Women's Fitness November 2019

Summer holidays are over, the days are drawing in. It can mean only one thing – it’s back-to-the-gym time! Whether you’re home from holiday feeling less fit than before you left, or your motivation has melted after lazy days in the sun, now’s the time to kickstart your fitness for the new season. You’ll find all the inspiration and workout tips you need in this month’s 16-page ‘Back to the Gym’ special (page 45). Hopefully, like us, you love your gym time. But according to latest figures, it seems a growing number of women are avoiding the gym for fear of being judged on their performance or appearance. Whether you train in your local health club, the great outdoors or your own living room, make it your happy place by…

TAKING THE PLUNGE What a motivational article ‘In at the deep end’ (Issue 239) was. My partner and I are both divers and keen swimmers. I must admit we had never heard of an underwater workout before. The nearest I’ve got to this is aqua aerobics. But while it seems like a relatively new trend, it appears underwater strength training has been a thing for some time now. I started researching and was pleased to find there are classes a few miles away. The instructor was pleased to hear from me and enthused about us joining his club of underwater athletes. It sounds a lot of fun, and a new water adventure for us both! Thank you for the inspiration. Jessica Ward, London YOGA INSPIRATION I was intrigued by your…

This month, Jessica wins a TRX Home2System, worth £169.95 TRX is scientifically proven to improve total-body strength, stability and cardiovascular health. It empowers people to be their best selves, never limited by constraints of time, place or physical ability. The TRX Home2 System is the most personalised training system ever, for those who want to train, build, burn and tone – at home and on the road, indoors or outdoors. Choose from dozens of workouts and listen or view on-screen on the TRX App. Visit trxtraining.co.uk and @trx_uk.…

1 BIKE IN BORNEO If combining incredible nature with a cycling tour is your kind of thing, book onto Saddle Skedaddle’s new trip, Borneo – Secret Sarawak. Overnight at a traditional Sarawak longhouse, spend time in Bako and Kubah National Parks, go on jungle hikes, try orang utan spotting, do kayaking and snorkelling and cycle for nine days with vehicle support. From £2,295pp; skedaddle.com. 2 HEAD FOR THE HILLS  From inspirational films and speakers to literature, art and the TERREX 10K Trail Run, the Kendal Mountain Festival is a must for outdoor adventure lovers big and small. Running from November 14-17, this Lake District event will get you fired up to tackle that outdoors bucket list in 2020! Visit kendalmountainfestival.com for more info. 3 PICK PURE PROTEIN Want a natural…

‘I work long hours and travel a lot so, when I’m home, I get up very early to be a part of my two children’s morning routine. First off, I check my emails, the news headlines and my schedule for the day, then I’ll have a seltzer water with lemon, a cold brew coffee and a banana while breakfasting with the kids. After the school run, I head to one of the 22 studios we have in New York five days a week, not just to train, but also to talk with the teams and riders – I learn so much more spending 30 minutes in a studio lobby than sitting at a desk. After that, the rest of my day is spent at the office in meetings, covering everything…

Does period pain make you feel like skipping the gym? More than 20 per cent of women say dysmenorrhoea (painful periods) interferes with their regular activities. But new research shows that exercise could be the perfect prescription. New Zealand scientists studied the effects of treadmill-based exercise on the symptoms of period pain in women aged between 18 and 43 years old. The group did four weeks of supervised aerobic training followed by six weeks of home treadmill workouts, three times a week. After four weeks, the women experienced six per cent less pain, and after six weeks had 22 per cent less pain. After seven months, they reported a better quality of life and daily functioning. Time to switch painkillers for the gym!…