Women's Fitness September 2014

Ah yes – it’s that time of year when the autumn chill and dark evenings conspire to derail our healthy habits. Stay strong! Putting in the effort now will prime your body to power you through winter, looking and feeling your best. We’ve packed this issue with the inspiration and expert tips you need to stay on track. Feeling sluggish? Turn to ‘Your ultimate energy plan’ (page 54) for a 14-step solution to re-charge your batteries and boost your vitality. If you suffer from the autumn blues, research shows 30 minutes’ vigorous exercise three times a week will boost your mood and combat depression. Take your workouts outdoors and the benefits are even greater. So, get your trainers on, embrace the weather and go for an endorphin-boosting run. Our winter…

STAR LETTER WEIGHTY ISSUE I never used to feel confident about my figure. Despite being active and eating reasonably healthily, I still felt I wasn’t where I ‘should’ be. I bought H&F for new recipes and fitness regimes to try, but I also came across ‘The new superskinny’ article in September issue. It made me realise losing weight won’t guarantee happiness and, once I reach one weight-related goal, the next one will be waiting to haunt me! I now know there’s more to me than my weight or the size of my dress. I have a new appreciation of the impact of our culture on my self perception and I look at myself differently! Sally Deakin, via email HOME WORKOUTS I like to use the summer to improve my health…

Sally wins a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14 trainers*, worth £100, and a Moving Comfort Juno Bra, worth £28. These flexible shoes will provide great support and comfort with their adaptable cushioning, and the bra is great for all forms of exercise with its compression style and handy front-adjustable straps. For more information, visit brooksrunning.co.uk and movingcomfort.eu. TALK TO US! We love hearing from you. Email letters@iris-uk.com, Facebook facebook.com/HandFmagazine, Twitter @HandFmagazine. Write to H&F magazine, Iris Publishing, 10th Floor, Marble Arch Tower, 55 Bryanston St, London W1H 7AJ…

‘I’m making a list of 50 things to do for my 50th. The Icelandic marathon and the Lakeland 50 have made their way on to it so far!’ – Caroline Lee ‘I’ve just done a Tough Mudder, signed up for a skydive and am doing my first marathon next year’ – Jenny Coulling ‘I did Tough Mudder last year and realised how bad my fear of water was, so started swimming lessons to improve. I’m working my way through a bucket list. Live life like it’s your last day!’ – Nicola Feustal…

1 VISIT THE SKI SHOW Love snow? We’ve got two pairs of tickets to give away for The Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Show (skiandsnowboard.co.uk), one for EventsCity, Manchester (October 24-26) and one for Earls Court 2, London (October 30 – November 2). Email your details to competitions@iris-uk.com with ‘SNOW’ in the subject line by 13/10/14, when two winners will be selected at random. 2 UPGRADE YOUR KIT We’ve also got our eyes on the latest Every Second Counts collection. Its three ranges –Spectrum (high-tech performance pieces), Seamless (super-soft workout wear) and Lux (cool-down must-haves) – boast details such as flashes of neon with chevron patterns, performance fabrics and high-visibility panelling; everysecondcounts.co.uk . 3 PROTECT YOUR SKIN Silk’s the new thing for protecting your skin from drying, chilly…

Want to make exercise easier? According to research by the British Coffee Association, consuming 3-4mg of caffeine per kg of bodyweight (equivalent to, roughly, two mugs of instant coffee for a 50-60kg woman) one hour before exercise could improve your ability to smash a cycling session, high-intensity run, football workout, rugby match or sprinting repeats. Add that to the fact that caffeine has also been shown to help long-distance fitbies exercise for 30 per cent longer and you’re on to a workout winner. Coffee break?…