Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Women's Fitness

If you’re reading Women’s Fitness, chances are you already know the importance of having a smart active recovery strategy – it decreases muscle soreness and stiffness, lowers the risk of a strain or injury, plus gives your brain a break from hard exercise, which can help to reduce mental fatigue. But how often do you really take the time out to focus on your recovery? I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say that sometimes there’s just not the space in my schedule for a lengthy stretch session – I’ve got to rush off to collect the kids, or my workout has over-run and I need to get back to work. That’s why it’s handy to know how to spend the precious recovery minutes you have, and…

Run. Train. Go. If you never know where your workouts will to take you, you need a pair of the new Lululemon Chargefeel Mid Workout Shoes, £138. Designed specifically for the female foot, these performance-first cross-training shoes feature dual-density cushioning and pressure-mapped outsoles to give you the bounce, agile support and traction you need to run, lunge, kick, sprint, jump and HIIT your way to fitness. Meanwhile, the stretchy mesh upper with its smooth second-skin-feel liner provides ventilation, superior comfort, and adaptability across every type of workout. If the Mid Top style isn’t for you, check out the Low Top version, £128; lululemon.co.uk WEAR THIS… Bright and beautiful The days might be getting darker but that doesn’t mean your gym kit has to be dull and grey. Inject some…

MEET THE EXPERT Zahra has been a personal trainer and group exercise manager for the past 11 years, specialising in exercise-to-music and group cycling classes. Zahra believes in helping people stay fit and healthy: ‘It’s important to find the right type of exercise that you personally enjoy, so it becomes part of your lifestyle and is not just a quick fix.’ Feeling tight and tired after exercise? Whether you’re recovering from injury, or have consistent niggles and tension, a thorough mobility and stretch sequence is one of the most valuable additions to your daily schedule. While stretching exercises will keep muscles flexible and healthy, mobilising moves will support these benefits by increasing your range of motion. Enter this sequence of active recovery exercises, created by Nuffield Health trainer, Zahra Sefiani.…

Ready for race day Make an eye-catching finish wearing the official 2022 TCS London Marathon collection, The Race Range from New Balance (from £38, newbalance.co.uk). The NB Q Speed Utility Fitted Short, £45, NB London Edition Printed Impact Run Tank, £40, and Fresh Foam X 860v12, £140, seen here, will help keep you on pace. Feet first Take care of your tootsies with UP Blister Plasters (£4.50, upmedical.co.uk), which offer quick pain relief and cushioning against rubbing. Head’s up Keep the sun out of your eyes with the Montane Phase Lite Cap (£40, montane.com). Ultra lightweight, breathable and with an adjustable rear for the perfect fit. Step up The hardworking new HOKA Bondi 8 trainers (£145, hoka.com) have a soft, light foam and a rear crash pad for a bouncy,…

Desk derrière Are you sitting down? You might want to stand up, as new research published in the journal Jama Cardiology adds to the bank of data that shows prolonged sitting can be hazardous to our health. Indeed, the 11-year international study of 100,000 people found those who sat for six-to-eight hours a day had a 12-13 per cent increased risk of heart disease, while those who sat for more than eight hours daily had a 20 per cent added risk. So, how can you offset the damage? If you must sit, the researchers recommend that you spend your non-sitting time getting in more exercise, as those who sat the most but were also the most active substantially reduced their risk. Perhaps it’s time to swap lunch at your desk…

MUSCLE FOCUS Take a deeper dive into these important abdominal muscles. Anatomy: External obliques, the largest and the most superficial of the side abdominal muscles. They begin on your lower eight ribs and run diagonally to your front hip (iliac crest). Internal obliques, a broad thin sheet of muscle lying beneath the external obliques. They begin on the iliac crest and run diagonally to the lower three or four ribs. Action: The external obliques help rotate the trunk, while the internal obliques flex the trunk and compress and stabilise the abs, helping support the internal organs against the pull of gravity. Everyday use: Digging, raking Sports use: Boxing, tennis, baseball, rowing, gymnastics Common problems: Lumber spine/lower back issues Stretching pose: Bridge or wheel Strengthening pose: Reclining twist, knees together…

Keep these muscle-soothing bodycare products in your gym bag for speedy after-workout relief ESPA Muscle Rescue Balm (£30, espaskincare.com) A warming treat for hardworking muscles, with peppermint, eucalyptus and clove bud. Nelsons Arnicare Arnica Cooling Gel (£5.50 for 30g; nelsons.net) Eases achy limbs with its cooling formula of menthol, grapefruit oil and arnica. BetterYou Magnesium muscle spray (£13.95, betteryou.com) Magnesium, lemon oil, arnica and capsicum stimulate blood flow and recovery.…

Suzanne Baum Suzanne is a celebrity interviewer and lifestyle editor. She has written on fitness and wellbeing for over two decades and also specialises in reviewing beauty products. Eve Boggenpoel Eve is a yoga teacher, counsellor and author. Her work is grounded in a deep appreciation of inner stillness as a pathway to transformation. @findingstillness.uk Joanna Ebsworth A qualified Level 3 PT and fitness instructor, Jo has been combining her love of exercise and writing for 15 years, and is keen to inspire others to be active. @joglows Christine Bailey Christine is a performance nutritionist, chef, author and keen runner. She runs online programmes and works with athletes. christinebailey.co.uk Josh Ivory Josh is a qualified PT and online body transformation coach. He believes in pairing flexible nutrition with effective programming…

COVER MODEL INTERVIEW When the news was announced in September that one of Strictly ’s favourites was returning to present the new series’ companion show, fans erupted in a happy dance. For, almost a decade on from first joining the cast of Strictly, Janette Manrara is once again a firm fixture on our screens, bringing fans all the behind-the-scenes gossip from the main show. With this in mind, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Manrara has always had a dancing career, but she was a relative latecomer to the professional world of dance. Born in Miami, she studied finance and worked in a bank for several years, but dance was always her main passion – leading to her taking part and becoming a finalist in the US version of So…

Take a hike It strengthens bones and muscles, improves endurance, and ups energy levels, so it’s no wonder that so many of us enjoy a good walk. Indeed, new data from social platform Strava (strava.com) shows that hiking uploads have increased by more than 140 per cent since the pandemic began. According to the report, the summit to the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, was the most walked trail route recorded on Strava in the UK since March 2020, with trails to Pen-y-Ghent in the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdon and Pen-y-Fan in Wales and Belfast Castle in Northern Ireland also proving popular. In response to this, the platform has launched Trail Routes, which highlights some of the most popular trail networks and start points via 3D maps – handy if you’re…

Exercising one side of the body at a time may seem like a great way to drag out the length of your workout, but single-sided moves – also known as unilateral exercises – have a lot to offer. Studies show that these moves can help increase muscular balance, improve core engagement and even assist in injury rehabilitation. Sure, they may feel like a step back to basics but sometimes we all need to focus on the areas that will help us to build stronger fitness foundations. So, rather than working on ‘How much can I squat?’, you could pay attention to ‘How can I optimise my performance whilst lowering my risks of injury’. Training with unilateral movements can accomplish this and so much more. WHAT IS MEANT BY UNILATERAL EXERCISE?…

The heady days of summer may be over but, for parenting expert and outdoor lover Marina Fogle, it’s one of her favourite times of year to enjoy the great outdoors. When not recording her podcast The Parent Hood or teaching The Bump Class (the ante-natal programme she co-founded), you’ll find Marina walking, running and riding through the countryside or watching wildlife from the woodland sauna she and her husband (adventurer Ben Fogle), built at the bottom of their garden. The nature-loving couple spend all their spare time at home in the country with children Ludo and Iona, dogs Storm and Swift, and three horses. They’re also the faces of Barbour’s Explorer Collection for A/W 22, their fourth range with the iconic outdoor brand. We caught up with Fogle to discover…

We all know that what we eat in the hours after a tough workout counts, because a healthy balance of the right nutrients will give your body what it needs to replenish glycogen stores and rebuild muscle tissue damage, but what if it’s mealtime and you’re lacking inspiration? Then it’s high time you expanded your fitness fuel menu. Enter these post-workout power meals from healthy food brand Mindful Chef (mindfulchef.com). ‘During exercise, small parts of your muscles get broken down and damaged,’ explains Myles Hopper, co-founder of Mindful Chef. ‘This means it’s important to get the right kind of carbohydrates and protein in your post-workout meals, to repair your muscles quickly and decrease how much they get broken down next time.’ What should you be putting on your post-workout plate?…

Pilates is a form of exercise that concentrates on strengthening the body, with an emphasis on core strength, posture, balance and flexibility. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), on the other hand, is a form of exercise that raises the heart rate and improves cardio fitness. So, what happens when you combine the two together? ‘You get “Pilates HIIT”, a workout that mixes short bursts of intense activity with more controlled, low-intensity movements. These allow your heart rate to come down whilst you’re still moving mindfully and dynamically, and working the body to its maximum potential,’ explains Korin Nolan, founder of Power Pilates UK (@korinnolanpilates) and co-founder of Dynamic Pilates TV (dynamicpilatestv.com). ‘It’s a great way to burn fat and increase fitness whilst improving flexibility, balance and core strength.’ This workout is…

• ‘Boobs can change size with weight and hormone fluctuations, and life events such as pregnancy and menopause, so get measured if you haven’t had a bra fitting in six months. Brands can have discrepancies across sizing, so book an in-store or virtual fitting to find the perfect size and fit.’ • ‘Sports bras can stretch with wear, so you must be able to shorten the straps and tighten the underband to get more life out of it. The underband should provide a lot of support, so if you can pull it more than an inch or two from your ribcage, it’s too big. Do the “wiggle and jiggle” by scooping your boobs up from the sides. If your boobs spill over the top, you need to go up a…

What’s the ‘In Bioglan Balance’ campaign about? ‘It’s all about finding balance in our busy lives, which fits well with where I am in life now. When I was a full-time athlete – and only a full-time athlete – I didn’t have balance. But having to juggle training with my children made me reassess the balance in my life and question what makes me want to be a better version of myself and, therefore, the best mum and the best friend. It wasn’t until I started working on the campaign that I realised how much I’ve shifted towards finding balance in my life, rather than being that intensely focused athlete.’ How did you find balance? ‘Even after taking a break from rowing after Rio, I still didn’t find balance. I…

STAR LETTER SUCCESS STORY I wanted to write in to share a snippet of my journey over the past four months and how reading the magazine has guided me. It prompted me to invest in the right gym kit, trainers and, most importantly, a personal trainer. This has not only seen me lose weight but also gain energy and confidence. I regularly read the magazine and identify new recipes, stretches or new technology on the market – it’s always enjoyable and inspiring me on my journey. In the photograph above, I am holding the weight I have lost to date. Becky (via email) Becky wins a prize worth £370 and the chance to update her running wardrobe. Courtesy of Up & Running, the UK’s largest independent running store, Becky will…

Go bananas! If you’re trying to reduce your food waste, you’ll be happy to know that there are many edible (and nutritious) parts of fruit and vegetables that you might be throwing away. Some good examples are potato and orange peels, herb stalks and cauliflower leaves, but the one that’s gaining traction in the trends stakes is banana peel. A fibrous part of the plant that isn’t particularly pleasant raw, banana peel has been making waves with chefs as a replacement for pork in ‘pulled peel’ sandwiches, or an alternative ‘bacon’ when fried up. Now new research in ACS Food Science & Technology shows that banana peel flour (made from ripe, undamaged banana peels that have been blanched, dried and ground into a fine powder) can be used in baked…

Hot stuff Looking to spice up your meals? Reach for MOJU x Eaten Alive (S)Hot sauce (£4.95, mojudrinks.com). Perfect for dipping and drizzling, the sauce combines drink brand MOJU’s iconic ginger shot with fermented food brand Eaten Alive’s fermented chilli mash. At 81 cals per 100g, it really packs a punch. Raw power Turmeric shots are popular among fitness fans, thanks to the recovery-supporting effects of its anti-inflammatory compound curcumin. Try new cold-pressed juices B.fresh Turmeric Immunity and B.fresh Turmeric Energy (£2.40 for 70ml, b-fresh.co.uk), which deliver a potent 49g of turmeric, or 1,550mg of curcumin, per shot. Drink up Rehydrate and refocus with a swig of new natural energy drink, Buzzed Energy Tonic Water (£5.50 for eight, buzzedenergy.co.uk). Containing caffeine extracted from 100 per cent natural plant sources and…