Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i Women's Fitness

...auf wiedersehen, goodnight! This is my last issue as acting editor (unless Sarah pops out any more kiddies, that is!). While I wrote in the January issue about it being the start of a new year, this issue is the first one on sale in 2024, so a happy new year once more! I also wrote about how I hope to carve out more time for my own fitness, now I no longer have WF under my wing, and I'm pleased to report I'm off to a good start: I did my first reformer Pilates class in the first week of January (doing my DVD had been the aim but the reformer is more effective) and I also went to Ceroc dancing twice and resumed ballroom dancing after a three-year…

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 a complete beginner to fitness – would you recommend joining a gym or investing in some home gym equipment? A: Starting exercise can be a daunting task, with many challenges and potential pitfalls. With so many exercises, workouts and classes available, it’s important to establish a number of factors before deciding to invest in home gym equipment or sign up to your local gym. Firstly, knowing your goals, and the time frame you would like to achieve these by, is a crucial starting point. If your goals are urgent, you may need to determine the amount of time you are willing to realistically commit to your goal,…

Women’s strength training has gained in traction and popularity over the past few years – and for good reason. The benefits of strength training include, but are not limited to, keeping muscles and bones strong, strengthening joints, improving heart health and increasing resting metabolism. Plus, regular sessions can also improve body confidence and mental wellbeing – win, win! Despite what you may have seen in the media, strength training does not need to involve complicated moves or high-tech equipment to be highly effective and empowering. By starting slow, with simple moves and a pair of dumbbells, you can increase strength while going at your own pace and gaining confidence in the moves. This full-body workout is designed to do just that. So, what are you waiting for? Grab those dumbbells…

Loved by the A-list, including Hugh Grant, Prince Harry and Justin Bieber, North America’s largest ski and snowboarding resort, Whistler Blackcomb, is a haven of exciting descents and stunning views. Located in Whistler, Canada, this is a resort I’d been dying to visit for many years, mostly due to its notoriously fantastic ski and snowboard runs, but also because, well, who doesn’t want to, maybe accidentally, bump into a royal on the slopes? The Whistler and Blackcomb mountains merged back in 1997, to form Whistler Blackcomb and, in 2010, hosted the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games. The two mountains are joined by the 4.4km Peak 2 Peak gondola, however, each has its own set of runs and lifts. Despite spending February half-terms at various European ski resorts whilst growing up,…

Recipes extracted from Tasty High Protein by Fraser Reynolds (£22, Ebury Press) AIR-FRYER CHICKEN PARM Who doesn’t love a Chicken Parm? It is without doubt one of my favourite meals. This recipe is quite punchy in terms of calories, and also has a wee splash of red wine in it, so maybe it’s a meal for a celebration or a kick-start to the weekend. With a massive 60g of protein in each serving, it will keep you fuelled throughout the evening and ensure you hit your macro targets Serves: 2Nutrition: 596 calories | 60g protein | 47.5g carbs | 14g fat Ingredients • 2 skinless chicken breasts, about 150g each• 2 tbsp plain flour• 60ml egg whites• 50g dried breadcrumbs• 50g Parmesan, grated• 1 tbsp garlic salt• 70g light mature…

How do you balance training with motherhood? Like all working mums, I juggle a million responsibilities and expectations, but I’m very blessed to have an incredibly supportive family that has always stepped up to support me whenever I travel or go on training camps. The journey has not been easy, and I wouldn’t want to pretend otherwise. What was the hardest challenge you faced breaking into MMA? I’m the first woman from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to pursue MMA professionally, so there wasn’t a pathway for me to follow. MMA isn’t government funded, so I had to finance everything myself during my amateur days while I competed in the European and World Championships. I was working three jobs, training and raising my daughter, and I had to overcome many athletic barriers,…

STAR LETTER ‘I now know how to use a body bar!’ A couple of close friends bought me a body bar for my birthday, and I have to confess I wasn't sure what to do with it! I was very pleased to see your feature ‘3 ways with a body bar’ – nicely timed (I didn’t have to admit to them my ignorance!). I am now exercising with it regularly and the exercise is doing me a power of good, especially the high pull, which I can feel working my shoulders, triceps and upper back. The body bar is very easy to grip, much like barbells at the gym. I love that it will add muscle definition to my body – not that I will be entering any bodybuilding competitions…

HORMONAL HEALTH PHASE 1: MENSTRUATION This is the first day of your period. In this first, or reset, phase, your LH (luteinising hormone), oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone – the primary hormones that control your menstrual cycle – are all at their lowest point. For many women, having their period is not the most comfortable time of the month, and it can bring about numerous symptoms. However, as menstruation gets underway, PMS symptoms subside, your body temperature returns to a more normal level and some of your energy begins to creep back up. Impact on exercise = LOW ENERGY You have your period, so you will naturally feel slightly lacking in energy. You might turn up to your regular class but not feel like doing it; or maybe you didn’t do…

The start of the year can be a wet and windy time – and has been to date as I write this in the second week of January! So, getting a decent waterproof coat is a good idea, especially now as sales will be on. But as we know, the British weather can be extremely unpredictable (remember the heatwave in October?), so I’ve done a round-up not only of thick, padded coats but also thinner, lightweight ones. But before we dive into the reviews, I want to begin with some feedback for all waterproof coat makers, and to save from sounding like a broken record on almost 90 per cent of the reviews. So, here goes: why can’t lightweight waterproof coats be longer? With the exception of the M&S, Kathmandu…

On the move Car seat and stroller combos are having a moment, and we totally get it – they’re great for when you’re nipping in and out of the vehicle, or for when you don’t have the car space (or the headspace) for packing additional baby gear, such as a buggy. Indeed, we’ve found the car seat-stroller system particularly useful for transitioning bubba from the car to the gym crèche with minimal fuss. So, for parents on the go, few things get better than a Doona, which comes with quick release wheels that convert it from seat to stroller in seconds. Now, the new Doona i (£399, doona.shop) is one of the first car seats to have the new R129 regulations integrated. This includes a five-point harness and advanced side…

At the age of six, I was body shamed by my best friend’s mum. She suggested I lose 9 kilograms, so I could be the same weight as her naturally thin daughter. I trusted this woman and thought her opinion mattered. This experience led me down a path of self-doubt and self-criticism, breaking me down to my most vulnerable existence. Little did I know, this journey would later fuel the path for the life I was destined to create; one that depended on my ability to fall into self-love. Then when I was eight, I put myself on my first official diet. This was triggered when a close family member said, “You’re getting chubby, it’s time to start watching what you eat”. And there I was, little eight-year-old me, left…

Under cover Designed with functionality, versatility and style in mind, Speedo’s Therma Change Robe (£250, speedo.com) is a must-have for wild swimmers and outdoor adventurers. Expertly crafted with Berghaus Hydroshell fabric, this fully waterproof, windproof, breathable and durable ripstop material provides premium protection from the elements, while the super-warm and quick-drying Sherpa-Fleece lining wicks away moisture to keep you warm – even after a swim. TRY THIS… Rise and shine Bondi Rise (bondirise.com) is the new London-based boutique Pilates studio founded by British Pilates instructor Lottie Anderson. Inspired by the active lifestyle and exceptional energy of Australia’s Bondi Beach, where she previously lived, Anderson follows the ethos: ‘if you’re going to rise, you might as well shine’, and her sunrise pink studio near Hampton Court Station offers approachable workout programmes…

RUN STRONG 1. LEAN FORWARDS ON DOWNHILLS Novice trail runners often look forward to the downhill sections but then discover that steep, uneven ground is a nightmare to run down smoothly. Ida-Sophie offers a counter-intuitive solution: ‘If you lean forwards on the downhills, then you are slowing down with your whole body rather than just with your knees. It’s really important to have good balance and technique on the downhills, otherwise you will have super heavy legs and develop problems with runner’s knee.’ 2. START WITH SHORTER DISTANCES Organised trail-running events often have much longer courses than with road runs, and the off-road ultra-running scene is booming across the UK. But that doesn’t mean your first forays into trail running should be long-distance epics, particularly in winter where conditions are…

Those of you who exercised your way through Lockdown 2020 may already be familiar with mini-trampolining – or rebounding – in all of its low-impact, high-cardio glory. It became something of a craze because it boasted the ability to hit numerous areas of fitness whilst taking next-to-no space up at all. Boosted co-ordination, core strength, cardiovascular fitness, greater bone density, pelvic floor and muscle mass improvements – the simple piece of kit has a lot to offer, all while being kinder on the joints than other high-impact forms of aerobic exercise. And they’re just the physical benefits, because rebounding also encourages the release of feel-good hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, which will boost your mood and make you feel good. What’s more, as it resembles a kid’s bit of…

The gentle sound I chose for my alarm became less pleasant with each early morning ring. No matter which tones I chose, the sound was not what I wanted to hear at 4am. I usually chose to snooze once. It was a reflexive pattern I found hard to let go. But, unlike my past self’s predictable second strike of the snooze button, I would then rise. In the dark. To go outside. Whether it was raining or clear. Whether the morning air was brisk or tender. Because I had a deeper why for rising. The neuroscience literature shows that you stick with a habit better if you know why you are doing it, and not just the surface whys, not just the wanting to look better or feel healthier, but…