Women's Fitness June 2016

How competitive are you with your workouts? Are you the sort of person who races strangers up the escalator, chases swimmers in the next lane or constantly checks their activity tracker? These days, with 82 per cent of us said to be using wearable technology to help us work out, there’s a whole new way to compete with others – and ourselves. According to new research, one in five exercisers say they’ve run around the house before bed, just to hit their daily activity target! But while tracking apps are fantastic motivation, some exercisers are fretting so much about how their performance is judged on social media, they’re risking burnout just to squeeze in another workout. In the same research, 13 per cent of exercisers admitted to putting their fitness…

STAR LETTER YOGA FOR YOU Thank you for your superb article ‘Yoga for Your Body Type’ (May issue). I’m fairly new to yoga and didn’t realise there were so many types to choose from. I know now that with any style of yoga, I can improve my strength, flexibility and balance, plus release the tension in my body and calm my mind. But to get the most benefit, I should choose a yoga style that matches not only my current fitness level, but also my ayurvedic body type, personality and health and fitness goals. I’ve decided I’m a vata type so I should do a slow, gentle form of yoga for best results. Micha Bryn, Liverpool RUNNING TIPS Thanks for your well-informed and thought-provoking article ‘Seven habits that are ruining…

1 SAY WHAT YOU THINK Online boutique More Than Words is a female-run business that creates customised designs, and now you can create a hashtag-themed T-shirt. Why not show off your yogi pride with a #yoga print or, when putting in work at the gym, boast your #trainhardplayhard attitude? Prices from £30; visit morethanwords.uk.com. 2 PERFECT YOUR STROKE Vowed to improve your on-court performance this year? Tennis Tuesdays could be just what you need. The fun, informal, women-only tennis sessions run by coaches at local parks and clubs countrywide were set up last year by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Nike. They’re running throughout the summer again this year, starting on May 10. Sessions cost from £5 and racquets and balls are provided, so there’s no excuse not to…

‘When I eat I make everything from scratch and cook rarely’ ‘My team looks at creating a product based on how and why people will eat it in the future’ ‘My job demands a ridiculous amount of travel, so I never have a typical day, but I know it has begun once I’ve indulged in my guilty pleasure – Assam tea with homemade almond milk – while catching up on global news and social media. Once I’m up to speed, I’ll head out for a run, a Bikram yoga class or a hotel gym session if I’m abroad. I often have my first meal – one of my Dr Gaye Super-Shakes (£27 for 500g; drgayesupershake.com), which gives me all the vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients I need – between 12 and…

We all love a hard workout but, if you’re new to exercise, slow down. That’s the advice from researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada who discovered high-intensity ‘sprint training’ can weaken the immune systems of newbie exercisers. They report that intense leg and arm exercises left untrained people with signs of muscle tissue stress and less ability to fight free radicals. Seasoned athletes tolerate the stress as they’ve built up antioxidant enzymes in the body. So, if you’re an exercise rookie, be smart and start slowly.…

WALK TO IT! Walking burns a lot more calories than we think, according a new study from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Researchers examined the most common equations used to track the energy expenditure of walking and discovered that calorie estimates are low in 97 per cent of cases. Apparently, current measures are based on small samples and don’t take into account that lighter people burn more calories per pound of their body weight. A new equation is said to be up to four times more accurate… THE SOCIAL SWEATWORK Get your sweat on at hoolio.com. The new multi-platform online fitness space brings you the best of the latest workout trends via fitness videos and social networking. Great for movement motivation, shared-screen technology means you can invite your…