Women's Fitness

Thank you for the advice in your brilliant feature ‘Mind on the Run’ (issue 5). I’ve been running for five years and I’m always looking for ways to improve my fitness and wellbeing. Fortunately, during the coronavirus pandemic I’ve been able to carry

As we put this issue of WF to press, the UK remains in lockdown due to COVID-19. Never have our workouts meant so much us. Across the country, streets and parks are crowded with runners, cyclists and walkers getting their daily dose of exercise and f

‘My backpack is vital as I carry a lot of gear wherever I go, including all my climbing stuff. I’m a big snacker and often have a few Organic Hard Bars (£18.99 for 12; hard.bar) as they’re my favourite, and I always take a water bottle to stay hydrat

Seamless, stretchy and sassy, this crop top has ruching at the chest and openings at the back for the ultimate in flexibility. ■

• ‘Climbing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and my passion for the sport remains as strong today as it did when I first started. Everyone needs to experience it, mainly because it’s so much fun.’ • ‘Climbing is one of the most

From drizzle to downpours, don’t let a little thing like rain get in the way of your daily outdoor exercise sessions. Instead of seeking shelter, you can now wear it, in the form of Columbia’s new fully waterproof yet breathable Inner Limits II Jacke

Is lockdown interrupting your plans to train as a PT? We’ve got the solution! PT Academy is offering 100 per cent home study on all its courses, and you can complete your training in just six weeks. Founded in 2009 by Adam Kiani, PT Academy is the la

Maintaining regular exercise in lockdown will help keep your immune system healthy, say researchers at the University of Bath. Previously, scientists believed there was an ‘open window’ in the hours and days after vigorous exercise, where athletes we

When you’re training hard, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough calories. Too few can lead to a condition known as the female athlete triad, where inadequate food intake can lead to menstrual disorders, such as amenorrhoea (the absence o

Are you missing those turmeric lattes and goji berry smoothies you usually pick up from your local healthy café? Well look on the bright side. Not only are you saving yourself a small fortune by eating at home, nutrition experts say that regular food

Let’s be frank: most of us have struggled to get up and going for another day of lockdown. For Strictly’s Karen Hauer, it’s a chance to squeeze in a workout. While Hauer will be the first to admit that she sometimes wakes up feeling cranky, she loves

Works: Obliques, core, shoulders and glutes. Time: 45 secs each side • Lie on your left side. Position yourself on your bottom forearm and the outside of your left foot. • Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and lift your hips to form a straight lin

‘I usually have a lovely bowl of oats with some of my Women’s Best protein powder, berries, nuts and milk. It’s delicious! Oats keep me full and contain the nutrients to prepare me for busy days. I also love eggs – I have them with salmon, avocado, t

• Start by sitting down and bending your right knee, then cross your right leg over your left and place your foot on the outside of your left thigh. • Bend your left knee and position your left ankle next to your right glute. Keep your left foot plan

Feeling lost? In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has profoundly changed the way we live our lives – punctual wake-up times for work are gone; sports and fitness events have been cancelled, and the gym you attended four times a week has cl

WHY: If you love to mix up your workouts, you need footwear that will rise to every challenge, so plump for multi-purpose cross-trainer shoes as they’ll cope with an extensive range of physical activities. Their wider soles will give you stability fo

From frequent hand washing to meticulously disinfecting doorknobs, taps and work surfaces, most of us have never been so aware of home hygiene. COVID-19 has made us super aware of the risks involved in heading outside – whether to shop for basic nece

Listen to the sounds of nature – it’s the next best thing to being outside in the countryside or park. Tranquil Birdsong, Natural Bird Sounds S1 E1 (free; youtube. com) is an 11-hour track that’s calming, uplifting and makes you feel immersed in the

You know higher daily step counts are good for your wellbeing but just how many steps do you need to take for maximum benefits? Get the numbers right and you won’t just build bone density and boost cardiovascular fitness, you could even prolong your

Washing your hands a lot? Show them some TLC. ‘If your hands feel dry and chapped, use an intensive hand moisturiser,’ says Dr Tiina Meder, dermatologist and founder of Meder Beauty Science. ‘Chapped skin could lead to infection.’ Enhance your skin’s

It’s funny to think that 10 years ago only the privileged few owned a GPS watch. Back then, they were bulky, ran on batteries and did little more than track speed, distance, pace and calories burned. Fast forward to this decade and the popularity of

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne, £69; jomalone.co.uk Missing the sea? Conjure up a windswept shore, fresh salt air and waves breaking on soft white sand. Ahhh, if only…. Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body oil, £40; John Lewis Transport yourself

‘The first hour of my day is my “power hour” – cultivated time I’ve reclaimed for me before I have to run on other people’s schedules. I wake every day by 5.30am and either go out for a run or do some stretching and mobility work. Then, I sit quietly

• ‘Make the most of your morning power hour by incorporating some kind of movement to wake up your body and mind, even if it’s gentle.’ • ‘Don’t think you can get up earlier and still stay up late. Sleep improves every aspect of your health – from yo

If you’re cooking more meals from scratch at the moment, you’re probably keeping an eye on your fat intake. But what about fibre? National data shows that most of us don’t get nearly enough of this protective nutrient. Now, new research suggests that

Who can resist a good curry? Not us! Trouble is, if they’re laden with fat, cream or accompanying carbs, your waistline and cholesterol levels can pay the price. Enter new book The Curry Guy Light by Dan Toombs (Quadrille, £15), where you can find Br

She’s the fitness influencer who has helped hundreds of thousands of women shape up via her Tone & Sculpt app, and now Krissy Cela has launched a new at-home workout guide, called Sculpt It (free to NHS workers), to help women stay fit during lockdow

It’s all too easy to be hunched over your laptop or phone, 24/7, during lockdown. Try this back workout three times a week to help pull everything back into alignment and ease back and neck pain. Perform each move one after the other as a circuit, t

1. ‘Total time on your feet and consistent training is best. Small regular efforts are better than fewer longer ones.’ 2. ‘Focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I think about technique or the scenery and terrain to distract myself.’ 3. ‘I

1 Comfort is paramount so try before you buy. Flatlocked seams will chafe less, and look for a waistband that’s not so tight that it restricts your breathing, not so loose you have to keep hitching it up. 2 You need complete freedom of movement to g

This month’s postnatal workout builds on the core rehabilitation work you’ve done over the past few months, taken from Stage 2 of the Fiit Mum plan. The new moves will improve mobility in your thoracic spine to help alleviate any tightness in the mid

‘I’ve always been sporty, playing netball at school, then rowing at university and for England in 1997. After that, I started road running up to marathon distance, then dabbled in IRONMAN triathlons after I had my two girls. When the tri training pro

‘I can’t moan at all because I’m not a key worker, I’m not being asked to risk my life, I haven’t lost any loved ones and I’m not ill. So, in the main, I’m feeling gratitude. I try to have the mindset that I’m safe at home, not stuck at home. If you