Women's Fitness December 2024

Recently I had to take a hiatus from my normal exercise routine. I had (say it quietly) several weeks without doing my scheduled workouts. Normally this would send me into a spiral of negative thoughts – ‘I’m going to lose my hard-earned strength’, ‘my cardio fitness will plummet’, ‘I’ll feel totally bleurgh’ – but this time, it didn’t: it made me feel better. Now, as regular readers of my letter will know, I’m all for exercise – it keeps me healthy, gives me energy and is a great source of me-time – but I’d been overdoing it; not because I’d been doing an excessive amount of exercise, but because I have a busy life, love high-intensity sessions, wasn't sleeping well and my body was exhausted from the combo. It was…

STAR LETTER ‘I’M GOING TO START GIVING MY THIGHS A LOT MORE LOVE!’ Thank you for another brilliant issue of WF . Your cover star’s feature ‘We must celebrate our thighs, not hate them’ (November issue) was very motivational and I learned such a lot from all her good advice. I’m a big fan of Cherry’s and follow her Instagram page. I’ve also never been happy with my thighs but after reading this article, I’m going to start giving them a lot more love! Because strong legs provide a solid base and play a crucial role in maintaining good balance and stability. And by strengthening the muscles in my legs, I will improve my ability to perform everyday activities such as walking, running, climbing stairs and even standing for extended…

Winter wanderlust Known as the ‘home of leggings’, LOVALL (lovall.com) has the perfect pants to help you beat the chill this season. Available in sizes 6 to 28 and in three leg lengths, the fleece-lined Winter Everyday High Waisted Leggings, £30, offer a snug fit that moves with your body, providing comfort and flexibility on-the-go. Ideal for colder pursuits from ice skating to skiing, choose from 12 fashion-forward shades including this season’s hottest shade of burgundy, or opt for the on-trend Winter Flare Leggings, £33. With their soft interior and cosy feeling, we’re not surprised LOVALL sold over 1,000 pairs of their winter leggings a day during the cold season last year and amassed a 10,000+ waitlist for pre-orders! BUY THIS… It’s a knockout Known as London’s leading destination for…

AIMEE BENBOW Benbow is the head nutritionist at Viridian Nutrition (viridian-nutrition.com) and author of The Menopause Journal (Amazon, £20). Q Any advice on avoiding overindulgence this Christmas? I want to enjoy the food and drink, but always end up feeling so bloated and sluggish the next day ‘Eating high-fat, high-sugar foods can lead to uncomfortable bloating and gas’ A If you have a set workout routine, the festive season can often mean breaking the healthy habits you’ve built. Overindulging during this seasonal period can take its toll on your digestive system. Eating high-fat, high-sugar foods with minimal wholefoods rich in nutrients and fibre can lead to some uncomfortable symptoms – bloating, constipation and excess gas to name a few. Bloating is when your stomach feels full and uncomfortable, and this…

‘I felt real a mix of emotions when I won the 2023 Ironman World Championships. After coming second so many times [in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022], I felt like a pressure and a weight had finally been lifted off my shoulders, so I went into 2024 feeling the happiest, most positive I’d ever felt as an athlete. I knew I wanted to achieve more in my sport, but I hoped I could maybe try something a bit different to challenge myself in new ways. I didn’t feel any pressure going into the new year as the reigning World Champion. I just felt like it was a fresh year full of new opportunities. Obviously, that was going to be challenging off the back of a big injury I’d sustained, but…

From deadlifts to swings to rows, the kettlebell is a great piece of kit to help strengthen every muscle from head to toe. And if you’re wondering what makes it so different from a dumbbell, the true power of a kettlebell lies in its unique shape. ‘When exercising with a kettlebell, you’ll notice the centre of mass is extended beyond the hand, which means more muscle groups are utilised when swinging and holding a kettlebell which, therefore, produces an effective workout,’ explains Sarah Campus, personal trainer and founder of LDN MUMS FITNESS (ldnmumsfitness.com). ‘This not only makes them the perfect tool for a full-body workout (that strengthens more than one body part at the same time) but also the perfect tool for getting the heart rate up so you get…