Women's Fitness November 2024

Do as I say, not as I do. Never has a phrase been more apt than this to my years spent spouting about exercise recovery. As a fitness writer, I extolled the benefits of regular rest days, especially active rest (ie ‘gentle movement’ days) and recovery activities such as foam rolling, stretching, and mobility flows. I spoke to experts, read oodles of research and tried numerous active recovery classes. I knew full well that – with a little bit of patience and faith in the process – rest days would help to maximise my performance by giving my muscles a chance to repair and grow stronger, and my body the opportunity to top up on glycogen. And yet, ‘rest’ to me often meant little more than wearing a pair of…

STAR LETTER ‘I’M INSPIRED BY THE WOMAN WHO WALKED 177 MILES FOR CHARITY’ ‘My admiration held no bounds for Janice Salter who featured in your article I walked 177 miles for charity after years of ill health (October issue). I know a little about how hard it is to battle breast cancer. I have one friend who survived it and, very sadly, one friend who didn't. To walk that distance after years of ill health is a testament to what an amazing woman Janice is. The will to live is a force within all of us to fight for survival when our lives are threatened by a disease such as cancer. Like Janice, I love walking – it’s a great form of fitness. Since my beloved dog passed away, I…

Cold weather therapy Sweaty Betty has everything you need to stay warm and look fabulous this season, no matter how chilly it gets! Its bestselling Nimbus Longline Puffer, £375, is now joined by three new styles to suit every kind of wintry outdoor pursuit, including the Nimbus Puffer, £335, the Nimbus Short Puffer, £255, and the nifty Nimbus Puffer Gilet, £195, for your sportier endeavours. Water-resistant and windproof, each design also features HeatProtect insulation with a ‘super’ rating to keep you extra cosy, especially when paired with the brand’s Therma collection of technical midlayers and leggings, and new range of woolly accessories including snoods, scarfs and socks. Find out more at sweatybetty.com TRY THIS… Call off the search With 23,000 personal training businesses and 57,000 fitness instructors currently operating in…

PENNY WESTON Penny is a fitness, wellness and nutrition expert who runs award-winning health spa, Moddershall Oaks, and leading wellness centre, MADE. Find out more at pennyweston.com Q I struggle with joint issues, so tend to avoid high-impact activities such as running. What are the best low-impact exercises to boost cardio endurance? A I am a firm believer that regular exercise is the key to staying both physically and mentally fit, healthy and happy. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, which boost your sense of wellbeing and suppress hormones that cause anxiety. When released, endorphins can help relieve pain, reduce stress and may cause a euphoric feeling. They can make you feel pretty good, so it’s crucial not to let joint issues stand…

COVER INTERVIEW Most of you will know Cherry Healey as a presenter on the BBC2, and now BBC1, Inside The Factory show, which she has co-presented with Gregg Wallace for eight series. Healey also took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2016, and in 2012 began presenting Britain’s Favourite Supermarket Foods . She also presented Channel 5’s hugely popular 10 Years Younger , but her foray into fitness presenting came in 2015 when she hosted the E4 spin-off The Jump: On the Piste , interviewing contestants from Channel 4’s The Jump . And this autumn, she’ll be back on our screens on arguably the most challenging TV reality show to date, Celebrity SAS , only this time not presenting but as a contestant. The show was filmed in August 2023 in…

Not got the time to spend hours in the gym? Try an EMOM workout, which stands for Every Minute On The Minute and involves doing a set number of reps during the first minute, then doing a set number of reps in the next minute, and so on. ‘It’s a quick and fun way to build strength and lean muscle mass whilst raising the metabolism and reducing body fat,’ explains personal trainer Caroline Idiens (carolinescircuits.com). ‘I like to use the EMOM method because it’s perfect for those who are short on time and yet want to improve their fitness level.’ This workout by Idiens involves doing one dumbbell exercise for a set number of reps followed by one bodyweight move for the remainder of the minute (a super set), which…