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 welcome

Contents 58 Triathlon treats

This month
72
Make the most
of salad leaves

30
31 Summer
beauty
Gwyneth Paltrow’s
skincare secret

SHAPE UP EAT SMART HEALTHY YO U FE AT URE S

12 Fitness notebook
The new way to climb walls,
the benefits of Barre, three
great waist bags.
14 10-minute tone-up
Challenge your balance and
hone a toned core.
18 Food notebook
Reduce your stroke risk, beat
your biscuit habit, make the
most of canned foods.
20 Herbal hydration
Make drinking water fun by
adding plants, fruits and spices.
22 Nutrition expert
H&F nutritionist Amanda
Hamilton on retraining your
palate for healthy tastes.
23 Recipe revamp
A delicious spiced salad
with mild Indian cheese.
24 Diet diary
Olympic speed skater
Sarah Lyndsay.
28 Health notebook 34 ‘My body has changed
The anti-cancer vitamin, a for the better’
smart way to clean your Vogue Williams talks about
teeth, therapeutic soaps. fitness and motherhood.
29 Listen to love 38 Is comfort killing you?
Better communication, The daily conveniences that
happier relationships. could be making you ill.
30 Beauty bag
The latest ways to freshen GYM SP EC IAL
up your look. 42 10 ways to double
31 Beauty notebook your gym results
Natural skincare and Top PTs show you how to stay
advanced face masks. in shape throughout autumn.
46 Supercharge your
home workout
The latest exercise gadgets.
48 Gym-style fixes found!
Choose the right kit to feel
good and perform better.
54 Empower your training
How to boost your
confidence in the gym.

Health & Fitness 3

welcome

Model: Syanne @
Lenis Models
Photographer: Helen Marsden
Hair & make-up: Alice 48
Theobold @ Joy Goodman
Stylist: Kellie Daggett
Clothing: Technical knit sports
bra and 7/8 leggings,
lucashugh.com

82
34

38 42

90 96

SU B S!
Subscribe to
Health & Fitness
this month and get
About our cover model
13 issues for £26, @VNH[LHJOLY:`HUULVUÄUKPUN`V\YV^U^H`VU[OLTH[!
saving a massive 49%! ‘It can be easy to get stuck in repetition and forget how to loosen up
See page 32. (physically/mentally/emotionally). Mindfully, move towards what feels right,
but please don’t stop exploring when there’s room to grow.’

GY M STY LE YOU TIME WORKOUT RE GULARS

58 Fashion
The latest triathlon gear to
help you scoop that hat-trick.
65 Get the look
Colour blocking in the gym.
65
68 Simply delicious
Feast on these healthy dishes
from a gastro pub chef.
72 Turn over a new leaf
Make boring salads
a thing of the past.
76 An apple a day
Harvest the fruits of the
season for these tasty recipes.
Go bold
with colour
HA NDBOOK 5 Editor’s letter
82 Total TRX 6 About you
Torch your home training What you’ve been
sessions with Niko Algieri. up to this month.
89 Move of the month 7 Fit buzz
Legs up the wall. Go cycling in Borneo, rock
90 Target zone body-positive leggings, fuel
Thigh-toning kettlebell moves. up with pure protein.
92 Fitness knowledge 9 ‘My life in a day’
Tips for enhanced endurance. Melanie Whelan, CEO
94 Run knowledge of SoulCycle.
HIIT training to boost results. 98 We’re talking to…
96 Run expert The Heart FM DJ,
Running coach Ben Le Lilah Parsons.
Visconte’s number one tip.
97 Success story
‘Tandem cycling helped me
recover from a stroke.’

4 Health & Fitness

 er

Welcome
S
ummer holidays
are over, the days
Behind the scenes at H&F
are drawing in.
this month...
It can mean only
one thing – it’s
back-to-the-gym H&F writer
Joanna Ebsworth
time! Whether you’re home tests the latest
from holiday feeling less fit seamless gymwear,
p48
than before you left, or your
motivation has melted after lazy days in the sun, now’s
the time to kickstart your fitness for the new season.
You’ll find all the inspiration and workout tips you need in
this month’s 16-page ‘Back to the Gym’ special (page 45).
Hopefully, like us, you love your gym time. But
according to latest figures, it seems a growing number
of women are avoiding the gym for fear of being judged Fitness-mad chef
on their performance or appearance. Ian Haste shares
his healthy,
Whether you train in your local health club, the great affordable recipes,
outdoors or your own living room, make it your happy p68
place by turning to ‘Empower your training’ (page 54)
for the ultimate workout-confidence tricks. Then read
‘Gym-style fixes’ (page 48) to discover clever new kit to
CEO of SoulCycle
support and flatter your body while helping you perform
Melanie Whelan
at your best. It’s time to reclaim the joy of working out! takes us through
her working day, p9

Mary Comber,

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@HandFmagazine healthandfitness_mag HandFMagazine handfmag

Health & Fitness 5

let

About YOU
Underwater fitness classes, yoga benefits,
eco beauty inspiration

TAKIN G T HE I now realise yoga can really be what you

+ STAR PLUN GE want it to be – tailoring it by changing the

LETTER What a motivational

article ‘In at the deep
end’ (Issue 239) was.
y partner and I are both
divers and keen swimmers. I must admit
we had never heard of an underwater
workout before. The nearest I’ve got to
this is aqua aerobics. But while it seems
like a relatively new trend, it appears
underwater strength training has been
a thing for some time now.
I started researching and was pleased
to find there are classes a few miles away.
The instructor was pleased to hear from
me and enthused about us joining his club
of underwater athletes. It sounds a lot of
fun, and a new water adventure for us
both! Thank you for the inspiration.
Jessica Ward, London
YOGA I N SPIR ATI ON
I was intrigued by your feature ‘Get a yoga
body’ (issue 239). I’ve never thought of
yoga as a workout, but reading your
article made me realise it has many
benefits for the body, such as muscle
building, bone strengthening and flexibility.
There’s even evidence it rivals aerobic
exercise for heart health.
poses in your practice. I’ve also joined a
class. I was a bit nervous at first, but had
a chat with the teacher beforehand and it
gave her the chance to understand my
reasons for doing yoga. I really enjoyed
my first class and I’m looking forward
to adding yoga to my list of beneficial
Star letter
exercises. Thank you! winner Jessica
Evie Webster, Cheshire has been
inspired to train
under water
E CO Q UEEN
I was very interested in the ‘Life in a day’
profile (Issue 239) of Brianne West,
founder of solid beauty bar company,
Ethique. The company has prevented TALK TO US!
We love hearing from you. Email hf.letters@
more than 3.3 million plastic bottles from
kelsey.co.uk, Facebook facebook.com/
being made and disposed of. It produces HandFmagazine, Twitter @HandFmagazine.
natural beauty bars that are free of plastic, Instagram Healthandfitness_mag,
cruelty-free and are entirely plant-based. Write to H&F magazine, Iris Publishing, 57
I became a vegan two years ago and Charterhouse St, London EC1M 6HA
changed the way I buy beauty and
household products. We cannot keep
producing plastic at the rate we are –
the process is harming the environment.
You What are your
say. . . pet peeves at
I already buy shampoo bar soaps but I will the gym?
add Brianne’s company, Ethique to my list.
Well done her for caring so much about ‘My gym is full of people standing
the environment. around taking endless gym selfies
– it’s such a waste of space!’
Deena Harding, Cambridgeshire
Nicki Taylor, London

‘Men coming up to me when I’m

W R I TE I N A N D W IN ! using the weights and offering
This month, Jessica wins a TRX Home2System, worth £169.95 “advice” on my technique. Grrr.’
TRX is scientifically proven to improve total-body strength, Steph Brading, Southampton
stability and cardiovascular health. It empowers people to be
their best selves, never limited by constraints of time, place ‘People who litter the showers with
or physical ability. The TRX Home2 System is the most their empty shampoo bottles and
personalised training system ever, for those who want to train,
build, burn and tone – at home and on the road, indoors or
clumps of hair. Would you do
outdoors. Choose from dozens of workouts and listen or view that at home?’
on-screen on the TRX App. Visit trxtraining.co.uk and @trx_uk. Katy Wood, Essex

6 Health & Fitness

 FIT BUZZ
Your guide to the hottest things to do, see and buy this month

BI K E IN BORNE O FLATTE R YOURSE LF

If combining incredible nature
with a cycling tour is your kind
of thing, book onto Saddle
Skedaddle’s new trip, Borneo
– Secret Sarawak. Overnight
at a traditional Sarawak
longhouse, spend time in
Bako and Kubah National
Parks, go on jungle hikes,
try orang utan spotting, do
kayaking and snorkelling
and cycle for nine days
with vehicle support. From
£2,295pp; skedaddle.com.
We’re impressed with Khloé
Kardashian’s body-positive brand,
Good American, which caters for UK
sizes 2-28. The striking Firework Barely
There Bralette (£60) and Firework
Core Strength 7/8 Leggings (£105)
both boast four-way stretch and
compression, while the leggings’
waistband has a layer that smoothes
and flatters the figure, and the bra has
a cooling sheer mesh panel at the
back; fashercise.com.

GET TRACKING!
While the new Polar Ignite GPS fitness
watch delivers accurate data across more
an 130 sports and measures your heart
te, it also analyses the amount and
uality of your sleep and works out how
ell recovered you are from training and
ress. It then gives training suggestions

2
HEAD F OR T H ased on your results – clever! Stressed?
From inspirational fi can give you guided breathing exercises,
to literature, art and o. From £174.50; polar.com/ignite.
Trail Run, the Kenda
F OOD
Festival is a must for outdoor
on’t always fuel yourself well?
big and small. Running from
ke meal delivery service Fresh
this Lake District event will ge
ew package, The Training Plan.
to tackle that outdoors bucket
ased,
Visit kendalmountainfestival.c
d
PI CK PUR E PROT E IN l help
Want a natural way to refuel after the g things
Herbalife’s new Tri Blend Select is a . You’ll
plant-based protein shake with 100 p our
cent natural ingredients. The low-suga tein
high-fibre vegan blend contains pea,
our
quinoa and flaxseed protein carefully
sourced for quality nutrition. Providing
fice.
21 amino acids, it makes a handy sna UK
any time of day. With coconut nectar, osts
protein, oats and vitamin-C rich acero al;
cherry. £45.75 for 600g, herbalife.co.uk. res itness ood.com.

Health & Fitness 7

Step by Step
Jordan Desert Trek
17-24 October 2020

.!' ".+) 0$! ! ! 0+ !0. +* 0$! Ɯ./0 0!, 5 0!,
3+)!*ő+*(5 0.!' * .%/! "1* / "+. $.%05 +" 5+1. $+%!Ł

For more information and to register online:

www.dream-challenges.com

01590 646410
email: events@dream-challenges.com

‘MY LIFE IN A DAY’
MELANIE
WHELAN
The CEO of SoulCycle talks about the excitement
of seeing a business flouris
‘
I
work long hours and
travel a lot so, when
I’m home, I get up
very early to be a part
of my two children’s
morning routine. First off,
I check my emails, the news
headlines and my schedule for
the day, then I’ll have a seltzer
water with lemon, a cold brew
coffee and a banana while
breakfasting with the kids. Afte
the school run, I head to one of
22 studios we have in New Yor
days a week, not just to train, b
also to talk with the teams and
riders – I learn so much more
spending 30 minutes in a studi
lobby than sitting at a desk.
After that, the rest of my day is
spent at the office in meetings,
covering everything from real estate
selection and marketing campaign
reviews to retail collection design
(we launched our own collection of
performance and lifestyle clothing,
Soul by SoulCycle, earlier this year).
When I started with SoulCycle
(soulcycle.com) over seven fun-filled
years ago, there were seven studios
in New York. Now we have 90-plus in
the US and Canada, and a new UK
site. It’s thrilling to see how much
demand there is for what we do!’
CL ASS EN E R GY
‘I wasn’t the best athlete at school, but
WORDS: Joanna Ebsworth
I loved playing team sports. I studied
engineering at Brown University for two
years to become an architect but, after
realising that all the labs and science
weren’t for me, I got my first job with
Sense of
community
Melanie thrives on
always being on the go
Inspiring
instructors
Starwood Hotels on
the corporate development team. It turned
out to be a fascinating training ground,
which led me to work for Virgin America,
before I became vice president of
business development for the gym brand,
Equinox. I was responsible for developing
business extension initiatives, including
the 2011 acquisition of SoulCycle. I’d
already tried a class; the lobby energy felt
amazing and the class was different from
any other I’d ever taken.
We scour the globe to recruit the best
instructors who treat each class like a live
production, with each one having a unique
playlist, energy and inspirational message.
What this translates into is 60 people
having a shared, music-driven,
empowering experience in the dark, with
candlelight, and no technology around.’
FI TNESS FA MI LY
‘Our riders say they come to us for the
workout, but they stay for the connections
on
mmunity and everything
in the studio and lobby.
’re a community business,
reful in selecting the
we enter. We’ve been
K market for years to
find the best locations to
erience. We’re so excited
location in Soho. We don’t
ything like it in London.
the go, and find meals
so I snack throughout the
da ggs, high-protein energy
bars and unsalted roasted almonds. After
a hard day’s work, I like to end my day
by spending some time with my husband,
reading a good book and using my jade
roller, which I find super relaxing, before
heading to bed early.’
MELANIE’S TRAINING TIPS
O ‘Think progress, not perfection.
Little accomplishments, like another
turn on the resistance knob or lifting
a heavier weight are better measures
of progress than how you look.’
O ‘Workouts should benefit you
mentally as well as physically. Go
inside your head, listen to music or
push yourself. Relax. Have fun!’
O ‘Choose workouts that enable you
connect to community, inspiration
and self-development, so you can
become a better version of yourself.’
Health & Fitness 9
 CONTENTS
p12 Fit notebook The new augmented-reality climbing walls p14 10-minute tone up
Improve your balance and tone your core in four simple moves

TREADMILL
THERAPY
Does period pain make you feel
like skipping the gym? More
than 20 per cent of women say
dysmenorrhoea (painful periods)
interferes with their regular
activities. But new research shows
that exercise could be the perfect
prescription. New Zealand scientists
studied the effects of treadmill-
based exercise on the symptoms of
period pain in women aged between
18 and 43 years old. The group did
four weeks of supervised aerobic
training followed by six weeks of
home treadmill workouts, three
times a week. After four weeks, the
women experienced six per cent less
pain, and after six weeks had 22 per
cent less pain. After seven months,
they reported a better quality of life
and daily functioning. Time to switch
painkillers for the gym!
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

10 Health & Fitness

 SHAPE UP
FITNESS NEWS @WORKOUT FIXES @EXPERT ADVICE

Health & Fitness 11

 FITNESS
notebook
3 O F TH E B E ST…
WA IST B AGS
Lululemon
On the Beat Belt Bag
£48; lululemon.co.uk
Wear it round your waist
or across your body – several pockets
help keep things organised.

New Balance
Performance Waist Pack
£15; newbalance.co.uk
FUN AND GAMES
This good-value pack has Have you ever swished a Wii remote control in
an easily accessible front mesh pocket
and a comfy padded mesh back.
front of the TV screen to help perfect their tennis
swing, or bopped around trying to beat a friend at
Sweaty Betty Waist Bag
£40; sweatybetty.com
Just Dance, perhaps? You should have a go on an
Stash essentials – keys, augmented-reality climbing wall. Finnish company
money and phone – and
keep your hands free while you
Valo Motion (valomotion.com) has developed
exercise. Can be worn as a handbag. ValoClimb systems, which project graphics, game
effects and fun challenges onto climbing walls,
turning them into interactive surfaces to up
BARRE BENEFITS
your fun as well as your skill. With ValoJump for
Ashley Verma,
trampolines available too, and more in the pipeline,

WORDS: Emma Lewis MAIN IMAGE: Darren Jacklin *According to a survey of more than 7,600 UK adults
founder of
Define London
(define.london)
we reckon this fun style of exercising will go big!
on the benefits
of Barre

‘Barre works muscles you might
not know you have! This helps
sculpt your body better than
most other workouts and gives
you more definition – think of a
dancer’s body. You’ll see the best
results if you mix up the type of
classes you do – try cardio, mat,
glide and Bosu ball variations to
keep your body guessing. Barre
helps get rid of cellulite, due to all
the tiny muscles contracting. The
fission burns the deeper fat layers
and helps eliminate those pockets
of surface fat (that cause dimpling).’
65%
The amount of people
open to having a date
published by Decathlon in the Decathlon Activity Index 2019 (decathlon.co.uk)
that involves sports
or exercise*
LEAP AROUND LEA K FREE
If you fear too much high-impact exercise because of pelvic-
floor issues, as well as stepping up those Kegels exercises, you
could don a pair of Modibodi’s Activewear ¾ Leggings (£67.50;
modibody.co.uk). Also useful when you have your period,
these leggings can happily absorb 10ml (1-2 teaspoons), or
a tampon-worth, of liquid, thanks to a discreet, lightly padded
gusset. The patented Modifier technology also keeps odours
at bay. Star jumps and trampolines, here we come!

12 Health & Fitness

 10
MINUTE
NO WOBBLING!
Strengthen your core, improve your stability and
TONE-UP hone your balance with these four moves

Do each
move for 30
SPLIT SQUATS seconds before
– R I GHT L E G moving onto the
Benefits: Challenges your next one. Repeat the
stability and balance circuit three times
Reps: 30 seconds, with through.
15 seconds’ pulse at the
bottom of the move

O Stand with one leg in

front of the other so your
right leg is in front and your
left leg behind you.
O Keeping your hips and
shoulders square and your
torso upright, slowly lower
into a lunge, dropping your
left knee (pictured).
O When your left knee is
two or three inches above
the floor, push through the
heel of your right foot and
return to standing.
O Continue lunging up and
down for 30 seconds, then
stop on the last lunge and
pulse at the bottom of the
move for 15 seconds.

14 Health & Fitness

 home fitness

T RICE PS P RE SS -UPS
Benefits: Strengthens your core, chest
arms and shoulders
Reps: 30 seconds

O Come into a plank position so your

body forms a straight line from your
head to your heels.
O Engage your core by pulling your
navel into your spine, then slowly lower
to the floor, keeping your elbows in
tight to your torso (pictured).
O Pause, then return to the starting
position. Lower to your knees when
your form starts to deteriorate.

SPLIT S QUATS – LE FT LEG

Benefits: Challenges your balance, works your core, tones your bottom
Reps: 30 seconds, with 15 seconds’ pulse at the bottom of the move

O Stand with one leg in front of the other so your left leg is in front and your
right leg behind you.
O Keeping your hips and shoulders square and your torso upright, slowly
lower into a lunge as you drop your right knee towards the floor (pictured).
O When your right knee hovers two to three inches above the floor, push
down through the heel of your left foot and return to the starting position.
O Continue lunging up and down for 30 seconds, then stop on the last one
and pulse at the bottom of the move for 15 seconds.

A B
WORDS: Lucy Miller PHOTOGRAPHY: Will Ireland MODEL: Fiona @ WAthletic
HAIR & MAKE-UP: Alice Theobald @ Joy Goodman CLOTHING: Model’s own

ONE- B UT TE R FLY S IT-UPS

Benefits: Strengthens and tones your core
Reps: 30 seconds

O Lie on your back, fingertips touching your ears. Open your legs into a
diamond shape (aka butterfly legs), so the soles of your feet are pressed
together and your knees are out wide (A).
O Inhale to curl your torso up (B), then tap the floor in front of your feet.
O Slowly lower back to the starting position.

CAN’T FIND YOUR BALANCE? A STRONG TORSO WILL KEEP YOU CENTRED AND BALANCED.

Health & Fitness 15

 CONTENTS
p18 Food notebook Supplements warning p20 Herbal hydration Make your own
infused waters p22 Nutrition expert The truth about sweeteners p23 Recipe revamp
An exotic Indian-spice salad p24 Diet diary Olympic speed skater Sarah Lindsay
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

16 Health & Fitness

EAT SMART
NUTRITION TIPS @DIET ADVICE @FOOD FACTS

PLANT
POWER
Here’s another good reason to
add more plant-based meals into
your diet. New research shows
that following a plant-centric diet
can lower your chance of Type 2
diabetes. A review of studies of
more than 300,000 people,
reported in the journal JAMA
Internal Medicine, found that
people who ate a mostly plant-
based diet reduced their risk of
the disease by 23 per cent.
However, those choosing healthy
plant-based foods (think
vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and
fruits and not processed foods)
saw a 30 per cent reduced risk.
The take-home message? ‘Be
picky about the types of food you
count as plant-based,’ says study
author Dr Qi Sun. That vegan
cheeseburger probably doesn’t
make the grade!

Health & Fitness 17

 FOOD

OUND BITE
When I was a
egan it was the
lthiest I’ve ever
I had so much
gy. [Now], as a
etarian, I love
an food – but
n’t get that
CALCIUM CAUTION
Calcium and vitamin D supplements are popular,
ny greens!”
Anya Taylor-Joy but take care – they may increase the risk of stroke,
suggests a new study. The analysis in the Annals of
Internal Medicine showed that combinations of
calcium and vitamin D increase stroke risk by 17
per cent. Teasing out what’s the issue here isn’t
3 OF THE BEST
easy but one theory suggests it’s the calcium that’s
CANNED FOODS
the problem which, in high levels, can cause the
mineral to deposit in arteries, causing them to
1
Sardines
A small can of sardines in
water (90g drained weight)
harden. Your best bet is to get calcium from dietary
supplies more than three- sources such as milk, sardines and baked beans and

WORDS: Angela Dowden PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock *Source: Simon Bolivar University in Barranquilla, Colombia
quarters of your daily calcium
needs, along with 3mcg vitamin
only take a supplement if advised to by a doctor.
D – nearly a third of the 10mcg
daily recommendation.

43%
the increased likelihood
of obesity in students

2
Baked Beans
A half-can serving who use smartphones
supplies 10g protein, for five hours per day*
7.7g fibre (a quarter of the daily
30g that’s recommended for
gut health), plus 20 per cent
of the recommended intake of GOT A BISCUI T HABIT?
anaemia-protective iron. Try Ryvita Fruit Crunch (£1.60 for 8 packs of 2, from most supermarkets). It’s
Ryvita with a sweeter twist, making it a healthier alternative way to curb your

3
Artichokes
A great time-saving
version of this fiddly-to-
prepare veg, half a can (120g
drained artichokes) supplies
142mcg folate – that’s more than
70 per cent of your daily needs.
cravings. The crunchy rye snacks contain
currants, pumpkin seeds and oats, and come
in packs of two Ryvita containing 90 calories,
1 teaspoon of sugars (some naturally occurring)
and 3.8g fibre. That’s more fibre than in a slice
of wholemeal bread – an eighth of your daily
recommendation, so the snack can boost bowel
health while satisfying a sweet snack attack.

18 Health & Fitness

 Herbal
hydration
Boost your health while you rehydrate
by making your own plant waters

‘If you’re making up a water bottle for

the gym, create your drink the night
before and leave to infuse overnight’

20 Health & Fitness


W
e all know we need
to drink more water
to perform at our
best, especially
when we’re
working out. But, let’s admit it,
sometimes getting through that
bottle of H2O can be a struggle, and
it’s tempting to reach for a sweet,
sparkling drink to liven things up.
However, there’s a better way to
satisfy your taste buds that will
improve your wellbeing while you
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: ©Luke Albert
rehydrate. Simply adding herbs,
fruits and spices to your water not
only transforms the flavour but
brings a glassful of benefits for your
body. ‘It introduces a host of health
benefits, from helping with digestion
and metabolism (aiding weight
management), to providing vital
nutrients to nurture the immune
system,’ says Georgina Davies
author of new book Infused Waters
(Hardie Grant, £12.99). Here are
three of her recipes to try today.
five cups
PI N K
GR AP EF RUI T
& ROSEMARY
As well as being packed with
vitamins, minerals and fibre,
grapefruit is also thought to
help aid weight management.
Rosemary boosts your
circulation and focus.
O 1 pink grapefruit
O 6 sprigs of rosemary,
plus extra for serving
O 5 cups of water
O Ice, optional
1 Finely zest the grapefruit and
sprinkle into a large jug with
the sprigs of rosemary.
2 Cut the grapefruit into wedges
and add it to the jug.
3 Fill the jug with the cold water
and leave to infuse in the fridge
for at least two hours.
4 Serve with a sprig of rosemary
in each glass.
Each
recipe
makes
Infused Waters: 50 Simple Drinks
to Restore, Revive & Relax
by Georgina Davies (Hardie
Grant, £12.99) is out now.
health tonics
P INE AP PLE &
C UCUMBE R
Pineapple is packed with
vitamin C and antioxidants to
support your immune system.
Cucumber is super-hydrating
and boosts the skin.
O ½ a pineapple
O ½ a cucumber
O 5 cups of sparkling water
O Ice, optional
1 Remove the skin and chop
the pineapple into small
chunks. Place in a large jug.
2 Using a peeler, slice the
cucumber lengthways into
ribbons and add to the
pineapple. Fill the jug with
the sparkling water and leave
to infuse in the fridge for at
least two hours.
3 Serve with a ribbon of
cucumber and some pineapple
in each glass.
STRAWB ERRY
& TH YME
Strawberries are an excellent
source of vitamin C and
potassium, which is needed
after exercise. Thyme helps
improve your digestion.
O 10 strawberries
O 5 sprigs of thyme, plus
extra for serving
O 5 cups of water
1 Hull and half the
strawberries and pop
them in a large jug.
2 Lightly crush the thyme
sprigs in your hands to
release their fragrance
and oils, then place them
in the jug alongside the
halved strawberries.
3 Add the cold water and
leave to infuse in the fridge
for at least two hours.
4 Serve each glass with a
fresh sprig of thyme.
Health & Fitness 21
LEARN TO LIKE VEG
‘I often come across people who say
they hate eating vegetables and salad
leaves – particularly the bitter types What should
such as kale, broccoli and spinach. My you believe
advice has always been to hang on in about the
there and be persistent and research dangers of
now seems to bear this out. New sweeteners?
research from New York’s University
at Buffalo suggests that, in animals at
least, tastes do eventually change - the
more often you eat your greens the
more likely you are to enjoy them.
The study, which involved training
rats to indicate whether they found a
solution bitter or not, investigated some
of the thousand or so proteins in saliva
and how these change following the
consumption of different foods. Results
showed that consumption of bitter THE SWEET TRUTH
tastes activated a new set of proteins in Sweeteners generate much debate, Diet drinks weren’t widely used by
saliva, after which the animals no longer with some claiming aspartame – the participants, but given sweeteners
tasted the bitterness. Of course, this sweetener found in Diet Coke – is have been shown not to cause
takes time, but if you’d like to eat more carcinogenic, but recent research cancer by the European Food Safety
healthy foods that you currently don’t appears to lay this concern to rest. Authority. it’s time we laid to rest the
like, your tastes will eventually change!’ The study, published in the British alarmist stories about aspartame and
Medical Journal, was in the headlines cancer. I advocate water over diet
for showing an association between drinks. And while there may be
sugary drinks and breast cancer, reason to consume fewer sweeteners
‘The more you eat but the authors also looked at diet – they have been linked to modulating
greens, the more beverages and found no link at all gut bacteria, for example – believing
you’ll like them’ between these and cancer. they cause cancer isn’t one of them.

BAN ANAS – STARCH VS SUG AR

Is a very ripe banana higher in calories than a normal one?
Q
No, bananas can’t
A acquire calories as
they age. What happens is
the nutrient profile changes
over time, with the starch
breaking down into sugars
as the banana ripens.
However, starch and sugar
contain the same amount of
calories (4 per gram), so the
bananas don’t become
more calorific the yellower
they get. A very ripe banana
will contain mostly sugars,
which isn’t necessarily a
bad thing as they provide
a good available source
of energy for physical or
mental activities. They
also contain potassium,
magnesium and vitamin B6.
An under ripe banana
can contain quite a lot of
‘resistant’ starch, which
normal digestion can’t
break down so you may
absorb marginally fewer
of the calories in a green
banana, with some passing
into the bowel unabsorbed.

22 Health & Fitness


Spice up
your life
This exotic plant-based
dish by Meera Sodha is
inspired by Rajasthan
IN DI A N-S PICE D SALAD W IT H TEND ERSTEM,
PA N EE R AND B E E TR OOT
Serves 4
RECIPE: Meera Sodha for Tenderstem ADDIONAL WORDS: Mary Comber
O 5 tbsp rapeseed oil
O 1 tbsp Brassica Blend by Rooted
Spices
O 1 tsp salt
O 1kg cauliflower florets
O 1 red onion, cut in 2cm wedges
O 400g beetroot, cut in 2cm wedges
O 300g Tenderstem
O 250g paneer, cut in 1cm slices
O 100g blanched almonds,
chopped
O 100g pea shoots
O Juice of ½ lemon
1 Preheat the oven to 200oC/fan
180oC/gas mark 6.
2 Pour 3 tbsp of the oil into a large
mixing bowl and add 2 tsp of the
Brassica Blend spices and ½ tsp of the
salt. Mix together.
3 Add the cauliflower, red onion and
beetroot and toss with your hands
to coat evenly in the spice oil. Turn the
vegetables out onto a large roasting
tray and spread into a single layer
(keeping the bowl to one side). Roast
for 30 minutes, then set aside.
recipe revamp
H&F TIPS
TENDERSTEM
A clever cross of Chinese
kale and broccoli, this
deliciously sweet-tasting
brassica is high in vitamins A,
C and folate; plus a good
source of potassium, protein
and fibre.
@
KASHMIRI CHILLI
Low in heat but rich in flavour
and colour, this key Indian
ingredient is packed with
antioxidant vitamins and
minerals, including iron. Find
it in grocers, and in the
Rooted Spies Kashmiri
Blend (rootedspices.com).
@
ALMONDS
Rich in plant protein, healthy
fats and vitamin E, almonds
are a great ingredient to
power up your salads.
They’re also proven to aid
weight loss.
4 Put the Tenderstem, paneer and
almonds into the same bowl with
the remaining oil, spices and salt,
and toss together. Turn into a second
tray (keeping the bowl to one side)
and roast for 10 minutes.
5 When the vegetables on both trays
are roasted, leave to cool for 5
minutes then tip them back into the
mixing bowl and toss together with
the pea shoots and lemon juice. Taste
and season with a little more salt, if
necessary. Spoon the salad onto a
pretty platter and serve.
Health & Fitness 23
 ‘WHAT I ATE TODAY’
Sarah Lindsay
The Olympic speed skater, PT and co-founder
of ROAR fitness shares her training diet

BR EA KFAST LUNCH DI NNER D IET

‘If I’m training early, I eat ‘I always make my own ‘Lean protein and veg PHILOSOPHY
breakfast after my food unless it’s an like pan-fried white fish, ‘No off-the-shelf diet works
workout, and rely on a occasion or social or chicken with cabbage, for anyone properly,
strong coffee to get me situation. I have two onions and lots of garlic, let alone everyone.
through. I’m a morning lunches which are lean or a monkfish or cod Everybody is different, so
person, so I usually have protein and veg, or cheek red curry. Luckily, don’t copy what anyone
plenty of energy. If I’m salad. I then time my my husband has no else is doing. Optimal
not training, I have some carbohydrates around sense of smell so health should be the
form of fats and protein my training.’ I don’t have to worry most important factor
like eggs and avocado or about spicy breath.’ with any nutrition plan
steak and spinach, and TRAI NI NG – whatever your goal.’
sometimes leftovers if FOO DS SNACKS
I made too much dinner.’ ‘Always a vegan protein ‘If I’m training, I have SUPPLEMENTS
shake as I have a milk breakfast, two lunches, ‘I take a fish oil, zinc,
D R I NKS allergy so I can’t have one dinner and a protein magnesium and a multi
‘Water, coffee, water... whey. I make it with a shake with lots of cereal, vitamin. I have a protein
I drink three litres of sweet nut milk like which is enough. If shake after training and if
water daily and usually coconut or almond, and I don’t have a shake, I’m training hard, I feel
two coffees. I try to time add a sugary cereal. My I might have some nuts. better for taking BCAA’s
my coffee before a current favourite is a After dinner, I have a few and a pro-flavonol like
workout so I can put that maple cornflake from squares of high-quality, grape seed extract. In
cortisol to good use.’ Planet Organic.’ high-cocoa chocolate.’ winter, I take vitamin D.’

For more on Sarah Lindsay, visit roarfitness.com or @roarfitnessgirl

WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: Shutterstock

S CORE
NUTRITIONIST’S VERDICT
‘Dairy-free milk alternatives such as coconut and almond milk
are very low in protein compared with cow’s milk (per 100ml,
coconut has 0.1g, almond, 0.3g, and cow’s, 3.4g), so if Sarah
can’t tolerate dairy and wants to make a protein-rich shake,
8
10
she should use soya milk (3g protein per 10ml) rather than
coconut or almond. Research suggests caffeine can aid
Nu t rition ist training, too, helping to boost endurance, speed and strength,
Fio na Hun ter so it’s good that Sarah has a coffee is before a workout.’

24 Health & Fitness

 Attend a FREE
Open Event
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NEW
 CONTENTS
p28 Health notebook Reduce skin cancer risk p29 Listen to love Strengthen
your relationship by learning to communicate better p30 Beauty bag The latest
must-haves p31 Beauty notebook Three of the best advanced face masks
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

26 Health & Fitness

HEALTHY YOU
LATEST NEWS @MIND AND BODY @ EXPERT ADVICE

PETS WIN PRIZES

We all know how relaxing it is to stroke a cat or
dog. Now new research confirms spending time
with a pet can cause positive physiological
changes in your body. Scientists at the University
of Washington, US, studied four groups of students
who either interacted directly with cats and dogs,
observed others doing so, watched a slideshow
about animals or sat in silence. Saliva tests (taken
before and after), showed that students who spent
10 minutes stroking and playing with the pets had
significantly lower levels of stress hormone cortisol
after the activity. Just 10 minutes’ interaction
brings benefits. So, even if you don’t own a pet, try
stopping to stroke a neighbour’s cat or take
a friend’s dog for a walk!

Health & Fitness 27

 HEALTH
notebook
3 OF T HE B E ST
THE R AP EUT IC S OA PS

Holy Lama Naturals Cucuma Soap,

£4.50 for 100g; holylama.co.uk
This wild turmeric soap has
antibacterial properties,
and also contains clove
bud and geraniol oil.
Packed in a palm leaf shell.

CBD Armour 15% CBD Soap,

£19.99 for 110g; cbdarmour.co.uk
Support your skin’s condition and
promote the production
of healthy skin cells with
organic extra virgin
hemp seed oil. Free
from detergent.
Crabtree Buff + Invigorate Body Bar,
£13.50 for 200g; crabtree-
evelyn.com
STAY SKIN SAFE
It’s not just sunscreen that helps reduce your risk of
skin cancer, vitamin A intake can also influence
your susceptibility, confirms new research. The
study, in JAMA Dermatology, analysed data from
75,000 women over a 26-year period and found
those with a higher intake of vitamin A (including
retinol, from animal sources and carotenoids such
as lycopene, found in tomatoes) had a lower risk of

Remove dead skin and grime
with bamboo stem, apple fibre
and blackcurrant seed oil.
PICK OF THE MONTH
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock * According to research by Think Well - Live Well (Thinkwell-Livewell.com)
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, one of the
most common forms of skin cancer. Find retinol
in eggs, chicken and turkey, or beta carotene in
sweet potatoes, carrots and apricots.

Take five
66%
Using just five active ingredients – of millennials feel pressured
der, to drink alcohol when
star socialising. Stand your
-year- ground and only drink what’s right for you*
yptian
– new
nic
rum SMART DENTAL CARE
ml,
Think your teeth are clean? The average person brushes their
store. teeth for 30 to 60 seconds, compared with the ideal (two
urious minutes), 80 will miss out one area of the mouth, and 60 per
kin cent leave their back molars completely untouched! Enter the
that’s latest incarnation of Oral B Genius X range, the AI (£170;
een boots.com.) With six brushing modes, from whitening to
ards. sensitive teeth and tongue cleaning, artificial intelligence
tracks where you brush in real time and sends you feedback
via the oral B app to optimise your dental hygiene.

28 Health & Fitness

 LISTEN
to love
Want to strengthen
your relationship? It’s
time to learn how to
be a good listener

I
t’s easy not to give our
partners our full attention,
yet being a good listener is key
to unlocking a happy, fulfilling
relationship. ‘Listening
doesn’t always come easy for us,
but without listening, intimate answers. Remember it’s open-ended want to communicate respect,
conversation is impossible,’ say questions that open the heart, such as, understanding and empathy, so your
John and Julie Gottman, experts ‘Can you tell me more about that?’ or ‘Is partner feels safe to share their innermost
in the psychology of romance and there a story or memory related to that?’ feelings and fears. The goal isn’t to prove
authors of new book Eight Dates: you’re right, but to appreciate your
To Keep your Relationship Happy, Witness: A big part of listening is similarities and differences. Your job is
Thriving and Lasting (Penguin Life, witnessing, so your partner doesn’t to discover what makes your partner tick
£9.99). ‘Listening is an e. A powerful way to and to accept them as they are.
action; you have to this is to repeat back
commit to it. You can’t TIP your own words
do that if you don’t Put away your what you’ve heard QUEST IO N TIME
get out of your own your partner saying. Try these fail-safe questions
smartphone, your tablet and
head. If you stay For example, you to help you understand your
any other gadgets. Turn them off,
inside yourself, the may say, ‘Sounds partner more fully.
or at the very least, silence them. O What are you feeling?
voice you hear will Show genuine interest and like you’re upset
O What do you need?
be your own, and curiosity in what your partner is with your friend and
O What are your choices?
not your loved saying. Lean forward, make how she’s been so
O How can I help?
one’s.’ Try the eye contact and don’t judgmental. I can see O What’s your worst-case
Gottmans’ tips to start interrupt. hy you’d feel that scenario in this situation?
your journey to a new, .’ You don’t have to O What’s your ideal outcome for
deeper partnership. speak like a therapist, just let this situation?
your partner know they’ve been heard. If you find you’re not understanding
Be present: Conversation is about each other, but heading toward
dialogue, so listening isn’t about pressing Tune in: It’s your job as a listener to tune conflict, take a deep breath
the pause button on your monologue. in to your partner’s emotions. Make sure (counting to 10 really helps, as it
When you’re present as a listener, you you don’t minimise your partner’s feelings calms down the brain’s emotional
centres) or take a bathroom break.
don’t assume you know what your partner by dismissing them or trying to fix them.
is going to say next, and, while your You don’t have to make your partner feel
partner is speaking, avoid thinking about better or cheer him or her up. Your goal is
WORDS: Mary Comber

Eight Dates: To Keep your

what you’ll say next. Instead, just LISTEN. simply to listen and try to understand. Relationship Happy, Thriving
and Lasting by John & Julie
Ask questions: If you don’t understand Avoid judgment: Don’t be critical or give Gottman (Penguin Life,
something, ask questions and listen to the advice unless your partner asks for it. You £9.99) is out September 5.

Health & Fitness 29

beauty
BEAUTY BAG
Look good and feel amazing with this month’s hottest products
1 Charlotte Tilbury
Airbrush Flawless
Foundation £34 for 30ml;
charlottetilbury.com
Reduce wrinkles by 22 per
cent* and moisturise for 24
hours with this sweat- and
waterproof foundation.
2 Miller Harris Dance
among the Lace, £95 for
50ml; millerharris.com
Wonderfully fresh and
citrusy (mint and lime), with
notes of cow parsley (aka
Queen Anne’s Lace) and
verbena, this is a beautifully
30 Health & Fitness
5
subtle fragrance celebrating
London’s secret greenery.
3 Algenist AA Barrier
Serum, £80 for 30ml;
spacenk.com
Protect skin from ozone,
smog and urban dust, and
reduce discolouration, with
alguronic acid, vitamin B3
and phloretin (apple wood).
4 Aurelia Citrus Botanical
Deodorant, £18 for 50g;
aureliaskincare.com
Add a gentle fragrance of
lavender to your underarms
as you deodorise with
antimicrobial essential oils
of mandarin and rosemary,
plus arrowroot.
5 Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r
Mattifying Primer, £26 for
30ml; harveynichols.com
Banish shine on or off the
gym floor with blue agave
and blurring powders for
a filter-like effect in this
oil-free primer.
6 Delfy Cosmetics
Lipstick Duo, £15 for 4g;
delfycosmetics.com
7
Super creamy and packed
with vitamin E, rosehip oil
and aloe vera, this is a
richly pigmented bicolour
lipstick. Plus, the stylish
packaging has a handy
mirror on the case.
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel * After eight weeks’ use
7 Cosmetics à la Carte
Eye Glaze, £25 for 5g;
cosmeticsalacarte.com
Buttery and light, wear
alone or over eye shadow
to prolong that summer
vibe with new shades Tiger
(bronze and hot pink) and
Rising star (molton gold).
 BEAUTY
notebook

3 of the best…
ADVANCED
FACE MASKS
Seed to Skin The Golden Dew,
£105 for 50ml; seedtoskin.com
Three different weights of hyaluronic
acid penetrate from the surface to
the deepest layers of the skin.

e’re all for eco-conscious beauty, so

glad to discover Holland & Barrett
tocking a new, natural skincare
range from New Zealand company
Only Good. Last year saw more
than 90 million internet searches
for natural beauty ingredients, and
his is a 100 per cent natural and
alm oil-free range. Very affordable,
nd suitable for all skin types, look
ut for Dream Body Wash (£6.99
r 445ml; hollandandbarrett.com)
nd gently scented The Daylight Day
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images, iStock

ream (£10.99 for 100ml).

thy nails start from within. The

grains, proteins and healthy fats
growth and inhibit toxins.’
RFECTIL BEAUTY PANEL EXPERT

Health & Fitness 31

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 has changed

BETTER!’
Vogue Williams tells H&F how she’s combining
motherhood with her passion for fitness
Words: Joanna Ebsworth

34 Health & Fitness

 CELEB
fitness

A
lot can change in two years.
Just ask Vogue Williams. When
H&F last spoke to the model,
DJ and reality TV star in 2017,
the at-the-time-single fitness
fanatic and keen adventurer was still
recovering after rupturing her anterior
cruciate ligaments during training for
controversial Channel 4 TV show, The
Jump. Fast forward to now, and Vogue is
feeling in the best shape of her life. She is
happily married to fellow The Jump
contestant and Made In Chelsea star
Spencer Matthews and is a proud mum to
their 11-month-old son, Theodore. But
don’t be fooled into thinking family life has
forced the new Mrs Matthews to slow
down. On the contrary, she’s never been
busier. When we catch up with Vogue, she’s
just completed four months of gruelling
training to compete in her first horse race
as a debut jockey, riding in charity race The
Magnolia Cup at Goodwood, in aid of
women’s health charity Wellbeing of Vogue on location for her
Women. She’s also filming the second sunless tanning range, Bare
series of E4 show, Spencer, Vogue and
Baby Too. Vogue’s the first to acknowledge
how much her life has altered. ‘I know! It’s
crazy, right?’ she says. ‘But I’ve never been Q YOU SEEM TO HAVE MORE
ENERGY THAN EVER. WILL
happier!’ So how does the new mum juggle YOU EVER SLOW DOWN?
all her commitments? Read on to find out… ‘I do have a lot of energy! But to be honest,
while I loved the horse racing training, after it was

Q HOW ARE YOU COMBINING

YOUR PASSION FOR FITNESS
WITH BEING A NEW PARENT?
‘I think everything just changes a little bit. A few
months ago, I started training with PT Dalton
Wong to get in shape for a shoot, and when I told
him I’d been training five to six times a week, he
said, “You can’t do that as a mother. You can’t be
tired. You need to be eating properly and training
‘I still train over I did say to myself that, as a mum, it’s my
responsibility not to put myself in really dangerous
with my PT situations. I had a couple of bad falls, including one
Dalton that resulted in having 12 stitches in my elbow,
Wong once a which made it hard to pick up Theodore. And to
be picked up is all he wants! I was lucky I didn’t
week; do break my arm. From now on, I’ll be a bit more
classes at cautious in the activities I choose.’

less”. He convinced me to train four times a week Kobox and Q WHAT’S YOUR CURRENT
FITNESS REGIME?
and, since then, my body has changed for the
better. I find training less is easier on my body, gets
BOOM ‘I still train with my PT Dalton once a week; do
better results, and suits me now I have a baby.’ Cycle; and classes at Kobox and Boom Cycle; and take

take Theodore out in a running buggy. He loves to get

Q HOW DID YOU FIT IN ALL THE

HORSE RACING TRAINING?
‘I was a bit exhausted towards the end, I have to
be honest. Horses like to get up early, so there
were lots of 4.30am starts to travel to York or
Lambourn, in Berkshire, to train, but I’d be back
MAIN IMAGE: Evan Doherty
Theodore
out every day – I’ll do 6km, then we’ll end up at the
park because he loves the swings. I’ve also got
out in a some weights and equipment on my balcony, and
do a lot of resistance bands work there. Finding
running 45 minutes in your day four times a week isn’t so
buggy.’ hard when it’s part of your lifestyle.’

by 10am each day to look after Theodore or go

to work. I just had to go to bed by 7-8pm and get
plenty of rest. It took lots of organising, but Q WHY IS STAYING FIT SO
IMPORTANT TO YOU?
I absolutely loved it and I’m going to keep up ‘I don’t like the feeling of not being able to do
horse riding – just not as aggressively.’ something. Before I had Theodore, I wouldn’t say

Health & Fitness 35

Everything has changed – and
Vogue couldn’t be happier

36 Health & Fitness

 CELEB
fitness

Training for
The Magnolia Cup

With Spencer and

baby Theodore

VOGUE
Always up for
a challenge,
here are some
of Vogue’s
highlights:

2012 Competes in
Dancing with the
Stars Australia
2015 Wins Bear
Grylls: Mission
Survive, series one
2017 Competes
in The Jump.
Withdraws due
to injury
PHOTOGRAPHY: Channel 4

2019 Rides in
charity horse race
The Magnolia Cup
for Wellbeing
of Women

Health & Fitness 37

IS COMFORT
You work hard in the gym and try to stick to a healthy diet. But could the everyday
conveniences you now take for granted be shaving years off your life?
Words: Jane Murphy
A
re you sitting
comfortably? Chances
are the answer’s ‘yes’.
The average Brit
spends 51 hours and
44 minutes seated during a typical
week – which adds up to around 18
years of our adult lives, according to
a survey commissioned by Solgar.
This figure looks set to rise, as our
convenience lifestyles allow us to
do pretty much everything – from
ordering in a Deliveroo to devouring
an entire Netflix series – without
38 Health & Fitness
getting off the sofa, let alone going
outside and braving the elements.
Indeed, despite committing to a healthy
diet and exercise regime, many of us
are moving less during the day. We’re
preparing fewer meals from scratch while
relying on food deliveries and ready meals.
Because we’re constantly entertained
and indulged by time-saving services and
apps, we’re using our brains differently,
too: we’re less inclined to think for
ourselves and take chances when
surrounded by easy choices. We don’t
even know how to be bored any more, yet
research shows that when our minds
wander, we’re more likely to think ahead
and set clear goals. Boredom also makes
us think more creatively, say University of
Lancashire scientists.
SMARTPHONE EFFECT
Use your smartphone for five or more hours
a day and you’ll have a 43 per cent higher
risk of obesity, and be more likely to adopt
other unhealthy lifestyle habits – consuming
sugary drinks and takeaways, for instance
– that increase risk of heart disease,
diabetes and some cancers, according to

KILLING US? a recent study of university students by
the American College of Cardiology. The
reason? It’s largely because spending too
much time in front of a screen facilitates
sedentary behaviours, say the researchers.
Solution: Be more mindful when you’re
using your phone. If you’re always
scrolling through social media on the bus,
think how you could be more productive.
Read a book, meditate or daydream.
And when making a call, walk around.
TA P AND ORDER
Takeaways tend to have higher fat, sugar
and salt levels, putting our waistlines and
heart health at risk. Children who eat
takeaways at least once a week have more
body fat and ‘bad’ cholesterol than those
who rarely eat them, says a 2018 UK study,
and are also at more risk of Type 2 diabetes.
However, food delivery apps make it
easier – and more tempting – than ever to
grab a curry or pizza whenever you fancy it.
And while you may think you’ve gone for
the healthier option, nearly six in 10 of us
aren’t confident we know all the ingredients
in our favourite choices, according to new
research by shopping app Ubamarket. A
3 ways to escape your comfort zone
O Take a cold shower. Going easy on the hot water can boost energy levels
and resilience. People who start the day with a 90-second cold shower are
29 per cent less likely to call in sick to work, even if they do have a minor
ailment, according to a study in the journal PLOS One.
O Ditch the satnav. Relying on your satnav to get from A to B ‘switches
off’ parts of your brain that would otherwise be used to work out various
routes – and may diminish your sense of direction considerably over time,
says a study from University College London.
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
O Go camping. A budget hotel with a comfortable bed and en-suite bathroom
may seem more appealing – but a few nights under canvas could help reset
your internal body clock and improve sleep quality, says a US study.
HEALTH
hacks
shameful 10 per cent of us also don’t know
how to cook a healthy meal from scratch.
Solution: Vow to cut down on takeaways
and brush up your culinary skills. By
buying your own ingredients, you’ll take
back control of your diet – plus you’ll
spend more time on your feet when
you’re in the supermarket and kitchen.
BING E-WATCHIN G TV
Remember when you’d have to wait a week
to find out what happens next in your
favourite TV drama? Nowadays, streaming
services such as Netflix are turning us into a
nation of box-set addicts. All that sitting
and staying up late isn’t good for you: in
fact, watching more than three hours’ TV
daily is associated with a greater risk of
early death, according to a 2015 US study.
But that’s not all. Those three-hours-
or-more each day could lead to cognitive
decline in language skills and memory
later in life, according to UK researchers.
Solution: Set yourself limits, no matter
how much you deserve that slump on the
sofa: don’t watch more than two episodes
in one sitting, walk around in between and
switch off at least an hour before bedtime.
YO UR RID E’S H ER E...
Fourteen million Uber trips are completed
worldwide each day – but could the
ride-hailing app be making us lazy? We may
be more likely to take an Uber for a short
journey we could easily have done on foot.
That lack of ‘incidental exercise’ can take its
toll on our health. Short bursts of activity
throughout the day – climbing the stairs or
dashing for a train – can provide the same
benefits as a HIIT class, says research in
the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Solution: Don’t be tempted to summon an
Uber every time you need to make a short
trip. A walk in the rain can clear your mind
and research suggests you’ll burn more
calories than you would in good weather.
Health & Fitness 39
 GYM
special

A
re you back from
holidays with a few
pounds to lose? Do
you need motivation
to get active after a lazy summer?
Whatever your goal, turn the
page to find all the latest training
tips and ideas you need to
kickstart your fitness this
autumn. Discover how to
upgrade your workout,
double your results, fuel your
performance and feel your best
whether you’re at the gym, on
the track or exercising at home.

16-PAGE
SPECIAL
P42 10 ways to double your gym results
P46 Supercharge your
home workout
P48 Gym-style fixes found!
P54 Empower your training

to the
PHOTOGRAPHY: gettyimages

Health & Fitness 41

 ways DOUBLE
1 to YOUR GYM
RESULTS!
It can be difficult to stay in shape throughout autumn.
London’s best personal trainers reveal how to re-charge
your motivation and boost your fitness this season
Words: Sarah Sellens

he days are getting you’re more likely to shape up in the summer

shorter, the mercury
is dropping and it’s
tempting to hide under
a baggy jumper while
binge-watching Netflix.
There’s no doubt about it
– it’s tough to find the motivation to exercise in
the autumn. According to research in the
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology,
because higher vitamin D (the ‘sunshine
vitamin’) levels have been linked to greater
cardiovascular fitness. But, you’ve worked hard
to hone a beach body, so how do you stay fit in
the autumn? Simple – give your exercise
routine a makeover. We’ve tapped London’s top
fitness brains for 10 ways to update your
workout and fast-track your results. Ready to
keep your summer body all season-long?

42 Health & Fitness

 GYM
special

2. STE P UP
YOUR STREN GTH
It’s easy to get into a strength training
rut, picking up the same weights, for the
same exercises, every time you’re at the gym. If
you want to avoid hitting a fitness plateau, change
the way you train for strength (see points 3 and 7) or
select heavier weights that are right for your ability. ‘If
you’ve been lifting the same set of weights during your
sessions for the first half of this year, it’s time to up take
it up a notch,’ says Jemma McKenzie-Brown, Barry’s
Bootcamp trainer (barrysbootcamp.com). ‘Start small
– maybe add 2-3kg to your current weights,
depending on what muscle group you’re working
on. You can go heavier on larger muscle
groups such as on your legs and chest.
See how it feels and add extra if
you’re feeling strong.’

| 1. PHONE A FRIEND |
Get a gym buddy. Working out alone
could be a one-way ticket to zero
exercise motivation, suggests the
latest data on group exercise. Not only
will hitting the gym with another make
you more likely to commit to working
out, but it could also be more fun.
Recent research from MindBody
(mindbodyonline.com), found that the
majority of Brits prefer to exercise with a
buddy than work out alone. In fact, over
a third of gym-goers say that bringing
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock and Shutterstock
com). ‘If you know someone is meeting
you at the gym, you’ll be less likely to
skip a session because you won’t want
to let them down.’
Easier said than done? Sure, it can
be tough to align your free time with
others’, but your exercise comrade
needn’t be a close buddy – hiring a
personal trainer can be as effective. In
fact, research from Ball State University,
USA, reports that those who worked
out with an instructor gained 32 per
3. MOVE YOUR
BODY
For strength-training aficionados, an extra
few kilos on the squat rack is a sure-fire
sign of progress. But go too heavy, too
soon, and you’re more likely to thwart
results than achieve them. While it might
be tempting to ramp up the weight you lift,
too much load could lead to an injury.
Follow our guide to increasing weight
(see point 2) and carve out a bit of time to
master bodyweight moves. Added bonus
– you’ll blitz fat while you perfect your form.
‘Bodyweight training is classed as a
“closed-chain” form of exercise, which is
science talk for moving your body through
space instead of moving an object such
as a barbell,’ explains Marvin Burton,
head of fitness at Anytime Fitness UK

someone else along for their sweat
session makes them work harder.
‘Finding a friend to move with will
help motivate you and make you more
accountable for working out,’ explains
Alex Parsons, personal trainer for
Supreme Nutrition (supremenutrition.
cent more upper-body strength and
47 per cent more lower-body strength
than those who didn’t. ‘If you already
know what you’re doing, it can be
useful to get some fresh ideas [from a
PT],’ adds Parsons. ‘You might pick up
tips that could enhance your results.’
(anytimefitness.co.uk). ‘A six-week study
in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports
Physical Therapy reveals that closed-
chain exercises were responsible for
a 31 per cent increase in lower-body
strength, while open chain only accounted
for a 13 per cent increase.’ You won’t
regret doing these moves!

Health & Fitness 43

 4. GO FOR A
GOAL…
Has your summer exercise routine gone a
bit stale? Training with purpose can really
boost results. ‘What’s your reason for
attending that gym class week in, week
out?’ asks Kate Maxey, strength and
conditioning master trainer at Third Space
London (thirdspace.london). ‘You need to
find out what you’re doing and why, then
you’ll achieve more than you ever thought
possible.’ Whether you want to lose
weight or lift it, setting a SMART goal can
help get you there. Here’s how to do it:

S pecific Figure out what you want to

achieve, whether that’s to lose weight,
get stronger, run faster or be more flexible.

M easurable Make your goal

quantifiable. For example, if you
want to lose weight, work out how
much you’d like to shift. Want to get
stronger? Perhaps mastering a press-up
will be your aim.

A chievable Aim small before you aim

big. It’s great to have a big goal, such
as running a marathon, but it helps to
have smaller, attainable goals on the
horizon, such as running a 5K.

R elevant Attach some meaning

to your goal. Why do you want to
achieve it? Perhaps you want to lose 10Ib
for your wedding, or maybe you want to
get stronger for a sports event.

T ime Set a time period to your goal,

whether it’s to shift 5Ib in two months
or to run a marathon next spring.

5. START
WI TH S OCI AL
If you’ve really pushed yourself to
shape up or reach a goal this summer,
you might be running low on exercise
enthusiasm. Social media can help you.
‘Follow good fitness pages that give advice
and workout tips,’ suggests Parsons. ‘There
are so many great social media accounts
with good content and many regularly post
workouts you can do at home or in the gym.’
If you’re struggling for ideas, check out
influencers such as @kelseywells and
@emilyskyefit, and, of course,
@HandFmagazine.
| 6. DO THIS WARM-UP |
ng something new to your workout routine could refresh your interest in it,
d it could be as simple as doing a warm-up. Data (and a quick look around
he gym floor) shows that the majority of people don’t warm up properly.
Big error, as the right kind of warm-up – aka one that’s dynamic – could
really ramp up your results. ‘A dynamic warm-up has two phases,’
explains David Weiner, training specialist at fitness app Freeletics
(freeletics.com) which includes guided, dynamic warm-ups as part of its
workouts. ‘The first phase literally warms up the body. An easy run,
skip or a quick row on the rowing machine are all good examples.
The second phase activates and mobilises the body [through dynamic
exercises that mimic those done in the main workout, such as
bodyweight squats or press-ups on your knees], as well as connects the
rain with distinct muscle groups. This stage is crucial. The connection
tween body and brain allows you to target the correct muscles required to
rm movements quickly, unconsciously and without injury.’

44 Health & Fitness


7. CHOOSE LIIT OVER HIIT
While HIIT (high-intensity interval training)
still deserves a place in your exercise plan,
this year the experts are raving about the
benefits of LIIT (low-intensity interval
training). LIIT involves teaming slow and
controlled movements to bring about
results. Take note – half the pace doesn’t
mean easier, as the focus is on good form
and a slow muscle burn. Try building
strength and endurance this autumn with
these tips from Ian Campbell, trainer at
Fly Ldn (flyldn.co.uk).
O Do low-impact moves: the most
important thing is to ensure that your basic
techniques are correct. Perfect your squats,
rows, dead lifts, shoulder presses and more.
O Perform supersets: rather than doing
more repetitions, group exercises together.
Instead of resting between move
alternate between push and pull
upper-body and lower-body exe
Want to make it harder? Perfor
same exercise in various forms,
such as TRX squats, squat
holds, squat pulses and
single-leg squats. Ouch!
O Try isometric exercise:
increase fatigue by doing
isometric (holding) exercises
when your muscles are
in peak contraction. For
example, hold the weights
with your arms fully extended
above your head in-between
sets of shoulder press. This can
help to recruit more muscle fibre
GYM
special
8.F IND
YO UR FIX
One of the best ways to freshen
up your fitness is to try something new.
‘A new season is a great opportunity to
start a new programme,’ says Maxey. ‘It’s a
great time to find a new focus and goal to keep
you interested and challenge your body with new
stimuli.’ When starting a new programme, Maxey
recommends completing the exact same class or
workout for four weeks (based on training once
or twice a week.) This allows you to develop
good technique and gain fitness over the
four weeks. Depending on your workout
goals, you should be able to lift
heavier, or move faster or for
longer, by week four.

| 9 BEAT THE
BARRIERS |
Losing weight, cycling faster, building
muscle – it’s great to have an aim but
James Pisano, personal trainer at Sweat
by BXR (bxrlondon.com), tells us fitness
experts are always prepared to move the
goal post for better end-results. ‘A client
may wish to lose a certain amount of
weight in a specific time frame but not
have the mobility or strength to do basic
movements, so that must become the
priority, not the weight loss.’ Is your squat
form en pointe? Do you have the core
strength for a full press-up? Assess your
weaknesses and overcome them. Be
honest with yourself, even if it means
taking a step backwards this season.

10. TAKE TIME OUT

News flash – skipping a rest day could
derail your results rather than cause your
fitness to dwindle. Down time is when
your body repairs and recovers, leading
to an increase in strength and fitness. ‘So
often I find out that my clients exercise
for three to five hours a week and only
spend three minutes stretching and foam
rolling, but the more you look after your
body, the more it will do for you,’ says
McKenzie-Brown. Rest days don’t have
to mean sitting watching TV. Try these
recovery activities from Ben Leonard-
Kane, founder at Flykick (flykick.co.uk)
O Have a cold shower. Inflammation can
slow down recovery. Although unpleasant,
daily cold showers have been shown to
reduce inflammation by up to 20 per cent,
so speeding up recovery.
O Find a foamie. Jumping on a foam roller
might not be the most fun activity, but it’s
effective. Rolling will break down any knots
and increase blood flow to your muscles.
Once you’ve rolled, be sure to stretch.
O Snooze or lose. Are you getting a
minimum of seven hours’ sleep a night?
The body grows, repairs and recovers
during sleep. If you’re having trouble
drifting off, a quality magnesium
supplement could help.

Health & Fitness 45

SUPERCHARGE
your HOME
WORKOUT
With these exercise gadgets, getting fit from your
lounge has never been such fun or so simple!
WORDS: Sarah Sellens

Best for
BUSY
MUMS

KICKR CL IMB
£499.99; uk.wahoofitness.com Best for
The low-down: Any cycling aficionado will CYCLISTS
tell you that the winter months can be rotten
for riders, not least because a lot of miles are
done indoors on turbo trainers. That’s all set to change with
the launch of the Kickr Climb Indoor Grade Simulator, a
device that attaches in place of the front wheel of your bike
(you’ll need a 2017 or later Wahoo turbo trainer attached in
place of the back wheel) to simulate hills. Never before has
indoor cycling been such fun, or tough!
The results: Available alone or as part of the K.O.M.
bundle (£1,769.96), the Climb is immersive training at its
very best. It’s not cheap but, for keen cyclists, it’s a good
investment because it will hike up the intensity of an indoor
bike session. Synced with virtual app Zwift, the Climb will
mimic the gradients of the course. Very clever.

l
 GYM

Best for
STRENGTH

BOWF LEX
S ELEC TTE CH 552
D UMBBE LLS
£399, fitness-superstore.co.uk
The low-down: Dumbbells are a useful
piece of exercise kit to have at home but
storing them can be a faff. After all,
upper-body exercises tend to require
lighter weights compared with lower-body
moves, so you’ll need a least a couple
of sets. Enter the Bowflex SelectTech
dumbbells. With a twist of the dial,
you can switch from a heavy weight
to a light weight, cutting down on
recovery time between moves.
The results: The dumbbells boast weight
options from 2-24kg, so you have
everything you need for a full-body
strength session with one bit of kit. There’s
also the option to log onto the Bowflex
electTech to find

Best for
HOME MYZONE
POWER PL AT E MOVE GYMS MZ-20 SCAL
£2,495; powerplate.com £59.99; myzone.org
The low-down: Vibration training has been popular for The low-down: As part
over 20 years now. Athletes use it to stimulate natural fitness package, most g
reflexes, so that moves performed on a vibration trainer bodymetric tracking, mo
such as a Power Plate result in greater muscle activation measure key health mar Best for
with double the results. Vibration trainers are versatile body fat percentage, mu SLIMMERS
– they can be used to burn fat, increase flexibility or percentage, BMI, bone
as a massage tool. The Move is Power Plate’s latest Myzone scales you can
offering – a compact solution for the home. measuring weight, body . i i
The results: Until now, vibration trainers have been bulky great if you have shape-up goals and want to stay on track.
and difficult to store at home, and most people tend to use The results: Not a fitness tool but a useful part of your training
them in the gym. The Move is small, meaning you can programme, these scales are Bluetooth-enabled, which means
enjoy vibration training in your lounge without having to they connect to the Myzone app to keep track of your bodymetric
display hefty equipment. It’s a luxe buy but it does offer data. Displayed graphically with clear details of your markers (such
an array of benefits such as increased strength, better as whether you’ve lost or put on body fat), they are a great way to
balance, pain relief and weight control. Perfect if you’re track your fitness progress and stay motivated.
investing in home workouts by building your own gym.
FIXES
Wearing the correct workout kit not only makes you feel good in the gym,
it also boosts your motivation, making you perform better
words Joanna Ebsworth

48 Health & Fitness

 GYM
special

on’t underestimate
the power of your GET SOME SUPPORT
gym kit. Aside from
enhancing your FASHION FA IL
Quad boobs, roaming breasts and back fat spillage aren’t
performance, it can the only problems you face when wearing an ill-fitting sports
also boost your bra. Research shows a lack of breast support can lead to
motivation, with pain in your neck, back and shoulders, and cause changes
to the body including deep grooves in your shoulders, bad
research from the Journal of Experimental posture, skin abrasions and permanent damage to the
Social Psychology showing that putting on Cooper’s ligaments (the connective tissue that keeps your
new fitness gear can help you ‘get into boobs perky). Worst of all, one study revealed one in five
women are put off from regular workouts due to pain and
character’, allowing you to feel more embarrassment caused by their breasts, sacrificing their
mentally prepared for your workout, so fitness along the way. And that’s the biggest no-no of all.
increasing focus and energy.
When it comes to stylish fit kit, we’ve FASHION F IX
Know you’ve heard it before but recent research shows
never had so much choice. However, it’s 80 per cent of women are still wearing the wrong size bra,
easy to get it wrong – choose the incorrect meaning lots of you aren’t getting professionally measured to
find the right fit. So invest in your health and get fitted properly!
fit and you can spend more time adjusting
Once you know your correct size, select a sports bra that
your clothing than exercising. Sounds matches the intensity-level of your workouts. If in doubt, plump
trivial, but a new US study reveals that 65 for a high-intensity bra to support your assets at all times.
per cent of US women avoid the gym over Finally, keep in mind that no two pairs of boobs are the same.
Online sports bra retailer, boobydoo has created a handy guide
anxiety of being judged, and 49 per cent to help you work out your breast shape from nine varieties –
say they feel scrutinised for their choice of shapes include East West Breasts, Side Set Breasts, Tear
workout clothing. So, we reveal the worst Drop Breasts and Athletic Breasts – and suggests the best
bras for your shape (see boobydoo.co.uk/breast-shape-guide).
workout wardrobe malfunctions and the Once you’ve worked out your breast type, you’ll easily find a
styling secrets that banish them for good. sports bra that’s both supportive and super comfy.
Find the right support for your shape with
TH E B E ST B RA FO R

boobydoo’s best bra suggestions

YO UR B O OBS

PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock Research published in the

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Athletic Breasts Tear Drop Breasts East West Breasts

These breasts tend to be wider
and muscular, with athletically
shaped breast tissue.
O Avoid underwired sports bras
as they can sit wrongly on your
breast tissue. Compression styles
are wire-free with great support,
such as Shock Absorber’s Active
Multi Sports Support Bra, £38.
Round but with less volume at the
top, your nipples tend to be set in
the middle or facing upwards.
O Choose underwired styles,
such as the Freya Active Epic
Underwired Moulded Crop Top
Sports Bra, £42, to give you
more support at the bottom of
the breast, where it’s fuller.
They gravitate to either side of
your chest, with your nipples
pointing outwards instead
of to the front. Most common
in A-C cups.
O Try padded bras, such as
the Brooks Juno Sports Bra,
£50, to help gather your breast
tissue to the front.

Health & Fitness 49

CONCEAL CAMEL TOE 3 OF THE BEST
CAMEL TOE-FREE
LEGGI NGS
FAS H I O N FAIL
Whatever you want to call it (crotch
cleavage, anyone?), that moment when you ILU Fitwear
look in the gym floor mirror and catch sight (ilufitwear.com)
of a camel toe drawing everyone’s eyes to has nailed
your lady parts is never fun. Not that there’s the ‘flat front
anything wrong with showing a camel toe panel’ leggings
in leggings, it’s perfectly natural. But that market,
doesn’t change the fact that most of us still currently
feel terribly self-conscious when our vaginas offering 10
decide to eat our clothing – and when designs in
did feeling exposed or embarrassed ever different colours
enhance anyone’s performance? and patterns,
including
FAS H I O N F IX these Vitality
Google ‘how to hide camel toe in leggings’, Leggings, £52.
and all sorts of solutions come up, including
wearing pantyliners to smooth out your pubic Lululemon’s
area, and stuffing ‘camel toe guards’ down All the Right
your knickers (yes, they exist). But there are Places Crop II
simpler alternatives. First, always wear Leggings,
underwear. You might like the freedom of (£108;
‘going commando’, but it’s a sure-fire way to lululemon.co.uk)
put your bodily features on display as there is are so-called for
less of a barrier between your leggings and a very good
body (if you’re worried about VPL, try a reason and are
seamless thong such as Victoria’s Secret No adored by gym
Show Thong, £9; victoriassecret.com). fashionistas
Next, choose thicker, heavier fabrics, as around the
they’ll be more likely to stretch over your world for
crotch area, as opposed to thinner fabrics their camel
which can get pulled into the creases of your toe-fighting
body. Super-tight leggings can also create a properties.
disaster zone down there: think about sizing
up so you’re not constantly tugging at your These Lucus
leggings, causing them to get trapped Hugh Technical
where they shouldn’t. Knit 7/8
Finally, eschew all leggings that have front Leggings (£70;
rise seams running vertically through the lucashugh.com)
centre of the crotch, creating tension and have a flat front
cutting you in half. Look for leggings that have panel combined
flat front panels with U-shaped inseams or a with a crotch
crotch gusset (a triangular-shaped piece of gusset for
cloth sewn in where all the seams would an amazing
normally meet between your legs). Not only four-way
do these seams withstand the pressure of stretch.
being pulled in all directions – so your leggings
will last longer – but you’ll also never have to
endure a camel toe again.

Going commando is a sure-fire way to put

your bodily features on display

50 Health & Fitness

 GYM
special
3 OF THE BE ST O NE -P IE CE S

Gym girls will love UA’s With its comfortable, Asquith’s Reflect
Always On Bodysuit functional, elegant Jumpsuit (£89;
(£65; underarmour. fit and super-soft asquithlondon.com) is
co.uk) for its silky technical compression made from super-soft
performance fabric fabric that stretches bamboo fabric and
featuring four-way with your every move, designed to be seen in
stretch and moisture- this Silou London and out of the gym,
wicking properties. The Ella Unitard (£239; seamlessly taking you
deep zip also makes it siloulondon.com) is from yoga classes to
easy to get on and off. perfect for spinning. afternoon glasses!

BANISH BUILDER’S BUM

Silou London offers an über-
stylish range of front seam-free
leggings and unitards to keep
you covered from all angles
(siloulondon.com)
FASHION FAIL
You’ve just flowed from
inverted Downward dog to
standing Mountain pose – or
finished 12 reps of the deepest
squats – only to realise
you’ve flashed the intimate
details of your derriere to
the entire yoga class/gym
floor/park.
FASHION FIX
If you don’t want to lose the
bottom-half of your clothing
while bending forwards, there
is a simple solution: ditch
two-piece outfits for the latest
one-piece catsuits and
unitards. No longer the uniform
of dancers, gymnasts and
comic book characters,
bodysuits are now de rigour for
elite sportswomen, not just
for their style credentials, but
for their performance benefits
too, as many are made from
supportive, compression
fabrics to keep the blood
flowing and aid recovery.
Think you’ll feel a bit exposed
in a catsuit? Not to worry. First
off, remember that one-pieces
often smooth out any
unwanted lumps and bumps
because they don’t have
waistbands that can create
bulges. And second, they look
amazing layered under loose
vests and t-shirts so you can
still stay covered up. You might
need to visit the loo before
jumping into your, ahem,
jumpsuit prior to class, but
you’ll never have to worry
about inappropriately
flashing the flesh again.

Health & Fitness 51

 FLATTER
YOUR BELLY
FAS HION FAIL
You’re stuck in the 1990s and still
favouring low-rise, abs-baring waistlines,
but your belly likes to escape over the
top of your waistband.

FAS HION F IX
My advice falls into two camps. If you’re up
for flaunting your wobbly bits without a care,
find a pair of the lowest-rise leggings and
shake it like you’re Taylor Swift. If, however,
you feel shy about your tummy and prefer
to keep it covered up, invest in a pair of
high-waisted leggings. The benefits aren’t
just aesthetic – although they smooth out
your silhouette, elongate your legs and
suck you in at all the right places – they’re
performance enhancing, too. Wider, higher
waistbands always stay in place whether
you’re on the bike, in Pilates or doing a
boxing class, so you never have to pause
your workout to pull up your pants, making
them both flattering and functional. I’d call
that a win-win.

High-waisted
leggings smooth out
your silhouette,
elongate your legs
and suck you in at all
the right places

A pioneer of Bellum Active’s evveervital’s Leap

HIGH -RIS E LE GG IN GS

high-waisted Teal Leopard It Leggings (£68;

leggings, Leggings (£55; evveervital.com)
3 O F TH E BEST

Gymshark offers bellumactive. offer breathability

a huge range co.uk) are made and compression
of bottoms in of technical, with a perforation
multiple styles and stretchy fabric design to make
colours, including to sculpt your you stand out
these Energy+ bum and legs. from the crowd.
Seamless They also have
Leggings (£45; a wide, high
uk.gymshark. waist to ensure
com) which have a secure fit.
a super-high
ribbed waistband.

52 Health & Fitness


SAY ‘SO-LONG’ TO SWEAT
FASH I ON FAI L
The girl next to you on the treadmill is barely
perspiring while you’re soaking. And
when you finish your workout, you look as
if you’ve taken a shower – without taking
off your kit first.
FASH I ON F IX
There’s nothing wrong with getting sweaty.
Not only is it a great sign that you’re working
at a good intensity during workouts, but it’s
also very liberating and satisfying. But damp
gym kit can leave you feeling uncomfortable,
embarrassed and open to skin irritations,
including chafing, that can impede exercise.
So look for moisture-wicking fabrics that
GYM
special
3 OF T HE BE ST
STAY-COO L KIT
afted from
athable
ric and a
ch of
sh, this
eCourt
FIT Maria
nis Dress,
.95; nike.
m) will help
stay cool
and off
court.
Lululemon’s Cardio Cross Trainer
Headband (£10; lululemon.co.uk) is
made with ‘anti-stink’ Silverescent
technology to inhibit the growth
move the sweat from your skin to the of odour-causing bacteria.
surface of the fabric, and allow it to
evaporate. Many gym brands have their
own name for this but they all regulate your
temperature. Damp hair sticking to your
sweaty neck/forehead/face/eyelids can put
a wrench on your workouts, especially if you
have a fringe so go for a headband. I love
Lululemon’s sweat-wicking Cardio Cross The fibres of Stance Women’s
Trainer Headbands (right). Finally, your feet FEEL360 Train Tab 3 pack of
bathe in up to a pint of sweat (each!) when socks (£24.99; stance.eu.com) are
you exercise so always wear socks to treated to create a totally dry and
protect them from rubbing which can lead comfortable training experience.
to blisters. Look for hi-tech, breathable They also have a seamless toe
styles with sweat-soaking properties to closure to reduce chaffing.
keep your feet fresh, comfy and dry.
Health & Fitness 53
W
e’ve all
been there
– you’re
just getting
ready to
try the latest Spin class or
finally get to grips with the
TRX only to lose your nerve
when a group of super-cool
fitbies hits the gym floor.
You’re not alone. Latest
statistics show that, despite
the progress made by
campaigns such as This
their performance. The same goes for the
Girl Can to boost women’s
gym. Ask an instructor for a workout plan
participation in sport and
activity, many women
are skipping exercise or
preferring to workout at
home because they feel
intimidated or under-
confident at the gym.
There’s even a new name
for the phenomenon,
‘gymtimidation’. One
survey recently reported
that a fear of being judged
on their performance is
deterring women from
getting active. And,
according to gym chain 24/7
Fitness, more than 50 per
cent of its gyms have seen
a reduction in the number
of female memberships in
the past year. Here are the
tips you need to beat those
confidence demons.
TAKE
CONTROL
People who plan feel in control.
More than 80 per cent of workers
claim that being organised improves
and watch your gym confidence soar.
Before you walk in the door of the gym,
make sure you know which exercises
and weights you’re going to use.
You’ll feel far more comfortable
when you know exactly what
you’re doing.
KEE P
I T REA L
While Instagram may up the
pressure to embody #fitnessgoals,
remember it’s ok to be a newbie! Those
superfit gymbunnies were beginners once.
Don’t let the #gymselfies on Instagram kid
you into thinking you’re not fit enough to go
to the gym. There are many different types of
people, of all fitness levels, in every gym. And
nobody will mind if you don’t smash a PB
on the bike or touch your toes in yoga.
Most people are too busy grappling
with their own workouts to notice
what you’re doing
or wearing.

EMPOWER
YOUR TRAINING
Are you suffering from gymtimidation?
Boost your confidence and get your
mojo back with these top tips
Words: Mary Comber and Sarah Sellens

54 Health & Fitness

 GYM
special

BUDDY
UP
Feeling really out of your comfort
zone? Go to the gym with a friend.
Research shows that finding a fitness
buddy is the fastest way to boost your
gym confidence and enjoyment, and
help you stick to your workout sessions.
It’s also proven to be the quickest way
to reach your goals, as people train
harder when they have someone
to encourage them and engage
in friendly competition. It’s
time to phone a friend!

P UMP
UP YOUR
PLAY LIST
Music makes people feel powerful.
And it can also bring confidence to your
workouts. Research in the journal Social
Psychological and Personality Science
shows that heavy bass tracks empower
athletes. So pick a playlist that helps you
focus on your workout and make exercise
your meditation time – an hour just
for you. Tune in, zone out and you’ll
lose your inhibitions and stop
worrying what anyone
else is thinking.

BEAT THE
CROWD
Do you feel self conscious
training when the gym’s packed with
people? Plan to go during quieter
off-peak times. PTs often train gym-shy
clients very early in the morning or last
thing at night. This helps them build
confidence in their abilities and start
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

feeling more at ease in the gym

without any pressure. Off-peak
memberships are cheaper,
too, so it’s a win win!

Health & itness

 CONTENTS
p58 Fashion Cool cycling gear to put you in a spin
p65 Get the look Be on trend in colour-blocking gym kit

WE LOVE
MM Pistol bikini bottom, blue, £24.99,
MM Olesia halter neck bikini top, blue,
£24.99, Harpers Kimono White,
£49.99; protest.eu
Soak up the last of the summer sun in
Protest’s latest collection, inspired by
Shrangri-La – paradise on earth. Protest’s
utopia is a place where the surf is swelling
and a beach party is swinging. Its
collection echos the vibe with tropical,
fun-loving prints and colour palettes. Style
your beach look with Protest’s Mix &
Match series of bikini bottoms, tops and
tankinis. Then throw on the gorgeous
woven Kimono top when you want to hit
the deck or the bar.
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: protest.eu

56 Health & Fitness

GYM STYLE
FIT FASHION @COOL KIT @ STYLE ADVICE

Health & Fitness 57

 THREE
inONE
Whether you’re a triathlon
beginner or a seasoned
competitor, you’ll stand out in
the crowd with this stylish kit
PHOTOGRAPHY Helen Marsden STYLING Kellie Daggett

58 Health & Fitness

FWE LTR Helmet, £30, Evans;
Pro Bib Shorts, £150, Le Col;
Cycling Cap, £15, Le Col;
Long Sleeve Jersey, £140, Le Col

Health & Fitness 59

 ABOVE
Active Cap Sleeve Suit,
£135.71, Duskii;
Futura Biofuse Flexiseal
Mirror Goggles, £28,
Speedo

RIGHT
FWE LTR Helmet, £30,
Evans; Pro Bib Shorts,
£150, Le Col; Cycling Cap,
£15, Le Col; Long Sleeve
Jersey, £140, Le Col

60 Health & Fitness

 RIGHT
FWE LTR Helmet, £30,
Evans; Claudette
Jersey, £170, Café du
Cycliste; Tri Suit, £35,
dhd at Wiggle

Health & Fitness 61

ABOVE
Heidi Jacket, £190, Café du Cycliste;
3/4 Fujin Print Tights, £85, Odlo;
Xodus ISO 3 Trainers, £140, Saucony;
Bidon Water Bottle, £15, Café du Cycliste

RIGHT
Canyon/Sram Training Jersey, £85, Rapha;
Padded Tights, £160, Rapha

STOCKISTS
Café du Cycliste cfaeducycliste.com
Duskii duskii.com
Evans evanscycles.cm
Le Col lecol.cc
Odlo odlo.com
Rapha rapha.cc
Saucony saucony.com
Speedo speedo.com
Wiggle wiggle.co.uk

Make-up and hair styling: Firyal Arneil using

Revamp Professional
Model Daisy Hughes @ W Models

62 Health & Fitness

Health & Fitness 63
Jo
fe
ev

PLACES
LIMITED

Saturday 23 May 2020

For more information and to register online:
www.dream-challenges.com
01590 646410 / events@dream-challenges.com

@
TO TAKE PART YOU NEED TO PAY A REGISTRATION FEE OF £45 AND RAISE MINIMUM SPONSORSHIP OF £199.
Registered Charity Nos: Breast Cancer Care is a working name of Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now: 1017658/ SC038104, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust: 1133542/SC041236, Ovarian
Cancer Action: 1109743/SC043478. Women V Cancer is established under Giving Works. Registered Charity No.1078770.
 fashion news

IN YOUR FACE
LOU R Contur Freeform
CO KING Crop, £75;
WORDS: Joanna Ebsworth MAIN IMAGE: Contur Block-Rocker Crop, £57; Bold Move Leggings, £75; conturuk.com

BLOC
conturuk.com

MAKE A
STATEMENT
MZ Wallace Medium
Metro Tote, £175;
thesportsedit.com

IT’S A
WRAP
adidas Back-To-
Sport Lined
Insulation Jacket,

Get
£64.95; adidas.
co.uk

THE LOOK Flex your style muscles in this

head-turning gym kit MIX AND MATCH
Aurique Seamless Colour
Block Sports Top, £16;
LOUD AND PROUD amazon.co.uk
Reebok Bolton Essential
Trainers, £74.95;
reebok.co.uk

WE LOVE
with their wide
elasticated wai
stband
and internal lin
ing,
these shorts w
ill keep
you covered at
all
times.

BRIGHT AND
BEAUTIFUL COLOUR CODE
L’URV Maverick P.E Nation
¾ Leggings, £69; Cornermen Shorts,
fashercise.com £99; farfetch.com

Health & Fitness 65

 CONTENTS
p68 Simply delicious Recipe secrets from a gastro pub chef
p72 Turn over a new leaf Luscious leaves like you’ve never known before
p76 An apple a day Feeling fruity? Soup, salad, sauce and more...

BEST TIME TO BATH

Love taking a warm bath before bed to help you sleep? For
best results, try jumping in the tub a little earlier, suggests
new research. Not only does a warm bath help you relax, the
fall in body temperature afterwards induces sleep. To
discover exactly when it’s best to run that bath, scientists at
the University of Texas reviewed more than 5,000 studies,
analysing the effects of ‘water-based passive body heating’
on how quickly people fell asleep, total sleep time and
quality of sleep. Results, published in the journal Sleep
Medicine Reviews, found the optimum time is one to two
hours before bedtime. Ten minutes in the tub is sufficient to
improve ‘temperature circadian rhythm’, helping you fall
asleep quicker and sleep more soundly. It’s the perfect
excuse to wind down early tonight.
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

66 Health & Fitness

YOU TIME
HEALTHY RECIPES SPECIAL

Health & Fitness 67

 IAN’S THAI 7-SPICE MIX
The following ingredients create a
punchy, Thai flavour bomb for chicken,
salmon, pork cubes, beef and lamb
steaks or, if you’re veggie, it also
works well with halloumi, mushrooms,
peppers, tofu and aubergine.
68 Health & Fitness
For two servings: O¼ tsp garlic powder
O½ tsp coriander powder
O¼ tsp ground ginger OJuice of ½ lemon
O¼ tsp chilli flakes O¼ tsp ground cinnamon
O¼ cumin powder O1 ground star anise
OPinch of salt OPinch of white pepper
O¼ tsp chilli powder O2 kaffir lime leaves, ground
 Simply Increase your healthy eating repertoire
with help from a gastro pub chef

DELICIOUS
W
e can think of plenty of things we’d called Haste’s Kitchen. Next up came his own studio, teaching
rather do than traipse around the online and reaching a global audience that learnt that healthy
supermarket trying to decide what to eating needn’t be bland or require complex recipes.
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHTOGRAPHY: Al Richardson

cook for supper, which is why we love
new book The 7-Day Basket by
Ian Haste (Headline Home, £20). It’s a compendium of
10 weeks of recipes, each grouped around a different
theme, complete with a weekly shopping list.
‘I’ve created this book to simplify your weekly shop, save you
time, get you creating varied and delicious meals,’ says Haste,
‘and, in the long run, hopefully save you money.’
As a keen gym-goer with a background as a gastro pub chef
where he cooked for 150 tables, Haste was keen to share his
recipes with a wider audience, so launched a YouTube channel
In The 7-Day Basket, Haste has created a range of weekly
menus to suit every palate and mood, including light, veggie,
global, spicy, relaxed and comforting. Each chapter offers seven
different dishes, a shopping list for the week that’s logically divided
into sections to make your supermarket experience a breeze,
along with a store cupboard staples list to check if you need to
top up on anything. And the best bit? No waste!
So whether you want to feast on Zesty coriander, honey and
lime chicken pie, Fragrant Thai green curry or Mexican smoked
chicken burger, avocado and sweet potato crisps, in this book,
Haste has a great-tasting, easily achievable recipe you can follow.

QUICK TIP ‘The freezer is your friend for food preparation. Freeze anything
you want to stay fresh for later in the week, especially fish, meat and chicken.’

PE A , FE TA & MIN T FRI TTATA

Serves: 2

Per serving: 734 calories, 52g fat (17g

1  Pour a tablespoon of the olive oil into a
frying pan with the onion and potatoes,
and cook for 10 minutes until golden.
saturated fat), 34g protein, 9g fibre, 28g carbs
(8g sugar), 2.6g salt

O 3 tbsp olive oil

2  Crack the eggs into a dish, season and
add the milk, half the mint, half the chives,
the peas, feta, onion and potatoes.
O ½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
O 200g Charlotte potatoes, thinly sliced
O 4 eggs
O 2 tbsp milk
3  Grease a small frying pan, add the mixture
and bake at 170oC/gas mark 3 for 20
minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile,
O 15g mint and 10g chives, chopped ribbon the cucumber and fan-slice the avocado.
O 100g frozen peas
O 120g feta, crumbled
O ¼ cucumber
O 1 avocado, peeled and stoned
4  For the dressing, mix together the
remaining olive oil with the lemon juice,
remaining mint and chives, and season with
O Juice of ¼ lemon salt and pepper.
O 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
O 80g watercress, spinach and
rocket salad
O Salt and pepper
5  Toss together the cucumber, avocado and
cherry tomatoes with the salad leaves and
dressing, and serve with the fritatta.

Health & Fitness 69

 A hot niçoise
salad is a
perfect,healthy
evening meal.

G RI D D LE D TUNA STEAK, NI ÇOI SE SALAD

Serves: 2

Per serving: 558 calories, 30g fat (4.5g

O Zest and juice of ¼ lemon
O 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
O Salt and pepper
4  Take the tuna out to rest and add
the green beans to the potatoes and
griddle for a further 2-3 minutes, until both
saturated fat), 44g protein, 9g fibre, 24g the potatoes and beans have char lines.
carbs (9g sugar), 2.7g salt

O 200g Charlotte potatoes, halved

1  Cook the potatoes in salted boiling
water for 6 minutes until they slide off
an inserted knife. Remove and pat dry. 5  Mix the spinach leaves, chopped
tomatoes, olives and pepper with
O 2 eggs seasoned olive oil, a squeeze of lemon
O Vegetable oil
O 2 x 120g tuna steaks
O 150g green beans
2  Add the eggs to the boiling water and
cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove and
add to cold water (iced if possible).
and a grating of the zest, and spread out
on two plates.

O 100g baby spinach

O 2 large tomatoes, chopped
O 100g black olives
O ½ red pepper, thinly sliced
O 1 tbsp olive oil
3  Oil and season the tuna steaks and
potatoes and add to a hot griddle
pan. Cook the fish for 1 minute each side
for a nice, rare centre.
6  Add the eggs, peeled and split in half,
a scattering of the potatoes and
beans, then top each portion with a sliced
tuna steak. Swirl the balsamic glaze over
to finish and serve straight away.

70 Health & Fitness

TEA R - &-S HA RE C HICKE N
SHASH LI K NAAN
Serves: 2-3 Don’t be
scared to get
Per serving (for 2): 973 calories, 8g fat (4g messy – just rip off a
saturated fat), 61g protein, 10g fibre,159g carbs piece of naan and
(29g sugar), 1.6g salt wrap it up with all
those amazing
O 300g yoghurt
flavours.
O 2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
O ½ tsp paprika
O 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
O 1 tsp each chilli, cumin powder, garam masala
O ½ tsp ground cloves
O Juice of ¾ lemon
O 1 tsp peeled and grated ginger
O 10 coriander sprigs ½ finely chopped, ½ whole
O 1 red chilli, finely sliced into rings
O 15g mint leaves chopped
O 200g basmati rice
O 500ml water
O 1 green pepper, cut into cubes
O 1 red onion, quartered and separated
O 130g self-raising flour
O 1 tsp sugar
O 200g mango pieces, finely chopped
O Salt and pepper

1  Mix 100g of yoghurt with the chicken, paprika,

garlic, cumin, cloves, garam masala, chilli
powder, lemon juice, ginger, chopped coriander
and chilli, and marinate for 30 minutes.

2  Mix the mint with 50g of the yoghurt and a splash

of water. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C,
gas mark 4.

3  Add the rice with double the amount of water

to a pan and bring to the boil, then cook for
3 minutes. Turn off the heat, put a lid on and steam
for 7-8 minutes. Do not stir.

4  Meanwhile, add the chicken, pepper and onion

to a hot oven-proof griddle pan, turning after the
chicken has released some fat to get char lines. Cook
for 7 minutes, then transfer to the oven for 15 minutes.

5  Add the remaining 150g yoghurt to the flour and

sugar and mix well, season, roll into a ball, then
flatten out into a large naan. Heat another griddle pan
The 7-day Basket
and char the bread until it puffs up, repeating on both by Ian Haste
sides until you get nice smoky charred areas. (Headline Home,
£20) is out now.

6  To serve, add the chicken mix, rice and mango to

the naan with dollops of the mint sauce, sprinkling
over the remaining torn coriander.
Photography by
Al Richardson.

Health & Fitness 71

rec
TURN OVER A
NEW
LEAF
Tantalise your tastebuds with an array of fresh
and inspiring plant-based recipes
I
f you’re not a fan of traditional
salads, there’s a new cookbook out
that will transform your perception
of the humble leaf. Plates of limp
lettuce, wilting on a plate next to the
main attraction – be it pizza, jacket potato
or pan-fried sea bass – will truly be a thing
of the past once you open the pages of
Leaf: Lettuce, Greens, Herbs, Weeds,
by Catherine Phipps (Quadrille, £25).
Fascinated by greens since childhood – when
she discovered the fairy tale in which Rapunzel’s
life was traded for them – Phipps is now a
connoisseur of leaves in all their varieties. As
she rightly points out, the choice we have is
immense. ‘Consider the bitterness of endives
and wild dandelion; the pungency of wild garlic,
mustard and curry leaf; icy, spicy menthol from
mint and shiso,’ says Phipps, ‘the citrus of
verbena and French sorrel, the resinous
astringency of pine and rosemary, the mellow
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: Mowie Kay
nuttiness of butterhead lettuces and sprout tops,
or the deeply savoury, saltiness of seaweeds.’
And that’s even before you think about layering
QUICK TIP: ‘Using farmers’ markets – and exploring markets
wherever you go – is a really good way to understand the local
seasons and what ingredients might be cooked together.’
72 Health & Fitness
flavours by combining, cooking or fermenting.
There are a myriad of ways to use leaves, too
– not just consigned to side dishes or in salads
and soups, they can be bring a flourish of green
to stews, potages and curries, or place them
centre stage by roasting or grilling heads of
leaves and you’ll find they can be as satisfying
as a steak thanks to their ‘meaty’ core.
Leaf offers plenty of inspiration to increase your
culinary repertoire. In the introduction, Phipps
shows you how to make flavoured salts and herb
oils, jellies and butters; she teaches you the best
way to preserve with salt, cure vine leaves or
make sauerkrauts, and has recipes for versatile
sauces such as green harissa, chimichurri and
coriander and mint chutney.
With everything from brunches to starters
and light meals; meat, fish and veggie mains to
deserts, baking, preserving and drinks - there’s
sure to be something to suit your every mood.
Fancy Wild garlic potato cakes, Fragrant pork
and prawn balls wrapped in pandan leaf, Herb
tempura or Samphire with courgettes, basil
and brown shrimps? We do!
 SEAWEE D AN D
MUSHROO M BROTH
Serves: 4

Per serving: 190 calories, 5g fat (0.5g saturated

fat), 9g protein, 5g fibre, 25g carbs (1.5g sugar),
0.6g salt

O 20 x 15cm kelp or kombu, cut into strips

O A handful of dried mushrooms, eg shiitake
O 5cm piece ginger, sliced
O 2 garlic cloves, sliced

For the soup

O A handful of wakame or other sea
vegetable, soaked in water for 10 minutes
O 1 tbsp sesame oil
O 400g mushrooms, a selection
O 1 large bunch of greens – anything you
like as long as it is a wilting sort
O 400g cooked noodles, ideally udon
O Furikake, for sprinkling
O A few mint leaves, to serve
O A few mitsuba leaves (Japanese parsley),
to serve (optional)
O A few ramps (wild leeks) or Chinese garlic
chives, chopped

1 First, make the broth. Give the kelp or kombu

a wipe with damp cloth, then put it in a
saucepan with the dried mushrooms. Cover with
1 litre water and bring to the boil. Simmer on the
lowest possible setting for 20 minutes.

2 Add the ginger and garlic and simmer for a

further 20 minutes. Strain, but do not throw
away the seaweed and mushrooms – you can
chop them finely and add them back into the
soup, or you can save them for another meal.

3 Return the stock to the saucepan. Add

the wakame and simmer until soft, around
10 minutes.

TIP
If you want some 4 In a separate frying pan over a medium heat,
while the seaweed is simmering, heat the
sesame oil and cook the mushrooms until glossy
variety you can use
any leaves you like and tender. Add the greens and garlic/chives to
in this soup. From the broth and simmer until they have wilted down.
Asian greens to
kale or chard.
5 Arrange the noodles and mushrooms in
bowls, divide up the greens too (easiest done
with chopsticks), then pour over the broth.
Garnish with the furikake and the mint, mitsuba
leaves and ramps or garlic chives.

Health & Fitness 73


HE R B OME LE TT E
Serves: 1
Per serving: 300 calories, 21g fat (7g
saturated fat), 26g protein, 1g fibre, 0g
carbs (0g sugar), 1.27g salt
O 3 eggs
O 2 sprigs each of tarragon, parsley,
lemon thyme, chives, chervil, dill or
fennel, finely chopped
O A large knob of butter
O 4 handfuls of baby salad leaves, eg
baby leaf lettuces, spinach, rocket,
pea shoots, sorrel, borage, beetroot,
74 Health & Fitness
TIP
This is more of
a loosely set
frittata. You can
make it with
whatever you
might need to
use up.
mitsuba, amaranth or new-growth
chamomile fronds
O A few small borage leaves and
3  Stir the omelette in from the sides to
the centre, allowing the runny eggs to
fill the exposed pan until it is almost set,
flowers to serve then add the remaining salad leaves.
O Sea salt and freshly ground Leave until just set.
black pepper
1  Break the eggs into a bowl and
season with salt and pepper. Stir in
4  Sprinkle on the reserved herbs along
with the borage leaves and flowers
just before serving, then carefully slide
half of the finely chopped herbs. onto a plate.
2  Melt the butter in a small frying pan.
When it starts to foam, add half the
baby salad leaves. Stir until wilted, then
pour in the egg mixture.
 es

GR IL LED C HICO RY WI TH PANGRATTATO

Serves: 4
Per serving: 104 calories, 8g fat
(1g saturated fat), 3g protein, 2g fibre,
4g carbs (0.7g sugar), 0.1g salt
O 2 large heads of endive, cabbage or
lettuce, such as Chioggia
O Lemon wedges
For the pangrattato
O 30g sourdough chunks
O 30g walnuts
O 1 tbsp olive oil
O 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
O 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped
and finely chopped
O Zest of 1 lemon
texture. Do not over-process the walnuts
as they will start leaching oil.
2  Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic
for a minute over a medium heat. Add
the breadcrumbs and rosemary and cook
until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. C H IN ’
Stir in the lemon zest. T IPS FOR
LUSCIOUS
3  To cut 2 cross-sections from each
endive, cut around 2.5cm to the side
of the core, then cut the centre piece you
LE AV ES
SOURCING – Wild garlic,
end up with down the middle. nettles and seaweed can be
foraged, while other leaves are
4  Lightly coat a pan with olive oil. When
the pan is hot, add the endive and
cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until
by-crops of supermarket veg
– beetroot, Brussel tops, pea
shoots. Talk to friends who have
the flesh is lightly charred and the leaves allotments, they’ll be happy to
are wilting. get rid of gluts such as broad

1 To make the pangrattato, crumble the

sourdough into fine breadcrumbs and
chop or process the walnuts to the same 5  Scatter over the pangrattato and
serve with the lemon wedges.
bean tips or squash leaves.

GROWING – Try planting

fast-growing salad leaves that
you can cut at any stage, plus
hard-to-find fresh leaves such
as lemon verbena or tropical
laska, shiso and kaffir lime – just
wrap in fleece over winter or
transfer to a sunny windowsill.

DRYING – Soft herbs don’t dry

well, but tie woody ones in
bundles and hang upside down
for a few days. Fig leaves dry
amazingly well, as do wild garlic
leaves and seaweed (place on
the lowest setting in the oven).

STORAGE – Avoid buying

bagged herbs, and make sure
the stems are intact. Keep them
upright in the door of the fridge
(trim the stems if they have
dried out) in a jar of water, then
cover with a plastic bag and
TIP seal the jar with an elastic band.
Lettuces such
as little gem or
endives or wedges
of cabbage work Leaf: Lettuce, Greens,
well for this Herbs, Weeds, by
Catherine Phipps,
recipe, too. published by Quadrille,
priced £25, is out now.
Photography by
Mowie Kay.

Health & Fitness 75

recipes

Apple
AN

A DAY
Not just handy for snacking
on the go, apples are a great
addition to healthy recipes
A
s the season of mists
and mellow fruitfulness
approaches, what
better way to keep the
doctor at bay than to
make the most of nature’s seasonal
harvest. Packed with vitamins C and
A, plus magnesium and fibre, the
humble apple is celebrated in these
appetising dishes from James Rich’s
new book Apple: Recipes from the
Orchard (Hardie Grant, £20).
‘Everything from the apple
blossom to the fallen fruit can be
used,’ says Rich, ‘making apples
a hardy, versatile and delicious
essential. Even smoking apple
wood on the barbecue imparts
a subtle sweet and fruity favour
to meat, fish and veg.’ Enjoy!

76 Health & Fitness

 C AU LIF LOWE R,
P OMEGR A NAT E TIP
& AP PL E SALAD This is a
delicious late-
Serves: 4 as a light meal summer meal. The
or 2 as a main crisp apple and
pomegranate seeds
O 1 cauliflower, trimmed
bring a tartness to the
and cut into florets
cauliflower, nuts
O 2 tbsp olive oil
O ½ tsp paprika
and spices.
O ½ tsp ground cumin
O 50g unskinned almonds,
roughly chopped
O 2 sharp, green eating apples,
such as Granny Smith
O Squeeze of lemon juice
O 1 pomegranate, seeds only
O 150g wild rocket

For the dressing

O 1 tbsp tahini
O 1 tbsp runny honey
O 1 tbsp lemon juice
O 1 tbsp olive oil
O Salt and freshly ground black
pepper

1  Preheat the oven to 180°C/

gas mark 4 and line a
medium baking sheet with
parchment. Put the cauliflower
florets, olive oil, paprika, cumin
and almonds in a large bowl
and mix well, making sure the
cauliflower is evenly coated with
the oil and spices. Tip onto the
baking sheet and roast for 25
minutes or until the cauliflower
has started to brown. Remove
from the oven and leave to cool.

2  Meanwhile, core and chop

the apples into 1cm chunks
and add to a bowl of cold
MAKE YOUR OWN APPLE SYRUP
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: Jacqui Melville,

water with the lemon juice to

prevent them browning. Make the
dressing by combining the tahini,
honey, lemon juice and olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Try James’s recipe in savoury dishes and salad dressings; use in place
of jam or serve over yoghurt for breakfast.
Add 700ml apple juice, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 star anise and ¼ tsp ground
cinnamon in a heavy-based saucepan and simmer until the liquid has reduced
to about a quarter of its quantity (about an hour). Check regularly to ensure

3  Finally, drain the apples and

combine with the cauliflower
mix, pomegranate seeds and
wild rocket, then drizzle over the
dressing and serve.
iStock
it doesn’t burn. Remove the star anise and add the sugar, and boil until
dissolved. The syrup will be ready when it has the consistency of honey.
Pour into sterilised jars, seal, label and leave to cool, before storing in the
fridge. The syrup may harden when cool, if it does, pop the jar in a pot of
warm water to soften before use. The apple syrup keeps for a few weeks.

Health & Fitness 77


AP PLE, T UR ME RIC AN D FEN NEL SOUP
Serves: 4
O 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus
extra for serving
O 2 leeks, trimmed and chopped
O 1 onion, chopped
O 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped,
reserving any leaves to garnish
O 2 cooking apples, such as
Bramleys, cored and chopped
(about 350g)
O 2 sprigs of thyme
O 2 tsp ground turmeric
O 750ml vegetable stock
O Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
O Handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
O Drizzle of apple syrup (see page 77)
or runny honey
To serve
O Chilli flakes
O Fennel leaves
78 Health & Fitness
1  Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-
based saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the leeks, onion and fennel and fry
for 5-7 minutes until everything starts to
become translucent but without allowing
anything to brown. Keep an eye on the
mixture, as you don’t want it to burn or
stick. Add the apples and thyme, and fry
for a further 2-3 minutes to allow the
apples to start to cook.
2  Add the turmeric and stir to evenly
coat all the ingredients in the pan. Fry
for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The fruit and veg will start to stick and go
slightly brown – that’s okay at this point,
but you don’t want them to burn.
3  Add the vegetable stock and season
with salt and pepper. Bring the pan
to the boil for a minute and then reduce
to a simmer for 30 minutes. The fruit and
vegetables need to be nice and soft and
TIP
Great in soups,
apples add a base
note of sweetness
while enhancing the
other flavours. Here,
you have a balance
of savoury, sweet
and spicy.
thoroughly cooked. You might need a little
more or less time here, so keep watch.
4  While the soup is cooking, heat
a non-stick frying pan over a
medium heat and toast the walnuts for
a couple minutes, ensuring they don’t burn.
Add a little apple syrup or honey, shaking
the pan until it begins to bubble and the
walnuts are thoroughly coated. Turn
them out onto a plate lined with baking
parchment and leave to one side to cool.
5  Once the soup is cooked, leave to
cool slightly before whizzing in a
food processor in batches or blitz with a
hand-held blender in the pan. You need to
get it really smooth. If it’s too thick, add a
little water or more stock. Serve by filling
bowls with soup and topping with the
caramelised walnuts, a sprinkle of chilli
flakes, some fennel leaves and a drizzle of
olive oil – or any combination you like.
APP L E AND RE D
CA B B AGE S LAW
Serves: 2
TIP
This vibrant and
O 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
crisp salad makes
O 1 tsp runny honey
O 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
an excellent
O 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
addition to some
O Salt and freshly ground black pepper
leftover roast
O 1 crisp green eating apple, such chicken.
as Granny Smith, cored and sliced
into matchsticks
O 200g red cabbage, centre removed
and leaves thinly sliced or grated
O 1 large orange or red pepper,
deseeded and thinly sliced
into matchsticks
O 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
O 2 spring onions, cut into matchsticks
O 25g coriander, stalks removed and
leaves chopped

1  Whisk together the cider vinegar, honey,

mustard and oil in a small bowl. Season
with salt and pepper and put to one side.

2  Put the apple, red cabbage, pepper,

carrot, spring onions and coriander in
a large salad bowl and mix together.

3  When you’re ready to serve, drizzle over

the dressing and toss the veggies and
apple through to coat evenly.

Apple: Recipes from the

Orchard by James Rich
(Hardie Grant, £20) is
out now. Photography
©Jacqui Melville

JAME S’S GUID E TO A PPLES

SWEET APPLES have a
higher sugar content, lower
acid and lower tannins
compared with other apples,
and are ideal for eating raw.
Most apples you find in the
suppermarket will be in the
sweet category.
Popular varieties: Gala,
Golden Delicious, Braeburn,
Fiji, Jazz and Honeycrisp.
SHARP APPLES have a
higher acid count than
sweet apples, but are low in
tannin and sugar. Some may
need cooking to be edible,
as with Bramleys, but not all
do, and they’re widely used
for apple juice.
Popular varieties: Granny
Smith, Cox’s, Russet
and Bramleys.
BITTERSWEET APPLES depen
have a low level of sugar on wh
and acidity but a high level flavour
of tannin, while bittersharp cider-
ones have high levels of is tryin
acidity and tannin, which achiev
make them perfect for Popul
making cider. Bittersharp Kingston lack, Lambrook
apples are the heroes of Pippin, Yarlington,
cider, but cider-making Dunkerton’s Late, Chisel
is all about the blending, Jersey and Harry Master’s.

Health & Fitness 79

 WORKOUT

80 Health & Fitness

HANDBOOK
@16 PAGES OF EXPERT ADVICE AND INSTRUCTION

INSIDE
82 Total 94 Run
body TRX knowledge
Torch your home HIIT training to
training sessions max your results.
with Niko Algieri. 96 Run expert
89 Move of The number
the month one tip from
Legs up the wall. running coach
90 Target zone Ben Le Vesconte.
How to be a 97 Success
kettlebell queen. story
92 Fit ‘Tandem cycling
knowledge helped me
Five ways to recover from
boost endurance. a stroke.’
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

Health & Fitness 81

 WORKOUT

TOTAL
BODY

Blitz your body with the smartest bit of kit around

with this workout from top trainer Niko Algieri

RX has made its

mark as one of
the best bits
of portable fitness
kit. But this super-
smart suspension
trainer also offers
serious body benefits. It’s one of the
best ways to develop total-body
strength without the need for regular
weights, while boosting your core,
balance, posture and alignment.
Originally designed by a Navy Seal to allow training
anywhere without the need for a gym, the two-handled
strap can be used for feet or hands, allowing you to do
a full range of movements that engage every muscle.
FUNCTIONAL F IT NE SS
Celebrity PT and top TRX trainer Niko Algieri (known for
training stars including Ellie Goulding) loves TRX so much
he’s based his Equilibium Total Balance studios around it.
‘The key point of TRX is it constantly engages the core,’
says Niko. ‘So it makes us fit for everyday life as well as
the gym. It can build muscle, develop endurance and
create mobility, flexibility, and there are limitless functional
movements. It’s the best training tool.’ Now you can try it
at home, as Niko is sharing a workout with H&F readers.
‘This TRX Total Body Workout is perfect to engage all
the major muscle groups using functional movement
patterns in one circuit,’ says Niko ‘The four leg exercises
will sculpt your legs and glutes. The core section will
strengthen your midline, while the upper-body exercises
will tone your arms, chest and shoulders. Every TRX move
develops core strength and stability. Perform consistently
three times a week, three to four weeks and you’ll see
a dramatic change in strength, tone and posture.’

82 Health & Fitness

 WORKOUT

ME E T YOU R
TRA INE R
This workout has
been created by
Niko Algieri owner
and co-founder of
Equilibrium Total
Balance @nikoalgieri

Health & Fitness 83

 WORKOUT

THE
WO R KO UT
Do 15 reps of each exercise, with
30-45 seconds in between.
Do each leg back to back on the
single leg exercises and same
with side planks.

Beginners and intermediates

do 3 rounds. Advanced
do 5 rounds.

84 Health & Fitness

 WORKOUT

A B
2.RE VE RS E
LUNG E
(Mid strap length)
O Grab the handles,
elbows bent level with
your ribcage and your TRX
tight. Don’t lean back.
O Keep your feet
hip-width apart and
your right knee lifted as
if you’re running (A).
A
O Step your right
foot back into a lunge
position. Both of your
knees should be bent
to 90 degrees (B).
O Then stand back up
squeezing your left glute
and bringing your right
1. SQ UAT (Mid strap length) knee through (A).
O Grab the handles, with and back, your core active. O The movement
elbows bent level with your O Sit, taking your knees should be down and
ribcage and your TRX tight. wider than your toes and hip up, not backwards.
Don’t lean back. crease below your knees (A). O Your arms should
O Place your feet shoulder- O Drive your heels to stand never straighten, so step
B
width apart and Slightly turn back up (B). forwards if they do.
out your toes. O Breathe in on the way
O Keep your shoulders down down and out on the way up.

A B

A B

3. P I STOL S QUAT
(Mid strap length)
O This position is slightly
different. Stand closer to the
straps so they are either side
of your chest, with your elbows
pulled back a little further.
O Keep your feet hip-width
apart, with your right leg
extended and lifted in front of
you around knee height (A).
Using your arms to assist you,
simultaneously break at your
left hip, knee and ankle to
move downwards.
O Your right leg remains off
the floor. Try to take your bum
almost to your left heel (B).
O Again, using your arms
to assist you, stand up.
O Make your leg do as much of
the work as possible and keep
your core engaged throughout.
4.SI NGLE LEG LUNG E
(Long strap length,
handles linked,
although not essential)
O Facing away from the
straps, use your right hand
to put your right foot into
the arches behind you.
O Keep 80 per cent
of your weight in your
left leg (A).
O Lift your right knee in
front with your arms in
running position.
O At the same time as
your right leg moves
backwards, break at your
left hip, knee and ankle to
move downwards (B).
O Both knees should
be at 90 degrees.

Health & Fitness 85

 WORKOUT

6.SIDE PLAN K (Long strap length)

O Start in an elbow plank
with one foot in the arch
each strap. Pivot on your
right elbow to bring your
right hand to your left elbow.
O Place your left palm flat
and slowly rotate your body
and feet to the left.
O To aid your balance,
spread your legs wider.
O Once you feel balanced,
raise your left arm to the
ceiling and hold (pictured).
O Keep your shoulder blades
spread and your hips in line
with your shoulders and feet.
O Place your left hand on the
mat first to come down safely.

A B

5.TH E Y- R AISE (Long strap length)

O Face the strap holding
the handles, lean back, arms
straight, and palms facing
downwards (A).
O Keep your feet hip-width
apart. Moving your feet
forwards makes it harder
and backwards easier.
O Keeping your body in a
strong plank, lift your arms
up and outwards until your
body forms a Y position (B).
O Keep the elbows and
wrists straight throughout
or you will lose the focus
on your shoulders.
O Then slowly lower yourself
back to the original position.
O Never hunch your
shoulders. Always keep your
glutes squeezed and
your hips still.

8. KNE E T UCK (Long strap length)

O Start in plank start position as for pike (left).
O Lift your hips as in pike but at the same time bend
your left knee in until it’s level with your hips (A).
O Alternate with your right knee (B).
O Lower your hips and extend your legs to return
to the plank position.
O Don’t crunch your knees to your chest or you’ll
A
lose your lower back position.

WORDS: Mary Comber MAIN IMAGES: iStock, gettyimages EXERCISE IMAGES: Equilibrium
O Breathe out on the lift and in to lower back to plank.
7. PI K E
(Long strap length)
O Start in plank position (A).
O Keeping your legs straight,
lift your hips/bum and move the
top of your shoulders.
O This movement comes
from your shoulders, core A
and hip flexors. B
O When your hips rise, look
back at your feet to keep your spine protected.
neck and spine neutral (B). O Your elbows make the
O Breathe out on the lift movement lighter on your wrists
and breathe in to lower back but not always easier.
to plank. The in-breath It depends on how mobile your
keeps your organs and shoulders are.
B

86 Health & Fitness

 WORKOUT

Health & Fitness 87

 WORKOUT

10.THE PUSH- UP (Long strap length)

O Facing away from the bend at your shoulders and
anchor point of the TRX elbows to lower yourself.
hold the handles, with your O Lower your chest in line
arms straight. with your fists for a full rep (B).
O Keeping the straps O Push away from the
tight and touching your handles to straighten
shoulders, move your feet your arms.
back hip-width apart and O At Equilibrium, we
lean into the handles. encourage the straps being
O Straighten your wrists in contact with your arms all
like a punch. the way down. It scrapes a
A B O Keep a strong plank little but it’s safe!
position on your toes, with O Moving your feet back
9.G LU TE BRI DGE your tailbone tucked in (A). makes it harder; forwards
(Long strap length) O Open your arms a little makes it easier. Never
O Laying on your back, position your eyes directly under more than shoulder-width hunch your shoulders and
the hang of the straps. apart and, at the same time, keep your glutes squeezed.
O Then, using your hands, place your heels into the arches
of the straps in front of you.
O Laying flat, with your arms by your side, keep your knees
at 90 degrees throughout (A).
O A great tip for keeping your core engaged is to tuck your
chin to your chest for the whole movement.
O Pressing through your heels, lift and squeeze your glutes
until your hips lift in line with your knees (B). It’s important
not to hyper-extend or arch your back here, but your tucked
A B
chin will help.
O Lower back to the floor without losing your bent knees.

88 Health & Fitness

 MOVE OF THE MONTH

RELAX
& unwind
Gently stretch the backs of your legs and lower back
after a hard day with this calming yoga move

If you’re
stiff, start with
your bottom
further away
WORDS: Lucy Miller PHOTOGRAPHY: Will Ireland MODEL: Jenny @ W Athletic CLOTHING: Mode’s own LOCATION: A rental home from Get Living London (getlivinglondon.com)

from the wall,

then edge
closer as your
hamstrings
loosen up.

LEGS-UP-THE-WALL POSE – VIPARITA KARANI

BENEFITS
This soothing, restorative posture calms
your nervous system, eases muscle
fatigue and will stretch your hamstrings,
calves and lower back, as well as your
neck and chest. It will also help relieve
tired or cramped legs and feet, calm
your mind and restore restful breathing.
CUT OUT AND KEEP
O Gently lie back and pivot yourself
around so the backs of your legs are
pressed against the wall and the soles
of your feet are facing upwards.
O Wiggle around so your sitting bones
are comfortably pressed up against the
wall, or slightly away from it, and your
back and head rest on the floor. This
O Close your eyes and breathe deeply
through your nose. Stay here for five to
15 minutes, or until you feel stretched,
relaxed and revitalised.
MAKE IT HARDER
If you have enough space, slide your
legs apart into a wide ‘V’, to open

HOW TO DO IT
O Sit side-on to a wall, with a cushion
between you and the wall and your feet

will form a 90-degree angle in your body. your inner thighs and groin. Once your
O Let the back of your head be heavy legs are wide enough to feel the
and your hands rest on your belly, stretch, push your hands against
down by your sides or wherever you your top inner thighs (not your knees)

on the floor in front of you. find it’s most comfortable. to help your groin release further.

Health & Fitness 89

 TARGET ZONE

BE A LEAN
MACHINE
Swing into shape with a kettlebell and tone
your bottom, legs and core in no time

Keep the first

few swings low B
until you’ve gained
momentum and
are used to the
movement.

A RM S
Keep your arms and
hands relaxed as you
BOTTO M swing the weight up
Squeeze to shoulder height.

WORDS: Lucy Miller PHOTOGRAPHY: Will Ireland MODEL: Jenny @ WAthletic CLOTHING: Model’s own LOCATION: A rental home from Get Living London;
your bottom
at the top
of the move.

KE TT LEBE LL
SWI N G
Reps: 12
Benefits: Works your legs,
bottom, abs, back and arms.
O Grab a kettlebell with both
hands and stand with your feet
wider than hip-width apart.
O Squat down until your thighs
are nearly parallel to the floor
(A), then immediately stand
and swing the kettlebell up
to shoulder height (B). FEET
O As the kettlebell begins to arc Lift and swing the kettlebell forward
getlivinglondon.com

back down, bend your knees and and up by driving your legs straight
squat, swinging the kettlebell while rooting your feet into the floor.
between your legs once more.

90 Health & Fitness

 TARGET ZONE

OVER H EAD LUNGE A B

Reps: 8 each leg

Benefits: Improves shoulder stability, works
your core strength and every muscle in your
lower body, while testing your co-ordination
and balance.
O Press the kettlebell up so your right arm is
straight overhead, then step your right leg
forward and lower into a lunge position with your
front knee at a 90-degree angle (A).
O Pause for a second, then drive through your
front heel, lifting your back leg through to the
front, bringing your knee up in front of you (B).
Keep the kettlebell overhead throughout
the entire move. Return to standing.

DE AD LIF T
A B
Reps: 10
Benefits: Tones your hips, bottom,
thighs and hamstrings, and strengthens
your lower back.
O Grab a kettlebell and stand with your
feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned
out a little (A).
O Squat down until the kettlebell
almost touches the floor (B).
O Push your heels firmly into the floor
and stand up, holding the kettlebell with
straight arms.

SI D E LUNGE TO PRESS
A B

Reps: 20
Benefits: Works your inner thighs and
bottom, shoulders, arms and core. Plus, it
gets your heart rate up, which burns tons of
calories during and after your workout.
O Starting with the kettlebell in your right
hand, take a big step to your left. As you
lower your body into a side lunge, lower the
kettlebell so it’s near your left foot (A).
O Once the bell touches the floor, push
CUT OUT AND KEEP

yourself back up to the starting position, then

press the kettlebell overhead (B). Do 10 reps
on your left side, before switching sides.


Health & Fitness 91

 FITNESS KNOWLEDGE

Boost YOUR
ENDURANCE Want more staying power for your workouts
or to go the distance when you run? Here’s
what you need to do at the gym tonight!

92 Health & Fitness

 FITNESS KNOWLEDGE

W
hether you’re
planning to run a
marathon, enter
a cycle sportive
or just want to hit
your goals during your regular
workouts, you need to put in
the work to physically prepare your
body and mind to make it to the
finish line. But the good news is,
it’s all about working smarter rather
than harder. Here are some of the
secrets PTs use with their clients
for ultimate endurance.

Increase your
strength
It can be hard to find the time and
motivation for gym work when you’re
clocking up the miles or training for
an outdoor event, but it’s crucial for
maintaining muscle mass and keeping
your joints healthy. Increasing your overall
strength will improve your performance
and help you stay injury free. ‘Do hip-
dominant exercises to balance the stre
on your knees, plus single-leg variation
and core work [see Make Your Move, RAC E TI P gramme interval training (shorter, more
below],’ says PT Jean-Claude Vacassi One of the main reasons for people ense periods), tempo training (lactate
founder of W10 Performance Gym. not finishing endurance events is hreshold training) and fartlek training
gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, (random bursts of increased effort) for

Treat your body hoea.

Regular massages might sound lik
a luxury but soft-tissue work keeps
your tissues healthy so you can
work at the top of your game. Can’
afford a regular sports massage?
Invest in a foam roller. It won’t be a
good at fascia fractioning (loosenin
the casing around the muscles) as
massage, but will still break down t
adhesions you get by doing a lot of
exercise. ‘It will also improve your
circulation and reduce soreness, speeding
up your recovery,’ says Vacassin.
WORDS: Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY:
, plus,
ments
big improvements and to keep your
training interesting,’ says Vacassin.
e. Swap
fruit or
ur diet Make your move
help. Not all exercises are equal when
t comes to boosting endurance.
quats don’t already feature in
r training sessions, add them in.
essential part of any athlete’s
gramme, they are one of the most
useful exercises for building strength,
adequate protein and a broad base of power and muscle. ‘Squats also open
nutrients is key. Also, think about your up your hips, help your balance and
overall energy balance – the right foods, single-leg stability and ward off muscle
in the right amounts, will keep you healthy, imbalances,’ says Vacassin.

Eat right lean and fuelled. Now is not the time to be

To fuel your endurance, focus on eating
plenty of protein and veg or plant-based
foods which you can build on to suit your
training needs. Whether you choose to
fuel up with carbs or get more of your
nutrition through dietary fats, eating
skipping meals or cutting calories! Take
time to discover what works best for you.
Add some speed
Speed training is your secret weapon for
boosting performance. ‘Add into your
Remember, a functionally fit body can
perform well for longer, so incorporate
moves that work your stabilising muscles.
Vacassin’s final tip? ‘Try hip bridges
which recruit your glutes without loading
your lower back, and batwings, which
are great for trunk stability and correcting
your posture.’

Health & Fitness 93

HII
your stride
Want better results
in less time? Just add
some high-intensity
interval sessions to your
weekly programme

A
re you bored with Still a growing trend in the gyms, training programme will see your
slogging through long HIIT training – which involves alternating performance soar.
runs? Do your legs give bursts of intense effort with bouts of Research shows short sessions of
up before you hit your active recovery – has been part of HIIT boosts V02 max, aerobic power
goals? Whether you’re athletes’ training regimes for years. output and endurance as effectively
trying to go further or faster, HIIT But you don’t have to be an elite runner as longer, moderate-paced workouts.
(high-intensity interval training) can to benefit. Adding just a couple of One recent US study found that just
help you become stronger, faster. 20-minute HIIT sessions to your weekly two minutes of sprint interval training

94 Health & Fitness

 RUNNING KNOWLEDGE

1
‘HIIT training
develops fast-twitch
muscle fibres’
(involving four 30-second bouts of
maximum effort sprints followed by
four and a half minutes of recovery,
for 20 minutes) improved mitochondrial
function (the cellular production of
energy) as much as 30 minutes of
moderate-paced exercise would.
HIIT training also develops your
fast-twitch muscle fibres, which boosts
your running pace and aids your legs
when they get tired. It burns fat and
SPEED I NCENT IV E RUN
Do you struggle to make it to the end of your training
sessions? This HIIT session will get you used to working
with increasing levels of fatigue. The recovery period
on the other side of every bout of effort will inspire you on.
O Jog to a start point, e.g. the start of a road, corner of a park or a
specific tree. Start the clock.
O Run as fast as you can from the start point for 45 seconds.
O Stop, make a mark of where you ran to and rest until the clock
reaches 2 mins.
O Sprint back to the start and rest until the clock hits 4 mins.
O Do another 10 lots of 2-minute bursts of activity/rest. If it takes you
more than 45 mins to get to each mark, you’ll get less recovery time!

2
raises your metabolism so you
continue to burn calories long after PYRAMI D
your session ends. And all you need is IN TERVALS SETS INTERVAL/TIME
a few minutes. A pyramid session 1 2 mins
is a great way 2 90 secs
CR EAT E YOUR OWN to trick yourself to run 3 1 min
HI I T SESS ION harder. Interval time 4 30 secs
HIIT-style runs are easy to put together decreases while the 3 1 min
and will save you hours of training time. number of intervals 2 90 secs
For the high-intensity interval, you increase. Warm up for five 1 2 mins
should run at 80-95 per cent of your minutes and then do the
maximal heart rate (MHR) – a pace session, taking one minute
that feels very hard intensity. For the of rest between each
recovery interval, jog at no more than effort. Increase your speed
50 per cent of your MHR – a pace that for each set of intervals.
feels very comfortable. The shorter the interval
is, the quicker your
There are a few HIIT methods pace should be.
Treadmill session created by Grant Powles Global Senior Master Trainer for Technogym (technogym.com)

to choose from:
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock. Speed incentive run created by George Anderson (bygeorgeanderson.com).

1:1S: This is a simple one to try. Team
intervals with an equal amount of
recovery. For instance, go hard for
three minutes and then easy for three
minutes. You could increase the time
to four or even five minutes.
TABATA EFFORTS: This four-minute
workout fries fat and torches calories.
Do 20 seconds of intense effort
followed by 10 seconds of rest.
Repeat eight times.
3
TREADMI LL TEST
Cut down your time on the treadmill by
upping the pace with this HIIT session.
Before you start, work out your base pace,
which is the speed at which you can comfortably
run a longer distance. Your interval pace should
be 2km/hr quicker than your base pace. So, if
your base pace is 10km/hr, your interval pace is
12km/hr. Your rest pace should be 2km/hr slower
than your base pace. So, if your base pace is
10km/hr, your rest pace will be 8km/hr.

TIME ACTIVITY SPEED

x5
SPRINT INTERVALS: Super short

o
2 mins Warm up Base pace
but super fast, your reward is a longer
5 mins HIIT interval Interval pace
recovery period. Sprint at an all-out
1 min Active recovery Rest pace
pace for 30 seconds, then jog for four
minutes. Repeat the circuit three to 2 mins Cool down Base pace
five times.

Health & Fitness 95

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PT and functional training specialist
who works with Vivobarefoot*

Q What is the number one piece

of advice you would give to
Aim for 180 steps per minute minimum,
irrespective of speed. Speed comes
contact a split second after. Think of your
heels ‘kissing’ rather than ‘banging’ the technique and training sessions with Vivobarefoot, the global challenger footwear
WORDS: Emma Lewis PHOTOGRAPHY: vivobarefoot.com *Ben hosts running

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A Plyometric exercises are great for

keeping your body balanced and
conditioned for running. Practise jumping
on the spot at 180 jumps per minute. Yes,
three a second! This will help you run at
180 rhythm, or cadence, which is arguably
the number one thing to improve running
technique in general. This rhythm
improves posture while reducing
overstriding, asymmetry and contact time
with the ground. It also makes you more
elastic, efficient and less injury-prone.
(not by reaching out in front, which leads
to overstriding).
Start by pulsing your heels up and
down a few centimetres, without your
forefoot leaving the floor, for 10 seconds.
When your posture is aligned you’ll feel
balanced. If you feel yourself falling
forwards or backwards, soften your knees
and focus on lifting and staying tall while
being relaxed and springy. Once you feel
comfortable, jump, landing on the balls
of your feet with toes and heels making
Start with 10 seconds on, 30 seconds
off, for three sets. If your calves feel
relaxed at the end, gradually progress to
20 seconds on, 30 off; then 30 on, 30
off. Keep progressing until you get to a
minute, which may take weeks or months!
Introduce single-leg jumps maintaining
180 rhythm. Don’t do too much too soon;
listen to your shock absorbers (feet,
ankles and calves). Is it easier on one leg
than the other? If so, you know what to
do! Do this teo or three times a week.

96 Health & Fitness


‘Tandem cycling helped
me recover from a stroke’
Amateur cyclist Rachael Elliot, 35, rediscovered her favourite
sport after a health scare left her visually impaired
‘I
wasn’t always fit.
In fact, I was fairly
overweight in the
early 2000s, until a
colleague convinc
me to go to Bodypump classe
with her. I was soon hooked o
exercise and, in 2005, I signed
to a Race for Life event. I’d ne
run before, so I began training
on a treadmill three times a w
and was pleased to finish in
22 minutes. This was the start
of my athletics journey. I joine
Aldershot, Farnham and Distri
Athletics Club and competed in
cross-country, track and road races.
However, a plantar fasciitis injury put
an end to my running career in 2011.
I’d been using the bike to cross
train, so a move to Newbury led to a
change of clubs – this time to cycling
group Newbury Road Club. I liked the
idea of time trial racing but it terrified
me too – it took me a whole year to
stop volunteering and start riding at
events. When I tried it, I loved it! In
2017, I was asked to join top team,
Drag2Zero, and cycling quickly
became a very big part of my life.
I couldn’t imagine my life without it.’
HEA LTH M AT TE R S
‘Then the unthinkable happened. I was
cycling on Zwift (a virtual cycling and
running app) when I started to feel dizzy.
I was only 15 minutes into the session,
but I had to stop and lie on the floor. My
vision was distorted, and I could barely
see. I called for an ambulance and was
whisked to the Royal Berkshire Hospital
where they did a CT scan. I’d suffered
a brainstem haemorrhage, which had
triggered a stroke. Fortunately, cycling
wasn’t to blame, but I was unlucky
Two’s company: Rachael still
competes in time trials
RACHAEL’S TOP TIPS
‘DON’T believe in people who
say you can’t do it. Your body
is an amazing thing and
can achieve what you may
think is impossible.’
‘ADAPT and look for new ways
of competing. For me, it was
the tandem, but you might go
from road to trail running,
or rowing to kayaking.’
‘GET INVOLVED in groups. My
cycling club has provided great
support, as has the entire
cycling community.’
enough to have a weak collection of blood
vessels that had burst. The main thing to
be affected was my eyesight. I now have
dorsal midbrain syndrome (also known as
Parinaud’s Syndrome) which means that
I can’t control the muscles in my eyes.
My eyes are permanently set in a
downward position, and I can’t move
them from left to right effectively.’
RI DE ON
‘Ironically, I was back cycling a week later.
A good friend bought me a machine that
READER SUCCES
Rachael with her tandem buddy,
Ian Greenstreet
er
some
ed
girl in
ng
bility.
nd
n
Greens , ough
cycling for nearly 10 years, bought it with
the view of going out on rides together.
We used to ride near-identical times and
pedalled with a similar cadence. It was
wobbly at first, but we grew to love it and
tried a couple of local time trial Strava
segments. We soon realised that we could
knock out a 21-minute 10-miler. This is
when we started to think about time trial
racing on the tandem.’
RACING A HE AD
‘Fortunately, tandem time trialling is very
similar to solo time trialling – you often
race the same events (as long as the
organisers have put on a tandem event,
which they normally do), you eat the
same stale scones and milky tea in race
headquarters afterwards, and you talk to
the same riders. Although I do about a
third of the training I used to, I still clock up
to 90 minutes of activity most evenings,
race at weekends, and do a longer ride on
Sundays. Tandem cycling has meant that
I can still participate in the sport I love. For
WORDS: Sarah Sellens
me, time trialling was 25 per cent about
the racing and 75 per cent about the
people I met and connections I made.
Now I have that back in spades!’
Health & Fitness 97
 loving my body

WE’RE TALKING TO…

LILAH
PARSONS
The Heart FM DJ talks about her passions

1. WE HEAR YOU’RE QUITE

NEW TO EXERCISE…
‘I really am! Growi
walk with my famil
gym sounded like
I should take up r
benefits. So, I hire
for three months.
because now I kn Lilah, an ex-model,
adopts a balanced
the first time in my approach to life
rhythm. I also star
I find really empow
when you start fe
stronger and are ARE YOU INTO
able to lift more.’ ALTHY EATING?
model in my younger years, I felt the pressure
ok a certain way, which led to a slightly
2. DO YOU nhealthy approach to eating. Ever since, I’ve
STAY MOTI been careful not to say that foods are good or
‘I still find it hard. bad. I like to eat well to feel good and have
Camp in Mallorca energy, so I’m mindful of what I eat (I do feel
honestly, it’s one o more sluggish if I have processed foods), but
It made me realise I’d never berate myself for enjoying something
have to get throu indulgent – it’s not a positive way to live.’
– it can also be so
and the way we al
burpees when people are cheering you on! I’ve started
doing more group exercise and getting my friends involved.’

3. HOW DO YOU
BALANCE WORK WITH Lilah loves horse
A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? riding in the
‘I do the late show on Heart Radio every mountains

Friday and Saturday night from 10pm-1am

WORDS: Joanna Ebsworth MAIN IMAGE: Oscar May

and, because I experience such an 5. WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY?

adrenaline rush after finishing, I rarely feel
like sleeping. I used to stay up late watching
TV and eating in bed, which is so unhealthy.
But doing bootcamp has made me rethink
my daily routine (we did lots of mindfulness,
too). From now on, there will be no more
Mindful reading mindless snacking, but lots of reading in
– the perfect way
bed instead. I also want to find a local yoga
to end the day
class to aid my relaxation and sleep.’
‘As I’ve got older, I’ve developed a better understanding of what
I enjoy. I love being in the countryside, especially to visit my
brother who lives in the mountains in Wales. Wherever I travel,
I always try to find somewhere to go horse riding as it makes me
so happy – you get lots of fresh air and time away from screens,
plus galloping along is a pretty exhilarating feeling. These days,
I’m not a massive party-goer, but I do love learning more about art
and visiting the theatre. I say, “Live the life you want to lead, rather
than feel you have to do things to fit in with others”.’

98 Health & Fitness

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