Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2020 i Women's Fitness

For anyone looking to get fit, there’s never been a wider range of options. Home workouts have surged since lockdown (fitness tech firm Peloton reports a 172 per cent increase in sales of home kit). Last month, Apple announced the launch of its fitness classes and there are many apps and online training sessions. Despite so much variety, the obesity rate in the UK is estimated to affect one in four adults. Almost 63 per cent of adults are overweight. The pandemic hasn’t helped. According to online fitness app, Her Spirit, 72 per cent of mums became the ‘default parent’ during lockdown and their activity levels dropped as a result. We have to make exercise a priority, but if you aren’t motivated, you’ll always struggle to stick to a routine…

BRILLIANT BICEPS Armed for Success (issue 10) was just what I needed to help me achieve what I’ve always dreamed of – toned and sculpted arms. In the past, getting toned arms has been a bit of a challenge. Reading all your advice about workouts for biceps and triceps has been a considerable help. I already have the resistance band and chair. I’ve started the exercises using slow and controlled movements and I can really feel my arms working. I hope to keep this up and feel more definition in my arms soon. It’s a plus that the exercises don’t make me feel like I’m dying the entire time, but they are obviously going to work on those parts that need strengthening. Ria Harding, via email Ria wins a Brooks…

‘At just 218g, it’s so lightweight you’ll barely notice the extra layer’ ASICS WINTER ACCELERATE JACKET £125 Tester: Elsie McCormick: ‘When running on trails I found that the jacket was wind-resistant as well as breathable. It is lined so that you retain body heat and keep warm, and very lightweight. The material is stretchy, allowing you to move freely. I thought the style was very smart and liked the slim fit. ‘There is an elasticated toggle, which you can pull tight to fit around your body, and the hood had a peak, which was ideal for running in the rain. There is a reflective strip on the back and both arms of the jacket had two well-positioned pockets that were big enough for my iPhone, both with zips. A very…

46-year-old Joanne Finkel from Bristol set herself a new fitness challenge and found her attitude became more positive. Used to doing triathlons, this year she took part in the 6.5K Cross Continental Bosphorus Swim from Asia to Europe. It changed her mindset… ‘I find it really easy to give myself a hard time for something I’d think others were pretty good at doing, and it’s easy to say things to yourself that you’d never say to a friend. So I thought looking at things in my life to be grateful for would help. By acknowledging what I’d achieved and being thankful for three things every day, it forced me to look harder at my life. ‘Themes appear in my gratitude; being grateful for friends is a common one and being…

QUOTE OF THE MONTH ‘Yoga doesn’t take time, it gives time’Ganga White POSE OF THE MONTH TREE (vrksasana) The lowdown: One of the first yoga balances you learn, tree pose strengthens your ankles, calves, thighs and spine. It stretches your inner thighs, groin and chest, and improves your physical balance. By teaching you to become more grounded, it also helps to focus your mind. • Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides. Take a couple of deep breaths, allowing any unnecessary tension in your body to release downwards on an exhale. When you feel ready, transfer your weight onto your left leg. Spread your left toes, ground through the base of the big and little toes, and lift the inner arch. This is your foundation.…

MAIER SPORTS DAMMKAR PANTS £229.95, maier-sports.com Waterproof and breathable, these feature zip pockets, leg ventilation and a snow guard to keep you dry. Pre-formed knees and an adjustable waistband add to the comfort. Available in orange, red and blue. HEAD V-SHAPE V6 SKIS £465, head.com Aimed at improving skiers, this very versatile ski is made of graphene with a wood composite core. ‘You can put the foot down on piste, or smoothly master off-piste terrain,’ says Head. ‘In the process, you will become a better skier.’ MAIER SPORTS RONKA WOMEN’S SKI PANTS £159.95, maier-sports.com Like the men’s Dammkar, these are waterproof and breathable, with handy zip pockets for storing your essentials. Leg ventilation and a snow guard will keep you dry. Available in blue,…

INOV-8 ROCLITE G 315 GTX £145, inov-8.com If you invest in any trail-specific bit of kit, let it be some specialist footwear. Trail trainers are tougher and grippier than their road-focused counterparts, and inov-8’s waterproof Roclite G 315 GTX is primed for any winter adventures. The shoe’s 6mm rubber studs are enhanced with graphene – the world’s strongest material – which means they grip with ease and last as long as you do. DHB RUN TECH TIGHT £25.60, wiggle.co.uk When the cold begins to bite, this simple but effective pair of tights provides everything you could want from off-road leg warmers. Reflective details give low-light visibility, and if you don’t like running with a pack, a large hip pocket is big enough for most phones. OSPREY…

GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY CAP £39.99, gorewear.com Perfect both on- and off-road, and when the weather is more foul than fair, this waterproof cap does the job on a fat bike. It can be worn under your helmet, both up and down, and provides an ideal rain or snow shield for your head and face as you traverse the gravel. GORE-TEX INFINIUM STRETCH MID GLOVES £42.99, gorewear.com These grippy cool-weather Infinium gloves are contoured to your hand shape for movement on the fly. They are free from inner seams to prevent chafing, while enhancing movement and control on the bike. SPECIALIZED STIX SWITCH LIGHTS £50, specialized.com These versatile lights charge by USB and are reversible, with a red mode that can give off a powerful pulse…

Jane Probett, singing teacher, 52 Weight lost: Four stone, two years ago How she keeps it off: Running and slimming class ‘I had been overweight all my life, until I began running with the Couch to 5K programme. ‘After running for over a month I was really disappointed that the scales hadn’t shifted. I realised I had to change the way I ate forever. I found a Slimming World class and through healthy eating I went from 13st 7lbs to 9st 7lbs. ‘I achieved my target weight within months and since then have maintained it for two years. ‘I eat very differently now and know I can’t go back to old habits. I limit refined sugars, but don’t cut anything out completely, as feeling deprived before led to yo-yo dieting.…

Ever fancied being pulled by a kite at scary-as-hell speeds? Let’s be honest, kitesurfing can seem a little terrifying at times, so it’s easy to assume that it will elevate your anxiety levels. But it can do the exact opposite, says pro kitesurfer and Duotone Kiteboarding athlete Tom Court (tomcourt. com), who is among the many athletes touting extreme sports as a great remedy for stress and anxiety. ‘Adrenaline sports provide me with dopamine [the ‘happy’ hormone] and it’s through these sports that I’ve been able to manage and reduce my anxiety,’ Court reveals, before adding that the high levels of concentration required helps to boost his mental health. ‘They offer total [mental] immersion and, if you’re not right there in the moment, then the risks are too high.’ ‘Most…

Do you always exercise with a sports watch or do you prefer to do ‘naked’ workouts sometimes? ‘I like to use my watch to see my progress – that way, I can up my workouts each time.’ Elisa Armendariz ‘My heart rate monitor just died, so I cycled without it today and felt naked. I love knowing my heart rate and calories burned.’ Isabel Belanger ‘Sometimes I use one if I do a new route and want to know how far I went, but usually I train without one and run to feel.’ Zippy Lilley…

Tester: Sarah Sellens: ‘This is the jacket you need when it’s blowing a hooley! Despite being lightweight, it really keeps the wind out and this creates a surprisingly warm feeling. The Outdry is the only coat on trial to have fully taped seams, making it waterproof – and indeed, the rain runs off the fabric and leaves it dry in seconds. It’s not insulated, so you’re not going to wear this in ultra-cold temperatures, but it is ideal for long trail runs in the unpredictable British weather. With its packable chest pocket, making it easy to stow the coat away into a small backpack, I’d also recommend it as a top layer for multi-day adventures, such as mountain marathons. While it’s clearly an investment buy, you’re getting a lot of…

Rachel Atherton Downhill Mountain Bike Racer Credentials: Winner of six World Cup titles and five Elite World Championships. CARDIO ‘I train five days a week, but it’s all about quality over quantity. A typical downhill mountain bike race lasts between three to five minutes. It doesn’t sound long but it’s a full body workout, and your heart rate is maxed out from start to finish as you constantly peddle while negotiating technical obstacles at 50mph. I need a lot of endurance to sustain the pace, so I’ll do two 90-minute steady state bike rides a week on the road, and two 20-minute interval training sessions on strength days. Then I have my skill-based riding sessions on a mountain bike in the afternoons and weekends, which involve doing full replica race…

Amy Hatch is a 37-year-old Creative Director & Stylist from London, who runs her own wedding stylist business, The Timeless Stylist (thetimelessstylist.co.uk). She admits she has struggled with body image for most of her life… ‘How I feel about my body is a constant struggle, but something I am working on daily. I spent ten years with an eating disorder and while I have been in recovery for around five years, I do struggle with how I see myself and need to do lots of work to make sure I don’t slip back. Right now, I would say I am fairly unhappy with how I look, due to gaining some weight in lockdown and not feeling at my best. I am trying to be gentle with myself though. ‘Having a…

If your discomfort is purely from running more intensely or for longer periods, you could be suffering from DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness. If so, the sensations you’re feeling are likely to be due to inflammation from microscopic tears in your muscles, caused by the extra stress placed on them. While your muscles are likely to adapt and become stronger over time, when you’re building up your running, the advice is generally not to increase your total distance by more than 10 per cent a week, and always remember to warm up and cool down before and after your run. However, when you’re running faster or for longer distances, any inherent imbalances in your body will be likely to show up more intensively, and this is where yoga can…

Women’s Fitness Editor Christina Neal never considered herself to be a risk-taker, until she stepped out of her comfort zone completely by learning to ride a motorbike. Six months later, she was the proud owner of a shiny new Harley… ‘I found riding scary, but tried not to think too much about what could go wrong while I was on the bike. You don’t get into a car and think: “I could die”, so why should you be thinking like that when you ride a motorbike? That said, I was terrified at first. Even after I passed my test, I was fearful of riding on motorways. One day, I was riding on the M40 on the way to a holiday destination with my partner, who was riding just ahead of…

COVER UP Every workout wardrobe should have a cool cover-up: this essential bit of kit helps you raise your body temperature during warm-ups and also retain heat during cooldowns, so your muscles stay flexible as you stretch. We recommend this super soft BAM Escape Bamboo Hoody, £65 (bambooclothing.co.uk), which has moisture-managing properties, so you never overheat. • Look for a zip-up style if you need easy on and off access. • Training in dark conditions? Choose a design that has reflective details. • Hoods with an adjustable, drawstring neck will help to protect you from the elements. TRY THIS... TAKE FIVE Dubbed ‘a tiny gym in your pocket’, the Activ5, £129.99 (available from amazon.co.uk and Smartech Selfridges), is a portable strength training device and coaching app that guides users of…

Megan, a 33-year-old fitness trainer, began exercising and taking care of herself at a young age 20 years ago, after realising that her family’s unhealthy eating habits weren’t helping anyone. In the process, she ended up helping her entire family lose weight and get fit. She now lives in Coral Springs, Florida, and is passionate about strength training… Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FITNESS TRAINER AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME ONE? I have been a trainer for 15 years, but my love of fitness started almost 20 years ago. I started training for Figure competitions at the age of 14 years old. At the time, the rest of my family was very sedentary, and we all had horrible eating habits. I was quiet, and I gravitated towards…

Andrea Kingdon is a 48-year-old police officer from Devon, who used to be overweight but is ironically now more concerned with body image than when she was bigger… ‘I am just about OK with how I look, unless I see a photo of myself. When I do, I always critique how I look and feel I could look better. I won’t have scales in the house and don’t weigh myself, as I know that if I did I would weigh myself too often and become tied to what the scales are telling me. I feel this when weighed by doctors or medical professionals and am told I am overweight for my height, as they look at BMI scores as the only measure of how healthy someone is. ‘When I was…

Astrong back not only looks good, but also allows you to perform normal daily tasks with ease and protects you against injuries. The lower back supports your posture and the upper back provides a foundation for the shoulder girdle, as well as supporting your head and neck. Strong legs also support your back and core, and provide you with the stability you need to run and perform other types of cardio more effectively. Good leg strength also reduces the risk of having a lower body injury and, believe it or not, can also lead to a healthier heart. Working out your leg muscles regularly can lead to better cardiovascular health. And of course, having more muscle on the legs will raise your metabolism and make it easier to burn more…

Working out for short blocks of time can be a good thing, as it will make you more focused and dedicated to your session and you’ll be less likely to suffer from distractions. If you really focus, you can get more done in less time. This workout has eight best moves to burn fat and keep your heart rate up. Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, then have 15 seconds rest, then repeat the exercise again for the same work/rest segments before moving on to the next exercise. Ensure you perform two circuits of each exercise. Focus on technique and don’t compromise quality for quantity ICE SKATERS Works the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes • Start standing tall on one leg. Hop from side to side, switching legs to mimic…

GET THE GEAR Your current road or gym shoes are unlikely to cut it on the trails – particularly on hilly, muddy or rocky terrain. Ensure you have the right footwear to keep you secure, with the right grip for the right surface. TRANSITION GRADUALLY 'Give yourself time to develop your off-road experience,' advises Craggs. 'Don’t head straight out and aim to summit Snowdon or Ben Nevis straight away. Develop your confidence and experience running on gently rolling grass and marked trail routes. As you develop more experience you can get more ambitious to target harder terrains.' SLOW DOWN Running over hills, through mud and around trees is, inevitably, going to reduce your speed. Your first proper trail-running venture will probably have you puffing more than usual, but it can…

Q WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM? Falling prey to every sniffle going; taking ages to recover after a bug, however minor; feeling ‘chesty’ and runny-nosed regularly; and being prone to inflammation at the slightest provocation. Q IS IT OK TO EXERCISE IF YOU FEEL TIRED OR A BIT UNWELL? A moderate amount of regular exercise is positive for your immune system and staves off immunosenescence (whereby immune function becomes less efficient as we age). However, it’s not always the right thing to do. If you have a chesty cough, sore throat or high temperature, it’s not sensible to divert energy from healing processes into exercising. Not only will you be ill for longer, with more inflammatory symptoms, you will also struggle to achieve your exercise goals.…

Helen Lewis, director of research and innovation at a university, 48 Weight lost: Five stone, four years ago How she keeps it off: Playing hockey ‘I made a pact with myself while watching Great Britain’s tense 2016 Olympic hockey final. If GB win the gold medal, I’ll find a Back to Hockey session and start playing again. ‘They won and I started on a life-changing journey back to the sport that I hadn’t played since school. ‘I eventually joined Norwich City Hockey Club and was soon hooked. I just love the social element of hockey. It’s exercise, but it’s outdoors and more fun than the gym. I eventually noticed another side effect of the game – I began to lose weight, which was a kind of by-product of having great…

‘The closer your exercise session, the lighter the food should be’ Whether you’re a regular at the gym or fairly new to fitness, you’ll want to get the most out of your workout. But advice on what to eat before a workout varies tremendously, with some people preferring fasted workouts while others stress about the exact quantities of protein and carbs they consume. So how important is your pre-workout nutrition? Nutritionist Christine Bailey looks at what you should be eating before a workout. Whatever your fitness goals, what and when you eat can make a difference to both your performance and recovery. Our bodies require fuel and nutrition during and after training. The type of fuel you choose (fats, protein or carbohydrates) can equally make a difference to how well…

1 RE-THINK YOUR WORKOUT Sticking to the same discipline can kill motivation and stall progress. ‘If you love running or cycling, combining it with weights and yoga can also really help your overall fitness. It also increases performance by strengthening your muscles,’ explains personal trainer Chloe Bowler (chloebowler.com). Whatever sport you’re into, try to complement it with another form of fitness to bump up training results and keep challenging your body. 2 EAT TO COMPLEMENT TRAINING A balanced diet can enhance the effort you put in at the gym. ‘The timing of your meals, nutrient content and portion size can all help increase your overall fitness,’ says Chloe. ‘Keep a food and drink diary for two weeks and make a note of how you feel, your energy levels and your…