Women's Fitness December 2022

Christmas is upon us once again! Traditionally a time for joy and laughter, December can also be a tough month for many. Trying to balance work with seasonal obligations is no easy feat. Plus, it can be a financially stressful time of year, and studies show that the increased cost of living means many of us are more worried about the cost of the festive season this year than we’d normally be. That’s why at Women’s Fitness we wanted to put the focus on ways to support mental wellbeing this month. In recent years, there’s been a seismic shift towards people exercising for their mental health and wellness, over other factors such as for aesthetics or competition, and for good reason – regular exercise has been proven to boost mood.…

Suzanne Baum Suzanne is a celebrity interviewer and lifestyle editor. She has written on fitness and wellbeing for over two decades and also reviews beauty products.@suzanne_baum Gaby Noble Exhale Pilates London founder Gaby is a leading industry authority in the Global Pilates community and an advocate for the true Classical methodology. exhalepilateslondon.com 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 Louise Pyne Louise is a qualified nutritionist and freelance health writer. She specialises in women’s health and wellness, as well as children’s health. louisepynenutrition.com 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…

STAR LETTER LEADING BY EXAMPLE I thoroughly enjoyed Golden Girls (November issue) this month. Sportswomen really are taking the country by storm, and about time too! The men have had it too good for too long, in my opinion. It was interesting to read the girls’ advice in this feature, which all made a lot of sense. Fear really is sometimes the biggest barrier to success, but if we keep going, greatness will come. Although Jessica Ennis-Hill has retired from track and field, I remember 2012, when she overcame extraordinary levels of pressure to win Olympic Gold in the heptathlon. It inspired me to get off my backside and start doing more exercise. I now run, go to the gym, swim, play golf, squash and ice-skate. I feel fitter than…

His and hers Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez has collaborated with cult training brand WIT Fitness (wit-fitness.com) to create a limited-edition collection of unisex clothing. Bridging the gap between training and rest day wear, you’ll find t-shirts, hoodies and shorts, along with these versatile WIT X Gorka Rest Day Unisex Joggers, £60, that have an adjustable internal drawcord, front pockets and rib fabric gusset to allow for stretch in all directions – perfect for heading to the gym, warming up for a big workout or meeting friends for coffee. BUY THIS… Hats on for mind If you’re one of the one-in-four people who suffer from mental health issues, or know someone who does, you’ll know that getting outdoors to do the things you love can really help you feel…

If there’s one celebrity who remains grounded, even when climbing high buildings on I’m a Celebrity or flying through the air on Strictly Come Dancing, it’s Frankie Bridge. Indeed, we couldn’t think of anyone better to star in our mental health special issue than the mother-of-two herself. For the 32-year-old, who shot to fame in girl group The Saturdays, has always been candid about her mental health issues. After penning her autobiography Open: Why Asking For Help Can Save Your Life (Cassell, £8.99) – in which she wrote about her symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts – she has regularly shared insights about her mental health battles and coping mechanisms in a bid to empower others. The Loose Women panellist, who has her own clothing line FW Bridge (sold…

MY JOURNEY ‘My grandpa and dad were climbers, so I think climbing is in my genes. By the age of five or six, I was following my dad out to do a bit of scrambling. At seven, I’d moved onto rock climbing. I’ve always been hyperactive, to the point where I was going to be medicated as a youngster. Despite trying every sport out there, climbing was the only thing that really helped me to calm down and completely switch off. Discovering I could use axes for climbing was the best thing ever. I stand just under 5’2”, so I found some of the reaches on competition climbs hard. With ice climbing, however, there’s a hand hold or a foot hold wherever you are, and with dry-tooling (where you use…