Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Women's Fitness

‘I grew up with a keen cyclist in the house: my mum. She pedalled her Raleigh road bike everywhere – from popping to the local shops, to across counties for fun – and I don’t think she’ll mind me saying it made her a bit unusual, because women’s road cycling wasn’t as popular then as it is now. I started cycling on that same bike during my teens, then later destroyed it in a group ride pile-up (sorry, Mum). My first date with my husband was on a bike, and years later, we got engaged while riding the Fred Whitton Round. I’ve been on bike tours with friends and family and, these days, I just love watching my children discover the same passion for cycling. It’s such an inclusive sport,…

Ahoy, there! Designed for coastal walks, seaside strolls and jolly jaunts in the great outdoors, the new summer collection of cover-ups from Regatta x Giovanna Fletcher has everything you need to enjoy the unpredictable British weather. Heavily inspired by nautical trends, the eight-piece range features waterproof yet breathable jackets and macs built for surprise downpours, as well as transitional layers such as this water-repellent Carmine Gillet, £70, which boasts quick-drying Thermoguard insulation to keep you outside for longer. See the full collection at regatta.com GET THIS… Fresh kicks Ever wanted your trainers to stay hygienically fresh, clean and free of sweat and odours? Then look no further than the innovative 3-in-1 Shoe Freshener, £55, from Margaret Dabbs London (margaretdabbs.co.uk). This highly efficacious device uses Ozone Technology – a powerful and…

Words: Joanna Ebsworth MEET THE ELITE After swapping tennis for padel in 2015, Tia Norton has risen quickly through the ranks to become the British Women’s No.1 padel player. Since making her professional debut on the World Padel Tour in 2021, she has become the first British woman to win a match on the tour. MY JOURNEY ‘I started playing tennis from the age of seven but kept getting invited to try padel at a club in Birmingham. I had no idea what it was, but I finally went along when I was 12. In its simplest form, padel is a mix between tennis and squash. There’s a net in the middle and you’re surrounded by walls, so there’s a real variety of shots you can play, and it can…

The slam ball is a great training tool because you can add it to almost any exercise to challenge your core stability and improve co-ordination. But what is it? At first glance, the ball looks very similar to a medicine ball, but it’s actually quite different. The weighted, rubber-coated ball doesn’t bounce, so you can throw and slam it, but it won’t bounce back or break, which gives you the opportunity to really focus on explosive strength and putting power into every move. This is great not only for revving up your heart rate, and therefore burning fat, but also giving you the opportunity to work your body in ways you have never before. The following three moves will show you how to add a creative spark to any workout.…

Eye for adventure Featuring 31 styles, from breathable waterproofs to bike-ready layers, Cinder is Rab’s first-ever adventure biking collection. It includes this award-winning Cinder Phantom Jacket, £180, which is the ultimate waterproof, weighing less than 100g while being packable, breathable and weather-proof. rab.equipment/uk Hands on Get a grip wearing the Endura Xtract Mitt, £22.99, which feature gel padding to protect your palms as well as silicone grip for a super hold of the handlebars. endurasport.com Fit & functional You’ll look sleek and stylish wearing the new Craft Endurance road collection. For the ultimate blend of function and bike fashion, we love the Adv Endur Jersery, £70 (pictured), but you can also try the Core Endur Bib Shorts, £60, or Craft Essence Bib Bike Shorts, £80 – perfect for all of…

Crunch time Make desk-side snacking a healthier affair with Kallo Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Veggie Cakes (£2.50, Waitrose stores). Made with fibrous lentils and peas, they are free from artificial colours, preservatives and flavours. Oh, and they taste absolutely delish, too! Choco treat Peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven, and the Locako Peanut Butter Collagen Brownies mix (£10.49 for 220g, planetorganic.com) infuse skin-protective collagen to make sure you get the most out of the sweet treat. Just add butter, eggs and bake in the oven for the ultimate fudge brownies. Mmm! Have a brew If you’re trying to cut down on caffeine, t. Buckwheat Tea blend (£9.99, buckwheat-t.com) will fit the bill nicely. Each teabag is made from 100 per cent perfectly roasted golden buckwheat…

We all know how good a yoga session can feel – energising the body, clearing the mind or boosting strength… but what happens when an injury makes you hesitate to get on your mat? Yoga is a journey, a process, and it’s inevitable that some days you won’t have the energy or ability to do your usual postures. But yoga is about self-acceptance, and that includes acknowledging and respecting how your body is on the day. In fact, if you accept where you are in the moment, simply getting on your mat and being present with your daily reality will bring you into better balance. A damaged joint may cause over-compensation and increase tension in other muscles, for example, or levels of pain and discomfort may mean you’re not…

Yoga is the perfect cross-training activity for runners. As a runner, you can end up with strong quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, and yoga helps strengthen the smaller muscles that are perhaps underused, reducing the risk of injury. It will not only make you stronger, but the flexibility you gain in the hip flexors and hamstrings can also help increase your stride length and performance. Research has shown yoga helps reduce stress and tension, too. This is really useful for runners as unnecessary tension can cause issues like neck and shoulder pain. It also helps improve posture and balance, which will fine-tune your form. At the core of a yoga practice is your breath, and you learn to find a calm breath even in the most dynamic poses. If you can…

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. @eveboggenpoel 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 Lucy Miller Lucy is an ex-national gymnast and qualified PT. She is also a nutritionist and life coach who loves nothing more than to go for a run or do a gym session. @lucycmiller Christine Bailey Christine is a performance nutritionist, chef, author…

You don’t need any dancing skills to keep in step with Helen Skelton. For her bubbly personality and endless energy is so infectious, it’s difficult not to catch up. And it comes as no surprise that, for someone who walks and talks (a lot), she is most certainly the cream of the crop, both on and off the television. From her BBC 5Live radio show and stint on Strictly Come Dancing, to being a mum-of-three and avid adventurer, Skelton seems to take everything in her stride. And that is all down to what she describes as having a good family support around her and being happy in her career – one that has made her such a well-known and much loved household name. Skelton started her presenting career at Newsround…

Spring into action Spring has sprung, and with it comes longer days and more opportunity to get a fresh air fix. And, if you need an excuse to head out into nature, new research carried out by scientists at Cambridge University shows that walking for exactly 11 minutes every day could reduce your risk of mortality. The study, which is the largest ever of its kind, analysed almost 200 peer-reviewed articles to compare the link between physical movement and the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and early death. Results showed that brisk walking could prevent one-in-10 premature deaths worldwide. Interestingly, this equates to just 75 minutes of moderate-level activity a week, which is half the weekly 150 minutes recommended by the NHS and a good starting point if you’re recovering…

Eat the Med way The Mediterranean diet is the epitome of summer – fresh ingredients, vibrant colours and tantalising flavours – and when it comes to the health attributes of this European diet, the evidence is constantly mounting, with new research highlighting the benefits of a Med-style diet in maintaining good cognitive health. The study involved 581 people with an average age of 84. Each participant completed an annual diet questionnaire and agreed to donate their brain at death for research purposes. The results of the study, published in the American Academy of Neurology , show that people who packed in green leafy veggies (seven or more servings per week), fruits, wholegrains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish had fewer amyloid plaques and tau tangles (key signs of Alzheimer’s…

How much time do you have available to practise yoga? Can you find five minutes? What do you need from your practice today? Take a moment to ask yourself, ‘What support do I need right now?’ Ask without judgment, so that you start to explore what you need, as opposed to what you think you should do. Your focus might be to support your digestive system by doing five minutes to aid digestion, or to stimulate the lymphatic system with five minutes to encourage lubrication and flow. Maybe you just need five minutes of calm or cooling. You are the only person who knows what it is like to be you and what will support to you in this moment, and this will change from day to day. Some…

When it comes to strength moves, few exercises will sculpt shapely shoulders like the shoulder press. Great for building functional strength, pressing dumbbell weights overhead while standing also tests core strength and balancing skills. It primarily works the deltoid (shoulder muscles), but the shoulder press also engages the triceps muscles and those in the upper back, so you really do get a great upper-body burn. If you’re new to the move, try performing a seated press first, as the back of the bench will support your body and help keep it stable as you press the weights overhead. And a word of warning, start light and increase the weight load gradually. ‘You must keep your ego in check with the shoulder press exercise,’ warns personal trainer Josh Ivory. ‘It…

STAR LETTER WORKOUT WARDROBE I enjoyed reading your article on Laura Whitmore, ‘Being outdoors gives me headspace’ (March issue), and I especially liked the outfits she was wearing in the photos as they were such cheerful colours! After reading about her collaboration with Dare2b, I decided to check out the website and bought both leggings and the lightweight tee, and was very impressed with how soft the outfit feels. Plus, I liked that the top had 40+ sun protection, and the bonus of the leggings is that they’re squat proof. They definitely feel top quality and I have now been converted! Thanks. Verity Froud Verity wins a bundle of bath salts, worth more than £50, from leading brand Westlab. Perfect for post-workout recovery, the bundle includes: a bag of Recover…

Q What strength exercises might benefit cyclists? Joey Bull says: ‘It would be easy to dismiss work done off the bike as less important than that done on it, but strength and conditioning complement the power and gains a cyclist seeks. We might lose a little leg speed with age but we can keep improving muscle density to compensate. Try lunges with one foot elevated behind, then with the foot elevated in front for extra range of movement and resistance. ‘Cycling coach Steve Cronshaw says it is essential the cyclist has a series of “dynamic movement screens”, meaning they check for dysfunctional movement patterns and imbalances in posture, flexibility and strength. So, working on upper body mobility, hips and core is key. The latter improves pedalling efficiency, stops excessive…

Whether you are a seasoned endurance athlete or new to cycling, building cycling-specific strength should be an integral part of your plan. Why? Because it increases the strength and stability you need to apply a greater force to the pedals and cope with the demands of your training. This will ultimately lead to improved performance and help mitigate against injury. So, how should you approach your off-the-bike strength training? The following workout, created by Wattbike Master Trainer Chris Stanton, targets the key muscle groups required for cycling – quads, glutes and calves – as they help generate power. Subsidiary exercises for the upper body will help you become a stronger rider, as your upper body and shoulders fatigue more rapidly whilst climbing. Ready? Let’s get started… DUMBBELL SPLIT LUNGE This…

The Mediterranean diet has long been lauded for its health-giving properties, with research reporting a positive impact on weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention. Even as other diet trends have come and gone, the Med diet has stayed steadfast as one of the top eating plans out there. What makes it particularly healthy is its focus on plant-based foods and healthy fats. On a Med diet, you’ll be mostly consuming vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and pulses, plus olive oil and lean proteins such as fish or chicken. But when we talk about the Italian Mediterranean diet, we tend to think of high-carb foods such as pasta, pizzas and oil-soaked breads. Tasty? Sure. But aren’t they also full of starchy foods that could lead to…

Sleep well, live longer Getting a proper night’s rest doesn’t just make you feel better, it could add years to your life. Scientists at the American College of Cardiology found that young people who have good sleep habits are less likely to die early. Interestingly, the data suggests that around eight per cent of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns. The five-year study – which comprised 54 per cent women – involved an annual survey and follow-up, for which researchers concluded there are five different sleep behaviours that make us more likely to live longer: sleeping seven-to-eight hours per night, difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week, trouble staying asleep no more than two times a week, avoiding sleep medication, and feeling…

The Body Shop Full Orange Blossom £39; thebodyshop.co.uk If you like vibrant, zesty scents, you’ll love this new launch from The Body Shop. Part of a range of four new florals, Full Orange Blossom contains notes of orange blossom, neroli, bergamot and vetiver. It’s cruelty-free and certified by The Vegan Society, and, once finished, you can simply rinse out the bottle and pop it back to your local Body Shop where it’ll go off to be recycled and given a new life. Beauty Kin Soothing Bar £9.95; beautykin.com Soothe skin that’s prone to eczema with this gentle, pH 5.5 soap-free bar (most regular soap is around pH 9) that won’t strip your skin’s natural moisture. It’s packed with probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics from colloidal oatmeal and lactobacillus strains, which help…

Good balance and coordination are important for all bodies. When you work on these components of fitness, you will also improve the connection between your brain and muscles, which helps your body to function more effectively and reduces your risk of injury. In addition, enhanced balance and coordination will give your cardiovascular performance a boost. BOOST YOUR BODY Many of us take our ability to balance and co-ordinate our muscles for granted, but it’s really important for sports performance because these skills will train the body to engage more muscle fibres, which can consequently enhance your power and endurance. You may not want to spend hours working on balancing drills when you could be getting a greater sweat on, but it’s worth the time investment. In fact, just a few…

Not feeling it today? A super-speedy 20 minutes is all you need commit to for a great at-home workout that will leave you buzzing. Fitness app WeGLOW boasts a brilliant selection of workouts that are less than 20 minutes long and need minimal-to-no equipment. Plus, they’re perfect for any level of experience and don’t come with hefty gym fees (less than 1p per workout, FYI). Want a taste of what you’ll be getting? We tapped trainer and WeGLOW founder, Stef Williams, for an energising, total-body session that you can do anytime, anywhere – even on your busiest days! Ready? Let’s go… How to do it: Do each of the moves in Circuit 1 in order for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds between moves, and complete two rounds. Take…

Do you need dance experience to try your Danceworks classes? ‘Definitely not, because the workouts are based on the exercises I do regularly to stay what I call “dance fit”. Obviously, I’m not dancing 24/7, 365 days a year, so between touring and Strictly, I still need to keep my body strong, nimble and flexible. Danceworks touches on every aspect of fitness, including strength, flexibility and cardio, but most importantly, I wanted it to be something that people really enjoy. There are 10 high-energy workouts programmed across six weeks – suitable for beginners through to the more advanced – and the feedback so far has been great. People are really enjoying the challenge, and noticing the improvements they’re feeling in their bodies and mind.’ Why did you want to share…