Health_Fitness_UK_July_2017

More zzzz
guaranteed
July 2017 // £4.20
HERE COMES
SUMMER!
15 fun ways
to escape
the gym
Easy diet hacks
to lose weight fast
SHAPE UP AT
LUNCH TIME
How to burn more
calories in less time
WANT TO BE
A BETTER
RUNNER?
The No1 training
tip you must try
MINUTE
SCULPTING
MOVES
PLUS: GUT-FRIENDLY RECIPES
BEAUTY GURU SKIN FOODS
5-STEP PLAN
FOR A HAPPY
CONFIDENT
YOU
‘HOW I GOT
FIT FOR
WONDER
WOMAN’
Action-movie
workout secrets
BOOST
YOUR
RIDE!
PT tricks to
win at Spin

Contents
July 2017
60
Summerbody
confidence
tips
26
Taylor Schilling’s
food philosophy
46
New summer
beauty buys
72
Bold sporty looks
SHAPE UP
16 Fitness notebook
Why football’s good for your
bones, three of the best sporty
sunnies, run for the oceans.
18 Supercharge your Spinning
How to get the most out of your
indoor cycling classes.
21 Fitness expert
H&F’s fitness editor talks about a
tough new group fitness class.
22 10-minute tone-up
Give your body an all-over blast
with this quick kettlebell workout.
EAT SMART
26 Food notebook
How eating fruit can reduce
diabetes risk, five ways to eat
almonds, a new probiotic.
28 Health food heroes
Get the low-down on the latest
award-winning natural products.
31 Recipe revamp
A tasty barbecued tuna dish.
32 Nutrition expert
H&F’s nutrition editor talks about
why you shouldn’t ditch dairy
unless you’re intolerant.
34 Diet diary
Beauty guru Abigail James.
HEALTHY YOU
38 Health notebook
Get a lift without caffeine, the
best first aid kit for travel and
three tips for a natural home.
40 Tune in, drop off
Why bedtime stories for adults
could help you get to sleep.
43 Mind over matter
How to improve your
relationships using mindfulness.
45 Beauty notebook
Summer haircare must-haves.
46 Beauty bag
Look hot this month with our
pick of the latest beauty buys.
FEATURES
50 Escape the gym
Oodles of inspiration for
keeping fit outdoors.
56 How I got fighting fit
for Wonder Woman
GB Olympian Jenny Pacey
reveals her training schedule for
the Hollywood blockbuster.
60 Your summer-body
confidence plan
Learn how to look and feel
your best this summmer with
these useful tips.
66 Summer slimming hacks
How to shave off a few pounds
without going on a tough diet.
4 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

welcome
Photographer: Helen Marsden
Stylist: Kellie Daggett
Model: Albina @ Nevs
Hair & Make-up: Jo Clayton
Clothing: Crop top;
wearehandsome.com.
Sports Bra (orange, just
seen); tribesports.com.
Triaction The Fit-Ster
Shorts; triumph.com.
66
100
104
LOVE YOUR BODY, LOVE YOUR LIFE
July 2017 // £4.20
SLIM
DOWN
NOW!
Easy diet hacks
to lose weight fast
SHAPE UP AT
LUNCH TIME
How to burn more
calories in less time
WANT TO BE
A BETTER
RUNNER?
The No1 training
10
The No1 training
tip you
must
try
PLUS: GUT-FRIENDLY RECIPES BEAUTY GURU SKIN FOODS
SLEEP
WELL
TONIGHT
More zzzz
guaranteed
HERE COMES
SUMMER!
15 fun ways
to escape
the gym
✢
YOUR
BEST BEACH
BODY
5-STEP PLAN
FOR A HAPPY
CONFIDENT
YOU
‘HOW I GOT
FIT FOR
WONDER
WOMAN’
Action-movie
workout secrets
BOOST
YOUR
RIDE!
SCULPTING
MINUTE
PT tricks to
22 MOVES
win at Spin
SUBS!
This month’s cover model
We asked Albina what her go-to post-workout fix is.
‘Smoothies – I just love them. But that’s only if I can’t get to real food,
otherwise I’ll cook myself eggs on sourdough with peppers and tomatoes.’
40
50
60
56
18
Subscribe to H&F this
month and get 3 issues
of the printed and digital
mags for just £3,
plus a FREE H&F
resistance band.
See page 48.
GYM STYLE
72 Fashion
Embrace the summer with
bright blocks of colour.
79 Get the look
Look smashing on the
tennis court.
YOU TIME
83 Spa news
Step back in time at a luxury
spa on the edge of Dartmoor.
84 Training with the best
A martial arts break in Thailand.
86 Gut-friendly foods
Treat your tummy to some
healthy culinary delights.
79
Cool summer
tennis looks
WORKOUT
HANDBOOK
92 Target zone
Strengthen your back.
94 Sculpt a summer body
The second part of our
two-part outdoor training plan.
100 Fit knowledge
How to get more out of your
lunchtime workout.
102 Move of the month
The pull-up.
103 Kit test
Running shorts.
104 Run knowledge
How hill training can turbocharge
your running.
106 Run expert
Does running on empty really
burn more fat?
107 Success story
‘I lost half my bodyweight with
bootcamp training.’
REGULARS
6 Editor’s letter
8 About you
What you’ve been up
to this month.
11 Fit buzz
The World yoga festival, a new
beach holiday destination, Ted
Baker’s latest activewear.
13 ‘My life in a day’
England footballer Alex Scott.
114 We’re talking to…
Former Emmerdale star,
Gemma Oaten.
Health & Fitness 5

editor’s letter
Welcome
What the H&F team has
been up to this month...
Chief sub
Emma joined
the free weekly
#OdloRunClub for
a great training
session in central
London
Hands up who’s in workout-overdrive to shape up
for the holidays? There’s nothing like a deadline
to get you into action. But are you seeing
results? When time is of the essence, you need workouts
that really work, and this issue is packed with them. Save
hours in the gym and tone up in just four, killer moves in
‘10-minute tone up’ (page 22). Burn calories in your lunch
hour with the speedy workout solutions in ‘Upgrade your
lunch break’ (page 100), and take your indoor cycle
workouts up a gear with the technique tweaks in
‘Supercharge your Spinning’ (page 18).
For a real challenge, turn to ‘How I got in shape for
Wonder Woman’ (page 56), and try the moves that
helped ex-Olympian and fitness model, Jenny Pacey,
prepare for her awesome role as an Amazonian warrior
in the new action-movie blockbuster. It’s a fascinating,
behind-the-scenes read, guaranteed to unleash your
inner superhero.
Bored with the same old workouts and want some fun?
In ‘Escape the gym’ (page 50) we reveal this summer’s
best fresh air-fitness ideas. From tree-top adventures to
wild water workouts, you won’t have a dull moment!
Fashion model
April braved the cold
at this month’s
fashion shoot (page
72) while the rest of
the team were well
wrapped up!
Art director
Lucy with
GymClass instructor
James after a
Signature Full Body
class at the new
city studio
(gym-class.co.uk).
Mary Comber, Editor
Health & Fitness is produced for Dennis Publishing Ltd by
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The health and fitness information presented in this
magazine is intended as an educational resource and is not
intended as a substitute for medical advice. Consult your
doctor before performing any of the exercises in this book
or any other exercise programme, particularly if you are
pregnant, elderly or have chronic or recurring medical
conditions. Do not attempt any of the exercises while under
the influence of alcohol or drugs. Discontinue any exercise
that causes you pain or discomfort and consult a medical
expert. Neither the author of the information nor the
producer nor distributors make any warranty of any kind in
regard to the content of the information presented in this
magazine. Health & Fitness, copyright 2011 by Dennis
Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Health & Fitness is a
trademark and may not be used or reproduced in the UK or
Republic of Ireland without the permission of Dennis
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letters
About
YOU
Toning up your legs, the clear-skin
diet and superfood suggestions
LOVELY LEGS
I noted with interest your
10-minute tone-up feature
‘Lean legs’ in the June issue
of Health & Fitness.
I’ve always hated my legs.
They’re big all over and no matter
what I’ve done, I’ve never been able
to make them any slimmer.
I’ve just incorporated your workout
into my daily routine, though.
The squats, I have to say, are like
nothing I’ve ever done before – I can
feel them tightening my legs already!
They can also be performed in a
very small space, so I can do them
anywhere, which is a bonus.
It’s early days, but I already feel
that if I keep the exercises up,
I might be ready to wear shorts
this summer – something I haven’t
done in a long time.
Thank you so much!
Ginny Hughes, Hoddesdon, Herts
H STAR
LETTER
SUMMER-READY SKIN
I loved your June issue feature ‘Beauty
queen’ with cosmetics queen Bobbi
Brown. I’ve always struggled with dry
skin and have never been able to find a
moisturiser that fixes this. But, after reading
this article, I started forcing myself to drink
more water and, what do you know, my
skin has never looked better!
I had no idea the effect that a couple of
extra glasses of water a day would have
on my skin, so thank you very much for
the advice – it saves me a lot of time in
the morning not having to use foundation!
Rebecca Steinfield, Edinburgh
SIMPLE SUPERFOODS
Thank you so much for the article ‘Turn
everyday foods into superfoods’ in the
June issue of Health & Fitness. I’m eager
WRITE IN AND WIN!
This month, Ginny wins this selection of AromaWorks London Body
Care treats to help her get summer-skin ready. The products, worth
a total of £117, include Body Brilliance Exfoliate, which contains
Himalayan Sea Salts with 84 trace minerals to detoxify and encourages
nutrient absorption at a cellular level to nourish the body. She’ll also
receive the Body Finish Cream, which has proven skin-conditioning
ingredients and powerful antioxidants. And, as a perfect skin treat, the
Purify Body Oil will also help soothe aching muscles. AromaWorks is a
multi-award-winning, 100% natural lifestyle brand; aroma-works.com.
You
say...
June’s 10-minute tone-up
feature inspired star letter
winner, Ginny Hughes
to fast-track my summer silhouette, and
supercharging my daily diet with some
clever nutritional upgrades is a very
good way to go about it.
You gave some really good advice, such
as that eating the smaller, value-brand
supermarket blueberries can actually be
better for you than chomping on bigger
blueberries, thanks to their greater skin
surface, gram for gram! Useful stuff…
Georgina Webb, Bodfari, Wales
How do you
inject fun into
your workouts?
‘I make a weekly workout date with my
husband – it’s fun getting competitive!’
Susie Murphy
‘I pop on my Happy playlist, and work
out to my favourite feel-good tracks from
Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars etc.’
Melissa Sweeney
‘I grab my neighbour’s dog, Bailey,
and take her for a run – she’s constant
entertainment and helps takes my mind
off the fact I’m out of breath!’
Anita Cooper
TALK TO US! We love hearing from you. Email letters@iris-uk.com, Facebook facebook.com/HandFmagazine, Twitter @HandFmagazine.
Instagram Healthandfitness_mag, Write to H&F magazine, Iris Publishing, 57 Charterhouse St, London EC1M 6HA
8 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

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what’s new
FIT BUZZ
Your guide to the hottest things to do, see and buy this month
WORDS: Emma Lewis, Sheila Reid and Eve Boggenpoel
1We’re really looking
forward to the festival
that’s more retreat than wild
party. Taking place in Reading
from July 7-9, the World Yoga
Festival has yoga masters on
hand to share their wisdom in
classes, from Sivananda to
ATTEND A YOGA FESTIVAL
Iyengar, plus there’s Indian
dance, chanting, tabla players,
yoga therapy and more. Add
camping, glamping, wild
swimming and global food
into the mix and there’s
something for everyone; visit
yogafestival.world.
2HOLIDAY IN SARDINIA
Can’t sit still on the beach? We’ve found just the
place for you – Neilson’s brand new Baia de Mori
beachclub on the north-east coast of Sardinia. Set
among pine trees by a beautiful turquoise bay and
sandy beach, the low-rise, 156-room property
exudes a chilled-out vibe. Try your hand at
windsurfing, sailing, kitesurfing, road biking,
mountain biking, tennis and loads more. Prices
start from £655 pp for a week club board, based on
two sharing, including flights, transfers and most
meals and activities; neilson.co.uk.
3SWIM SAFELY
Love active watersports, but fearful of
embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions when
wearing a bikini? Enter sports performance
and swimwear brand, ZwimZuit. Made from
thin neoprene, the supportive, non-slip
bikinis include crop and tank top sets plus
triangle bikinis. The cozzies are stylish and
flattering and we love the bold colours –just
the thing for summer holidays! The India
Two-Piece Tank Top Set, pictured, costs
£89; zwimzuit.com.
4GO TROPICAL
We can’t wait to don Ted
Baker’s latest activewear
collection and head off for
a workout! Turn heads in the
Tropical Oasis print, with its
birds of paradise pattern and daring tangerine
background, or try the Marina Mosaic,
complete with striking geometric colour
blocking. The garments don’t lack techy
details such as moisture wicking; and look
out for details such as distinctive crossed
straps and mesh panel trims. The Olympa
top (pictured) costs £59; tedbaker.com.
HONE YOUR CLIMBING SKILLS
Calling keen hikers and hill walkers!
Guided mountain adventure specialist,
Mountain Tracks, is organising UK-based,
mountaineering-skills courses 5for the first
time. The weekends are ideal for hikers
interested in learning new climbing skills
or hill walkers wanting to start trekking
or mountaineering in the Alps. You’ll learn skills ranging from
scrambling and climbing to roping-up and get advice on route
navigation, mountain safety, fitness and kit, from experienced
and qualified guides. Courses run from May to August in North
Wales and Scotland and cost £375 per person, including two
days with a guide and two nights’ B&B accommodation, based
on two sharing; mountaintracks.co.uk.
6BOOST YOUR
BREAKFAST
New Bite bars are a handy
option for breakfasting
healthily on the go. They’re
made from just fruit, nuts,
seeds and spices so are
bursting with dietary fibre,
protein, omega-3 and -6 and
antioxidants. Suitable for
vegetarians and vegans, the
bar has no added nasties and
it’s gluten- and milk-free, too.
We love the kumquats and
chia seeds bar, but there are
four other tasty flavours
to guzzle. Yum!
£1.99; selfridges.com.

inspiration
‘MY LIFE
IN A DAY’
Alex Scott, England footballer
The Arsenal Ladies player and member of the
England squad for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017
championships, 32, talks about life on the pitch
Alex in her England kit
WORDS:Yanar Alkayat PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
Arsenal Ladies football club at the age
of eight. I used to play football in my local
neighbourhood with my brother and the
‘Ijoined
other boys and that’s when I was spotted.
I started training after school, four or five times
a week. I didn’t really care about other sports – I
used to do the 100m and they tried to get me to
do long-distance, but I was having none of it – it
was always football for me!
‘Now, I start the day around 7am
to walk the dog as it really helps me
wake up. As an athlete, I know how
important sleep is to help recharge
for training. After a protein shake,
Protein for
I head into Arsenal Training Centre
breakfast
[near St Albans, Herts]. We can
grab a tea or coffee before training
begins – the team will then gather
for a meeting to discuss the
training session ahead. We’ll
always have a pre-activation
session, which is all about getting
the muscle groups warmed up and
we do this as a team. Conditioning
comes next. We’ll wear heart-rate monitors
to check how much we’re working in the red
[high-intensity] zone – during some training
sessions, we might have to hit different zones for
a certain amount of time. On other days, our training
might have more of a focus on drills, such as game
tactics or passing skills. The most challenging thing
is when you get injured as it stops
you doing what you love.’
‘Every player
has her own
individual gym
programme’
A TOUGH ROUTINE
‘We’ll have lunch as a team and
this is served at the training
ground. All our food is prepared
to help us recover and replenish.
It might be soup, then chicken and salad with
potatoes or rice. We’ll hit the gym afterwards, but
every player has her own individual gym programme.
This will also vary throughout the year and season.
At the moment, I’m doing squats, Romanian
deadlifts for glute and hamstring strength, hip
thrusters, box jumps, core exercises and bench
lifts. The sequence and drills we’re given depend
on whether we’re in a strength or a power phase.
She’s learning
Spanish
Alex walks her dog
post training
‘After that,
we need to
have plenty of
recovery, so I’ll grab
another protein shake
before it’s time to relax. I’ll walk
the dog and have dinner, which is
normally something like salmon and
salad. Then we do it all again the
next day, seven days
a week. Sometimes
our manager will
allow us a day off to
recover, but that’s
his call if he feels
the team needs it.
‘When I get a day off, I’m usually
so tired from games or training
that I just like to spend some time
around the house and do nothing
really. It’s nice just to catch up.
I play the guitar and am trying to
learn Spanish, so that’s also my
wind down before I go to sleep.
‘Over the last couple of years,
I’ve also been working with the
‘I’d like to do more TV presenting – at 32 I’m
nearing the end of my football career’
BBC, presenting on The Premier League
Show with Gabby Logan, plus London
Live, Soccer AM and Premier League
Productions’ FanZone programme.
‘I did my degree in 2012 in professional
sports writing and broadcasting and
graduated just before the World Cup, so
TV has been a natural progression over
the last few years. Eventually, I’d like to
do more presenting work – at 32 I’m in
the latter years of my career. Women
footballers are usually pushed into
coaching or to become managers, but that
doesn’t interest me. I want to stay involved
in football and this path opened up. It
allows me to engage in conversations and
bring out the personalities of the players on
camera. For now, though, I’ll be focusing
on the Euros. I’m so lucky I’ve got to live
my dream and my hobby has become my
profession, I’ve made lifelong friends and
got to travel the world along the way.’
WATCH THE ACTION!
● England kicks off its Euro 2017
campaign against Scotland in Utrecht
on Wednesday July 19 live on Channel
4 at 7.45pm. You can join the
conversation using #Lionesses,
and for more information visit:
thefa.com/England.
Health & Fitness 13

CONTENTS
p16 Fit notebook Boost bone strength p18 Supercharge your Spinning
Follow our masterclass p21 Fit expert Climb new heights with the latest cardio
workout p22 10-minute tone-up Get tough with kettlebells
GET
MOVING!
Convinced the oldies sit with their feet up
all day? Wrong. A new study of 1,000
under-30s and 1,000 over-50s knocks on
the head the notion that age and inactivity
go hand in hand, showing that seniors are
more active than the younger generation.
The research by pensions advisor Portafina
found that 18 per cent of over-50s exercise
for 30-plus minutes every day, compared
with just seven per cent of under-30s.
While only 10 per cent of the over-50s
were gym members, 33 per cent thought
a healthy lifestyle important. In contrast, 18
per cent of the under-30s had a sedentary
lifestyle, despite 32 per cent having a gym
membership. ‘Many under-30s don’t
understand that a history of exercise
protects against diseases, such as type 2
diabetes,’ says physiotherapist Cris Kellett.
WORDS: Sheila Reid PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
14 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

SHAPE UP
FITNESS NEWS ] WORKOUT FIXES ] EXPERT ADVICE
Health & Fitness 15

FITNESS
notebook
3 OF THE BEST…
SPORTY
SUNGLASSES
ADIDASWHIPSTART
SUNGLASSES
(£89.95; adidas.co.uk)
Compatible with prescription
lenses, these sporty sunnies
can be tailored to your needs. They come in
three colours for outdoor workouts.
OAKLEY REVERIE
POLARIZED
(£160; oakley.co.uk)
Made for an active lifestyle,
these stylish glasses will take
you from a run to brunch. No-slip nose pads
ensure they stay put.
RAPHA PRO TEAM
FLYWEIGHT GLASSES
(£140; rapha.cc)
Look sleek on your next ride
with these performance lenses,
boasting supreme UV protection, scratch
resistance and a lightweight frame.
BURNFATFAST
Fiona Crossley,
co-owner of
F45 Kingston
(f45training.co.uk)
‘Want to hone a
bikini-worthy body? High
intensity interval training
(HIIT) is one of the most
effective ways to burn
calories. The rapid exertion
shifts your body’s calorie
expenditure into hyper
drive. HIIT also stimulates
production of human growth
hormone (HGH) by up to 450
per cent during the 24 hours
after you finish your workout.
Not only does HGH increase
calorie burn, but it also
slows the ageing process.
It’s a much more effective
way to blitz fat than doing
slow and steady cardio!’
BUILDYOURBONES
If it’s aerobic and muscle strength you’re after, playing
football is a no-brainer. But did you know that the
team sport is a winner when it comes to building bone
density, too? And, according to a recent study from
Nottingham Trent University, the more footie you play,
the greater your bone strength and size. While you
may think a lot of high-impact exercise puts extra
stress on the body, the data shows that running drills,
high-intensity games and technique work is good for
bones. In fact, scans showed that players who upped
their training developed stronger shinbones. Score!
OVER
60%
SAVE OUR OCEANS
With top brands such as Superdry, Adidas and
Patagonia creating sustainable sportswear, it’s
easier to go green on your workout these days.
And, after selling a limited run of UltraBOOST
Uncaged Parley trainers last November, Adidas
has unleashed ocean-friendly UltraBOOST Parley,
Parley UltraBOOST X and UltraBOOST Uncaged
Parley (all £139.95) trainers onto the sports shelves.
Each pair is made from around 11 plastic bottles!
Go a step further by celebrating World Oceans
Week on June 5-11 with the company by running
at the Adidas x Parley Run for the Oceans event.
Head to adidas.com/runfortheoceans to sign up.
OF WOMEN
are nervous about running alone.
Join your local RunTogether group;
runtogether.co.uk.
WORDS: Sarah Ivory PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
16 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

SUPERCHARGE
YOUR SPINNING
Think you know how to
ride a bike? Nail your
indoor-cycling technique
to boost your calorie burn.
Here’s how to pedal
properly...
18Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
Given the choice between a
stuffy studio and the fresh
outdoors, you’d think most
cyclists would choose to
pedal the roads. But indoor
cycling classes remain top of gym workout
lists, even in the summer, because the
tough, sweaty sessions are seriously
addictive. And you’re not imagining the
intense cardio burn either – data from the
American Council on Exercise shows that
Spinners work at 75-96 per cent of their
maximum heart rate. Impressive. The
catch? It’s easy to get the technique
wrong. After all, you’re in charge of the
resistance, bike prep and how you ride
the bike. But ignore the instructor’s cues
at your peril, as you’ll only miss out on a
whole host of body benefits if you’re not
on form. Take heed of these expert tips to
maximise on every studio cycling session.
1 ENGAGE YOUR CORE
Chances are, you’ve heard
numerous instructors shout out this bit of
advice, but what exactly does it mean?
‘It’s about being aware of your core, not
about bracing your abs and holding your
breath,’ says Anne Sinclair, Boom Cycle
instructor (boomcycle.co.uk). ‘Shoulders
back and down. Head up. Eyes forward.
On faster tracks, you should have very
little movement in your upper body,
which comes from being conscious of the
muscles you’re using.’ Think of drawing up
your pelvic floor and bringing your belly
button towards your spine. When you
stand up, it also pays to take a deep breath
and use your core muscles to get out of
the saddle, rather than pulling with your
arms. Capiche?

spin masterclass
WORDS: Sarah Ivory PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
2BACK UP A BIT
Spinning 101 – sit back on the
bike. You’ve probably heard the
instructor shout ‘bums back’ many times,
and this is to prevent people from putting
too much pressure through the upper
body, taking tension away from their legs.
‘Lightly grip the handlebars,’ advises Marie
Napier, Psycle London master instructor
(psyclelondon.com). ‘If your weight is
forward on the bike, you’re working your
quads and not using your hamstrings or
glutes as much. Keeping your weight back
also helps to ease stress on the shoulders,
neck and upper body.’ Remind yourself of
this one when you start to tire, as this is
when people typically begin to lean forward
on the bike. You’ve been warned.
3 PERFECT THE PREP
You’ve topped up your water
bottle, got dressed at speed and found a
bike just in time for the warm-up. We get
it – there’s no time for fiddling around with
MAX-EFFORT KIT
Smart kit will make the most of every
cycling session. Here’s our pick of the
latest tech..
MAVIC W SEQUENCE ELITE
(£120; CYCLESURGERY.COM)
Clipping into the bike pedals will
enable you to pull the pedals
efficiently, as well as push. Choose
a pair of SPDs such as these.
FITBIT ALTA HR
(£149.99; FITBIT.COM)
Want to work hard?
Invest in a heart rate
monitor. This one has
PurePulse technology.
Some instructors use
heart rate cues so you
work at the right level.
DHB PADDED SHORTS
(£22; WIGGLE.CO.UK)
Protect your posterior
from getting sore with
a pair of padded shorts.
They may not be too
stylish, but they’ll
enable you to focus on cycling rather
than your tender behind.
bike dials. Thing is, failing to set up your
bike correctly is a big faux pas. ‘Setting the
saddle height too low is a really common
mistake,’ explains Sinclair, ‘and this only
creates a quad-dominant workout. Your
legs should extend at the bottom of the
pedal stroke (but not hyperextend). Usually,
it means, when standing next to the bike,
the seat will be at hip height.’ Get the
height of the handlebars right as well – too
high and you’ll have less leg power; too
low and you’ll risk lower back pain – aim
to have them in line with the saddle. Ask
your instructor if you’re unsure.
4EYES ON
THE EXPERT
Want a top tip? Choose a bike
that’s at the front of the class. This puts
you in the perfect position to keep an eye
on the instructor. ‘I recommend watching
the legs of the instructor and keeping up,’
says Sinclair. ‘At Boom Cycle, we ride to
the beat and, if you can’t hold the beat, it’s
a big clue that you are either cycling with
too heavy or too light resistance.’ Another
tell tale sign is that you’ve chosen the
wrong gear if you’re bouncing around, as
this means the resistance is too light (more
on that next). Alternatively, if your knees
feel sore, your gear is too heavy.
5
BAN
THE
BOUNCING
It may feel fun to bob up and down
on the bike but, in reality, it’s not the best
thing to do. Why? Because you’re using
momentum to move the pedals rather than
pushing them with your muscles. Sinead
Blake, indoor cycling instructor, has a great
cue. ‘I always say “ride the bike, don’t let
the bike ride you”, because you should be
using your legs to propel the pedals. If
you’ve chosen the right gear, you won’t
be bouncing a lot and the work will be in
your leg muscles, as opposed to using
the weight of your entire body to get the
bike moving.’ The truth is that bouncing
takes the tension out of your legs and
makes the session a bit easier. Don’t
be that person.
6
FEEL
THE BURN
Take note: don’t slack off on the
resistance if you want results. ‘If
you want a peachy behind, you need to
grab the gear and start adding resistance,’
says Sinclair. ‘The resistance dial gets a
bad rep for causing big thighs when it
actually supports the legs, and even makes
some upper-body movements easier.
Turning up the resistance, even if it’s
only a touch, will stop you from getting
complacent and force your body to switch
on the muscles that you’re working.’ As
the adage goes, ‘go hard or go home’.
7
DON’T
FORGET
TO FLEX
Ever sneaked out of a class and
skipped the cool-down? Oh dear. Hang
your head in shame, missy, because
stretching is really important. ‘Tight
muscles are weak muscles and that’s not
what you want in a Spin class,’ warns
Blake. ‘When your muscles are tight, you
don’t have a good range of movement
and that really restricts what you can do.’
Indoor cycling really works the hamstrings,
quads, glutes and hips, so you need to
be sure to stretch these muscles after
every session. ‘You should really be doing
progressive stretching, during which
you hold the stretch for a few seconds
before stretching out a bit more,’ adds
Blake. A good rule of thumb is, if you can’t
lunge properly, you can’t switch on your
glutes effectively – and that’s not good
news for Spinners. n
Health & Fitness 19

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H&F’s fitness editor Sarah Ivory digests the latest workout news and research
FITNESS EXPERT
CLASS ACT
I love an exercise class with an intense
cardio burn. So, if you’re like me,
London’s latest cardio workout –
VersaClimber at Sweat by BXR
(bxrlondon.com) – is a must.
Made to simulate a climbing-style action,
the VersaClimber machine is a 75° angled
device with moving foot and hand pedals
– a bit like a stepper machine that really
tests your arms too. It’s already a hit at Los
Angeles Versaclimber studio, Rise Nation,
and now it’s taking Londoners by storm.
When we tried the Sweat by BXR
session, we soon got the hang of the
stepping and pulling action and found it
a really challenging full-body workout,
cardiovascularly and physically.
Can’t make it to the city session? Try
these moves from BXR fitness director,
James Pisano, on a VersaClimber near you.
1. FULL-RANGE INTERVALS
45 seconds on; 15 seconds off – 4 minutes
total. Start stepping with short moves. Head
up, body straight and bum tucked under.
Transition into bigger steps by opening up
your stride range for 45 seconds, pushing
‘It’s a bit like a
stepper machine
that really tests
your arms too’
and pulling with your arms. Bring it back
to short strides for 15 seconds, letting your
heart rate recover. Repeat.
2. SQUAT VARIATIONS
30 seconds on; 30 seconds off – 4 minutes
total. Hold onto the rails (not the handles)
to isolate your legs. Drop your bum down
and back as you keep stepping. Maintain
a strong step frequency, driving your heel
down as low as possible with each step.
Act on
that adage
that says:
‘Do something
every day that
scares you.’
BRAVE ENOUGH?
I recently read an article about how to raise little girls to be fearless. It struck a chord
with me because I’m a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to adrenaline sports.
Chances are I’m not the only one – research shows that parents are more likely to
caution their daughters against danger than their sons. I want to teach my daughter to
be adventurous – but how? A recent infographic available at sbo.net/risk-sports lists
surfing, off-piste skiing and climbing among the riskiest sports. Mammut-sponsored
climber, Ethan Walker, says it’s all about embracing fear. Here are some of his tips.
● ‘Have faith in yourself. Picture your moves over and over in your mind. Imagine
getting to the top of a climb and be confident that you can do it.’
● ‘Listen to experts. Many facilities provide training, courses and advice given by
climbers with experience.’
● ‘Don’t tense up. If your grip is too tight, your hands and arms will tire faster. Learn
to control your grip and conserve energy.’
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
WALK OF LIFE
Amazingly, the majority of us walk less than half a mile per day. We’re missing out because, not
only is stepping out great for physical health, but the latest research proves it’s also fantastic
for mental wellbeing. Researchers from the New Mexico Highlands University have discovered
that the foot’s impact during walking sends backward-flowing waves through the arteries that
increase blood supply to the brain, improving mental function. Data from the University of
Georgia also shows that walking can be more energising than 50mg of caffeine. Think you
don’t have time? Try these tips to nudge up your step count.
● Walk a little more every day. Don’t aim for 10,000 steps straight away. Simply, aim to
increase your step count by one or two thousand.
● If you travel to work by bus, car or train, stop a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way.
● Don’t pick the parking spot that’s closest to the supermarket – leave your vehicle at the other
end of the carpark and walk the rest of the way.
Health & Fitness 21

10
MINUTE
TONE-UP
BELL BLASTERS
Burn oodles of calories, work your whole body and build lean
muscle tissue with this quick, yet tough kettlebell circuit
Do the moves
holding the kettlebell
in your right hand,
then repeat on your
left side. Rest for one
minute, then repeat
on each side
once more.
B
A
ONE-ARM
SWING
Reps: 10
Works: Hamstrings,
glutes, back, core,
arms and shoulders
Stand with your
feet shoulder-width
apart, holding a
kettlebell in your
right hand.
Lower your torso
forward, swinging
the kettlebell through
your legs (A), then
thrust it up in front
of you to head height
(B), before swinging
it back down
between your legs.
Use your left hand
for the whole circuit
when you do the
next round.
22 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

home fitness
CLEAN AND PRESS
Reps: 10
Works: Arms, shoulders and
chest as well as your glutes,
hamstrings and hips
Keeping the kettlebell in your
right hand, squat down (A).
Explode up with your legs and
hips, standing upright and lifting
the kettlebell up to shoulder level
as shown as you stand up (B).
Pause, then press the kettlebell
overhead (C). Return the kettlebell
to shoulder level, pause, then
return it to the floor using a
squatting motion.
A B C
WORDS: Lucy Miller PHOTOGRAPHY: Will Ireland MODEL: Fiona @ W Athletic HAIR & MAKE-UP: Louise Heywood @ Artistic Licence
CLOTHING: Asics FuzeX Grey Splash LayeringTop; Asics FuzeX Grey Splash ¾ Leggings (asics.com/gb). New Balance Vazee
Agility trainers, £35 (newbalance.co.uk)
SHOULDER PRESS
Reps: 10
Works: Core, shoulders
and arms
Once you’ve finished all your
overhead lunges, bring the
kettlebell down to your shoulder
and bend your knees slightly (A).
Then, keeping your elbow close
to your body and your feet hipwidth
apart, straighten your legs
and press the weight overhead
until your arm’s straight (B).
Pause, then slowly lower back to
the start. Keep your core tight and
back flat throughout.
A
OVERHEAD LUNGE
Reps: 10
Works: Quads, glutes, core and
shoulders
After your last clean and press
(above), keep your kettlebell
overhead in your right hand, rather
than taking it back down towards
the floor.
Take a step forward with your left
leg and lower your body to a deep
lunge position, making sure your left
knee stays over your left foot (A).
Return to standing by forcefully
driving your left heel into the
ground (B).
TIP: KEEP YOUR CORE TIGHT DURING EACH MOVE TO PROTECT YOUR BACK.
B
A
B
Health & Fitness 23

CONTENTS
p26 Food notebook Reduce your risk of diabetes p28 Health-food heroes Quick
ways to supercharge your diet p31 Recipe revamp Barbecued tuna steaks p32
Nutrition expert Don’t ditch the dairy p34 Diet diary Beauty guru Abigail James
WORDS: Sheila Reid PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
24 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

EAT SMART
NUTRITION TIPS ] DIET ADVICE ] FOOD FACTS
BITTER
SWEET
Have you swapped sugar for ‘healthier’
low-calorie sweeteners? Think again.
Researchers at George Washington
University, USA, have found that
consuming high amounts of low-calorie
sweeteners may cause fat formation,
particularly in obese people. The team
analysed the effects of a zero-calorie
artificial sweetener, about 650 times
sweeter than sugar, on stem cells from
human fat tissue and found they showed
an increase in fat droplets. The researchers
also found that abdominal fat from adults
who consumed sweeteners demonstrated
an over expression of genes associated
with fat production, especially among
obese adults. Low-calorie sweeteners may
dysregulate your metabolism in a way that
boosts fat formation. So eat fewer sweet
foods, cut your cravings and reduce fat!
Health & Fitness 25

FOOD
notebook
SOUND BITE
‘I try to come
at fitness and
nutrition from a
perspective of
gentleness and
what will make
me feel good
afterwards’
Taylor Schilling
5 WAYS WITH
ALMONDS
Here’s how to get the
best out of this popular
type of nut
Eat them skin-on All almonds
are healthy, but the brown skin
offers extra phytochemicals, such
as flavonoids, which reduce
cholesterol and inflammation.
Eat your almond butter chunky
On a diet? Grinding almonds
breaks down their cellular
structure, so more calories will be
available for the body to absorb.
Add some to your breakfast
Research shows a handful of
almonds with a high-carb meal
lowers its glycaemic index (the
rate it raises blood sugar).
Add them to a veggie stir-fry
These nuts contain as much
protein, gram for gram, as
chicken or salmon, and are higher
in zinc, magnesium and iron, too.
Portion them Although high in
fat, almonds are a nutritious and
filling food for weight-watchers.
A healthy portion is 25-30g, or
one generous handful, a day.
26 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
GET FRUITY
Want to reduce your diabetes risk or minimise
complications of the disease? Tuck into fruit, say
scientists. In a Chinese study, researchers found that,
for people who were diabetes-free at the start of the
study, daily consumption of fresh fruit led to a 12 per
cent lower risk of developing the disease compared
with a group who never or rarely consumed fruit. For
people with diabetes, consuming fresh fruit more than
three days a week led to a 17 per cent lower risk of
dying than those who ate it less than once a week.
The study puts to rest the myth that fruit is too
sugary for a healthy, diabetes-preventive diet.
STAY SUNSAFE
Nutritionist Tegan Philp
for CNM
‘Eat more tomato paste!
Tomatoes contain the powerful
compound lycopene. It can extend the
amount of time some people can spend in
the sun before UV damage occurs. Cooked
tomatoes are a concentrated source of
nutrients and are richer in
lycopene than the raw
version. Never overdo sun
exposure, though!’
CNM trains students for
careers in natural therapies;
naturopathy-uk.com.
IBS SUPPORT
Alflorex is a new probiotic
in town and it’s the one
to try if you have irritable
bowel syndrome. The
35624 culture it contains
is the one recommended
most often by gastroenterologists in the
US, and is shown to reduce abdominal
discomfort, passage of gas, bloating and
to regularise bowel movements. Fans of
the supplement include IBS-suffering
ex-TOWIE star Abi Clarke. A month’s
supply (30 capsules) costs £24.99 from
Boots and is perfect to pack for your
holiday as, unlike many probiotics, you
don’t need to refrigerate these.
WORDS: Angela Dowden PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock

ZERO SUGAR
100% TASTE
Great tasting, long lasting refreshment
Unique blend of 13 natural Swiss herbs
Delicious mouthwatering flavours
ricola.com

Health-food
HEROES!
Upgrade your shopping
basket with these winning
finds, straight from the recent
Natural & Organic Awards
Europe
THE PROTEIN POWDER
One Earth Organics Green Goodness,
£18.99 for 150g;
oneearthorganics.co.uk
Lacking in energy? This antioxidant-rich
superfood powder could be just what you
need! Packed with nutrient-rich superfoods
nettle leaf, chia seeds and chlorella, the
organic mix is high in vitamins A, D and
B12 for boosting energy and a healthy
immune system. It also contains omega-3
and -6, plus 41 per cent plant protein to
help reduce fatigue and enhancing muscle
growth and metabolic function. Start by
adding half a teaspoon, eventually moving
up to two teaspoons per serving.
THE DAIRY-FREE CHEESE
CICIONI made with fermented nuts;
details to be announced;
welovecicioni.com/en
Made from almonds and cashews, this
fermented nut cheese is the newest and
quirkiest product on the market. A mix of
almonds, cashews, water and salt is left to
ferment in a sealed, temperature-controlled
environment until the pH has reached a
safe level. The mixture is then pressed into
a mould and left to dry for 24 hours, then
stored in a seasoning chamber for five
more days. Slice and layer onto bread for
a light snack, or dice and add to a salad
for a heavier dish.
THE GREEN TEA SHOT
Clearspring Japanese Organic Matcha
Shot (Premium grade), £6.25 for 8 x 1g
capsules; clearspring.co.uk
This Organic Matcha tea comes in eight
individual sachets – perfect for popping in
your gym bag! Compared to standard
green teas, Matcha is much higher in
flavanols, a compound that has antiageing
benefits and protects the immune
system. Theanine, the relaxing element
found exclusively in green teas helps with
focus and concentration, without the
over-stimulating effects of caffeine. Enjoy
the tea as a classic shot in a cup of hot
water or sprinkled into a green smoothie.
WORDS: Emma Lewis and Hally Houldsworth
THE VEGAN YOGHURT
Nush Almond Milk Dairy Free Yoghurt,
£1.95 for 125g; nushfoods.co.uk
Europe’s first ever dairy-free almond-milk
yoghurt range has hit the shelves and
it’s anything but bland and boring. Made
from artisan almond milk, which is freshly
prepared from organic Sicilian almonds, the
creamy yoghurt is rich in prebiotic bacteria
(from vegan cultures) and plant-based
protein. It comes in four flavours, including
the award-winning blueberry – a sharp and
sweet combination of flavours, thanks to
the English blueberry it contains. The other
three flavours are: Caramel & Hibiscus,
Peach Melba and Natural.
THE SUPERFOOD SPRAY
BetterYou Turmeric Oral Spray,
£17.95 for 25ml; betteryou.com
Getting your daily dose of turmeric just
got easier! This new orange-flavoured
oral turmeric spray delivers the active
ingredients directly into your bloodstream
via the soft tissue in your mouth. More
easily absorbed than regular supplements,
the easy-to-use spray allows your body
to make the most of the turmeric’s
anti-inflammatory active components
and free-radical fighting antioxidants.
A single spray of BetterYou Turmeric
Oral Spray provides the equivalent of
1,300mg of turmeric root.
THE HEALTHY LATTE
Viridian 100% Organic Curcumin Latte,
£16 for 30g; viridian-nutrition.com
Providing a contemporary take on the
traditional latte, Viridian’s Organic
Curcumin Latte powder offers another
way to up your turmeric intake. Originating
from South East Asia, ‘haldi ka doodh’
or ‘golden milk’ is a blend of turmeric root
powder and aromatic spices such as
ginger, chilli, cardamom and cinnamon
stirred into a cup of warm milk. This
powder contains turmeric root extract with
enhanced levels of curcumin, a compound
known for its strong medicinal properties.
Swap it with your bedtime hot chocolate.
28 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

ecipe revamp
Barbeque
bombshell
Prepare a fennel confit in advance
and wow guests with this delicious
barbequed tuna dish
SEARED TUNA WITH
FENNEL CONFIT
Serves 4
4 preserved lemon quarters, pith discarded
and skin thinly sliced
80g pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley
4 × 150g tuna steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
For the fennel confit
4 fennel bulbs
Thinly sliced zest of 1 lemon
4–6 garlic cloves
1 handful of herbs, such as flat-leaf
parsley, thyme, rosemary or sage
Extra-virgin olive oil, to cover
1 To make the fennel confit, pre-heat the
oven to 90°C (gas mark ¼). Place the fennel
in a baking dish or tin so it fits in snugly. Add
the lemon zest, garlic and herbs and enough
olive oil to cover. Cover with foil and cook for
2-3 hours, until tender. Allow to cool, then
remove the fennel from the oil and refrigerate
until needed.
WORDS: Recipe from Harvest by Emilie Guelpa (Hardie Grant, £15)
2 Lightly toss the preserved lemon, olives
and parsley together in a bowl. Halve and core
the fennel bulbs, and add to the bowl.
3 Heat a barbecue grill or chargrill pan
until hot. Season the tuna steaks with salt
and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzle
with olive oil.
4 Rub the oil and seasoning into the fish.
Cook the tuna for 1-2 minutes on each side,
until it is just seared. Remove and place
on individual serving plates. Top each tuna
steak with two fennel halves and some of the
preserved lemon mixture. Drizzle with extravirgin
olive oil, season with freshly ground
black pepper and serve immediately.
FENNEL
Reminiscent of aniseed,
fennel is frequently used in
Mediterranean cooking. It’s an
excellent source of antioxidant
vitamin C and contains lots
of gut-friendly fibre, folic acid
(which helps make DNA and
blood vessels) and potassium,
to regulate fluid balance.
✽
TUNA
A large saltwater fish, tuna
contains lots of selenium (to
keep your immune system
H&F TIPS
healthy), B vitamins (which
help release energy from food)
and protein, an important
building block in our skin, hair
and nails as well as muscles.
✽
PARSLEY
This popular herb should not
simply be seen as a garnish.
It’s bursting with vitamin K,
vital for bone health and blood
clotting; and is packed with
vitamin C, plus iron, which helps
transport oxygen around
your body.
Health & Fitness 31

H&F’s nutritionist AmandaHamilton digests this month’s diet news
NUTRITION EXPERT
DON’T DITCH
THE DAIRY
The National Osteoporosis Society has
warned the current trend for young
people ditching dairy is a ticking time
bomb for their bones, with a quarter
of UK teenagers thought to consume
less than the minimum 400mg of
calcium a day, according to surveys.
This is worrying stuff. I’m not one of
those who advocates dairy-free diets for no
reason – if you can tolerate milk, yoghurt
and cheese, they should be eaten as it just
makes getting calcium easier. Of course,
if you’re genuinely intolerant to dairy there
are calcium-rich alternatives, which include
fortified plant milks such as soya or
almond, along with tofu, sardines, bread,
almonds, broccoli and kale.
However, calcium is only one part of the
strong-bone story and other factors are just
as important. You also need to get enough
vitamin D, whether through oily fish,
exposure to sunshine, or supplements;
consume adequate vitamin K (found in
‘The trend for people
ditching dairy is a
ticking time bomb
for their bones’
green, leafy vegetables) and not get too
much preformed vitamin A (which you could
do if you take high-dose supplements or
eat liver regularly). If you address all these
factors together, one portion of dairy a
day, such as a glass of milk or a portion
of natural yoghurt, is fine. It’s best to stick
to organic products as they provide more
omega 3s as the cows eat more grass. The
process also uses fewer antibiotics and is
better for the environment – and the cows!
CHARCOAL CAUTION
The charcoal trend is huge right now
– Waitrose has added a pizza with a
charcoal base to its range, London
coffee shops are selling fashionable
charcoal lattes and Gwyneth Paltrow’s
website goop.com has described a
charcoal lemonade as one of the best
juice cleanses around.
The charcoal in these products is
activated charcoal, which isn’t at all
related to the harmful black charring
that you can get on barbecued food.
Charcoal may
have detoxing
properties,
but it has
its downsides,
too.
But although it’s safe, the detox and
hangover-cure claims of charcoal are
overrated – you need a large dose of
activated charcoal to remove toxins
from the gut, and the downside of this
dose is that it can bind and remove
beneficial nutrients, too.
Activated charcoal capsules in smaller
doses of 1g before and after meals can
beat flatulence but, again, shouldn’t
be taken daily, and frequent digestive
symptoms warrant investigation.
MICROWAVED CUPPA, ANYONE?
Q I heard microwaving tea could be the best way to make it – really?
A I think you’re referring to recent research (and the horrified response
from tea connoisseurs!) by Dr Quan Vuong at Newcastle University in New
South Wales, Australia. An expert in identifying preparation methods that
maximise the natural health benefits of foods and drinks, Dr Vuong found
microwaving green or black teas activated more of the caffeine, theanine
and polyphenol compounds, and generated the best taste. Polyphenols in
tea are thought to contribute to lowered heart-disease risk and theanine is a
natural relaxant. Any method of preparing teas is good, but if you want to try
this way, put hot water in the cup with your tea bag, heat in the microwave
for 30 seconds on half power and let it sit for a minute before drinking.
32 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

diet diary
‘What I ate today’
Abigail James
The beauty guru reveals the diet
that keeps her looking radiant
BREAKFAST
‘I’m an early bird and wake
at 5-6.30 am. I start with an
Earl Grey tea in bed, then
most mornings spend 20
minutes on my yoga mat
(I’m in the middle of yoga
teacher training), before
organising the children
and heading off to work.
Breakfast is often eggs,
avocado, poached
tomatoes and wilted
spinach; or gluten-free
oats with almond milk, flax,
chia, berries, baobab
or morninga powder
and cinnamon.’
DRINKS
‘I like to drink water,
herbal and Earl Grey tea,
vegetable juice and
kombucha.’
Nutritionist
Fiona Hunter
LUNCH
‘Lunch is usually eaten on
the go between clients
and meetings. Sometimes
I’m organised and bring in
a homemade soup or
lentil and veg stew. Or I
grab a salad – there’s a
great place near work that
does amazing salads, raw
food and juices.
After a workout (I love
boxing classes, barre
and Pilates or a HIIT
session at home), I refuel
with a smoothie. I’m
not a fan of protein
powders; I’d rather get
my protein from nuts
and nut milk. Beetroot
juice is great before
working out – it gives
you more energy
for longer.’
DINNER
‘Dinner is my tricky meal as
I’m often home late from
doing treatments or events.
If I eat out, it might be
risotto, fish and veg; at
home, it’s usually a lot of
veg, greens and houmous
or leftovers from what I’ve
made for the kids, which
might be vegetable curry.’
BEAUTY FOOD
‘Oh, there are so many!
Avocado (goes without
saying), sweet potato,
spinach, Brazil nuts,
lemons, chia seeds…’
TREATS
‘Booja Booja dairy-free
chocolates (boojabooja.
com) are heaven, or raw
cacao nut milk with dates.’
NUTRITIONIST’S VERDICT
‘As Abigail knows, our skin is the largest organ in our body so it has very
high nutritional needs and even a small nutritional deficiency or imbalance
is quickly reflected in the condition of the skin. Her diet shows that you
can eat healthily despite a busy lifestyle. Kombucha and kefir are good
sources of pro- and prebiotics, which help to keep her digestive system
healthy and boost immunity. Her diet is a little low in iron, so taking a
supplement is a good idea. Lumity contains magnesium, so she should
check her magnesium supplement to make sure she’s not taking too much.’
SNACKS
‘I go through phases with
snacking. At the moment,
I like bananas, some
of my homemade nut,
seed and superfood
balls, or a kefir coconut
yoghurt. I also love
dipping button
mushrooms into
houmous; or eating
corn crackers with nut
butter and banana slices.’
SUPPLEMENTS
‘I take Lumity softgels
(lumitylife.co.uk) morning
and night. At the moment,
I’m also taking chlorella, a
probiotic, hyaluronic acid,
magnesium and Spatone
liquid iron supplements
(nelsonsnaturalworld.
com).’
SCORE
8
10
WORDS: Mary Comber Love your skin –The ultimate guide to a glowing complexion
by Abigail James (Kyle Books, £20) is out now.
34 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

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CONTENTS
p38 Health notebook Beat your caffeine addiction p40 Tune in, drop off
Grown-up bedtime stories for a better sleep p43 Psychology Mindfulness tips for
relationships p45 Beauty notebook Skin safety p46 Beauty bag The latest buys
WORDS: Sheila Reid PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
36 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

HEALTHY YOU
LATEST NEWS ] MIND AND BODY ] EXPERT ADVICE
MIND OVER
MATTER
Attitudes to health and mental health are
improving, thanks to Millennials and Gen
Z. In a US survey of more than 1,000
people, including Gen Zs, Millennials,
Gen Xs and Boomers, by the J. Walter
Thompson Innovation Group, research
showed an increase in acceptance of
mental-health problems, with 75 per cent
considering it to be part of their overall
wellbeing, breaking a long-standing
taboo. It would appear that Gen Z and
Millennials are turning their backs on
conventional medicine, taking a more
holistic approach to health. In fact, 34
per cent of Gen Zs said mindfulness and
fitness are important, with 59 per cent of
Millennials preferring non-medicinal
treatments, and both groups using the
internet to diagnose themselves when ill.
Health & Fitness 37

HEALTH
notebook
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GO NUTS
Use vegan, biodegradeable
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laundry, dishes, floor, veggies and pets!
LOOK AFTER
YOUR EYES
Francesca
Marchetti,
member of the
WINK advisory
eye-care panel
‘There’s a good chance that
the mascara you are using
is covered with infectioncausing
bacteria and it could
cause you some serious
eye-care woes such as dry
eye. Make-up applicators
can easily become a
breeding ground for bacteria,
which can be transferred
onto your skin, eyelids and
eyelashes. Remember to
make a note of when you
purchase your eye make-up
and be sure to discard it
after three months to help
avoid infection.’**
38 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
NATURAL BOOST
Want to quit caffeine? Swap your morning coffee for
a burst of stair climbing! New research shows that
walking up and down stairs is a better energiser than
caffeine. In a study at the University of Georgia,
scientists got a group of sleep-deprived women to
either walk up and down stairs for 10 minutes at a
regular pace or have 50mg of caffeine. Those who
took the stairs felt more energised and motivated
to work. It’s good news for office workers, say the
researchers, as most people should be able to find
a few moments to power up and down the stairs.
72%of workers believe
their job has a
negative impact
on their health
and their diet*
STAY SAFE
Heading into the great outdoors? You’ll need a first-aid kit. We love
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gauze, nitrile gloves and more. Add a compact whistle, in-built
compass and LED flashlight to illuminate your way or serve as a
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emergencies and get you safely home again. £69.99; thefowndry.com.
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel, Mary Comber PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
* According to a study by CV library ** Find out more on make-up and eye-care at bausch.co.uk

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Tune in,
drop off
If you want to sleep better
tonight, how about an
adult bedtime story?
WORDS: Gabrielle Nathan PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images
Every night of my childhood,
one of my parents would
read my sister and I a
bedtime story. Noddy was
a favourite – and told so
often we knew the words off by heart. The
familiarity of the narrative and the soothing
voice reading it aloud while we were tucked
up conspired to send us off to sleep soon
after the book had closed.
Fast forward thirty years and I often
struggle to fall asleep, with additions to
my to-do list pinging into my mind. So
when I heard that a series of bedtime
stories for adults has just been launched,
I was keen to know more. Written and
recorded by hypnotherapist Dan Jones,
co-founder of The Mind Changers
(themindchangers.co.uk), an online
resource for managing stress, anxiety and
mental health, the stories have been
developed in response to demand
from clients who have used his
self-hypnosis MP3s for
overcoming phobias, exam
worries and more.
‘As children, we were given a
regular bedtime routine, which
was a clear signal to our mind
and body to start winding down
and preparing for sleep,’ says Jones.
‘However, as adults, the bedtime routine is
often lost, so we don’t prime for sleep. We
lie down and hope our minds and bodies
will instantly switch off, but it’s when there
are no external distractions that we have
a chance to tune into our thoughts.’ It’s
these reflections that keep us awake,
preventing us from restful slumber.
‘I’ve seen so many people suffering
from stress and health-related problems
exacerbated by lack of sleep and wanted
to create a natural way to help them,’ says
Jones. ‘Looking at how we were taught to
sleep as children was a great place to start
and, since being read a bedtime story is a
crucial part of that process, I created adult
audio books that help people drift into a
restorative sleep.’
HOW IT WORKS
Just like childhood bedtime books,
Jones’ adult versions are engaging but
uncomplicated and undemanding so your
brain isn’t too stimulated. ‘It’s important
that the stories gently hold listeners’
attention with sensory visions rather than
complex plots, otherwise they become
too difficult to follow,’ he says.
Jones’s voice stays calm and soothing,
too. ‘Storytelling tone is crucial and needs
to be relaxing and consistent
as different accents and
‘Just like childhood
bedtime books, Jones’
adult versions are
engaging but
uncomplicated.’
intonation can excite
listeners and introduce
unwanted tension into a
narrative,’ he says. It’s a
delicate balance – the
stories are interesting
enough follow, but aren’t
so gripping that you want
to stay awake until the end.
GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP
Adult Bedtime
Stories Sets
£7.99 per CD
(each contains
two to three stories);
mindchangers.co.uk
Download a free
sample track from
themindchangers.co.uk/
sleep and give it a go.
Well-earned
Bath Soak
Bath Salts
£20 for 250g;
cleanbeautyco.com
Wind down with a
post-exercise soak
using these soothing
lavender-scented
Epsom bath salts.
When I ask if these stories are better
than other common methods of ‘switching
off’ before bed, Jones is unequivocal.
‘Anything involving screens means
stimulating blue light will trigger your brain’s
wake response. You may fall asleep but it
won’t be the restful sleep your body needs.’
And music lovers be aware the tempo
has to be just right. ‘Too lively and it will
keep you awake; too slow and it can end
up as background music to your internal
conversation,’ says Jones. Even reading a
book has drawbacks. ‘You have to make
a decision to stop reading and go to sleep
but with an audio story, you don’t make a
conscious choice,’ he says.
The stories Jones has written are similar
to guided meditations and have elements
of self-hypnosis but you won’t be
instructed to ‘focus on your breathing’ for
instance. Instead, you’re encouraged to
explore scenes in your mind and imagine
meeting characters. I don’t manage to hear
the ending of any of the stories I start. No
matter: a good night’s sleep is the happiest
ending of all.
Tisserand
Sweet
Dreams kit
£9.95;
tisserand.com
Jasmine, lavender and
sandalwood oils in a
roller ball, bath oil and
body oil will lull you
into a peaceful slumber.
40 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

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psychology
MIND
over
MATTER
Harnessing mindfulness
techniques can help
you foster successful
relationships – here’s how
The deep sense of contentment
that comes from being in
a positive relationship is
something we all long for.
Indeed, loving and being loved is a
basic human need. But relationships
aren’t always so easy, even with those
we care about deeply.
This is where mindfulness can help.
With its focus on being fully present,
compassionate and non-judgemental,
the technique brings an emotional richness
to your personal life, but it also works on
a physiological level. Research shows
mindfulness strengthens a part of the brain
(the anterior cingulate cortex) associated
with cognitive flexibility,helping you see
problems from a different perspective.
It also has a calming influence on the
amygdala, the area of the brain that alerts
you to perceived threat – both physical or
emotional. The result? You’re less likely to
be plagued with relationship insecurities
if you practise mindfulness.
Traditional mindfulness exercises such
as focusing on your breath, becoming
aware of your emotions and observing your
thoughts will all benefit your relationship,
but the ‘RAIN’ exercise below is particularly
useful in helping you gain clarity about what
you’re feeling in situ. Adapted from the
Buddhist practice known as Vipassanā,
it’ll also help you begin to unravel the
intertwined threads of your history that
have brought you to your current situation.
The next time you find yourself in
an emotionally challenging situation,
try the exercise below.
R: RECOGNISE
The first step in understanding conflict in
a relationship is to be aware of what you’re
bringing to the interaction, and there may
be several layers to your experience. For
example, if your partner expects more than
you can give, you may feel guilty for not
meeting his wishes, while also resenting
him for making what you believe are
unreasonable demands. Perhaps you also
feel hurt that nothing you do seems good
enough, yet also feel compassion towards
yourself for trying so hard. Notice your
feelings and name them ‘I feel pressured’
or ‘I feel misunderstood’, for example.
Also, be aware of thoughts that arise,
such as ‘Maybe I’m just being selfish’
or ‘He always expects more – why does
he never see my point of view?’
A: ACCEPT
Next, work on accepting what you’re
feeling and thinking. This can be tough,
as most of us have been taught there
are certain thoughts and emotions we
shouldn’t express or, indeed, feel. Allow
yourself to feel the emotions you’re feeling
today. No thought or feeling is ‘wrong’.
Even unwanted or unpleasant emotions
help you to better understand yourself.
I: INVESTIGATE
Next, put aside thoughts of who’s to blame
or what you want to do about the situation.
Delve deeper into what you’re experiencing
– ask yourself if you can sense the emotion
in your body, or if you’ve ever felt this way
before. Using the example above, you
might remember your father also expected
more of you than you felt able to give. Or
that guilt is an emotion you regularly feel.
N: NON-IDENTIFICATION
Acknowledge a certain feeling (say, rejection)
is present, but don’t let it define you. So
you’re not a person who has been rejected,
but someone who experienced the emotion
of rejection. This can be liberating and can
bring a calmer, wiser way of relating to
people you’re in conflict with.
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
QSHELF HELPQ
Each issue, we bring you the best advice from the self-help classics
This month we look at Mind over
Mood, by Drs Dennis Greenberger
and Christine A Padesky
(Guildford Press, £20.99).
In a nutshell: Packed with proven
cognitive therapy-based strategies
to boost confidence and help you
handle stress, relationship problems,
anxiety and more, this book shows
you how to understand your
problems, monitor automatic
thoughts and retrain your brain to
think in a rounded, balanced way.
A nugget: ‘Core beliefs help us
make sense of our world at a young
age, but they might not be the best
way of helping us understand our
adult experiences.’
Health & Fitness 43

eauty news
SUN STROKE
Did you know just a single case of
sunburn can double your chances of
getting skin cancer or lead to melanoma
(cancer that develops from a mole)? Get
your moles checked before sun exposure,
warns Anna Gucova, senior screening
nurse at The Mole Clinic (themoleclinic.
co.uk). ‘When you’re tanned, moles
appear darker, so an expert is unable to
see what's normal for your skin,’ she says.
‘Check moles regularly for
change in size, shape or colour
to help diagnose melanomas
earlier.’ Dermatologists love
La Roche-Posay face cream –
if you have acneic skin, try its
new Effaclar Duo (+) SPF30
(£15.50 for 40ml; boots.com).
Or NeoStrata Sheer Physical
Protection SPF50 (£34 for
50ml; facethefuture.co.uk).
NOTEBOOK
Beauty
Look your best with the latest products
Dr Bronner 18-in-1
Pure-Castile Soap,
£6.99 for 237ml;
drbronner.co.uk
CELEBRITY
CORNER
‘I’m a huge Dr
Bronner’s soap fan.
I like the rose and the
almond and I use it
with a scrubbing mitt
to remove stage
make-up.’
Dita Von Teese, burlesque
dancer and model
EXPERT TIP
Switch from using several synthetic products
to using an organic, plant-sourced product
that can give skin a natural glow.
OLIVIA THORPE, FOUNDER OF VANDEROHE, VANDEROHE.COM
3
of the best…
NEW SUMMER
HAIRCARE
PHILIP KINGSLEY INSTANT
BEACH, £22 for 100ml;
philipkingsley.co.uk
Get the texture and tousle of a salt
spray without the drying effects.
This salt-free formula contains
elastin and meadowfoam oil.
RAHUA COLOR FULL HAIR
MASK, £60 for 200ml;
net-a-porter.com
Pronounced [ra-wa] this
collection protects your colour.
Leave in for 15 minutes, or
overnight, for extra shine.
SACHAJUAN MOISTURIZING
SHAMPOO, £20 for 250ml;
cultbeauty.co.uk
Swedish haircare expert
Sachajuan likes to keep it simple.
The hero shampoo now has more
conditioning and shine-boosting
marine ingredients.
WORDS:Yanar Alkayat PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
Health & Fitness 45

eauty
BEAUTY BAG
Look good and feel amazing with this month’s hottest products
2
4
1
3
7
6
5
1. Code Lip Intense Plumper,
£20 for 7ml; Harvey Nichols
and code-beautiful.com
Wouldn’t dream of using a lip
filler? Code Beautiful uses
sodium hyaluronate to create a
plumping effect, while coconut
and peppermint oils nourish.
2. Clarins Limited Edition
4-colour Eyeshadow Palette,
£34 for 6.8g; clarins.com
Apply these matte-, satinand
pearl-finish powders dry
for a soft finish or moist for an
intense, seductive look,
inspired by sunset colours.
3. Clinique Fresh Pressed
Daily Booster, £58 for
4 x 8.5ml; clinique.co.uk
Add this anti-ageing booster
with pure vitamin C to your
moisturiser to brighten skin.
Clever packaging keeps it
fresh till it reaches your face.
4. RPR De-chlorinate
My Hair Shampoo,
£12.95 for 200ml; boots.com
Remove chlorine, odours and
product build-up thanks to
this summer’s must-have with
ginkgo to cleanse impurities
and soothe an irritated scalp.
5. Dr Hauschka Colour
Correcting Powder,
£25 for 8g; dr.haushka.com
Part of a new make-up range
from the skincare experts,
carefully chosen hues banish
redness and shadows, while
kidney vetch and black tea
keep skin hydrated.
6. Bobbi Brown Glow Stick,
£26 for 9g; bobbibrown.co.uk
Glide this ultralight formula
over your chin, cheekbones,
forehead and nose for a
shimmering, summery glow.
7. Harbour Elements Gentle
Cleansing Balm, £22 for
100ml; harbourelements.com
Perfect for sensitive skins, this
balm avoids using plant-based
ingredients with high pollen
residues. Jojoba and avocado
oils give it a lovely, rich feel.
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel
46 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

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Ever feel like you spend
most of the year cooped
up indoors? Now’s the
time to make the most
of the longer, brighter
days and warmer
temperatures by getting outside and
active whenever you can.
The health and wellbeing benefits of
outdoor exercise, particularly close to
nature, are well documented. Experts
have coined terms such as ‘ecotherapy’
and ‘forest bathing’ to describe its
antidepressant, heart-rate lowering
and stress-relieving effects. And a
large-scale 2013 review, published in
the journal Extreme Physiology &
Medicine, concluded that outdoor,
natural environments help increase
physical activity levels with lower levels
of perceived exertion. In other words,
we do more but suffer less, thanks to
physiological benefits such as stress
reduction, restored mental fatigue,
improved mood and self-esteem and
perceived health.
So why not press pause on the gym
and try something different this
summer? ‘Take the pressure off
yourself to get to that Spin class or
pre-work HIIT session – sometimes
a hike through the woods or a dip in
the sea is what you really need,’ says
Sophie Everard, fitness coach and
Keen footwear ambassador.
Here are a few ideas to inspire you,
whether you’re at home or holidaying…
50 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

fresh-air fi tness
Escape the
GYM
Take your workout outdoors this summer and reap
the multiple benefits that fresh-air exercise brings
WORDS Hannah Ebelthite
Health & Fitness 51

1Head to the park
Launched in 2014, Our Parks is an organisation that
works with councils to offer free or low-cost outdoor
group exercise classes in local parks and community
spaces. Sign up for Bootcamp; Box Fit; or Abs, bums and
thighs, for example. This year, it’s partnering with Merrell, the
rugged outdoor footwear brand, to expand the classes around
Greater London and into the surrounding counties, and get
100,000 ‘parkers’ exercising for free each week by 2018. Find
your nearest class at ourparks.org.uk.
2Go wild in the wet
Our favourite place to make a
splash and act like big kids is
the amazing outdoor New Forest
Water Park that’s like Total Wipeout meets
Ninja Warrior. It uses large floating sports
apparatus called WiBit and users can
burn up to 500 calories an hour larking
around on them. There’s also 5-Pylon cable
wakeboarding, kayaking and stand-up
paddleboarding. If you aren’t local, make
it a short break and camp there too; visit
newforestwaterpark.co.uk.
3Salute the sun
Take your yoga practice outdoors
and salute the sun in person. It
doesn’t have to be an outdoor
class; just take your mat into the garden
and work through some poses, listening to
the birds and feeling the breeze on your
skin. Increasing numbers of teachers and
studios are offering outdoor options in
summer time. Or Londoners could book a
lesson with a local teacher via the Yogi2me
app and ask them to meet you at a local
beauty spot (from £65; yogi2me.com).
4Meditate in the fresh air
Visit China and you’ll see adults and children alike practising Qi Gong – an
ancient form of moving meditation – in the parks, gardens and open
countryside. With its roots in traditional Chinese medicine, Qi Gong exercises
are designed to stimulate and move the ‘Qi’ (Chi) energy in every organ and meridian in
the body. ‘It’sa fantastic way to fully connect with and be at one with nature, so we often
practise it outdoors,’ says Qi Gong and Taoist Master David James Lees. Find a local
teacher at qigonginstitute.org/directory or, for David’s drop-in sessions in the beautiful
Derbyshire Dales, visit wuweiwisdom.com/meditation-classes.
52 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

fresh-air fi tness
5Make like
a monkey
If you haven’t yet tried Go Ape,
the treetop adventure course,
do your fun side a favour and book in. ‘A
typical session burns over 500 calories and
you’ll keep your heart rate at 50 to 60 per
cent of its max, so it’s a great fat burner,’
says personal trainer Ben Boulter. But it’s
the mood-boosting endorphins we love
the most – just try swinging through trees
without a huge grin on your face. Find your
nearest of 31 locations at goape.co.uk.
7Find beauty in running
Forget racing – next time you fancy a run,
leave your watch at home and take in some
culture, instead. There are lots of sculpture
parks across the country, many of them free. Yorkshire
Sculpture Park has pieces by Barbara Hepworth and
Anthony Gormley. Kielder Water and Forest Park in
Northumberland has a stunning forest and lake trail,
studded with outdoor art. Other locations include
Grizedale Forest Park in Cumbria, the Forest
of Dean Sculpture Trail in Gloucestershire, Crosby
Beach in Merseyside, the New Art Centre in Wiltshire
and Surrey’s Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park.
8Try
coasteering
Coasteering is a
seaside adventure
sport that originated 100 years
ago, when climbers began to
traverse rocky sea cliffs. You
wear a wetsuit, trainers, helmet
and buoyancy jacket, and
explore the coast at sea level.
This might mean swimming in
sea caves, climbing natural
rock arches, wave dodging or
flinging yourself off sheer rock
faces. If you’re feeling brave,
book a coasteering weekend in
beautiful Pembrokeshire, where
you’ll be guided through this
exhilarating sport by top-class
instructors and also have the
chance to go on a coastal hike
or try surfing or sea kayaking.
Weekend breaks cost from
£219 including all food,
instruction and accommodation;
visit preseliventure.co.uk.
6Enter an OCR
Summer is arguably the best time
to take on an obstacle-course
race or ‘OCR’, when you won’t
get so chilly charging through rivers and
plunging into mud baths. Get a team
together and take on a 10- to 12-mile
Tough Mudder or half (5 miles) – find an
event at toughmudder.co.uk. For a more
scenic, ‘wild run’ through forest, lakes and
trails – with a few obstacles thrown in, too
– get in training for the award-winning Wolf
Run in Warwickshire this September. Visit
thewolfrun.com/autumnwolf.
9Go electric
Think an electric bike’s cheating?
See it as a training aid, instead.
Electric mountain biking is one of
the fastest growing types of cycling, with
women taking the hills by storm. By giving
you more oompf, EMTBs make trails more
accessible, enabling you to go further and
faster. We like the Haibike sDuro HardLife
4.0, £2,000. Find your local dealer at
haibike.com/en-US/INT/dealer – many offer
outdoor events in summer where you can
give the bikes a try, such as Bedgebury
Forest (quenchuk.co.uk/bedgebury).
GET KITTED OUT FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1 Odlo CeramiCool
Baselayer, £40;
snowandrock.com.
2 Keen Women’s
Terradora Waterproof
shoes, £99.99;
keenfootwear.com.
3 CEP Outdoor
Light Merino Mid
Cut Socks, £18;
cepsports.co.uk.
4 Dhb Women’s
Training Print Tight,
£32; wiggle.co.uk.
5 Nova Shorty Wetsuit
£50; animal.co.uk.
6 Theye Mosquito
Repellent Sportsband,
£7; theye.co.uk.
7 Osprey Tempest 9
Rucksack, £74.99;
ellis-brigham.com.
Health & Fitness 53

IMAGES: iStock
10
Jump
onto a board
‘With British waters now warming up and so many surf schools now
accessible to us, learning to surf has never been more readily available
nor more popular,’ says Everard – who teaches the sport as part of her
Mad To Live retreats (madtoliveblog.com). ‘It’s an incredible sport that involves endurance,
power, strength, agility and balance, and what I love most about it is the multitude of
physical and psychological benefits that being connected to the ocean brings.’ Find a
coach or surf school at surfingengland.org/.
TRX
Don’t have
an Our Parks
venue (see no1) near you? No
problem – get a full-body DIY
workout with a TRX Go, which
is the lightest in its range of
suspension trainers. It comes
in a small carry pouch, with
two suggested 20-minute
workouts, and takes less than
60 seconds to set up. ‘Loop
your TRX over a tree branch or
a goal post and you’ve got an
outdoor gym for a full-body
workout right there,’ says TRX
Senior Master Trainer Matt
Gleed. ‘Suspension Training
develops strength, balance,
flexibility and core stability
simultaneously, all by
leveraging gravity and your
own body weight. Use it for
planks, lunges, biceps curls,
triceps dips – or any of the
100-plus exercises detailed
online.’ TRX Go, £109,
trxtraining.co.uk.
11Take a
your
topspin forehand
Have a knock-up at your local ‘walk
12Perfect
on and play’ free public court. You
can even join in a free, weekly coach-led session
– all thanks to Tennis For Free, a community-led
sports charity that hopes to get more people active
and interested in the sport. Find a court or class at
tennisforfree.com.
outdoors
You don’t have to brave
the sea or lakes if it feels
too daunting – there are plenty of outdoor
pools and lidos around the UK where you
can enjoy fresh air and (hopefully) sunshine
as you swim. Find out more, and get
inspiration for wild swimming in nature,
at outdoorswimmingsociety.com. Got the
bug? Get in training for Macmillan’s All
Out Swim charity events – 2K or 5K
cold-water swims taking place in outdoor
pools this September and October. Visit
macmillan.org.uk/alloutswim.
13Swim
14
Get
geocaching
This global game takes
treasure hunts to the
next level. Think Pokemon
Go but for real, or orienteering with more
rewards. Geocaches are hidden all over the
world by fellow players, usually in a location
of special interest or beauty. They normally
take the form of a small waterproof box
containing a few low-value knick-knacks,
a logbook and pen. The geocacher then
uses their GPS to record the coordinates
of their cache and logs its existence online.
All you need to play is a smart phone or
GPS device. Download the Geocaching
app (geocaching.com), then choose a
cache (like the ‘treasure’) near you and
navigate your way there. There are 2 million
geocaches worldwide, all in different
formats. Once you find it, you sign the
logbook, and you can take something from
the cache and leave something of equal or
greater value in return. Then you log your
find online and put the cache back for the
next person to find. Visit gagb.org.uk. ■
54 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

PERFECTIL.COM
“ My go-to vitamin
is Perfectil. I really
feel my skin and
hair are radiant
and shining.”
From Boots, Superdrug, supermarkets, Holland & Barrett, health stores, pharmacies
With biotin which contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, plus selenium and zinc
which contribute to the maintenance of normal hair and nails.
*UK’s No1 beauty supplement brand for skin, hair and nails. Nielsen GB ScanTrack Total Coverage Unit Sales 52 w/e 3 December 2016.

’JENNY PACEY
GAL GADOT IN
THE LEAD ROLE
How I got
FIGHTING FIT
FOR
WONDER
’
From GB Olympian and TV Gladiator to Amazonion
warrior in the new Hollywood film, Jenny Pacey tells us
WOMAN
how she got into shape for her action-movie debut
WORDS: Jo Ebsworth
This summer
sees the world’s
best-known
female superhero
finally make the
transition from
comic-book
character to
eponymous heroine in Warner Bros’
highly-anticipated blockbuster film,
Wonder Woman – 75 years after she
was first created.
Telling the tale of Diana, princess of the
Amazons, who’s raised on the sheltered
mystical island of Themyscira and trained
to be an unconquerable warrior, the film
(out on June 2) has already made history
for being the only female-directed liveaction
movie to have a $100 million
budget, with director Patty Jenkins also
being the first woman to direct a superhero
film with a female protagonist, as portrayed
by Israeli actress Gal Gadot.
In another first, the film uses an aweinspiring
all-female army of Amazonion
warriors, clad in full armour as they engage
in an epic battle against Nazis (the movie
is set in the era of WW1) to save mankind.
But while there may be many talented
women across the globe possessing
superhero-worthy athletic ability, the
process of casting a forty-strong female
force who could convincingly wield swords,
bows, shields and staffs while leaping into
the air or riding a horse was no easy task.
Just ask Jenny Pacey, 34, who went
through months of auditions against
thousands of women from all over the
world (without even knowing what she was
auditioning for), before being selected to
embark on a gruelling six-month fitness
and fight-training schedule to get in peak
physical condition for a month on location
in Italy filming fight scenes.
V AN AGENT CALLS
As a former international pentathlete and
Olympic bobsleigher turned TV Gladiator,
personal trainer, co-owner of global fitness
brand Pace & Go (paceandgo.co.uk), and
model for brands including Asics, Adidas,
Reebok and Nike, it’s hardly surprising that
Jenny caught the eye of casting directors
when they began looking for women with a
background in competitive sport to fill the
56 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

celebrity interview
Jenny
training
hard at
the gym
roles of Amazonian warriors. She was
pretty surprised when Hollywood came
calling, though!
‘In June 2015, I got a strange message
on Twitter from an agent asking if I’d like
to audition for a blockbuster movie and
ignored it. But I got other messages via
Instagram and email and started wondering
if the offer was serious,’ she says. ‘My first
audition was at Warner Bros Studios in
Leavesden, where I was surrounded by
hundreds of athletic-looking women.
The code name of the project was
“Nightingale”, so we had no idea why we
were there, but we were all taught a fight
sequence using a sword and shield by a
stunt coordinator, then we had to fight him
one-on-one while being filmed.’
Soon after, Jenny was called back for
a second audition with 99 others, where
each woman was asked to perform a
one-minute showcase in front of the
senior production team. ‘There were all
sorts of women there,’ says Jenny. ‘I did
high-intensity, explosive moves such
as burpees with tuck jumps, using my
long-jump and high-jump experience and
showing how I can move my body in a
functional way.’
V THE TRAINING
Over the summer, Jenny was called back
again, along with just 39 other women, for
a two-week bootcamp at Warner Bros. It
involved four hours of training a day led by
Gym Jones (gymjones.com), the team of
trainers responsible for building the bodies
of the actors in the action movie 300.
‘For two hours, we did very intense,
high-intensity training with weight lifting
and sprints on the Concept 2 SkiErg and
StairMaster AirFit cardio equipment, to
shock our bodies into building muscle and
stripping fat, while allowing the trainers to
assess our strengths and weaknesses. The
other two hours were spent doing stunt
and fighting training and movement
patterns. We also learnt a choreographed
Health & Fitness 57

fight scene, which we were filmed doing at
the end of the two weeks,’ recalls Jenny. ‘I
really went for it and, that evening, I was
told I had a role in the film (I still didn’t
know what I was working on) – and that
there was a final two-week bootcamp.’
V HONING SKILLS
During the next phase, Jenny continued to
work on her fitness and fighting skills with
hypertrophy training (building muscle as
fast as possible).
The last month of training involved using
lighter weights but doing more reps. ‘I also
dropped my carbs below 100g a day but
raised my protein to above 200g, and kept
my good fats really high, eating about
2,000 calories a day on the back of five
hours of training. By the time I arrived in
Italy for filming in March 2016, I’d packed
on four kilos of muscle, and my cardio and
‘THE CAST WAS BROUGHT TOGETHER
TO TRAIN FOR SIX MONTHS’
MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY: © 2017 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. WORKOUT PHOTOGRAPHY: Vince Starr
(vincentstarr.com). HAIR & MAKE-UP: Rachel Rigg (rockyourface.co.uk). Venue: BXR (bxrlondon.com). CLOTHING: Asics, Lucas Hugh,
LuLu Lemon and Charlie Cohen. Check out Grokker:Train &Transform: (grokker.com). Use code ‘paceandgo99’ for an online discount.
19 other women while stunt coordinators
worked out their roles. Then she finally
found out what it was all for. ‘One of the
trainers was telling us about Wonder
Woman’s super arm cuffs which act as
a defence. We all looked at each other
excitedly, like, “now we know!”. I was so
glad I’d taken a risk, putting my life on hold
to train. This film will make monumental
feminist history, and being a part of a
blockbuster is amazing.’
V THE FINAL PUSH
After a short break, the final international
cast of Amazonian warriors (including a
Hungarian break dancer, a Victoria’s Secret
model, an American cross-fit champion
and a world champion boxer, and several
American sportswomen) were brought
together to train continuously for six
months in a purpose-built gym in an old
hanger at Warner Bros, featuring a sprint
track, sledges, ropes, hoops and
kettlebells. The focus was now on
WARRIOR
SCENES FROM
THE MOVIE
strength fitness was through the roof.
I felt like a superhero!’
Yet despite all the training, nothing
could prepare Jenny for the long,
arduous days of filming, which
involved getting up at 4.30am to sit
in hair and make-up for three hours,
before spending up to 12 hours
filming gruelling fight scenes on the
beaches of the Italian coast, then
taking an hour to ‘de-rig’ at the
end of the day.
‘The toughest thing was trying
to maintain the physique I’d built
up because you couldn’t work
up a sweat once you’d had
your hair and make-up done
– all I could do was 50
triceps dips here or
50 push-ups there.
I loved the experience,
though, and I’ll be
keeping my fingers
crossed for Wonder
Woman 2!’
JENNY IN FULL
COSTUME, READY
FOR BATTLE!
58 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

celebrity interview
JENNY’S WONDER WOMAN WORKOUT
Try Jenny’s multi-muscle moves to transform your body from head to toe
MEDICINE-BALL
SQUAT AND THRUST
Why? ‘This explosive cardio-based move
blasts fat and challenges your shoulder,
arm, core and postural muscles as you
stabilise yourself on the ball.’
How: Start in a deep-squat position to
activate your glutes and legs. Hold a
medicine ball on the ground with your
upper body slightly forward (A). Engage
your core as you kick your heels back in a
reverse thrust to a plank (B). Immediately
rebound back into the deep-squat position,
keeping your chest up.
OBLIQUE TRX SWING
Why? ‘This really challenging move
provides an amazing ab and core workout,
and works the shoulders and postural
muscles too.’
How: Starting in a high plank position with
your feet suspended in the TRX (A), swing
your legs to the left like a pendulum, almost
towards your shoulders, then control the
swing back to centre and round to the
right – the movement should be a fluid,
continuous swinging action from side to
side. To make it harder, raise your right arm
as you swing right and vice versa (B).
LUNGE ROW
Why? ‘This exercise will activate every
muscle due to the loaded static position,
helping tone your entire body and burning
mega calories.’
How: Begin in a static lunge position,
holding a kettlebell in each hand (A). Hinge
your upper body forward from the hip,
pulling in your core. Then use an alternate
arm-rowing technique to raise and lower
the kettlebells in opposite directions from
one side to the other (B). Keep your core
engaged throughout as you slightly rotate
through your waist to work your obliques.
A
A
A
B B B
TRX INVERTED KNEE DRIVE
Why? ‘This is a full-body move, and is anti-ageing because you
increase blood flow to the face while in an inverted position.’
How: Start in a plank position with your feet in the TRX. Walk your
hands in while you raise your legs until you achieve an inverted
handstand position (A). Bring one knee into your chest, then drive
it back to fully straighten the leg (B). Alternate the leg drive on the
other side to complete one rep. To make it more difficult, do it with
both legs at the same time.
MEDICINE-BALL WOOD CHOP
Why? ‘I love this move because it sculpts your arms and waist
as you rotate through all three planes of movement.’
How: Stand in a loaded, semi-squat position with the medicine
ball between your hands out to the side of one hip (A). Use a
chopping or semi-circular upward motion to raise the ball up and
over the opposite shoulder while slightly rotating your heel (B).
Use your core to brace the end of the movement, then return
the ball to your hip. n
A
B
A
B
Health & Fitness 59

YOUR
summer-body
confidence
PLAN
Not feeling your best? No problem. We’ve got the
expert tips you need to discover your happy, carefree
self in time for the holidays
WORDS: Becky Fletcher
I
f the thought of baring all
in your bikini fills you with
dread, you’re not alone. A
US study recently revealed
that 82 per cent of women
feel pressured to slim down
and, shockingly, only 10 per cent would ‘like’
a photo of themselves in swimwear on social
media. Just under half would even go so far
as to remove the tag and request the photo
be taken down. So, because the best parts of
summer – swimming, the feeling of sun on
your skin, lazy days at the beach – are a lot
more enjoyable when you’re feeling confident
and happy, we’ve spoken to the experts who
can help you reclaim your feel-good factor.
And there are no calorie-restricted diets or
intense exercise regimes in sight!
60 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

each beautiful
ENJOY
WHAT
YOU
HAVE
You’re scrolling through social media
and it seems like everyone’s having the
time of their life. Sound familiar? A
survey from MyLife.com shows 56 per
cent of people experience the fear
of missing out (FOMO). One thing
guaranteed to make you feel happier is to
switch off from social media – or at least
ditch the comparisons. Sarah Dawkins,
registered nurse and accredited master
coach (sarahdawkins.com) explains.
‘Comparing yourself to others is like
comparing apples and oranges. People
put lots of information on social media
that makes their lives look great.’
Dawkins suggests asking yourself what it is
you’re really missing out on. ‘We all lead our
lives differently. We should celebrate our
differences and look at what we’ve
achieved in our own lives,’ she says.
McCrae agrees. ‘It’s natural to feel an
element of envy if you’re constantly
bombarded with images of your friends in
tropical paradise, while you’re pushing your
screaming toddler around Lidl,’ she says.
‘It’s becoming almost a default setting for
many people to think they are missing out,
simply from what they see on social media.’
She stresses it’s imperative that people
remind themselves that what they’re seeing
is only a minuscule part of someone’s
life – not their day-to-day reality. ‘Focus on
your own life and be grateful for your
friends and family,’ she adds.
Health & Fitness 61

MAKE
THE MOST
OF YOUR
SHAPE
Whether it’s a great pair of shoes or a new summer
outfit, countless studies show that the right outfit
can send your confidence soaring, and great
swimwear is no exception. Personal stylist,
Chantelle Znideric (personal-stylist.co.uk)
explains that there are plenty of styles and details
to enhance and show off each body shape…
SWIM COOL
BEST FOR:
POST-
SURGERY
Albertinia
Mastectomy
Swimming
Costume,
£75.95;
anita.com
APPLE
F Opt for swimwear that
provides more structure.
F Look for waist definition,
wrap details and ruching on
the waistline, or a centre panel
works a treat – it creates a
slimming illusion using colour
and/or print blocking.
F If you prefer a bikini, look for
tops that have wider straps or
a halter neck.
ATHLETIC
F A boyish figure will look fabulous
in most styles, but the most flattering
details to look out for are frills or
ruffles worn on your bust and for
creating the illusion of extra cleavage.
Twisted bandeau styles will do
a fabulous job of creating lift.
F For swimsuits, try draped fabric
and ruching round the tummy or
even a belted style to emphasise
your waist.
BEST FOR:
ATHLETIC
FIGURES
Animal Lilly Rose Halterneck
Bikini, £50; animal.co.uk
PETITE
F A bikini will ensure the best
fit on smaller figures.
F For a swimsuit, a deep
v-neckline will elongate your
torso, keyhole styles will also
have the same effect, as well
as deep, cutout shapes.
F Strong, bright colours will have
an unfussy overall look and will
make you appear taller, as will
contrasting bold vertical stripes.
PEAR
F Flatter your lower body by steering
away from frilly bottoms and any other
details or embellishments that could
potentially add volume.
F Stick to smooth, skimming sarongs
to cover-up, or dark, solid high-leg
briefs that will lengthen your legs.
F Tie-side briefs are a fantastic
addition to your holiday capsule
wardrobe, as they will easily adjust
to your size.
BEST FOR:
STOMACH
CONTROL
Kiruna Print
Swimsuit,
£80;
fantasie.com
BEST FOR:
ACCENTUATING
CURVES
TALL
F High-neck swimwear styles
have evolved, becoming
extremely stylish.
F Gravitate towards longer
balconette bikini tops.
F Choose briefs with a high
waist or shorts that will shorten
your torso.
HOURGLASS
F Think all-over colours and prints
that keep your figure evenly balanced;
plunging necklines are also flattering.
F If you’re an hourglass with big
boobs (DD+ or above) a bikini with
a supportive top is essential.
F Balconette bikini tops are great
for smaller boobs, as this style will
emphasise them, and bikini briefs that
cover your tummy will show off your
nipped-in waist.
BEST FOR:
A BIGGER
BUST
Miraclesuit
Barcelona in
Red, £129.90;
spartoo.co.uk
Rosa Faia Blue Lagoon Bikini,
£79.95; ukswimwear.com
Top tip: ‘Don’t stress about taking the next size up – ultimately
you’ll look slimmer and feel more comfortable!’

each beautiful
BEAT
THE
BLOAT
If you’ve worked hard getting
slimmer for summer, feeling
bloated can be very frustrating.
‘Bloating is thought to affect as
many as one-in-three women,’
explains Dr Megan Rossi, dietician
and gut-health specialist
(@TheGutHealthDoc;
drmeganrossi.com). ‘No one should
accept ongoing gut symptoms. If
your tummy bloating is affecting
your quality of life, your first port of
call should always be to see your
GP, as digestive symptoms can
occur with many conditions.’
Rossi says there are things you
can do to prevent the onset of
bloating. ‘Chew your food well,
watch portion sizes, drink plenty
of water (around two litres a day)
and cut back on trigger foods.
De-stressing is another effective
strategy [stress can affect your
digestion] – especially for those
with IBS – but that’s what your
holiday’s for!’ Trigger foods can be
different for everyone, but excess
fruit, onions, garlic, beans and
legumes are notorious for bloating.
So are low-calorie sweeteners,
such as xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol
and isomalt – so watch out for
sugar-free mints and chewing gum.
Annoyingly, holidays or summer
excess can be a prominent time for
bloating. ‘People can be more likely
to overindulge in alcohol and rich or
fatty foods that are known to trigger
tummy issues,’ says Rossi. ‘Also
when you’re out of your normal
routine, bowel movements may
become less frequent, which can
contribute to bloating. To combat
this, drink plenty of water, try not
to skip meals and stay active.’
If you get bloated after a holiday
lunch or BBQ this summer, get up
and start walking, suggests
Harkirat Mahal at MotivatePT
(motivatept.co.uk). ‘Try not to be
completely sedentary after eating.
Going for a 20-minute walk reduces
the build-up of gases in the
stomach and should aid digestion.
Health & Fitness 63

SUMMER
BUGBEARS:
SORTED
BREAKOUTS
If your spots get worse in the
summer, dermatologist Dr Ross
Perry (cosmedics.co.uk) says
it could be due to increased
production of sweat – probably
combined with the addition of
more cream-clogged pores, which
inevitably leads to spots. ‘Good
exfoliating and cleansing will help.
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
(£7.19 for 236ml; boots.com)
or dermol lotions are good for
cleansing body and face.’
FIND
YOUR
HAPPY
Last year, Dove’s Global Beauty and Confidence report revealed women’s
self-esteem and body image perceptions were worryingly low. The report
found 85 per cent of women have avoided doing important life activities (such as
trying out for a team or spending time with a loved one) because they were unhappy
with the way they looked.
So is there anything we can do about issues with body image? Lifecoach Gemma
McCrae (prosperitykitchen.co.uk), points out that self-esteem is about how you perceive
yourself. When your self-esteem is low, you tend to be critical of yourself and feel less
able to tackle challenges.
‘Confidence is about how you perceive your ability to do things,’ says McCrae.
Everyone is different, but low body confidence is generally caused by three factors,
suggests the lifecoach. First, the expectation of how your body ‘should’ look doesn’t
match the reality. Second, if you’ve been told your body is imperfect in some way and,
lastly, if a physical characteristic makes you feel self-conscious.
The good news is that both body confidence and low self-esteem can be improved.
If you feel the onset of holiday-body anxiety, there are simple steps you can take to
rediscover your summer mojo. McCrae advises doing the following as soon as negativity
creeps in to your mind.
1As soon as you feel the onset of a
negative thought, stop and replace
it with a positive affirmation.
2Write a list of the things you excel in
or call a close friend to help you.
3Surround yourself with positive
people (the ones who help you
grow and make you feel good) and
avoid the ‘toxic’ people in your life.
4Fill your body with nutritious
foods to make you feel good
from the inside.
5Try yoga or go for a brisk walk
– both are proven to boost body
image and mood.
6Devise a list of what’s causing
your issues and come up with
a plan to improve things.
7Draw up a list of the bits of your
body you like best or get your
friends to do it for you.
8Do something you enjoy. ‘If I’m
feeling blah, I practise gratitude,
then go and jump on my trampoline
for 10 minutes!’ says McCrae.
9Stand in front of the mirror naked
and tell yourself how wonderful you
are. ‘It sounds ridiculous, but self-love
really works,’ she says. It’s time to give
it a go!
HEAT RASH
According to Dr Perry, heat rashes
are a mini immune response to sun
and or heat. ‘People who are
prone to allergies are more likely
to develop it. Prevention is very
difficult but it’s certainly best to
stay in the shade and use sun
protection. Treatment often
involves stopping exposure to the
heat or sun, and antihistamines
such as Clarityn (£3.15 for seven
tablets; boots.com) can help.’
BLISTERS
Despairing at the state of your
workout-weary feet? ‘The
combination of heat, swelling,
rubbed skin and timing causes
painful blisters,’ says Emma
Supple, Founder of Supplefeet and
advisor to Flexitol. Prevention is
better than cure. Supple suggests
avoiding overly tight shoes,
wearing socks (where possible),
keeping skin moisturised (look for
creams with urea) and allowing
your feet to breathe! If your feet
sweat a lot, try an anti-perspirant
spray and always carry a good
blister plaster in your bag.
CELLULITE
While there’s little evidence creams
have a significant effect on
cellulite, body brushing and gentle
massage may help stimulate
lymphatic circulation and improve
the dispersion of fat, says
Dr Emma Wedgeworth, consultant
dermatologist and British Skin
Foundation spokesperson. We
love Elemis’ Body Detox Skin
Brush (£21; elemis.com). n
64 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

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Ditch that joyless bikini diet – it’s easier to
shape up in summer. Here’s how to harness
the season with simple diet hacks that will see
the pounds fall away for your holidays
We all know it’s
tough to stay
trim in winter
when the days are
cold and comfort
food beckons.
But experts believe the mood-boosting
effects of sunshine make it easier to
stay in control of your food intake
(a theory borne out by a 2013 San
Diego State University study showing
Google searches on disordered eating
were lowest in summer).
Serious weight-control motivation
can be easier to come by in summer
too, with women rating wearing
a bikini as a bigger threat to their
confidence than baring all in the
bedroom, according to a 2012 study.
So with the summer season giving
you a helping hand, it would be mad
not to seize the advantage, and slim
down with less effort. Here are seven
ways to do just that.
SERIOUS
WEIGHT-
CONTROL
MOTIVATION
CAN BE EASIER
TO HAVE IN THE
SUMMER
66 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

diet tricks
SLIM BONUS
A MEDITERRANEAN
DIET APPEALS
Eating a healthy Mediterranean diet feels
‘right’ when you’ve got weather to match
– it’s easier to forgo the stodge and eat
lighter when the sun’s shining. As well as
making it easier to manage your weight,
a diet based around fish, colourful veg,
nuts and olive oil will also lower your
risk of heart disease and cancer.
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Swap to feta – perfect for salads, this
tasty cheese has only 100 calories in a 40g
chunk, compared with 166 calories in the
same-sized portion of English Cheddar.
◆ Go Greek for breakfast. A 150g portion
of 0% Greek yoghurt has the same number
of calories as a boiled egg (around 85), but
twice as much appetite-curbing protein.
Harvard researchers examined the eating
habits of 120,000 people for 20 years
and found that yoghurt was one of the
best foods for shedding pounds: over
time, people who ate more of the proteinpacked
food lost pounds without trying.
◆ Swap wintery pulse dishes such as
baked beans on toast or chilli con carne for
lighter ones such as a butter bean, tuna
and tomato salad or a chickpea, red onion
and mint salad. Pulses provide a stomachfilling
combo of protein and fibre.
SLIM BONUS
YOUR CARB
CRAVINGS SUBSIDE
During winter, low light levels can affect
serotonin levels in the brain, which may
increase the urge for carby snacks, says
dietician Dr Sarah Schenker. ‘When
sunshine levels increase in summer,
cravings for pasta, bread and sugary
snacks may not be as strong.’
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Capitalise on your need for less
carbohydrate by enjoying lower-calorie
open sandwiches (just one slice of bread)
with sunshiny toppings. A slice of rye lends
itself to smashed avocado, with sliced
tomato and fresh basil leaves. You’ll save
around 100 calories.
◆ Switch to spiralised veg – now
mainstream in supermarkets – in place
of noodles. Or, as a half-way house, try
Waitrose new Quinoa and Spiralised
Vegetable Burst (£2.69 for 300g), which
provides some high-quality carbs (for
energy), but with good levels of protein
and a serving of your five-a-day.
◆ Go for chilled new potatoes in a
summery salad. The resistant starch in
them – which only forms when cooked
potatoes cool down – can’t be fully
absorbed, thereby lowering the calories
you get from them. This type of starch also
releases energy more slowly, which helps
keep you fuller for longer.
SLIM BONUS
FRESH FIGS ARE
IN SEASON
Another waistline-friendly taste of summer,
fresh figs are available from M&S, for
around £3 for five (marksandspencer.com).
Two figs contain less than 50 calories but
a similar amount of fibre as a slice of
wholemeal bread, so they make a sweet
and satisfying summer snack or dessert.
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Make a satiating smoothie by whizzing
up 2 fresh figs, 50g raspberries and a
nectarine with some ice (just 132 calories).
◆ Add some protein by wrapping halved
figs in lean Serrano ham – a couple make
a low-calorie yet appetite-curbing snack.
◆ For a simple dessert that counts as one
of your five-a-day, grill honey-drizzled figs
until soft and caramelised and serve with
a little mascarpone.
SLIM BONUS
YOU’RE THIRSTIER
Warmer weather forces us to drink more,
which can help in curbing your appetite,
keeping your weight in check (as long as
what you drink is calorie free). A study in
the journal Obesity found a large glass of
water before each meal helped dieters
shed an extra 4lb over 12 weeks.
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Add loads of ice to your water – you’ll
burn a few extra calories bringing it up
to body temperature!
◆ Ditch milk for lemon in your tea – it’s so
refreshing, and lighter on calories, too.
Health & Fitness 67

WORDS: Angela Dowden PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
◆ Spritz wine and fruit juice with fizzy water
to dilute calories and make drinks longerlasting
and more thirst-quenching.
SLIM BONUS
BERRIES ARE CHEAP
AND PLENTIFUL
Berries such as strawberries, raspberries and
blackberries are a slimmer’s friend, with only
around 5g sugar per 100g, compared with
twice this or more in most other fruit. As an
added bonus, they’re also a rich source of
skin-friendly vitamin C and anthocyanins
– perfect to give you a summer glow.
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Swap your mid-morning banana snack for
a bowl of berries – saving around 70 calories.
◆ For a lighter, healthier chocolate fix,
enjoy strawberries dipped in a little melted
chocolate, or raspberries sprinkled with a
teaspoon of good-quality drinking chocolate
powder (such as Green & Black’s Organic)
or raw organic cacao powder.
◆ For a less sugary alternative to summer ice
cream, blitz 300g of raspberries,150g of
strawberries and 2 tbsp of icing sugar with
200ml of water and freeze into lolly moulds.
SLIM BONUS
YOU CAN BREAK
OUT THE BARBECUE
Eating al fresco isn’t just fun; it can actually be
a chance to enjoy healthy, non-fattening food.
‘Grilling is a great way to cook meat without
additional fat. Plus, some of the fat in the meat
will sizzle away,’ says registered dietician
Helen Bond. Forget fatty sausages, though!
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Marinate lean meat such as chicken or
steak to keep it succulent and tasty without
the need for sauces. A marinade of oil, vinegar
and herbs will also reduce the formation of
harmful carcinogens when you flame grill.
◆ Make low-fat garlic mushrooms – take a
large square of tinfoil, spray with cooking oil,
add sliced mushrooms, seasoning and a clove
of crushed garlic and wrap. Cook the parcel
on the BBQ for about 15-20 minutes.
◆ Grill fresh sardines – they’re cheaper and
lower in calories than burgers and are a
great source of heart-healthy omega-3. Rub
scaled and gutted sardines with lemon zest
and chili flakes, then grill for four minutes
each side.
SLIM BONUS
YOUR APPETITE
IS SMALLER
One theory is that our hunger naturally lessens
when the outside temperature is closer to
body temperature and we need fewer calories
to keep us warm: in a 2013 study, people who
worked out in a hot environment (30°C) ate
less afterwards than those who exercised in
a cooler setting (10°C), which seems to bear
out an appetite-curbing effect of heat.
TOP SEASONAL HACKS
◆ Work with your reduced hunger by actively
cutting your portion size – it’s still easy to
eat more than you actually want if you put
winter-sized portions on your plate.
◆ Order two starters rather than a starter plus
main if you’re eating out. It will vary depending
on the you dishes you choose, but on average
you’ll save at least 300 calories.
◆ At summer buffets and barbecues, fill your
plate the first time round with everything you
want to eat – it’s safer than going back several
times for just one item as it’s harder to track
how much you’ve eaten with multiple trips.
BEAT THE HEAT…
HOT-WEATHER
DOS AND DON’TS
DO... eat regular light
meals rather than
overloading with
fewer big meals that can make
you sluggish and overheated.
DON’T... go
overboard on protein
(meat, fish, eggs)
– though it’s important for
satiating you, it produces
more heat than other food
components when digested,
which could make it more
difficult for you to stay cool.
DO... top up your
intake of potassium
(in fruit and veg such
as avocado, guavas and
bananas). It’s an essential
fluid-regulating mineral.
Marginally reduced levels
caused by sweating in hot and
humid weather can contribute
to raised blood pressure and
irregular heart beats.
DON’T... quench your
thirst with excessive
amounts of alcoholic
drinks – especially during the
hottest part of the day – it has
a very dehydrating effect on
your system. ■
68 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

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GYM STYLE
FIT FASHION ] COOL KIT ] STYLE ADVICE
WE LOVE...
Fabletics Delta Seamless Tank, £30
(VIP £22); Salar Paintbrush Floral Print
Capris, £57 (VIP £40); fabletics.co.uk.
The latest gym collection from activewear brand
Fabletics, co-founded by actress Kate Hudson,
is bursting with bold, energising colours and
prints and choc full of interesting details.
If you regularly buy new kit, sign up to
the company’s VIP membership
programme for great savings
on the regular price.
CONTENTS
p72 Fashion Hot summer colours
p79 Get the look Gym style
Health & Fitness 71

PUSH THE BOAT OUT
Make your summer workout wardrobe sizzle with hot
colours and dynamic prints

PHOTOGRAPHER: Helen Marsden STYLIST: Kellie Daggett

Previous page
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CONTENTS
p83 Spa Step back in time at an historic spa on the edge of Dartmoor National Park p84
Training with the best Head to Thailand for an authentic Muay Thai kickboxing getaway
p86 Gut-friendly foods Health-boosting recipes that are kind to your tummy
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock *According to a study by Belvita Breakfast (belvitabreakfast.com)
80 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

YOU TIME
HEALTHY RECIPES ] SPA AND WELLBEING ] TRAVEL
FEEL-GOOD
FOOD
Do you skip breakfast? You’re not the
only one who’ll pay the price, according
to a new study. Not only are you missing
out on vital nutrients, and more likely to
eat extra calories throughout the day,
research shows you can negatively
impact the mood of those around you*.
Scientists looked at 2,000 people who
don’t partake in the first meal of the day
and found more than half of them were
usually ‘grumpy and irritable’ for the
whole day. What’s more, their bad mood
rubbed off on those around them. If you
want to keep your loved ones, friends
and colleagues happy, maybe it’s time to
tuck in to a bowl of fruit and muesli.
Health & Fitness 81

spa news
Boringdon Hall:
5-star Elizabethan
elegance
WORDS: Lucy Pinto. ADDITIONAL WORDS: Emma Lewis and Hally Houldsworth
Spa time
The latest pampering places, products and treatments
Natural
spa
SPA OF
THE MONTH
Boringdon Hall Hotel,
Boringdon Hill,
Colebrook, Plymouth
THE HOTEL
Known as ‘The enchanted place on the hill’,
Boringdon Hall Hotel is set on the edge of
Dartmoor National Park, just a 10-minute
drive from Plymouth. The Elizabethan
5-star manor house hotel oozes dramatic
architecture and history, and is mentioned
in the Doomsday Book.
The hotel’s bedrooms vary from
the stable rooms, which are situated
in Boringdon Hall’s
newest wing, to the
heavenly four-poster
rooms in the main
house – rich in fabric
and dark wood, they
still create a sense
of peace and calm. We stayed in the
royal suite in the house’s original turret,
and spent a relaxing afternoon out on
the deck sipping champagne, followed
by an evening’s dip in our private
outdoor heated Jacuzzi.
A relaxing morning followed with a
gentle soak in the large free-standing bath,
filled to the top with Espa products, looking
out to the hills – bliss!
'My skin was left smooth
and replenished, and
my mind and body felt
relaxed yet energised'
THE SPA
Flowing seamlessly from the great main hall,
the new Gaia spa creates a sense of luxury
and stillness, bringing the outdoors in with
its use of natural materials and daylight.
The first thing I do when at a hotel is
check out the gym and Boringdon's is
impressive. Clean and air-conditioned, the
gym has new equipment and free weights,
and a decent stretching area. It runs daily
classes that you can also sign up to.
After dragging myself out from the spa’s
changing rooms (which are like a luxury
boutique, with lotions and potions) I headed
on into the main spa area and straight for
the crystal salt room.
After a good 10
minutes here, I refreshed
myself with the freezing
bucket shower –
refreshing is one way to
describe it – and walked
briskly into the Finnish
sauna to get nice and warm again.
The spa also houses a luxury indoor/
outdoor swimming pool, aromatherapy
steam room, herbal sauna and experience
showers with varying temperature and
sensory effects.
THE TREATMENTS
Using Espa and hand-made Gaia products
with fresh ingredients including lavender,
sesame and lemongrass, combining
ancient traditions and artisan methods, the
treatments and wellbeing therapies range
from hot-stone massage and personalised
facials to Gaia’s Total Holistic Ritual.
This treatment is 120 minutes, and one
of Gaia’s signature rituals. My therapist
explained what would be involved while
giving me a gentle foot soak. Then I
hopped onto the couch for the treatment.
The therapist started with a deep cleanse,
using Balinese and Lomi techniques –
flowing actions of the hand and arm. The
scent of the sea was then present as we
went to the exfoliation stage with vigorous
movements over the body. My skin was
then cleaned with hot towels and a thin
layer of mud was applied. I felt tingles all
over my body as the mud worked it's way
into my skin.
As I laid there snug and warm, a gentle
face treatment was applied and I was left
for a few moments to relax. I stepped into
a perfectly warm shower to remove the
mud while the bed was remade and the
final step of hot oils was applied to my
body and face. My skin was left smooth
and replenished while my mind and body
felt relaxed yet energised.
THE FOOD
The food at Boringdon Hall is classic and
uses locally sourced ingredients – with
various places to dine you'll be spoilt for
choice. We ate at the Gallery restaurant
overlooking the great hall. After a few
appetizers of Truffle and Chicken Liver Pots
and Asparagus Foam with Goat's Cheese,
I opted for the monkfish. The dish looked
like a painting! The fish was meaty but
melted in the mouth with a subtle pairing
of chorizo – this was a winner for me.
PRICE
From £189 B&B; boringdonhall.co.uk.
TRY THIS...
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dry skin, you can apply the lavenderinfused
cream as a face mask, then
cover your face with the damp muslin
cloth for 10 minutes. Or add a little
caster sugar to some balm for an
exfoliating scrub. Or both. £16.50 for
60ml and a muslin cloth; lovelula.com.
Health & Fitness 83

TRAINING WITH
THE BEST
H&F’s art director Lucy Pinto goes the distance on a Muay
Thai training holiday that doesn’t pull its punches
Some R&R at Tamarind Springs Forest
Spa beckons after all that sparring
I’ve just stepped off a 13-hour flight
to Thailand and I’m walking into
a gym – not any old gym but an
open-air spit and sawdust gym
containing some of the world’s best
Muay Thai (Thai boxing) fighters and
trainers. The scent of Muay Thai liniment
oil (to help fighters warm up their muscles
and reduce bruising) fills the air and there
are puddles of sweat glistening from
the mats. I’m so excited that my heart
is in my mouth as the echo of thuds
on pads surrounds me. ‘Welcome to
Sitsongpeenong,’ a local trainer says
and bows his head.
Sitsongpeenong (which means Two
Brothers Muay Thai training camp;
sitsongpeenong.com) is located in the
Khet Prawet area of eastern Bangkok and
84 Health& Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
boasts two full-sized championship
boxing rings, over 180m² of training
space, modern training equipment,
a weight-training area, a games room,
a dining room, and modern and
comfortable rooms to stay in. Don’t
expect Aesop soap and fluffy towels,
though – the facilities are fairly basic
as you’re here to concentrate on the
incredible training you won’t find
anywhere else in the world.
I’m doing a taster of a 10-day Muay Thai
holiday, so I’ll do two, two-hour sessions a
day for two days. We get there too late for
the usual 5K run at dawn, so head straight
to our first session. Bag work, sparring and
clinching are all part of the programme,
with very little rest in between. Yes, it’s
pretty exhausting! I’ve got a Western
boxing background and have only dabbled
in Muay Thai, so I’m really thrown in at the
deep end. I spar with men and clinch with
some of the country’s best female fighters
– and all in temperatures of 38°C!
The training camps cater for everyone
from complete novices to pros, and people
often come for seven days to six weeks. It
might sound intimidating, but the trainers
make even the most nervous characters
feel at ease. I’m in a group of four and
there’s also a group of four from the US
plus a few singles staying there. Most
people are a basic intermediate level but
there are some amateur fighters and two or
three novices. Just being in this gym is an
amazing experience – you can arrive with
no experience and are guaranteed to leave
feeling invigorated and wanting more. The
trainers give you time and knowledge that
you wouldn’t get in an hour-long class back
home. I listen carefully to all the tips on
offer so I can hold my own as best I can.
AMAZING FACILITIES
After our time at Sitsongpeenong, we move
to the Pathum Wan district, in the centre
of Bangkok, and stay at the luxurious
and stylish Pathumwan Princess Hotel
(pprincess.com). Among its amazing sports
facilities sit a full-sized boxing ring, a gym
bigger then most well-known chains
(with a squat rack – bonus!), a half-sized
basketball court, an air-conditioned
badminton court, tennis courts, squash
courts, swimming pool and loads more.
We take this opportunity to wander
round the local area, and have a traditional
Thai massage. You don the traditional
loose cotton clothing and lie on a treatment
bed. A Thai massage is not about oils and

active travel
superficial body rubbing and you’ll be
amazed how a small Thai woman can
move your body round with such power,
stretching, slapping and bending it! I leave
feeling two inches taller and head to enjoy
the hotel’s facilities.
A FAMOUS CEREMONY
The next day, we’re invited to a prestigious
Muay Thai Wai Khru ceremony (where
students honour their teachers and hope
to gain merit and good fortune in the
future). If you’re a fan of Muay Thai, you
may have heard of the Wai Khru dance.
On entering the ring, fighters circle the ring
in a counter-clockwise direction and pray
at each corner. They bow their head at
every corner three times in salutation to
Buddha, the Hindu god Rama and the
sangha (community) of monks. The Wai
Khru Ram Muay is a personal ritual set to
music, and can be very complex or very
simple. It often contains clues about who
trained the fighter and where the fighter’s
from. The Muay Thai fighter wears a
headband called Mongkhon while
performing their dance and their level of
proficiency is shown in different colours.
We get the amazing opportunity to be
part of the Wai Khru and to try one of the
dances. This year’s ceremony sees more
than 1,200 people collecting a Mongkhon,
which is then blessed by the teachers.
Then the teachers and pupils dance the
Wai Khru together.
Our evening is finished off with a
delicious meal of Thai chicken curry and
a fragrant pork and noodle dish, all served
with steaming fresh vegetables and rice.
We eat next to the river while the locals
perform a live show, taking us through
the history of the Muay Thai fighter.
The next morning, we head to the airport
for our transfer to Koh Samui island, off the
east coast of Thailand. We’re here for three
days, staying at the five-star ManaThai
Hotel (manathai.com), an elegant sanctuary
in colonial style, set on the serene sands
of Lamai Beach. The rooms are vast yet
homely and there’s a sense of calm all
around the hotel. We’re greeted with a
traditional hand-bathing ritual to wish
us love and energy for our stay.
It’s soon time to go training again,
though, so we head to Lamai Muay Thai
Camp (supported by the World Muay Thai
Council, or WMC), which is run by Ralf, an
English man who became an islander more
than 20 years ago after giving up the rat
race and heading out to Thailand to build
a network for the locals. He’s a bit of a
legend locally! Lamai Muay Thai Camp also
offers food and accommodation and is
situated just off the beach, so we get
a few beach sessions in; learning how
to kick in the water, doing beach bear
crawls and, of course, beach sprints!
The training style here is similar to
that at Sitsongpeenong and I soon
find my stride working with one of
the local trainers.
RECOVERY TIME
After all that training, what better
way to relax than to head to a
hilltop spa? Tamarind Springs
Forest Spa (tamarindsprings.com),
Koh Samui’s first dedicated day
spa, gives me the chance to reset
my intentions and be at one with
nature. The open-air site offers an array of
treatments, from traditional Thai massage
to massages using the classic oils to
reflexology, as well as the chance to try
the herbal steam caves built into the rocks,
plus free scrubs and natural plunge pools.
I opt for another traditional Thai
massage, which I feel I need after all the
training. The therapists make you feel at
ease and the gentle sounds of nature and
water flowing make this location to die
for. All too soon, though, it’s time for our
final session at Lamai Muay Thai Camp,
followed by a lovely evening meal with
all of the trainers.
I’m sad to leave such a beautiful island
and the people I’ve become close to. I’ve
learnt so much in such a sort space of
time. Apart from a few bruises, I’ve come
away with a new-found respect for Muay
Thai fighters. It’s by far the most disciplined
and humble sport I’ve come across, and
it’s now firmly on my own fitness schedule
back in the UK. ■
The teachers at the annual
Muay Thai Wai Khru ceremony
FACT FILE
● A 10-day holiday inc. return
flights with Thai Airways from
Bangkok to Koh Samui, 3 nights
at Pathumwan Princess Hotel, 7
nights at the ManaThai Hotel
(inc. 6 days’ training at WMC
Lamai Muay Thai Camp), return
airport transfers and daily
breakfast costs £899pp (based
on two people sharing).
muaythaiholidays.com/
luxurymuaythai; 020 7636 7983.
Thai Airways International
operates twice-daily direct
services from London to
Bangkok, with connections from
Bangkok to over 80 destinations
worldwide; thaiairways.com.
POWERED BY
Lucy practises her left
hook at Sitsongpeenong
Health& Fitness 85

Marinating
garlic in oil allows
you to enjoy the
flavour without
disturbing a
more delicate
gut.
J
GARLIC OIL
Makes 150ml
6 garlic cloves
150ml olive oil
Lidded jar
Take the papery skins off the garlic,
slice the cloves thinly and pop into
a clean jar with the olive oil. Close
the lid firmly and leave to macerate
in the fridge for at least an hour, but
ideally for six to eight hours.
Do not leave it at room temperature
for long. Strain the garlic through a
small sieve, then return the oil to the
same jar and close. Keep in the
fridge and use within a week.
86 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

ecipes
Gut-friendly
FOODS
These health-boosting
recipes are a treat for your
tummy, whether you have
digestion problems or not
WORDS: Emma Lewis
It doesn’t matter who you are – absolutely
everyone can benefit from giving their gut a little
TLC,’ says Naomi Devlin, author of new book
Food for a happy gut: recipes to calm, nourish
& heal (Headline, £20).
Devlin was a foodie and always loved to cook,
until, after being diagnosed with coeliac disease,
her relationship with food suddenly changed. ‘It
became a source of anxiety and often disappointment;
restaurants were fraught with danger, and old
favourites, like crusty bread, were off the menu,’ she
says. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, Devlin
did something positive. She set about learning about
what goes on in the gut, and soon realised that what
she ate, how she lived her life and her emotional
state all had a huge influence on her health.
Now she wants to help others look after their
digestive systems, too. ‘Eating is such an integral
part of our lives. It’s my mission to help others discover
how delicious it can be to take care of your gut.’
Quick tip
Devlin’s new book contains more than 100 ways
to expand your culinary repertoire and feed your
microbes. It’s broken down into three sections: Calm,
Nourish and Heal. Start with ‘Calm’ if you have
sensitive digestion. You’ll be eating foods containing
omega-3 fats, probiotics and anti-inflammatories. If
you have coeliac disease or IBS, you’ll learn how to
calm the inflammation that causes discomfort.
Prebiotic foods feed the friendly bacteria in your
gut, and ‘Nourish’ is full of prebiotic treats. The
recipes also include probiotic fermented vegetables,
anti-inflammatories and nourishing broths.
Lastly, ‘Heal’ features lots of crunchy, spicy and
pickled bits that make food more interesting as well as
therapeutic. Think probiotic pickled vegetables, water
kefir and anti-inflammatory dressings.
If you’re living with someone who needs a restrictive
diet, the good news is that, with this book, you don’t
have to cook separate meals – everyone can enjoy
these dishes and not feel like they’re missing out.
‘Variety truly is the spice of life where your gut is concerned, so embrace your desire to try
new things, knowing that this will make you more vital.’
AUBERGINE SLIPPERS WITH CORIANDER YOGHURT
AND BLACK SESAME CRUMB
Serves: 4
Per serving: 455 calories, 32g fat
(7g saturated fat), 7g fibre, 29g
carbohydrate (7g sugar), 0.8g salt
2 large aubergines
100ml garlic oil (see box, left)
A little sea salt
30g coriander leaves
125g live natural yoghurt
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
BLACK SESAME CRUMB
200g sourdough bread, no crusts
4 tsp coconut oil
Sea salt and black pepper
50g black sesame seeds
2-3 tsp nigella seeds
Preheat the oven to 180°C/
1
160°C fan/Gas Mark 4. Slice
the aubergines in half lengthways,
then score the flesh into diamonds
with a knife, taking care not to
puncture the skin. Place, cut side up,
on a baking sheet, drizzle over the
garlic oil, then sprinkle with salt.
Roast for an hour, until the flesh is
soft and deeply golden on top.
Meanwhile, make the coriander
2 yoghurt. Put the coriander
leaves, yoghurt and a good squeeze
of lemon juice into a blender and
whizz until a pale green colour.
Taste and add a little more lemon if
necessary, then pour into a small
bowl and set aside.
To make the sesame crumb,
3
break the bread into very
small pieces (smaller than your little
finger nail). Fry in the coconut oil,
stirring until golden. Season with salt
and black pepper and put aside.
Toast the sesame and nigella
4
seeds in a dry frying pan over
medium heat, shaking the pan
constantly, until they start to pop and
smell nutty. Pour into a mortar, cool
and then grind coarsely with a pestle.
Stir into the breadcrumbs.
To serve, give everyone an
5
aubergine slipper and let them
help themselves to the coriander
yoghurt and sesame crumb.
Health & Fitness 87

J
VELVET
DRESSING
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 big pinches sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
Raw honey (optional)
Smallish lidded jar
Put the garlic into a small jar
with the mustard, salt and
lemon juice. Pour in enough
oil to 2–3 times the quantity
of lemon juice. Shake
vigorously until creamy, Taste
it and adjust the seasoning
and add honey to taste if
required. Store the dressing
in the fridge for up to three
days. Shake before use.
BUCKWHEAT
GROATS
150g buckwheat groats
Put the buckwheat groats
into a dry frying pan and
toast over a medium heat for
10 minutes, or until reddish
brown and smelling toasty.
Set aside to cool, then store
in an airtight container for up
to a month.
This salad is
a wonderfully
balanced dish, rich
in omega-3 fats,
calcium and
acidophilus.
FRESH FIGS WITH WATERCRESS AND GOATS’ MILK LABNEH
Serves: 4
Per serving: 421 calories, 39g fat
(8g saturated fat), 8g protein, 2.5g fibre,
15g carbohydrate (9g sugar), 0.4g salt
100g walnuts
80g watercress leaves
4 ripe fresh figs
200g goats’ milk labneh
1 x quantity of velvet dressing (see box)
1-2 tbsp date syrup
1 tbsp toasted buckwheat groats (see box)
88 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
Set a dry frying pan over a high heat,
1 add the walnuts and toast until they
start to catch on the tips. Set aside to cool.
Divide the watercress between four
2 plates (or one large platter), discarding
any woody stalks. Slice the figs and scatter
these over the watercress, then dot pieces of
labneh around the figs. Break up the walnuts
a little in your hands and scatter them over
the dish too.
Drizzle the velvet dressing over
3 the whole thing just before you
eat and do Jackson Pollock-style artistry
with the date syrup, too. Scatter with
the toasted buckwheat groats and
serve immediately.
TOP TIP: For a more substantial supper,
this salad is delicious when eaten with a
little pink roast lamb and steamed French
beans on the side.

Broad beans
make a really
creamy, fresh
houmous that
absolutely sings
with tart feta
and cool mint.
SOURDOUGH TOAST WITH BROAD BEAN
HOUMOUS, FETA AND MINT
Serves: 4
Per serving: 427 calories, 28g fat
(7g saturated fat), 14g protein, 7g fibre,
27g carbohydrate (3g sugar), 2.5g salt
1kg broad beans in their pods or 300g frozen
broad beans
1 tbsp tahini
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp fine sea salt
20g dill fronds, finely chopped (optional)
TO SERVE
4 large or 8 small slices of sourdough bread
1 plump garlic clove, halved
120g feta cheese
Handful of mint leaves, chopped
Pod the broad beans (or use straight from
1 frozen), then steam for 3-4 minutes, until
tender. Refresh with cold water and tip into a
blender. Add the tahini, garlic, olive oil, half of
the lemon juice and the salt, and blend until
the mixture is broken down.
Add about 50ml of water and blend until
2 the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the
remaining lemon juice to taste, and possibly
more water, until the texture of whipped cream.
Stir in the dill (if using), add seasoning if needed;
scrape into a container or use right away.
To serve, toast the bread slices (on a
3 griddle pan, if you have one). Rub each
slice with the garlic (or leave it out if you’re
sensitive) and drizzle over a little olive oil. Spread
the houmous generously on the toast, crumble
the feta over the top, scatter with mint, then
finish with another drizzle of olive oil. Eat in the
sunshine, if possible!
TOP TIP: Any leftover houmous will keep in the
fridge for a few days in a clean jar with oil poured
on top to exclude the air.
Food for a happy gut: recipes to calm, nourish & heal by Naomi Devlin
(Headline, £20)
DEVLIN’S
GOOD-GUT TIPS
Prepare food in advance
each week. Soak and cook
grains and pulses, slow-cook
some hard-working cuts of
meat, make bone broth…
Start the day with a soothing
breakfast. Feelings influence
your guts profoundly, so
create a routine to calm any
anxiety you feel when faced
with a busy day of work.
Fill the freezer with
homemade baked beans and
teff pancakes, the cupboard
with granola, artichoke hearts
and sunflower seed butter,
and make a tub of Bircher
muesli for the fridge.
Probiotic pickles are full of
friendly bacteria. Mix salt with
vegetables, allow the friendly
bacteria to flourish and create
a sweet and sour delight.
Preserved lemons and
smoked paprika bring muchneeded
oomph to a bland
and restricted diet.
Health & Fitness 89

VOUCHER
Buy portable water ioniser ADROP.
Save £40 with promo code! Promo Code: BODY.
Valid: April, May 2017.

WORKOUT HANDBOOK
] 16 PAGES OF EXPERT ADVICE AND INSTRUCTION
INSIDE
92 Target zone
Back strengtheners.
94 Sculpt a
summer body
Part two of our alfresco
workout plan.
100 Fit knowledge
Make more of your
lunchtime workout.
102 Move of
the month
The pull-up.
103 Kit test
Running shorts.
104 Run knowledge
How hill training can
transform your running.
106 Run expert
The truth about
‘fasted’ training.
107 Success story
‘I lost half my
bodyweight with
bootcamp training!’
PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images
Health & Fitness 91

TARGET
ZONE
BACK
This month, expert trainer Jean-Claude Vacassin,
owner of W10 Performance Gyms, helps you
focus on working your back to the max
BACK
Keep your spine
as straight as
possible throughout
the movement. Don’t
let your back
round.
HAMSTRINGS
To get your legs
fired up, keep your
hamstrings engaged
throughout. This
will stabilise your
hips.
A
B
1. BENT-OVER ROW
BENEFITS: Done correctly, the bent-over row will build
strength across your entire back, hamstrings and core.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Bend over at the waist, aiming to get your upper body parallel
to the floor. Keep your back straight (A).
Brace your back and row the dumbbells up to your body (B).
Squeeze your back muscles tightly at the top of the move and
keep your elbows as close to your body as you can, before
slowly lowering the dumbbells to the start position.
CUT OUT AND KEEP
92 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

TRAINING ZONE
A
B
2. ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
Benefits: One of the best exercises for hitting
the glutes and hamstrings, this deadlift removes
your knees from the equation, so the emphasis
is all on the hamstrings, glutes and back.
Hold a bar at hip level with a pronated (palms
facing down) grip. Your shoulders should be back,
your back arched, and your knees slightly bent.
This will be your starting position (A).
Lower the bar by moving your butt back as far as
you can. Keep the bar close to your body, your
head looking forward, and your shoulders back and
down (B).
Lower the bar down just below the knees, then
return to the starting position, driving your hips
forward to stand back tall.
Repeat.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Will Ireland MODEL: Jess @ W Model ManagementTRAINER: Daisy Ellen HAIR & MAKE-UP: Louise Heywood
CLOTHING: Bellum Active Run Wild Active Leggings, £55; TriMax Compression Seamless Sports Crop, £32 (bellumactive.co.uk).Trainers, model’s own
A
A
B
B
3. SPLIT-STANCE, SINGLE-
ARM KETTLEBELL ROW
Benefits: Kettlebell rows are an excellent
upper-body pulling movement. Adding the split
stance increases the leverage in your range of
motion, allowing you to build even more strength
in your back and biceps muscles.
Get into a split stance with your left foot
forward and your right foot behind you and hold
a kettlebell in your right hand.
Bending forward slightly, rest your left forearm
on your left knee. Keep your head in line with
your torso, making a straight line from your heels
through to the top of your head (A).
Tighten your abs, legs and glutes.
Lift the weight up and slightly back until your
upper arm is just above your ribs. Keep your
elbow tight to your ribs (B).
Do 8-10 reps per arm, alternating sides.
4. TRX ROW
Benefits: The TRX Row is good for developing
strength in your upper back. While the move
mainly works the lats and other muscles in your
back, this exercise also strengthens your hand
grip, shoulders and core.
Stand facing the straps, brace your lower
back and tighten your core.
Lean back, letting the straps hold your
weight – your arms should be straight (A).
Pull yourself up with your back, maintaining
a tight core (B).
Squeeze your back muscles and slowly
lower yourself.
Repeat.
Personal trainer Jean-Claude Vacassin owns
W10 Performance gyms in London. He has advised
athletes, sports brands and film companies, as well
as working in nutrition, functional medicine and
rehabilitation. Visit w10performancegym.com.
Health & Fitness 93

WORKOUT
MEET THE
EXPERT
David Brown is manager at BaseFit
Shoreditch (base-fit.uk), London's
only dedicated outdoor-training
venue. Expect bootcamp, HIIT and
strength and conditioning classes
with expert instructors, focusing
on full-body movements
to reap results.
94 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
✁CUT OUT AND KEEP

WORKOUT
SCULPT A
SUMMER
BODY
Now that you’ve quit the gym for al fresco training, we’ve
upped the ante in our two-part summer fitness plan to boost
your total-body strength and increase your workout capacity
Want to slim down
and soak up the
sun? Don’t let your
love of the gym
keep you inside.
Sure, the shorts and
tops season is here and you want to sculpt sexy
abs, but that doesn’t mean you must stay in the
stuffy weights room. Going outside offers a great
workout space where you can train to blast fat,
build muscle and carve lean definition.
No need for kit either – bodyweight exercises
(think: push-ups, squats and planks) are tough
and an effective way to burn fat. Still, outdoorfriendly
kit, such as kettlebells, does offer a great
way to add variety to your green workout. If you
followed the first four weeks of our Build An
Outdoor Body programme (June issue) devised
by David Brown from London’s outdoor training
venue, BaseFit (base-fit.uk), you’re already well
on your way to super al fresco fitness. Now, it’s
time to pick up the pace.
‘In the second phase of this programme,
you’ll build on the foundation of fitness laid
down last month by increasing your work
capacity, boosting total-body strength
and stripping fat,’ explains Brown. ‘The
cardiovascular exercises increase in
intensity, as I’ve added some 1K run
intervals to be performed between the
bodyweight drills. This will push your fitness
levels sky-high.’
There are also some weighted moves this
month – kettlebell swings and tyre flips – which
will really strengthen your muscles. Is the sun
shining? Then it’s time to feel the burn.
THE PLAN: PICK UP THE PACE
Follow this weekly plan for the next four weeks
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Workout 1
Workout 2
Workout 1
Workout 2
Workout 1
Workout 2
RECOVERY DAY Feel good?
Try gentle yoga or Pilates
Health & Fitness 95

WORKOUT
WORKOUT #1
Find a park and start
running. After running for
1K, do the following
exercises in order, without
resting between moves.
Repeat until you’ve
completed 30 minutes
of running
A
B
10 X PUSH-UPS
Lie face-down on the floor with your
toes tucked under, hands level with
your shoulders but slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing
forwards and palms down (A).
Engage your core and push your
chest off the floor until you’re in a
high plank position (B). Bend your
elbows to lower your body back
down to the ground until your chest
nearly touches it; your elbows
shouldn’t flare out. Pause; repeat.
15 X SQUATS
Stand with your feet hip-width
apart with your hands together in
front of your chest. Lower your body
to a 90° angle by bending at your
knees and pushing your bottom
back. Pause, then slowly return
to standing.
20 X SIT-UPS
Lie on your back on the ground and
place your fingertips by your ears. Place
your feet on the ground with your knees
bent (A). Exhale and lift your upper body
by about 45°, pulling your deep abs in
towards your spine (B). Pause, then
return to the starting position.
A
B
96 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

WORKOUT
25 X WALKING LUNGES
Stand with your feet together and
your arms at your sides (A). Step
forwards with your right leg until
you're in a lunge position with your
right leg bent at a 90° angle and your
left knee nearly touching the ground
(B). Explode back up until your left
leg joins the right, then step forwards
with your left leg.
A
B
30-SECOND PLANK
Starting at the top of a push-up position, bend your
elbows and lower yourself down until you can shift
your weight from your hands to your forearms – your
body should form a straight line, as below. Brace
your abs (imagine someone’s about to punch you
in the stomach), squeeze your glutes and hold.
Health & Fitness 97

WORKOUT
WORKOUT #2
Perform the following exercises in order, without resting
between moves. Take 60-90 seconds of rest between
rounds. Do six to eight rounds
B
A
A
B
4 X TYRE FLIPS
Stand with a large tyre in front of
your feet. Squat down to scoop your
hands under the tyre. Push through
your heels to stand up, pulling the
tyre up with both hands. Push the
tyre forwards with both hands until it
flips over. Shuffle forwards; repeat. If
you don't have a tyre, try the Frogger
move: Start in a high plank. Hop
both feet forwards to outside your
hands. Spring them back to the start.
6 X SQUAT JUMPS
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
and hands behind your head. Drop
down into a squat by bending your
knees and pressing through your
heels (A). Propel yourself into the air
as high as you can (B) and, when
you land, immediately bend your
knees back into a squat position.
Lift yourself high up onto the balls
of your feet before jumping to target
your calf muscles.
8 X BOX JUMPS
Stand less than a foot away from a
raised platform – a low wall or bench
will do – with your feet shoulderwidth
apart and your knees bent.
Swing your arms back and prepare
to jump (A). Using your arms to
propel you forwards, jump onto
the platform with both feet. Land
in a squat position (B), pause for
a count of two and jump back
down. That’s one rep.
10 X KETTLEBELL CLEAN & PRESS
(EACH SIDE)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a kettlebell
between your feet. Hold your left arm out to the side
at shoulder height, and then squat down and grab
the kettlebell with your right hand (A). Quickly
straighten your legs and push your hips forwards to
stand up, drawing the kettlebell up to chest-height.
Then flip your hand over, swinging the kettlebell
behind your hand (B). Bend your knees to cushion
the impact before pressing the kettlebell straight
overhead (C). Reverse the sequence of moves
and repeat.
98 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
A B C A B
12 X KETTLEBELL SWINGS
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and
your toes turned out slightly. Bend your knees,
push your hips back and grab the top of
the kettlebell with both hands. Swing the
kettlebell back between your legs (A) and
stand up quickly, by snapping your hips
forwards and squeezing your glutes. Swing
the kettlebell in an arc to chest height, as you
stand (B). Let the kettlebell fall back through
your legs (don’t put it down) and repeat. n
WORDS: Sarah Ivory PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock ILLUSTRATIONS: Jason Pickersgill
✁
CUT OUT AND KEEP

WORKOUT
Health & Fitness 99

FITNESS KNOWLEDGE
UPGRADE
YOUR
LUNCH
BREAK
Forget clocking extra office
hours – lunch is the perfect
time to burn calories! Here’s
how to make more of your
midday workout
Making it to the end of the working day is so much harder if
you don’t take a break. A study in the Scandinavian Journal
of Medicine & Science in Sports shows that even a 30-minute
lunchtime stroll can significantly boost a person’s ability to handle
stress at work. But why not ramp up the intensity of your workout
and amplify results? ‘It sounds obvious, but don’t use the time to just go through the
motions,’ says Georgia Gray, Fitness First personal trainer. ‘Be focused. Get the most out
of every rep. Don’t text during your rest periods. Basically, just work hard.’ Heading to
the gym this lunch hour? Follow these smart strategies to get more from your session.
use next.’ If you’re not sure what sort of
plan you should be following, speak to one
of the gym instructors and ask if you can
book a gym induction, during which they
should provide you with an exercise plan.
Get in there and just do it. Got it?
sleds and plenty of exciting new-fangled
kit – but it’s important not to simply ‘play
around’ with the latest equipment. In fact,
New Balance ambassador Shona Vertue
thinks it’s best to use as little equipment
as possible. ‘There’s nothing worse than
getting to a packed gym only to spend half
your time waiting for kit. Standing in line
won’t burn calories! If you’re using the gym
at a peak time, such as during the lunch
hour, find an empty corner, grab a kettlebell
or resistance band and do a circuit. That
way, you’ll spend your lunch hour working
out rather than waiting it out,’ she says.
GET WITH THE
PROGRAMME
Guilty of wandering around the gym
aimlessly? What you need is a game plan
for workout success. ‘Know exactly what
you’re going to the gym to do,’ advises
Gray. ‘Not only will you be more motivated
to beat your weight or rep targets, but
you’ll also save the time you’d normally
spend thinking about what bit of kit to
100 Health& Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
WORK OUT WITH LESS
Modern gyms may be fitness-lovers’
playgrounds – with battle ropes, tyres,
MAXIMISE ON MOVES
When time is short, compound exercises
that work multiple muscles at once are
the key to strength rewards. ‘Revolve your
session around big, compound moves

FITNESS KNOWLEDGE
trainer at The Gym Bristol. ‘You could
vary the sets [try doing hill intervals, for
example] or increase the speed of your
movements to improve your overall
performance and get more from your
workout.’ Do this and you’ll free up time
to spend using the other kit as well.
such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, chest
presses, bent-over rows, chin-ups and
dips,’ says Gray. ‘These moves require
oodles of energy and are great for fat
loss. A lot of my clients love the adductor
(inner-thigh) machine, but a squat will work
the adductors, rest of the lower body, core
and lower back.’ In short, these moves
offer more bang for your exercise buck.
movements,’ says Vertue. ‘For example,
perform 10 squats, then immediately
[without rest] do 10 push-ups. By going
from a lower- to an upper-body exercise,
your body is quickly shunting blood from
the legs (from the squat) to the arms
(for the push-up). This takes quite a bit
of energy and will burn lots of calories.’
DROP IT LOW
If you’re still plugging through the
3 x 12 reps session that the gym
instructor gave you a year ago, it’s time
to mix up your weights workout. ‘Your
body needs progressive overload to make
progress,’ says Gray. And this means
taxing your muscles more this week than
you did last week. ‘If you’re coming in and
going through the motions, you’ll struggle
to see results. Try doing dropsets, which
involves completing an exercise at a certain
weight before dropping the weight slightly
and performing the same exercise. This is a
great way to push the body to failure [when
it can’t physically do that move anymore,
which leads to strength gains].’
WORDS: Sarah Ivory PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
GIVE IT A REST
Sure, rest periods are important. They give
your body a chance to restore, recover
and replenish, meaning you can hit the
next set just as hard as the last one. But,
by cleverly selecting exercises that work
different muscle groups, you can skimp
on rest, give worked muscles a chance
to recoup and keep up the intensity.
‘Switch between upper- and lower-body
CURB THE CARDIO
Love spending the entire hour on the
treadmill? Bad news – unless you’re
training for an endurance event, spending
that long on a cardio machine isn’t the best
use of your time. What you need to do is
to up the intensity and decrease the time
of your aerobic session to supercharge
cardiovascular results. ‘There are lots
of ways to increase the intensity of your
workout,’ says Allyn Condon, personal
TRACK YOUR TIME
If you're motivated by competition, one
of the most effective ways to gain strength
and improve your fitness results is to
compete with yourself by tracking your
workouts. ‘When you’re not sticking to a
plan, you really will struggle to see results,’
warns Gray. ‘To get the most out of any
workout – whether it's long or short – you
need to be recording what you’re doing
and aiming to improve on that [by running
a bit faster, lifting more weight or clocking
more reps, for example] week-on-week.’
Yes, it’s time to invest in that workout diary
you've been promising yourself.
Health& Fitness 101

MOVE OF THE MONTH
POWER UP
A perfect exercise to challenge advanced gym goers’ upper bodies, the pull-up is a toughie
B
1
2
A
B
1. SHOULDERS
Grip the bar hard to engage
your shoulder muscles.
2. ELBOWS
Keep your elbows back
and in.
3. ABS AND GLUTES
Engage your abs and glutes
– it’s like a dynamic plank.
PULL-UP
Pull-ups are one of the hardest exercises you can do, but they
give you the greatest benefits to your back and upper body.
They’re a compound exercise, meaning they involve a large
number of big and small muscles.
HOW TO DO IT
● Jump up and grab the pull-up bar about shoulder-width
apart with your palms facing forward if you’re holding a
regular bar.
● Bring your torso back around 30° or so while creating
a curvature on your lower back and sticking your
102 Health& Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
3
chest out. This is your starting position (A).
● Pull your torso up – draw your shoulders and upper arms
down and back until your upper chest touches the bar (B).
● Slowly lower your torso back to the starting position
– make sure your arms are fully extended.
Personal trainer Jean-Claude Vacassin owns
W10 Performance gyms in London. He advises
athletes, sports brands and film companies,
as well as working in nutrition, functional medicine
and rehabilitation. Visit w10performancegym.com.
✁
OUT AND OUT KEEP AND KEEP
✁CUT
WORDS: Jean-Claude Vacassin PHOTOGRAPHY: Will Ireland MODEL: Jess @ W Model Management HAIR & MAKE-UP: Louise Heywood
CLOTHING: Sports bra Adidas, Shorts Reebok,Trainers New Balance

KIT TEST
ON TEST
RUNNING
SHORTS
ARC’TERYX LYRA SHORT
£50; arcteryx.com
‘I didn’t feel restricted in these shorts
– they’re really stretchy and light, flowing
with my running strides. The built-in briefs
were a surprisingly comfy addition,
providing peace of mind that I wouldn’t
bare too much leg should the shorts ride
up. Suffer from runner’s chafing? These
shorts are short enough to be flattering but
not so short that inner thighs can rub. Plus,
they come with the must-have zip pocket.
The side split wasn’t as long as on other
options but this didn’t seem to affect my
movements. My only bugbear is that
the appearance of the shorts wasn’t
particularly exciting, despite being a
lovely aqua colour.’
COMFORT ✶✶✶✶✶
STYLE ✶✶✶
FEATURES ✶✶✶✶
H&F's Fitness editor
Sarah Ivory puts the latest
running shorts through
their paces
SAUCONY PE SHORT
£30; saucony.com
‘Love a bargain? These shorts are great
value. The purple colour looks super stylish
and I love the sassy ‘Faster than you’
message on the back of the waistband.
Made from fabric that feels great against
the skin, these also boast comfy inner
briefs and reflective panels down the sides.
This pair has a thigh pocket, which I prefer
to a back pocket because the zip doesn’t
bother you when doing prone moves such
as sit-ups. Granted, these are running
shorts, but I've worn them for HIIT classes
too. I love how these seem to go with lots
of my sports tops and add a pop of colour.
The shorts are cut a bit high for my taste
but are still great all-rounders.’
COMFORT ✶✶✶✶
STYLE ✶✶✶✶✶
FEATURES ✶✶✶✶✶
SALOMON ELEVATE
2 IN 1 SHORT
£40; salomon.com
‘When I’m out on long training runs alone,
I really hate it if I can’t fit my smartphone in
my pocket. Fortunately, this isn’t something
I had to worry about with these shorts
because the back pocket is such a great
size. The wide waistband means these
shorts are flattering and a great fit –
something that's especially handy for
new mums like me who like to have a
bit of support around the tummy. There’s
something very summery about these
shorts – they're very light and the aqua
print reminds me of beach shorts. I must
admit that I’m not in love with the bright
print, but you can get them in black.’
COMFORT ✶✶✶✶
STYLE ✶✶✶
FEATURES ✶✶✶✶
NIKE AEROSWIFT
£55; nike.com
‘If you like your running kit to look and
feel good, this pair of shorts is worth the
investment. Although they seem to have
a pretty simple block-colour design, these
shorts deliver on so many fronts. The side
slits (which boast reflective trim) mean they
hang in a way that’s both more slimming
and more feminine-looking than the
traditional “boy short” design. The bonded
seams ensure they’re soft and comfortable,
and the vented hems keep sweat at bay.
The practical pair also boasts a handy zip
pocket and drawcord waistband – essential
for runners who want to stash away a set
of keys and ensure a perfect fit. While I
wouldn’t recommend wearing these shorts
on the rower (I tried it and flashed a lot of
thigh to fellow gym goers), I thoroughly
recommend them for races and interval
training, as the lightweight bottoms will
make you feel really speedy. They come
in three colours: Black, Racer Pink or
True Berry.’
COMFORT ✶✶✶✶✶
STYLE ✶✶✶✶✶
FEATURES ✶✶✶✶✶
TRIBESPORT 3 INCH
SHORTS
£39; tribesports.com
‘I’ll be honest – when I saw that these
shorts didn’t have a drawcord, I was
sceptical as to whether I’d like them. But
I took them on a hill-training session and
they were such a great fit that the pair
stayed put. Now, I wear them all the time
– to parkruns, training sessions and even
circuits at the gym. They’re simple in
all-over black but are also very well made
and with a really cute coral zip on the back
pocket. It’s the small things that count,
and these shorts have all of the finer details
just right! I'd like to see these being sold in
another colour (blue or grey perhaps!) as
I can see them being a workout staple.’
COMFORT ✶✶✶✶
STYLE ✶✶✶✶
FEATURES ✶✶✶✶
Health& Fitness 103

RUNKNOWLEDGE
HEAD
FOR THE
HILLS
The hills are alive with
the sound of success!
Here’s how a small
incline could boost
your running prowess
104 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk
Hate running uphill?
Running 101 – if you
avoid hill training, you’ll
never maximise on your
running ability. ‘Hills build
speed, strength and endurance, helping
runners recover well from other training
sessions and also encouraging better
running technique,’ explains Andy
Baddeley, Performance Team founder
(performanceteam.co.uk) and
london10mile.com ambassador. ‘If you can
sprint uphill – which necessitates a high
knee lift, exaggerated arm drive and
dorsiflexion (pulling your toes up behind
you to shin-level when your foot is in the
air) – you’ll have better form and, ultimately,
be faster on flat ground.’ Case in point
– according to research in the International
Journal of Sports Physiology and
Performance, six weeks of high-intensity
uphill interval running not only improves
running economy (or how efficiently people
run), but also makes runners two per cent
faster over 5K. And hill running is a great
way to build a shapely lower half, too –
data reveals exercisers make greater use
of their quads, calves and butt muscles
when running uphill, compared to when
running on flat ground.
MENTAL
MATTERS
Loops around the block.
Park circuits during
lunch hour. Who hasn’t
persevered through
these dull-as-dishwater running sessions?
And that’s why hills are such a natural
revelation. ‘Adding a few hills into your
training route is an easy way to break up
the monotony of a steady run or road
intervals,’ confirms Baddeley. ‘It will really
keep you feeling motivated.’
Baddeley adds that running on hills can
also be a great way to boost your mental

RUNKNOWLEDGE
strength: ‘It can be a very powerful
psychological tool. If you can complete
a hill effort, turn around and head back
uphill before you feel ready, you’ll realise
that, even when you’re tired, you can still
run hard.
And while running up and down your
local hill may make you yawn, it’s a very
practical way to train. Why? Because this
kind of workout can be performed in a set
location, minimising the time spent training
at a lower intensity and maximising on
high-intensity, fat-burning efforts. It can be
done with children or dogs, too, as you’ll
be in one place so you can keep an eye
on them. And if you’re concerned about
how safe you are running alone, you can
even bring a friend or partner along to be
your timekeeper. It can be a surprisingly
satisfying way to spend time together.
WORDS: Sarah Ivory PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock
Extracted fromTrail Running From StartTo Finish by Graeme Hilditch (Bloomsbury Sport, £16.99)
TOTAL
TECHNIQUE
To harness all of the
benefits of hill training,
run with good form.
‘A common mistake
runners make is to choose a hill that’s too
steep or rough, which means running with
poor technique,’ warns Baddeley. ‘Find a
hill with a good surface – you don’t want
to be worrying about where you’re putting
your feet – and that has sections with
varying gradients. I find it effective to use
a hill with a flatter section at the start to
help build momentum.’ Follow these form
tips to get the technical skills right.
u Lean forward from the ankles, not the
waist. You want to aim your body slightly
towards the hill.
u Slow it down. Work on pushing off from
the ground and driving your legs uphill
with good technique before going for
all-out speed.
u Look ahead. Hunching forward and
looking at your feet could limit how much
air you get into your lungs.
u Move your legs quickly. The goal should
be to have a higher cadence (steps per
minute) than you’d have on flat ground.
u Use your arms. Move your arms and
your legs will follow, so don’t forget to use
them to power your body uphill.
SMART
SESSIONS
Science confirms it – hill
training could make a
real difference to your
personal best running
FAST WORKOUTS
Want to train more often but don’t
have time? Hill repeats are a great
workout to add to your timepressed
training arsenal.
In the book Trail Running From
Start To Finish (Bloomsbury Sport,
£16.99), author Graeme Hilditch
describes how to train on
undulating ground.
First up, improve your aerobic
fitness – hill running is tough, so it’s
essential to spend a bit of time
running regularly and steadily on
hilly routes (yes, even if you’re
already a road runner!).
Then it’s time to progressively
increase your fitness by making the
runs faster or choosing more
demanding routes.
Try these smart sessions:
SHORT AND SHARP HILLS
l Perform 10-15 x 45-60-second
fast-paced intervals up the hill,
walking down the slope, then
repeating straight away.
l Look to build the repetitions up to
20 and/or include a set of 10-15
press-ups at the bottom of the hill
before you begin the next interval.
SHORT AND STEADY HILLS
l Perform 6-8 x 5-minute steady
runs up a hill, jogging down in
between; repeat.
l Aim to increase to 10-12 intervals.
times. Try adding these sessions to your
weekly routine, aiming to train on hills
once or twice a week.
KENYAN HILLS
Kenyan hills are a great form of running
to do to test your downhill running ability.
Simply find a quiet road or off-road hill
and run repeats of varying lengths. Named
after the type of training done by Kenya’s
athletes, Kenyan hills involve running up
and down the hill at the same pace (think:
two minutes up; two minutes down). Hold
back slightly on the uphill to enable you to
run back down at an even speed. You don’t
slow down on the downhill, so your heart
rate will stay elevated for the entire
workout. Tough.
OFF-ROAD ROUTE
Take your training off-road. Map a hilly
route on footpaths and park trails. The
undulated surface of the trail will recruit a
host of small stabilising muscles that road
running doesn’t require, plus rolling ground
demands you use balancing skills that
really hone your core. Grab a pair of grippy
trainers and run the route at a steady pace
– even when you’re running up a hill – from
start to finish.
THRESHOLD REPS
Combine hill repetitions with threshold
efforts (these are sustained aerobic efforts
done at a moderate but constant pace) to
really test your endurance. Try running for
10 minutes on flat ground at a steady pace.
Next, recover for three minutes. Finally, run
five lots of 45-second hills, jogging back
down, too. Repeat the whole thing once
more. The second round will be very tough,
as you’re running on tired legs. n
Health & Fitness 105

RUNNING Q&A
Make sure
you understand
the science
behind ‘fasted
running’.
RUNNING
EXPERT
H&F running coach Sam Murphy
answers your training questions
Q
I read that running on an
empty stomach burns
more fat – is this correct?
A
The theory is that, in the
absence of readily available
carbohydrate (stored as glycogen in
the muscles and liver, and glucose in
the blood), the body calls on its fat
stores to provide the energy for
exercise. Does it hold water? In a
recent study, when people exercised
at a low intensity for one hour ‘on
empty’, they derived more of the
energy from adipose tissue (stored
fat) than when they did the same
exercise two hours after breakfast.
However, when it comes to weight
loss through exercise, what counts
is the overall amount of energy that’s
burned, not where that energy
comes from: research studies have
found running on empty can make
your run feel tougher. So if running
pre-breakfast feels so arduous you
cut short your run, fewer calories
will be burned than if you eat first
and run longer. Similarly, if you can’t
reach the same pace as you would
be able to after breakfast, you’ll use
up less energy.
However, there can be benefits to
‘fasted’ training. For those plagued
by gastrointestinal problems,
such as stomach cramps, wind or
diarrhoea, a pre-breakfast run helps
sidestep many of these issues. In
addition, research suggests that
exercising in a fasted state increases
levels of certain proteins that help
insulin move glucose into muscle
cells, reducing the risk of insulin
resistance and diabetes.
Stepping out before breakfast can
also help with your performance.
Teaching your body to cope without
a ready supply of carbs on a regular
basis forces it to become a more
efficient fatburner, which, when it
comes to endurance events such
as marathons and ultras, helps you
keep going for longer. The practice
of ‘training low, racing high’ involves
regular fasted training to get your
body accustomed to relying on fat
as a fuel source, then eating carbs
on race day to get a turbocharged
energy boost. However, it’s not a
huge advantage and the training
can be tough and may compromise
your immune system.
To get the most out of fasted
training, I’d advise you to keep the
intensity low and train for under an
hour. For longer or harder sessions,
fuel up first.
NEW KIT
DHB VICTORY RUN SHOES
£60; wiggle.co.uk
Looking for a comfy pair of
trainers? The Victory Run
Shoe is dhb’s pioneering
trainer, offering a cushioned
ride for everyday runs. Like
all dhb kit, these shoes come
at a sensible price.
BUFF PACK RUN VISOR
£20.26; buffwear.co.uk
The perfect addition to
a multi-stage run, this
superlight visor folds
down into a tiny ball
that can be packed into
a bag or pocket when
not needed. Smart.
2XU POWER RECOVERY
COMPRESSION TIGHTS
£99; 2xu.co.uk
Need relief from postrun
pain? These stylish new
compression leggings boost
oxygen-rich blood flow to
tired muscles, aiding your
recovery. They go over
your feet to boost results.
THE
ONE
TO
RUN
…
SALOMON SUNSET SERIES
STARTS JUNE 3, 2017
If you love summer running, this
is the event for you. Runners
complete a scenic 10K in Edinburgh
(June 3), London (June 24) and
Bristol (July 8). Each run ends at a
viewpoint where you can watch the
sun go down. Bliss. £26.80 entry
fee; salomonsunsetseries.co.uk.
PHOTOGRAPHY: iStock. Additional words: Sarah Ivory
106 Health & Fitness // healthandfitnessonline.co.uk

READER SUCCESS
‘I lost half my bodyweight
with bootcamp training!’
Charlotte Arnold, 30, discovered a type of exercise that suited
her – and the motivation to lose weight for the sake of her son
I left school in 2002, I put on a lot of
weight. I’d eat meals and snack, but I never
felt really full, and I had no understanding
of calories. I didn’t do a lot of exercise
‘When
either, so the weight piled on. I felt really
uncomfortable and couldn’t go shopping for clothes because nothing
would fit. It was when I got to 19 stone, in around 2006 or 2007, that
I first decided to lose weight, and I lost eight stone by counting calories.
But as soon as I got to my goal weight, I went back to eating the way I
had before, so the weight crept on again. At my biggest, around the end
of 2011, I was 22st 9lbs.’
WORDS: Eve Boggenpoel PHOTOGRAPHY: Danny Bird HAIR & MAKE-UP: Louise Heywood at Joy Goodman
FLUCTUATING WEIGHT
‘When my ex-partner and I decided to have a baby in 2011, I knew
I didn’t want to get pregnant when I was that heavy as I wouldn’t be
able to move! Because I wasn’t doing any exercise, I had to really cut
the calories, so I ate about 1,200-1,300 a day and lost about seven and
a half stone over the next year and a bit. I’d have treats every now and
then, but I’d stick within my allowance, losing about half a stone a
month. Because I’d gone from about 22 stone to 15 and it was much
better than it had been, I was quite comfortable with my new
weight, so I stayed at that weight for a while.
‘I had a really good pregnancy and ate healthily, so after my
son was born in 2014 I didn’t have any ‘baby weight’. But
then the weight crept back up again. When I hadn’t had any
sleep and I was really tired, I ended up eating Mars bars for
lunch as I didn’t have the energy to cook! By December 2015,
I was back up to 18 stone again.’
FINDING A SOLUTION
‘I managed to lose five stone by May 2016, but then I hit a
plateau, so I signed up for outdoor bootcamp workouts with
Ultimate Warrior Training (ultimatewarriortraining.com). The first day was
awful! It was really tough! It was pouring with rain and I couldn’t hold my
body weight to do a plank. The next day, I could barely get out of bed
and walk down the stairs. I thought I was going to die! The only reason
I kept at it was because it was so different. We used equipment such as
slam balls and sand bags – things I’d never come across before, and you
can also do cardio and boxing.
‘I didn’t like going to the gym because I never I got any fitter as I never
pushed myself. But here, I learnt that by lifting weights and building
muscle, I’d build tone and burn more fat. I’d never understood that
before. Now I can eat over 2,000 calories a day and still maintain my
weight by training four times a week. I’ve also learned about eating
properly too, and the role of protein and carbs.
‘I reached my goal weight in August 2016, and I’ve kept the weight
off for a year. Every day of my life, I used to be either gaining weight
or dieting, but now I’ve stayed the same size and it’s not difficult. I’m
happier, more confident and I can run around with my little boy. I don’t
want to be the fat mum at the school gate, either, and I want to set a
good example to him. In the past, I’ve been depressed, but now training
is like my therapy – it helps my mind as well as my body.’
TOP TIP
‘Find the balance between
eating healthily and not
restricting yourself. Allow
yourself treats from time
to time otherwise you’ll
just crave them.’
Health & Fitness 107

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loving my body
WE’RE TALKING TO...
Gemma Oaten
The former Emmerdale actress, 33, tells
us about her new passion for running
1. HAVE YOU
ALWAYS BEEN FIT
AND HEALTHY?
‘I suffered from anorexia for 13
years, and was also addicted to
exercise. It got to extreme levels,
where I was in hospital on death’s
door, but would still sneak off to the
loos to do 20 push-ups. Exercise
became a bad thing for me so I had
to step away from it, even though
I was very sporty as a youngster
and played table tennis for Yorkshire
and England during healthy spells.
However, I’ve been well for 10
years, and in the past two, I’ve
started to embrace what exercise
is really all about – feeling good.’
2. HOW HAS YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH
EXERCISE CHANGED?
‘It’s now about feeling 100 per cent
better when I do exercise, rather than
feeling rubbish or not valid if I don’t.
We all have days when the world gets
too much, and on those days, exercise
provides me with much-needed ‘me
time’ – even 20 minutes of cardio gives
me the space to breathe. Exercise
shouldn’t be there to punish, hinder or
hurt you. It should enhance you and
help you be the best you can be.’
4. AS A RUNNING VIRGIN,
WAS IT HARD TO START?
‘You’ve just got to give it a go! You never know what
you’re capable until you try. I visited Simplyhealth’s
‘Millions Moving’ (millionsmoving.co.uk) for tips,
advice, motivation and support for new runners – it’s
inspired me to pull on my trainers and get outside,
which is the hardest part. Like a lot of 30-something
women, I knew I still had life in me for a new challenge.
I say, “put your best foot forward, enjoy the
benefits, and keep it fun”.’
WORDS: Joanna Ebsworth PHOTOGRAPHY: Getty Images
Simplyhealth, the everyday healthcare company, is the new title sponsor of the Great Run Series (greatrun.org).
As a company, Simplyhealth is all about getting more people active, starting with its employees.
3. WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER
PASSIONS IN LIFE?
‘My love of singing has been completely reinvigorated since
I started doing charity fundraising concerts recently. It’s like
a workout in itself – especially when you’re belting out big
cabaret tunes – and I’ve even given up smoking. I’d love to do
musicals in the future. I love my acting, and have my fingers in
a lot of pies with film and theatre work right now. It was hard
leaving a regular role in a soap, but I’ve always been a grafter
and a fighter. There’s a lot of positivity in my life right now.’
5. WHAT WORKOUTS DO
YOU ENJOY NOW?
‘I love Shaun T’s fitness programmes,
especially his Focus T25 workout as I can
do it anywhere with my laptop. And although
I hated cross-country at school, I’m doing the
Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10K
(greatrun.org). I work a lot with charities, and
was inspired to try it after seeing the amount
of money that can be raised and the personal
goals that can be achieved through running.’

actionforcharity
LONDON
TO PARIS
women
V
cancer
BIKE RIDE
20-23 SEPTEMBER 2018
Join the fi rst women-only London to Paris cycle challenge
and raise funds to fi ght breast, cervical and ovarian cancers
For more information and to register online:
www.actionforcharity.co.uk
Tel: 01590 677854 email: info@actionforcharity.co.uk
PLACES
LIMITED
TO TAKE PART YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A REGISTRATION
FEE OF £149 AND RAISE MINIMUM SPONSORSHIP OF £1,600
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