Women's Fitness June 2019

Are you a dedicated gym-goer? Does your workout wear tussle for space with your regular wardrobe? Are avocados and almond milk top of your shopping list? And do you care about the environment? If you’re anything like us, it’s a yes to all of these. But did you also know that your favourite healthy habits are taking a toll on the planet? From exercise bikes and gym kit to yoga mats and the latest health-food trends, the very things that keep us well also guzzle the world’s resources. For instance, did you realise it takes 72 gallons of water to produce a pound of avocados or that our craving for quinoa is leaving Peruvian famers hungry? In this month’s 16-page special section, ‘Get eco fit’ (page 49), we share the…

CREATING CLUBS I found the article ‘I started a fitness club!’ (May issue) very inspiring. What a great idea from the three women to start their own running, fitness and outdoor swimming groups. Some areas just don’t have the exercise opportunities you need, so why shouldn’t people create them themselves? My husband started a diving club after becoming an instructor. He now has 20 members who regularly go diving at the weekends, after teaching them to dive in a local swimming pool. These women are providing a club for locals that wouldn’t be there if they hadn’t had the get-up-and-go to do it. Well done to them. Jessika Cooper, Devon HOT DEBATE Thank you for your article, ‘Nutrition myths busted!’ (May issue). I sometimes feel overwhelmed and confused by all…

This month, Jessika wins a striking sports bra and legging set in a print of her choice*, from Tikiboo. With unrivalled patterns and incredible fit, award-winning activewear brand, Tikiboo, offers colourful and unique activewear that helps you to reach optimal performance in the gym, on a run or cycle ride or at a yoga class. The sports bras, available in a variety of styles, ensure a snug but comfy fit for all body shapes with their moisture-wicking fabric and flat-lock seams. The leggings feature a comfy drawstring waist to keep them securely in place, whatever you’re doing; to find out more, visit tikiboo.co.uk.…

1 DO A QUADRATHLON Here’s a fun event for a group of friends! The Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon adds a kayaking stage to the usual triathlon disciplines of swim, bike and run. The fun charity event with a festival atmosphere takes place on July 6 near Perth in Scotland. Choose from several distances and do it solo or as part of a team. Camp over afterwards and enjoy a ceilidh, fireworks and lots more; artemisgreatkindrochit.com. 2 GO ON A YOGA RETREAT Holidays are meant for relaxing and rejuvenating, and, on Fierce Grace’s yoga retreats, there’s no pressure to take part in crack-of-dawn activities or a strict diet; in fact, company founder Michele Pernetta positively encourages you to have a glass of wine or two, or a lie-in if you want…

‘I wake at 6am to dedicate an hour to myself before anyone else gets up. After a glass of warm lemon water, I walk my dog Saffie through the surrounding woodland where we regularly see deer and pheasants, using this time to plan and focus on my day ahead. Afterwards, I make fresh juices and green smoothies for the family before heading into the office. Green People employs almost 30 staff, and we’re a very close-knit team. I exercise the “octopus principle”, trying to oversee the smooth running of things from design and financial matters to marketing issues. I still love being involved in new product development, alongside our cosmetic scientist, Ian Taylor. Taking a product from an initial idea to seeing it on a store shelf is a very…

Going on a long-haul holiday? Make jetlag a thing of the past with cleaver exercising habits. New research published in The Journal of Physiology shows working out at specific times of day alters your circadian rhythms and, as a result, how you experience jetlag. Examining the effects of exercise on fit volunteers at eight different times of day over 5.5 days, the researchers determined participants’ body clocks by analysing their melatonin levels – a hormone that drops in the morning and peaks in the evening. They found that exercising at 7am or between 1-4pm shifts your circadian rhythm to an earlier time, while working out between 7-10pm pushes your body clock forward. Just arrived in New York? Try a 7am run!…