Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Women's Fitness

Hello, 2025! It’s time for a new year – 365 days of opportunity to work towards a goal that will leave you feeling accomplished, whether that’s to practise meditation daily or to run a marathon. As I sit down to write this issue’s Ed’s Letter, it’s not yet January, but already, I have put a plan in place for the year ahead. It’s not my normal ‘train hard, race hard’ programme, but a slow-burn periodised plan that will strip things back to the core. This will be the year that I work hard on moving efficiently, rather than at all costs. It’s not so much a ‘new year, new me’ strategy as a ‘year older, little wiser’ one. What’s your goal for 2025? If you’ve yet to decide, don’t rush.…

SARAH CAMPUS Campus is a highly qualified women’s PT, Nutrition Coach, mum of three and founder of LDN MUMS FITNESS (ldnmumsfitness.com). Q I had a baby three months’ ago and I’m looking to gradually start rebuilding some strength from home. Do you have any advice on getting started with postpartum bodyweight workouts? A When returning to exercise after giving birth, it’s advised to wait six weeks after a vaginal birth and 10-12 weeks after a caesarean, as long as you have had clearance from your healthcare professional. You can start your pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel comfortable to after giving birth. Once you’ve had the all clear, get your abdominals checked as well, to ensure you don’t have diastasis recti, also known as ab separation. Remember to…

Finding the motivation to exercise can be tough, we hear you! One moment you’re super motivated and sprinting up hills before breakfast, the next you’re struggling to lace up your trainers and step foot out the front door. If this sounds familiar, we’ll let you in on a secret – the magic solution to staying motivated may just be signing up for a fitness challenge. Not only is participating in a sports event a great way to commit to a goal and stick with a regular routine, but you’ll also likely need to follow a periodised training plan that will help you stay on track. There’s also a sense of accountability that comes with doing an event – you’ll probably not want to let yourself, or perhaps a team mate…

Magnesium is our very own mineral superhero. It is involved in over 300 essential cellular reactions in the body and plays a key role in maintaining our energy levels, keeping our bones and muscles healthy, supporting our brain, and helping us fight off illness. Perhaps most importantly, magnesium is an essential component in protein synthesis, meaning it supports the continual cell division our body needs to protect itself from diseases like cancer. ‘Exercise can increase the amount of magnesium we lose through sweat by up to 20 per cent’ DEALING WITH DEFICIENCY The recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for women aged 19-51 is 310-320mg, though pregnant women need slightly more. That being said, one-in-eight of us in the UK are deficient in magnesium, including a quarter of all teenage girls.…

Small, sleek and subtle, the newly unveiled Garmin Lily 2 Active (£299.99, garmin.com) combines the functionality of a top spec smartwatch with the elegance of a classic watch. With built-in GPS, 24/7 health-monitoring tools and features such as women’s health tracking, sleep reporting, and on-the-go breathwork and meditation practices, wearing this watch really is like having a health and wellness coach on your wrist. The Lily 2 Active has made me so much more aware of and in tune with my stress and energy levels throughout the day – the simple reminders to take breaks, stretch, breathe or make time for movement has helped me find more balance in my life. I also love how the watch offers motivational praise whenever I do anything to benefit my wellness – whether…

STAR LETTER ‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO LET YOURSELF REST – PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY’ ‘I enjoyed reading I feel mentally stronger than ever (December issue), about Lucy Charles-Barclay. I remember when she became the 2023 World Ironman champion and the 2021 World Champion in the 70.3 discipline, amongst other triumphs. I found her words inspiring, and learned a lot from her advice, such as knowing your body and its limits, and to try to detect things early in training before they become something big. My brother ran the London Marathon this year while injured, and it has set him back a long way in his fitness regime. He never should have run, but he didn’t want to let his sponsors down. I see now that it is important to let yourself recuperate…

If you’re seeking fitspiration of the highest order to help you smash your health and fitness goals in 2025, look no further than international fitness presenter and celebrity trainer Faye Edwards. A powerhouse of positivity, the exercise icon has been putting the fun into fitness for more than 12 years, during a career that has seen her host workouts, fitness events, educational masterclasses and wellbeing retreats all over the world. And it’s her special blend of motivational movement for all abilities that has helped her attract a multitude of loyal fans, including Dame Kelly Holmes and Davina McCall – with the latter hailing Faye as a ‘positive, energetic ray of sunshine’ (you might even recognise Faye from a viral video where she got Davina enthusiastically twerking during one of her…

‘Fast-twitch muscle fibres, supercharge you body to increase power, strength and, ultimately, fat burning’ 1. HARNESS YOUR SKILLS When looking to build an effective exercise programme, first consider any past injuries which could hamper your ability to maximise your exercise output and potentially create problems down the line. Also consider your former level of activity, as if you were active in the past, your body will be better ‘primed’ to get fitter faster now. Any exercise or sport requires you to learn the technique and then build up strength and stamina. If you played sport or did dance/gymnastics when you were younger, this will have primed your body for co-ordination and balance. It would also have challenged your nervous system, meaning that if you were to pick up the activities…

FEMCARE FOCUS Menopause matters Confused by all the different supplements for support through perimenopause and beyond? New Revive Active Meno Botanical (£24.95 for 30-day supply, revive-active.com) offers a one-capsule solution with five active ingredients to support hormonal activity, brain function and nervous system regulation with adaptogen ashwagandha, sage, soya isoflavone, plus vitamin B3 and B6. Gut instinct Stay regular and feed the healthy bacteria in your gut with Wellosophy Prebiotic Fibre Drink (£13.99, uk.oriflame.com). Sourced from veggies including chicory, broccoli, kale, spinach and green pepper, it contains 4.3g fibre per serving plus two of the best researched prebiotic fibres – inulin from chicory and FOS (fructooligosaccharides) from sugar beet. Simply mix the powder with liquid or add to food. Freshen up Stay fresh while working out with a deodorant that…

It’s all in the prep Workouts taking a toll on your hair? Excess sweat, oil, dirt and product build-up clog your hair follicles, contributing to poor scalp health and slow hair growth. Clean up your act with new Hairstory Pre-Wash (£25.65, uk.hairstory.com), the only detergent-free micellar treatment with prebiotics (from starmerella bombicola/brassica oil fermentation) to help balance moisture levels and improve the health of your scalp’s microbiome. Be more you We don’t believe in New year, New you pressures. As with training, it’s regular, steady commitment that gets you to your goals, which is why we like Pulse of Potential’s therapist-approved guided journal, The Growth (£29.90, pulseofpotential.com), an interactive workbook that encourages you to get to know and love yourself more. Divided into five sections encompassing self-knowledge, love, vision, resilience…

01 Mix it up If you do the same routine each time you train, your body will adapt, it will become easy and, most importantly, you’ll become very bored. You will reach a point where you’ll feel like you’re merely going through the motions. Instead, try some different classes, sign up for something new and vary the order of the exercises you’re currently doing. 02 Push yourself Decide to do something you’ve never done before – something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. It could be trying a kettlebell class for the first time, or taking up an entirely new form of exercise, such as tennis or rock climbing. Anything that’s different to what you’d normally choose will stimulate your mind and body. 03 Get help from experts…

My father climbed as a hobby when I was young. I vividly remember FaceTiming him when he was at Aconcagua basecamp. I was eight years old at the time and in awe of what he was doing. I remember thinking ‘I want to do that’. My heart was soon set on climbing high mountains, especially Mount Everest. Twelve years of ambition, dedication and obsession later, I made my dream come true. My journey wasn’t easy: I had to train extremely hard. I sacrificed time with friends, typical teenage events, and even studying for exams, in favour of training and preparing for Everest. Between the ages of 15-18, I summited Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, and Aconcagua. These were stepping stones to successfully summiting the world’s highest mountain. When the time came to…

TRENDS SPECIAL Fashion forward Update your workout wardrobe this January with pieces from Under Armour’s new Unstoppable Collection, designed for modern athletes who demand both substance and style. Blending cutting-edge technology with sleek, versatile designs that seamlessly transition from high-intensity workouts to everyday life, you’ll find everything from water-repellent yet breathable joggers and jackets to performance-ready leggings and supportive sneakers, including the UA HOVR Apparition Shoes (£120, seen here), providing responsive comfort to reduce impact and propel you forward. Underarmour.co.uk HOT RIGHT NOW Passion project Padel, a hybrid of tennis and squash known as ‘The Happiest Sport’, has seen explosive global growth thanks to its accessibility, fast pace and social nature. And the UK has embraced the trend, with more than 450 courts now open, representing a 600 per cent…

If more strength, better mobility and great muscular endurance are on your workout wishlist this year, let us introduce you to high-intensity functional training (HIFT). Blending the modalities of high-intensity interval training (aka HIIT, or short bouts of intense movements teamed with brief rest periods) and functional exercises (those that mimic natural moves such as squats or lunges), HIFT has come to the fore as an incredibly popular workout method. And it’s no surprise, given that the prestigious American College of Sports Medicine ranks both HIIT (number 6) and functional fitness (number 9) in its list of top 10 fitness trends for 2025. Here’s why it could be a gamechanger for your workout routine: a high-intensity functional workout goes beyond building muscle and burning fat, it enhances your ability to…

Christmas is great fun, until it’s not anymore. Sure, it feels nice to let our hair down and take some time out, but before long, we at Women’s Fitness start to crave our workout routine and want to pick up a set of dumbbells again! If this sounds familiar, then this 28-Day Workout Plan from Sarah Campus, LDN MUMS FITNESS founder and personal trainer (ldnmumsfitness.com), is perfect for you. It will help you to re-establish a consistent exercise routine and get some movement time back in your schedule. Give it a go and you’ll be saying ‘Hello’ to lean muscle tissue and increased fitness levels by the end of the month. The plan is based on 10 exercises. These exercises target different muscle groups to help you build strength, improve…

Struggling to whip up nutritious meals when time is tight? Speedy High Protein by nutrition coach Fraser Reynolds is packed with filling, slimming and low-calorie meals that you can get on the table in less than 30 minutes. Following years of restrictive fad dieting and serious struggles with eating disorders, Reynolds channelled his recovery into positive steps, becoming a PE teacher before later training as nutrition coach and personal trainer. His book is structured into solutions-based chapters to help you find what you need throughout the week – from family favourites and meal prep ideas to easy air-fryer dishes and slow-cooker solutions. Complete with an index of calorie-controlled snacking ideas, go-to sides to help you feel fuller, and higher protein swaps and tips, it’s designed to help you crack the…

Oura Ring 4 From £349, ouraring.com Makers of the very first health-tracking smart ring, the latest iteration from Oura is the sleekest, smartest and most comfortable model yet. In an upgrade from previous models, the fully titanium ring offers a barely-there feel and features Smart Sensing, which adapts to your finger to deliver accurate, continuous data, day and night. In terms of tracking, you’re covered from head-to-toe with 24/7 heart rate and temperature monitoring, plus in-depth sleep analysis, including a nightly sleep score, sleep stage analysis, blood oxygen sensing and bedtime guidance. The ring will also keep track of your cardiovascular age, heart rate variability, cardio capacity, daily stress levels, and even predict when you might be getting ill. It’s also compatible with a range of menstrual cycle tracking apps,…

What does ‘strong’ mean to you? Is it an appearance, an attitude, an act? The truth is, strong goes beyond how someone looks, the way they behave or a practice they perform; strong is a state of mind. As women, there are endless ways we can channel our strength: taking action, being passionate, speaking our minds, pursuing our dreams, being unapologetic, taking up space and prioritising our health and happiness. First, let’s make one thing clear: you are strong. You already have the strength you need to navigate your life and you are more than capable of achieving everything you want to. But it’s also true that sometimes you might not feel so strong. You may sometimes face difficult situations or troubling thoughts that prevent you from speaking up, joining…

For improvements to your health and fitness, you need to include both strength and cardiovascular (CV, or aerobic) exercise in your weekly workout routine. The sweet spot for moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (hiking, gentle cycling, etc) is 150 minutes per week, but you can also meet your needs with 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio (running, skipping, football) or very vigorous exercise (sprinting, HIIT training, Spinning classes) weekly. If you’re new to aerobic exercise, however, or you haven’t done anything for a while, it’s best to start slowly and build up gradually. If you’re using the cardio machines in the gym, try to find one you like and one that feels comfortable. The rower and cross-trainer will work the muscles of the upper and lower body, burning more calories because you’re working…

Superset 1 STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT Areas trained: Works your hamstrings and glutes to lift and tone your bottom • Standing feet hip-width apart, hold dumbbells with your palms facing your thighs (A). Keep your knees straight and core tight. Inhale, slowly bend forwards from your hips and lower the dumbbells until you feel an intense stretch in your hamstrings (B). Exhale and reverse the direction, contracting your glutes as you rise upwards to the start position. Do two sets of 12-15 repetitions. LOW LUNGES Areas trained: These lunges are super tough on your glutes • Step your right leg forwards into a lunge and, keeping your core engaged and chest lifted (A), bend and drop your left knee to the floor. Lift your left knee half an inch off the ground…