Women's Fitness

The other day I was working out in the gym when I looked up in between sets and noticed that most of the women in there were half my age. Many of them were in better shape than me (in my mind, anyway). I felt a pinch of insecurity. Then I stopped mys

After reading The Benefits of Barefoot Shoes article in issue 9, I was inspired to give it a go. I’m pleased to say it was the reset I needed to get out of my running rut. I felt so in tune with my surroundings in a way that I never have before: the

Catsuits have made a comeback and are now de rigueur for yoga and Pilates classes, thanks to the way they work with your every movement and keep you covered in all poses. Silou London’s new fully-lined Tatiana Bodysuit, £169 (siloulondon.com) is made

Designed for athletes, this handy reusable, washable performance face mask offers maximum breathability and airflow around the nose and mouth, has a mouldable nose-bridge to keep it in place during the toughest workouts, and comes in four sizes, so y

Exercise injuries rose considerably during lockdown, with 7.2 million Brits suffering an injury while working out at home, according to Bupa. Some exercisers who would normally only work out three days a week were exercising every day, partly for men

• Sit down and place the foam roller underneath your left knee. • Place your right ankle on top of your left ankle. • Support your upper body with your arms and lift your bottom off the floor. • Roll yourself backwards and forwards over the foam rol

Not happy with the shape of your tummy? You’re not alone. Around 60 per cent of women in England are overweight, according to recent NHS statistics. If you’ve been finding it hard to shift the excess fat around your middle, especially as you age, the

‘I run six days a week, and on four of those days I’ll do high-intensity sessions with interval training, fartlek work and hill sprints. I often split my training sessions, doing one 60- to 90-minute session in the morning, and a shorter 40-minute se

We know that running is a great way to get fit and boost your cardiovascular endurance, but a study recently showed that bodyweight exercises can work just as well for cardio fitness. Scientists at the University of Pristina chose 57 students and div

Need a quick freshen up after your workout? Shower In A Can is a foam applied to skin after exercise that dries down in seconds to leave skin fresh and clean, killing bacteria and body odour – no need to rinse. The product is vegan and contains no al

We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Government eased exercise lockdown rules. Until then, we had to be pretty inventive when working out – remember the French guy who ran a marathon on his balcony? But with popular beaches and beauty

• ‘For those who say they, don’t have time to work out, I would say drop the excuses and start moving! • ‘Remember, it doesn’t take an hour-long, high-impact, cardio workout to get remarkable results. The Xtend workouts are only 15 to 30 minutes and

‘I began dancing at the age of three years old and haven’t stopped since. After dancing professionally and graduating from college, I found myself in uncharted waters as I sought to navigate how to marry my passion for movement with another passion o

Mountain climber is a whole-body move that gets your heart rate pounding while also working virtually every single muscle in the body. Personal trainer and sports injury rehabilitation specialist, Jodie Digby (jodiedigbyfitness.uk), says: ‘It’s a sim

Ingrid Kristiansen used the treadmill in the build up to her 1985 marathon world record; Liz McColgan used to stare at a blue dot on the wall for two hours while running on hers and millions of people use them in gyms around the country every day to

✔ Fartlek – an unstructured session where you run at random different speeds. Ideal for indoor workouts to break up the monotony and challenge your fitness. ✔ Tempo runs – where you warm up for five minutes and then run at a speed that is bordering

Ultra-runner Carla Molinaro (carla molinaro.com), pictured above, who ran from Land’s End to John O’Groats in July, mainly runs outside, but finds the treadmill useful. ‘I do some tempo sessions on the treadmill when I am getting ready for a race and

Baseball caps hide sweaty hair sins. We love Pointe Studio’s Seamless Khaki Cap, £30 (mygymwardrobe.com), with its sweat-wicking, fast-drying qualities and ventilation panels. Vivobarefoot’s Primus Lite II Bio Trainers, £120 (vivobarefoot.co.uk), a

Use this compact, lightweight Gym Towel Quick Dry Microfibre Towel, £10.99 (amazon.co.uk), to wipe your face and body down regularly and keep your sweat to yourself – just don’t use it on equipment. While masks aren’t compulsory to wear in studios,

Many of us give up on our fitness goals when life gets busy and we think we just don’t have the time to work out. Yet short workouts can be effective, as long as you work hard and do them regularly. Fitness instructor Nicki Petitt, also last month’s

The lowdown: In Indian mythology, Virabhadra was a great warrior. This pose depicts him standing in a sideways position – making him less vulnerable to an opponent – his legs grounded and balanced, his arms representing a drawn sword, poised for acti

Shape and tone your arms with this workout you can do almost anywhere. Perform three to four sets, aiming for ten to 12 reps of each exercise. The only kit needed is a resistance band and a chair or bench. The last few reps of each set should feel ch

Scientific research points to the slimming benefits of regular cow’s milk. A study, carried out by the University of Guelph, in Canada, revealed that drinking 250ml of cow’s milk every day could cut the risk of Type 2 diabetes and lower the risk of o

If you’ve found yourself filling up on junk food after a bad night’s sleep, you’re not alone. According to Benson For Beds (bensonforbeds.co.uk), a staggering 82 per cent of Brits are regularly getting less than the recommended seven hours of snoozin

Slashing food intake to 800 calories a day, fasting twice a week or an outright ban on cake – a wave of quick-fix diets is coming at us right now. Facing a new obesity policy urging us to get in shape to beat coronavirus, it’s tempting to go quick wi

The Mayo Clinic in the US lists physical activity as the top remedy for reducing stress. We know that regular exercise is a great way to calm our minds, but is there a particular frequency that is best for stress reduction? It is believed that those

We’ve all been there – you’ve had a stressful day and out comes the wine and the chocolate. To make matters worse, the weight gain that we experience as a result adds more stress, which can lead to more overeating. Stress can actually affect our weig

Dark chocolate Researchers have found eating a couple of squares of dark chocolate (30g) can reduce stress hormones, stabilise blood glucose and may help control cravings. Perfect as a treat when you need a pick me up. Sweet potato Provides plenty

Did you know that poor gut health can have an effect on your mental wellbeing? ‘Research shows that intestinal inflammation (caused by medications, toxins and pathogens) is associated with depression-like symptoms and neuropsychological disturbances,

Innocent has launched three new additions to its smoothie range… Culture Crush, Up & Oat and Blue Spark. Blue Spark is a delicious blue blend containing apple, pineapple, white guava, white carrot, coconut water and a dash of spirulina. Culture Crush

Whether you’re going gluten-free or ditching dairy, cutting out food groups has become an almost integral part of the modern-day diet. Almost half of UK adults (45 per cent) believe that they may have a food allergy or intolerance, despite not having

Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes ■ 1 x 85g watercress■ 2 tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable oil■ 1 large onion, diced■ 1 clove garlic, finely chopped■ 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger■ 1 teaspoon grated fresh turmeric (or use 1 teaspoon o

What do you look for in a beauty product? A survey from Holland & Barrett of 2000 women in the UK showed that 97 per cent would like beauty brands to be more transparent about ingredients used in their products. Some 92 per cent of women are looking

From the age of 40, a third of all women will experience involuntary bladder leaks. They may be triggered by weak pelvic floor muscles, changes caused by the menopause, or other medical factors. Femaxeen® is a natural supplement, claimed to help comb

Ironwoman Nikki Bartlett, 33, has learnt how to race through monthly pains despite sleepless nights… ‘Periods affect every athlete differently – I have friends who suffer, some who don’t notice them, and others who are starting to develop more sever

After months spent exercising at home, UK gyms opened their doors to members in late July. But experts warn that a season of scaled-back exercise requires a slow return to activity. ‘Diving straight into intense training, without taking time to rest

Low-intensity activity will increase your heart rate, sending nutrient-rich blood flowing to tired muscles. ‘Active recovery is loosely defined as low-intensity exercise following a more strenuous workout,’ explains Morrison. ‘Examples include cardio