Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Women's Fitness

Call it a cliché but there really is something about January 1st that fires up my fitness motivation. Perhaps it’s having 12 fresh months ahead to challenge my body and better my strengths, or maybe it’s that I tend to feel fully recharged after the festive break. It’s not that I’ve set resolutions (I never do), or because I want to clean the workout slate and start anew. It’s the same me, but fired up and raring to get going. If you’re feeling the same zest for movement, you’ve come to the right place, as this issue is brimming with exercise inspiration. On page 16, STRONG Nation® Master Trainer and all-round fitness force of nature, Ai Lee Syarief reveals her workout wisdom and top six motivation secrets. Then, on page…

Fresh Start A new year means new adventures, and you can enjoy all your favourite outdoor pursuits in style by wearing this waterproof, windproof and breathable Gill Marine Aqua Parka, £145. The perfect companion for messing about on the river, enjoying long coastal walks, and taking invigorating dips in the sea, this oversized parka has a high-loft thermal fleece lining and hand warmer pockets to keep you warm even when you’re wet. Better still, it’s the only product of its kind with stretch fabric properties, so you can easily change out of wet clothes. Pair it with a matching thermal New Era x Gill Bobble Hat, £30, for an unstoppable (and toasty warm) combination! Find out more at gb.gillmarine.com WEAR THIS… Inspired by you We’re in love with fitness superstar…

MEET THE ELITE Former gymnast and swimmer Lucy Campbell, 25, took up CrossFit in 2018. In 2022, the CrossFit coach and athlete became the second-ever British Elite Individual female to qualify for the annual CrossFit competition, and placed an impressive 16th in the 2022 CrossFit Games. As the only British female to qualify, she officially became the Fittest Woman in the UK 2022. MY JOURNEY ‘As a youngster, I was a national level gymnast with dreams of competing at the Olympics, but I got a big reality check when my family took me to the Beijing Olympics at the age of 12. I decided to quit and moved onto swimming instead, which I’d been doing twice a week in addition to gymnastics training. I was already competing at regional level…

Whether you sit on one at your desk or have performed sit-ups on it, chances are you’ve used a fit ball at some stage. But did you know it does far more than provide a base for crunches? Fit balls – also known as stability balls, exercise balls, balance balls or Swiss balls – are more than just fun to sit and wobble on, they’re a great way to improve strength, cardio endurance, and balance, too. Try the following moves to reap the rewards. STABILITY BALL SQUAT Holding the ball overhead whilst you squat will help engage core muscles, align your back, and work your arms and shoulders. Focus area: Bottom, legs, core and shoulders • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ball between your hands, above…

It’s a popular question, and the answer may be ‘yes’. A study published in Clinical Nutrition has found that people who ate at least 470g of fruit and vegetables daily had 10 per cent lower stress levels than those who consumed less than 230g. While the reason for this is unclear, experts surmise that the vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and carotenoids found in fruit and vegetables can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress – both recognised factors for increasing stress, anxiety and lower mood – therefore improving mental wellbeing. Fruit salad, anyone?…

Shake it up Need a balanced meal on-the-go? BOL Power Shakes (£3.50; bolfoods.com) are a nutritionally complete meal in a bottle, packed with all 26 essential vitamins and minerals, plus 20g of plant-powered protein – and there’s not even a sprinkling of sugar! Now available in bespoke recyclable glass bottles. Ready to go Need a speedy, healthy lunch option? ZENB Pasta Agile Bowls (£9.99 for three; zenb.co.uk) come in six delicious varieties – Cauliflower Tikka Masala, Mexican Street Corn, Vegetable Thai Curry, Red Pepper Harissa, Tomato Basil Pesto and Zesty Garlic Spinach – and are ready in five minutes. Simply add boiling water and stir for a great source of protein and fibre. The vegan option If vegan, gluten-free and low in sugar sounds like the perfect recipe for a…

As exciting years for women’s running and workout shoes go, 2022 was up there. Big athleticwear brands such as Adidas, Under Armour and Lululemon finally started releasing footwear that has been specifically designed for our anatomy – as opposed to ‘shrink and pink’ versions of men’s shoes – using scientific research and biomechanical data to identify key differences between male and female feet. Crucially, this means we now have a lot more choice when it comes to finding footwear that comfortably fits and cushions our higher arches, lower insteps and slimmer heel-to-forefoot ratios, while adequately supporting our running gait, which differs to men’s thanks to our wider hips. But the scientific and technological breakthroughs don’t stop there. Advances in design and materials means that trainers are now lighter, faster, grippier…

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 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 Josh Ivory Josh is a PT and online body transformation coach. He believes in pairing flexible nutrition and effective programming to achieve results. @josh_j_ivory Louise Pyne Louise is a qualified nutritionist and freelance health writer. She specialises in women’s health and wellness, as…

Workout guru, karate athlete, surfer, yogi… Ai Lee Syarief is a fitness force of nature with the body to prove it. Passionate about movement, the super-fit presenter has helped thousands of women worldwide become their strongest ever, with the power-packed, martial arts-inspired workouts she creates for STRONG Nation®. The ultimate exercise-to-music experience, STRONG Nation® is a high-intensity workout blending a potent mix of cardio, muscle conditioning and explosive plyometric moves, all synced to thrilling, original beats. Fast-paced and challenging, each session blasts calories and strengthens your entire body and mind. Oh, and it’s amazing fun too… ‘OK team, let’s do this!’ whoops Syarief, as she leads an action hero-themed STRONG Nation® session. ‘You’re a Samurai – grab a sword and go!’ To the urgent beat of a Mission Impossible-style soundtrack…

Exercise news * Workout plans * Training tips No time for a gym session? Then there’s good news, as new research from Edith Cowan University in Australia reports that you may be able to cut your weights routine in half and garner the same results. The key is to focus on the lowering (eccentric) phase of the exercise. To discover this, three groups of people performed three types of dumbbell curl exercises – eccentric-only (lowering weight) moves, concentric-only (lifting weight) moves, and both concentric and eccentric (lifting and lowering) moves. All saw strength gains, but those who lowered the weight saw the same improvements as those who raised and lowered the weights – despite doing only half as many reps!…

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW We couldn’t think of anyone better to help you power your way into the new year than Australian fitness Queen Kayla Itsines. The 31-year-old needs little introduction. She is, after all, one of the world’s most influential fitness trainers, and certainly packs a punch when it comes to helping you achieve your goals this year. The mum-of-one (who is expecting her second baby any day soon) is co-founder of the top fitness app Sweat (sweat.com) and has been training women since 2008. With more than 15 million followers on Instagram (@kayla_itsines), Kayla is renowned for using her platform to provide everything from training tips to pregnancy workouts and motivational messages. Having helped transform the bodies of millions of women, thanks to her High Intensity with Kayla programme (formerly…

REAL DIETS ‘I WANTED TO RECOVER BETTER AFTER WORKOUTS’ WF EDITOR SARAH SELLENS MEET THE EXPERT Matt Lovell is a nutritionist practitioner with a specialist interest in elite sports and more than 20 years’ of experience. He’s worked with everyone, from elite athletes to busy parents, using his science-backed, phased approach to enhance all aspects of human wellness and performance. Find out more: mattlovellstrengthforlife.com The issue: ‘With two young kids and a busy job, I’m constantly squeezing exercise into my schedule, and for a long time, I’d been feeling under-recovered after workouts. I was neither exercising as much or as intensely as I had in the past when running competitively, but I was finishing even moderate-intensity sessions with DOMS and fatigue – sometimes for up to 72 hours. I’d just…

Athletia Lip Oil Essence (£18, athletia-beauty.co.uk) Protect your pout from chapped skin with this rich, moisturising lip oil that leaves a lovely gloss without being sticky. It contains hyaluronic acid for super hydration, plus eucalyptus, juniper berry, bergamot and marjoram. It’s free from parabens, silicone, mineral oil and synthetic colour, plus comes in an eco-friendly tube made from biomass plastic. Alya Skin Pink Marine Collagen Sleep Mask £29.95; superdrug.com Big up your beauty sleep with this new overnight treatment for bright, plumped-up skin come morning. The rich formula strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier while also energising and hydrating, thanks to marine collagen and hyaluronic acid, red algae and strawberry gum, plus Australian-specific ingredients finger lime and desert lime. Faace Stress Faace Daily Moisturiser (£34; wearefaace.com) This do-it-all daily balm helps…

When and why did you go vegan? ‘I’ve been vegan for seven years, but my veganism has really progressed over the past two. Initially, I misused being vegan to give me another way to restrict my diet and eat less. I’d say, “I can’t have that pizza because it has cheese on it”, for example. I was influenced by magazines and social media at the time, and my goals were about aesthetics rather than leading a healthy lifestyle. Now, I love being vegan. It allows me to be creative with my food, plus it’s great for the planet. Although it started out as a negative, veganism has become a positive in my life.’ You’re incredibly honest! Why? ‘In the past, I wasn’t honest about my health, and people saw through…

STAR LETTER LOCAL TALENT Thank you for your brilliant article Emma Powell’s Training Secrets (December issue). I’ve long been an admirer of Emma’s – my cousin who lives in Canada is an ice climber, so I have some knowledge of it – not that I could ever do it – and Emma's from Yorkshire, like me. Growing up in Yorkshire clearly inspired her as it has some of the best outdoor gritstone climbing, and the local crags probably influenced her passion for climbing. Just sharing her fitness story has encouraged me to get fitter. And it’s commendable that Emma is the only British woman to climb a D12-graded route in the UK. Well done, Emma! Amy Yardley Amy wins a Bowflex SelectTech 552i dumbbells, from £229, which replace a…

TRAINING TIPS Q Are 10-minute workouts really effective and, if so, how do I get the most out of them? Joey Bull says: ‘Anything that gets circulatory, respiratory, cardiovascular and other systems moving is of value. This becomes very obvious if you wear a device that gives feedback on your heart rate and heart rate variability – these devices often show how the short moments of intensity can assist restoration at night. Or, conversely, how a few minutes of mindfulness and breathwork down-regulates stress. ‘How effective a 10-minute workout is depends on its contents, but given the right intensity, there are certainly gains to be made in such a short time. If the aim is to get fit and shape up, make those 10-minutes slots work well by rotating which…

There’s no doubt the pandemic had a huge impact on our exercise regimes. But as we emerge from its shadows, it’s also clear that our health, fitness and general wellbeing has never been more important to us. Working out at home will always have a place in our lives, due to its accessibility and convenience factor. But now, more than ever, functional, holistic workouts that fit into our lifestyles, involve other people, boost our mental health and, importantly, work, are definitely in. Welcome to the Women’s Fitness fitness trends report for 2023! WALKING WORKOUTS Walking might be as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, but you can expect this simple form of exercise to be everywhere this year. The surge in interest is…

TRAINING PLAN MEET THE EXPERT Josh is a PT and online body transformation coach. He believes in pairing flexible nutrition and effective programming to achieve results. @josh_j_ivory January typically marks a time when many of us start to think about our fitness goals. With 12 fresh months to realise our aims, it’s not uncommon to head into the new year feeling super motivated. But too much exercise enthusiasm can have its downfalls, too, as it increases the risk of overtraining and overstimulating muscles by doing too much, too soon. Your best bet? Find a good training programme to follow, as this will ensure you improve and make gains at the right pace. But what is the ‘right’ pace? When you operate at your threshold fitness level, one at which you…

If you’re going vegan for the month but are not sure what to whip up in the morning to stay strong until lunchtime, we’ve got your back. These three breakfast recipes have been created by PT and fitness star Alice Liveing, in collaboration with Alpro, and they’re both nutritious and tasty! ‘When it comes to cooking, I love getting creative in the kitchen, and some of my favourite dishes are all about rich and creamy flavours,’ says Liveing. ‘I’ve been making a conscious effort to eat a more plant-based diet throughout the past few years, but I never want to compromise on my favourite tastes, so it’s important that the ingredients I use can help build that incredible flavour.’ Liveing swears by Alpro’s new This Is Not M*lk (£1.90 per…

Body news * Mental health * Beauty buys Adding a walk to your weekly schedule could do wonders for your mental health. Indeed, a 2021 report by Forest Research estimates that woodland walks save the UK £185m a year in mental health costs. But can you easily access the health and wellbeing benefits of nature? A new study by Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and Columbia Sportswear found that a new generation of hikers are calling for greater access to the outdoors, with a third of respondents claiming their greatest barrier to entry was the lack of nature-rich places to walk in close to home. ‘There are many challenges surrounding access to the outdoors,’ says Eoin Treacy, marketing manager at Columbia Sportswear. ‘We’re working with The Ramblers and outdoor…

So you think spas are just about relaxation and treatments? Think again! The best fitness spas can help you kickstart a new exercise or wellness regime so you can emerge feeling energised, refreshed and fighting fit for the year ahead. Sauna, steam room, hot tub visits (and Prosecco) are entirely optional… THE SPA AT SOUTH LODGE, HORSHAM, WEST SUSSEX This luxury spa has a fully equipped gym featuring 21 fitness machines, a specialist weights area, TRX rig, and Spin and holistic studios offering a wide range of classes, including Barre, Pilates and BoxFit. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a 22m indoor swimming pool, outdoor hydrotherapy pool, and an 18m outdoor swim pond for those looking to indulge in a spot of wild swimming. With 93 acres of…

‘Burpees are one of those moves we love to hate,’ says Jack Claxton, level 3 PT and personal training ambassador at David Lloyd Clubs (davidlloyd.co.uk). ‘But this calorie-crushing – often seen as punishing – exercise is effective for a reason!’ Not only is it a compound move that works everything from your legs up to your arms and core, it is also incredibly efficient at burning calories and improving strength, mental and physical fitness and overall co-ordination. However, there are lots of stages to focus on at once, so you need your brain engaged. ‘Think, drop down, jump out, jump in and explode up,’ says Claxton. Yes, you got it! 1. Don’t let your hips dip to the floor as you jump your feet out into the plank position. Engage…