week without a break. That's a different kind of stamina.”
Currently pouring her seemingly-limitless stamina into portraying Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show's 40th Anniversary Tour, it’s a familiar tale – crazy work hours, making time to eat healthy and work out.
“Exercise is an elixir and fixer of everything,” she explains.
“But yes, the transition between commitments means activewear has to be fashion forward - Sports Luxe - so you don't look like you're getting around in your fleecies. That's why my love affair with Stylerunner is so strong.”
Forget diamonds - a good pair of compression tights, she tells us, is a girl's best friend. And though she has a healthy love for anything by The Upside, and says her adidas by Stella McCartney top “snaps necks”, she's particularly fond of what she calls her Power Rangers leggings by Lucas Hugh (Aelita Leggings - Crimson Ore).
“They're decadent and elite, with all these amazing seams, fits and tiny little details. I turned up to Legally Blonde: The Musical rehearsals in it and everyone was like 'Oh my God, you look like an action hero!’ That's what I love about Stylerunner. They have captured us sportswear junkies and given us the very best.”
- WRITTEN BY: Dione David
PHOTOGRAPHY: Titus Pengelly www.tituspengellyphotography.squarespace.com
HAIR & MAKEUP: Mia Hawkswell
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Mils Achi
