Women's Fitness January 2024

...and it’s a new year! How did that happen? Time flies, and this will be my penultimate Women’s Fitness before handing back the reigns to Sarah Sellens, who has still been working while on maternity leave I might add – compiling the fab mama news pages for one; I don’t know how she does it with now three little ones in tow! And Sarah has been getting right back into her fitness – unlike me after the birth of my son, as it took me six months to do anything more strenuous than a walk to the shops, and when I did exercise it was only once a week doing a one-to-one ballroom and Latin class, which was exhausting! Sarah, in complete contrast to me, is back at the gym…

STAR LETTER ‘I’m feeling motivated by Kelly Hoppen’s fitness advice’ ‘I was inspired by former Dragon’s Den star Kelly Hoppen in your feature ‘Fitness for me is not so much about the body as the mind’ (November issue). I think she’s right. Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body and soul. When it becomes the norm, it can foster your own self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful. It makes you feel better about your appearance, and even the smallest of exercise goals gives you a sense of achievement. I welcomed her advice about nutrition and skin secrets. I too find hiking gives me a buzz. I regularly do 10-mile walks across the mountain ranges, and feel I use different muscles from when I’m at the gym.…

Look good for less Elevate your gym attire effortlessly with the re-launched F&F ACTIVE collection. Designed to help you look and feel good for less, there are two core trends to choose from: a classic range of activewear made from premium performance fabrics for total comfort, and a versatile lifestyle capsule featuring looser silhouettes, sports-luxe looks, and next-to-skin softness to take you from the Pilates studio to coffee with your friends in style. Available to shop in Tesco stores from Boxing Day, prices start from as little as £10. WEAR THIS… Get in gear Le Col has launched a second collection of cycling kit in collaboration with long-time ambassador, Victoria Pendleton. The Le Col x Pendleton range (from £17, lecol.cc) mixes performance-driven designs with the former Olympian and World Champion’s…

COVER INTERVIEW There’s no doubt about it: Davina McCall is officially one of the UK’s most beloved national treasures. When she’s not entertaining the nation with hit TV shows including My Mum, Your Dad, Long Lost Family and The Masked Singer, she’s educating us with critically acclaimed documentaries such as Sex, Mind and the Menopause and Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution, along with her latest book, Menopausing, which scooped the top prize at the British Book Awards last year. Then, of course, there’s her successful fitness empire, which has seen the exercise guru, presenter and mum of three release no less than 15 workout DVDs, with sales of more than 1.4 million, as well as the popular online fitness platform, Own Your Goals (ownyourgoalsdavina.com). In fact, Davina has been extolling the…

NOLAN SUNNASSEE Nolan is a professional strength and conditioning coach, specialist personal trainer, fitness writer and consultant. Find him at evo-fit.co.uk Q: I’m struggling with gym anxiety. What can I do to feel more confident at the gym as a beginner? A: Having worked in health and fitness for more than 25 years, I know first-hand this is an extremely common reaction for beginners who are going to a gym for the first time. In fact, I have the utmost respect for anyone joining a gym and trying to change their health, as the first step is always the hardest. The first thing you need to know is anxiety is a completely normal reaction, and the vast majority of people who have never done structured exercise before probably feel very…

FUTURE WORKOUTS ‘More than two-thirds of people train at least once a week and 58 per cent believe an active lifestyle is important’* Imagine going to an exercise class at the top of a mountain, with all your friends – wherever they might live in the world – while not having to leave your living room? That’s what’s being predicted by fitness industry experts as soon becoming a reality, thanks to the almost worldwide takeover of both artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). And this would all take place without the need to wear clunky VR headgear, as devices get ever smaller and health clubs begin to integrate this tech into their memberships. Recent research by the Wellness Council shows that personalisation will be the driving force for wellbeing…