Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Women's Fitness

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…

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…

Road to recovery Been training a lot? Overcome DOMS and bring ease to your hardworking body with WholyMe Muscle & Joint Balm (£34, hollandandbarrett.com). Designed to reduce inflammation and stimulate your skin, the clinically tested balm is infused with 12 active botanicals – including arnica, juniper, rosemary and hemp seed oil – to soothe aching muscles so you can focus on getting back on track. Simply apply a pea-sized amount to sore areas and massage in twice a day. Look into my eyes If you’re one of the 43 per cent of Brits with sleeping difficulties and have tried every remedy under the sun (we’re talking from experience here), it might be time to look at self-hypnosis. The clinically backed Sleep Programme at Reveri is a self-hypnosis app created by…

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…

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…

As the winter months approach, many of us are seeking warming and nutritious recipes that don’t take hours on end to make (or to find the ingredients for!). Enter, award-winning cook, Katy Beskow, who has a passion for seasonal ingredients, vibrant food and fuss-free cooking. In Vegan Pantry, Bestow shows you how to cook a range of simple, straightforward and delicious meals, all based around key ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry – from oats and pulses to canned tomatoes and grains – combined with seasonal twists to enjoy year-round. The handy cookbook also includes a list of easy-to-source store-cupboard essentials and must-have kitchen equipment, so you can feel prepped and ready to whip up nourishing meals every night of the week. Whether you’re a new or…

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 9 (£34.99, mi.com/uk and amazon.co.uk) Slim and lightweight, the latest edition of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band utilises an aluminium alloy frame in a range of colours, which you can mix and match with an even bigger range of strap materials and colours. Improving on previous editions, this affordable tracker features a 10 per cent more accurate sensor to precisely monitor SpO2, sleep, heart rate, steps, calories, breathing and blood oxygen saturation. When it comes to fitness tracking, you’ll be spoilt for choice with over 150 training modes, including up to 10 running routes, complete with reminders to achieve your speed and heart-rate goals. Advanced algorithms also cover metrics such as maximum oxygen consumption, recovery time, training results, load and more. You can also separately purchase…

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…

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…

PLANT-BASED DIET Conscientiously carving out a healthy diet can be a challenge at the best of times, but if you’re working out regularly and looking to support your fitness goals, meticulous planning is needed. The first thing to consider is the type of diet that best suits you. More and more athletes are choosing to fuel their performance with a plant-based diet that excludes animal products. If you think this isn’t realistic, a growing body of research shows that you don’t need to eat meat and other animal produce to optimise performance – provided that you monitor your macronutrient and micronutrient intake, and make sure to include some supplementation where necessary. Rewind just 10 years ago, however, and plant-based diets were considered faddy, restrictive and downright unappealing – especially when…

Spurling was born with an uncommon heart defect that left her with only one functioning ventricle. This condition, known as single ventricle physiology, dramatically alters blood circulation and results in reduced exercise capacity. For Spurling, it meant a childhood on the sidelines, watching her sports-loving family participate in activities that she was told were off-limits. ‘I was always the “sick kid”,’ she recalls. ‘Being left out of sports at school and told I couldn’t so do many things was incredibly isolating. Coming from a hugely sporty family made it harder. I was always on the sidelines, feeling like the odd one out.’ This exclusion took a toll on Spurling’s mental health, but as she entered sixth form, something inside her rebelled against the limitations imposed by others. In a moment…