You can just as easily build a stronger core with standing ab exercises as with those done on the floor, like planks and dead bugs. In fact, the experts say these upright movements may be a better way to boost your fitness, as they reflect how we actually move in life.

"Standing ab exercises train your core in a way that mimics how you use it every day - upright, moving, twisting, rotating, and stabilising," says Kate Rowe-Ham, a certified personal trainer and founder of Owning Your Menopause.

They target all the core muscles, including those deepest in the trunk, and "improve posture and balance, while being easier on the wrists, shoulders, and lower back", she explains.

Standing ab exercises to try

1. Standing wood chop

The standing wood chop builds rotational strength and is an exercise for the deep core muscles, like the transverse abdominis. It teaches your body to create and control force, explains Kate. "This is a skill we use for everything from putting a seatbelt on to carrying shopping bags. It's powerful, functional, and satisfying."

Here's how to do the standing wood chop:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and clasp your hands together.
• If you're doing it with a dumbbell or medicine ball, hold this securely.
• Start with your arms raised diagonally above one shoulder.
• Rotate through your torso and “chop” down across your body toward the opposite hip.
• Return to the starting position with control and repeat.

2. Standing side bend

Don't underestimate the standing side bend, Kate warns. It may look easy, but it "directly targets the obliques, improves side-to-side movement, and supports better posture and spinal alignment," she says. If you like the feel of the Russian twist exercise, this is a good swap.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
• You can do it with your hands behind your head (bodyweight version) or by holding a dumbbell in one hand down by your side.
• From there, slowly bend your torso to one side, as if you’re trying to reach your rib toward your hip.
• Squeeze through your obliques to come back up.
• Keep your hips square and avoid leaning forward or backwards

3. Standing side crunch

The standing crunch is "a brilliant way to fire up both the obliques and the lower abs while also working your balance, coordination, and hip mobility," says Kate. "You’re moving dynamically. Your heart rate lifts. It gives you a little cardio boost alongside core strengthening."

Here's how to do it:

• Start standing tall with your hands lightly behind your head.
• Drive your right knee up towards your right elbow, crunching through the side of your waist.
• Lower back down and repeat on the same side before switching, or alternate sides throughout.
• To make it harder, hold a light dumbbell or small ball overhead as you bring your elbow and knee together.

How often should you do standing ab exercises?

The key to building a stronger, more stable core is little and often, says Kate. "Just 10 to 15 minutes, two to three times per week, can make a real difference. The key is consistency," she says.

"Try a set of side bends while the kettle’s boiling, a few standing side crunches after you’ve been sitting at your desk for a while, or some wood chops while you’re waiting for dinner to cook."

It's the "little bursts like this" that add up over time, she notes. You can train your core muscles and reap the benefits without dedicating time to a dumbbell workout at home, for instance.

Standing ab exercises vs plank

• Functionality: Standing ab exercises are functional exercises. They so closely mirror everyday movements, like picking things up off the floor. There's very little in life that mirrors the classic plank.
• Balance and stability: "Standing ab workouts also activate the deep stabilisers, like the transverse abdominis, obliques, and muscles around your spine and hips," says the strength coach. "These are the muscles that keep you upright, protect your lower back, and help you resist unwanted twists or wobbles when you’re walking, lifting, or even just carrying a shopping bag.
• Easier on the joints: Doing a plank puts a lot of pressure through the wrists, elbows, and shoulders, which might not be suitable for everyone. Standing ab exercises side-step this pressure completely.
• Versatile: Both planks and these standing movements are versatile enough to add to a plethora of workouts, whether that's treadmill workouts or traditional weight training. You can also do them anywhere, with no equipment if needed.
• Making them harder: It's a lot easier to make standing ab exercises harder with equipment like cables, resistance bands, dumbbells, or kettlebells. The easiest way to make a plank harder is to hold it for longer or to balance a weight plate on your back. Most people will find this hard to set up and need to do it at the gym.

Whether you're climbing a mountain or just exploring your local trails, hiking is a demanding activity on the legs. The uneven terrain and changing elevation put extra stress on your joints - even in a good pair of walking shoes or hiking sandals.

It requires doing a good few sets of hiking exercises to prepare. I've felt enough twinges in my knees going downhill and rolled my ankle to know that.

Recent injuries have meant I haven't been strength training as often as normal. Nervous about my upcoming holiday to the Jurassic Coast, I asked a physiotherapist and personal trainer for their exercise recommendations to help me enjoy the rocky terrain a little more.

Hiking exercises

1. Slow eccentric squat

The squat is a classic compound movement, working the quadriceps, calves, and glutes - all important hiking muscles. The slow lowering (eccentric) phase in this squat is what matters, though, says personal trainer Anya Russell, who demonstrates the exercises.

"It's training your legs to control your body weight going downhill. This is exactly what a descent asks of you. Doing it for four seconds is the eccentric work that builds trail-resilient legs," she says.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Lower yourself down over three to four seconds, hold the bottom, then drive back up.
• Start with body weight and progress to a kettlebell or dumbbells from there.
• Aim for three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

2. Step downs

Step downs are considered the 'gold standard' for preventing hiker's knee. This exercise forces your gluteus medius (one of the muscles in your buttocks) to better stabilise your pelvis, stopping your knee from collapsing inwards.

How to do it:

• Stand on a step or bench - hold onto the wall if you need support.
• Keeping one foot on the step, lean forward and slowly lower your other foot toward the floor, tap the toes lightly, and drive through the heel of the front leg to come back up.
• Keep your knee tracking over your toes, with no caving inward.
• Aim for three sets of 10 each side.

3. Single-leg calf raise

The single-leg calf raise gets overlooked as it's a slower movement, and most people prefer doing squats. But it's important to focus on your calves as a standalone muscle, says Anya.

"They are shock absorbers on every single step, so leaving them underprepared is a fast track to Achilles issues or a rolled ankle when you're tired."

Here's how to do it:

• Stand on one foot (hold a wall for balance if you need it).
• Rise up onto your toes, then lower slowly.
• Try three sets of 12-15 each side.

How to train for hiking

Hiking is very different to a simple walking workout. You'll need good cardiovascular fitness and a strong body.

"Ankle sprains most often happen when your muscles are tired and can't respond quickly enough to uneven ground. The fitter and stronger you are going in, the more protected you are. Not just at the start, but six hours in when your form has gone to pieces," says Anya. "Strong legs also mean stronger tendons and ligaments, better knee and ankle stability, and a much more enjoyable descent.”

Building strength and endurance is essential for avoiding injury and making the hike feel easier - and not just when going uphill. "You might think that less effort is required going downhill, but it's still quite a challenging task for your knees," says Helen O’Leary, physiotherapist at Complete Pilates.

"As you descend, your quadriceps need to lengthen under tension, and this requires what is called ‘eccentric’ strength. Training the quadriceps in general, but particularly for eccentric strength, is really beneficial for reducing this pain," she explains.

Plenty of vigorous and moderate-intensity exercise will help you build your cardio fitness, but eccentric exercises like the ones above will help protect you on the trails.

Tips for doing hiking exercises

• Focus on the lower leg muscles too: You need more than quadriceps and glute exercises to stay strong on the trails. "Calves, ankles, and ankle mobility are almost always an afterthought, and when your ankles aren't doing their job, your knees pay for it on every downhill step," says Anya.
• Prioritise stability: Anya sees many clients who only concentrate on forward and back movement and fail to build “the side-to-side stability" that hiking demands. “Quad-dominant training with weak hamstrings throws off your gait and increases injury risk over time - balance matters as much as total strength,” she explains. Along with the routine above, add in crab walks, skaters, sideways step-ups, or sideways lunges.
• Remember to train your core: "Good core strength helps you to transfer forces from lower limb to upper limb, and vice versa, which is part of what drives movement when you are walking," says Helen. Building a stronger core doesn't mean sit-ups, though. You could do farmer's carry exercises, scissors, or even the dead bug exercise, provided you do them with light weights.
• Don't neglect your upper body: Even if you're not using hiking poles, the upper body works hard. Helen recommends using weights to strengthen your shoulder muscles, triceps and biceps.
• Give yourself time: “People book a hiking trip, do a week or two of squats, and wonder why their legs gave out on day one,” says Anya. She suggests doing at least six to eight weeks of leg training to build up strength gradually.

Compound movements like squats, lunges, and presses are key in a full-body workout. They use multiple muscles at the same time, saving time and energy.

Every morning, Alison Hammond says she picks up her dumbbells for a quick workout before filming for The Great British Bake Off begins. The star spoke to Good Housekeeping this month, revealing her trainer gave her the workout to do while she was away and couldn't train with him in person. "Every morning, I'll do my little routine. About 20 minutes and I'm done. I've got a mat that I put out. I'll do stretches, squats, weights, something for every body area," she says.

"It's easy to fit in. I just like to get out of breath. That's a daily non-negotiable. I won't feel like me if I don't do that," she says.

Alison doesn't reveal the exact exercises she does every day, but we know she works out with dumbbells, so her routine may look like a shorter version of a classic home dumbbell workout.

To try the following 20-minute workout, you'll need one set of dumbbells that feel heavy enough to work your lower and upper body.

20-minute full-body workout to follow

• Squat to shoulder press: Come down into a squat, holding the dumbbells level with your shoulders. Push up through your feet. As you do, press the dumbbells over your head.
• Romanian deadlifts: Holding your weights in front of you, bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips by pushing your bottom to the back of the room. Stop when you feel a tight stretch in your hamstrings (or reach below the knee). Pushing through your feet, return to standing.
• Bent-over rows: Hold the dumbbells in front of you. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips. Keep your elbows close to your sides. Row both weights in, pulling them towards your waist.
• Reverse lunges with curl: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells by your waist. Step one foot back, bringing your back knee down a couple of inches off the floor. As you do, lift the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Push through your front leg to return to standing.
• Plank rows: Come down into a high plank, making sure your elbows are stacked directly under your shoulders. Rest your hands on the dumbbells. One at a time, row the dumbbells towards your waist, bringing your elbow slightly higher than your back each time.

The daily workout is clearly a priority for the presenter, as she keeps her own weights nearby and the crew at Bake Off store them every year for her to come back to when the new season begins. "I love to sweat. I love the feeling afterwards. I need some space where I do something just for me," she says.

Alison has also revealed she's a fan of cardio workouts like boxing, and earlier this year, she credited her personal trainer for transforming her gym routine and helping her get fitter. "You have made my life so much easier by simple changes and kindness I will never forget," she wrote.

Having taught yoga for 17 years, I see students struggle with mobility all the time. Often from sitting down at a desk all day or not having enough variety in their exercise routine. It all starts in the hips.

But improving strength and mobility in this area doesn't mean sitting in static stretches like frog pose or the pigeon stretch all day long. You have to mobilise the muscles surrounding the hip, like the glutes. These big, powerful muscles in the buttocks help in all daily movements, from climbing stairs to walking. When they are overworked in the gym (say you do lots of squats), stretching can be uncomfortable. When they are underworked, the connective tissues that surround the glutes and hips contract over time, a bit like shrink wrap, so stretching will also be uncomfortable. This can cause other muscles to compensate, creating imbalance and dysfunction.

No matter the cause, tight hips can lead to more serious issues if you don’t take steps to address the underlying cause. Along with exercises to loosen tight hips, I like to include these three yoga flows in my routine.

1. Jiva flow

I love this Jiva flow because it requires strength and balance, two things that help improve the overall stability of your hip and strengthen your inner thighs, which are often overlooked when improving lower-body strength generally.

Here's how to do it:

• Step your right foot forward into a lunge, lift your back knee and place your hands on blocks (or books) placed in front of your right foot.
• Inhale, push your right foot down to lift your left leg behind you.
• Exhale, bend both knees and draw your left knee behind your right knee to cross your thighs. Squeeze your inner thighs together.
• Inhale and press your right foot down to straighten both legs and lift your left leg behind you again.
• Repeat 3 - 5 times, then change sides.

2. Skanda flow

Your inner hip muscles, also known as your adductors, can get tight through underuse, and the Skanda flow is a great way to stretch them.

Here's how to do it:

• Take a wide stance and bring your fingertips to the floor or blocks.
• Straighten your arms to lengthen your spine, and try tilting your sitting bones up a little.
• Exhale and bend your right knee, but – and this is crucial – try to keep the pinkie toe edge of your left foot glued to the floor.
• Inhale back to the centre and exhale to the other side.
• Repeat 3 - 5 times on each side.

3. Flowing bridge

The bridge is a classic yoga pose that I highly recommend as a glute exercise, as well as a way to stretch your hip flexors.

How to do a glute bridge:

• From a reclining position, bend your knees and place your feet hip-width apart with your hands down next to your hips.
• Start the movement by tucking your pelvis to press your lower back down.
• Inhale and press your feet down, lifting your hips up and reaching your arms overhead. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
• Exhale and lower your hands and hips back down, trying to release your spine one vertebra at a time. Release your tailbone last and let your lower back lift.
• Repeat 3 - 5 times.

Why do my hips feel tight?

Mobility – which we usually call “flexibility” – refers to movement that happens at your joints. While the degree to which your hips can move in any direction depends on the unique structure of your bones, your muscles play a big role.

Your hips are deep ball-and-socket joints surrounded by 20 muscles, and they provide you with both mobility and stability whenever you're moving around. Muscles can’t really be tight or flexible in the way we tend to think of them, but they can be strong or weak, and unfortunately, both scenarios can limit how well your hip joint moves.

When you stretch your hips and experience discomfort or pushback from your body, that’s actually your nervous system detecting an unfamiliar range of motion and bracing to avoid injury. It can mean you don’t want to spend much time stretching, because it’s uncomfortable. That becomes a self-perpetuating cycle that can lead to longer-term health issues, like piriformis syndrome. This is when a small muscle located deep in your buttock tightens and compresses the sciatic nerve. It's estimated to be behind 17% of cases of chronic low back pain according to one 2024 research paper, and it's something Harvard Health reports affects six times more women than men.

Keeping your hips mobile and strong is important for longevity and quality of life as you age.

The plank isn't everyone's favourite, but there's no denying it's very effective for building core strength, full-body stability, and endurance. The only exercise that's potentially better for all the above is the plank row.

This variation uses a set of dumbbells to "combine upper-body strength with core stability", says Mark Harris, a level 4 personal trainer who works with Mirafit. While one arm stabilises you, the other lifts the weights from the floor.

Simply adding this weight makes it a more challenging exercise, and it's better for building strength in the shoulders, back, and arms. If you're looking for an exercise to add to your upper-body workout, make it this one.

How to do plank rows

• Put two dumbbells (preferably hexagonal ones) on the floor.
• Come down into a plank position, resting on your hands.
• Hold onto the dumbbells or put your hands on the floor next to them if you find that more comfortable, making sure they are directly under your shoulders and about shoulder-width apart.
• Move your weight onto your right arm and pick up a dumbbell with your left.
• Once stable, drive the left elbow up and back towards your hip. As if you're trying to put the dumbbell in your pocket.
• Repeat the movement 8 times on each side, then switch.

Benefits of plank rows

1. Functional exercise

The plank row is an "excellent anti-rotation exercise", says Mark. "As you row with one arm, your core has to work hard to resist twisting, helping improve stability and control."

This translates to basic everyday movements, like lifting bags, closing a car door, and even walking. It's a functional exercise that helps us age healthily.

2. Boosts back strength

Even with the rows, you'll likely feel plank rows in your core and shoulders the most. Yet, Mark says it's also a great back exercise.

"I wouldn't rely on plank rows as a standalone back exercise. Your core will usually fatigue before your upper back does. But they still provide a good workout for muscles, including the traps and lats, while delivering the added benefit of core engagement," he says.

3. Improves full-body stability

Plank rows put you off balance, forcing you to stabilise yourself through your core and upper-body. This helps improve balance throughout your whole body.

Stability helps create a foundation to move from. Once you have good stability, you can walk, run, cycle, and lift weights a lot easier.

4. May help improve posture

The key to a good plank is bringing your shoulder blades back and down (retraction) and keeping your spine straight.

If you spend a lot of time sitting down, whether on the sofa or at a desk, practicing this position with resistance can help improve your posture.

5. Balances out strength

Many people find that one side of their body is stronger than the other - especially their arms and legs. Plank rows boost upper-body strength one arm at a time, helping to counter upper-body imbalances.

You'll want a few more single-leg quadricep exercises to balance out the lower half, but the added stability from this exercise can help.

What weights should you use for plank rows?

A pair of hexagonal dumbbells is best for plank rows. The shape of these provides a stable base under your arms to support your bodyweight if you lean on them, and they don't roll away.

If you're not resting your hands on the weights, you could also use kettlebells. Lift your hand from the floor onto the kettlebell and lift.

If you're new to this exercise, then start small. Go for 2kg or 3kg dumbbells and work your way up as you get stronger.

Slimline, lightweight, and complete with expert everyday health tracking features, the Fitbit Air and Fitbit Inspire 3 both make excellent fitness trackers. At around £80 each, they are also the most affordable.

In fact, the Fitbit Inspire 3 was the only fitness tracker I recommended under £100 for a very long time. That was until the Fitbit Air was released and quickly took the top spot in our guide to the best Fitbits overall.

I've worn them both for a few weeks at a time, comparing their design, health and fitness tracking, and sleep features, wearing them night and day to find a favourite between the two. It was a tough task, but I eventually arrived at one conclusion.

Specifications

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3: Design

The key difference between the Fitbit Inspire 3 and Fitbit Air is the design. The Inspire 3 is classic. A small plastic body sits on the wrist and holds the sensor, a touchscreen, and a haptic button on the side. There's a silicone band and buckle to secure it. You can use it to tell the time and check the date at a glance, as well as record your workouts and step count. If you're familiar with other Fitbit types, you'll know the look.

The Fitbit Air is completely different. There's no screen. On first glance, it just looks like a textile strap with a stainless steel buckle and Velcro tab. The sensor is held underneath it, flush against the skin. You can wear your regular timepiece with it as it looks more like a fashion accessory than a fitness one.

The design of the Fitbit Air means it's the more versatile of the two. When testing the Inspire 3, I'd take it off when wearing more formal outfits. This meant I missed out on health data every time I went out for the evening, skewing my step count, stress, and heart rate insights. The adjustable strap on the Air means you can wear this Fitbit on your ankle or arm, out of sight, and keep logging data.

Winner: Fitbit Air - unless you want to tell the time

Fitness and health tracking with the Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3

If you're a runner, the decision between the Fitbit Air vs Inspire 3 is a no-brainer. When I run with the Inspire 3, I can see my live pace, distance, and heart rate data at a glance. I need this to see how my run is going. As the Air doesn't have a screen, you can't do this. You'll only be able to see your insights when you're finished, in the Google Health app.

For those who don't do cardio or don't mind not seeing their workout data live, this isn't a problem, but it means the Fitbit Air won't be for everyone.

The Google Health app was released at the same time as the Air, completely replacing the original Fitbit app. Regardless of the device you buy, the Google Health app will be the one logging data for insights into your fitness, sleep, and stress. It's an excellent replacement that makes fitness, sleep, and stress data clear and simple to understand

It is free to use, but I would recommend upgrading to the Premium version (after the free trial). With the £9.99 monthly subscription, you have access to Google's Gemini AI overviews of the day, workout programs, and daily suggestions. While I was initially sceptical about upgrading, the daily suggestions really impressed me. This takes factors like your completed workouts, plan, energy levels, and even the weather and temperature into account to suggest a plan for the day in one notification.

Winner: Fitbit Inspire 3

If you are a runner, I'd recommend the Fitbit Charge 6 over the Air and the Inspire 3. It's one of the best running watches, with more workout insights and features for cardio lovers available.

Sleep tracking on the Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3

The design of the Fitbit Air makes it more comfortable to wear overnight. The sensor fits flush against the wrist so I can't even feel it when I wear the device, and the Velcro is secure enough that it doesn't catch on pillows or bedding. The strap was a little itchy for the first couple of days, but I quickly got used to it, and it was never a problem in bed.

To wear the Inspire 3 overnight, you first have to turn off the sensors that wake the screen when you move your wrist. The strap also has to fit perfectly - tight enough so it can record the data, but not so tight that it's uncomfortable. As the body sits on top of the wrist, it's also bulkier than the Air, and I have caught it under my pillow in the past.

Aside from this, there's very little difference between the two. Both devices record how long you sleep for and the quality of that sleep (REM, deep, and light sleep stages). If you subscribe to Premium, Gemini will write an overview of your night, highlighting the positives and how to improve.

One underrated feature on both is the smart wake alarms. I started using this with the Fitbit Air, but the Inspire 3 has it too. With this feature, you can set a morning alarm and the watch will gently vibrate to wake you up. No sound alarm and no grumpy bedfellow woken up earlier than they want to be.

Winner: Fitbit Air

If you're looking for a sleep tracker (and you have more budget to spend), then I'd recommend weighing up the Fitbit Air vs Oura Ring. While more expensive, the Oura Ring 5 is a smart ring that's even more low-key, comfortable to wear overnight, and has more extensive sleep insights.

Price of the Fitbit Air vs Inspire 3

If price is top of your priority list, you're in luck here. The Fitbit Air and Fitbit Inspire 3 are the same at full retail price (£84.99), and hundreds of pounds cheaper than many other popular fitness trackers - including the latest Apple Watch (Series 11) and the best Garmin watches.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is an older model. During seasonal sales and on Black Friday, it's more likely to be discounted than the Fitbit Air. If my experience with these sales is anything to go by, it could be knocked down to as little as £65 during these periods - but there aren't any on the horizon for now.

Winner: They are both the same price

The w&h verdict

When weighing up the Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3, there's only one key difference to consider: design. The Fitbit Inspire 3 has a screen so you can use it as your regular timepiece as well as a fitness tracker. The Fitbit Air doesn't have a screen.

Choosing between the two ultimately comes down to personal preference, but I like the distraction-free, discreet design of the Fitbit Air best. It's a welcome new era for Fitbit. The brand has elevated its design and technology to offer an option for the new age, competing with smart trackers from the likes of Whoop, Oura, and Amazfit.

Overall winner: Fitbit Air

The lower body is made up of large muscles needed for stability and support as we move through life. While lifting heavy weights in the gym is one way to build strength in this area, a quick 15-minute resistance band workout can get the job done in a hurry - or in the heat.

A set of the best resistance bands is cheap, easy to use, and they fold away into a small bag. One person who knows how versatile they can be is personal trainer Caroline Idiens, founder of Caroline's Circuits, who often shares workouts (including full-body resistance band workouts) with her two million followers on Instagram.

This time, she paired up with This Morning host Ben Shephard to demonstrate six moves you can do with one band to target the entire lower body. “A perfect one to save for your holidays with just a band. You can also do just bodyweight,” writes Caroline. She says each exercise should be done 10 times (on each side if required) over three sets.

15-minute resistance band workout

1. Banded squats

Caroline and Ben do their 10 reps quite quickly, but you can do these at any speed. Just make sure you’re pushing against the band to increase the intensity.

Here's how to do a banded squat:

• Stand with your legs hip-width apart and the band around your legs, just above the knees.
• Bend into a deep squat, as if you're sitting down on a chair behind you without using your hands.
• Push through your heels to return to standing.

2. Side tap outs

This is another great quadriceps exercise. Those who are fans of doing a Pilates workout at home might know it. The key to this move is keeping the band taut over your legs and stepping out wide enough.

Here's how to do it:

• Start off with your legs together, knees bent and the resistance band around your legs.
• Tap one leg out to the side to pull the band taut, and then swap to the other leg.
• Continue to alternate tapping out each leg to do 10 reps on each side.

3. Reverse lunge

A reverse lunge with a resistance band definitely adds some extra spice as you have to work against the band to complete the movement. If you struggle with balance, step out and back. Widening your legs will help stabilise your body.

Here's how to do it:

• With the band in place, step back on one leg and bend the back knee as close to the mat as possible.
• Do 10 on one leg before swapping sides.

4. Glute bridges

Glute bridges work the glutes and hamstrings and help build hip strength. In turn, this helps build pelvic and full-body stability for exercises like walking and climbing stairs.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, hip-width apart and the band just above your knees.
• Lift your hips and keep the outer sides of your legs pressing against the band.
• Lower back down slowly before continuing through the 10 reps.

5. Single-leg glute bridge

A single leg exercise forces you to lift and stabilise your entire lower body, and doing it right after the classic glute bridge will encourage real muscle fatigue. This is what you need to grow and get stronger.

How to do it:

• Start from the same position and with the band in the same place as the previous move, but lift one leg into tabletop position.
• Continue to lift and lower for 10 reps with the leg raised the whole time.

6. Fire hydrants

Caroline and Ben include one final glute exercise in their routine. Fire hydrants are worth including if you have tight hips and also want to work on your glute strength.

Here's how to do it:

• Start on all fours with the band around your knees.
• Raise one leg out to one side before lowering it back to meet the other knee.

The soaring temperatures in recent weeks have made dressing for anything - let alone exercise - feel very difficult. I normally reach for my trainers, but when packing for a recent trip to Wales, I quickly saw that wasn't going to be an option. One day was going to reach above 32 degrees. So, I dug out my Keen Newport H2s, a favourite pair of hiking sandals.

These slip-on sandals deliver all the convenience and breathability you want from a sandal, with a chunky rubber outsole and protective upper that are reliable on rough trails. The EVA foam midsole is flexible and supportive enough to be comfortable all day.

I like these hiking sandals so much that I even bought a pair for my partner this year, and he's barely taken them off since. They've got a more utilitarian look than some sandals, and they're not featherlight. But if you're looking for one pair of shoes for days out and active holidays, or even just for staying cool in the city with a gorpcore-inspired look - this is the pair I'd recommend.

Keen Newport H2 review

Specifications

• Size range: 2.5 - 8.5
• Weight: 330g per shoe
• Upper materials: Polyester webbing
• Sole: Subber outsole, EVA midsole

What are the Keen Newport H2s like to walk in?

Keen released the first edition of the Newport hiking sandal back in 2003, but I didn't try them out until the revamped H2 came out a couple of summers ago, and I was instantly impressed by their comfort and protection.

Unlike most sandals, the midsole is cushioned enough to keep my feet feeling great after hours of wear, and its flexible design lends the shoes a more natural feel. The Newports have all the arch support I need to stop me from over-pronating, and I get a nice, smooth walking feel.

I was a little apprehensive about hiking in sandals, but the rubber sole actually looks like it belongs on a sturdier hiking shoe, and it gives me all the traction I need on roads, pavement, and straightforward trails. I also put these sandals to the test recently on some steep sections of crumbly trails in South Wales, and as long as I was careful, I had no issues.

Where they really shine is on long walks from forest to beach, where I can easily shake out the sand and even cross streams and paddle in the sea without taking them off.

The bungee cord design isn't just easy – it secures the shoes nicely around my heel and midfoot, leaving plenty of room for my toes. I also love how easy it is to tuck the toggle away so it doesn't get caught up in the grass.

Speaking of toes, you'd be forgiven for worrying that sandals won't protect your feet from trail hazards like rocks and tree roots, but the rubber toe acts like a car bumper, and I've never had any painful meetings with hidden objects.

The uppers are stretchy and as breathable as you'd expect, and when I do wear them in the water, they drain easily and dry quickly without rubbing. In fact, the only time I've experienced any rubbing was on one toe after I wore them for a 16k coastal walk. I think for future long walks I might commit the ultimate faux pas and pair them with socks.

For the most part, I do, of course, wear them without socks, but they're treated with anti-odour, and even after several summers, they're still not smelly.

I only occasionally pick up a pebble, and when I do, it only takes a second to slip them off, dump out any debris and then I'm walking again.

Who are the Keen Newport H2s made for?

You can do everything but run in these shoes. You'll need a pair of trail running shoes for that. They're built for anyone who wants to spend summer outdoors, whether that's on the trail, at festivals or in the water. They might not be the best choice for true mountain hikes or very long walks, but for anything up to about 10k, you'll be comfortable in these supportive sandals.

They're perfect for active holidays where you want to walk, hit the beach and paddle without packing three different pairs of shoes. If you're going camping with your family, you won't even need to bring camp shoes, and they're the perfect easy solution for midnight trips from the tent to the toilet block.

The design is more function than fashion, so they're perhaps not ideal if you're looking for something you can also wear with a cute sundress. If you want something just a little prettier, I'm also a huge fan of the Keen Elle Backstrap sandals, which are surprisingly comfortable for hiking. The Teva Hurricane Drift, as seen on Helen Skeleton recently, are another low-key option.

With lots of hot weather ahead, I plan on leaving my socks rolled up in my top drawer, my hiking boots by the front door, and feeling the breeze between my toes in these sandals.

The w&h verdict

I'd recommend the Keen Newport H2 to anyone on the hunt for a hiking sandal that really provides both comfort and protection. The cushy sole and breathable upper make them perfect for hot summer days, but I can take them on rough trails with confidence.

I've worn these shoes from bog to beach, in mountain streams and for fun music festivals. I've put in many miles wearing them on the trails, and I am constantly impressed by their versatility, comfort and grip.

They're not the cheapest hiking sandals out there, but they are a little easier on the wallet than the Keen Hyperports, and they give you more toe coverage than others. This also makes them a good option as a daily trainer alternative in the summer months.

I do wish they came in more vibrant colours, and they aren't the most stylish option, but navy blue is smart, goes with most other colours, and doesn't show the dirt. Even after several summers, they still look pretty good.

The Russian twist is a powerhouse core exercise, perfect for slotting into your workout routine at the end of a strength training session or home workout. However, many people try it once and then never again after feeling a pinch in their lower back or feeling like it's doing nothing at all.

Once you get it right, it's one of the best functional core exercises, working the abdominals and obliques in a way that builds "rotational core strength" and directly translates to everyday life, says Mark Harris, a level 4 personal trainer and Mirafit ambassador.

"I regularly use Russian twists with my clients because they are an effective and easily adaptable core exercise," he says. Here's how to do one.

How to do the Russian twist exercise right

• Sit on a mat with your knees bent and legs together.
• With control, lean back until your upper body sits at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
• Make sure to keep your chest up, back straight, and core engaged throughout the movement. Breathe throughout.
• Lift your feet a couple of inches off the floor, engaging your core.
• Bring your hands together in front of you, then slowly turn your upper body to one side. Return to the centre.
• Complete the movement again on the other side, and switch sides until you reach your 12 repetitions.

Expert tip: "You should feel the effort through your abdominal muscles rather than your arms," says Mark. "As you rotate, your torso should twist in the direction of the weight, but avoid rounding your spine just to create more movement. The rotation should come from your torso while maintaining good posture throughout."

Benefits of the Russian twist exercise

1. Great for beginners

Those new to exercise or building core strength in particular will see benefits very quickly with this exercise. As Mark says, it's adaptable to all levels.

"Beginners can start with their heels on the floor using only their body weight, then progress by lifting their heels and adding resistance with a dumbbell or kettlebell as they become stronger," he says.

2. Easy to tell when you're doing it wrong

In the plank exercise, you can involuntarily raise your hips, making the plank easier and far less effective, and you might not realise. You'll certainly know if you're doing the Russian twist incorrectly, says Mark.

"If you feel any pain or pinching in your lower back, hips, or both, something needs adjusting," he says.

Start the movement again from scratch and adjust by leaving your feet on the floor to begin with, just rotating your upper body. If you've started using a weight, drop it for the moment and focus on your form.

3. May help reduce lower back pain

Strengthening the core muscles and those around the lower back, as you do with the Russian twist exercise, is one way to help reduce the risk of lower back pain down the line.

"However, if you have existing lower back issues, I wouldn't recommend it as your starting point, as there are more suitable exercises to build strength first," says Mark.

4. It's a functional movement

These days, the conversation around weight training is less about appearances and more about longevity - that's living better, not just for longer. We know that lifting weights can help with this, but those exercises need to be functional - replicating movements we do in everyday life.

Just like how the squat replicates standing up from a chair (or the loo!), Russian twists replicate the turning movement needed to look behind you quickly and can help resist unwanted twisting while carrying bags and other heavier objects.

5. Improves strength and definition

The Russian twist exercise, especially when done consistently over several weeks, is a "highly effective, compound bodyweight movement for conditioning the core", per research in IJFMR.

The study found that the exercise uses most of the core muscles, including the internal and external obliques (on the sides of the core), rectus abdominis (at the front), and transverse abdominis (the deepest of the core muscles; these act like a corset for the torso).

Together with dietary changes, working these muscles can help to create a more 'toned' look in the upper body as well.

There's nothing worse than buying a pair of running shoes that feel great for the first few wears, then lose their bounce - or, worst of all, start to rub your feet. That's why I've been reaching for the Asics Gel Nimbus 28 when I've got easy miles to do, and comfort is key.

The plush sole and flexible, textile upper make for comfortable wear for hours at a time. I've worn these shoes for everything from a 5km to a half-marathon, bouncing around along the pavement for over two hours without an issue.

Released in January, I've barely had them off my feet since then. They might not be your go-to for speedier runs, race day, or as a pair of trail running shoes, but if you've only got the budget for one pair, then I reckon you'd be just fine in these - especially as they are now on sale.

Asics Gel Nimbus 28 review

Specifications

• Size range: 
• Weight: 242g per shoe
• Heel-to-toe drop: 8mm
• Waterproof version available: No

What are the Asics Gel Nimbus 28 like to run in?

I'm not very familiar with the long history of the Nimbus lineup, but I have tried the Gel Nimbus 27 - and these feel noticeably softer and lighter, so those are two improvements. Overall, they have a very cushioned feel, and comfort has clearly been the priority in these shoes.

It shouldn't be underestimated, either. Even compared to the Asics Superblast 3, the springier older sibling in the line-up, these have more cushioning and feel more stable underfoot, making them a smooth, reliable ride - just what you want in an all-rounder running shoe, especially if you're not too concerned about breaking speed records.

However, they are still plush and feel noticeably lightweight, and have a slight rocker in the sole, which is designed to push you forward through every step. I can feel this on my runs, so while I tend to take it at a slower pace in these shoes, I have stepped it up to faster paces without any issues, clocking in 10km and a half-marathon personal bests.

The locked-in feel provided by the cushioned ankle girdle and classic interlocking lace system only adds to this comfort and support, as does the thin tongue on the upper, which is breathable and entirely flexible, so it can be stretched right over the foot to avoid rubbing.

The Asics Gel Nimbus 28 is a shoe designed for neutral runners or under pronators (where your foot rolls slightly outwards). If anything, I'm an over pronator (my foot rolls inwards), but I've never had any issues in these, so I think they're just about suitable for just about everyone. However, if you're unsure, get a gait analysis test and try them on first.

Who are the Asics Gel Nimbus 28 running shoes made for?

While a more responsive, springier running shoe will be a better choice for speedier runs and race days, one with a stronger rocker and even less weight to it, not everyone has the budget for multiple pairs of shoes. The Asics Gel Nimbus 28 is a running shoe designed for easy, longer runs, with comfort and impact protection on roads and pavements in mind. However, I think they fair up well when you push through to faster paces, so I'd recommend them to anyone - whether you're running as a beginner or have been going for years.

It's rare to find a shoe that I'll give such a rave review to, but over the last six months, they've been a versatile go-to for all my running - and I actually look forward to wearing them. My ankle-breaking speed shoes? Not so much, so they often get left behind.

The Asics Gel Nimbus 28 could also be a good walking shoe - or one for those who like to try Jeffing. I've spotted many women wearing them in central London, walking with speed up escalators and along busy tube platforms, no doubt because they are so comfortable. However, I personally wouldn't walk in them - I'm not used to shoes with additional stack height when walking, so I have dragged the soles on the ground many times, making for a loud sound and unnecessary wear to the soles.

The w&h verdict

I'd recommend the Asics Gel Nimbus 28 running shoes to anyone. Their comfort, stability, breathability, and lightweight feel make them a pleasure to wear for long and/or easy runs, and I've pushed through to faster paces without an issue.

These are the shoes I want to reach for every time I head out the door, which is perhaps why they are so worn after six months. That's hundreds of miles, hundreds of thousands of steps, and many, many workouts.

If you're a fan of the Hoka Clifton 10 or Bondi 9, then I'd say these are a close match in terms of cushioning, but offer a little more energy return for longer runs.

I opted for the pastel pink colourway when I got these shoes in the winter, which made for a pleasant pop of colour in my running wardrobe, but it didn't wear particularly well in wetter and muddier conditions, compared to the darker blue, purple, and black colourways that are also available. Now it's summer, you wouldn't have that same problem.

On descending Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) after completing the Three Peaks Challenge, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was met by Prince William, their three children, and her parents. She completed the hike with her brother. It was a moment captured by photographers and recently shared on the couple's social media pages.

The Three Peaks Challenge is a 24-hour event where participants must climb the three highest points in England (Scafell Pike), Scotland (Ben Nevis), and Wales (Snowdon), travelling between the mountains. The time limit makes it a real physical and mental task, as participants are often left with limited time to sleep and rest between climbs.

On her wrist, Kate wore the Apple Watch Series 11, the brand's latest. Featuring a 24-hour battery life, accurate and insightful workout data, and strong GPS with the cellular model, it's a reliable option for the Princess of Wales, who would have logged at least 50,000 steps on the Challenge.

In total, the distance is 37 kilometres (23 miles) with more than 10,000 feet of climbing, and about 460 miles of driving between the mountains. Based on average stride length, height, and pace, the future Queen would have tracked 50,000 to 65,000 steps over just one day and night. Luckily, she also had some good Scarpa walking shoes on.

The Apple Watch Series 11 is one of the best fitness trackers today. After starting a Hiking workout, the watch displays live workout data, so Kate would have been able to see how many steps she was taking, the distance she was covering, elevation, speed, and her precise location at every step along the way.

When the climb was over, she would have seen an overview of each hike, revealing the total distance, step count, average speed, and elevation, and she would have been able to see how these efforts impacted her body via the Training Load feature.

At night, Kate would have been able to see how well she slept (if only for a few hours) while wearing the watch, with sensors recording how long she slept for, her various stages of sleep (REM, deep, and light) and how well she slept, rounded up into a Sleep Score.

The watch can also play back music through exercise headphones, make and receive phone calls and texts, and take pictures remotely, all of which come in handy when you're taking on such an adventure.

The Apple Watch Series 11 also has new sharing features, so should she have wanted to, the Princess of Wales could have sent her live location from the watch to family members, who could have tracked her along the way.

Lightweight and ultra-thin, this Apple Watch also has the brightest screen to date, with a new scratch-resistant layer over the top to protect against bumps and bashes while walking or hiking.

Many hikers complete the Three Peaks Challenge for charity, and Kate was no different. Earlier this week, she posted to Instagram from atop one of the climbs, revealing that she was raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, an effort you can still donate to today.

She said: "Cancer doesn’t just affect the body. It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life. I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone.

"I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back. The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people."

When it comes to choosing a good pair of walking shoes, comfort, durability and waterproofing are the three most important features - especially in unpredictable British weather. It's something that Catherine, Princess of Wales, would have greatly appreciated during her recent expedition.

The future Queen took on the Three Peaks Challenge, a long-distance hiking event across the highest points in Scotland, England, and Wales. She climbed three mountains one after the other (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)), within a 24-hour time limit. It's a feat of physical and mental strength, as participants also have to travel between the mountains, leaving them with little sleep and few rest stops.

For the challenge, the Princess of Wales wore Scarpa's Terra GTX walking boots. This Italian family-owned brand has been making reliable, supportive hiking gear for almost 100 years.

While these boots may look old-school compared to the likes of Hoka's Anacapa 2 or Merrell's Moab Speed 2, they have the same GORE-TEX waterproof membrane under the nubuck leather upper that keeps feet dry.

The Scarpa Terra GTX are ergonomic, designed for comfort as well as support. They have a cushioned ankle cuff and platform in the sole, and a slightly wider toe box than other shoes, which can help to reduce pressure on points around the ankles, feet, and toes, making for a more comfortable ride.

Thick lugs on the bottom of the Vibram outsoles have a particular tread pattern that would have kept Kate feeling stable on rocky and muddy mountainsides, both on the way up and down.

Many people do the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for charity, and the Princess of Wales was no different. She raised money for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, and you can still donate to her effort today.

"I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back. The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life-changing for so many people," she wrote in an earlier Instagram post.

"Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live. Between effort and acceptance, between control and trust, between thinking and simply being. Because in the end, bravery isn’t just about pushing forward. It is about knowing how to stay grounded, connected and present, no matter the terrain or landscape you are walking."

Shop Kate's hiking wardrobe

With Wimbledon rolling around again and more people enjoying sports like padel and pickleball, racket sports have never been more popular. They're fun, social, and a key driver of longevity, according to a study published just last year.

You might think you need a strong upper body for smashing all of those aces over the net, but strong legs and core are just as important when on the court. Isla Smith, Les Mills global assessor and LTA coach education tutor, says tennis “requires excellent connection between lower and upper body”.

“We use our legs to power upwards from the ground, our core to rotate the hips and our shoulders to ultimately wield the racket through the air using a combination of momentum, technique and sheer power to optimise performance," she says.

Some strength training exercises can help with this. While these are more complex than your basic dumbbell workout at home, all of this equipment you'll find in your local gym - or you can top up your home gym with a few must-haves.

Gym exercises for tennis

1. Medicine ball throws

A medicine ball is a firm, weighted ball which Isla says can be used during a tennis warm-up or during a conditioning session. They can range from 2kg up to 10kg.

Here's how to do a medicine ball throw:

• Hold the medicine ball in two hands.
• Bracing yourself, throw it as if hitting a forehand and backhand, either to a partner or against a wall.
• Make sure you choose the right medicine ball for your strength and ability.

2. Squats

“When playing tennis we are often forced to play off one leg, or certainly overloading one, so it's important each leg is strong and functional,” says Isla. She says squats can be a great way quadriceps exercise to build leg strength.

Single leg variations can also be beneficial, although these are quite advanced moves. “Plyometrics (also known as jump training) is big for tennis,” she explains. “So where squats and lunges can also be done as single leg plyometric exercises this will be very beneficial.” This could involve squat jumps, box jumps or split squats. Always make sure you land softly to protect your knees and ankles.

How to do a squat:

• Stand shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells comfortably by your shoulders or by your sides.
• Slowly squat down as if you were sitting on a chair behind you.
• Come down so you are sitting parallel to the floor.
• Push through your feet to come up to standing.

3. Lunges

Isla suggests trying all types of lunges including “multi-directional, especially sideways and diagonally” to improve your quad, hamstring and glute strength.

“Play with tempo here, slow into the depth then explode up. This mimics what we require on a tennis court,” she explains.

How to do a lunge:

• Stand shoulder-width apart, then take a manageable step forward, sideways, or backwards.
• With or without weights by your sides, drop your back knee to the floor, until it sits a couple of inches off the floor. If you are doing a side squat, sit back and down into your lunge on your chosen leg.
• Push through your foot and return to standing.

4. Skaters

Skaters are “great for balance, core and individual leg strengthening,” says Isla, and they primarily work your hamstrings and glutes.

You need to propel your body sideways, landing on one foot, with the other hovering above the ground. You can also use your arms for extra momentum.

Here's how to do them:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart on a smooth surface, like tile or hardwood floor. One foot should stand on the slider and the other stands on the floor.
• Keeping your chest up and core braced, push your hips back.
• Press your weight into the stationary foot, slide out the leg on the slider until it's fully extended.
• Bring your slider leg back in to the starting position.

5. Hip openers

Isla says many people who play tennis struggle to loosen tight hips, so she recommends they include some stretching exercises into any gym routine.

To finish, poses such as swan, pigeon or runner’s lunge can help any aches and give your hip flexors some extra flexibility.

Finding reliable activewear can feel like a never-ending quest, particularly as our bodies and wardrobe needs change. The best workout leggings stay firmly put during an exercise class, offer flattering support without feeling like a corset, and – crucially – come with functional pockets that don’t sag.

To see if Lululemon's high-waisted leggings truly live up to their premium reputation, we asked a member of our trusted reader Tester Network, Facey Williams, to put them through their paces. We wanted an honest, real-world assessment from someone whose busy daily life demands kit that performs as well on a wet dog walk as it does in a high-impact fitness class.

First impressions: quality you can feel

Fresh out of the packaging, the quality of these leggings was immediately apparent. Unlike cheaper alternatives that can feel thin, flimsy, or overly synthetic, the fabric has a reassuring substance to it.

"My first impression after unpacking them was how lovely the fabric felt; they felt like really beautiful quality," Facey notes. "The waistband is double thickness, so it sits incredibly well on the waist without ever feeling restrictive or digging in."

For women over 40, a waistband that sits flat without cutting into the midriff is often the holy grail of activewear design, and Lululemon hits the mark here.

Fit and design: a welcome confidence boost

Many of us look for activewear that offers a bit of gentle sculpting and support to boost our confidence, whether we're heading to a gym class or running errands. Facey found that the fabric delivered an incredibly supportive, contouring fit that moved well with her body.

"As soon as I put them on, they felt a bit like a second skin and they moved with absolute ease," she says. "They made me feel so supported when I wore them and they felt quite flattering, as they held in my stomach and bottom without feeling compressed."

Ultimate test: do they stay put?

There is nothing more frustrating than having to constantly hike up your leggings mid-run, or feeling the waistband roll down the moment you bend over. Thanks to the ultra-high rise and a clever, subtle internal adjustable band, these workout leggings stayed firmly in place throughout Facey’s packed schedule.

"They didn't rub and didn't ride up or down," Facey explains. "The waistband was brilliant because it is genuinely high-rise. It didn't budge when I was bending or stretching, meaning I didn't have to keep heaving them up when I was out and about."

Tested during an unpredictable British summer – which included both glorious dry spells and a few inevitably damp dog walks – the performance was entirely consistent. The fabric offers an exceptional amount of stretch, allowing for total freedom of movement during high-flexibility exercises like ballet and high-impact sports like tennis, all while remaining highly breathable.

Pockets, too!

Most workout leggings fall short when it comes to practical storage, often featuring tiny pockets that barely fit a house key. Lululemon has mastered the utility aspect here, providing deep, sleek pockets – and several of them.

"Most leggings I have worn do not have sufficient pockets, so this was an aspect I thought was incredibly useful," says Facey.

She found the pockets were easily deep enough to hold a smartphone and a heavy bunch of keys securely against the leg without sagging. Facey even put them to the test on the court:

"I really liked the pockets, and they were even big enough to hold a tennis ball securely and then snap back to being completely flat against the leg afterwards."

A small, sleek pocket at the back of the waistband also provides the perfect spot for carrying a bank card or coffee loyalty card.

Wash, wear and longevity

Premium activewear needs to withstand frequent laundering, and these leggings passed the durability test with flying colours, retaining their shape and stretch perfectly. However, Facey noticed a specific quirk that you'd only discover after genuinely living with the product.

"I washed the leggings after several uses, and when they were line-dried, I noticed they looked quite creased," she explains. "But there’s no need to panic – as soon as I put them on, the creases completely disappeared, and they looked brand new again."

They also dry remarkably quickly, which is ideal if you want a quick turnaround between workouts.

The verdict: are they worth It?

If you are looking to update your fitness wardrobe with a pair of leggings that look as good as they perform, these easily earn their keep. While they sit firmly at the investment end of the market, our tester found that they comfortably outperformed other premium brands she usually relies on.

"They felt more supportive than other leggings I have, including my Sweaty Betty ones," Facey concludes. "Having tested these Lululemon leggings, I completely understand why they are priced as they are. Yes, they are an investment, but I would genuinely say they are better than the other high-end leggings I already own. I would absolutely buy them myself."

Whether you need a high-performing tight for the court or a comfortable, stylish pair of leggings for walking the dogs and catching up with friends, they tick every single box for a busy lifestyle.

The highlights

• Superior, flattering fit: Excellent support that gently sculpts the core and glutes without feeling restrictive.
• No-roll waistband: High, double-thickness waist with an inner tie that completely eliminates the need to constantly pull them up.
• Perfect pockets: Deep, flat-laying pockets that easily accommodate phones, keys, or tennis balls without losing their shape.
• A sophisticated alternative: The deep brown shade tested offers a softer, chic alternative to standard black gym gear.

Things to consider

• Premium price tag: They require a higher upfront spend, though the cost-per-wear value is exceptional given the durability.
• Length considerations: At 5'2", our tester found the regular length ideal but noted that a slightly shorter crop would suit petite frames beautifully. (Fortunately, Lululemon offers various inseam lengths, including 25-inch and cropped versions, to help you find the perfect fit).

Lululemon leggings: at a glance

If there's one activity that promises boundless benefits for body and mind, it's strength training. From stronger bones to a boost in brain health, lifting weights is a versatile and affordable way to improve your health.

A study from the University of Edinburgh, published in Radiology, has added another benefit to this list in recent weeks. Research revealed that having stronger skeletal muscle - particularly in the chest and back - may be linked to a lower risk of heart attacks in people over 50.

The researchers used artificial intelligence analysis to scan 1,722 patients, mostly in their 50s, who experienced chest pain.

They believe that those with this type of "good-quality" muscle generally exercise more and have greater torso strength, and suggest that this could help reduce the risk of having a heart attack or dying early.

Senior author on the study, Professor Michelle Williams, said: "It's fascinating that people's skeletal muscle could be linked to their risk of having a heart attack. The muscles which show up in the scans we used - coronary computed tomography angiogram scans - are principally the back muscles, part of the pectoral muscles - or 'pecs' - and the intercostal muscles between the ribs."

Professor Williams started going to the gym twice a week and now aims to walk for one hour a day, off the back of these results. "I am now personally interested in exercises in cycling, planks, and Pilates, which I enjoy and may have an effect on these muscles," she said.

"However, we need far more research to better understand how exercise may affect muscle density, and how this may relate to heart health."

The researchers used AI to analyse participants' muscles, organs, bones, and fat in their upper bodies. This included examining skeletal muscle attenuation, which refers to the brightness or darkness of muscle on a scan.

Denser muscle is lighter on a scan image as more X-ray beams bounce off it. Someone with denser, higher-quality muscle, which also has less fat, will show a brighter image.

A person was thought to be 31% less likely to have a heart attack for every 10-point increase in scan brightness. They were also 39% less likely to die in the 10 years following the scan, researchers said.

Importantly, muscle size was not linked to the risk of heart attack or premature death. It was the composition of the muscle that mattered, the researchers said.

Professor Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the study, said the results provided "yet more evidence supporting the power of exercise".

What exercises improve chest and back strength?

Compound exercises - movements that engage multiple muscles at once - are the most efficient exercises to include in an upper-body dumbbell workout.

These include:

• Chest press (works the chest, shoulders, and triceps)
• Push-ups (work the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core)
• Barbell deadlifts (work the muscles around the spine, lats, glutes, hamstrings, and core)
• Pull-ups (work the lats, rear shoulders, biceps)
• Bent-over row (works the lats, shoulders, traps)
• Lat pull-down (works the lats, shoulders, upper back muscles, biceps, and core)

You can do these exercises most easily at the gym, using machines, barbells, and cable machines. However, you can replicate many of the movements at home with dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands as well.

While the bird dog exercise mainly works the core muscles, improving stability and strength, it also targets the lower back, shoulders, hamstrings, and glutes, making it one of the better full-body exercises you can do.

Over the years, I've done plank after plank and seen few benefits. It's just not the exercise for me. I can hold the position for about a minute before everything starts shaking and my forehead starts sweating. Even with practice, it feels torturous.

At the end of a beginner's Pilates class one day, I was talking to my teacher, and she recommended the bird dog exercise to me. She suggested it wouldn't cause so much discomfort, but it could still help improve my fitness. As she also recommended the dead bug exercise to me (which I love), I knew I needed to try it.

How to do the bird dog exercise

This exercise starts on all fours, on a thick yoga mat for extra comfort if you want it. Sam Deville, a Pilates instructor and founder of a dynamic online platform of the same name, calls this exercise 'swimming' in her classes. She says: "It's a brilliant move for strengthening the posterior chain (muscles on the back of your body). It looks simple, but when done with proper form, it fires up everything from your glutes and hamstrings to your core and shoulders."

Here's how to do it:

• Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back, reaching long through both ends without collapsing into the shoulders or lower back.
• Keep your core engaged and spine in a neutral position. Make sure your hips aren't rocking or twisting.
• Pause briefly at the top, then return your arm and leg to the centre.
• Repeat the exercise for 10 slow reps, says Deville, focusing on control and alignment.

Expert tip for the bird dog exercise: “A great form-check tip is to place a soft, half-deflated ball on your lower back," says Deville. "If it rolls off, you’ll know your hips or core need more control. It’s a really nice, simple but effective way to get instant feedback."

Benefits of the bird dog exercise

• Boosts core strength: In the bird dog, you have to keep your core strong to stop yourself from leaning to one side or sinking, much like in the plank. When done correctly, this exercise "gently works the abdominal muscles, says Susie Martin, a Pilates instructor and physiotherapist who works with Complete Pilates.
• Improves stability: "You might think you're fit and strong, but get into the bird dog, and you'll find out. You might be wobbling all over the place," says Martin. The exercise challenges your full-body stability, which can help in other activities where you have to "transfer power from your legs to your upper body", she notes, such as racquet sports or strength training.
• Good stretch: It felt like a lovely way to stretch out and unwind at the end of the day after sitting hunched over my computer, and it's a good way to start the day and get my blood pumping.
• Increases upper-body strength: The bird dog puts us in an unusual position, which means muscle groups are used differently. "It encourages weight bearing through the upper body, which is good for shoulder strength and function," she says. Plus, you don't need any weights to do it, making it suitable for a Pilates workout at home or a gym session.
• Aids spinal alignment: Deville says the exercise is also a good option for those with lower back issues as it "builds strength through the back and core without putting too much pressure on the spine". Always consult your doctor before trying a new exercise if you have these issues, however.

Can you do a weighted bird dog?

Adding weights can make a bird dog harder, helping beginners improve core strength and stability even more, says Deville. You can use dumbbells or ankle weights for this exercise, but an easier way is to incorporate a set of the best resistance bands. These rubber bands are cheap to buy, easy to store at home, and can spread the resistance out from arm to foot, unlike other weight types.

How to do a weighted bird dog with bands

• Set up in the regular bird dog position on all fours.
• Wrap a resistance band around the ankle of the leg that's stretching out first, bringing it forward and looping it through your fingers of the opposite hand.
• Keeping your core tight and in a controlled way, extend the weighted arm forward and the opposite weighted leg away from each other.

Is the bird dog better than a plank?

The bird dog and the plank have a place in a Pilates abs workout, the experts say. However, beginners may find more benefits with the bird dog exercise, at least to begin with, since it's more adaptable. You can make it harder or easier with variations or even ankle weights.

However, they are different. “A plank is more intense on the anterior (front) core, while bird dog targets the back body and really challenges the deep stabilisers,” says Deville.

Just like how a squat and the clamshell exercise are equally great at building lower-body strength, but work slightly differently.

Martin recommends learning the proper form for a plank and incorporating both exercises into your workouts, if you can. “The plank is more challenging in terms of higher load for the abdominal and back muscles, which makes it good for those who want to challenge absolute levels of strength,” she says, adding that the bird dog is good for challenging your stability and balance.

How long should you hold the bird dog pose for?

You don’t need to hold the bird dog pose for long for it to be effective. If you want to work on your endurance and balance, Deville recommends holding at the top for five to 10 seconds. But she adds that control, extending and returning your arms and legs with precision, is most important.

Liz Earle believes it’s never too late to age better, and she loves sharing her fitness and wellbeing tips on her lifestyle platform. She's a skincare expert, but the 63-year-old also regularly walks her followers through her strength training routines.

While she often shares upper-body workouts and those with leg and glute exercises, in a recent video, Liz reveals: "I don't do any exercises for my stomach. I think that the way that women have been taught to think about exercise has been so focused on our appearance. And I really want us to be thinking about health span. So that's how strong, healthy, and happy and mobile we can feel in our later years. And this is so much more important than having washboard abs."

Speaking from her home gym, she says: "When it comes to exercises for my core, I'm really not doing crunches day in, day out." While these core exercises can help improve core strength, she says she prefers doing a "broader range of exercises" that focus on different parts of the body and work the core as a "byproduct" or a "beneficial side effect".

In a video posted on her Liz Earle Wellbeing YouTube channel, the businesswoman shares some of her exercise and lifestyle hacks for strengthening her core. She says simple exercises or movements many people are familiar with can give our core a “sneaky workout” too.

1. Squat

One of the key exercises Liz does to improve her core strength is weighted squats. Demonstrating with 8kg dumbbells, she explains that her personal trainer emphasised the importance of bringing your navel to your spine when you do these exercises.

This will stabilise your lower back and activate your abdominal muscles while you’re working out. She says doing this while you squat will “automatically firm and tone” up your core.

2. Push-ups

“Push-ups are really good for the arms, but you’re toning your core at the same time. Because even if you’re doing them on your knees instead of a full plank, you’ve got to engage your core while you do them,” says Liz.

Engaging your core will help to improve your core strength by getting all the muscles in this area (deep and superficial) to work together as one unit.

3. Planks

If you can't do a full push-up, then a plank is a good place to start. Just hold this position with straight or bent arms for as long as you can.

4. Balance exercises

Liz has another suggestion for an easy way for you to improve your core strength and balance, and it’s one all of us can do twice a day. She stands on one leg while she’s brushing her teeth. She says she’s been doing this for so long now that she doesn’t “even think about it” anymore.

She will stand on one leg and then swap halfway through. “You will feel your (core) muscles engage, because you need them to balance,” she tells viewers.

It's not only core and mobility exercises that Liz says have made a difference in her life. Prioritising protein has been a “game-changer” for her by “supporting my strength but also keeping me full so I don’t overeat”.

She aims for 25-30g of protein at every meal and will have a protein shake during the day too if she’s done a workout. She suggests sneaking protein powder into your diet in several ways, from drinking it to adding it to pasta sauce or soup. Protein supplements can also be beneficial for people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.

If you eat a balanced diet with plenty of lean meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, tofu and lentils, you may not need anything extra.

During her long career as a professional tennis player at the top of her game, Venus Williams has learned a lot about the importance of strength training, while also coping with a fair few injuries. However, with the 46-year-old returning to Wimbledon 26 years after she first won the women’s title there, she’s been working hard to create an effective off-court stretch routine.

Venus is due to compete in the women’s doubles with her younger sister, Serena, who has also come out of retirement to play in the world-famous tournament. The five-time Wimbledon champion is still in fantastic shape, but doesn't undervalue the importance of good mobility exercises before a workout.

"I'm sharing some of my favourite stretches that help me recover after a match, improve my flexibility, and stay injury-free. As a tennis player, recovery is just as important as training, and these stretches have been key to keeping me on top of my game," she says.

Venus Williams' mobility routine

Leg and hip stretches

• Leg raises: Lying flat on her back, Venus raises each leg from the mat to straight above her five times to stretch out her hamstrings.
• Hamstring stretch: Venus then straightens one leg above her and brings it close to her body to give a good hamstring stretch. She then bends and straightens it five times, first straight above her, then at a 45-degree angle out to each side, before switching to the other leg.
• Hip stretch: Keeping her leg bent, Venus then works on her hip mobility by holding a bent leg and moving it out to each side for a 5-second hold, which helps her hips loosen up.
• Kneeling lunge: The next move Venus does is a kneeling lunge, which is a great stretch for the hip flexors and quads. She then sits back on her heel to give the hamstring and calves a good stretch, too.
• Pigeon pose into downward dog: One way to really open up your hips is to do pigeon pose, which involves having one leg bent in front of you, while the other is straight out behind. Venus keeps this dynamic by moving into a downward dog position a few times before swapping legs. Downward dog will open up your upper back and also stretch your calves and hamstrings.
• Side lunge: This exercise will stretch your hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors. Put one leg straight out to the side while kneeling on the other leg. Move your body lower to the mat to increase the intensity.

Upper-body stretches

• Lunge with rotation: Staying in the kneeling lunge position, Venus then works on her upper body by straightening each arm above her head and alternating them for a back and shoulder stretch.
• Cobra into press-ups: To stretch out her abs and upper back, Venus lies on her front on the mat. She straightens her arms to stretch her shoulders and upper back, before doing a couple of press-ups to get her arms moving.
• Cat-cow (/camels): Venus says she was experiencing a backache, but when she started focusing on her posture and doing mobility exercises, it stopped. She says she does cat-cow pose, or ‘cat-camel’ as she calls it, before adding in the thread to stretch the shoulders.
• Open book and round the clock: Lying on her side, Venus then works on her shoulder mobility by opening out her arms straight at a 90-degree angle in ‘open book’ pose. She then moves one arm around her head in a 'round the clock’ pose to work on her shoulder rotation. Doing these stretches on your side will also loosen your lower back muscles.
• Bent knee stretch: To increase the lower back stretch, Venus then brings a bent knee over the straight leg and stretches her arms out wide, which also works her pectoral and upper back muscles.

In the video, Venus reveals that Serena is “so much looser than me” – something fans have seen when she’s done the splits on tennis courts in the past. But Venus says that she actually ended up hurting herself when she tried to be as flexible. This is why she is focusing on strengthening through dynamic stretching, which increases the blood flow to your muscles, preparing them for exercise, or helping them recover afterwards.

While Venus is obviously a professional athlete, she says she recommends this routine to everyone. “Stretching makes you feel good,” she says - and we couldn’t agree more!

While the appearance of strong arms is in vogue at the moment, strength training is about more than appearances - from picking up shopping bags to taking things down from above your head, they aid with functional movement and may make daily life feel easier well into your 80s and 90s.

Melissa Leach, a yoga instructor and strength and conditioning coach at Yoga-Go, says, “Building arm strength goes far beyond aesthetic reasons. It’s often an indicator of overall health and functional capacity, and developing it through regular training can help improve muscle mass, support joint stability, enhance metabolic health, and make everyday tasks easier and safer to perform.”

The same goes for all upper-body strength, she says - and the good news is that you can do short, effective workouts to improve it. Think dumbbells, light weights, and resistance bands.

Try this arm workout

1. Arm circles

This short warm-up exercise gets the shoulder joints ready for the more intense movement to come.

Here's how to do arm circles:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and extend your arms straight out to the sides, at shoulder height.
• Make small circles forward for 20 to 30 seconds, then reverse the direction.

2. Shoulder press

This is a compound movement, targeting most of the upper muscles on the front of the body, but particularly the muscles on the front, sides, and back of the shoulder.

"Keep your ribs pulled in and your core engaged so the work stays in your shoulders rather than the lower back," says Melissa.

Here's how to do it:

• Curl the weights up to your shoulders, then press them overhead until your arms fully extend, without locking your elbows.
• Lower the weights back to your shoulder and then down to the starting position.
• Repeat 10 to 15 times.

3. Bicep curls

The bicep curl is a favourite upper-body exercise for a reason. It focuses on the muscle at the front of your arm, which is used during most lifting movements.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Hold the dumbbells with a straight arm at either side of your hips.
• Keeping your elbow tucked into your waist, curl the dumbbell towards your shoulder
• Slowly bring it back down.
• Repeat 12 to 15 times on both sides, or complete the movement with both arms at the same time.

4. Single-arm lat pull down

A lat pull-down is traditionally done in the gym with a cable machine and single handle, but you can also do it at home as part of a resistance band workout. Anchor your resistance band between a door in your house and the frame.

“The resistance should come from muscle engagement, not momentum, so focus on your form and squeezing the muscles along the sides of your back with every repetition," says Melissa.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand tall with your arms extended overhead, with palms facing forward.
• Pull one elbow down towards your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Slowly extend your arms overhead and repeat with the opposite arm.
• Repeat 12 to 15 times.

5. Steering wheels

The steering wheel exercise is one that mainly targets the shoulders - this is where you'll really feel it. However, it also improves muscular endurance in the arms, forcing them to stay static. It would be right at home in a home Pilates workout, too, as it focuses on core control and stability.

Here's how to do it:

• Hold a light dumbbell with both hands or clasp your hands together and extend your arms in front of your body.
• Slowly rotate your hands from side to side as though turning a steering wheel.
• Complete 15 to 20 rotations per direction.

The concept of ‘exercise snacking’ has never been more popular. Not only is it convenient and accessible, but there is solid scientific evidence that short bursts of physical activity can yield real benefits for our health. But can a swimming workout be an effective ‘exercise snack’?

A study published in the European Heart Journal found that just 15 to 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week (almost as low as two minutes a day) was enough to significantly lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and early death. The study defined vigorous activity as any exercise that leaves you out of breath and raises your heart rate, including swimming.

But does ‘exercise snacking’ really work in the pool? Unlike a short run, walk, or online workout at home, going for a swim requires a bit of effort beyond the swim itself, so we often want to spend longer in the pool to make the most of it. However, head of swim for David Lloyd Clubs, Nuala Muir-Cochrane, believes short swims are worth it: “If you only have 10 minutes, consistency matters more than volume. Even two or three short swims per week can improve swim fitness noticeably,” she says.

With that in mind, I added some 10-minute swims to my routine of strength training and yoga workouts for two weeks to see if it made any difference to my health and fitness. Here’s what I discovered, plus what experts told me about optimising a short swim to either energise, recover or relax.

Benefits of 10-minute swimming workouts

1. Aids muscle recovery

To make the most of my short pool sessions, I often paired them with a gym visit, realising that I’ll need a post-workout shower anyway, so I may as well take a dip first. According to Francesca Bagshaw, performance physiologist at Nuffield Health’s Manchester Institute of Health and Performance, a short swim is perfect for recovering after the gym, a run or exercise class because it combines low-impact movement with increased circulation.

“After a hard session, muscles can feel stiff and fatigued due to microscopic muscle damage, inflammation and metabolite build-up,” she explains. “Gentle swimming helps stimulate blood flow without placing additional mechanical stress on joints and muscles,” Francesca recommends keeping the intensity low to moderate if recovery is your goal, to promote mobility, relaxation and circulation, without additional fatigue.

Samantha Russo, master swim coach for Virgin Active, adds, “In the pool, the water holds most of your bodyweight, so your joints get a break, but your muscles are still working gently through a big range of motion. Because water gives soft resistance in every direction, an easy swim is like active stretching with a built-in massage for the muscles, so you loosen up rather than lock up.”

2. Supports muscle building

Water is around 800 times denser than air, making swimming (or any movement in water) an effective resistance workout. Your muscles need to work harder to propel the body through the water, and multiple muscle groups will be involved, including those in your arms, legs, back and core.

My fortnight of short swims probably didn’t help me gain muscle – the resistance of the water never changes, so practising progressive overload (gradually increasing the weight, as I can in the gym) isn’t possible. I would have to either increase my speed, distance or duration to do this. But I felt that my short swims did support gains from strength training in the gym. Maintaining muscle has been useful for staying strong, not just for my gym workouts, but also for my yoga classes and occasional run.

3. Boosts energy levels

While it isn’t my preferred timeslot, I would sometimes schedule a short, pacier swim in the morning to boost my mental and physical energy before work. If you prefer morning workouts, you might find that adding a short, fast swim after the gym or an exercise class will energise you for the day ahead.

Samantha is a fan of morning swims: “In the morning, your circulation and nervous system are still in ‘low power mode’, and a short swim acts like a full-body wake-up call,” she says. “The cold water stimulates your skin and nerves, your breathing and heart rate increase, and more oxygen-rich blood is pushed to your brain and muscles. That mix of oxygen, movement and endorphins clears brain fog and lifts your mood far better than a cup of coffee.”

Francesca adds, “For best results, morning swims should be kept relatively short and refreshing rather than exhaustive, particularly before work or further training later in the day.”

4. Lowers stress levels

Much has been discovered about the effects of immersion in water, and how it can induce an ultra-calming ‘blue mind’ state. This is partly why I favour an evening swim, not just to avoid the busiest times at the pool, but to lower my cortisol levels and put a full stop to the day. This can have a calming effect on the nervous system, explains Francesca.

“Steady, rhythmic swimming encourages controlled breathing patterns and can help shift the body toward a more parasympathetic, ‘rest and digest’, state. This reduces physiological arousal and can lower stress levels after a busy day,” she says.

“Warm or temperate water can reduce muscle tension and promote peripheral vasodilation [widening of the blood vessels], helping the body feel physically calmer. The repetitive nature of swimming has a meditative effect for many people, supporting mental decompression and reduced cognitive stress.”

Samantha adds that some may find evening swims contribute to a better night’s sleep: “Your core body temperature rises slightly in the water, then drops as you shower and dry off, and that drop is a natural signal to your brain that it’s time for bed.”

5. Burns calories

The number of calories you burn during a swim will depend on various factors, including the duration, distance, intensity and your bodyweight. For example, according to Harvard Medical School data, someone who weighs 155lb could expect to burn approximately 200 calories over a 30-minute low-intensity swim, rising to 360 calories for a high-intensity 30-minute swim.

Just 10 minutes of swimming will amount to a third of that calorie burn, but the ‘afterburn’ – or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) – may help burn a few more. The ‘afterburn’ concept suggests that we consume more oxygen to help our bodies restore and repair following intense exercise, essentially burning calories at a greater rate. However, research suggests this amounts to just a handful of extra calories burnt.

However, I can be confident that spending an extra 10 minutes swimming in the evening burns more calories than my alternative (usually sitting on the sofa watching TV). It's the same for a 10-minute walking workout.

10-minute swimming workouts to try

Multi-stroke sprint swimming workout

Nuala recommends this swim workout for beginner-intermediate level swimmers. “It improves cardiovascular fitness without the need for a long session, while using different muscle groups through the stroke changes. The easy swim at the end helps recovery and reduces stiffness,” she says.

How to do it:

• For the first five minutes, alternate between front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke for one length each.
• On every fourth length, sprint at your near maximum effort. Maintain controlled technique even when swimming faster.
• For the final five minutes, cool down with gentle continuous swimming with whichever stroke feels most relaxed. Focus on long strokes with steady breathing and low effort.

Maintaining form is crucial, says Nuala: “For front crawl, keep your head still and look slightly downward rather than forwards; in breaststroke, glide briefly after each kick rather than rushing the strokes; and for backstroke, keep your hips high and do small continuous kicks.”

Varied swimming workout

Cheryl Pottinger, swim teacher for Better, suggests this 10 minute routine which goes up and down the speed scale over 300m (in a standard 25m pool).

How to do it:

• Warm up with one length of front crawl, followed by one length of breaststroke at normal pace.
• For your main set, swim front crawl with a 10 second rest after each practice, starting with one length at your maximum speed.
• Follow it with two lengths at 80% of your maximum speed.
• Shift down a gear for the next three lengths at normal pace.
• Swim the next two lengths at 80% of your maximum speed.
• Finish this section with one length at maximum speed.
• Cool down with one length in a stroke of your choice at normal pace.

Recovery swim

As a gentle short swim to aid relaxation after a gym session, Cheryl recommends this sequence. It incorporates the lesser known side stroke, which is relaxed, energy efficient and builds core stability as it forces your midsection to engage as you balance on one side.

How to do it:

• Warm up with one length of front crawl and one length of breaststroke at a relaxed pace.
• Swim the next two lengths in side stroke, one length on the right side and one on the left. This stroke requires balancing on one side of the body, reaching forward with one arm while the other pulls back, and scissor kicking the legs. “Focus on the power in the muscles during the pull and kick, and the stretching of the muscles during the glide,” says Cheryl. Watch a demo here.
• Finish with one length of steady-paced breaststroke, and a final length of head-first sculling (lie on your back using your arms to propel you backwards).

Tips for making the most of a 10-minute swimming workout

• Make it your post-gym habit: All the effort involved in travelling to and from the pool, let alone changing in and out of clothes, may not feel worth it for just 10 minutes in the pool. So, I often tacked it onto the end of my regular gym session. If your gym has a pool, make the most of it and view it as part of your workout ‘cool down’ and recovery before showering and heading home.
• Tailor your swim to the time of day: There are still benefits to be had if you take a relaxing swim in the morning, or a higher intensity swim in the evening, but you might be working against your energy levels. As Francesca recommends, a pacier swim early in the day can boost alertness, while a lighter intensity swim in the evening can aid post-workout recovery and sleep.
• Choose quieter pool times: This goes for however long you wish to spend swimming, but having a lane all to yourself allows you to follow a plan without compromise. I find evenings are best for me but check your local pool timetable to avoid sharing space with unexpected aqua aerobic classes or school swimming lessons.
• Bring a poolside kit bag: With just 10 minutes in the pool, you don’t have time to keep nipping back to your locker to fetch forgotten kit. Have a small kit bag pre-packed with anything you might need (think spare hairclips and hairbands, anti-fog goggle spray, kickboard and pull buoy if you’re using them), and keep it at the end of your lane (make sure it isn’t a trip hazard).

Hikers have watched their favourite brands go mainstream in recent years. Known as 'gorpcore' (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts), the look mixes functional outdoorwear with street style. Gabby Logan has joined the likes of Jennifer Lawrence by wearing the stylish Salomon XT-6 walking shoes off the trails.

But instead of wearing them as a pair of trail-running or walking shoes, as intended, she's made good use of their flat, stable, and supportive base in the gym for exercises like squats and lunges. When choosing gym shoes, this is what you need.

I've been wearing the Salomon XT-6 walking shoes for years now. I have two pairs and wear them just as often into the office as I do on trails, but I've never thought to wear them to the gym before. That changes today.

A quick review

The Salomon XT-6 was originally designed as an ultramarathon shoe, which is perhaps why it bridges the gap so well between running shoe and workout shoe. Across this distance, a shoe with a strong rocker (the feature that propels you forward) wouldn't be a good idea, as you'd lack the stability and feeling of the ground underneath you.

This rocker is also not found in workout shoes. During resistance training exercises like squats and lunges, as Gabby demonstrates in her full-body workout, your feet are your body's foundation. A firm, flat base with a wide toe box means you can spread your toes and 'anchor' yourself into the ground. These features also stop you from wobbling around, improve your balance, and ensure you can move as you want to - and thanks to this purpose behind the design, the Salomon XT-6 has them.

The addition of the quick-lace chassis and midfoot support only adds to this and helps to stabilise the foot on the move. Together, it's the makings of a great workout shoe.

That being said, these shoes are still best for hiking and trail running. Along with these stability features, they have a rubber toe to protect against stray rocks on the downhill, thick 5.5 mm lugs on the sole, and a 10mm heel-toe drop, which limits impact on the body, particularly on the Achilles and calf muscles.

The lugs help grip onto trail paths, gravel, and other uneven terrain without an issue. I've even gone rock climbing in mine.

The durability of the mesh upper (with or without the GORE-TEX layer) only adds to their worth. They stand the test of time, and I reach for mine for most of my walking workouts or light trail running. Now they will also be in my rotation for workout shoes.

With celebrities from Jennifer Lawrence to Lily Collins and now Gabby Logan reaching for these shoes, they've become a style staple away from the trails and an alternative way to liven up a wardrobe with a rugged edge.

Along with my green pair, I have an all-black pair in the original design without the GORE-TEX layer that I wear most often for city walking and into the office.

Whether you like a countryside hike to the pub or a more serious walking challenge, a pair of the best walking shoes is a must-have. Yet, I wouldn't blame you if the overload of options out there (and all the dull colourways) was putting you off buying some. With these Hoka walking shoes, Jessica Alba nailed the stylish-yet-practical brief.

Jessica posted while on holiday with friends in Austria and, probably for the first and only time, I had a few things in common with this A-lister. The first, thankfully, being the shining sun and warm temperatures. The second was her Hoka Anacapa 2 walking boots - they looked very similar to the pair I've been sporting for the past few years.

Hoka is one of my favourite hiking and trail running shoe brands. So, when I needed an upgrade, I went straight there. Since then, I have worn these boots for wet hikes in the Lake District, hilly strolls through the Peak District, and muddy ones in Wales.

Jessica wears an earlier version of these boots, but the Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid Gore-Tex walking boots are the new and improved model. They have a sugarcane EVA midsole, a Vibram Megagrip outsole (that's the thick grips underfoot), and a stylish, chunky sole that makes them supremely comfortable even over longer walks or rocky terrain.

Adjustable lace fittings, nubuck leather and a GORE-TEX layer line the top to create a supportive upper across the foot. Not only does this add to the 'locked-in' feeling, but it creates a totally waterproof layer that sheds water to keep feet dry. As I can attest (see the picture below), it really comes in handy in the wetter months.

Magically, I returned from this hike through the boggy fells and pouring rain in the Lake District with my feet still dry and comfortable hours later.

Given they are totally waterproof, I was surprised to find the Hoka Anacapa boots to be very breathable. My feet don't get too sweaty, and they are still a good option for these warmer months we're in now. They also dry very quickly, but I'd still recommend putting them close to (not under) a radiator, should you get stuck in a summertime downpour.

My record time spent in these boots is 16 hours, back in September this year. I went on a long hike, starting early in the morning and lasting right through the pub dinner in the evening. As I peeled off my boots at 10 pm, I was expecting a wave of aching, but none came. The comfort and practical support offered by these boots underfoot and around the ankle is second to none.

In her summer outfit, Jessica paired the Hoka Anacapa walking boots with white socks, classic black gym leggings, a loose-fitting T-shirt to match her green boots, a black cap, sunglasses, silver hoops, and a black cross-body bag.

I often wear mine with my running shorts or workout leggings, depending on the season.

In her caption, underneath the photo covering the trip, Jessica wrote: "While we thought we were going on a leisure #hike, we wound up having about 89 near death experiences - it was basically rock climbing with no ropes 😂🤣".

"I almost fainted after looking down a few cliffs (#scaredofheights 😳) but we made it!! I never felt more like a city girl in my entire life -hence my dramatization 🤭".

When thinking about smartwatches, you wouldn't be alone if the Apple Watch was the first to come to mind. For iPhone users, it doesn't get much better for keeping an eye on your health and as an aid in daily life, for everything from making phone calls to mapping a route.

The Garmin Venu 4 is one of the best Garmin watches around. It was top-rated by woman&home after a few months of use, and it's always the one I recommend to people looking for a fitness tracker.

How does it compare to the Apple Watch for fitness tracking and smartwatch features? I've worn them both for a few months recently.

Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11

Specifications

What it like to wear the Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11?

Discreet and stylish - two words, both applicable to the Apple Watch Series 11 and Garmin Venu 4. Both have a stainless steel casing (though there is also a titanium casing option for the Apple Watch) and a premium-feeling silicone strap with a toughened glass screen.

The smaller versions (41mm) of both watches weigh the same, although I found the Garmin Venu 4 felt heavier on the wrist than the Apple Watch. This could be the rounder face, which is one of the only design differences between the two. While the square-faced Apple device sits flush on the wrist, the Garmin is slightly raised.

The other key difference is the buttons. Both are touchscreens (which you can turn off if you want), but the Apple Watch has a scrollable crown on the side for easy navigation to and from the homepage and additional screens, as well as a button underneath. The Garmin has two side buttons. Overall, there aren't any major advantages of one over the other. It's down to preference.

Winner: Either - they have very similar designs

What are the smartwatch features like on the Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11?

The Garmin Venu 4 is billed as one of the most lifestyle-friendly of all Garmin watches. With it, you can plug in your exercise headphones and listen to music directly from Spotify, Amazon Music, or Deezer without taking your phone. You can also send and receive WhatsApp and text messages, make and receive phone calls with the built-in speaker and microphone, and use Garmin Pay to make purchases on your wrist. There's a remote shutter button to take pictures from your phone at a distance and an in-built LED torch, which I've mostly used in dark cupboards in my house, but you could use it to light your way on the trails or as a way to stay visible at night.

If you want your favourite walking app, for example, you can also download it from the Connect IQ store, although I've found the options and compatibility to be limited.

While these options will be enough for most people, it's no match for the Apple Watch's flawless foundation of interconnectivity. I've been taking mine out without my phone recently. It has all the same features of the Garmin Venu 4, including music playback, payment, text and call capabilities, remote picture taking, and many more.

The third-party connectivity is where this device stands out among the two. Whatever app you have on your phone, you can find it for on your Apple Watch, and you can use it in much the same way. Be that your airline app to view and scan your boarding pass at the airport, your workout app to follow along with your favourite Pilates class, or your favourite social media platform.

Winner: Apple Watch

Fitness tracking with the Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11

At heart, both of these watches are fitness trackers. In testing, I learned that the key difference is that the Apple Watch Series 11 is more beginner-friendly, prioritising simple daily habits (like moving more throughout the day) over progressive workouts and plans. The Garmin Venu 4 is also suitable for beginners as it's easy to use, but it's loaded with serious data for those looking to dive deep into the specifics of their routine and chosen activity, whether that's running, cycling, or going to the gym.

One way the Garmin Venu 4 wins in this area is the Training insights, including Training Readiness, Status, and Effect, and predicted recovery times after a strenuous session, borrowed from the Forerunner range. This makes it easy to see how all your health data intersects. For example, I can see how my sleep affects my recovery and my ability to exercise. While the Apple Watch does have a Training Load feature that compares your workouts over the last seven days to your monthly average, it doesn't take other scores (like your sleep) into account.

So, for example, on my Garmin Venu 4, I can see how a bad night's sleep has impacted my recovery from a recent half-marathon in the heat. My watch will tell me to take it easy, ranking my recovery and current fitness against my baseline. While I don't always follow it, it's a very useful metric to have to find balance between work and rest.

When it comes to workouts like strength training, the Garmin shines. Like other watches from the brand, the Venu 4 automatically counts your repetitions and allows you to record set and rest time. I've found this very useful to make sure that I'm having the same amount of rest time between sets, and it's something the Apple Watch doesn't offer. While you'll be able to record the workout, it's not so specific.

That being said, the Apple Watch Series 11 will be more than enough for most people. If you're looking to track your workouts live and record your distance, speed, elevation, and so on, with insights available in the Apple Health app afterwards, this is still an impressive option.

Some advanced insights put the Apple Watch in line with the best running watches, too, including a feature (first found on the Apple Watch Series 9) that allows you to choose the exact lane you're running in during a track session. This makes the insights a lot more accurate than on some other fitness trackers.

All workouts are available to view on the Garmin Connect or Apple Health app. Of the two, for beginners, I do prefer the one from Apple. The Garmin Connect app is loaded with data and insights, but it is harder to navigate if you're not already familiar with relatively complex insights, like vertical oscillation or ground contact time for running.

Winner: Garmin Venu 4 - but the Apple Watch is still a great option for most people

Sleep and health tracking with the Apple Watch vs Garmin Venu 4

The Apple Watch has come on leaps and bounds in recent years with its sleep insights. Users can now get a Sleep Score and a personalised Sleep Schedule, linked to the iPhone's clock, so you'll get a notification when it's time to start winding down for bed. This is one of the small ways the Apple Watch can improve general wellbeing, and I think it's very underrated.

When comparing the Apple Watch vs Oura Ring, for example, the sleep data on the Apple Watch does look more basic. Yet its easy-to-read data in the Health app makes it an accessible and genuinely useful device for most women.

The Garmin Venu 4 also delivers advanced sleep insights and stress insights, linking them together with your exercise metrics in the Readiness score. It's an impressive set-up that can certainly help you change your ways and improve your health. However, the Apple Watch goes that one step further, linking up with your phone to help install those habits into your lifestyle.

The Apple Watch also shines in other health tracking features. While they both have an ECG sensor, a wrist-based pulse oximeter that measures blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and breathing variations (that may be a sign of sleep apnea), the Apple Watch actively looks out for differences from your baseline and warns you about them. For example, if you have any instances of high blood pressure, it will flag them and encourage you to manually log data for a week to share with a doctor, who will be able to diagnose you. The Venu 4 simply records the data, and it's up to you to look at it.

Winner: Apple Watch

Apple Watch vs Garmin Venu 4: Price and alternatives

The Garmin Venu 4 sells for £469.99 at full price, but there are a large number of discounts available at the time of writing, thanks to the Amazon Prime Week sale. The same goes for the Apple Watch Series 11. It is £100 cheaper than the Venu 4 as standard, but right now, you can also save 22%.

Here's where you can save on both watches:

There are a couple of alternatives to both that could be a better option for you, depending on a few factors. If you have an Android phone, you can't use the Apple Watch. In this case, I'd recommend having a look at the Google Pixel 4. It's a smartwatch with big similarities to the Apple Watch, but suitable for Android users.

For those interested in the Garmin Venu 4 but without the budget, it's worth weighing up the Garmin Venu vs Vivoactive ranges, as the new Vivoactive 6 has many of the same features and insights as the Venu 4, but you trade in the premium low-key design for a sporty, polymer-based design.

Winner: Depends on budget

Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11: The w&h verdict

Taking price and suitability for most people into account, the Apple Watch Series 11 wins out overall. If you are an iPhone user, it's a no-brainer. The range of fitness, sleep, and general health-tracking features is not to be sniffed at, because the Garmin Venu 4 has more advanced options.

The only real downside to this watch is the battery life. At 24 hours with normal use, it's far below the Garmin Venu 4's 10-day estimate, which I've found to be very accurate. Over the last few weeks, I have found charging to be an issue. At one point, I went to check my sleep data, only to find the watch had run out of battery overnight.

If you're looking for advanced fitness and wellbeing insights, want a few smartwatch features but don't need a replacement for your phone, and you have a higher budget to spend, then the Garmin Venu 4 may be the more suitable option for you.

The Training metrics make it a touch more advanced and allow you to dig deep into the data and your personal fitness, giving you the insights to improve them with a view of your wellbeing from all angles.

Overall winner: Apple Watch

The sun is a welcome addition to our exercise routines come summer - but the novelty of a sunny run or hike can quickly wear off as the temperature climbs. With heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures already this year, it’s important to know the best time to exercise in the heat for the weeks ahead.

Obviously, if you don’t like the heat and would rather be inside, then you can exercise in an air-conditioned gym or studio at any time of day. A good swimming workout is another way to stay cool. However, if you enjoy running, hiking, cycling, or a garden strength training workout, it makes sense to choose the coolest times of day. In the peak of the summer, this is before 10 am and after 5 pm, but the earlier (or later) you can go, the better.

The body reacts differently in the heat, making exercise above 20°C degrees feel harder, even if you're doing the same workout you did in the cooler months. As the temperature climbs, blood vessels dilate to push blood towards the surface of the skin to cool it down, which means there is less in the muscles. This means your heart has to work harder and beat faster.

You also naturally sweat more, which is the body's way of cooling down. However, important micronutrients called electrolytes are lost in sweat, and if they aren't replenished (through hydrating foods or electrolyte supplements), it can lead to lower blood volume, triggering symptoms like fatigue, rapid heart rate, and dizziness that extend beyond your workout.

As well as checking the day's top temperature, you should check the heat index. This indicates how humid it can be, which can be more of a problem than the warmth and can leave you sticky and sweaty before you've even pulled on your running shoes.

With that in mind, Brian Maiorano, coach liaison for sports-tech company CORE, has some tips for exercising in the heat. “When the weather begins to really heat up, these are the best ways to train during a heatwave, and to really stay safe,” he says.

• Don’t be afraid to sweat: You can gradually adapt to the heat within 4 to 5 days by raising your core temperature in a controlled way. Top athletes call this ‘heat training’, and it’s very effective if you’re careful to not overcook yourself.
• Stay hydrated: As well as drinking water, you can douse your head and torso in it to stay cool.
• Lower your intensity during the heat: Monitor your heart rate and stick to zone 2 if you're exercising in the heat. This is 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age), and stop at any signs of dizziness, nausea, or headache.
• Choose when to do your most vigorous training: During intense sessions, you don’t want the additional stress of heat, so Brian recommends doing it in climate-controlled conditions (like switching your run to a treadmill workout) or choosing the best time to exercise in the heat.
• Don’t spend the whole day in an air-conditioned room: “Too much time enjoying the cool air can make you miserable when you are exposed to heat,” says Brian.

I've hiked my way through the boggy Lake District, hilly Peaks, muddy Welsh countryside, and picturesque Dolomites enough times to know a good pair of walking shoes when I see them. As woman&home's digital health editor, I've put thousands of miles through my boots and trainers.

Everyone's feet and gait are different, so not every pair of walking or trail running shoes will work for everyone. I have found I reach for the same brands over and over again in my wardrobe, veering towards the likes of Hoka, Merrell, Vasque, and Salomon for support and comfort. Whether it's testing them for guides or buying them for my next trip, it's fair to say I've tried almost every brand out there and their top sellers.

Now, with summer officially here, many brands have taken the cue that it's time to start the seasonal sales as we all take to the trails again. I've seen plenty of deals on my favourite shoes.

Where to shop walking shoes in the sale

• SportsShoes.com: Save up to 84% on walking shoes for trail and city hikes and 15% off new season collections with code SPRING15
• The Sports Edit: Up to 50% off Merrell, Hoka, Salomon, Adidas and more are live
• Sports Direct: An impressive 90% off Craghoppers hiking shoes and more
• Salomon: Up to 30% off walking, trail running, and hiking shoes
• Columbia: The summer sale is live now with up to 50% off hiking shoes, sandals, and boots
• Asics: 20% or more off trail shoes when shopping direct at the Asics Outlet
• Hoka: From the Speedgoat 6 to hiking sandals, save up to 40% direct

My top picks for walking shoes in the sale

How to find a good walking shoe in the sale

• Material: While we're buying in the summer, it's worth thinking about whether you intend to wear your shoe for a walking workout in the colder, wetter months, and if so, I'd recommend buying a pair with a GORE-TEX liner. These tend to be more expensive at full price as it's a relatively advanced technology, so it's always worth saving when you can.
• Activity: Not every hike needs a dedicated walking shoe. Sometimes, a supportive trainer (like the Hoka Bondi 9) is enough to see you through hours of city trekking. If you need something grippier, focus on the lugs. These grippy features on the bottom of most walking shoes will help you take on rocky trails and any slippery conditions with more confidence in your feet and ankles.
• Price: Walking shoes are among the most discounted of all activewear items throughout the year, so it's worth being picky about your saving. If it's not at least 20%, then I'd say it's worth hanging on for something better - unless it's the Salomon XT-6, as these are rarely ever on sale.
• Colour: I'd say that colour should be the least of your priorities, but it's still worth thinking about. Darker colourways tend to go on sale over the warmer months as people oft for pastels to match their hiking wardrobes.

It's often the simplest core exercises that are most effective, and the farmer's carry fits perfectly into this box. Done with two kettlebells or dumbbells and a bit of space, it's one that all can do to improve core strength, full-body stability, and strength.

While planks and sit-ups are core exercises with many of the same benefits, this one is particularly unique in how it translates to real life. It's a functional exercise, says Kate Rowe-Ham, an expert personal trainer, author of The Longevity Solution, and the founder of Owning Your Menopause, translating to everyday movements like carrying shopping or climbing stairs.

"It's essentially walking while holding weights, which may look simple, but for women in midlife, it's one of the most effective exercises you can do," she says.

How to do a farmer's carry

• Place two equal weights on the floor, either side of your feet which should be hip-width apart.
• Engage your core before bending at the knees to pick up a weight in each hand.
• Propel yourself back up through your heels.
• Stand tall with your shoulders relaxed and down, chest open, ribs stacked over hips, and brace your core.
• Walk forward with small, controlled, natural steps (no rushing)
• Keep the weights steady and away from your body, with head up and posture upright throughout.
• Carry for 20 to 30 seconds to start, before bending at the knees to return the weights to the floor.

Benefits of the farmer's carry exercise

1. Improves core strength

The farmer's carry is one of the most effective ways to build core strength, as the midsection has to work hard to stabilise the upper body under the load.

A study by Baylor University found that this exercise produced greater core activation than any other 'carry and hold' exercise, as it forces you to resist sideways, front, and back bending.

2. Improves posture

It's almost impossible to do the farmer's carry exercise with poor posture. Simply picking up the weights will force you to engage your core, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and stand up straight.

As you do so, you're training the larger muscles in the upper body (such as those in the upper back, core, shoulders, and arms), which play a very important role in shaping your posture.

But also, as you do the exercise, you're engaging and strengthening the tiny muscles around the spine. These not only stabilise your upper body, but also encourage better posture.

3. Boosts grip strength

Grip strength is perhaps one of the most overlooked markers of healthy ageing. A review in Clinical Interventions in Ageing called it an "indispensable biomarker for health in older adults", and a separate UK study found that poor grip strength was linked to cognitive decline. There's nothing like farmer's carry for improving grip strength.

"Declining oestrogen levels can affect muscle mass, bone density, posture, and balance. This exercise addresses all of these in one movement, making it efficient and highly beneficial," says Kate. “It shows that for women over 40, a simple, well-chosen exercise with weights can deliver some of the biggest health wins.”

4. Improves mobility

Walking while carrying weight will also work the muscles of the lower body. The nature of this movement also helps improve balance, coordination and nervous system resilience, explains Kate.

“This helps reduce fall risk and maintain confidence in everyday tasks,” she adds.

5. Adaptable

The key to making progress with resistance training is to change up the exercise to make it harder as you get stronger. You can go up in weight or time spent lifting the kettlebells, but you can also change the movement to make it feel harder.

You could change the movement into a single-arm suitcase carry, for example, says women's PT Sarah Campus.

“This move trains the core to resist side-bending, also known as anti-lateral flexion, which is more demanding than a regular farmer’s carry,” Sarah explains. “[Like the farmer’s carry] it loads the grip and builds shoulder stability and postural strength.”

This movement only involves one kettlebell or dumbbell, lifted in one hand. Otherwise, the exercise remains the same. It may look easier, but "this move hits the core harder" than a traditional farmer's carry, she says.

How heavy should the weight be in a farmer's carry?

Kate recommends choosing a weight that feels challenging but manageable: “A long-term benchmark is carrying a total load of around 75 per cent of your bodyweight, split between both hands. Beginners should start lighter, around 25 to 40 per cent of body weight, and gradually progress to 50 to 60 per cent.”

She also suggests building the time to 40 to 60 seconds per carry, or aiming for a distance of 20 to 40 metres. She points out that short, controlled carries done consistently are far more effective than pushing to fatigue.

Over the last six years, I've tested a lot of fitness trackers as woman&home's digital health editor and a runner in my own time, including at least one Garmin from every range the brand produces.

The Venu, Vivoactive, and Forerunner are three of the most popular and best Garmin watch collections for women. Venu is the premium option for those who want advanced metrics and a sleek design that doesn't look out of place in the office or at the gym. It has everything you could need to improve your wellbeing. If you're willing to trade the design for a lower price tag, the Vivoactive is similar in features. The Forerunner range is designed as a running watch for beginners through to racers.

My favourite is the Garmin Venu 4, with its advanced features and low-key style. It's already on sale for Amazon Prime Week, which officially launches today.

The quick list

• Venu 4: was £469.99now £372.39 at Amazon (save £97.60)
• Venu 3S: was £379.99 now £276.59 at Amazon (save £103.40)
• Vivoactive 6: was £269.99 now £169.99 at Amazon (save £68.26)
• Vivoactive 5: was £209.99 now £141.55 at Amazon (save £68.44)
• Forerunner 55: was £149.99 now £115.89 at Amazon (save £34.10)
• Forerunner 170: was £259.99 now £227.10 at Amazon (save £32.89)
• Foreunner 165: was £249.99 now £160.55 at Amazon (save £89.44)
• Forerunner 165 Music: was £289.99 now £219 at Amazon (save £70.99)
• Forerunner 265s Music: was £369.99 now £317.29 at Amazon (save £52.70)
• Forerunner 570: was £459.99 now £418.08 at Amazon (save £41.91)

My top picks in the Garmin sale

What Garmin watch should I buy in the sale?

The Garmin watch that's right for you will depend on your budget at the end of the day. If you have more to spend, the Venu 4 is my pick of the bunch. There's not a lot this watch can't do, as both a smartwatch and a fitness tracker.

Its advanced metrics, which include Training Load, Readiness, and Effect, are packed into a design that doesn't look out of place in the gym or in the office. It also houses Garmin Pay, third-party app connectivity (such as Spotify, so you can play music direct from your watch to your exercise headphones), and an LED torch, putting it in line with the likes of the Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch 4.

If your budget doesn't quite stretch to the Venu 4, then I'd recommend the Vivoactive 5. At just over £150 this week, it's the cheapest I've seen it this year. For those who like going to the gym, counting steps, logging workouts, and tracking sleep, you can't go wrong. It also has 11 days of battery life and connectivity to Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music, which is rare to see on a watch at this price.

Runners, you can't go wrong with the Forerunner 265s Music. It's a better watch than the 55 and the 165, and has been on sale a lot recently. However, at £317.69, it's still an investment, so I'd also recommend looking at a new release: the Forerunner 170. It's unlikely to be in the sale this year, but at £259.99, it's cheaper than the 265 on sale and has many of the same sensors, delivering similar metrics and features.

Weigh up your options before you buy and compare fitness trackers to make sure you're buying the best one for you. For example, weigh up the Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11 as they are similar.

When is the best time to buy a Garmin watch?

With the Garmin sale going live at every seasonal moment, whether that be Amazon Prime Week (now live), Black Friday, or January sales, I'd say it's always worth saving your money for one of these events. You're likely to find a good saving on your watch of choice.

That being said, I've been covering the sales seasons for the last six years, and I've seen some of the best deals in the weeks leading up to the event. While the time for shopping pre-Amazon Prime Week has passed, it's worth bearing in mind for any big future purchases.

My advice is to strike when the iron is hot. If you see a deal that matches your budget, then go for it. There's no guarantee it'll be there the next week - or even the next day.

Getting out onto the trails is about freedom for me. Freedom from the never-ending to-do lists, freedom from screens and the freedom to move. The best hydration vests ensure I have everything I need to be safe and comfortable, without slowing me down.

A hydration vest is as valuable as a good pair of trail running shoes or walking shoes, and a good alternative to a classic hiking backpack. It's often made of lightweight nylon and mesh materials, with pockets that hug close and comfortably to the body. While they come in different sizes, most will store at least one spare layer, water bottles, gels or snacks, and your phone and keys without an issue. Larger ones will also store your walking poles for when you want them later on.

Whether you're hiking, running, or cycling, they let you wear your kit instead of carrying it, so you can move fast (if you want to) and feel light. I've tested over a dozen different designs in the past few years, and what started as a piece of kit that I used only for trail runs has become a staple even when I'm going for a jog across the city or a short hike.

The quick list

• Back to the top ⤴

The best hydration vests for women, tested by a hiker and trail runner

Best hydration vest overall

I've been using this vest for a year and a half, and it has an unbelievable amount of easy-to-access storage, from the large, zipped main compartment to at least eight additional pouches, including a water-resistant pocket for my phone.

It really proved itself on a big adventure where I joined an organised run/hike of two mountain peaks in Glencoe, Scotland, last winter. We had a fairly extensive kit list, including lots of layers, and I managed to fit everything and still move comfortably for hours.

I've since put hundreds of miles in wearing this vest and struggled to find anything wrong with it, except to say that it's not the lightest one out there. The design and colours are also definitely more functional than fashionable. Though it's a unisex design, it's easy to find the perfect fit as it comes in four different sizes, and I find it as comfortable in summer with a T-shirt as I do in winter with a jacket.

There are lots of extras, including a stowable quiver so I can carry my trusty trekking poles, an emergency whistle and even a RECCO reflector, which helps mountain rescue locate you. There's simply nothing missing from this pack, and if you're planning on long distances, it will handle all of your gear needs.

Best hydration vest with bottles

When I'm heading out on a regular run or fast walk and don't want to carry a lot of kit, this neat, stylish hydration vest is often the first one I reach for. I have it in the lovely Dawn Blue colourway, which goes with a lot of my running gear and in summer, it means I'm not wearing black under a blazing hot sun.

However, the real standout features of this vest is the water bottles. It sounds funny, but it has removable WingStay stabilisers, which are plastic inserts that keep the soft bottles more rigid, and so much easier to pull out and slide back into the pockets without breaking stride. They hold 500ml each.

Otherwise, the Dyna is an extremely well-fitting vest that contours to my body so well that I've actually wondered if I even need to wear a sports bra with it. That said, it's not so tight that it inhibits my movements or chafes, and the webbing at the front allows for some versatility and is relatively easy to adjust.

There are five stretchy pockets that can hold my phone, gels and keys, and are all easy to access while I'm on the go. There's another three larger pockets at the back, too, so for a smaller vest it can actually handle more than I initially realised, which made it a close contender for the top spot.

The fabric that touches the skin is all breathable mesh, so it's great for the warmer months. Though, if I had to split hairs, I'd say it could be a little softer (I usually run in a T-shirt, so this isn't typically a problem as it's not against my skin). It also lacks a waterproof pouch for my phone, so I'd think twice about using it in very wet weather, but for fast and light days, or when hydration is important, it's the clear winner.

Best hydration pack for hiking

You don't have to be a runner to appreciate the merits of a hydration pack. In fact, if you find traditional hiking backpacks uncomfortable, a vest is a great solution. The Berghaus Fast Hike F15 is the best vest I've tried for carrying slightly larger loads and more water while walking.

Designed for hikers who want to move fast and feel free, this vest has the biggest storage capacity of any on this list, the bulk of which is provided by the roomy main compartment. On top of that, there are five stretchy pockets where I can keep items like my gloves and phone close to hand. It even has an all-important water-resistant pocket to safeguard my phone if the heavens open, much like my top-rated vest overall.

It does have its storage limits, and when I tried to push beyond them and fill it with overnight gear, I realised it was no longer comfortable to wear. But, for any length of straightforward day hike, it's really the ideal size. Despite its larger size, it also still fits neatly, so I feel like I'm wearing my gear rather than hauling it. Where running vests typically only have sternum straps, this one also has a hip belt, which means it's more supportive and I can wear it all day without really noticing it's there.

Walking poles can be packed into the side pockets and secured with bungee cords, and though it has a bit more of a utilitarian aesthetic than something like the Osprey Dyna, it's still going to be a more comfortable choice than any similarly sized backpack.

Best budget hydration vest

Not that long ago, a hydration vest screamed "serious trail runner!" but all that has changed. I'm seeing more and more women using these handy pieces of kit for urban spins and strolls in their workout leggings as well as out on the trails. If you're looking for an affordable alternative to bulging side pockets in your leggings and keys jabbing into your thigh, this is it.

H&M got off to a bit of a standing start when the fashion giant launched its Move range a couple of years ago, but it has made some good improvements since then. It has added more adjustability to this vest and improved its hydration capacity and storage. I really like it for casual outings and ParkRun.

It's not the most technical vest by a long shot, and a very far cry from the Osprey Dyna 6 or the Camelbak Apex Pro in terms of capability, but the fabric is buttery soft, the fit is supportive, and it has a decent amount of storage. Though the brand doesn't give the capacity in litres, it has a sturdy mesh pocket for your running jacket, plus a second mid-size zipped pocket at the back for hat and gloves. Up front are two deep pockets that can hold soft bottles, with loops so they don't disappear, and five more smaller pockets, so I'd guess it's around 4 to 5L.

I think the powder pink colourway is really fun, and makes a nice change from the sportier-looking black, blue, and white vests on this list. Plus, the price makes it appealing to anyone who doesn't want to make a big investment. It lacks waterproof storage, and the webbing at the front is a little fiddly to fasten and adjust, but for the price, it's hard to argue with.

Best hydration vest for hot weather

I first used this vest last spring, when I was spending a full day exploring the trails in the Lake District, and I didn't experience any chafing or discomfort anywhere. It was an unseasonably hot day, so I wouldn't have been surprised to experience a sweaty back, and perhaps some rubbing, but the fabric didn't hold onto moisture. It's my first choice for hot seasons and climates where I'd also be wearing a pair of running shorts or hiking sandals.

Suitable for both running and hiking, this vest will hold all my gear for long days out, and has two different options to carry my trekking poles on the front and across the low back. And yet, it works just as well when all I'm carrying is a running jacket and some water. What Rab calls the 'Mono Mesh Chassis' framework turns out to provide a really neat, adjustable fit that's so comfortable I tend to forget I'm wearing it, even when it's loaded up.

It has (count them) 12 pockets where I can stash my must-haves, though some of the pockets on the shoulder straps aren't as useful once I'm carrying full bottles, but I've never run out of space. The main compartment is easily accessed by a U-shaped zip, which makes packing and unpacking easy.

I wear it in a small size, which should be perfect, but I have to pull the bungee cords at the sternum as tight as they will go to properly secure it. If you're very petite, I don't think this vest will work for you, but it's an excellent choice for curvier bodies.

Best hydration vest for versatility

Versatility is really the main advantage of the Montane Gecko Vp 5+, which I use for quick jaunts, long days, walking and running. Some updates have been made to the original design of the Gecko, which means it now really stands out in terms of fit, bounce control, and pole carry.

In addition to the bungee cord closure at the front, which is easy to fasten with two hooks, there's a pull cord on the hem so I'm able to find a streamlined fit no matter what clothes I'm wearing underneath.

Montane's "bounce control technology" means the harness has a little give in order for me to move well, but my gear is well-secured when I run. I nearly always bring trekking poles if I'm going off-road and there's the option of carrying them on the front of the harness, or horizontally along my lower back, which is my preference.

Five litres doesn't sound like much, but the clever design means the pockets go a long way and this packs in everything I need for most days out, and the pockets are really functional: deep enough, secure and reachable.

There are a couple of oddities. First, I'd need to remove the pack if I wanted to use the emergency whistle in the pocket, which makes that particular accessory rather redundant. Second, the water bottles sit up really high on my chest, which I thought would be annoying, but after running with it for a few weeks, I've decided it's fine. It also means I can sip water without pulling them out, which is a bonus if I don't want to stop.

The best small capacity hydration vest

With just four litres of capacity, the Salomon Active Skin 4 is one of the two smallest vests on the list - the other being from H&M. A lower capacity vest like this one can typically store a light layer or water bladder in the back, two 500ml bottles, some running gels or other fuel, and your keys and phone, says Digital Health Editor, Grace Walsh, who chose this as a favourite.

"I've worn this vest for the last five years through two marathon training blocks, two marathons, multiple 25km trail races, and countless shorter-distance runs in my local area," she says.

You'll need to buy your water bottles separately and it's not waterproof, so leave your electronics at home with this one, but with a larger back pocket and six front pockets, it's certainly got enough to get you through any event with aid stations, she says. "I've also worn it for hours and hours on end, only to take it off and feel like I haven't been wearing anything at all. It's very comfortable for any running, cycling, or walking event, and as someone with a larger chest, I appreciate the adjustable bungee straps across the front."

The pockets are all easy to access on the move - even the one in the back - and though Grace bought the black version, she highlights the option of the unique sage green colourway, unique in the list. Also, at £70, it's one of the cheaper vests on this list, offering significantly more technical capability than the H&M vest for only a little more - and it's often on sale.

Best hydration vest for race day

My friend talked me into doing the Race the Tram event in Edinburgh just after I got this vest. I was travelling to the start point on the tram and had to bring everything I needed for the race, and for hanging out in the city afterwards, so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to see if this vest lives up to its reputation as a race-ready pack.

This vest looks tiny – in fact, it appears identical to the Osprey Dyna. So imagine my surprise when I was able to fill it up with a rain jacket, dry clothes for after my race, my wallet, phone, breakfast and all the other small bits and bobs I thought I might need. It really is a bit of a Tardis, with a roomier-than-meets-the-eye main compartment and lots of pockets. If you've got a longer race on your calendar, this is the hydration vest I'd recommend.

The harness has a lot of mesh and no padding, which meant it was really cool and breathable on what turned out to be quite a warm day. There are bungee cords on the sternum and sides that made it really easy to find a perfect fit and all but eliminated bouncing during my race.

It's one of the lightest vests on this list, it rolls up really small for packing, and it has all the high-tech details you'd expect from The North Face, like multiple options to carry poles (which is surprising for such a small pack) and a whistle.

There are a few details that aren't perfect, as with any vest. I find it challenging to get my full water bottles into the pockets, though they do have zips to expand them, but I tend to just leave them in the pockets while I drink. There also isn't a zip on the main compartment, and without a waterproof pocket, I think my electronics could be better protected.

Best hydration vest for carrying poles

Hoka is one of the most visible names in trail running (and on city streets, if we're honest, thanks to shoes like the Clifton 10 and Bondi 9). It manages to hold that distinction while being a bit of a Marmite brand. Personally, I get on pretty well with Hoka's shoes, and I love this vest, even if it's one I'd only recommend for those seeking a very specific set of features.

It's built with elite runners in mind, and the brand consulted its own athletes in designing it. I tested the Small size, and it sits nicely on my body, and the chest straps are easy to adjust for a no-bounce fit. The fabric closest to my body is a very airy mesh, making this suitable for hot weather.

It's absolutely swimming with pockets – 12 in total – including a handy one at my lower back that I can easily reach into while I'm moving. The pockets are all designed to hold gear close to my body, so my stuff isn't bouncing around when I'm running. I personally really like the fixed pole quiver, which is the first one I've tried that makes it easy to remove and stash my poles without taking it off.

There are a couple of downsides. For starters, it's immediately a no-go if you don't run or hike with poles. It also doesn't hold a hydration bladder, just two soft flasks (which have snap lids, making them easy to fill and empty), so it won't work if you want to carry more than 1L of water. It's also missing a hook to hang it with, which is a small detail but surprisingly annoying, as I love to hang my favourite vests up by my front door to air out between runs and keep them handy. Finally, it's one of the most expensive vests on the market, so it'll need to be perfect in your eyes to be worth considering.

Testing the best hydration vests for women

How I tested

As an outdoors writer, I hike and trail run in all seasons, and rack up hundreds of miles a year on the trails. When I just want to move fast and not feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, I ditch my backpack in favour of a hydration vest. For this list, I tested vests in the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District and on holiday in the Alps and in Spain. I used them on gentle runs, races and hikes of all distances to get a real feel for how they perform in all conditions.

Here is the criteria I used during testing:

• Comfort: The biggest make-or-break in a hydration vest is whether or not you can wear it comfortably over a long period of time and in different climates, so I tested these vests in different activities and seasons to make sure there was no chafing or clamminess.
• Storage: A hydration vest should carry more than just water, and it needs to keep your gear secure and handy. I loaded these packs up, then hit the trails to explore how easy my kit was to access.
• Stability: One of the main benefits of a vest over a backpack is that it prevents your gear from bouncing around when you're running, so I made sure to run in every vest while it was packed full and half empty to see how well my kit was secured.
• Capacity: Everyone has different needs, so I tested a variety of different sizes to give you lots of options.
• Versatility: Some vests are more versatile, while others are engineered for a specific purpose. I tested a variety of styles and looked for those that you can wear over multiple activities.

I also consulted fellow trail runner and hiker, Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh, for her recommendations and using same following criteria, she contributed the Salomon Active Skin 4.

How to choose the best women's hydration vest for you

• Find the right fit: Hydration vests are designed to contour to your body to give you that no-bounce experience on the trails, but balance is key. "They should have a snug fit across the body. Make sure there's no dead space to prevent it from moving around when you're on the go," says Amber Stratford, a running expert at Ellis Brigham.
• Look for adjustability: This usually comes in the form of bungee cord closures on the sternum, and additional drawcords at the hem, and it's helpful if a vest comes in a range of sizes. "I would spend a fair bit of time comparing packs from different brands and going between sizes if this is your first pack," says Stratford.
• Prioritise comfort: “For me, the best hydration pack is one that feels almost invisible, like a second skin. I want it to move with me, not against, with zero bounce or distraction," says UK trail runner Chelsea Creak, a member of the Salomon Running Team. You should also consider whether your vest lets sweat escape on a hot day and how the fabric feels against your skin. It should compress your gear so it doesn't bounce around and annoy you, too.
• Buy for distance: If you're using a pack for running, think about the distances you intend to be going, and choose your capacity accordingly. "Generally speaking, if you plan to run longer distances in varied weather, you will need a larger pack (in litres) to be able to accommodate your extra kit," says Stratford.
• Think about hydration: Many of the best hydration vests include two soft 500ml bottles, but bladders usually need to be purchased separately. Start with how much water you're likely to need to carry, and whether you want to use flasks or a hydration bladder."I find front flasks to be a lot easier on day hikes, as you can easily access 1L of water," says Stratford.
• Know what you need to carry: “What you need to carry usually comes down to how much time you plan to be out for, and the conditions you plan to be running in," says Creak. A roomy main compartment is useful if you're packing extra clothing, but lots of stretchy pockets are key for bringing along smaller items like snacks. If you like to walk or run with poles, look for a vest with a pole quiver or bungee cord attachments.

I'm a big fan of Oura Ring, having worn the previous model every day and night since it was released a few years ago. In the world of fitness trackers, it's undeniably the best smart ring, with the most discreet design and reliable technology.

The Oura Ring 5 solves the gripes of previous models by packing the advanced technology into a smaller surface area and a design that looks more like jewellery than ever before.

A new model is released every few years, so I ordered the latest to find out if it was worth the upgrade. After just a few hours of wear, I noticed the biggest difference, but what else makes the Oura Ring 5 worth buying?

Oura Ring 5 review

Quick overview

The design improvements are more than just selling points. There are noticeable differences in the look and feel of the Oura Ring 4 and 5, more so than there were between the 3 and 4. It is thinner and very lightweight, making it easier than ever to wear 24/7, which is ultimately what you need to do to make the most of the continuous health tracking sensors.

It has a barely-there feel on the finger, complemented by the rich metallic colourways (I went for the rose gold) that make the Oura Ring 5 look deceptively like jewellery. I've regularly forgotten it's there over the last few days.

Historically, I've been cautious about wearing my ring in the gym after I scratched my gold Oura Ring 4 on a set of dumbbells a week in. The scratches were noticeable, and it brought down the premium look of the design. After reading that the Oura Ring 5 is made from a stronger, better scratch-resistant titanium, I hesitantly kept it on for my most recent workout. Examining it afterwards, I didn't notice a single scratch or sign of wear. Just to be careful, though, as I wear another tracker on my wrist in the gym that is linked to my ring, I'll probably take it off, but it's certainly an improvement for those who want to keep it on.

Software-wise, those who have had an Oura Ring before won't notice many changes, but the brand promises the insights are more accurate than ever thanks to new and improved sensors. I've also noticed the Advisor feature, an AI-led tool that helps answer specific questions about your data, is quicker and more accurate than before.

It has the same £5.99 subscription fee to access the insights, and you will need to order a (free) sizing kit, even if you've had a ring before, as the design means it sizes slightly differently.

Specifications

What is the Oura Ring 5 like to wear?

Measuring just over six millimetres wide, the new model is considerably thinner than previous versions, which have bordered on bulky. At 2g on average, it's also noticeably lighter, but it still feels durable.

You can wear the Oura Ring 5 on one of three fingers: index, middle, or ring finger, marking a change from previous models, which were worn on the index finger.

With the reintroduction of rose gold, which appears as a deep copper colour, there are also more colourways to choose from. Others include gold, brushed silver, stealth (deep grey), black, and silver.

It also has a longer battery life of six to nine days, compared to five to eight days, which I haven't noticed yet, but I'm sure will come to appreciate. I have noticed that as my rings get older (2+ years), battery life begins to dip significantly to about four days, which has been disappointing. I hope this changes with the Oura Ring 5.

Sleep tracking on the Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring has always been my favourite sleep tracker. The improved design of the 5 makes it even more unobtrusive to wear overnight, and the low-profile sensors sit flush against the skin, so there's no chance of interruption with hand movement while asleep.

If you've worn an Oura Ring before, you'll know the drill. For those looking to invest in one for the first time, you'll find a plethora of advanced insights - including total sleep time, efficiency, restfulness, sleep stages (REM, deep, light), latency, and timing, which all feed into your daily Sleep Score. Once you've worn the ring for a few weeks, it'll pick up on your Body Clock and suggest a suitable bedtime for your routine and sleep needs. If you need more sleep, the Sleep Debt tab will highlight how many more hours to schedule.

One of my favourite features of the Oura world is the longer-term health features. While most fitness trackers will show you a live picture of your health, Oura takes it one step further, delivering Sleep Health insights over weeks, months, and years in the My Health tab, helping you look at the bigger picture.

Fitness tracking on the Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring has never led with fitness insights. Rather, it uses your activity data to create the bigger picture of your health, be that your sleep needs, stress levels, heart health, or daily Readiness Score.

You do get a daily step count, daily calorie burn, automatically recorded workouts (with a GPS route recorded if it's outside), and manual workout modes you can enable. You can also retrospectively log activities. Key metrics (like hours of inactivity, training volume (how many workouts you've done), recovery time, and training frequency) can help plan your movement for the week.

It's undoubtedly impressive, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to move more and see how their exercise and weekly habits impact their fitness and overall health. I would say, however, that it's not as accurate for some activities and the step count can sometimes be overstated (but I haven't had the Oura Ring 5 long enough to see if this issue is present on the new model).

The design means you can't get live workout data, which would be essential for runners, cyclists, and other cardio lovers, so if this is you, I'd recommend one of the best running watches or best Garmin watches instead - or, if budget allows, to use alongside your Oura Ring 5.

Recently, I also weighed up the new Fitbit Air vs Oura Ring as the two have similar designs in a way, with two very different price tags.

Health tracking on the Oura Ring 5

Stress is another health pillar that the Oura Ring 5 focuses on, just as the 3 and 4 models did. You'll get an overview of your stress for the day (not all of which is bad stress, as activities like exercise influence it) and your Resilience Score, which is a longer-term marker of how well you are dealing with life's daily pressures. In the past, I've found this very useful to work out if I'm feeling the effects of a busy few weeks. When my Resilience is down, I focus more on sleep and recovery than exercise and socialising.

Cumulative Stress is another longer-term marker, using your sleep and activity data, along with temperature markers.

Together, when these are in flux, it can be a sign (along with other metrics) that your body is coming down with something. That's when the Symptom Radar will go off, and you'll get a notification that all is not well, and that maybe you could do with some downtime. I've seen this in the days before I get a cold, and it's given me a chance to stock up on vitamins before the symptoms hit.

Alongside the release of the Oura Ring 5 (they are also available on the previous model), new health-tracking features have been released. These include Health Radar, which warns about potential blood pressure and sleep breathing problems before they surface, and features for GLP-1 users to track their progress.

Is the Oura Ring 5 worth buying?

Yes, absolutely. At £399, it's the same price as the previous Oura Ring 4, while offering a better design with more advanced and accurate sensors that pick up a reading, no matter where the ring sits on your finger.

The colourways add a real premium feel to the upgrade as well, and I'd recommend the Deep Rose to anyone who normally wears gold as a pop of something different.

However, if you already have the Oura Ring 4 and it's working perfectly for you, then I'd say there's little reason to invest right now. The metrics remain the same, the app is the same, and future feature upgrades will also be available on this older model.

Also, if you are looking to buy the gold metallic design (£499 in the 5), then you'll find this on sale in the previous model for £100 less - now £399.

These days, fitness trackers are more than a watch that counts your steps. Innovation has recently included the Oura Ring 4, a sleek ring-shaped tracker, and the faceless Fitbit Air, only released very recently.

Both of these trackers share one common advantage: they track your steps, workouts, sleep, stress, and vitals, review this data, and tell you how to structure your day and routine for the better.

I've worn my Oura Ring for the best part of a year now (having switched from the Oura Ring 3 to the 4), and I've spent the last few weeks with the Fitbit Air on my wrist, after it was released in May, putting me in the perfect position to compare the two.

Fitbit Air vs Oura Ring

Specifications

Oura Ring vs Fitbit Air: Design

Obviously, the Fitbit Air is a wrist-strap design, and the Oura Ring is worn like any other ring. However, the Air isn't like a regular fitness tracker. It does sit relatively discreetly on the wrist (especially if you opt for the black colourway) as it doesn't have a screen and is secured with Velcro.

Some people have also taken to wearing the Fitbit Air on their arm, just as others have worn a Fitbit on their ankle, although the brand doesn't specifically recommend doing this.

I've been wearing my Fitbit Air for two weeks now, and I've often forgotten it's there. It was a little itchy on my wrist for the first few days, but that feeling went away. The only downside is that I can't use it as a regular timepiece, so I have to double strap by wrist with a regular watch as well.

The Oura Ring is a thicker ring than standard jewellery (although the new Oura Ring 5 is 40% thinner), and the brand recommends you wear it on your index finger of your non-dominant hand. I wear mine on my middle finger, as I find it's more comfortable.

Over the last year, I have kept it on day and night, while showering, sleeping, cooking, and any other activity. I've only taken it off while strength training (as a barbell scratched my metal one) and to charge it. It's incredibly discreet and comfortable to wear, without the same time-keeping issue.

Winner: Oura Ring 4

Activity tracking on the Fitbit Air and Oura Ring

The Fitbit Air is the first of its kind as it uses the new Google Health app. This is a direct replacement for the Fitbit app, although it works similarly.

After just a few days, the Fitbit Air replaced the Fitbit Charge 6 on my list of the best Fitbits, thanks in part to its activity tracking. Instead of manually starting a workout, you just start moving, and the tracker picks up your movements, recording them as the relevant workout. In the app, you'll see a rundown of your workout and how that corresponds to your activity goals for the week. You can also manually start a workout, should you want to.

When I set up the tracker, I input my favourite workouts and my goals. Now, every week, the Gemini-led AI offers me a plan to follow to improve my fitness, right down to how many steps I should aim for. The Oura Ring doesn't go into the same specifics, making the Fitbit Air the better choice for those new to exercise and not knowing where to start.

I also found the step count to be accurate (within about 200 steps of my baseline watch, the Coros Pace 4, which I have been wearing for a few months), and I loved how all my activity data was sitting waiting on my phone for when I wanted to look at it.

The Oura Ring 4 is very similar. However, it's not designed to be the best fitness tracker, or even the only one on your arm. Its primary aim is to assess how activity affects your body, with the view of helping to improve your overall wellbeing, of which exercise is an important part.

It won't offer the same detailed, nitty-gritty workout data that you'll want if you normally wear a running watch, for example. I love it as an accessory to my favourite Garmin watch. It pulls data from this and tells me how my runs, workouts, and even step count are impacting my body.

Winner: Fitbit Air

Sleep tracking on the Fitbit Air and Oura Ring

Where the Oura Ring truly excels, however, is in sleep tracking. I've worn it every night for the past year. The app lives on my homepage, and the first thing I do as I have my coffee every morning is check my sleep data.

I've tested a few smart rings over the last few years, and yet to find a better one for tracking sleep. The sensor translates key vitals (like your heart rate) into digestible and genuinely useful insights, such as how well you've slept, the duration of the different sleep stages (REM, deep, and light), how long it takes you to fall asleep, and (after you've worn it for a while) how your bedtime sits in line with your personal needs.

In the long term, you'll see how your sleep (along with your stress and activity levels) is affecting your overall health scores. This is something I love about Oura in general - it's not about just today or this week. I'm looking at months (and years) of data to assess my wellbeing.

You'll get a sleep score every morning and a run-down of how well you've hit each of these points, with an AI-generated (but insightful and motivational) overview, highlighting areas for improvement.

The fact that the app is very pleasing and soothing on the eyes, with its nature-inspired visuals, only helps to drive my need to look at it first thing every day.

The Fitbit Air also excels in this area in a very similar way, so if sleep is a key area of interest for you, this is going to be a tough decision. Much like on the Oura app, you'll get an overview of your sleep from the previous night in the Google Health app, including an overall sleep score, an efficiency rating, and sleep stages. The Gemini-led AI will review it for you every morning in a comprehensive, detailed format and flag any areas for improvement.

They are both about as accurate as each other, especially with long-term wear, so it's difficult to choose an all-out winner. However, the Oura Ring clinches it on comfort and app interface. It sits more comfortably overnight as it's not around the wrist, and the data is slightly more readable and pleasing to view than it is on the Google Health app.

Winner: Oura Ring

Health tracking on the Fitbit Air and Oura Ring

Stress can be one of the most damaging, yet secret, ways we're impacting our health. Studies show that it affects the brain, immune system, endocrine system, and digestive system, and basically every other part of the body, contributing to many (often avoidable) diseases.

However, unless you're feeling your cortisol levels rise often, you may not know what stress your body is under. Not all stress is bad. For example, exercise and a good night out with friends stress our body. The Fitbit Air and Oura Ring both work to tell how general stress (positive and negative) impacts your body. It'll do this using data from your vital signs, which include your resting heart rate, HRV balance, and body temperature, as well as your sleep and activity levels.

Even though not all stress is negative, it all still has an impact, so it's important to be aware of it and know when to rest. On both, you'll get your stress score as a Readiness Score, which flags how ready your body is for stressful events, whether that be a big day at the office or a long run.

While the Fitbit Air handles this data well, and after 3 days, you'll get a full view of how your body is doing with the same AI insights available for sleep and activity levels, the Oura Ring offers a few more features that push it into the top spot.

Personally, I love the Minor/Major Signs flag. When your body is under strain from illness, your temperature and respiration rate are often the first vitals to give way, so you'll get a big notification in the app. It's a clear sign you need to rest, and I've often seen it before my symptoms have come to light, which has been very useful.

I also like the Cumulative Stress score (there are also equivalents for exercise and sleep), which looks at your stress levels over time. This could raise red flags for early signs of burnout, and offers insights into how to improve your score to avoid them.

Winner: Oura Ring 4

Price of the Oura Ring 4 vs Fitbit Air

The Oura Ring 4 retails at a starting price of £329, depending on the colour and material you choose. The cheapest is the silver metallic Oura Ring 4. The Fitbit Air shocked me when it was released - it's the same price as the Fitbit Inspire 3, at £84.99. There's no denying this is the better-priced tracker, and a genuinely affordable way to keep an eye on your health.

There is a subscription as part of the Oura Ring purchase, which you should consider as well before buying. It's £5 per month to access all the data and insights. Google Health also recommends the Premium option to make the most of it, which comes in at £9.99, although you can use the device without it.

Winner: Fitbit Air

The w&h verdict

Most people's decision will come down to budget, but if yours can stretch, I'd recommend the Oura Ring 4. I have worn mine for the past year and used the data to inform my everyday decisions. I've been able to achieve more balance in my exercise, sleep, and stress levels, and I have felt better for it. It's also been a pleasure to wear, and most days, I don't notice it's there. It's a premium device with premium features.

With the Oura Ring 5 now available, there's a chance the 4 will be on sale very soon as well.

However, the Fitbit Air is no compromise. The advanced AI capabilities and distraction-free design make this one of the best fitness trackers to buy in 2026, regardless of what you want to use it for. I was very impressed with the features in comparison to the price, and it sets a precedent for other brands. I reckon this Fitbit could be the most popular one ever made.

Winner: Oura Ring 4

Carving out time to exercise can feel like a real struggle sometimes, but we know that you never regret a workout. Even if you’re time-poor, studies have shown that just 20 minutes of strength training or a Pilates workout at home a few times a week can make a real difference to physical and mental health.

Physiotherapist Will Harlow works specifically with clients over 50 who are keen to future-proof their health as they age. Speaking to Tamsen Fadal, host of the Tamsen Fadal podcast and author of How To Menopause, he says you don’t need a gym or expensive equipment to see significant results. Instead, he’s recommending a realistic workout you can do from home, which he believes works.

Will, who is also the creator of the HT Physio YouTube channel, tells Tamsen: “The most effective thing I’ve found is actually the 3-2-1 method. It’s very easy to do, and it’s easy to remember.” He adds that with only 20 minutes to work with, you have to be “efficient”.

What is the 3-2-1 method?

The 3-2-1 method is Will's way of dividing up a resistance training workout. He explains that the '3' part refers to three exercises you choose to do in the session. The '2' refers to frequency - you do the workout twice a week, with a rest day in between. The '1' reflects "how you're going to progress on one variable each week", he says. This could be increasing the number of repetitions or the weight, or challenging your balance to make at least one exercise harder in some way.

“When we’re choosing these exercises, we want to choose exercises that are compound movements," he says. This is anything that works multiple muscles and joints at the same time.

Over the years, many trainers have devised 3-2-1 methods for improving fitness. The most recent before this was the 3-2-1 workout method, which focuses on combining Pilates and strength with cardio exercise. This is an exclusively strength-training weekly routine.

Compound exercises include:

• Squats, with or without weights
• Lunges, with or without weights
• Chest press with dumbbells
• Romanian deadlift with dumbbells
• Shoulder press with dumbbells
• Bent-over row with kettlebells or dumbbells
• Press-ups and wall press-ups
• Sit-to-stand moves

So, for example, your 3-2-1 workout could look like a squat, press-up (or wall press-ups), and Romanian deadlift. This would target the lower body very effectively, as well as your arms, back, chest, and shoulders.

Each exercise should be done for 8 to 12 repetitions, with a minute's rest in between, twice a week.

The press-up is a great chance to see progress, especially if you can't do one yet. Start with wall press-ups, then graduate to incline press-ups. Before you know it, you'll be doing a full press-up.

As with all exercise, the key is to be consistent and realistic. You could schedule the workouts for the same time each week, and keep a note of your progression so you know where you left off each week.

In a separate clip, posted on Tamsen’s Instagram, Will explains how important it is to maintain strength as we age. “Muscles are your longevity organ. The more muscle you have on your body, the longer you live. It’s as simple as that,” he says.

“You can improve your strength in about two weeks, because you can get a better connection between your brain and the nerves that run up to your muscles very fast.”

It’s safe to say that swimming is one of the most versatile and effective workouts around. Choose front crawl over butterfly, or swap backstroke for breaststroke, and you work different muscles. Pick up the pace to increase the intensity, or go long and slow and build endurance.

Swimming workouts are low-impact, tone muscles, reduce stress, and promote better sleep. Recently, I was listening to an old episode of BBC Radio 4’s Just One Thing back, where Dr Michael Mosley talked to guest Professor Hiro Tanaka about how swimming could be the best exercise you can do, particularly for longevity.

The professor recommended swimming three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, following his own findings that swimming, or even just walking in water, can reduce arterial stiffness, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

I love to swim, and I have gone swimming every day in recent years, although I don't go that often anymore. However, hearing this, I decided to try swimming three times a week for just 30 minutes. To add variety, I asked three swim coaches for their favourite swimming workouts.

30 minutes of swimming benefits

1. Full-body workout

The upper body, lower body and core are all involved when you swim, making it one of the best full-body exercises, but you have to change up your stroke to reap the benefits. I was leaving progress on the table with my 'front crawl only' routine.

I haven’t done backstroke for years, and swimming just a couple of lengths of it (as one workout required) left me worn out. I also realised that I didn’t have as much backward rotation in my shoulders as I assumed, so that’s something I'm going to work on by varying up my workouts.

After a couple of workouts, I spoke to Cheryl Pottinger, swimming teacher for Better. She suggested I start using props to target underdeveloped areas in the pool. "Using a kickboard, for example, allows you to focus on the efficiency of your leg action," she told me. It makes you put more effort into your kick. You use the body’s largest muscles, such as the glutes, and therefore burn more calories.

If you want to focus on increasing your upper body strength and mobility, squeeze a pull buoy between your legs, she says. This isolates the movement in your arms, shoulders and core, helping you perfect stroke technique and work upper-body muscles.

2. Boosts brain health

Repeating a well-known routine week after week feels comfortable and is what my brain needs after a long day, but the brain (and body) loves novelty. The new swimming workouts I was doing provided it. I had to stay mentally alert to learn a new routine, challenge my coordination (particularly on backstroke, which I wouldn’t usually swim), and focus on small technique details during basic drills.

When it comes to looking after your brain, this is great work. When you learn something new, neurons fire electrical signals along new routes (neural pathways) in the brain. Over time, these pathways become stronger and more established, effectively remodelling the brain and helping ward off the brain ageing that comes naturally with every year.

3. Improves cardiovascular fitness

I’m not one to jump into the fast lane at my pool, and I like to take my time at a leisurely pace. However, the workouts I followed all included a speed section to raise my heart rate and build endurance. This was challenging for me, and I made full use of the 20 to 30-second rests after sprints to create an interval swimming pattern.

Head of swim for David Lloyd Clubs, Nuala Muir-Cochrane, suggests that adding a speed challenge to your swims helps build cardiovascular fitness, increases stamina, and adds intensity and variety.

But, she warns, don’t go flat out as soon as you get in. Raise your heart rate gradually with a warm-up, which will activate your shoulders, core, and legs without fatigue.

4. Improves sleep quality

It might be a coincidence, but my fitness tracker recorded a slight increase in deep sleep. It was only an extra 20 minutes or so on the days when I went to the pool, but every little helps when you are trying to sleep better.

Aerobic exercise, such as swimming, has been found to improve sleep quality across age groups. One particular study focused on men and women over 55 who suffered from insomnia. The trial found that after following a 16-week programme of moderate aerobic activity, participants reported improvements in sleep duration, efficiency and latency (the time taken to fall asleep).

30-minute swim workouts recommended by swim coaches

Multi-stroke swimming workout

Nuala recommends this beginner-intermediate workout that incorporates three different swim strokes and a speed challenge in the middle to increase stamina and build cardiovascular fitness.

How to do it:

• Warm up by alternating between one length of easy front crawl and one length of backstroke, for the first 10 minutes.
• Pick up the pace for the next 10 minutes, alternating between front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.
• Over the next 5 minutes, sprint one length in every four, maintaining fast controlled swimming with a strong push off at each end.
• For the final 5 minutes, cool down with a gentle swim using your favourite stroke and slow breaths.

The quality of movement is more important than speed overall, she says. “For front crawl, look down while reaching forward and rotate through the body; with breaststroke, ensure you glide after each kick; and exhale underwater to avoid holding your breath. For backstroke, keep your head still and hips high.”

Switching between all three strokes not only gives you a full-body workout but also “prevents overloading one muscle group and improves coordination and water confidence", she says.

Front crawl with kickboard

Cheryl recommends this routine for beginner-intermediate level. Expect to cover 800m over 30 minutes in a standard 25m length pool.

Here's how to do it:

• 200m warm up including 4 x lengths of front crawl; followed by 4 x lengths of breaststroke.
• For the next 550m, follow a pattern of 4 x lengths of front crawl; 2 x lengths of front crawl kick (holding a kickboard); 4 x lengths of front crawl. Take a 20-30 second rest between each set.
• Swim 2 x lengths of front crawl at your maximum speed, before a 20-30 second rest.
• Repeat step 2.
• 100m cool down with 2 x lengths of front crawl; 1 x length of your choice of stroke; and finish with 1 x length of head-first sculling (lie on your back using your arms to propel you backwards).

“This workout makes use of the major muscle groups to work on strength endurance, while including some differing strokes and skills to target different muscles separately too,” says Cheryl. “The varying speeds allow you to build speed endurance and eventually be able to achieve further distances in the same amount of time.”

Front crawl sprints

Sarah Bridgeman, swim instructor at Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells, suggests this advanced swimming workout for those looking to perfect technique and improve endurance in 30 minutes.

Here's how to do it:

• Warm up for the first 200m with a stroke of your choice, focusing on long strokes and controlled breathing. Finish warming up with 100m swimming with a kickboard.
• Swim the next four lengths (100m), focusing on a different technique drill for each length: e.g. single arm strokes (while holding a kickboard) or fingertip drags (scraping the surface to keep the elbows high during front crawl). Take a 20-second rest at each end.
• For your main set, swim 50m at approximately 80% of your top speed, before resting for 20 seconds. Repeat for a total of four reps.
• Sprint for 25m at close to your top speed, before resting for 30-40 seconds. Repeat for a total of four reps.
• Cool down in the final 100m using strokes of your choice, focusing on slowing down, stretching and resetting your breath.

“Maintain technique under fatigue, but focus on efficiency, not just effort. ‘Water feel’ is more important than speed alone,” so think about form and streamlining the body, maintaining rhythmic kicking and controlled breathing, and focusing on strong and effective pulls, she advises.

Tips for improving swimming consistency

• ‘Habit stack’ your swim: Sometimes, committing to 30 minutes of swimming can feel like a hassle (all that changing before and after, showering, washing your hair, drying everything). I found that if I coupled a swim with something else, I was more likely to go. This could be a swim after a Pilates workout or even timing it for when I’d usually need to wash my hair (about every other day) so I could tick two things off at once.
• Pick the right time of day: If your local pool is anything like mine, a lunchtime swim can feel very different to an evening dip. I try to avoid busy periods as sharing lanes with other swimmers often makes it difficult to go at my own pace. Evening slots for 30 minutes of swimming are quieter, allowing me space to stick to a workout plan and try out drills.
• Pre-pack your swim bag: Cheryl says, “Being organised with packing your kit bag the night before is a big help with maintaining consistency.” I have a swim bag always ready with my swimsuit, a quick-drying Dock & Bay towel, Decathlon’s Bfast anti-fog goggles, and travel toiletries.
• Swim with a friend: Unlike the gym or fitness class, I tend to see swimming as a solo activity (it’s hard to chat when your face is mainly underwater). But Cheryl suggests that if you’re struggling to stay motivated, booking a slot with a friend will keep you on track.

If I had to choose my favourite exercise, I think it would be Pilates. While I really enjoy swimming, running and strength training, mat Pilates really helps me switch off from life’s stress, and gives me a full-body strengthening and stretching workout. However, despite my longstanding love, there are some exercises I’ll always inwardly groan about doing. These include the plank – and all of its variations – and crunches.

But there’s one exercise I do really enjoy doing, for many reasons, and that’s the scissors. I’ve been doing the move in my bodyweight Pilates workouts for over a decade, and I still feel the burn in my abs every time. I’ve recently made modifications, such as adding dumbbells and a Pilates circle, to make it harder.

I decided to challenge myself to do the scissors every day for a fortnight to see what impact it had on my core and other areas of my body.

What are Pilates scissors?

If you’re a fan of mat Pilates, you’ll be familiar with this demanding exercise. It really challenges your upper and lower abs, legs, hips and core. Pilates instructor Natasha Kumar explains that scissors, also known as the single straight-leg stretch, is a “classical Pilates exercise designed to stretch and strengthen you simultaneously”.

The full scissors involves lifting your upper body off the mat, holding your legs straight and taking turns to lower one to the ground before raising it and swapping over to the next leg. Natasha says: “Scissors aren’t suitable for everyone. It is a demanding exercise that requires a decent level of core strength.”

How to do Pilates scissors

Natasha says it’s important to keep your upper back and pelvis still doing the exercise, while also being careful not to arch your lower back.

• Lie on your back with knees bent.
• Curl your head, neck and shoulders off the mat whilst maintaining a neutral pelvis.
• Extend both legs to the sky with pointed toes.
• Hold behind one leg, around the calf area, and gently draw it towards the chest as you lower the other leg down toward the mat.
• Simultaneously switch legs in a scissoring motion, exhaling as you lower each leg.
• Try to do them slowly and with control, using your abdominal muscles and keeping your neck relaxed.

If you want to increase the intensity, you could also add wearable weights to your ankles to increase the load and burn in your legs.

Natasha says: “For clients with osteoporosis and lower back injuries such as bulging discs or diastasis (abdominal separation), I recommend alternative exercises like toe-taps or dead bugs, which work the deep abdominals with a lesser load.”

What are the benefits of Pilates scissors?

1. Improved core strength

Improving core strength, especially your lower core muscles, is the main benefit of doing scissors, says Sol Bouille, founder of The Island Pilates studios in London. “They strengthen the deep abdominal muscles, improve pelvic stability, and help build better coordination between your upper and lower body.”

Our core isn’t just the muscles in our trunk. There are muscles within that are connected to our spine, pelvis and shoulders, so having a strong core can improve flexibility and mobility throughout your body. A study, published in the Orthopaedic Research Online Journal, found that core resistance training benefits functional mobility and balance as we age.

The reason this exercise can be so effective is that you have to keep your abdominals engaged. This is what protects your back.

In the first four days, I aimed to do 10 to 12 reps on each leg, focusing on my form and breath. I felt comfortable with my head, neck and upper back off the mat, so I didn't push myself to lift higher or use any extra props. The burn in my lower abs was enough.

From the fifth day onwards, I aimed to do two minutes of scissors per day. This felt quite challenging after the first four days’ reps, but I was up for it. I found myself rushing to get through them at first, as my upper and lower abs were aching a lot. By the start of the second week, I slowed the pace down so I could really feel deep core exercise, and it felt like my obliques were getting a mega workout too. I also tried to curl my spine further off the mat to deepen the intensity throughout.

By the end of the second week, I could do two minutes of slow scissors, with and without a Pilates circle between my hands above my head. I loved doing this challenge. There’s no doubt that it strengthened my core, loosened my hips and hamstrings, and it definitely cemented my dislike of the plank.

2. Pilates scissors stretches your hamstrings

If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, as I do, then you'll know that amazing feeling of a good hamstring stretch.

Natasha says scissors are a great option for loosening these muscles, which can be an area where “many hold tension and women commonly get cramp”.

My main observation during this challenge was how stiff my hips and hamstrings get, and how much the scissors helped alleviate this. In the first week, I held my calves to help me switch my legs smoothly and slowly. Even just doing 10 to 12 reps on each leg made my hips feel quite achy, and I needed to sit in butterfly pose afterwards for a bit to release the discomfort.

During the second week, my hips felt loose and strong enough for me to do the leg exercises with my hands behind my head. My hamstrings felt stronger, and I was also able to engage my quads more and focus on really straightening my legs and pointing my toes.

3. May help ease lower back pain

Lower back pain is another common ailment, and whether it’s caused by ageing, sitting down a lot or poor posture, Pilates can help. Scissors, in particular, are a beneficial exercise for lower back pain.

Natasha says: “As your core strengthens and supports the spine more effectively, many clients notice relief from lower back pain and related issues such as sciatica.” She also says that stretching the hamstrings also “reduces lower back pain by releasing the pull on the pelvis”.

4. Scissors support better posture

The scissors can take some concentration when you’re doing them. There’s a lot to think about. Lifting and lowering your legs, while also focusing on your breath and keeping muscles engaged and lower back pressed into your mat, is a challenge for your coordination.

As with most exercise, the more you do, the easier it will feel, and it’s great for your mind-body connection.

Sol says scissors also support our posture, “by training your body to stay stable while your legs move independently”. Improving core strength will help improve upper back and shoulder strength, so you will find you can sit and stand more upright.

5. Boosts hip strength

The scissors movement is a great hip opener and can feel amazing if you’re sitting down a lot during the day. The exercise relieves tension in the muscles at the front of the hips and those that run from the hips down the backs of the legs.

Keeping our hips loose and strong with hip-strengthening exercises, not just stretches, is important for general mobility and for preventing injury and back pain.

How often should you do Pilates scissors?

Natasha says there’s no reason why you can’t do a burst of scissors every day. “I'm a huge advocate for quick, fiery workouts that fit easily into your day and help you maintain a strong core, while releasing those tight areas,” she says.

Before my two-week experiment, I was doing scissors twice a week during my Pilates classes. I always find them difficult, but I’ve noticed a big improvement in my form and how far I can curl up my spine when doing them. Doing them every day for 14 days really put my core and other muscles to the test.

If you're new to running, navigating the waters of finding a suitable watch to record your progress can be difficult. One of the best Garmin watches is often the go-to, but until very recently, there were few beginner-friendly options. The Garmin Forerunner 170, released last month, has changed this.

I've been running regularly for six years now and have tested pretty much every fitness tracker brand under the sun. The Forerunner range consistently comes up as a favourite, so I was very excited for this one.

Complete with new training features, a bright and easy-to-use interface, and exciting colourways, it impressed me before I even opened the box. To find out if it's worth the spend, I took it out for two weeks, seven runs, and three gym sessions.

Garmin Forerunner 170 review

Specifications

• Size: One size - 42.6 x 42.6 x 11.9 mm
• Weight: 41 g
• Display: AMOLED
• Material: Silicone, glass, fibre-reinforced polymer
• Battery life: Up to 10 days
• Waterproof: 5ATM

What is the Garmin Forerunner 170 like to wear?

Previous Garmin watches, such as the Venu 4 (another woman&home favourite), have come in two sizes. This one is just the one size, but it fit snugly within the margins of my wrist, and the typeface on the screen was large enough to see clearly on the move.

The AMOLED screen makes for a premium experience when running and in daily life, with notifications displaying clearly whatever the light, and it's also touchscreen. I typically turn off the touchscreen on my running watches, as I have a habit of nudging them, but this screen isn't overly sensitive, so I didn't have that issue this time. There are also five buttons on the device. You can use these as well as, or instead of, the touchscreen.

I did turn off the notifications and buzzing, however. I don't know whether these are louder on this watch compared to others, but it felt overly reactive for starting a run, pausing a session, and at every kilometre logged.

In the sea of black and white fitness trackers, the colourways of the Garmin Forerunner 170 Music are a refreshing change. While these neutrals are still an option, and even more so in the regular 170, the fun pop of pink and yellow, blue and green, and yellow in the black option of the 170 Music remind me of retro kids' watches in the best possible way. I loved the colourways of the Forerunner 265, and these are even bolder.

What is the Garmin Forerunner 170 like to run with?

I took the Garmin Forerunner 170 for a spin over two weeks, wearing it through my regular long, speed, and easy runs. Along with the regular on-screen data, such as distance, pace, training zone, and live heart rate, you'll get race time predictions, race pace tools, and VO2 estimates.

All your workout data and daily movement is recorded in the Garmin app, which has stayed the same and remains free and easy to use.

What makes this watch different from cheaper options, like the Forerunner 165, is the premium training insights. Having worn a Garmin for a few years, I have found these to be some of the most useful features for improving my overall lifestyle, with the view to being a better runner.

Training Status reveals how your body is adapting to the workouts you're doing. While I have found it disheartening to see 'Detraining' as my Status, the feature does tell you what you need to do to get back to improving again. For me, this time around, the suggestion was to do more anaerobic exercise, so I incorporated more sprints into my routine and watched my Status improve.

Training Readiness estimates how 'ready' your body is for exercise, balancing recovery metrics with workout data. As all your progress actually takes place when you're resting, this is a worthwhile feature for anyone looking to graduate from a beginner running level.

I was also impressed by the inclusion of new Garmin Coach models - Cycling Coach, Strength Coach, and Fitness Coach. While Running Coach has been a feature on other devices, offering training plans for various goals, extending them to these activities makes the Garmin Forerunner 170 a brilliant all-rounder as well as a specialist running watch.

You'll also find over a hundred workout profiles, with options from Boxing and Rowing to Padel and Paddleboarding.

How does it to compare?

Overall, it's absolutely packed out with features - and I haven't even mentioned the sleep tracking, which is the same as on every other Garmin. You'll get insights into your duration and sleep quality, with suggestions to improve.

You'll struggle to find another watch with the same features for this price. The next best option is another new release, the Garmin Forerunner 70, which comes in at £219. It has the same Training Readiness and Status features but lacks the barometric altimeter, which you'll need if you're a hiker, trail runner, or stair climber; music capabilities; the Garmin Pay option, and skin temperature sensors. The latter is needed if you track your menstrual cycle with your fitness tracker.

Outside of Garmin, the only other I can think of is the Coros Pace 4. It's my favourite running watch overall, but lacks a lot of the support for non-running activities.

Is the Garmin Forerunner 170 worth buying?

I knew the Garmin Forerunner 170 Music was going to be a favourite straight out of the box - but I couldn't judge the watch by its appearance. After testing it for two weeks, though, I stand by my first impression.

Many beginner-friendly watches lack longevity. While they may be cheap and cheerful, perfect for getting you started as a new runner, they won't be able to offer enough a few years (or even months) down the line if you decide you want to do more than just track your workouts.

The Garmin Forerunner 170 Music doesn't fit into this box. This watch would help improve your running speed, form, and recovery in a meaningful and productive way, and help you extend your distance to a marathon and beyond. Its advanced sensors, insights, and plethora of features easily make it worth the investment.

Most other beginner watches sit around the £150 mark, including the Forerunner 55, which is dated now but will do all the essentials and comes in at under £120 in the sale. There are also cheaper Garmin options for your budget and goals.

Sometimes, it's good to get something for little (to no) effort. In fitness, that rarely happens. So, you can imagine that I cracked a small smile when I started adding toe taps to my core exercise routine and saw the benefits.

These are done lying on the floor on your back, making them the perfect finisher to a strength or bodyweight Pilates workout. As a runner and keen walker, I always underestimate the importance of core strength, but it's certainly worth prioritising - especially when it's this easy.

"Toe taps to the floor, done from a tabletop position, are absolutely a worthwhile core exercise as the move builds deep core control and stability," agrees Rebecca Dadoun, a Pilates instructor and the founder of Pilates Prescription.

How to do the toe taps exercise

• Lie down on the floor - on a thicker yoga mat if it's more comfortable for you.
• Lift your legs up into a tabletop position, which is 90 degrees in the air.
• Keeping your spine and pelvis neutral, drop one leg towards the floor by moving gently at the hip, tapping the floor with your big toe.
• Maintaining control, bring your foot up to the starting position and repeat.
• "Move in sync with your breath by exhaling as you lower the leg down and inhaling as you draw the knee back up above the hip," says Rebecca.

A common mistake to avoid: While this exercise looks very easy, it's important to do it right to reap the benefits. "Only lower the leg as far as you can while maintaining stability," says the instructor. "The goal is not to touch the floor at all costs. If your lower back begins to lift or your pelvis shifts, reduce the range of motion."

Can you make toe taps harder?

If you're a pro on the yoga mat and you want to make your toe taps harder on your core, there are a few ways you can progress the exercise. "Try lowering both legs at the same time instead of one, or add extra resistance using a resistance band or Pilates ball," says Rebecca.

"Introducing instability, such as placing a ball under the pelvis, will further challenge your core control and balance. You can also increase the intensity by lifting the head and shoulders into an abdominal curl, or by holding light hand weights and raising the arms during the movement," she explains.

Other variations of the movement, like the dead bug exercise, are also more challenging and make hard work of your coordination and stability.

What are the benefits of the toe taps exercise?

• Boost deep core strength: There is a muscle deep in the core called the transverse abdominis. It wraps around the pelvic floor. This exercise forces these two often under-worked muscles into action as they have to stabilise the pelvis and spine while your legs move.
• Improves spine stability: Along with the deep core muscles and the pelvic floor, as you press your lower back into the ground and try to maintain a neutral position during the toe taps, you're also working all the tiny muscles that stabilise the spine.
• Good for beginners: If you've just started doing Pilates workouts at home, you'll find toe taps a great exercise. They feel easy enough to do with limited core strength (as we say, no planks here), but you'll still feel 'the burn'.
• Helps you relax: Rebecca emphasises the importance of breathing through this exercise, and breathing from deep within (rather than from the chest) triggers our 'rest and digest' function.

I haven't worn an Apple Watch since the 5th generation. Now, on the 11th, quite a few things have changed. Along with better smart features, workout insights, new sleep metrics, and an all-around improved experience, the Health app has come on leaps and bounds.

If you're an Apple user, this is the app that's installed on your phone when you buy it. With your permission, it'll automatically record your step count and daily activity levels. When you pair it with a fitness tracker (an Apple Watch 11 is naturally the most compatible), you'll get even more data.

I've just started using the latest device after taking a break from my Garmin watch. I took a deep dive into the Health app after using it for a few days, and there are some seriously underrated features for those keen to keep an eye on their overall health.

1. Cardiovascular fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is measured as VO2 max - the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. While this might only sound important for those who love running, hiking, or cycling workouts, it measures how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles deliver and use oxygen - and it naturally declines with age.

To improve your longevity and stay healthier for longer, it's an important metric to pay attention to, as several large studies have found.

Much like your blood pressure or heart rate, it's a vital sign of your health.

When you're wearing an Apple Watch, you can see how your cardiovascular fitness is shaping up compared to the average, and learn whether you need to do more cardio exercise. Logging an outdoor walk, run, or bike ride will help you see that number rise, and it's a simple insight that can help dramatically improve your health.

Here's how to find it:

• Open the Health app on your iPhone.
• If you're on your iPhone, tap Search.
• Tap Heart, then tap Cardio Fitness.
• Tap D, W, M, 6M, or Y to view your average for the Day, Week, Month, 6 Months, or Year.
• Tap Show All Cardio Fitness Levels.
• Tap a cardio fitness level to compare your results to other levels based on your age and sex
• You can also tap the Show information button in the upper corner to view the average cardio fitness levels for all ages for Female, Male, or All.

In the same Heart tab, you can also see your resting heart rate over time. The lower it is, typically, the more fit you are and the better your heart health is. If you do decide to up the number of walking workouts you do, you'll see this number gradually drop, which is incredibly satisfying.

2. Average bedtime and sleep schedule

Until recently, Apple's sleep-tracking features have fallen behind compared to Fitbit and Oura Ring. I can see big changes are coming in this area, though, with the introduction of more sleep metrics in the Health app.

Average bedtime and sleep schedule are my two favourites, and they've actually helped me pay better attention to my sleep health over the last week.

Studies show that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is one of the key ways to sleep better. Apple's own Heart and Movement study found that participants with the most consistent sleep time on average slept 40 more minutes, 36% less time awake overnight, and more time exercising.

In the Health app, you can see your average bedtime for the weeks and months previous. I found this very helpful to learn what time I actually went to bed versus the time I wanted to, so I could aim for a more consistent bedtime based on my actual habits.

You can also create a sleep schedule for yourself. I did this to try to go to bed earlier. I set my bedtime for 10:30 pm and received a notification on my phone that it was time to start winding down an hour before. In the morning, my alarm was preset every day, so I always woke up at the same time.

3. Medication notifications

I'd always recommend never underestimating the smart features on Apple Watch and in the Health app. The Apple Watch is essentially your phone on your wrist - especially if you opt for the cellular model, where you can actually leave your phone at home.

It's important to note when you're weighing up buying an Apple Watch vs a Garmin watch, for example.

One of my favourite features in the Health app, which I've not seen on any other fitness tracker's app, is the medication stacker and notification feature.

I take creatine and a host of other supplements - even more so in the winter. Keeping track of them and remembering to take them all is an uphill battle I often lose, but I set up this feature a couple of days ago, and now, I'm alerted every morning. I haven't missed them since.

Do you have to have an Apple Watch to use the Health app?

To get cardiovascular fitness insights, you do need to have an Apple Watch linked up to your Health app, and it makes sense to have one if you're looking to make the most of the app.

However, not all insights require the brand's own device. I've previously linked my Oura Ring 4 to get sleep data, as I sometimes find (especially in summer) that wearing a watch in bed is clunky and uncomfortable.

You also don't need the Apple Watch to make use of the medication stacker. This is just a feature on the app, but you can get the notifications on your Apple Watch if you have one. I've found it helpful to see them on my watch as I don't always have my phone to hand in the kitchen.

As brilliant as strength training is for improving longevity by building muscle mass, bone density, and boosting metabolism, it's not the only type of exercise we need to do to age healthily. In fact, only lifting weights can leave benefits on the table.

"After 40, balance training becomes just as important as strength and cardio, yet it's often overlooked," says Dr Amir Khan, an NHS GP and the woman&home resident doctor.

"As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass, joint flexibility, and some of the sensory feedback from our feet and inner ear that keeps us steady. Hormonal changes, particularly during the menopause and perimenopause, can also affect muscle strength and coordination," he explains. "The result is a higher risk of falls, trips, and injuries, even in otherwise fit women."

What is balance training?

Balance training is very easy, the doctor says, and it improves joint health, reduces the risk of falls, boosts confidence, and supports better posture and movement in everyday life, he says. "It also sharpens coordination and keeps the brain engaged, which is essential for long-term mobility."

There are expensive and premium ways to do balance training (hello, Reformer Pilates), but you don't have to spend big to reap the benefits of this type of exercise.

"Simple exercises done little and often are effective, and just a few minutes a day can make a difference," says the doctor.

3 balance exercises to try

Standing on one leg

Simple but effective. Dr Khan recommends doing this one while you're brushing your teeth (switching every 30 seconds) or while the kettle boils.

If your balance needs work, make sure to stand in front of a solid surface, like your kitchen counter, before taking a leg off the floor.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lift one leg off the floor.
• You can bring your leg out in front of you or tuck it behind at a 90-degree angle, whatever feels most comfortable.
• Stay on that leg for at least 30 seconds, then switch to the other.

Heel-toe walking

Heel-toe walking, as the name might suggest, involves bringing one foot in front of the other and trying to walk in a completely straight line. It's easier to balance with your feet shoulder-width apart, and this exercise takes away that stability.

If you find it difficult, keep a kitchen counter or wall nearby to balance yourself. If it's too easy, look straight ahead (not down).

Here's how to do it:

• Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a step forward, placing your right heel directly in front of your left foot.
• Take a moment to balance, then shift your weight and repeat with the left foot, bringing it in front of the right foot.
• Make sure your posture stays upright and engage your core.

Single leg squats

Single-leg squats are a great leg and glute exercise for anyone at any life stage. They use many of the muscles in the lower body and the core. Switching it up to a single-leg exercise offers all the same benefits, but adds balance to the list as well.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and posture upright, before taking one foot off the floor.
• Gently, bring your hips back and down, as if you're sitting on a chair behind you.
• Go as low as you can while making sure your knee doesn't lean inwards.
• Once you have reached the bottom of your movement, push up.
• Stand next to a countertop or wall for support, if needed. This is a more advanced exercise than others on the list.

If it's too hard, start by sitting down on a chair. Bring one leg up and try to stand without holding onto anything, using just that one leg.

Yoga exercises, a spot of tai chi walking, or even a simple 10-minute Pilates workout at home can also make a difference. These combine balance with strength and flexibility.

"Adding light resistance or closing your eyes when you've built up your confidence can also increase the challenge," he says.

"It's not about preventing ageing," he adds. "It's about staying strong, steady, and confident for the decades ahead."

Everywhere I look, someone seems to be hiking, running, or in the gym in what looks like a bulletproof jacket. Weighted vests have caught on in a big way. Pull one on, and it instantly ramps up the intensity of any workout with very little effort, so it's easy to see why. Even wearing one as you carry on with your day is like a strength training session without lifting a single dumbbell.

As with any resistance workout, moving with a weighted vest delivers many of the benefits our bodies need as we age. It helps to protect bone health, increase muscle mass, and improve mobility. Typically, weighted vests are worn during strength training workouts, HIIT workouts, or hikes. You can also walk in a weighted vest. But I wanted to try one for something a bit different, doing yoga workouts in a weighted vest.

Devotees to the practice will know that yoga isn’t just stretching. It requires many different skills, including strength. Can strapping an extra few kilos to my body help me get stronger and hold some of the more demanding poses for longer? I wore a weighted vest for two weeks to find out.

Benefits of doing yoga with a weighted vest

1. More body awareness

I wasn’t quite prepared for how different I would feel in a weighted vest. I had to move slowly and with caution on my first few sessions, and I often found myself stumbling through familiar sequences, such as a simple sun salutation.

This is no surprise, says yoga teacher and founder of the Yoga Happy app, Hannah Barrett. “The first thing most people notice is heightened body awareness. The added weight increases the feedback your nervous system receives from your joints and muscles. It's called proprioception. You become more conscious of where you are in space, how you’re distributing your weight, and where you’re holding tension.”

But she warns, “While adding weight can sharpen proprioceptive awareness in some contexts, it can equally distort it if it changes the way you move or load your joints in ways your body isn’t used to.”

2. Balance improves

Balance is a key indicator of longevity and healthy ageing. A study found that those who can stand on one leg for 10 seconds or more over 50 have almost half the risk of dying within 10 years than those who can't.

To say I felt off-balance the first time I tried yoga in a weighted vest is an understatement. Hannah says that in balance poses, such as tree or warrior 3, your stabilising muscles have to work much harder to keep you steady, because of the extra load.

You also need to be conscious that your centre of gravity has shifted slightly, a fact brought home to me after I faceplanted in crow pose (an arm balance I’ve only just recently mastered). Not only is this experience good for building strength in the stabilising muscles, but wobbling is where our brains learn to improve our sense of balance over time.

3. Better stability in shoulders and core

Consistently doing yoga with a weighted vest means you're basically doing yoga as strength training. It can help build functional strength in the shoulders, suggests Hannah: “In poses like plank and downward dog, the vest places meaningful load through the shoulder girdle, which means the rotator cuff and the serratus anterior, the muscle that keeps the shoulder blade sitting properly against the ribcage, have to work much harder.

“Your core also has to work constantly to manage the added weight across every transition,” she adds, “so you’re building stability through the whole session, not just in specific poses.”

Yoga instructor Eloise Skinner says it's most noticeable in dynamic, flowing yoga sessions. “A weighted vest could help improve overall stability and control of the body while moving, including within transitions such as a vinyasa sequence. The wearer needs to engage the core and glutes effectively to support the additional load on the upper body while the spine is in motion.”

4. Better glute and hip stability

It’s not just the upper body that benefits - doing yoga with a weighted vest is one way to add intensity to your glute exercises. I certainly felt the extra bodyweight when sinking into a warrior 2, a high lunge, or chair pose, and my thighs and glutes tended to ache for longer than usual afterwards.

“Standing poses become significantly more demanding with a vest,” says Hannah. “[They often] require the glutes, hamstrings and deep hip stabilisers to fire harder to support the pelvis under load.

“If strengthening the backs of your legs and your hips is a goal, flowing through a standing sequence with a vest is a brilliant way to add resistance without changing the movement itself,” she suggests.

5. Deeper relaxation

After feeling the burn in my glutes and thighs, and wobbling through balance poses, lying down in savasana (corpse pose) at the end of every yoga session was a welcome relief. This was a pose where I didn’t feel like the weighted vest was punishing me.

The relaxation actually felt deeper with the extra kilos gently pressed down on my chest, much like a weighted blanket. I'm not sure how I’d feel with a vest at the heavier end of the range.

Using a weighted vest in restorative poses is an idea that interests Eloise, who says, “There’s quite a bit of research around weighted blankets and their impact on our wellbeing and sense of grounding.”

In fact, a 2024 review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research concluded that weighted blankets improved symptoms of anxiety and insomnia, and increased total sleep time.

Eloise adds, “Some research indicates that this type of weighted pressure can decrease our cortisol levels. A weighted vest in savasana could have a similar effect and result in an immersive, calming meditation at the end of a yoga practice.”

Can you use a weighted vest for yoga?

I certainly feel that I’ve built a bit more strength through wearing a vest in my yoga practice, and I hope I get stronger the more I use it. Balance was a challenge, but wobbles and stumbles are where the brain improves our sense of balance, so it was a good test.

However, I did miss having full body contact with the yoga mat in any supine or prone position. This is part of the mind-body connection and is sometimes crucial for cues for other poses. For example, transitions into bridge or shoulder stand benefit from slowly and consciously rolling up through the spine, vertebrae by vertebrae – with a weighted vest in the way, you lose the smoothness of the movement.

Hannah believes there are potential benefits - “it could be an effective way to deepen both the physical and sensory experience of the poses you already know" - but is also quick to warn that it's not a traditional way to do a weighted vest workout.

"The research specifically on weighted vests in yoga is still very limited, so most of what we can draw on is grounded in movement science more broadly rather than yoga-specific evidence," she says. "The compression of a weighted vest restricts diaphragmatic movement as well, meaning your breath may become shallower without you noticing. In yoga, where the breath is central to both the physical and the regulatory experience of practice, that matters."

She also warns that "restricted breathing can affect vagal tone", which is "essentially the activity of the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in how your nervous system shifts between states of effort and recovery". This makes a weighted vest an accessory exclusively for strength and power workouts, rather than calming yoga practices.

I also found that a weighted vest works better in some poses than others. Standing asanas, such as the warrior poses and lunges, are where it really comes into its own, and seated poses don’t present many problems. Luckily, my vest was slim enough not to get in the way of forward folds, but bulkier vests may be an issue here.

My verdict

I do prefer to feel light and fluid during yoga, and wearing a weighted vest didn’t just physically weigh me down, but I felt a mental heaviness too. I’ll pop it on for those yoga sessions where my intention is strength and power, and I’m keen to try it more often in something like a slow and restorative yin yoga routine.

It’s not a yoga essential for me, but certainly a worthy accessory for when I want to build strength, challenge my balance and mix things up a bit.

Tips for using a weighted vest

• Find the right weight for you: A general tip is to start with a weighted vest of around 5% of your body weight, increasing to 10% if you’re stronger or want more of a challenge. Hannah recommends starting at the lighter end and observing your breath to gauge it: “If your breathing changes or feels restricted at any point, the load is too much.”
• Ensure the fit is snug: This may take some experimenting, but you want to make sure it’s not so tight that it restricts the breath, but not too loose that it slips around, particularly in inversions (otherwise it will be up to your ears during downward dog!).
• Go slow at first: Even if you’ve been practising yoga for years, I recommend you go slower than usual, even in the most familiar poses and transitions. Once you become accustomed to the vest, you can gradually increase the pace or difficulty.
• Remove if it’s distracting: Yoga is about mind-body connection and being in the present moment, so if the vest feels uncomfortable in any way (not just the breath, but you may feel too warm with this extra layer), take it off, reminds Eloise.

Gabby Logan is a top sports presenter, but she’s also incredibly active off-screen, having recently completed a half-marathon. But the 53-year-old has revealed that she lost her way with strength training recently, saying she was "a bit aimless" and "just doing the same thing over and over".

The presenter started working with former rugby player Rich Birkett to change this. The partnership suits her because she can do the sessions remotely, fitting them around her busy professional life.

“Sometimes you don’t feel like doing it. You’re busy. You’re tired. You’ll find something (anything) to stop you putting on your kit,” she writes on Instagram. “But you know, if you can shut that inner voice up and get the kit on, you’ll never regret a workout. Consistency is key, we know that.”

Gabby's strength training workout

1. Goblet squat with kettlebell

For this one, Gabby is using a 16kg weight, but you should use one that feels good for a few repetitions, but is challenging by the final one.

Here's how to do it:

• Hold your kettlebell at chest height, tucking your elbows in.
• Brace your core and sit back into a squat, like you're sitting down onto a chair.
• Make sure to keep your chest upright and track your knees over your toes, in line with your legs.
• Once you've hit the bottom of your movement, drive up through your feet to standing.
• Repeat for 8 to 12 repetitions for 3 sets.

2. Narrow-grip chest press

Grabbing two dumbbells, Gabby does a classic chest press on a bench. She keeps her legs off the floor in a position similar to the 'tabletop' in Pilates to make sure she's engaging her core, targeting the chest muscles, and preventing her legs from assisting in the movement.

Here's how to do it:

• Grab two medium-weight dumbbells, lie down on a bench, lifting your legs towards you and bending them to 90 degrees.
• Hold the weights over your chest close together, stacking your wrists over your elbows. Make sure your palms are facing each other.
• Take a breath in, bend your elbows and bring them into your sides, lowering the weights towards your chest.
• Press them back up to the starting position.
• Repeat for 8 to 12 repetitions, 3 times over.

3. Single-arm plank rows

If you know your core exercises, you'll already know how to do a plank. Gabby has added some extra intensity by adding in a rowing movement from this upright position.

Here's how to do it:

• Come down into a plank position, resting your hands on the bench. Keep your feet wide to stabilise yourself, and pick up a dumbbell in one hand.
• Making sure your core is braced, keep your hips facing the bench straight on.
• Drive your weight back towards your body, so the dumbbell comes in towards your hip.
• Return to the start position with control and repeat.
• Do it for 8 to 12 repetitions.

4. Push-ups

A push-up is a favourite strength training movement among trainers as it uses so many muscles at once. It's what's known as a compound movement.

If you can't do a full one yet, try the same movement but with your knees on the floor instead of in the plank position.

Here's how to do it:

• Adopt a high plank, with your hands sitting wider than your shoulders, chest over hands and your core muscles engaged.
• Spread out your hands for better stability.
• Lower your body halfway to the floor (ideally to 90 degrees at your elbow).
• Push down into the floor with your hands to push the body back up to extended elbows.

5. Side plank dips

Side planks are brilliant for our obliques, but they’re definitely one of the Marmites of strength training. Gabby has chosen to increase the intensity of hers by resting her feet on a box. This puts added pressure on the shoulder while the hips stay lifted, making your abdominals work even harder.

Here's how to do it:

• Come into a side plank position, resting your feet on a box (or stack of sturdy books if you're doing this at home).
• Make sure your forearm is directly under your shoulder and your body sits in a straight line. Engage your core.
• Slowly and with control, lower your hips towards the floor.
• At the bottom of the movement, lift them back up, engaging your obliques (muscles on the side of your stomach). Try to avoid twisting at any point.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times for 3 sets.

6. Side plank holds

This is where things get difficult. After you've done your repetitions of side plank dips, follow Gabby's lead with a hold. This puts even more pressure through your core muscles, so it's certainly an advanced move.

Here's how to do it:

• Adopt the same side plank position as above, with your feet raised on a box, core engaged.
• Lift one arm up if you need to stay balanced.
• Try to hold it for at least 30 seconds.

7. Barbell deadlift

Deadlifts are a functional exercise that assists with the most basic of daily movements - like picking up shopping from the floor. It's also a great glute exercise.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, tucking your feet under the barbell so the bar sits across the middle of your foot.
• Reach down to the bar by hinging - pushing your hips to the back of the room.
• Grip the bar so your hands sit just outside your knees.
• Brace your core, keep your chest up, and back straight.
• Push through your heels and come to standing by pushing your hips forward and extending your knees at the same time.
• Repeat the movement 8 to 12 times, for 3 sets.

As well as being a keen gym-goer, Gabby is a cyclist and loves Pilates. She told Rich that she wanted to be stronger on the hills during her cycling workouts. "He worked from that. I’ve loved getting stronger, feeling a bit leaner and remembering the buzz of weights again.”

Strength training and Pilates have always been a good match as "strength and flexibility complement each other so well," she says, but "as my many Midpoint (Gabby’s podcast) fitness guests told me in midlife, we need to ramp it up, not dial it down, which I think is a fairly good life philosophy generally."

There's something special about trail running that many people never experience - that feeling of being in the open air, in nature, among the trees, in the quiet. While you don't have to run to feel these benefits, you'll certainly get them by lacing up a pair of trail shoes and picking up the pace.

Whether you're hiking or jogging, the best women's trail running shoes can give you more confidence and keep you agile when you get off the beaten path. I should know - I've tested dozens of pairs over the past five years, from the boggy trails of the UK to the rocky Alps. In that time, I've learned that no piece of kit is more important than my running shoes.

The right shoes strike the perfect balance between securing my foot with traction underneath and giving my toes room to splay so I can move across rough ground. They also need to be comfortable enough to wear all day, and if possible, be just as good as an alternative to classic walking shoes.

The quick list

• Back to the top ⤴

The best women's trail running shoes, tried and tested by an off-road runner

Best trail running shoes overall

Brooks might be one of the first brands to produce a trail running-specific shoe, but I hadn't had much experience with its shoes until I got my hands on the Cascadia 19s. Six months on, I'm just sorry I waited so long to give them a whirl.

I first tested these shoes out on the trails of Chamonix in late summer, where I found instant comfort and stability on rocky ground. I liked them so much I've been wearing them ever since, on the considerably boggier trails of Scotland, all the way through the autumn, winter and spring.

Hence the name, this is the 19th iteration of the Cascadia, and it has been updated to be lighter, more flexible, and comfortable and provide better traction than its predecessors. They don't have a very wide fit, so the Merrell Morphlite or the Keen Seek may be better options for those needing this, but with a good 35mm of nitrogen-infused cushioning, I had flexibility underfoot without sacrificing control. This makes these shoes a great all-rounder for a variety of terrains and distances.

Read my full review of the Brooks Cascadia 19 trail running shoes here

Best trail shoes for running abroad

I travel a lot, and whether I'm going on a city break or a beach holiday, I always want the option of going for a walk or run, even when I have no idea what type of trails I might encounter. The Merrell Morphlite shoes are built for both tarmac and soft trail, so they take a lot of the guesswork out of packing, and they come everywhere with me.

I've worn these shoes everywhere from the paved lakeside trails of Copenhagen to Scottish beaches, and they're the most versatile shoe I own. They're extremely light and airy, so they're comfortable during the summer months and in hotter climates. They're also comfortable for walking and as an everyday trainer.

These trail shoes are great for anyone looking for out-of-the-box comfort in a shoe, with a fairly wide fit and a deep footbed. I found these features, and the good 3mm lugs kept me stable on uneven tracks - especially ones that were sandy or packed dirt. The only real issue with them is that the outsole leaves the midsole exposed, which keeps the lightweight design but means they may not be as long-lasting as others.

Read my full review of the Merrell Morphlite trail running shoes here

Best carbon plate trail shoes

Running on trails is slower than on the road, but there are ways to increase your speed - a carbon plate is one of them. It might help you out by creating a stiffer sole to propel you along. The Saucony Endorphin Edge is the best trail running shoe I've tested that has a carbon plate sandwiched into the foam midsole to help you pick up the pace.

Despite that stiffness, I found this shoe to still be one of the most comfortable I've tested, even straight out of the box. It has enough cushioning to absorb lumps and bumps, but not so much that they feel unstable.

They have great traction thanks to the chevron-shaped lugs, which are thankfully widely spaced to prevent excess mud from accumulating between them, and a secure fit, too, so I felt I could move quickly and safely. These are the shoes I recommend for anyone who wants to get on the trail this summer without sacrificing speed. I also love the bright pink colourway option.

Read my full review of the Saucony Endorphin Edge trail running shoes here

Best trail shoes for wide feet

As a keen hiker, I regularly find myself in a pair of walking shoes, so I'm familiar with the Keen brand. This is the very first pair of trail running shoes it has created, and I was impressed out of the box. The Keen Seek is a comfortable all-rounder that can handle a variety of trail surfaces quite capably and still double as a daily trainer.

Out of the shoes in this guide, this is one of the best if you have wide feet, but the integrated sock construction means it's snug on all but the narrowest feet. The stretchy liner keeps your foot from slipping around, and the roomy toe box feels great.

I personally found these trainers took a little breaking in, but I suspect that's down to my high arches. After a few wears, I was happy with the padding, grip and fit of these shoes. They're not made for very muddy conditions, but they're good if you only want one running and hiking shoe, and I found I could go quite far in them without my feet grumbling.

Read my full review of the Keen Seek trail running shoe here

Best multi-terrain running shoes

Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh spent a weekend in nothing but these shoes and her kit, moving on both road and trails across Sussex. While she says they won't be a top choice for those wanting a versatile shoe for walking and running (that prize goes to the Hoka Speedgoat 7 or the Merrell Morphlite), they are ideal for multi-terrain running.

"These trail shoes don't have a very thick sole, which meant I could really feel the ground underneath my feet as I ran. This made a big difference to my feeling of stability on slightly more uneven trails, but my hips and knees didn't suffer for the benefit," she says.

They are also firmer than most other running trainers, she says, so they offer some toe protection on the downhill. However, the design does taper in, so they aren't a good choice for those with wider feet. The rocker design means they are one of the better choices for those looking to pick up the pace, however.

Read Grace's full review of the Columbia Konos trail running shoes here

Best trail running sandals

You might hear sandals and think 'not for running, surely?', but there shouldn't be anything controversial about these trail running shoes. They take the concept of breathability to a whole new level, making them a great choice for summer running.

The Aventrails combine Teva's W strap system, which offers three points of adjustability using hook-and-loop fastenings, with a stretchy knit bootie. The result is that none of the straps touched my skin, and I enjoyed a surprisingly snug fit as my foot didn't move much.

I definitely got some surprised looks when I wore these, but they are more than just a gimmick. With a super-high stack of foam, they're really plush-feeling underfoot, and of course, they're the best running shoes I own for hot weather.

My only gripe is that when I wore them for a long time, they started to rub at my pinkie toe a little, but for casual summer runs and walks that might involve some water crossings or end at a beach, I love throwing these fun shoes on. They also make for a good pair of hiking sandals.

Read my full review of the Teva Aventrail trail running sandals here

Best lightweight trail running shoes

Merrell has long been synonymous with walking shoes, but since breaking onto the trail running scene a few years back, I've been continuously impressed. The MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx shoes are by far my favourite Merrell trail shoes (even surpassing my love for the Merrell Morphlite), and I will sorely miss them when I finally wear them out.

I gave these shoes their first proper test on a trail running and hiking trip to Gran Canaria, where I found them to be the perfect match for warm weather, arid terrain, and steep, rocky trails. They're my lightest trail shoes, but really tough due to the Matryx fabric used in the uppers. The soles are really flexible and thinner than modern standards, but that allows me to get a better feel for the trail, and they still provide more than enough protection for my feet.

Most notably, they seem to grip to just about any type of trail, so I can move faster, if I want to, with confidence. They're built with a more seasoned runner in mind, but after two summers, I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a light, airy and highly capable shoe.

Read my full review of the Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 trail running shoes here

The best trail running shoes for walking and running

If you're new to trail running, you might not want to throw all your money into a pair of trail-only shoes. Equally, you may want a versatile pair that you can hike in one day and run in the next. After wearing these shoes for a few weeks through the fells in the Lake District and across muddy, uneven trails in Greater London's parks, Grace says these are the pick of the bunch for this - and I agree.

She says: "These grippy trainers have thick lugs on the sole, springy support, and supremely comfortable cushioning. They are a rare find in the sea of walking shoes, being light enough to move quickly in and supportive enough for longer plods."

The stability is the jewel in the crown that makes them ideal for running and walking, however. She says: "With every step, my ankles felt secure, but the slight rocker in the design meant I could still spring from one foot to the next and pick up the pace. Although they won't be as speedy as the Columbia Konos running shoe, they feel so secure, I'd always pick them as my first choice."

Read my full review of the Hoka Speedgoat 7 trail running shoes here

Testing the best women's trail running shoes

How I tested

As a trail runner, I run anywhere from 15 - 25k per week, testing out the latest trail running shoes. Though I'm most often found on the forest and mountain trails of the UK, I love to explore different trails when I'm travelling. Over the last couple of years, I've run sections of the famous UTMB course around Mont Blanc, parts of the Transgrancanaria trail and completed a 40k hut-to-hut trail running adventure in the Swiss Alps.

Also contributing to this guide is woman&home's digital health editor, Grace Walsh, who has completed three half-marathons on trail terrain and frequently visits the Peak District and Lake District to go running and hiking.

Together, we've negotiated mud, gravel, grass, rock, steep and flats, and it's all helped me create this guide to the best women's trail running shoes.

Here is the criteria I used during testing:

• Comfort: The true measure of a trail running shoe's success is whether you can wear it for hours on end and sometimes multiple days in a row, so I made sure to test each pair of shoes multiple times over at least a few weeks in real outdoor conditions.
• Grip: When you get off-road, traction is vital so you don't end up sliding downhill, and I've tested these shoes in a variety of conditions, including mud, grass and gravel to assess their capabilities.
• Protection and padding: Running on rough trails can mean lots of opportunities to stub your toes, so I looked for shoes with some reinforcements in the uppers and a sturdy enough sole to protect the bottoms of my feet, too.
• Versatility: If I'm going to shell out for a good pair of trail running shoes, I like them to be versatile enough for different types of trails and work for hiking as well as running, so I've chosen styles that are suitable for more than one season and can handle different surfaces, as much as possible.

How to choose the best women's trail running shoes for you

• Know where you'll be running: Think about the type of terrain you usually take on. Is it wet or muddy? If you’ll be sloshing through streams or lots of mud, keep an eye out for deeper lugs for traction (at least 4 mm) and upper materials that drain easily and dry quickly, like the Matryx. You may want to check whether the shoe comes in a waterproof version (note that you'll lose some breathability here, and I prefer waterproof socks). For rockier trails, a rock plate can help protect the soles of your feet, and reinforced uppers are a must.
• Consider distance: It's important to think about how far your longest run is likely to be. If you plan to cover vast distances, you'll most likely want a bit more cushioning, whereas for shorter runs, you can afford to lose some stack and enjoy the trail sensation underfoot.
• Think about seasonality: A lot of the very best trail running shoes should be wearable year-round, but if you want to run through a cold and snowy winter, a more robust upper is key and for very warm weather, consider light, breathable shoes where you can see the light through the pores. Running through the wetter and icier months definitely calls for deeper lugs for traction.
• Understand profile: A big difference between road and trail shoes is often the size of the drop between heel and toe. For extra stability on tricky trails, off-road shoes tend to have less drop (often 6 mm or less). This is thought to allow for a more natural gait, but you might find you prefer a higher drop, especially if you tend to run on rolling, hard-packed trail, and if so, look for a heel-to-toe drop of at least 8 mm.
• Revisit brands: The best running shoe brands are always working with the latest technology to revise existing models, and often serve a particular corner of the market. Brooks is known for comfort, Hoka for big, bouncy shoes and Merrell for wide toe boxes. If there's a brand or style that's really worked for you in the past, it's probably a good bet for your next pair of running shoes.
• Choose a versatile shoe: Unless you're training for a really specific race or goal where you might want something very technical like a carbon plate shoe, the more versatile the better. An all-rounder shoe can be your go-to for hiking, casual jogs and long trail runs.

After three years, Fitbit has finally released another device - and the Fitbit Air has certainly been worth the wait. This device works a little differently from the best Fitbits that have come before, losing the screen in favour of the new Google Health app (that iPhone users can also download) with a complete suite of health and fitness tracking features.

I've been testing the best fitness trackers for five years, and have had my hands on everything from the latest Oura Ring to the brand new Garmin Forerunner 170. While these are among my favourites, the Fitbit Air does something unique: it combines your health data with a path forward, and it does it for under £85, with no subscription.

Whether you're a dedicated hiker and gym-goer or just want to get fitter with more steps and better sleep in 2026, I'd recommend the Fitbit Air.

Google Fitbit Air review

Specifications

• Size: One size, 130-210 mm around
• Weight: 12g with band
• Display: None
• Material: Recycled polycarbonate and plastic with textile band, stainless steel buckle
• Battery life: 7 days
• Waterproof: Up to 50m

What is the Fitbit Air like to wear?

If you're familiar with the Whoop band, one of the first screenless devices, then you'll know this design. In the textile strap, you'll find the hub of the Fitbit Air - a bean-shaped tracker that sits flush against the wrist and monitors your heart rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen.

If you're not, then welcome to the new world of notification-free, screenless fitness trackers. Instead of viewing your steps, sleep, and other data on your wrist, you'll find it all in the new Google Health app, which you'll need to download from your phone's app store.

The textile strap (interchangeable with silicone options from Google's online store) is fully adjustable and loops around the wrist, securing with a velcro tab. I found it slightly itchy on the first day I wore it, but this feeling was gone by the third, and after that, I completely forgot it was there.

While it's not as discreet as other faceless trackers (like a smart ring, for example), it would easily be missed in casual settings if you opted for the discreet black colourway. Only those 'in the know' would know. The stainless steel buckle is a nice touch that adds a premium feel to this otherwise very budget-friendly device.

What is the Fitbit Air like to use?

I wore the Fitbit Air for 10 days before finalising my review. This gave the watch enough time to fully calibrate my Readiness Score (a gauge of your body's recovery that tells you how much effort you should put into exercise on a given day) and get used to my body, so by the end of the testing period, all my data was correct. Even the step count got more accurate as time went on.

In the Google Health app, you'll find all the data you'd normally have on your screen, including your step count for the day so far, sleep metrics, live heart rate, and calories burned so far, and more. Distance covered and days spent exercising this week are now also on the homepage's main tab, and you can log how much water you've drunk, keep an eye on your weight (if that's a priority), and set up cycle tracking.

Instead of having to tap through to your workout and manually start it, the Fitbit Air automatically picks up the exercise you're doing and logs it as an activity. This is one of my favourite features on all Fitbits, but I found it's especially accurate on this device.

All your workouts are viewable in the 'Fitness' tab at the bottom, right next to your detailed sleep and overall health data tabs.

I'd say the pivot in design makes this Fitbit the easiest to use of the bunch. There's no tapping, scrolling, or swiping needed to use this watch. You can just leave it on your wrist, and it does all the work for you - refreshing. I also appreciated the loss of on-wrist notifications. While some people won't like this, the freedom to simply live my life undisturbed by my fitness tracker, while still having all that data to hand, was joyous.

Why is the Fitbit Air so good for beginners?

The shining star of the Fitbit Air is the integration with Google's Gemini AI. This is where beginners will really get the most for their money, but even if you're a seasoned fitness enthusiast, you'll see huge benefits - I certainly did.

When you log into the app and link up your Fitbit Air, you'll be led through the start-up process, where you'll tell the platform what your goals are, how much exercise you do at the moment, and any limiting factors you have. From here, you'll get a weekly exercise plan you can follow, and Gemini will follow it with you, giving you detailed insights into every workout and updates throughout the day on your recovery.

Speaking to those new to exercise, as I often do in my job, and remembering what it was like myself, I know how hard it can be to get started. Simply knowing where to start is the hardest part, and the Fitbit Air takes away this problem completely. You'll get genuinely useful insights with practical steps to take forward, instead of a dump of data that's hard to know what to do with.

If you invest in Google Health Premium (£7.50 per month) then you'll also be able to access a bank of workouts to follow, including walking, running, and cycling workouts from Peloton, at no further cost.

Everyone who buys a Fitbit Air gets three months of Google Health Premium for free on sign-up - just be sure to cancel this before it charges you, if you want to. For the cost, however, I'd say it's well worth the investment if you're looking to make serious changes to your health.

Sleep tracking on the Fitbit Air

In the morning, Gemini will give you an overview of your sleep, highlighting positive areas and points for improvement. Instead of having to dig into the data yourself, it's all there, laid out in sentences on the homepage every morning.

It's so refreshing to have everything there on the screen, with the option to dive into the data if you want to.

All you have to do is wear the Fitbit Air to bed. I've tested and had trouble wearing other Fitbits, like the Versa 4, to bed as the bright screen randomly turned on in the middle of the night, waking me up. With this screenless device, you don't have that problem. I also found the thin band significantly more comfortable than most other fitness trackers I've tried.

What are the new health features on the Fitbit Air?

The 'Health' page on the Google Health app has been completely redesigned, offering five vitals at a glance, to help you keep an eye on your health. Gemini is not a doctor, so this is where the AI functionality bows out, but you'll be able to see whether it's in your personal range after wearing the device for a few days.

These vitals are your breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature variation. Together, they can tell you a lot about your health, from the chances of getting ill in the next few days to potential heart issues.

You can then take this information to your doctor, who may find it useful to get a gauge of your symptoms over the past few weeks or months.

This tab also acts as your personal data pocket. You can store your medical records here and data on your allergies, conditions, and other history that a health professional (should they need to in an emergency) can access.

Are there any downsides to this watch?

Naturally, if you are someone who likes to use your fitness tracker as a watch as much as a health data sensor, then the Fitbit Air won't be for you. Equally, if you just want the basics without extra information (maybe because you already know what the metrics mean), then you could benefit from the Fitbit Inspire 3, which is the same price.

To make the most use of the data, you'll want to continue paying for Google Health's Premium subscription. At £7.50 per month, it's a consideration. But, of all the workout apps you could invest in, this is hands-down the best value for money. Along with all the extra health and fitness insights, you'll get access to a bank of workouts (a Peloton app subscription is at least £12.99), sleep meditations and music.

Missing from the app, however, are recipes. On the original Fitbit Premium app, there were a handful of tasty recipes you could follow, with all the calories and macronutrients already tracked. If you were looking to eat healthier or lose weight, this was a huge feature. It's the only downside I found of using this device, but it's about the Google Health platform, rather than the Fitbit Air itself.

Finally, even though the Fitbit Air takes your data into account when recommending workouts and lifestyle changes, it's not a person. It's AI, which, famously, can make mistakes. So, it's always important to listen to your body and if something doesn't feel right for you, don't do it.

Is the Fitbit Air worth buying?

When I first saw that Google was releasing a new Fitbit, I was so excited. Combining all the elements of this fitness tracker with the powerhouse technology of Google was always going to produce something good (and I've seen it already in the Google Pixel 4 and Fitbit Charge 6), but the Fitbit Air is the very best of the bunch.

To call it a fitness tracker is almost an insult as its complete suite of health monitoring features makes it a true wellbeing companion, suitable for everyone from those trying exercise for the first time through to enthusiasts looking to optimise their routine for the better. As the AI is trained to work with your data, it doesn't matter your starting point. All of this, for under £85 upfront, is unheard of.

If you already work out at home, you'll know the benefit of convenience when it comes to improving your fitness, but it's truly one of the underrated essentials. To get fitter, you have to be consistent, and few of us are likely to go out of our way to exercise. It's why a simple 10-minute indoor cycling workout works so well.

Compared to a treadmill, doing a cycling workout on a stationary bike puts less impact on the joints while offering strength and cardio benefits. It also takes up less space in your home, which is always an advantage.

10 minutes of cycling may not feel like a lot. Yet, if you do it after your strength training workout or alongside other cardio (like walking during the day), you're on your way to meeting the NHS's weekly recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate exercise.

"A cycling finisher can deliver real benefits, from improved fitness and conditioning to supporting fat loss and recovery," agrees Liam Hogan, a performance coach and the head of fitness at Veyr. "Short, focused cardio can be incredibly effective when programmed properly, but the key is using cardio to enhance your session, not leave you exhausted and struggling to recover."

Benefits of 10 minute cycling workouts

1. Improves fitness

Whether your goal is to get up the stairs without feeling out of breath or run your first 5km, simply cycling for 10 minutes a day can improve your cardiovascular fitness and endurance - provided you go at a good pace.

Cycling can improve your VO2 max, which is the body's ability to supply oxygen to the muscles. The higher your max, the better your lung capacity will be, so you can keep moving.

Studies suggest that a few weeks of intense 10-minute (sprint interval) sessions can improve your VO2 max equally as well as longer cardio sessions.

2. May improve heart health

"Cycling is one of the best post-workout cardio options because it gives you cardiovascular benefits without the same recovery dem ands as running," says Liam.

What's more, if you can squeeze in a few extra minutes, you could live longer. A study by Rotterdam's University Medical Centre found that cycling 13 minutes every day was linked to a 28% risk of early mortality compared to those who did no cycling at all.

3. Boosts energy and concentration

Struggling to concentrate at work? Jump on your bike. Research published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology found that healthcare workers benefited cognitively from short 10-minute bursts of exercise.

It improved their selective attention and executive functions, helping them make better decisions and boost their attention span.

4. Low impact

There are only a few low-impact cardio activities that tick all the boxes for building strength and cardiovascular fitness. Swimming is the main one, and cycling is the other.

As great as running workouts or walking longer distances is for our health, it's not suitable for everyone.

"Compared to running, cycling is generally kinder on the body, especially after lower-body training," says Liam. "Running creates more impact and muscle fatigue, while cycling allows you to elevate your heart rate without adding as much stress to the joints and muscles."

5. Quicker recovery after the workout

When you're busy, the last thing you want is muscle soreness after your workout. As cycling is lower impact than activities like running, you're less likely to have this - especially when combined with any strength training sessions.

"One of the biggest benefits of adding short cardio finishers is improved work capacity. Better conditioning can help you recover faster between sets, improve energy levels during training, and make workouts feel more manageable over time," says Liam.

"If your focus is strength, shaping muscle, or balancing training with a busy lifestyle, cycling is often the more sustainable option. Intensity matters more than duration," he says.

A 10-minute indoor cycling workout to try

• Minute 1: Easy warm-up pace (you should be able to hold a conversation and chat easily)
• Minute 2: Hard effort (this should be difficult, where conversation is hard to maintain)
• Minute 3: Recovery pace
• Minute 4: Hard effort
• Minute 5: Recovery pace
• Minute 6: Hard effort
• Minute 7: Recovery pace
• Minute 8: Hard effort
• Minute 9: Recovery pace
• Minute 10: Final push
• Cool down: Slow your legs for a minute, winding gently down, instead of coming to an immediate stop.

The coach's tip: "Aim for an intensity that feels challenging but sustainable, leaving you energised, not completely wiped out," says Liam.

Is 10 minutes of cycling enough?

The NHS advises 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise every week. If you cycle fast enough that you'd struggle to maintain a conversation, and you do 10 minutes on six days a week and 15 minutes on the seventh day, you'll meet this vigorous-exercise threshold.

Cycling at moderate intensity is moving slowly enough to hold a conversation, but you wouldn't be able to sing. You'll need to pair your 10 minutes of cycling with a walking workout or a swimming session to reach 150 minutes.

If you are cycling on the same day as your strength training session, Liam suggests doing cardio after weights. "If your goal is building strength, muscle tone, or improving body composition, cycling is usually best done after weights. Strength training requires the most energy and focus, so doing cardio first can reduce lifting performance and overall workout quality," he says.

Heel touches are one of those exercises you look at and either think, 'is that it?' or 'that looks nice and easy!', depending on how much you enjoy core exercises. For those who'd rather avoid planks and crunches, this movement makes for a good alternative - and it can be done lying down.

This exercise targets the obliques, muscles that sit on the sides of our core and help stabilise the spine and support hip strength. Often underworked and underrated, these muscles are essential for everyday movements like bending down and twisting, which in turn may help prevent lower back pain.

Abby McLachlan, personal trainer and founder of East of Eden, recommends heel touches to clients to target the obliques in her workouts. It's "not the most challenging" core exercise, she tells woman&home, but "if you keep your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor in spinal flexion, you'll definitely feel it in your abs and obliques".

How to do heel touches

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Raise your shoulders slightly off the mat and keep your neck neutral.
• Keep your lower back flat on the floor.
• Alternately reach forwards to touch your heels with your hand stretched out flat.
• Exhale when touching your heels and inhale when coming back.
• A top tip is to do these slowly and try not to swing from side-to-side.

If you’re new to heel touches, Abby says they can be “easily modified, or progressed to make it more challenging”. You might not be able to touch your heels at first, but as your spine becomes more mobile, you will see improvements.

“Your pelvis will naturally tuck slightly as you bring the head, neck and shoulders up, but just try to move with control, keeping the pelvis stable,” she says.

How to make heel touches harder

If you've been doing a bodyweight Pilates workout for even a few weeks, you'll already have good strength in your obliques and abdominal muscles. You may need to make the heel touches harder to see the benefits.

To do this, Abby says: “You could take your feet off the floor into tabletop, which will make pelvic stability more challenging, or lengthen the legs on the diagonal to create more of a challenge, or even add hand weights to increase the load.”

You could also move your heels further away from your bottom to increase the stretch, or hold each touch for two seconds.

While above we’ve suggested alternating sides for the touches, you could do all of your reps on one side before switching to the other. This will intensify the pressure on your obliques. Abby suggests aiming for 15-25 reps over three or four sets to “make it count”.

Adding in additional core exercises that complement heel touches can fire up these muscles even more. Dead bugs and the side plank are good options for targeting the obliques.

Benefits of heel touches

• No equipment required: You might want a thick yoga mat to lie down on if you don't have one already, but you don't need any equipment to do heel touches.
• May help prevent lower back pain: As this exercise strengthens the stabilising muscles in the trunk, including around the spine and pelvis, you might find you have a lower risk of back pain.
• Boosts spinal mobility: Whether you do strength work in the gym or you're a keen hiker, if you spend a lot of the day sitting down, you may benefit from better spinal mobility. This helps with bending down and other functional movements.
• Improves core strength: Having a stronger core has been shown to improve balance and coordination as we age, lowering our risk of falls and other injuries.
• Aids posture: Back muscles are essentially scaffolding for the spine, so having strong ones created by back exercises like heel touches helps maintain a neutral spinal position when walking and sitting down, and pulls the shoulders back, improving posture.

Despite prioritising her health with plenty of sleep, Trinny Woodall says she still sometimes wakes up feeling "sluggish" in the morning. But like us, she knows that exercise is one way to shake off the feeling and energise first thing.

Recently, she took to Instagram to share a quick 10-minute workout, which she says "can completely shift your energy for the rest of the day". “You know when you just don’t have time to do anything, but you feel ‘I’d like to do something to wake up my body," she says.

It's in times like these that she uses her vibration plate. "When a full workout just isn't on the cards, this is my go-to 10-minute routine. I’m using a vibrating plate and a pair of light weights and focusing on simple, intentional movements. Wonderful for getting one’s blood going and shaking off morning sluggishness.”

You may remember these devices from days gone by, but like all trends, vibration plates come back into fitness fashion. Looking at these with 2026 vision, do they actually work? And what do vibration plates do?

What does a vibration plate do?

Vibration plates are designed to force all your muscles to contract quickly and simultaneously when you're standing, sitting, or exercising on the plate. As you're shaking, your muscles have to work harder to stabilise your body.

While research on the effectiveness of these plates is limited, the belief is that they increase the number of calories you burn, improve circulation (which in turn helps your muscles recover faster), and boost bone density.

They aren’t weight loss devices - you're not going to lose fat simply by standing on one. However, they may make regular exercises like squats and lunges harder without adding additional weight or repetitions. This increases the amount of energy your body uses to complete the movement. The more energy your body uses, the more calories you burn.

As for bone density, PT and founder of Ladies Who Crunch, Nancy Best, says that using one of these devices "has been shown to improve bone density, so it can be a great way to counteract the musculoskeletal impact of ageing".

As the muscle contracts, it pulls on the bones. These tiny pulls trigger the body to produce osteoblasts (bone-building cells), which build more bone tissue.

She says: "As our bones become more brittle, lower-impact forms of exercise are important. The vibrations on the machine might feel intense, but they are totally safe for this stage of life."

A study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine also found that whole-body vibration had more of a positive impact on pain and physical strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis than strengthening exercises alone.

Trinny's 10-minute vibration plate workout

• Calf raises: Standing on the plate, push up quickly onto your toes and then lower back down slowly.
• Arm raises: You can also do these without weights, too. Trinny suggests doing 12 reps and keeping your eyes “focused on something ahead of you”.
• Bicep curl to shoulder press: With her feet flat on the plate this time, she raises the weights up to chest height, then out to the sides and up above her head into a shoulder press with her heels raised. She suggests doing 12 of these, too.
• Y to T exercises: These are done bent over, with a straight back, and arms raised out in front in a ‘Y’ shape and then to the side in a ‘T’. Trinny advises doing 10 of these, while standing on the vibration plate.

A simple stretching routine like this, even just for five minutes in the morning, can make such a difference to your day. Alongside a regular yoga workout, you'll see benefits like less stiffness and tension first thing in the morning, especially so if you do yoga for strength training, as well as the relaxing practices.

"It's one of the few forms of movement where you are encouraged to listen inward and not compete," says yoga instructor Paula Richardson. At 58, she says that this type of movement is a "huge relief".

"Learning self-care and protecting your peace is essential," she says, and it starts with a little movement every day. "Midlife and beyond is when your body starts asking for a different conversation, and yoga helps with the big three most women tell me they want – mobility, strength, and a sense of inner calm. It gives you a way to shift your state quickly. The breath and slower movement tell the nervous system you’re safe, and when you feel safer, everything improves: sleep, mood, patience, resilience – even confidence."

5-minute morning stretching routine

Gentle back release

A gentle back release first thing in the morning is "the reset your lower back is begging for", says Paula.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie on your back and hug your knees in.
• Rock gently from side to side across your lower back. Breathe. Let the floor do the work.
• Do this for 30 seconds. No yoga mat is required – do it on a carpet or a rug.

Floor-based spinal twist

A floor-based spinal twist "releases tension in your spine, hips, and lower back", three areas that are tightened by hours sitting down, certain types of repetitive exercise (like walking workouts), and even stress.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.
• Let both your knees drop slowly to one side and look to the other side.
• Keep your shoulders grounded and breathe. Do this nightly to release your lower back and tell your nervous system it’s time to stop.

Standing spinal twist

This stretch not only releases tension in the lower back, Paula says, but it "stimulates digestion and circulation", so it's ideal to do before breakfast.

Here's how to do it:

• Put your back against a wall, feet planted on the floor.
• Rotate your torso and place both hands on the wall behind you. Hold.
• Repeat on the other side.

Is 5 minutes of stretching every day enough?

Yes, a 5-minute morning stretching routine is enough to see short-term benefits. As well as easing stiffness after waking up, you'll increase circulation and oxygen delivery throughout the body, boosting energy and concentration for the morning at least.

However, if you're looking for a longer routine with mobility exercises to boost your flexibility in the longer term, then Paula also recommends adding in the following "little and often":

• Cat-Cow: This spine-mobilising stretch is done on the floor, so ideal to add to the short routine above.
• Gentle forward fold: Done standing, this movement is great "for hamstrings and the back of the body", she says.
• Legs up the wall: It sounds simple but "this is an instant nervous system reset", says Paula. "A low effort, high reward posture."

Mixing up my workouts to include some cardio and strength training keeps me motivated. know they're both important types of exercise, so doing them together keeps me from doing one more often than the other.

However, it wasn't until recently that I thought about the order in which I do my strength training and stints on the indoor bike. Should I do my cardio before or after weights? A 12-week study, published in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, examined how exercise sessions done one after the other affected body composition, physical activity levels, fat loss, and muscular strength.

Participants were divided into three groups: weights first, then cardio; cardio first, then weights; and a control group who did no exercise. The results showed that both groups who did exercise saw improvements in their physical activity levels, body composition, bone density, and muscle strength. However, one had the edge.

Is it better to do cardio before or after weights?

The group that did weight training followed by cardio showed the most "remarkable progress" in the study. They saw reductions in fat mass, increases in fitness markers like explosive strength, and they exercised more often.

The study looked at men between 18 and 30 years old, and not very many of them, so we can't take the researcher's word that this will work for everyone. However, it is a clear sign that lifting weights before a bike or treadmill workout could be the way to get stronger and maintain muscle with fewer limits.

Another study, this time from The College of New Jersey, found similar results to this one. The participants in this one included 21 women. The study concluded that doing "higher-intensity resistance exercise first" improves fat utilisation and energy expenditure during cardio, meaning it's more beneficial for weight loss.

However, the real reason why it's better to do weights first, then cardio, is even simpler than this. If you work hard on the treadmill first, you'll have less energy for your weights session. Your muscles will already be tired, and you won't be able to lift weights as heavy or for as many repetitions, slowing your progress.

A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research supports this idea. In this study, researchers found anaerobic exercise (short, intense bursts of activity) before strength training "impairs" the weights session by limiting endurance.

Do I need to do cardio and strength training?

To stay healthy, the NHS recommends adults do strength training at least two days a week, alongside 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise.

The guidelines also suggest spreading this exercise across four or five days, or exercising every day.

So, there's no need to choose between cardio vs weights. Both workouts also have unique benefits. Cardio is great for boosting cardiovascular health, maintaining mental health, improving sleep quality, and lowering blood sugar levels. Even just walking 30 minutes a day can have a hugely positive impact.

Weight training also has similar benefits, but is especially good for women approaching menopause, when the decrease in oestrogen puts us at a higher risk of osteoporosis. Lifting weights can increase bone density and muscle mass, which helps to avoid conditions like osteoporosis and sarcopenia later in life.

How much cardio should I do after lifting weights?

If you do 30 minutes of moderate cardio five days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise four days a week, this meets the requirement. You can do this indoors or outside, on separate days from your weight session or after you've finished.

Moderate exercise includes walking workouts, cycling, and swimming, but also continuous gardening or climbing stairs at home. Vigorous exercise is running, faster cycling workouts (i.e. spinning workouts), and HIIT workouts.

That being said, any cardio is better than none at all. If you can manage 20 minutes a few times a week, start with that and work up.

There is another way to reap the benefits of cardio, though, without sacrificing time in the gym or risking muscle fatigue. This tip comes from Emily Servante, a personal trainer at Ultimate Performance.

She says: "If you’re weight training three times a week, my recommendations would be to try and hit a daily average of 10,000 steps a day. This will increase your daily calorie burn but is also very low in intensity, so it will not affect your recovery times."

Lying down exercise might make you think of Pilates or yoga workouts, but you can also do some types of strength training from the comfort of your yoga mat or living room floor - believe it or not.

Dr Zoe Williams is an NHS GP and well aware of how time-strapped women are, which is why she is keen to highlight the importance of easy, approachable exercise. It doesn't beat a good gym session or a daily walking workout, but even a short set of core exercises on the ground is better than nothing.

The doctor appeared on ITV's This Morning with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. She says, these exercises "obviously aren’t going to give you the same benefits as high intensity exercise”, but you’ll still notice the difference if you do them regularly.

You can do the exercises from the comfort of your living room, making them suitable for a quick 10-minute Pilates-style workout or simply something to do during the advert breaks while you're watching television.

With two willing participants in Cat and Ben, Dr Zoe showed This Morning’s viewers her favourite lying down exercises.

1. Heel roll-outs

Dr Zoe says the key to heel roll-outs is keeping your lower back pressed into the ground, doing them very slowly, and keeping your core engaged.

“Lie on your back, relax your head down and you’re going to tense those core muscles deep inside," says the doctor. "Once you’ve got hold of them, don’t tense them hard, about 30%."

Here's how to do it:

• Lie on your yoga mat, back and hips pressed into the floor.
• Tense your core - as if you're trying to stop yourself from "doing a wee or a poo".
• Slowly, extend one leg out straight. Focus on the control, not the speed.
• Bring it back in and switch legs.
• Try it for 8 to 10 repetitions on each leg, for 3 sets.

2. Hip tilt

The hip tilt exercise is one you might be familiar with if you do Pilates workouts at home. You need to keep your core and pelvic floor muscles engaged before curling your lower back off the ground and raising your hips.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie flat on your back, bring your knees towards your chest, and put your feet flat on the floor.
• Hold the same core position, bringing your muscles into full control, as if to stop yourself from going to the bathroom.
• Curl your back slowly up and off the ground into a glute bridge.
• Hold the position for a few seconds before lowering back down slowly.
• Try doing 10 reps for 3 sets.

3. Rock, paper, scissors

This isn’t an exercise we’ve come across before but it’s one Dr Zoe describes as “playing rock, paper, scissors with your toes”. It’s used by physios with the aim to relieve stiff feet.

It’s easy to forget about this important part of the body when we’re exercising, but our foot health is just as important as anything else. If our feet are sore or limited in mobility, it’s going to impact us when we run, lift weights or just go about our daily lives.

Here's how to do it:

• Lying down on your back, clench your toes, bringing them down towards the underside of your foot as much as you can. This is the 'rock'.
• Straighten your toes, pushing them up to the original position and stretching them towards the ceiling as much as possible. This is the 'paper'.
• For the scissors, Dr Zoe says to move your big toe around as much as possible.
• Repeat the movements for a minute.

Other lying-down exercises you could try include straight-leg raises and hip and quadricep exercises.

Lying-down exercises are a great start, but you’ll also need to incorporate some moderate- to high-intensity exercise into your week. “If you go for a 10-minute brisk walk every day, that can reduce your risk of early death by 15%,” she says.

Cat adds: “And that’s nothing – 10 minutes, that’s easy.” And Dr Zoe explains: “If you do four minutes of high intensity interval training, that can reduce your risk of death from cancer, from heart disease and from all causes by 40%.” This could be running, jogging, dancing or fast cycling.

With age and menopause, and without action to prevent it, our bone density declines by up to 20% after 50. This action needs to be higher intensity than even your daily walk or yoga workout.

"I'm a massive fan of jumping and so are others, it seems," Paula Richardson, 58, a yoga instructor and meditation teacher, tells woman&home. "I filmed a video of a jumping workout with six of my incredible students in the 60s and 70s, and it has over 1 million views."

She says it "creates the impact your bones need to stay strong", so it's one of the simplest ways to improve your bone density and stay active for longer.

Benefits of jumping

1. Helps prevents falls

We all become more susceptible to falling with age, with one in four older adults reporting an incident every year.

"Jumping trains the fast-twitch muscle fibres that catch you when you trip," says Paula. According to a recent study, this makes all the difference. Jumping is a type of plyometric training, and the researchers found that this exercise reduced the risk of falls in older adults by improving their reaction time and balance.

2. Improves brain health

Impact exercise, such as jumping, increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of brain cells. In turn, this can help you take care of your brain.

Research published in L'Encéphale links it to better memory and a lower risk of dementia, with other studies showing that even five minutes a day can make a difference.

3. Improves lower body and core strength

When we jump, we push a lot of force through our lower-body muscles very quickly. This can help build strength in the quadriceps (thighs), glutes (buttcocks), hamstrings (back of thigh), calves, and core, like any other strength training workout.

Much like how improving bone density lowers the risk of osteoporosis (bone loss), improving strength can build muscle mass, which also declines in menopause, and can lead to sarcopenia (muscle loss).

4. Boosts lymphatic drainage

"Your lymphatic system has no pump. It relies on movement," says Paula. "Bouncing flushes toxins, reduces inflammation, and boosts immunity."

The lymphatic system helps drain the body's excess fluid, produce and release white blood cells, and absorb certain vitamins from the digestive system.

5. Improves mood and energy

I dare you to do 10 jumps and not feel better by the end. Even just the novelty of doing something so childlike can boost mental wellbeing, but studies show that 60 seconds of bouncing triggers endorphin release.

Jumping and yoga have this in common, says the instructor. "Yoga supports joints, posture, balance, sleep and stress levels, and it gives you a way to stay connected to your body as it changes. It is not about getting your leg behind your head. It is about enjoying an active life, staying independent, and continuing to do the things you love."

How much jumping should you do every day?

Women in perimenopause or who have been through menopause only need to do about 10 to 20 jumps a day to increase hip bone density, research suggests. These don't need to be big jumps - little jumps with soft knees are enough.

If you're new to exercise, and to jumping in particular, you might like to try a trampoline workout. This will still impact your muscles and bones, but with less pressure on your joints.

A while ago, the trend of doing '50 jumps a day' went viral on TikTok, with women reporting a myriad of benefits after doing it for 30 days straight. This is a good goal to aim for, spread out throughout the day, but start with 20 if you're new to jumping and work your way up.

When my mum, aged 75, said she wanted to do the London Marathon this year, I didn’t quite know what to say. Her first attempt in 2023 ended at mile 17 when painful cramps stopped her from finishing. Soon after, she was diagnosed with blood cancer.

A marathon is 26.2 miles (42.2 km) and hard enough for someone fit and healthy, but my mum was determined to come back to complete her unfinished business with the distance, even after her diagnosis.

As a keen runner myself, although never particularly drawn to marathons, I knew this would be a huge challenge. But if this was her dream, then I was going to stand beside her and help her get there. We signed up through my community group, Asian Women Run, and almost immediately, the doubt crept in. As runners, we are constantly surrounded by conversations about PBs, pace and finish times. I caught myself wondering, 'will I get a good time?' But then I realised, this marathon was never about me.

I decided we weren’t going to race. We were going to “Jeff” it, a mix of running and walking. If we walked most of it, that was absolutely fine. The goal was simple: finish together.

Training went well. We built up to 18 miles (30km), despite mum being unwell for a week of training. Then, before we knew it, marathon day had arrived.

The lead-up to a marathon is intense, but the morning itself feels even harder. We woke up early, pulled on our running shoes, and walked over a mile to the start line, battling nerves and upset stomachs. We reached the Pink Start, Wave 10, due to begin at 10:38 am. Looking around, I could see runners preparing to race the route hard, while Mum and I were focused on something very different: surviving, soaking it in and earning that medal together.

That morning, I had to change my mindset completely. I realised that if we crossed that finish line before midnight, it still counted as much as someone who'd done the marathon in the standard five-hour time. Speed suddenly felt irrelevant.

The problem with running culture is that so many people fear being “too slow”, finishing near the back of a race, or finding it difficult and worrying others will judge them. Because of that, they never sign up at all. But honestly? The people at the back often show the greatest strength and perseverance of all. Take it from me, being out on the course for 10 hours is very hard work.

As we set off, the crowds carried us forward. The cheers gave us comfort, but after just six miles, it already felt tough. I hit the infamous 'wall'. It was a hot day, and exhaustion crept in early. There were moments I wanted to give up, but every time I looked at my mum, I could see determination written all over her face. She smiled through the hardest moments. In truth, she carried me more than I carried her in the end.

At around 10 miles, we noticed the so-called 'broom wagon' - the car that follows the very back of the marathon - driving right behind us. That was the moment it hit me: we were at the back of the race. Slowly, the roads reopened behind us, barriers disappeared, and we were moved onto pavements. The crowds, who'd cheered us since the first mile, disappeared. It became quiet and, at times, lonely. I felt tearful because all I could think about was all the miles we had to go.

Our trackers stopped updating because we were no longer going through the official closedroads race. Friends and family messaged to ask if we were OK. It would have been easy to feel defeated or to give up and get into the car. Nobody wants to feel like they’re last.

But being at the back taught me something important: this is where you truly see what a marathon demands. Not speed, but mindset. Patience. Resilience. The ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other when nobody is watching anymore.

We kept going and smiling when we could, pausing only to catch our breath, never sitting down. We knew getting back up would be harder. Along the way, strangers showed us incredible kindness. One woman, Reena, offered to buy us an ice cream, and somehow that small gesture lifted our spirits enough to keep moving.

At halfway, someone shouted, “I’ve been waiting for you!” It was Rob, one of the Tailwalkers, a group of volunteers who try to keep the atmosphere going for the final finishers of the London Marathon.

From that point on, we realised something beautiful: nobody gets left behind. The Tailwalkers stayed with us, checked on us constantly, carried mum’s backpack at one stage and made sure we had snacks, toilet breaks and layers when the temperature dropped. Their support became part of our journey.

Mile by mile, we laughed, chatted and kept moving. My ankles hurt, my lower back ached, and by the evening, it started to feel cold. But my mum stayed determined.

Then came mile 17, the mile where her first marathon dream had ended in 2023. Passing it this time felt emotional. We knew we had overcome the hardest mental hurdle.

By mile 20, exhaustion hit hard again. Knowing there was still more than six miles left felt overwhelming. We kept hydrated and took electrolytes to prevent cramps returning. Mum’s hands were swollen, and I started to worry, which really made it hard to focus on just moving.

Finally, we reached mile 25. At that point, we both felt completely drained. Then suddenly we saw Big Ben, and everything changed. The finish was close.

Mum looked at me and said, “Let’s go for a sprint finish.”

As we entered St James’s Park, the crowds returned. The cheers were deafening. Somehow, after nearly 10 hours on our feet, we found one final push and sprinted across the finish line together.

It was one of the most emotional moments of my life. My mum became one of only 35 women over the age of 75 to take part in the marathon and the oldest British Asian Indian woman to complete it that year. Meanwhile, there I was at 45 years old, complaining about sore legs, while she refused to give up despite blood cancer and every obstacle thrown her way.

Yes, it took us 10 hours. But a 10-hour marathon does not mean you are too slow to be a runner. I'm a runner, and I completed the London Marathon 2026.

To be a runner means you are someone who keeps going. It means you show resilience when your body wants to stop. It means you dig deep mentally. When you take on a marathon, regardless of time, you complete the same 26.2 miles as every other runner, and you earn the same medal.

A marathon is not just a race. It’s a challenge, one that less than 1% of the population ever completes. Whether you finish in three hours or 10, the achievement is extraordinary.

Most importantly, this experience showed so many South Asian women that they belong at the start line too. You do not need to look a certain way, run at a certain pace or fit the stereotypical image of a runner to deserve your place there. You just have to start and keep going.

The Russian twist is one of the most popular core exercises, and it's a good option for improving core strength. However, the windmill exercise is a functional movement (so it mirrors real life) with a safer movement pattern for most people. It could be a better option.

It's an advanced move, but one well worth doing if you want an alternative in your strength training routine or to build strength and stability specifically in the muscles along the sides of your core, known as the obliques. Doing so can better help you in daily movements, such as bending to the floor to reach objects on the ground or to play sports like tennis. If you're a fan of a bodyweight Pilates workout, you'll find your practice gets easier after doing this exercise for a while.

It can also improve your posture and may prevent injury across the lower back, shoulders and hips.

What is the windmill exercise?

The windmill is an excellent exercise for your core, glutes, hips and shoulders. It involves standing with your legs hip-width apart, raising one arm over your head (with or without a weight), and sliding your arm down to your leg to your ankle, hinging at the hips.

While it doesn’t look complicated, it's as much a glute exercise as it is a core exercise. It requires flexibility and strength in your upper and lower body. For this reason, Sarah DiGiovanni, a trainer at ALO Wellness Club, says she's a big fan.

"My approach is always to do functional core movements over isolated moves like crunches," she says. "The windmill is great for the core because it targets the obliques from every angle. It also engages your upper and lower abs to stabilise your spine and control the movement. There's no rest for your core at any point in the range of movement."

How to do the windmill exercise

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Lift one arm straight towards the ceiling, with or without your weight.
• Turn both of your feet gently to the side, away from the side where the arm is lifted (about 45 degrees).
• Shift your weight onto the leg that's on the same side as the arm that's lifted.
• Push your hips back at the same 45-degree angle, keeping the leg with your weight on straight and allowing the other to bend slightly.
• Slide your other hand (the one not raised) down the inside of your bent leg, towards the floor.
• Make sure to keep your eyes on the raised hand to maintain your balance and rotate properly.
• Stop at a point that feels comfortable, engage your core and glutes, and drive up to the starting position to complete the movement.
• Repeat at least 8 times on both sides for 3 sets.

What weight should I use?

Choosing the right weight, whether you use a kettlebell or dumbbell, is key when doing the windmill exercise. Too light and you won't feel the benefits, but Sarah says that starting lighter than you think you'll need is a good idea. "Form matters more than weight here," she says. "This is not a move to rush, and you want to stay controlled the entire time."

You could also try it without a weight to begin with. Make sure your form is comfortable, and you have the movement well-practised before adding weights.

"Keep your arm fully locked out throughout the entire movement. As you hinge to the side and reach your free hand toward the ground, keep your eyes focused up at the weight to help with balance," she adds.

Benefits of the windmill exercise

• Improves balance: “Holding a weight overhead during the movement challenges your coordination in a way most exercises don't," says Sarah.
• Supports your spine: The lateral hinge takes your spine through a range of motion that it rarely gets in traditional resistance training, keeping it healthy and strong over time.
• Prevents a strength imbalance: “Single-sided moves are non-negotiable for my programmes,” says Sarah. “We're all dominant on one side, and the windmill forces each side of the body to work independently so your weaker side can't hide behind the stronger one.”
• Improves core strength: All the control and stability your body needs to do this movement comes from your core. By engaging it, you're making it stronger.