Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Women's Fitness

As I write this month’s Welcome page, I’m looking at two separate races that take place at the start of the year – one at the end of January, the other at the start of February. These are mass participation events, so it has occurred to me that the order of things has shifted – for many, January isn’t sparking the start, or even the maintenance, of a training programme, but the very peak of it. Come January, many of you may well be (like me) in the thick of training – the intense intervals, the long miles, the sustained efforts – and you might be starting to feel a bit fatigued. If this sounds familiar, turn to page 94 to find out how to balance your efforts with nervous…

Meet the expert Sean Murphy is Ultimate Performance’s global chief personal training officer and oversees U.P.’s entire worldwide personal training team. He works closely with U.P. gym managers across the world, leading on recruitment, education, exercise execution, program design development, performance and client management to ensure the global training team produces world-class results. He was educated at Brunel University London, graduating with an MSc in Human Performance (Sports Science), and has built a long-term career at U.P., harnessing his knowledge of fitness and human performance. Visit ultimateperformance.com There’s a lot of confusion about whether women should avoid high-intensity training during menopause, but it’s not as simple as saying yes or no. What matters is how often it’s done, how well recovery is managed and how it fits within a structured…

Three years ago, on the morning of a long haul flight to Australia, my friend suggested we try a new type of training, something completely different to keep ourselves motivated: boxing. If you’d said then that I’d still be loving boxing more than ever, I’d have said ‘No chance’. I’ve built a career out of hitting jumps in the mountains, so stepping into a boxing gym felt an alien but fun challenge. Boxing hit me quite literally in ways that I didn’t expect. After years of snowboarding, I’m used to big, powerful gross moves across a wide space. Boxing, on the other hand, is all about meticulous, micro-movements. Katya, my best friend and a dancer, picked up every technical detail instantly. Me? I felt like I was throwing punches with…

Sometimes the most effective workouts don’t require lots of kit or time. Instead a little resistance and some smart planning does the job. This is one of those workouts. Requiring dumbbells, mat and small amount of space, this total-body session from personal trainer and former WF cover model, Chloe Thomas, is the perfect workout to do at home. Taking just 20 minutes, it will hit your glutes, quads, biceps, core, back, shoulder and tricep muscles. This makes it a great workout for those who are short on time or trying to build a base of strength, as it targets all of the major muscle groups. Aim to do it twice a week alongside your other workouts (tip: try to clock a cardio workout or two, plus a mobility/flexibility session) and…

If there’s one thing that air fryers do well, it’s cutting the time it takes to create a flavoursome meal. Convenient and speedy, air fryers use significantly less oil than other methods such as frying, and are therefore considered to be a good option for healthy meal-making. Enter Christina Kynigos’ new cookbook 20-Minute Air Fryer: Easy High-Protein Meals Under 600 Calories (DK RED, £20), which offers up stress-free lunches, prep-ahead meals, satisfying fakeaways and more, all with Christina’s (known as @veryhungrygreek to over 1.5 million followers across TikTok and Instagram) trademark bold flavours. Even if you don’t have an air fryer, these meals can be cooked using conventional cooking methods. Here are a few recipes from Christina for you to try. Sticky paprika halloumi gyros Being Greek-Cypriot, we have gyros…

If you’re after a solid, well-designed treadmill that keeps things simple yet connected, the Bowflex T9 is a strong contender. Whether you’re chasing personal bests or just trying to keep moving through winter, the T9 is built for runners (and walkers) who value comfort, performance and app compatibility over flashy extras, promising gym-quality results in your own home. But does it deliver the goods? We put it to the test. Getting started First up, delivery is ‘doorstep’ – so make sure you have at least one, preferably two, extra people on hand to help you get the treadmill inside (assembled weight is 128kg, but when it’s still in the box it’s 155kg, thanks to protective wooden sheets in the packaging). You’ll also need to ensure you have adequate space cleared at…

Let’s start at the beginning – EMOM stands for ‘every minute on the minute’, and refers to a specific type of workout that is great for your fitness levels. Why? Because it’s a workout protocol for which you complete a set number of reps of a particular exercise in 60 seconds. The time that remains in the 60-second block will be your recovery time before you move onto the next exercise, starting on the next minute. The take-home? The quicker you complete the task, the more rest you earn before getting a sweat on again. Phew! How to do it To give it a go, set a timer for seven minutes and then, at the start of each minute, complete move one, move two, move three, and so on. Don’t…

Eve Boggenpoel Eve is a qualified yoga teacher, counsellor and homeopath. She is passionate about helping people heal, so they can connect with and live their authentic selves with greater clarity and ease. @eveboggenpoel Lucy Miller Lucy is a fitness journalist, ex-national gymnast and qualified Level 3 PT. She is also a nutritionist and life coach who loves nothing more than to go for a run or to the gym. @lucycmiller_ Aimee Fuller Aimee Fuller is a former Team GB two-time Olympic snowboarder. She is now a broadcaster and author, as well as an avid runner and qualified yogi. Follow her @aimee_fuller Joanna Ebsworth A qualified Level 3 PT and fitness instructor, Jo has been combining her love of exercise and writing for 20 years, and is keen to inspire…

Sometimes even the smallest shared interest can form the foundation for a meaningful friendship. For Russian dancer, choreographer and Strictly Come Dancing star, Katya Jones, 36, and two-time Team GB Winter Olympian turned broadcaster, Aimee Fuller, 34, that common ground was a mutual appreciation for nuts. ‘I remember seeing Aimee hovering over a massive bowl of nuts at my ex-husband Neil Jones’ birthday party in 2021, while everyone else was in another room playing games and eating McDonalds,’ says Katya, who recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with Strictly after making her debut on the Saturday night BBC show in 2016. ‘Neil had invited Aimee after they met on a job in 2020 and she had introduced him to wakesurfing. As soon as he met her, he said, “Oh, you would…

The year 2025 was a strong one for anyone interested in fitness. It saw the rise (and rise) of reformer Pilates, HYROX and hybrid exercise went even more viral, and there was a growing obsession with recovery fitness activities such as contrast therapy and compression boots – and these things show no signs of slowing down in 2026. But there are some new fitness players in the exercise game – AI workouts are set to take centre stage, new recovery methods are coming to the fore and plenty of us will be heading overseas to challenge our fitness mettle. Read on to discover what else will be hot over the next 12 months. Stretch sessions With flexibility rating so highly (number five) on the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM)…

We track our steps, hit our macros, train our glutes and core, but how often do we think about exercising our lungs? Breathing might be automatic, but building a stronger respiratory system could be the missing link in boosting performance, preventing injury and speeding up recovery. In most fitness circles, we talk endlessly about strength, flexibility, endurance and even mindset. But what’s often missing from the conversation is the one system driving all the above: your lungs. ‘Lung health is vital for all types of physical performance’, says personal trainer Joseph Webb (coachjosephwebb.co.uk). ‘When your respiratory muscles are weak, you tire more quickly, recover slower and your technique can suffer, increasing the risk of injury during training.’ WHAT IS LUNG TRAINING? Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) is a science-backed way to…

We all know the classic pillars of wellness – regular exercise, a balanced diet, good sleep and a healthy work/life mix – but even with the best intentions, life rarely plays ball. Work deadlines, relationship niggles, sick children, ageing parents… it all adds up, leaving many of us feeling irritable, anxious or permanently tired. With so many people living in a near-constant state of stress, our nervous system is increasingly at risk of running ragged. So how can we bring it back into balance? NERVOUS SYSTEM 101 You’ve likely heard of the fight-or-flight response – part of the autonomic nervous system and designed to keep you safe from danger by ramping up heart rate, breathing and blood flow to the brain and muscles so you can react fast. But there…

Want defined arms you can flaunt? This super-effective dumbbell circuit will not only work and strengthen every muscle from your shoulders to your abs, but will also get your heart rate up and burn calories. In fact, it provides a fantastic workout in just 30 minutes! Whether you want to be strong enough to do a pull-up one day or would just like a set of toned arms you’re proud to show off in a sleeveless dress, this workout is highly effective at working the muscles in your back, chest, arms and core. All you need is a simple pair of dumbbells and enough space for a yoga mat. Complete as many reps of each move as possible in the set time, then rest for 15 seconds before moving on…

Want to show off your abs? Then you’ll have to burn fat. But to burn fat, you need to choose cardio moves that will get your heart rate up. In fact, there’s nothing better than cardio exercise and ab-resistance moves to help create that toned midriff look. So, what if we said that you could mix the two together and get your heart rate high enough to burn fat while working your midsection? You can, and here’s what you need to know… How it works If you want six-pack abs, you must first burn unwanted belly fat. Why? Because you can have the strongest abs in the world but, if there’s fat covering them, you won’t see them. These carefully selected exercises have been designed with fat burning in mind.…

Get set, go! Want your workout wardrobe to work as hard as you do? Look no further than British activewear brand BAM, who has perfected the art of ‘wardrobemaxxing’ this winter with beautifully designed, hardworking pieces that offer multiple looks and maximum mileage. The bestselling Enduro Training Jacket gets a cold-weather makeover in the form of the new Thermal Sculpting Training Top, £75, with a brushed inner for warmth and reflective tape details on the shoulder blades – great for taking you from the street to studio in style or for high-visibility night runs. And the supersoft Thermal Ultra Active Leggings, £65, are suitable for all your chilly outdoor adventures, thanks to their high waist, cosy lining and reflective piping. Visit bambooclothing.co.uk TRY THIS... Get a grip BJJ, aka Brazilian…

Early days My mum skated competitively until she was 18 and my uncle was a professional ice hockey player who represented Team Canada, so I didn’t really have a choice about skating – I was plopped on the ice when I was two years old! I took part in my first solo competition around the age of six, but when I was nine, I saw the Canadian ice skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir win gold during the 2010 Winter Olympics. That’s the first time I saw ice dancing, and that’s when I announced to my family and declared to the world that my dream was to go to the Olympics and do ice dancing – they’d just have to deal with it! Ice dance is basically ballroom dancing with…

It’s one of those precious family-holiday moments that’s now banked in my memory forever. The four of us are sitting on a cluster of rocks near the bottom of the Signal 2 chairlift, happily gnawing on cheese and ham baguettes, the warmth of the sun on our backs as we take in the dramatic view of the steep-sided snowy mountains below the deep blue sky that seems to go on forever. Our appetites are piqued by the fresh air that’s still crisply cold despite the sun’s presence, plus the exertion of exercising at altitude… In fact, we enjoyed that lunchtime experience so much that we repeated it several times during our week’s skiing in the French ski resort of Les Deux Alpes at the beginning of April 2025. There was…

Pulse power In a game-changing first for the tofu market, plant-based brand THIS has teamed with Omami to create a chickpea-based tofu, THIS Is Omami Chickpea Tofu (£3.50, Ocado). Offering a soy-free tofu alternative for modern cooking, the products brings a creamier texture and crispier finish to the table, with a bold taste to boot. It’s high in protein (16g per 100g), low in saturated fat, and soy allergen-free. Packed with protein High in fibre and protein (16g per 100g serving), the new Beyond Tenders from Beyond Meat (£3, Tesco and Sainbury’s) are convenient and easy to cook in the over or air-fryer. Use the chicken-style tenders as a simple swap for animal meat in a salad, wrap or tacos, packing in lots of veggies or salad for a nutrient-rich…

01. Embrace nutritious winter warmers Hearty soups and stews aren’t just comforting, they’re nutritional powerhouses. Root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips are packed with beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A to support immune function. Add protein-rich pulses such as lentils or chickpeas for sustained energy, and finish with a handful of leafy greens. The liquid base helps keep you hydrated when you might not feel like drinking cold water, and the warmth aids digestion during the colder months. 02. Fuel your immune system With limited sunlight exposure in winter, it’s crucial to get vitamin D from your diet. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines are excellent sources, alongside eggs and fortified dairy or plant-based alternatives. Vitamin D plays a vital role in immune…

Bloxx backpack £99.99; bloxxbag.com What the brand says: The Bloxx Backpack is inspired by and originally created for athletes. It considers the need for speed and precision in making transitions, when every second count. If your average day means switching between work, rest and play, you need all your kit organised in a streamlined way. This bag offers you multiple compartments that vary in size and fit together neatly inside the robust and stylish design, meaning you can pack everything you need. What we say: Where has this bag been hiding? Boasting a design like nothing I’ve seen before – because there are three individual compartments inside a main compartment that unzips from the back, not the front, of the pack – Bloxx first had me flummoxed. I’m used to…

Wash ‘n go Tired of multiple hair-styling gadgets? Perfect for lunchtime sweat sessions or heading off on holiday, Silk’n Silky Air Trinity 3-in-1 styling tool (£249, silkn.co.uk) is a gamechanger. When you have plenty of time, choose from one of the three speeds and four heat levels in Drying Mode for a concentrated airflow, then switch to Styling Mode for up to 230oC of heat to straighten or create waves with the keratin-coated plates. But it’s the Wet-to-Dry Mode that will really transform your post-workout shower routine. Dry and style dripping locks in one step, at heat levels up to 160oC to prevent damage, then finish with a cold shot to lock in your style. Cultivate calm Manage the effects of stress with Eyeam No Stress Drops (£35, eyeamworld.com). Adaptogen…

Often the best approach is the simplest. Especially if you haven’t exercised for a while and the gym is feeling a bit daunting. Here’s a home-based, strength-training routine based around a solid foundation of exercises that work each part of your body. If you can focus mostly on this handful of staple moves, you’ll notice that they’ll start to feel easier with time, which leads to feeling stronger, fitter and confident enough to start progressing and experimenting by adding dumbbells, different variations or trying completely new exercises altogether. Getting fitter and stronger only takes some fundamental moves, consistency and patience. Here’s how to get started. To do this workout Work through the moves and perform each for the required reps and sets before moving onto the next. Take 2-3 minutes’…

If you think yoga and Pilates are simply for relaxation and less effective when it comes to fat burning and overall strength, then think again. Yes, you’ll get the stretching, breathing and body-awareness benefits from this yoga circuit, but you’ll also perform six super-effective moves that will raise your heart rate and challenge every muscle from head to toe, whilst lengthening and toning any trouble spots. How it works This energising yet grounding sequence will engage your core and co-ordination, all the while waking up and preparing every muscle from head to toe. Try doing it after you wake up. Moving first thing in the morning will sharpen your focus, as well as help you to connect to your inner self. This, in turn, will leave you feeling more alert…

Now you have your exercise routine in place, it’s time to think about your diet. Whether you want to lose pounds or simply maintain a healthy weight, your diet plays a crucial role. Eating well is also vital to help you get the most from your exercise routine. When it comes to fuelling workouts, unless you’re planning a strenuous challenge, such as running a marathon, you should be able to get the nutrients you need from a normal healthy diet. But there are some important guidelines to consider. Your muscles use both carbohydrate and protein for fuel, so don’t skimp on either of these. Getting a sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals is also essential for your training. Low levels of calcium and magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, for…

Press repeat Enjoyed the eight-week plan? Then the good news is you can repeat the whole plan again. To get results from exercise, you need to overload your body by doing more than it’s used to. So, do the same exercises but change a few of the variables – increase the weight and decrease the number of reps, or increase the number of reps and stick with the same weight. For cardio work, stay active for longer or perform exercise at a quicker pace. As long as you feel your muscles burn, it’s working. Join others Working out in a group has been scientifically proven to boost results, and fitness classes are ideal. Look for a class that suits your exercise interests. Combative classes such as boxing fitness and body…