Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Women's Fitness

Recently, a certain piece of research caught my eye. It reports that just 10 minutes of moderate-intensity running can put you in a better mood, and I know that this is true because I’ve seen it and I’ve experienced it. But if I’m being honest with you, lately my relationship with running has been somewhat turbulent – it hasn’t been giving me that feel-good factor that I’ve spent years enjoying. Instead, it’s just felt like a lot of hard work. You’ve been there, too? Well, a separate study says that we tend to undervalue the importance of enjoyment when selecting an activity, and I think that is a really pertinent point when it comes to running. I don’t mean whether you enjoy the action of running or not – as…

DOMENIC ANGELINO Angelino is the lead exercise scientist at Trainer Academy (traineracademy.org) and head coach at Fitness AI (fitnessai.com). He’s an expert in strength and conditioning, resistance training, exercise psychology and biomechanics. Q: ‘How can I avoid hitting the “wall” during my marathon – and what should I do if I do hit it?’ A: ‘When someone talks about hitting the wall during their marathon, they’re often referring to experiencing glycogen depletion. Glycogen is a stored form of fuel that can be broken down into glucose, and can then be further broken down to provide energy to your muscles in the form of ATP, to help you keep going. ‘The best way to avoid hitting the wall is to have a strategy for getting glucose into your body, so you…

ACTIVE TRAVEL The sun was shining as I touched down at Lyon airport, ready to begin the lengthy car journey up the winding roads into the mountains. After a couple of hours spent gazing out the window at endless scenic views, I arrived at Hotel Le Savoy (hotel-savoy-meribel.com) in the heart of Méribel Centre. Once I had unpacked, I grabbed some ice cream from the bakery next door – Boulangerie les Glaciers (maisonbraissand.com) – and headed out to explore the town, which was still haloed by blue skies and warm sunshine. The enchanting streets of Méribel are lined with picture-perfect chalets and log cabins (which look as beautiful bathed in sunlight as they do blanketed in snow), alongside an abundance of shops selling discounted ski gear ahead of the winter…

WORKOUT FOOD Q HOW SHOULD I FUEL RUNS THAT LAST FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR? Chrissy Arsenault, registered dietician for Trainer Academy, says: ‘You may have heard of marathon runners “carb loading” in advance of their races. Before long-distance runs, consuming easily digestible carbs is important. Fuelling up on carb sources such as pasta, bananas and rice helps ensure that your glycogen stores have enough glucose to release during your runs – this is what provides you with energy during your run. ‘Throughout your run, if you have the opportunity to bring fuel with you that will give quick bursts of carbohydrates (cyclists love energy gels in their back pocket!), you can also replenish your energy levels and maintain blood sugar levels during long-distance runs. Some of my favourite fuel…

Looking for a new workout buddy? Look no further than the new Apple Watch Series 9 (from £399, apple.com). For iPhone users, it really is the only watch required, as it has the power to support your day-to-day activities (we love that it syncs with our Ring doorbell to show us when we’ve got a visitor), while being able to track your exercise sessions with ease. On the face of it, it doesn’t look too different from its predecessor – the app screen looks the same, the workout section is familiar, and it’s still got the ever-popular Move ring to keep you motivated to hit your goals – but it has one new function that is pretty nifty: the ‘double tap’. The double tap function enables you to quickly tap…

1. SELECT YOUR SUPPS Calcium imbalances may mirror the symptoms of PMS, and supplementing with the mineral can help alleviate these symptoms. A study involving 466 women experiencing moderate-to-severe PMS showed that a daily intake of 1,200mg of calcium over three menstrual cycles led to a significant 48 per cent reduction in overall symptom scores, compared to a 33 per cent reduction observed with a placebo. Additionally, the combination of vitamin D and calcium has been shown to diminish the occurrence of headaches, negative mood swings, fluid retention and pain. Typically, these supplements benefit approximately two-thirds of women who use them. Try Healthspan Calcium and Vitamin D (£9.86 for 240 tablets, healthspan.co.uk). 2. KEEP A LOW PROFILE A balanced diet is key to managing PMS, with stable blood-sugar levels achieved…

STAR LETTER ‘I HAVE A RENEWED VIGOUR FOR EXERCISE!’ ‘I started my fitness journey in the heady months of summer, where the long days, sunny evenings and blue-sky mornings made it easy to get out for a run or to do some weight training in the garden. Soon though, the gloomy short days of winter arrived with freezing cold mornings and rain looming in the murky grey skies, and my motivation for getting outside to exercise started to dwindle. Thank goodness for WF expert, Joey Bull who, in the February issue, wrote a fantastic response to the question: “How can I find motivation to exercise in winter?”. Her words have given me a renewed vigour for exercise and inspired me to get out and get moving! I have even cut…

COVER INTERVIEW I would say that as soon as I was walking, I was running. I was that girl at school who always had an activity on every day after lessons – from running and athletics to ballet – but swimming was my main sport. I was swimming at a high level, so I was swimming twice a day, every day. That was my childhood, and people say I missed out on a lot, especially between the ages of 16 to 18 because I never went out drinking with my friends at the weekend. I was just swimming all the time, but I loved it. Both my parents were in the police force and really into fitness. They’ve done marathons their whole lives and they’re always up in the mountains,…

The second trimester is typically – although, granted, not always – a time of more energy, less nausea and a renewed zest for getting moving. And while you’ll experience the exhaustive days of falling asleep at 5pm again during the third trimester, for now, it seems like a good idea to harness some of that pregnancy energy! Sound familiar? Then it’ll really help to know how best to stay active during this time, and mobility exercise is a great option. ‘As the belly and breasts start to grow bigger and become more prominent in the second trimester, mobility helps the body deal with the potential associated aches and pains of weight gain, by providing relief to structures such as the lower back, chest and thoracic spine,’ says Cara Forrester, director…

WHITE TURKEY CHILLI You’ve heard of a chilli con carne, but have you heard of a white chilli? It is essentially the same, but without a tomato base, and involves switching kidney beans for cannellini beans. It’s delicious served with rice or tortilla chips Makes: 4 portionsPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 20 minutesCalorie count: 490 calories per portion Ingredients • 2 onions, diced• 2 garlic cloves, diced• 500g extra-lean, 5% fat minced turkey• 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans• 3 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)• 1 tsp sweet paprika• 1 tsp garlic granules• ½ tsp ground cumin• Large pinch each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper• Juice of 2 limes• 650ml chicken stock• 250g low-fat cream cheese• Low-calorie cooking spray• 60g sliced pickled jalapeños, to serve…

Whether you’re hiking, running or cycling, a gilet is a versatile workout wardrobe staple. And, thankfully, some of our favourite fitness brands are offering this essential outdoor layer to set you up nicely for cold morning runs as well as the warmer days that aren’t quite warm (or dry!) enough to go without a top layer. From lightweight body-warmers, to thicker garments, we’ve tried and tested the most stylish gilets. They’re both functional – in that they’ll keep you warm on your walk to the gym – and minimal, so comfy enough for when you pick up speed on your run. As you’ll discover, gilets aren’t an unnecessary exercise ‘extra’ but a great investment for this time of year, as they leave arms free to sprint or scramble while keeping…

FIT NEWS Spring into action Hop, skip and jump into sunnier days wearing Triumph’s new collection of Triaction sports bras. Meticulously crafted using cutting-edge tech, each design prioritises comfort, support and style to empower your active lifestyle, as in this wireless, lightly padded Gravity Lite Sports Bra (£50 in sizes 32-42, A to F cups), featuring innovative cups for the ultimate in breathability, freedom of movement and extreme bounce control. Pair with co-ordinating pieces from Triumph’s SS24 range of apparel – such as the Cardio RTW Sports Leggings, £50, Smart Active Infusion Shorts, £46, and the Smart Active Infusion Hoodie, £72, seen here – for a fresh outlook this season; visit uk.triumph.com to fit your fit. DO THIS… Greater heights After a years’ hiatus, the new look Keswick Mountain Festival…

Bone booster If you don’t have hours of spare time to devote to boiling up your leftover chicken carcass, Freja Chicken Bone Broth (£6.99, frejafoods.com) is a no-fuss way to recharge with all the nutritional goodies found in the animal-based stock. Each convenient sachet contains three decent-sized portions which are laced with nutrients such as collagen and glycine to support connective tissues and ligaments after your workouts. Prepared in small batches using natural ingredients, the tasty broth can be used to jazz up soups, ramen, risotto and stews. Crunch time Want to relive those classic breakfasts you loved as a child, minus the eye-wateringly high sugar content? Mix up your breakfasts with Surreal Cereal Variety Pack (£24, eatsurreal.co.uk). Offering an alternative to the ultra processed brands that line the supermarket…

MADE FOR RACE DAY Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 (£230, saucony.com) I’ve been a huge fan of these trainers since the second iteration, although I think they really took off from version three. It’s just a very fast trainer that will make you feel super sprightly on the starting line. At a barely-there 185g, you won’t believe how light these are – they’re like floating on air. The game-changer technology compared to previous versions of this popular racer is in the midsole, as its a fused blend of the very responsive PWRRUN HG and PWRRUN PB foam, set atop a full-length carbon plate for maximum energy return. There’s also a bouncy SRS (super responsive sockliner) foam in the sockliner. The mesh upper is very sleek and modern, and I love the…