Women's Fitness September 2018

As we go to press, the UK is basking in a glorious heatwave and the nation’s parks and countryside are calling us out to play. When we ditch the gym for outdoor workout sessions and al-fresco fun with friends and family, we remember just how good it feels to spend more time outdoors. There’s nothing like a sunset run to soothe your soul or a game of Frisbee to inject some playfulness into working out. We’ve packed this issue with ideas to help you take your workouts outside and reap the mind and body benefits. In ‘The ultimate summer workout’ (page 96), celeb PT Stuart Taylor shares a 12-minute, head-to-toe HIIT circuit you can do wherever you are this summer, from local park to far-flung beach! Or hop on a…

STAR LETTER INSPIRED TO BE CONFIDENT Thank you H&F and Gemma Atkinson for the ‘Go Gemma’ article (July issue). I’m really interested in weight training as part of my fitness regime, and what a woman to boost our confidence in the gym! I loved the article and will be taking on board all her tips. I have been on my first solo horse-riding holiday this week and the article gave me the confidence, as a young woman, to go for it! I’ve had an amazing time and I’m looking at going to the US on my own next year too. Thank you! Holly Forgan, Fife, Scotland VITALITY ON A PLATE ‘Eat yourself younger’ (August issue) was a brilliant article. Who wouldn’t want to feel younger? It’s evident we really are…

This month Holly wins a new gym outfit. She’ll soon be getting tropical in Born Nouli’s chic and stylish Havana Palm legging, £65, and crop, £45. This newly launched set is feminine, luxuriously soft and the leggings feature a high, wide waistband to guarantee optimal comfort and provide support in all the right places. Manufactured using Born Nouli’s signature, luxurious, high-performance fabric that slims and lifts, the items are perfect for intensive workouts, yoga and everything in between. They’re so soft, in fact, that you won’t want to take them off! Born Nouli creates activewear that unites style and substance and that will see you through the toughest of workouts; visit bornnouli.com.…

‘I loved swimming in our hotel’s outdoor pool so I’m hitting my local lido a couple of times a week before work. It’s almost as good as being on holiday!’ Jo Cook, Bristol ‘I’m whizzing up fresh watermelon juice for breakfast, just like we had in Greece. It’s so easy, tasty and summery – and great after the gym too.’ Katie Jones, Southampton ‘I’m missing being outdoors all day so I’m taking my home workouts into the park for the rest of summer, rain or shine!’ Becky Taylor, Norwich…

1 BE MINDFUL Fancy a triathlon with a difference? Join the Mindful Movement at Wanderlust 108 festival on September 15 and run 5K, enjoy a 90-minute yoga session with Julie Montagu, then take part in a 30-minute mass meditation. Set in London’s Battersea Park, Wanderlust also has inspiring speakers, a calming tea garden, live music, artisan food, cooking demos and more. Tickets cost £91.08 including a Liforme yoga mat; wanderlust.com. 2 BE ON THE BALL If you love tennis but struggle to find someone to play with, new app Deuce could be the answer. A virtual home for tennis lovers, it matches you with fun, coach-led sessions at a club or park near you, and offers insight, info and news, plus a friendly community to join. Choose from five…

‘I’m definitely a morning person when it comes to fitness. I get up between 6:15 and 7am and go for a swim, a run, or do a mini workout in my bedroom or garden. I’m frequently travelling to London for sales or marketing meetings for my energy balls, Go Bites. Or I might be helping to deliver one of our education programmes in schools or discussing new partnerships with organisations, such as the Youth Sport Trust.’ FINDING MY VOCATION ‘It was my husband Mark who unwittingly put me on this career path. Back in 2000, I was a self-taught cook and at-home mum, and he was training for the New York marathon. Training wasn’t going well as he was struggling on his longer runs. I realised he probably wasn’t eating…