Women's Fitness December 2020

Have you been working from home lately? I started working from home five years ago, so I’m used to the distractions (deliveries, cat and neighbours!). One thing I started doing when working from home was exercising first thing. I always work out when I wake up, so that my exercise is done for the day. It takes priority over everything else, because health is my number one priority. I’m not a ‘morning person’. I don’t wake up feeling refreshed. Quite the opposite! It takes me a few minutes to get my brain in gear. Yet over the last year, I have retrained my body to adapt to morning workouts. Motivating yourself to exercise is a mind game. Even if you feel tired, most of the time fatigue is mental rather…

Christine Bailey Christine is a performance nutritionist, chef, author and keen runner. She runs online programmes and works with athletes.christinebailey.co.uk Elle Fox Elle is a Naturopath, a College of Naturopathic Medicine graduate and microbiome specialist with 30 years’ experience in complementary medicine.naturopathy-uk.com Josephine Perry Josephine is a sport psychologist. She educates those who want to get fitter or faster, from first time parkrunners through to Olympic athletes.performanceinmind.co.uk Eve Boggenpoel Eve has practised yoga and meditation for 25 years. She trained as a yoga teacher at Triyoga and is a qualified homeopath. She also practises tai chi. Martin Kelly Martin is a motivational coach who was obese due to work stress. He lost over 25kg of fat, and now runs ultramarathons and coaches people who want to change their health. Louise…

LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS Your no-nonsense feature Seven Ways To Keep Weight Off (Winter issue) was just what I needed. Losing weight can be a lot of work, but in theory, it’s as simple as a maths equation: eat less, move more. I found a way to lose weight that worked for me a few years ago. I found the combination of foods I liked that were healthy, but I’ve stumbled a bit lately, especially during lockdown – I’ve gained weight and I need to address it. Your article was brilliant! Great tips like forget the fast fix, eat breakfast every day, turn off Netflix, weigh yourself regularly and do an hour of exercise every day, were really helpful. I’m running more, my bike is getting some miles on it, I’m…

Do you like exercising outside during the winter or do you prefer to work out indoors? ‘As a runner, I love it – it only takes ten minutes to warm up and it’s much nicer than running in the heat! The only part of winter I find a problem is when pavements get icy.’ Helen Reardon ‘I’m never going to prefer exercising indoors. Being outside is important for me in the winter when there’s less available light.’ Lara Dunn ‘I hate it – I miss the summer! I struggle with the cold, and function so much better in the warmth.’ Andrea Kingdon…

Shine on Don’t let dark nights put a dampener on your runs. Be seen and stay safe in the new Brooks Run Visible collection, which features everything from jackets and t-shirts to leggings and shorts, plus accessories such as caps, trainers, gloves and socks. Each item uses high-contrast, high-visibility colours with reflective detailing placed in high-motion zones, such as your elbows, wrists and ankles, so that drivers can see you in low- or no-light conditions; visit brooksrunning.com RUNNING AT NIGHT? TRY THESE TIPS: • Have a regular route and choose main roads with better lighting and more people around. • Run against the traffic so you can see cars coming. Stay aware of pedestrians, animals and obstacles. • Wear a head torch to see the pavement clearly and leave your…

Q TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND IN YOGA. WHAT MADE YOU TAKE IT UP? I first started properly going to yoga classes to help reduce my stress levels before my husband and I started trying for our first baby. I had a demanding job in finance that I loved, but long hours were taking their toll. Stress was getting in the way. I had dabbled with the odd yoga class for years with the hope of gaining flexibility (I couldn’t even touch my toes at first), but once I really committed to it, I realised that yoga has so much more to offer beyond just the physical benefits. I became stronger than I had ever been in mind and body. Q WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE TYPICALLY COME ALONG TO THE…