Women's Fitness November 2015

Want to stay well all winter? Then now’s the time to prime your body – and you can start today with this month’s H&F magazine! You’ve heard of juicing and the 5:2 diet but have you tried the new 5:2 Juice Diet? Restricting your diet to 500 calories twice a week is a proven way to lose pounds and boost health. But now experts say that what you eat on fast days is as key as how much you eat. If you’re only eating 500 calories, you need to ensure they’re packed with nutrients. And juicing is one of the easiest ways to do this. Try it yourself with our ‘The 5:2 Juice Diet’ plan (page 56), featuring recipes from juice guru Jason Vale. Too tired to work out? It…

STAR LETTER POST-OP POSITIVITY I was full of admiration for Kerri Parker when I read ‘I ran a marathon after brain tumour surgery’ (October issue). It can’t be easy to get your fitness back after a major operation and it was interesting to learn how Kerri achieved this. I also admire my cousin, a PE teacher who has had five major abdominal operations and is temporarily wearing a colostomy bag. He hasn’t let this stop him. He is teaching again and goes mountain biking and running. There’s the possibility of him having a reversal operation soon, but even if he can’t, his positive attitude towards running, training and exercise will see him through. Amazing! Kimberly Yessen, Cambs BUDGET BITES I’m looking for work at the moment, so I was very…

1 RETREAT YOURSELF If you enjoy yoga and adventures, the collection of luxury holistic holidays from The Retreat Collection (theretreatcollection.com) might be just the indulgent ticket. Whether you want to try scuba diving, be pampered to perfection or spend your day practising yoga and meditation, there’s plenty to choose from. Upcoming destinations include Mykonos and Morocco, with prices starting from £995 for four nights’ accommodation. 2 GO WINTER RUNNING You might think the 5k and 10k charity run season has finished, but think again – there’s still time to enter a fun run, and these are on the chilly side! The Cancer Research Winter Run Series, with winter-themed features and exciting routes, is taking place in Liverpool on Sunday, January 17; in London on Sunday, January 31 and in Manchester…

‘I get up at 6.15am and grab breakfast, either porridge and banana, or scrambled eggs and avocado. I do the school run and am in the office for 9.30am. I usually go straight into a meeting to organise the day’s priorities. ‘Prior to Neom, I worked as a journalist for 10 years, working until 10 or 11pm each night. I was younger then, so it was exciting, but it also became the catalyst for starting the brand. I noticed my peers were stressed out and not sleeping well, and I kept thinking, “if it’s like this now, what’s it going to be like in 10 years when we have children?” ‘The thinking behind Neom (neomorganics.com) came from me wanting to help women lead naturally healthy lives. We started off with…

Hooked on running? There’s a reason for that. According to ground-breaking research in the journal Cell Metabolism, running decreases levels of the body’s hunger hormone, leptin, which in turn sends a signal to the brain’s pleasure centre that increases your incentive to run. Confused? It’s all to do with our primal need for food – the body thinks it’s hunting for food, which ups our motivation for physical activity. The bonus: the more you exercise, the lower your body fat and leptin levels, and the more you feel the euphoric effects of the leptin-reward link. Nifty.…

SOCIAL FITNESS APPS Think Tinder for fitness fans – these apps are taking the fitness world by storm! SPRINTER The first app from fashion brand Björn Borg, Sprinter allows users to match with workout buddies who have the same interests and connects to Facebook and Instagram. FITSSI Want to try that new dance class but scared to do it alone? Find fitness friends and list your fitness schedule, so you can join in with others on their workouts. GYMPAL You can do more than find a workout buddy on GymPal! This app lets users find new gyms, classes and even experts such as personal trainers or nutritionists. Yay! BOOST YOUR BONES Here’s another reason to hit the weights: a new study in Experimental Physiology shows resistance training helps the body…