After a seemingly endless summer, winter is well and truly on its way in the UK. We've swapped shorts for workout leggings and hiking trousers, and dug raincoats out of wardrobes for the first time in a while.

Walking in summer, as a workout or for pleasure, is as simple as finding your headphones and heading out the door. In winter, it needs a little more planning. If you're anything like me, you've realised you're very unprepared for the change of seasons.

I've gathered a selection of simple upgrades for autumn and winter. Budget-friendly, comfort-boosting, waterproof buys to refresh your walking wardrobe.

Should the cold weather not appeal this winter, there are plenty of ways to reap the benefits of walking from your own home. I did 10,000 steps at home last year, making the most of my walking pad for a full-body workout in the warm.

As we age and go through menopause, we naturally lose more upper-body strength, muscle mass, and bone density. Strength training in the gym or with a simple pair of dumbbells can make all the difference.

One person helping women change the way we strength train as we get older is personal trainer Simone de la Rue. The former professional dancer has trained some huge names in the celebrity world, including Practical Magic star Sandra Bullock.

“I built my career on cardio. I thought more was more, more sweat, more classes, more calories burned,” the 51-year-old said. “But as I entered midlife, my body changed. And my training had to change with it.”

Simone says strength training is now her “foundation”. She lifts heavier weights and does short bursts of cardio, while also prioritising muscle recovery. “Because I’m not training to be smaller anymore. I’m training to be strong, capable and healthy for the next 30 years.”

The PT shared a 20-minute upper-body workout. It targets muscles in the shoulders, upper back, arms, and core using sets of 3.5 to 4.5kg dumbbells. Each exercise is done in a sequence, targeting a few muscles at once, so we recommend following along with the video.

1. Single arm shoulder press with rotation

Many people are surprised to learn that the shoulder contains almost 20 muscles. A shoulder press with added rotations targets many of them, but especially the outer three: front, rear, and side deltoids.

Doing this exercise one arm at a time, then two together, helps boost core stability and correct muscle imbalances when one side is stronger than the other.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart and hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows slightly pushed forward and elbows turned out to 45 degrees.
• Make sure your core is braced, and your shoulder blades are retracted (pushed back and down).
• One arm at a time, push the weights towards the ceiling.
• Come back down to the starting position, then push the weights up together.
• Come back down. One arm at a time, rotate the weights forward while keeping your elbows bent.
• Complete eight to 12 repetitions of the sequence for three sets.

2. Single arm chest squeeze tricep pull down

This sequence works the triceps, which sit on the back of the arms, and the chest muscles. Simone does the exercise single-handed at the start, progressing onto a dual-handed move.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart and bring your dumbbells up to shoulder height again.
• Brace your core and retract your shoulder blades.
• One arm at a time, bring your elbow into the middle of your body. Push the weight towards the ceiling. Swap arms and repeat.
• Come back down, then repeat the movement with both arms together.
• Come back down and push up into a regular shoulder press.
• Do eight to 12 repetitions of the sequence for three sets.

3. Single arm frontal raise rotation

A front raise targets the anterior deltoid, the front part of the shoulder. The rotations encourage full shoulder mobility and stability, making it a great exercise for building strength.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Make sure your core is braced and your shoulder blades are retracted.
• Rotate your arms so the round part of the dumbbell faces the ceiling, then complete a lateral raise, one arm at a time.
• At the top of the movement, when the dumbbell is level with your shoulders, rotate the weight so the back of your hand faces the ceiling.
• Lower the weight back down, one arm at a time.
• Come back down to the starting position, then repeat the movement with both arms at the same time.

4. Lateral and frontal raise

This second lateral raise sequence is the final push. The side lateral raise variation targets the shoulder's side muscles, while the front raises focus on the front.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart with your dumbbells, maintaining a tight core and retracted shoulder blades.
• Bring one arm in front of you so the weight rests on the front of your thighs. Bring the other arm slightly out to the side.
• At the same time, raise both weights. Then come back down.
• Repeat the movement but reverse the position of the weights.

Shirley Ballas is no stranger to a challenge, having zip-lined, walked 700 feet above the ground, completed a skydive as part of the Skyathlon challenge, and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Yet it's the simple habit that she prioritises to stay fit and healthy in her 60s.

"I go to the gym, I get my 10,000 steps in before seven o'clock in the morning every day," she told The Daily Mail to prepare for her appearance on Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt.

There’s lots of research around whether you actually need to walk 10,000 steps a day, but the reason Shirley loves to walk early in the morning is that it gives you “a natural stimulation”.

Her 10,000-step habit is part of a roster of other workouts the judge does in the morning. “At home, I get up super early before I go to work. I do yoga, I do the Peloton bike, I do the running machine.

“You know, it's not easy… I'm not like a competitive dancer anymore, but I teach dancing on my feet every day for 12 hours. So, yes, I've done my bit, I think. I've done the best that I can for it,” she said.

The Strictly star, a huge fan of the cold, also swears by ice plunging, saying it gives her a dopamine hit.

“It’s all about how everything makes you feel throughout your day. I’m good if I eat well, I’m good if I sleep well, I’m good if I drink lots of water, I’m good if I have this excitement with [ice] plunging and walking on my walker and also incorporating my yoga.

"I’m a very challenging person for myself, particularly on the run-up to Strictly. I want to go on that show and give my best for all the people who tune in, and that takes sacrifice – because I love cookies and cake – and it takes mental wellbeing,’ she told Brass Monkey.

“That dopamine thrill it gives you, I’m looking for that all the time. So the plunge pool, the sauna, the exercising, the 10,000 steps – that’s giving you a natural stimulation through your whole mental wellbeing and body."

How to do more steps every day

• Spread out your steps: Rather than attempt to do all 10,000 steps in one go, spread them throughout the day. Walk some steps during the morning, a few thousand during your lunch break and then complete your steps in the evening
• Walk first thing in the morning: An easy way to stick to a habit is to do it when you won’t get any interruptions, so first thing in the morning when it’s quiet, less busy, and most people are asleep is a great way to achieve your goal
• Join a fitness club: Another way to get your 10,000 steps in without feeling like you’re doing 10,000 steps is joining an exercise class, like Zumba or a running club. Take a look at your fitness tracker, and you'll find you've hit your goal before you know it.
• Add movement to your current routine: Take the stairs instead of getting on the lift, walk up the escalators, or get off the bus or train a stop before you need to and walk the rest of the way.
• Habit stacking: Combining a habit you currently have with your 10,000 steps is an easy way to reach your goal. For example, while watching your favourite TV show, you can walk on a walking pad, or during a walk, you can listen to your favourite podcast.

Recently, ultra-runner Elsey Davis told us that if she has to skip one workout during her training, it'll be her run, never her dumbbell session or gym time. "I'll never miss that. If I miss my strength training, I also miss my running, because I would just get injured," she said.

Reading that brought me back to mile 18 of the Brighton Marathon a year ago. It had all been going so well up until then, but after a searing pain developed in my hip, I had to switch from a light plod to an even lighter walk. Within a few more miles, I wanted to give up completely.

I had done almost everything right for marathon training. I had enough food and water, and I had followed pretty much every run on my plan for the last 12 weeks. However, I had fallen short in the strength training department. Now I was paying the price.

Like other runners in my position (of which there are many!), my excuses were time, energy, and motivation. Yet, skipping strength training as a runner almost guarantees you'll eventually end up with runner's knee, hip pain, and strains, and you'll be out of your running shoes for a while.

I asked PT Lotti Sorrell, a lead coach at House of Fitness, which specialises in group training and 1-on-1 coaching in London, how to do it as simply as possible. She gave me this five-move dumbbell workout to do at home.

1. Dumbbell B-stance deadlift

Deadlifts train the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back to work together, and that's vital for runners, says Lotti. "This b-stance variation also gives a nice bonus of being able to load up one leg more than the other, just as happens when you run. You'll also practice creating stability through the toes, ankles and knees."

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart, holding your dumbbells.
• Take one step back, positioning the toes of your back foot just behind the heel of your front foot.
• Lift your back heel so you're resting on the balls of that foot. You should have most of your weight on the front foot, keeping your front knee slightly bent.
• Pull your shoulders back and down, and engage your core.
• Hinge at the hips by pushing them back as if your pressing a button on the wall behind you.
• Let the dumbbells come down the front of your front leg, keeping them close and your back straight.
• Keep going until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstring and glute of the front leg.
• Push through your front leg to return to the starting position, and repeat on both legs. Try eight repetitions on each for three sets.

2. Dumbbell floating front heel split squat

A traditional split squat builds strength, but Lotti's move also helps protect against common running injuries. "Your front heel is unsupported, so it gives some extra work to the Soleus muscle in your calf, which is crucial for force production and absorption as you run, and trains the foot and ankle muscles to stabilise under load," she says.

Holding the dumbbells in the front-rack position shifts your centre of gravity forward, meaning your trunk muscles have to work hard to resist being pulled forwards, she adds.

Here's how to do it:

• Step forward onto the ball of your front foot, leaving your heel floating just above the surface.
• Step back with your other leg, and balance on the ball of your back foot.
• Grab your dumbbells in each hand, holding them by your sides.
• Bend both knees and lower your body, allowing your front knee to track over your toes, keeping your front heel elevated.
• Press through the ball of your front foot and push up to the starting position.
• Repeat on both legs for at least eight repetitions for three sets.

3. Dumbbell single-leg glute bridge

The glute bridge is one of the best glute exercises for runners. "Running demands stability from your core, hips, and pelvis to protect your spine and keep good form. That's what this move develops very efficiently. It also works on your glute and hip flexor strength. Together, these make your running safer, smoother, and more powerful."

How to do it:

• Lie flat on your yoga mat, placing a dumbbell over your hip crease. Hold the ends to make sure it stays secure.
• Bend one knee and keep that foot on the mat while you extend and lift your other foot off the floor. Support yourself on one leg.
• Brace your core and drive through the heel of your grounded foot, lifting your hips towards the ceiling.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold for a moment.
• Slowly, lower your hips and come down to the starting position.
• Repeat on both legs for at least eight repetitions, for three sets.

4. Goblet lateral lunge

While most runners will practice moving forwards (and maybe backwards), very few practice moving sideways. "Whether you’re trail running or simply sidestepping a pedestrian in the park, think of the last time you accidentally rolled your ankle and use that as a reminder to train and strengthen the body in multiple planes of motion," says Lotti. That's what the goblet lateral lunge works.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in and brace your core.
• Take a wide step out to the side with one foot, making sure to keep your toes and hips pointing forwards.
• Hinge at the hips and bend the knee of your outside leg, lowering down until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Make sure your posture is upright and the other leg stays straight and that foot stays on the ground.
• To return to the starting position, push forcefully through the heel of your bent leg.
• Repeat the exercise on both sides for eight repetitions on each leg, and three sets.

5. Bear hold pull through

Core exercises are just as essential as glute or quadriceps exercises for runners, and this one helps build full-body stability. "I love this move because it’s efficient. Muscles all over the body have to work together to coordinate and create stability to move the weight from one side to another," says Lotti.

Here's how to do it:

• Come down onto your mat on your hands and knees, putting a dumbbell on the floor next to you. Position your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Tuck your toes and brace your core, then lift your knees just a couple of inches off the ground, keeping your back flat.
• Making sure your hips and shoulders stay facing the floor, reach for the dumbbell with the opposite hand.
• Drag the weight across the mat to the opposite side of your body.
• Stabilise your position, then repeat on the other side.
• Complete at least eight repetitions on each side for three sets.

Staying active is the key to longevity. Resistance training slows natural muscle loss and bone density loss. Single-leg exercises improve coordination to prevent falls and maintain independence as you age. But when you’re juggling training with a busy life, fitting in exercise can be more daunting than the workout itself.

An 11-year study of over 8,000 individuals, published in 2018, found that exercising just two to three times a week was linked to a nearly 30% reduction in overall mortality. That probably feels doable, but if your boss drops an unplanned meeting into your diary or your teenager needs help with last-minute homework, your well-laid gym plans can go up in smoke.

British ultra runner Elsey Davis knows this scenario all too well. Mother to a one-year-old son, Elsey is also a GP, accomplished marathon runner, and Garmin ambassador. She has raced cross-country for Team GB and last year made headlines with a new record for running a 400-mile lap of her home county, Cornwall, in six days. In her spare time, she helps care for her mum, who lives with Alzheimers. How does she make it all fit?

I recently caught up with her in Chamonix to get her best tips on squeezing her workouts in and staying on top of it all.

Get your steps in at home

Living close to the South West Coast Path, Elsey has easy access to one of the world’s most beautiful running trails, but sometimes the five minutes it takes to drive there feels too precious to spare. On those days, she says owning a treadmill at home is a “game changer” that lets her do short workouts during moments of downtime.

The advent of space-saving walking pads makes these handy pieces of gym equipment more affordable than ever. They don’t take up an entire room, and you can sneak in a session on your lunch break without losing time driving to the gym.

Anything is better than nothing

Long daily workouts might not be possible, but don’t let that hold you back. Bite-sized sessions still reap rewards, says Elsey, whose motto of “anything is better than nothing” keeps her from growing complacent when she’s time-poor.

For her, that can be splitting her workout into two sessions, with a short buggy run earlier in the day and a second short run when her wife gets home from work, to keep her mileage up without going out for hours.

Similarly, if you find you only have one or two days a week to work out, don’t despair. Known as the “weekend warrior” effect, research from Harvard Health suggests that concentrated exercise sessions may be just as effective as more frequent workouts at protecting against disease, as long as you meet the weekly target of 150 minutes.

Our ideas for exercise snacking can provide inspiration to keep moving whether your time or motivation is low.

Prioritise strength over distance

We all have different workout goals, and while Davis’ training can take her out on the trail for hours or days at a time, it’s actually strength workouts that she calls her “non-negotiable.”

“I’ll never miss that. If I miss my strength training, I also miss my running, because I would just get injured,” says Davis.

Davis does three strength sessions a week, even when she's travelling, focusing on key movements like single-leg balancing exercises with weights, overhead pulls, single-arm dumbbell rows, elbow planks and push-ups for upper-body strength.

The core is the body's foundation. It keeps us upright and stable, with good posture, and well-balanced. When I work out, I always make sure to do lots of core exercises at home, but all too often I fall into the habit of doing the same ones over and over.

One ab exercise many of us return to is a sit-up and its variations. While sit-ups definitely build abdominal strength, areas like your hip flexors and glutes, which are also important for full-body stability, don't feel the benefit. Yoga instructor at Yoga-Go, Melissa Leach, says one move can “outperform traditional exercises like sit-ups", and that research has shown it can be better than doing 100 sit-ups.

“Boat pose is one of the most efficient core exercises because it doesn’t just isolate the abs. It engages the hip flexors, glutes, pelvic muscles, and back all at once, helping build functional core strength rather than working one single muscle in isolation,” Melissa explains.

How to do boat pose

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Lean your torso back slightly while keeping your spine long and your chest lifted.
• Engage your core and slowly lift your feet off the floor, bringing your calves parallel to the ground.
• Balance on your sit bones and try to avoid rolling onto your tailbone.
• Once stable, extend your arms in front of you, with your palms facing each other at shoulder height.
• If you feel comfortable, you can slowly extend your legs to create a ‘V’ shape with your body.
• Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, and repeat 2-4 times.

If you’re new to this pose, reduce the strain on your core by keeping your legs bent. Some people also find that lightly holding behind their thighs gives them extra support when trying to balance.

“If you struggle with balance and maintaining a straight spine, you can either sit on a folded blanket or cushion to help tilt the pelvis forward or sit with your back a few inches from the wall for reassurance,” says Melissa. “The most important thing is to get a hold of the technique first, so start slowly, only holding for as long as it's comfortable and slowly increasing the length as your core strength improves.”

I tried the boat pose for 2 weeks

There’s a big difference between doing boat pose once or twice a week in a Pilates home workout or class, and doing it every day. It’s not an easy pose, and it’s one that’s taken me years to feel comfortable doing. I was apprehensive about whether my core could cope, but I knew it would be a challenge I'd enjoy, having mastered the basics.

Boat pose shakes your core and feet, so I decided not to start too hard in the first few days. Yoga teacher Claire Linnell suggested I spend time making sure my posture was correct, with my chest lifted and back straight, then holding the position for three breaths. This was an adjustment from my Pilates class, where we're encouraged to hold a position for as long as we can. But in yoga, it’s not about reps or stamina. It’s about control, breathing and core engagement. This is how I wanted to start for the first week.

On days one to four, I did four sets of boat pose. Three breaths in position for each one. There was a lot of stomach quivering and my hips didn’t really like the position, but I could feel my abdominal muscles working hard. After a day of sitting at my desk, I looked forward to the pose to release tension in my lower back and hips. It also felt very mindful, just focusing on my breath and being still in the V shape. Doing a glute bridge, then a full-body stretch afterwards felt delicious.

From day five to 10, I decided to try doing the pose for 30 seconds in one go. I found that doing it in the evening gave me time to focus on my form, and it was nice to take a moment to move my body before bed. The 30-second hold felt quite brutal, and keeping my legs straight was a challenge, but I could feel my whole core switch on. When I finished, I focused on lowering my legs down slowly, rather than collapsing. This meant I engaged my abdominal muscles right up until the end.

For the final four days, I did low boat pose instead. This move is very similar to the regular boat pose, but it targets your abdominals more. Claire explains that it involves raising your legs just a few inches off the ground and hugging your inner legs towards each other. “Take the hands into prayer, thumbs to the breastbone and curl your upper back and shoulders off the ground,” she says.

This took the pose to another level and felt a lot more challenging. Again, I held it for 30 seconds, but the sigh of relief at the end was almost a cheer.

I was surprised at how much I needed to engage my upper body. Keeping my arms straight, shoulders down and back straight all took a lot of extra focus. My upper and lower abdominals felt tighter, and my hip flexors felt stronger. I had less hip pain when I spent a lot of time sitting down working, and I felt like my posture improved too.

I upped the intensity over the fortnight. Next, I'll add in some wrist and ankle weights or some light dumbbells to see what difference they make. I don’t think I’ll do it every day, but it’s one I’ll make sure I incorporate into my abs workouts.

Benefits of boat pose

Improves hip strength

The reason the boat pose is so effective is that it works so many different muscle groups around our core and lower body. Claire says that while many people will think of this exercise as being good for the core, “it is actually the hip flexors which bear the brunt of this posture”.

She says our hip flexors are a “key part of our locomotive system” and this hip-strengthening exercise can do wonders.

Boosts core strength

It can take a lot of core strength to stay upright in boat pose, especially if you’re going into the V-sit position too. It will give your upper and lower abdominals a great workout.

Melissa says: “Holding the position forces your deep core muscles, the ones that support your spine and pelvis, to switch on and stay engaged throughout. Over time, this can translate into better posture, a stronger lower back, and a core that supports your everyday movement.”

Boosts leg strength

Squeezing your legs together during the pose will switch on your inner-thigh muscles, says Linnell. “These muscles are often overlooked, but they play an important role in stabilising the hips and pelvis and supporting everyday movements such as walking, running and balancing.”

Improves balance and control

Boat pose takes some practice. There’s a lot to think about while you’re doing it. Balancing on your glutes with a straight back and legs out in front of you requires deep core engagement and breath control.

Mastering this move will help you with other yoga and Pilates exercises such as scissors, the Hundred, and others which require a strong core.

Improving and maintaining your balance will help keep you mobile and independent for longer and lower the risk of falling.

Over the summer in Chamonix, I spent dozens of hours running and hiking trails and mountain paths, testing the best trail running shoes and walking shoes. The Saucony Peregrine 16's improved grip and secure fit made them a pick of the bunch.

I tackled steep, rocky trails and long, muddy paths in these shoes, and I was really impressed with the traction and all-day comfort. The snug upper wrapped around my midfoot, giving me confidence on all terrains, and the foam underfoot offered spring without sacrificing ground feel.

The Saucony Peregrine 16 could use a little more toe protection, and the tapered toe box means I'd suggest sizing up if you have wider feet, but otherwise I'd give these top marks. It's a reliable, durable shoe for less-beaten paths, whether you're walking or running.

Saucony Peregrine 16 trail shoes review

Specifications

• Size range: 3 - 10
• Weight: 216g per shoe
• Stack height: 32 mm - 28 mm
• Heel-to-toe drop: 4 mm
• Lug depth: 3.5 mm
• Waterproof version available: Yes

What are the Saucony Peregrine 16 Trail shoes like for running?

As soon as I put these shoes on, I was impressed with how secure they felt. The last pair of shoes that really hugged my foot like this were the Hoka Speedgoat 6s, but these felt much more comfortable and less stiff.

I put this down to the moderate cushioning underfoot. It's definitely enough for running or walking for a few hours on the trails, but I could still feel the trail variations, which always helps me feel more connected to the ground when I'm on the move.

These shoes felt really comfortable thanks to the moderate amount of cushioning underfoot. It’s definitely enough for running or walking for a few hours on the trails. Once I got out in them, I liked how I could still feel the trail variations underfoot. It helps me feel more connected to what I’m running on, and I can respond better to the trail surface. The foam midsole is responsive too, and even though the shoe has a rock plate for protection, there’s enough flex that I felt like I was rolling along.

The mesh upper makes these fairly breathable, and even in warmer temperatures in Chamonix, I didn’t get overly hot feet. It also repels mud and dirt really well, so even though the ones I’m wearing have mostly white uppers, they still look good after a few muddy dashes.

The lace garage, which I think should be mandatory on all trail shoes, stopped the long grass from untying my laces. It's even more helpful now I’m back in Scotland, where the trails are more overgrown.

Striking a good balance between a maximalist shoe with superior cushioning and support and a barefoot shoe, it's hard for me to imagine someone who wouldn't enjoy running in the Saucony Peregrine 16 shoes. However, they may not be ideal for anyone with wider feet. For wider options, I'd recommend the Keen Seek trail shoe or my other budget-friendly favourite, the Merrell Morphlite running shoe.

What are the Saucony Peregrine 16 Trail shoes like for hiking?

The Saucony Peregrine 16 shoes aren’t as light as my Hoka Speedgoat 6s, but they are supremely comfortable and a great lightweight hiking shoe for when you don't want the bulk of traditional walking shoes, whether that's because it's the summer months, you're going for a stroll, or you're packing light for an active holiday.

The real selling point of this shoe for both hikers and runners is the amazing grip. This is the first time that Saucony has used a Vibram outsole on the Peregrines, and it fully covers the bottom of the shoe, leaving no foam exposed. The lugs have tiny fins for added traction. While you might want something more rugged for really sloppy trails, I’ve had no issues on crumbly rock, wet grass and a little mud. I can walk quite nimbly and confidently.

While they come in bright colourways, the shoe has a discreet profile and passes as a regular pair of trainers, making them a good option for a walking workout as much as a proper hike.

I do wish the toes had a little more protection, though. Moving on rocky trails increases the chance of stubbing my toes, and the tapered toe box does shave off some room. I think sizing up would be a good idea, as long as you can keep the lovely snug fit around the midfoot.

Who are the Saucony Peregrine 16 Trail shoes made for?

This shoe is a great all-rounder, balancing comfort with trail feel, and performance-ready traction with a nice, not-too-sporty aesthetic. I tested them in the White/Navy colourway. With its light splash of colour, it’s not too outrageous to wear with regular clothes or to the airport.

They’re pretty snappy, but not so stacked that I feel like I’m running on stilts as I find with some cushioned running shoes. For that reason, they work for long, slow plods and short, fast-paced jaunts. They’re highly capable on many types of terrain, but they won’t save your run in really muddy conditions.

I think they’re a great choice for anyone who wants one pair of shoes that will work for both hiking and trail running. The Peregrine 16s are priced right in line with other high-performing all-rounder trail shoes, including the Hoka Speedgoat 7 and 6, and the Brooks Cascadia 19.

If you're looking to upgrade your favourite Android-friendly smartwatch before the new year, you've likely heard of the new Google Pixel Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.

Stuck choosing between the two? You're not alone. These are easily two of the best fitness trackers. You'll find everything you need to log, track, and improve your wellbeing with either, but a few key differences will decide which one is best for you.

I wore both for two weeks, logging at least 6,000 steps daily, multiple workouts, nights of sleep, and more, to weigh up the Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.

Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

Specifications

A quick overview

I tested these watches at the same time, and I was floored by how similar they were. Released only a few weeks apart, the Google Pixel Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 focus on being everyday wellness companions. They provide data so you can pre-empt any problems and proactively look after your health, rather than log it and forget it.

Overall, I'd suggest buying the watch that matches your Android phone. If you use a Samsung Galaxy phone, the Watch 9 will be a better fit for smartwatch functions, connectivity, and integration, making sure you get full use of the £399 price tag. The same goes for Google Pixel users and the Google Pixel Watch, available for £369.

That said, if you don't have either of these phones, you have to decide. For me, the Google Pixel Watch 5 edges out the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, thanks to better GPS, sleep features, and smartwatch functionality. You can also use the Google Health Premium platform for an extra cost, which I have loved since I tried it on the Google Fitbit Air.

Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: What are they like to wear?

The choice is between an architectural, square bezel with a round face (Samsung) and a futuristic, round one (Google). Both have an aluminium case and a thick, scratch-resistant glass screen, with a durable silicone band available in various colours. Both come in a larger and smaller size.

While I prefer the look and feel of the Google Pixel Watch 5, this comes down to personal preference. I liked how flush the Pixel Watch sat against my wrist, so it was barely noticeable while I walked and in my gym workouts. The screen has a default always-on mode, which I always turn off to save battery life. These days, you can just lift either device to wake the screen.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 has a soft square-edged bezel housing the round screen. The screen is about the same size as the Google Pixel, so this extra bezel space feels unnecessary. However, it's a uniquely creative design element. The strap also has an air pocket for better breathability and, overall, it's lighter than the previous Samsung Galaxy Watches.

Both watches are comfortable and have bright (3,000 nits) screens that are easy to read at a glance, even on the move.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

Fitness tracking on the Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

The Google Pixel Watch 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 cover the essentials, like step count, heart rate, estimated calorie burn, and exercise profiles with equal options. At a glance, you can see your daily fitness data and manually start over 100 workouts, with sport-specific data (e.g. distance for running workouts) available on your wrist and clearly summarised in the respective apps. I've found both to be very accurate and reliable.

I've long been after a smartwatch that prioritises strength training as much as it does running, considering that it is one of the best exercises for longevity. Finally, the Google Pixel Watch 5 has it. You can log your individual reps and sets, and monitor your rest times. I'd love to see this feature on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 soon.

If you're looking for one of the best running watches, the Google Pixel Watch 5 is also a top pick. It connects to more satellite networks than Samsung (or Apple, for that matter) and matches some of the best Garmin watches for accuracy, especially in dense urban areas. That's according to Google, but I agree after wearing the watch on a recent 10km run through high-rise London.

I was very impressed that both the Google Pixel Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 have built-in running coaches, too. Normally, you have to invest in one of the best running apps for this. Each has custom plans for various distances.

They also offer insights into your Cardio Load (how well your body is handling the exercise you're doing and whether you're doing too much) and Readiness (whether you've recovered from the exercise you're doing) in an easy-to-read graph.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

Sleep tracking on the Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

On the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Google Pixel Watch 5, you'll get basic sleep insights (duration and stages) and more advanced metrics. I monitor my sleep latency, overnight blood oxygen saturation, and skin temperature to spot any changes that might signal my body is under more stress than usual.

For example, if you're getting a cold, your skin temperature will be higher than normal. This feature can warn you that you're under the weather before any symptoms appear.

All the insights are laid out clearly and in detail in the respective apps, making it clear where your sleep could use some work - or where your sleep health is thriving.

One feature I love on the Google Pixel Watch 5 that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 doesn't have is the smart wake alarm. This wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase, within 30 minutes of your alarm, which I've found helps avoid grogginess some mornings.

Winner: Both are good options for sleep tracking, but the Google Pixel Watch 5 has more features

Health tracking

The list of similarities between the Google Pixel Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 doesn't stop at sleep and exercise. Both have a suite of advanced health monitoring features, including ECG, blood oxygen saturation, skin temperature, and blood pressure monitoring. Whether you're keeping an eye on a specific condition or just want to play it safe, both have more advanced health metrics than most fitness trackers.

However, in the blood pressure monitoring feature, I found a difference between the two. The Galaxy Watch 9 requires periodic calibration with a traditional arm cuff alongside the sensor readings, which is a bit of a hassle but may be more reliable. You can, however, only use this feature if you have a Samsung phone.

The Google Pixel Watch 9 tracks blood pressure trends over time using on-wrist sensors and delivers a report every month - no need for a cuff and regardless of your connected phone.

Both watches have a 'vitals' page. Here, you'll see baseline metrics across key areas, including skin temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen, HRV, and respiratory rate. When one moves out of your normal range, you'll get notified - much like on the Oura Ring 5. This can help you spot signs that something's up, like an incoming cold.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5, but they are very similar

Smartwatch features on the Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

While the Pixel Watch has always had brilliant smartwatch features, with total Google integration so you can email, browse your calendar, or pay for coffee from your watch, the 5 has gone through some major upgrades. I noticed this most when I walked into a train station during testing, and my watch automatically brought up my train ticket on the screen. I could just tap through the gate.

I don't like when brands pack loads of AI functionality into watches, and it doesn't make life any easier. This upgrade to the Google Pixel Watch 5 genuinely feels like an on-wrist personal assistant who knows what I need before I do - and I never have to get my phone out.

I also made more use of the double-tap function on the Pixel Watch 5. This allows you to complete actions (like starting/stopping a timer or workout) with the tap of your forefinger and thumb. It was first released in the Google Pixel Watch 4, but I found it very useful.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 has great smartwatch features, too, including partnerships with third-party apps like Spotify and WhatsApp and built-in payment systems, all so you can leave your phone at home. It also has Gemini integration, so simply by raising your wrist, you can send messages and emails, control other Samsung devices, get directions, check the weather, or start a playlist. However, you have to ask for what you need, whereas Google's Pixel Watch 5 does a very good job of guessing before you have to.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

Google Pixel Watch 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Which one is better?

Overall, I found the Google Pixel Watch 5 has more to offer - from better GPS accuracy and a Smart Wake Alarm to smartwatch capabilities. Add Google Health's Premium insights, and you can turn up the volume on an already very capable and impressive fitness tracker.

That said, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is also an excellent choice. If the competition weren't so great, it would be really impressive. However, many other fitness trackers have had features for years that are new to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.

While the Google Pixel Watch 5 is my favourite of the two, the best watch for you will be the same brand as your phone. At just under £400 each, these are premium products, and I'd advise getting the most for your money, which you can only do if you have a phone from the same brand as the watch.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

Still stuck? If price is an issue, weigh up the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5. This screenless fitness tracker is under £100 and has many similar features.

When trying to improve your health with regular exercise, it's important to do something you actually enjoy. There's little point in signing up for a month of Pilates if the thought of core exercises makes you shiver.

Actress, writer, director, and producer Sharon Horgan started running about six years ago. Since then, she has "pushed it up to two or three times a week" and says it's one of the "only things exercise-wise that I actually like", so now she takes her running shoes all over the world, whether for work or play.

"I pack my stinky trainers and my running bra, and I'm off!" she told Talkhouse. "It gives me the greatest pleasure, and it's also so unexpected."

The star ran cross-country at school and enjoyed it, but it still surprised her when she started again and found that she continued to "love it".

Running is "the best way" to get to know a new city - and Sharon counts spots in Norway, Spain, and Rome among her standouts, she told Television Academy. It's also helped her physically and mentally in the last few years.

After dealing with challenging menopause symptoms (including a "frozen f**king shoulder", per The i Paper), Sharon decided to swap GPs and "stop drinking, get fit, [and] sort [her] hormones out", which is when she started running more.

"I will go through phases of not doing it, but I generally feel better when I get out and do it," she said.

The star told Talkhouse her chosen distance is 5km - just enough to reap the benefits, but not so long that her "knees start shouting" or her hips become uncomfortable. If she's running with someone else, she may go a little further.

"But what running really does, even though I'm either listening to music or a podcast, is take me somewhere else mentally," she told the outlet. "It's not always about taking the most interesting routes; sometimes when you have to do something that takes you off on a tangent, it's exciting."

How to start running as a beginner

• Find comfortable kit: Good shoes, a comfortable sports bra, and some workout leggings that don't fall down are all you need to get started.
• Entertain yourself: One of the most common complaints from new runners is that it's "boring". Create a playlist, download an audiobook or new episodes of your favourite podcasts to play through your exercise headphones before you head out the door.
• Go slow: Most people run too fast. The key to running as a beginner is to go very, very slowly. Run comfortably enough to keep up a conversation. Known as zone 2, this builds your aerobic fitness.
• Run with others: Being accountable to head out the door helps, too. If you know you're meeting a friend in 20 minutes, you're less likely to cancel because it's early, raining, or you just don't fancy it.

It's that time of year again - the London Marathon ballot is soon to be released, putting a spring in the step of thousands of runners and making for a disappointing start to the day for others.

I've run two marathons with one of the best Garmin watches. It's often the first brand I will recommend to friends and family. The Garmin Forerunner is a collection of running watches, complete with all the metrics you'd need to ace your 5km, all the way through to an ultramarathon.

For my first marathon, I wore the Garmin Forerunner 945 (since discontinued), before switching to the Garmin Forerunner 265. I now wear the Garmin Forerunner 170, which was released a few months ago. All are excellent smartwatches. Like many Garmin types, they are packed with useful insights for runners, cyclists, and anyone else who enjoys cardio exercise with live readings and data in the app. But both times, there were features I paid more attention to than others.

1. Training Load

Training Load looks at the balance of base-building aerobic activity and harder anaerobic activity. Runners need a mix of both to improve their distance, speed, and overall performance, so this is a particularly useful metric for them. It is divided into three categories: Shortage (you're not doing enough of one exercise type), Balanced (you're exercising across different intensity levels), and Focus (you're focusing on one area of training).

When I tap into the metric, I can see which one I'm focusing too much or too little on and adjust my plan accordingly. If it's Balanced, then I continue on as normal. It's my preferred way of checking whether the type of training I'm doing is paying off.

2. Body Battery

Garmin has some of the most accurate and readable sleep, stress, and recovery data around, viewable on your watch and in the Garmin Connect app. I've spent many hours scrolling through mine. Overall, I've looked at my Body Battery Score the most.

This score takes heart rate variability (HRV), stress, sleep, and physical activity into account to give you a score out of 100, revealing your strain for the day. If my battery is low, I take it as a sign to go easy the next day or head to bed early.

I've sometimes found this more useful than looking at sleep or exercise recovery data alone. It takes all the metrics into account. For example, one night I may not have slept very well, but overall, my recovery might be fine because I didn't have a very active day.

I like how it focuses on the 'bigger picture' rather than small details, which are easy to get lost in and can be disheartening.

3. Garmin Coach

Not everyone can afford a running coach, and external running apps still require a subscription to follow a training plan. Garmin Coach delivers what many of these apps do, at no extra charge.

I like Garmin Run Coach, with its training plans for 5km, 10km, and half-marathon distances. All are suitable for beginners through to seasoned runners, and you can choose your coach from an Olympian, physiotherapist, or physiologist. You'll also get resistance training sessions to supplement your running, which is very important to avoid injury.

I used this feature to train for a 10km earlier this year, and was very impressed with my progress in improving my speed. I'd also recommend this feature to anyone confused about how to start running as a beginner or anyone who wants a starting point for weighted exercises.

I also like how it syncs and adapts to your watch, which no other running app does. For example, if you've not recovered well after a long run, the Coach will automatically edit your workouts for the following week to help you feel more energised before your next long run.

4. Training Status

While I always keep the Training Status feature ticking over on my watch and will check it occasionally, it is the one I tend to ignore. I look at Training Load instead. This shows my training balance and whether I need to do more of one than another. It's completely personal preference, though. Many people love the Training Status feature and find it very useful. Personally, I find it too changeable and often demotivating to look at.

There are eight labels, ranging from Peaking (you're ready to race) and Productive (your training is paying off and you're getting fitter) to Unproductive (your training and recovery aren't having a positive effect on your fitness) to Detraining (you've not done enough exercise to see progress).

When you get a positive label, suggesting it's all going great, it's motivating. But I've finished a slower long run or sat on the sofa for a day and started 'Detraining' too many times to have such a metric at the top of my screen.

Also, unlike Training Load, you don't get a deep dive on your watch into what needs improving to change your status. It feels like guesswork, and often, the label doesn't change for a few days.

I'm known for being fairly placid, and not much rattles me. At least, this was true until menopause hit a few years ago. So, the idea of punching and kicking as exercise never appealed to me more than my yoga, Pilates and rowing workouts. My partner, however, loves boxing. He has a punching bag and (multiple!) pairs of gloves at home. Recently, he suggested I join him for a kickboxing class.

Reluctant as I was, I decided it couldn't hurt to try it out. I started running at 50 as a total beginner - how hard could this be? Well, it turned out the class wasn't for me, but I did enjoy the workout, and since all the equipment was sitting in my house anyway, I decided to try it again at home.

To get on the right track, I spoke to Kerry Fox, an instructor at Paul Roberts Modern Martial Arts in the High Peak, not far from where I live. She told me the sport is an "incredibly effective full-body workout, combining cardiovascular conditioning with repeated resistance training", so it's a great one to try.

My kickboxing workout

I start with a five-minute warm-up. This includes marching in place, lifting the knees as high as possible, star jumps, and heel digs.

My main workout follows the format from my class and lasts for 20 minutes. It consists of a jab with your lead hand, a straight punch, and a hook, repeated for two minutes, then switching sides. It’s important to move your feet while you’re doing this and not just stand in one place. Then punch the bag with alternating hands, as quickly as you can.

The next part is the kicks. Start with front kicks, which are all about getting the knee up high and kicking out with your toes pointed. I struggled with this because I have mild arthritis in the top of my feet, meaning any impact on that area is painful. But as long as I make sure my foot isn’t hitting the bag, I’m fine.

The last part of the workout is push kicks, my favourite part. This is basically driving the heel of your foot into the bag to push it away from you. You can really put some force into this - a benefit for the mind, as well as the body.

The workout ends with a five-minute cool down. This starts with stepping from side to side slowly, with a focus on deep breathing. Then hamstring and calf stretches. Finally, to finish, there are a few rounds of deep breathing, standing up tall and raising my arms above my head.

Benefits of kickboxing as a workout

1. Helps build muscle and strength

It's fair to say that I felt every muscle in my body after my first kickboxing workout. Jabs, hooks, and crosses engage the shoulders, upper back, arms, and chest, while kicks work the glutes (buttocks), quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), and calves.

I found I was moving more than I thought in my kickboxing workout as well. My core was working hard. As you bring your knees up high and twist, the abdominal muscles engage. Over 20 minutes, this is a serious core workout.

2. Relieves stress

Although I'm usually a pretty calm person, there's something very therapeutic about getting all your frustrations out on the punching bag. For me, it’s less about imagining someone you want to punch, and more about relieving pent-up stress through these power movements.

"Intense exercise releases endorphins and other mood-regulating chemicals,” says Kerry. “Training regularly can also help regulate cortisol (stress), and the concentration required to learn combinations disrupts rumination, so the benefits of kickboxing really go beyond the physical and into the psychological."

Though the class didn't work out for me, there are plenty around the country, and the added mental health benefits of being part of a community shouldn't be ignored. Try out your local one.

I also found a great sense of achievement in mastering this new skill and the various techniques needed to successfully take part in a kickboxing workout.

3. Boosts balance

I thought I was pretty good at standing on one leg, as I do this regularly in yoga, but shifting your weight to one leg while kicking forcefully with the other is a whole other matter.

Part of kickboxing training is getting faster while executing these single-leg movements. I found this really engaged my core, and after a few weeks, better balance became second nature.

"In kickboxing, the brain and body must work together continuously, so it develops balance, spatial awareness, coordination and reaction speed," says Kerry.

It also helps improve proprioception, says Samantha Charlwood, a sports therapist and British champion powerlifter. "This is the brain's ability to know where parts of the body are without looking at them. It's a key part of staying independent as we age, and since many kickboxing exercises focus on unilateral, one-sided movements, it helps with this."

4. May help with weight loss

I didn't take up kickboxing to lose weight, but it makes sense that a joint cardio and strength workout like this one burns a lot of calories. As you build muscle, your metabolic rate speeds up, which also helps burn more calories at rest.

If you were looking to lose weight, kickboxing could be a good workout to help you get there, alongside dietary changes.

"The strength training associated with kickboxing will bring out the look of holding more muscle, so it can be a great way to change the composition of the body," says Samantha. This is otherwise known as 'toning'.

5. It's a form of self defence

Hopefully, neither you nor I will need to defend ourselves, but this skill is an insurance policy. I saw teenage girls at the class I went to who were there for this very purpose.

But it’s not only about knowing the moves. “There are two parts to this,” says Samantha. “First, through the training you may develop skills that will help if you need to defend yourself. Second, and perhaps more importantly, knowing you can defend yourself gives you more confidence to go about in the world. That confidence may deter someone from targeting you in the first place, and it enables you to live a life without fear.”

For Kerry Fox, this confidence comes through training. “Learning to strike effectively, move with purpose and intention and respond under pressure builds confidence based on tangible evidence. Your progression physically and mentally can be felt but also measured as you improve.”

Kickboxing workouts to try at home

Learn the techniques

10-minute kickboxing

Cardio kickboxing for 30 minutes

Many people think you have to spend hours in the gym to see progress in key fitness markers like strength, stability, and coordination. Jennifer Aniston, who has become one of the loudest advocates for strength training for women in recent years, proves it's not true.

She told Today.com that she started doing Pvolve workouts as a "secret streamer" while recovering from a back injury. She then reached out for personal training sessions, and shortly after, became a public partner for the brand.

The platform hosts expert-led, follow-along sessions and uses a combination of weights, like dumbbells, resistance bands, and Pilates ball-like accessories, to build full-body strength and challenge the "little tiny micro muscles that are hiding underneath the big muscles", says the star. Here's her latest 30-minute workout.

1. Chest press and glute bridge

The chest press and glute bridge are both compound movements, meaning they work multiple muscles at once. Jennifer does this exercise using the p.ball - but a regular Pilates ball would work, too.

Holding this ball between the knees helps align the legs throughout the movement and fire up the muscles on the inner thighs.

Here's how to do it:

• Come down onto your yoga mat, bringing your feet towards your body.
• Place the ball between your knees and grab your dumbbells.
• Bring your arms out to the sides, slightly less than a full right angle.
• Push your arms up into a press, bringing the dumbbells over your chest. As you do so, push through your feet and bring your hips up.
• Pause for a moment at the top, then lower back down.
• Repeat this for 12 to 15 repetitions, for 3 sets.

2. Tricep skill crushers and toe taps

While the 'skull crusher' exercise works the triceps (muscles on the back of the arms), toe taps recruit the core muscles and hip flexors.

Jennifer uses light ankle weights to add resistance to her toe taps.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie flat on your mat, bring your knees up and off the floor so they form a right angle, and your shins sit parallel to the ceiling. Raise your arms up straight, holding one dumbbell between them.
• Keeping your arm straight, bend at the elbow and slowly bring the weight towards your forehead. At the same time, extend your leg at the hip and touch your toe to the floor.
• Bring both arms and leg up to the starting position and repeat 12 to 15 times for three sets, making sure to switch legs.

3. Staggered stance to stand

The staggered stance is similar to a split squat, but you keep your legs slightly closer together. It's great for building single-leg strength, balance, and coordination, as most of your body weight remains on your front foot.

Here's how to do it:

• Holding onto dumbbells, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward slightly with one leg. If you struggle to balance, bring your foot out wider as you step forwards.
• Bend both knees, dropping down until your back shin is parallel to the ground, if you can.
• Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your front foot to return to standing.
• Repeat 12 to 15 times, for 3 sets, making sure to switch front legs halfway through.

5. Bicep curl in open step to stand

Think of the open step like a wide squat. While the bicep curl targets the upper body, the open step is a quadriceps-strengthening exercise that also recruits the smaller muscles in the lower body around the knees and hips.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Take a large step out to the side, turning your feet out to sit in line with the direction of your knees.
• Sit back in the gentle squat.
• Bring the dumbbells up into a bicep curl, making sure to keep your elbows tight to your body. Pause at the top.
• Repeat 12 to 15 times for 3 sets.

6. Standing fire hydrant

The fire hydrant is a glute exercise. It targets the muscles in the buttocks. While it's normally done from the comfort of a yoga mat, Jennifer does it standing. This boosts strength as well as balance and stability, as you have to take one foot off the floor and out to the side.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell between your hands.
• Hinge forward slightly at your hips and brace your core.
• Take one leg off the floor, bend at the knee, and bring it out to the side, extending from your hip.
• Make sure you don't wobble or twist your body. Keep it facing forward.
• Pause your leg at the top of the movement, then slowly bring it back down.
• Repeat 12 to 15 times, making sure to switch legs halfway through. Do this 3 times.

You’ll see plenty of teenagers hanging out at skateparks or gliding down pavements on their boards, but look closely. You may see a grown woman behind the hoodie having the time of her life.

Ever since skateboarding made its Olympic debut in 2021, interest in the sport has grown. Its governing body, Skateboard GB, reported a post-Olympics bump and now estimates that 750,000 people skate regularly, 22% of whom are women and girls. Although young men and boys dominate skate culture, University of Exeter research has discovered rising participation among older age groups.

For the growing cohort of women, skateboarding in 'midlife' isn’t about reclaiming youth, but about improving balance, coordination, and the mental agility to learn new tricks. Skills that become increasingly important as we age.

The benefits go further than that. Practising and finally nailing skills and tricks, such as dropping in (tipping over the edge down a slope), carving (skating a long curved arc), performing an ollie (pulling the board into the air with your feet) or a kick turn (twisting from the tail of the board), are big confidence boosters. And at a time when menopause and life’s responsibilities may dominate, gliding around on a skateboard can offer freedom and sheer joy.

Caroline Keylock, 49, Worthing, Sussex

Caroline never had the urge to skateboard as a kid, having put it firmly in the ‘for boys’ box. But when her son wanted to learn to skate, she realised she didn’t want a life of watching from the sidelines while everyone else had fun. So, she joined him on his first lesson, just before her 45^th birthday.

“That first experience was fantastically scary, but also fantastically fun,” she recalls. “My son was a natural, I wasn’t, but I was so proud of myself and was hooked from the off.”

After a quick stop at a Brighton skate shop for a skateboard (“my only brief was ‘no skulls’”), Caroline started joining beginner skateboarding nights. She struggled to find other like-minded women her age in person, but online, she noticed small groups of female skateboarders over 40 popping up around the country. It inspired her to start Board Women, a community of almost 13,000 midlife women interested in board sports. The group, which also covers surfing and snowboarding, produces a regular podcast and runs meet-ups and culture days.

“The events we run are amazing and help overcome the barrier of turning up on your own,” assures Caroline, who knows from personal experience that it can feel intimidating to turn up at a skatepark as a beginner.

“I remember approaching an indoor park, hearing the clattering of skateboards and realising that there were going to be good skateboarders there. I almost walked out.” However, a few skaters rallied round and made her feel welcome. “It made me realise that so much of these fears of not fitting in are actually in your head. The skateboarding community is incredibly welcoming - whatever your age, gender or background - it’s what makes it beautiful.”

Now a few years on from that first lesson, Caroline says: “I’m still a scaredy cat skateboarder. I learn to do new tricks holding hands with my instructor, then holding a finger, then just having him there, as so much of it is about overcoming the mental barriers. I don’t have a big bag of tricks, but I can do pretty big drop-ins, and I’m gradually conquering pump tracks [a loop with bumps and banked corners] and bowls, which are super fun.”

Caroline finds that skating every week clears her mind. "You can’t possibly think about anything else when you’re skateboarding. To have an hour without any mental noise is incredibly alluring.”

Her weekly lessons also push her out of her comfort zone. “Skateboarding is a good reminder that we can do hard things. Mostly though, it just gives me a huge amount of joy. I know my son is quite proud that his mum still does things that are fun and exciting.”

Rebecca Hornblower, 52, London

A recent health scare was the wake-up call Rebecca needed to try new things in life, and so this year marked the start of her skateboarding journey. Alongside friends, who were renewing their old love for skating, Rebecca hit the skatepark in January.

Her first time skating wasn’t as terrifying as she feared. “At first I was embarrassed, but my friends are total legends. They gave me the basics and explained that everyone is always learning in skating. Everyone slams at some point. That totally changed my mindset.”

She credits her supportive friends and the community she’s discovered as the reason she’s kept skating. “I’ve never felt like I don’t fit in. We go to the skatepark on a weekday morning when there aren’t any kids around, so we meet older skaters. It blows me away how many older people skate. Everyone is always ready with advice and help if they see you struggling. It’s wonderful and completely judgement-free.”

Rebecca started attending adult lessons at London-based Skate Hub where she learnt to drop in, kick turn and do fakies (riding backwards). She highly recommends lessons for beginners as “it can take a little longer to master something because with age comes fear, and we have to overcome that too.” She now keeps her skateboarding kit in her van so she can whip it out anywhere, sometimes to indulge in her favourite pastime of cruising along a seafront promenade.

She credits skateboarding with making her more fearless. “Although I’m extremely conscious of breaking my wrists - I’m into water sports, but hitting concrete is something else – skating has made me realise I can try anything I want to,” she says.

“It’s also made me acknowledge that I don’t have to be brilliant at everything. I just have to enjoy it.” As for her grown-up kids, “they just roll their eyes at me: it’s another reason to do what I want to do!” For any midlife women keen but unsure whether they should skateboard at this age, she says, “Remember, it’s not a midlife crisis, it’s just living your best life.”

Samantha Metcalfe, 62, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire

Inspired by “badass women in California, skateboarding in cut-off denim”, Sam was a keen and fearless skateboarder as a teen. “Sadly, I gave it up after a couple of summers because I was the only girl, and it wasn’t really what girls did back then,” she says. But decades later, at 56, she traded a wetsuit for a longboard skateboard and returned to it.

On that first skate as a 50-something, Sam says, “I felt like I’d found an old friend again. Suddenly I was transported back to my youth: the feeling of freedom and playing out, it never gets old.”

Now 62, Sam knows she’s not your average skateboarder and is used to getting funny looks when she’s out and about. “Sometimes I wonder what people think, but as soon as I go out [and skate], this all fades away. I don’t care what anyone thinks. Most smile and I’ve learnt to ignore the naysayers.”

Wherever she goes, the response from the skateboarding community has been incredible. Turning up to skateparks across the UK and Europe, what starts with sceptical looks often ends in “young people holding my hand, clapping and hollering.”

She has happy memories of skating with her own sons when they were in their 20s: “I never saw that coming. They’re super proud of their mum and were the ones who encouraged me to document my skate journey on Instagram.”

Her social media presence (@justolderskate.sam) has even led to famous skaters like Tony Hawk messaging her.

She credits her active life of skateboarding, surfing, sea swimming, weights, yoga and jogging for keeping her fit, strong and happy. However, tackling tricks like big drop-ins does come with risks. “I've fallen on my head about four times, had a concussion about three times, split my lip, had black eyes, a swollen face, really hurt my arm, bruised my bottom and hips, despite all the padding.”

It was in February this year that a particularly nasty fall resulted in a fractured pelvis, humerus and another concussion. She admits that this time, it has made her nervous to return to the skatepark, for now. As she slowly builds her confidence again, she’s more than happy cruising along the seafront on her board.

For Sam, the sport is about much more than being a daredevil. “Skating is great therapy and has helped me get through many things, like the loss of my lovely mum. Once I have my feet near my skateboard, everything else peels away, and I’m in the moment.”

She loves seeing girls and women getting into the sport now, and encourages anyone to give it a go. “I never imagined such a brilliant, active life in my 60s: it’s proving to be a prime time for me,” says Sam. “Instead of slowing down, I feel like I’m actually speeding up! I’d just love to see how long I can keep doing this stuff.”

Julia Kurzeja, 65, London

At the age of 61, when she was looking for a new challenge in life, Julia stumbled across a BBC clip of Lena Salmi, one of Finland’s oldest skateboarders (who’s still skating in her 70s). Watching her was enough to inspire Julia to give it a go.

She bought a longboard as it's considered an easier board for beginners to manoeuvre and took her first lesson along a river path. “I was absolutely terrified and just couldn’t turn at all,” she remembers. “I was frightened by the smallest thing, including a terrifying pigeon that got in the way!” However, she persevered, got better and now has no problem executing classic moves such as dropping in and carving a bowl.

At skateparks, she often realises she’s the only woman among a throng of teenage boys, but she’s never embarrassed or bothered by it. “If you do it often enough, you don’t worry about it. I don’t even care anymore.”

Teenagers aside, she has connected with other older women and believes that the community is one of the best things about skateboarding. “There are lots of midlife men and women, and we all support each other and have a really good time.”

But it hasn’t always been plain sailing. She almost gave up after suffering a serious injury after just four months of skating. She came back, yet then broke her wrist doing a drop-in, an experience she describes as “horrible”. But like a boomerang, she came back again and continues to skate, chronicling her progress on Instagram (@julesbikerskater).

Julia believes skateboarding is fantastic for both her physical and mental health. “I imagine it’s something to do with the adrenaline. Also, it’s a group activity, as well as something you can do solo. You really can’t go wrong.” She adds, “My advice for midlife women, or indeed men, is you’ve just got to try it. You’ll be amazed.”

Tips for skateboarding as a beginner

Aga Wood, 52, founder of the non-profit Everyone on Boards and the London Skate Mums Collective, only started skateboarding in her mid-40s. Here, she offers sound advice for other women inspired to step onto a board later in life.

• Think ‘attitude over age’: “You’re never too old to start; it’s about the approach,” explains Aga. “[At our meet-ups] we welcome beginners and believe that age shouldn’t be a barrier. Our oldest participant is in her 70s, and seeing how much joy and confidence she gets from skating is incredibly inspiring.”
• Try a lesson: Learn the basics and build your confidence in one-to-one sessions with a skate coach if you’re nervous about going it alone. Everyone on Boards runs London-based sessions for all ages, or Skateboard GB lists skate schools and coach-led sessions for beginners across the UK.
• Find your community: Aga believes connection with supportive and like-minded people can help you take that first step. “Having somewhere you feel welcome, with other women around you, and coaches who understand that everyone starts at a different level, can make a huge difference,” she says. “Our skate jams and community events are also designed to be welcoming and inclusive, with different ages and abilities taking part.”
• Wear protective kit: Falls are inevitable, so pull on a helmet, wrist protectors, knee and elbow pads to protect you, especially when you’re just starting. Protective kit will also give you a bit more confidence to move.

Want to train your core without endless crunches and plank variations? You’re in the right place. The appeal of a strong and stable mid-section is going nowhere fast (and rightly so). I'm constantly looking for accessible and effective moves to help build mine.

With this in mind, I asked top PT and coach of over 25 years, Caroline Idiens (aka Caroline's Circuits), to share the one move she wishes she’d taught clients sooner. The one at the very top of her list? The dead bug exercise.

"While it's not a 'new' exercise per se, it is definitely one which I teach a lot more now for the core than I did 25 years ago," says Caroline. "It used to be that we only focused on moves like crunches and bicycles to target the abdominals, but things have moved on, and the dead bug is one of my favourite moves for building deep core strength.”

How to do the dead bug exercise

• Lie with your back on the mat, legs in tabletop position at a 90-degree angle.
• Engage your core and press your lower back into the mat (focus on the waistband of your leggings remaining in contact with the floor).
• Slowly extend the opposite arm and leg until they are straight, without dropping too low or arching the back.
• Come back to the centre position with knees above hips, wrists above shoulders.
• Repeat on the other side.

Expert tip: “The key to the dead bug is to keep your lower back flat down on the mat, and focus on control rather than speed,” says Caroline. “However, you can reduce this movement by keeping your legs high if you find your back arching and build up your core strength gradually.”

Deadbug exercise benefits

1. Trains core strength and stability

The dead bug is excellent for activating the deep core as well as the superficial abdominals (what we traditionally think of as the abs).

The deep core comprises four muscles: the transverse abdominis (the deepest core muscle, which wraps horizontally around our midsection to stabilise and support the spine), the multifidus (smaller, but no less crucial stabilising muscles that allow us to bend, twist, reach and so on), the diaphragm and the pelvic floor.

To achieve full core strength, it’s important to focus on these as much as (if not more than) the more obvious (and aesthetically tempting) abs.

“In my view, the deadbug is superior to standard crunches for building deep core strength,” says Caroline. “It recruits the deep abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominis, for core stability and strength. Additionally, it helps to protect your lower back by teaching your spine to stay stable while your arms and legs move.”

2. Boosts coordination and posture

A strong core and improved posture go hand in hand, and you’ll notice you'll hold yourself straighter with consistent work.

“The dead bug helps not only with coordination (mirroring everyday movements such as walking) but also can help improve posture too,” says Caroline. “Since you’re working to control your pelvic position and resist your lower back arching as the arms and legs move contralaterally, it engages and supports the muscles that keep your spine aligned.”

3. Very accessible

One of our favourite dead bug benefits? It’s suitable for pretty much everyone. “The dead bug appeals to many of us as it is low impact, joint-friendly, and easy to modify for beginners or more advanced exercisers,” says Caroline.

If you want to make it harder, you can do this exercise with a light pair of dumbbells.

4. Builds functional strength

It’s easy to think that being strong means lifting heavy and exclusively strength training, but true strength is about more than this. For midlife women in particular, our focus is best placed on what’s known as functional strength. By this, we mean being able to easily move in everyday life, whether that’s reaching, lifting, twisting, bending or carrying.

According to a study conducted by physiologist Dr Kirstie Elliot-Sale, more than half (59%) of women said being able to move through daily life comfortably and confidently is a more meaningful measure of strength than lifting maximum weight.

The deadbug is a great way to build functional strength, as it not only builds core strength but also strengthens the hip flexors and trains one of our most basic movement patterns: the hip hinge.

Tips for doing the dead bug exercise

The deadbug can easily be modified or advanced, depending on experience and ability. “You can make the move more challenging by adding in dumbbells,” says Caroline. “But be sure to start light. Try to progressively straighten the legs as long and low as possible without arching through the back.

“If you’re a beginner, I would start with bodyweight only and tap the heel to the floor, keeping your knees bent. You can also use a Swiss ball to challenge yourself further or train one side at a time to test how strong you are unilaterally.”

Not quite ready for a weighted dead bug? Work up to it by looping a resistance band around your ankles to add extra tension to the move, or pop on some ankle weights for even more spice.

Everyone starts somewhere in Pilates, and that's at the very beginning. While you might see women stretching effortlessly through a Pilates workout at home or a Reformer class today, they likely started on the mat just like everyone else.

Master Pilates Instructor Risa Sheppard has been teaching beginner Pilates classes for decades. There are a few movements she prioritises to build a good base for the practice.

"Pilates is especially beneficial because it teaches the body to work as an integrated whole, rather than focusing on strengthening isolated muscles," she tells woman&home, and it all starts with the core.

"Pilates trains the abdominal muscles to create what I call 'the centre'. Think of the centre as a 'girdle of strength' that wraps around the lower abdominals, back muscles, and buttocks. It is from where all movement flows, allowing limbs to move freely and directly."

1. Moving from your centre

Risa says beginners should prioritise movements which teach core control and how to move from your centre. “The precise, controlled movements of Pilates improve your awareness of where your body is in space. This is extremely important for balance, coordination, and overall body control.”

• Lie on your back with your knees bent. Feel your spine connected to the floor or mat.
• Lift your arms toward the ceiling, keeping your shoulders relaxed and connected to the mat, with your fingers pointing toward the ceiling.
• Focus on the area between your tailbone and pelvis and imagine a large white light at the centre of your body.
• Inhale as you slowly lower your arms out to the sides. Think of using your centre as the fulcrum from which you lower your arms. Bring your fingers back toward the ceiling as you exhale.
• Repeat 8–10 times.

2. Bird dog

The bird dog exercise builds spinal stability while introducing balance and body coordination. It’s a great exercise for beginners who are starting to improve their core strength. It also works all of the posterior chain muscles in your back without putting too much pressure on your lower back.

Resistance bands, wrist or ankle weights and dumbbells can all be added once you’ve mastered the basics.

Here's how to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees.
• Extend one leg and the opposite arm.
• Keep your pelvis level and your spine stable.
• Hold for 3–5 seconds, then switch sides.
• Repeat 5–8 times per side.

3. Pelvic press

The pelvic press, also known as a shoulder or glute bridge, is one of the most common and popular Pilates exercises. Risa explains that it “connects the abdominals with the glutes and hamstrings while teaching you to maintain pelvic control”.

Make sure you don’t arch your back while you’re doing this exercise. The core should be engaged, spine neutral, and pelvis slightly tucked under.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and parallel.
• Inhale. Tilt your pelvis toward the ceiling and slowly roll up, one vertebra at a time, until you reach approximately your waist level.
• Focus on feeling each vertebra roll up sequentially.
• Hold for a moment or two, then exhale and slowly lower back down, one vertebra at a time.
• Repeat 5 - 6 times.

Our buttocks are made for more than sitting on. Three muscles make up this area, and one of them, the gluteus maximus, is the largest in the body. We need it to be strong for everything from standing up from a chair and climbing stairs to supporting full-body stability.

Trinny Woodall has been a fitness fan for decades. She often shares her home workouts online, joined by friends and trainers. This time, she's revealed her go-to 15-minute set of glute exercises, alongside PT Nathalie Hayward.

“We need to keep [our glutes] strong and supple,” says Nathalie in the video, shared on Instagram. “So we need to do release work and stretching as well."

The warm up

Many people are prone to skiping a good warm-up in favour of getting to the workout faster, but Nathalie says that warming up muscles is "absolutely crucial".

"It prevents injury and gets your muscles prepped for movement," she says.

Here's her go-to warm up for the glutes:

• Windscreen Wipers
• Glute Bridges
• Cat-Cow Stretch
• All-Fours Leg Lifts

Once they’re fully warmed up, Trinny and Nathalie stand up on their yoga mat to begin their glute and leg exercises. The trainer suggests doing a few sets of the five-move routine to create an effective 15-minute workout.

The workout

1. Squats

Squats are a compound movement, meaning they work many muscles at the same time. In this classic squat stance, Nathalie stresses that your body weight should be "evenly balanced between both feet" to avoid doing a side lunge.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your legs together.
• Step out with one leg and squat deeply.
• Bring your legs back together and step out with the other leg.
• Continue for a minute.

2. Hamstring hinges

You'll be familiar with the hip hinge if you normally do deadlifts or RDLs in the gym. Trinny does this one with a set of dumbbells to increase the intensity but Nathalie sticks with bodyweight. It works the back of your legs and the glutes.

Here's how to do it:

• Inhale and push your hips back, keeping a soft bend in your knees.
• Pretend you're trying to hit a button on the wall behind you.
• Push back until you can feel a deep stretch through your hamstrings on the back of your legs.
• Push through your feet to return to standing.

3. Side-lying leg lifts

As well as focusing on the glutes, the side-lying leg lift recruits muscles in the upper-body as well. It's a great one for improving stability in the shoulders and back as well as you rest on one arm.

Here's how to do it:

• Lie on your side with your knees bent.
• Rest on one straight arm and keep the other arm on your hip.
• The easier variation is to just raise the top bent knee and then lower it down again.
• The harder version is to lift both hips off the mat and then raise your top leg.

4. Frog bridges

A frog bridge is very similar to a glute bridge but bringing your feet together "isolates the gluteus maximus", says Nathalie.

Here's how to do it:

• Start with the soles of your feet together and your knees bent.
• Lift the hips and gently squeeze the glutes.
• Hold the pose at the top for a few seconds before lowering back down again.

5. Reverse lunges

The final exercise in Trinny and Nathalie's workout is the reverse lunge. This one works muscles in the inner thigh, the quadriceps, and the calves, says the PT.

Here's how to do it:

• Start with both feet together.
• Step back with one leg and bend the knee as close to the mat as possible.
• Bring the leg back in and swap to the other side.

While Nathalie demonstrates the reverse lunges, Trinny demonstrates a ski squat against the wall. This is better for people who have knee issues, says the trainer, so feel free to swap out the lunges for this variation.

A ski squat is the same as a wall sit. You use the wall for stability but stay in a squat position for as long as you can.

If the Romanian deadlift isn't in your strength training rotation, it’s time to consider it. It's a real powerhouse for strengthening the back line of the body, from glutes to hamstrings and the muscles in the lower back. It also targets the core and boosts grip strength.

Known as the RDL, this strength-training exercise is a personal trainer's firm favourite. It's perfect for gym or home-based workouts for women in their 40s and beyond, as it boosts all-important functional fitness. All you need is a set of dumbbells. PT Edwina Jenner explains: “The Romanian deadlift is one of my favourite exercises for women in midlife because it strengthens the muscles along the back. These play an important part in how well we move, lift and remain physically capable as we age."

The Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge exercise, so most of the movement comes from pushing your hips backwards rather than bending at your knees, as you would in a squat, she explains.

How to do a Romanian deadlift

While the move is fairly straightforward, performing it with good form is key to maximising its benefits and keeping you free from injury.

• Stand with your feet approximately hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
• Soften your knees slightly, brace through your middle and draw your shoulders back and down.
• Standing with the weights in your hands, lower them with control, keeping your core braced and shoulders stable, and then return to standing. If it helps, imagine shutting a car door with your bottom.
• Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you lower them.
• Lower the dumbbells only as far as you can while maintaining this position. As you push your hips backwards, you will start to feel tension building in your hamstrings.
• Stop when you feel a strong hamstring stretch or when you can no longer maintain the position.
• Push your feet through the floor and then drive your hips forwards to return to standing. Finish tall. Avoid leaning backwards or thrusting your hips excessively at the top.

Expert tip: “Depth is not the goal here,” Edwina cautions. “You should be aiming to feel the tension in the back of your thighs. The dumbbells may reach around the middle of your shins as the tension builds, though this will vary depending on your mobility and body proportions.

"If you can lower the dumbbells further, check that you are not gaining extra range by rounding your back or allowing your shoulders to fall forward.”

Benefits of the Romanian deadlift

1. Strengthens the posterior chain

The Romanian deadlift is great for strengthening the back of the whole body, known as the posterior chain. This includes the calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower- and upper-back muscles.

“The RDL is particularly effective for strengthening the hamstrings and glutes, while also challenging the muscles that stabilise and support the spine,” says the PT. “These muscles support the hips and knees and help us to maintain the strength we need for everyday life.”

2. Improves posture and stability

Good posture is a challenge for many of us living increasingly sedentary lifestyles. The RDL strengthens the muscles around the spine, so it boosts alignment and helps stabilise the trunk.

Science backs this up, too. Research shows the move effectively strengthens both hip and back muscles.

3. Enhances functional strength and mobility

A strong and healthy spine is (sorry) quite literally the backbone of functional strength, and you’ll notice moves such as the RDL garner you gains not just in the gym, but throughout everyday life, too.

“Once you understand the hip hinge, tasks such as picking up heavy shopping bags, moving furniture or awkward objects or lifting something off the floor can feel much easier and more controlled,” says Jenner. “It helps us to maintain the strength we need for everyday life.”

Once you've mastered the hip-hinge, you can transfer the movement to other glute exercises, too, like the good morning and bent-over rows, making it a must-know for anyone doing weighted workouts.

4. Boosts balance

Alongside functional strength, balance becomes increasingly important as we age, supporting longevity and independence. Studies show that the ability to stand on one leg correlates with reduced all-cause mortality, and the RDL is an excellent way to challenge and improve balance.

You can also do the RDL as a single-leg exercise, raising the intensity and increasing pressure on your bones and muscles. Bring one leg back and push through your front leg only.

5. Improves hip function and mobility

Declining oestrogen levels in menopause contribute to pain, stiffness and declining mobility as we get older. The RDL is a low-impact way to strengthen and mobilise the joint to keep it moving freely.

“This move teaches us to bend and lift by moving through the hips, while keeping the trunk stable,” says Jenner. “Mastering a hip hinge becomes increasingly important as we age.”

Standard deadlift vs Romanian deadlift

A regular or 'conventional' deadlift usually starts with the weight on the floor. It also often uses a barbell, says personal trainer and women's fitness specialist Kate Rowe-Ham. “You bend your knees more and lift the weight from the ground, whereas a Romanian deadlift starts from standing. You keep a slight bend in your knees and focus more on pushing your hips back."

If you want to focus on your glutes and the backs of your legs, Kate recommends the Romanian deadlift, and the regular deadlift for those who want to focus more on the functional movement of lifting items from the floor.

“While neither exercise is specifically better, the Romanian deadlift is often a great place to start if you work out at home, because the movement is slower and easier to control," she says. "That being said, both are excellent strength exercises, and the best choice is the one that matches your goal and feels comfortable for your body.”

Forget using a watch to track your steps, workouts, sleep and stress. Smart rings are the discreet, jewellery-like wearable replacing them for millions of women around the world. Sekonda is the latest brand to create one, retailing for just £80.

Known for affordable fitness trackers to record the basics of health and fitness, Sekonda's ring is the cheapest I've seen yet from a brand with reliable sensors. Along with the essentials, it promises to deliver HRV, stress, blood oxygen and other advanced metrics into the purpose-built app.

As woman&home's resident tech expert and digital health editor, I've had all the best smart rings over the years, from the very first to the latest Oura Ring 5 and everything in between. Most retail for at least £300, so this affordable option immediately sparked my interest.

Sekonda smart ring review

Specifications

• Size: 3mm thick, 7mm wide (diameter will vary by size)
• Weight: 3.5g - 4.3g (depending on size)
• Size range: 7 - 12
• Battery life: Up to 7 days
• Waterproof: Up to 5ATM (50 metres)

What is the Sekonda smart ring like to wear?

The Sekonda smart ring packs its sensors into a plastic ring with a metallic casing, available in multiple colours. I went for the gold to match my other jewellery. Its seamless design truly blends into my other rings in both design and colour.

It's similar to other rings I've tried, so fairly chunky. You can feel it on your hand when you bring your fingers together. The only one I've tried that's thinner and effortlessly lives on my hand is the Oura Ring 5. It's a noticeable difference.

Otherwise, it's easy to wear. Charging happens in a small plastic case with a USB-C charger. While the case doesn't feel particularly premium compared to the Ultrahuman Ring Pro, for example, it's very lightweight and small, making it easy to travel with and have on the nightstand.

Fitness tracking on the Sekonda smart ring

If you're new to smart rings, the first thing to know is that they are not step counters. I've never had an accurate step count from any smart ring I've tried. While testing the Sekonda smart ring, I wore the Oura Ring and my regular fitness tracker, the Coros Pace 4, and they all gave different readings. I'd say the watch was the most accurate of the bunch. However, it's still a good way to track your movement throughout the day.

The Sekonda smart ring doesn't auto-recognise activity, so it'll pick up on your steps automatically, but to do a dedicated workout, you'll need to start it in the app.

The profiles are very specific and include exercises, like burpees and crunches, as well as workouts from walking and cycling to Zumba and wrestling. Each comes with the same three on-screen metrics: heart rate, calories, and time. For strength training, a simple improvement would be to see how many reps or sets I had done.

The data is more detailed for cardio exercises like outdoor running. Here, you'll see your duration, kilometres, heart rate, average pace, average speed, and GPS route through your phone's native maps app, which is more impressive.

The information is basic. It covers the essentials, logs that data so you can see how your fitness patterns look over time, and it does this all on a clearly readable screen. If you're looking for a smart ring to help improve your fitness and stick to an exercise routine, you can't go too far wrong with this one, especially at this price.

Health tracking on the Sekonda smart ring

The Sekonda smart ring really shines in the health tracking features, offering insights well beyond what I'd expect. On the home screen, you'll see your heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen, stress level, HRV, respiratory rate, and mood.

Take heart rate as an example. Tap into the details, and you can see your current and average heart rates, and where your resting heart rate sits on a scale. If you're showing signs of tachy- or bradycardia (a particularly high or low heart rate), the scale will flag this, and you can bring the information to your doctor. You can also see the heart rate zones you've been in through the day, including fat-burning and aerobic.

Similar insights are available for all the health tracking features, which I was very impressed by. This is advanced data that smart rings triple the price struggle to display in a clear, understandable format that the Sekonda ring does.

The only way to improve this would be to have a notification on the homepage when this data drops below average. Other smart rings use AI to monitor your health data and flag when you might be getting ill. A cold infection tends to increase your body's temperature before you even have symptoms.

Sleep tracking on the Sekonda smart ring

The sleep data on the Sekonda smart ring isn't as advanced as you'll find on others, but there's enough there to see whether you've had a good night's sleep or need to take it a little easy the following day. It covers the duration and sleep stages (deep, light, REM and awake time), how that compares to your daily goal, average heart rate, HRV, and blood oxygen through the night.

Delving deeper, you'll be able to see how this compares to your baseline, which is useful for detecting any anomalies. For example, those with sleep apnoea tend to find overnight dips in their blood oxygen and irregular breathing patterns, which the Sekona smart ring could pick up.

However, you will need to know what each of the metrics means, be able to read the graphs, and note yourself whether something looks out of range. My light sleep was flagged as being 'High' one night, but there was no additional information about what this meant. I know that means my sleep perhaps wasn't as restful as it is normally, but if you're new to the world of sleep tracking, you might not.

These days, we are all spoilt for sleep data and I am comparing metrics on the Sekonda to those rings that have in-built AI function that takes all the data and reveals what it all means in written summaries. If this ring had that capacity, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be the price it is. So, given that, it's an impressive range of sleep features. To make the most of them, you'd need to do some background work, though.

Price and availability

The Sekonda smart ring is £79.99 and available to buy directly from the Sekonda website starting today.

It is significantly cheaper than most fitness trackers, whether that be watches or smart rings. The second-cheapest tracker I'd recommend based on reliability and metrics available is the Fitbit Inspire 3, which is £84.99 at full price.

No other smart ring from a well-known brand offers reliable data like this at this price, making it an absolute steal and well worth the spend.

Is the Sekonda smart ring worth buying?

Is the Sekonda smart ring the most advanced or the most premium? No, but it offers seven days of battery life between charges and covers the essentials of fitness, health, sleep, and stress data well, even comparing daily data against a day-one baseline.

For the price tag, the features are impressive. The app is also very easy to read and understand, free to use, and the brand promises that updates are on the way, which could mean more features in the future.

It's a great choice for beginners, people new to fitness trackers, and those trading in a sporty-looking Garmin watch or Fitbit for a smart ring, thanks to its discreet design and seamless health tracking.

Helen Mirren is working as hard as ever, and that also applies to her fitness regime. The actress has been busy promoting the second series of Mobland and her new film, A Talent for Murder, but off set she’s keeping just as active.

The Hollywood star recently revealed she’s a fan of a 12-minute bodyweight workout and has been doing it for years. It might sound quite unusual, but the workout was developed in the 1950s for women in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Helen says following this program has meant she’s never needed to join a gym. It's a strength training workout anyone can do with a yoga mat, from anywhere in the world.

Dr Bill Orban, an academic and pioneer in health and fitness, created the XBX (10 basic exercises) format to encourage RCAF women to improve their fitness. It features four charts and 10 exercises, arranged in order of difficulty. The 10 exercises should always be done in the same order and for the same amount of time: 12 minutes.

A pamphlet, published in the 1960s, explaining the regime states: “The ten exercises in this booklet have been carefully selected and their manner of use has been designed to enable women to achieve physical wellbeing for optimum living.” It says the exercises have been designed to improve muscle tone, strength and endurance, as well as flexibility and heart health.

Speaking to Woman’s Weekly, Helen says: "It's an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through, it can become quite difficult. I've never gotten past the second level, but it's a nice exercise program."

How to do the XBX routine

Try it for yourself

• CHART ONE:
  • Exercises 1 to 6: toe touches, knee raises, lateral (side) raises, arm circles
  • Exercise 5: Partial sit-ups
  • Exercise 6: Chest and leg raises
  • Exercise 7: Side leg raises
  • Exercise 8: Knee push-ups
  • Exercise 9: Leg lifts
  • Exercise 10: Run and hop
• CHART TWO:
  • Chart two is the same as chart one with some substitutions.
  • Exercise 5: Rocking sit-ups
  • Exercise 9: Leg overs (side rotation back stretch)
  • Exercise 10: Run and stride jumps

What do each of the exercises mean?

You can find a detailed explanation and diagram of each exercise in the booklet, but each exercise focuses on one of the programme's goals (muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and heart efficiency).

All four charts follow the same format:

• Exercises 1 to 6: Flexibility and mobility, warm-up
  • Time: 2 minutes (30 seconds for each exercise)
• Exercise 5: Strengthening "the abdominal region and the muscles at the front of the thighs"
  • Time: 2 minutes
• Exercise 6: Strengthening the muscles in the "back, the buttocks, and the backs of the thighs".
  • Time: 1 minute
• Exercise 7: Concentrates on the "muscles of the sides of the thighs".
  • Time: 1 minute
• Exercise 8: For the "arms, shoulders, and chest".
  • Time: 2 minutes
• Exercise 9: For "flexibility in the waist and for strengthening the muscles of the hips and sides".
  • Time: 1 minute
• Exercise 10: Concentrates on the "conditioning of the heart and lungs", i.e. cardiovascular or aerobic fitness.
  • Time: 3 minutes

Starting at level one, you move through the levels until you can do the last one "without excessive strain or fatigue". Exercise time remains the same, but the number of repetitions increases with the level. This makes the exercise harder.

As Helen says she's never progressed past the second level, she'll finish her workouts on chart two, which is page 13 of the booklet.

If you're stuck for how to do the workout, you can also follow the video demonstration that appeared on Lorraine with expert personal trainer Shakira Akabusi, below.

Benefits of Helen’s XBX workout

1. It's quick

This workout takes just 12 minutes out of your day. Research in The Lancet shows that adding 10 minutes of physical activity a day could prevent up to 15% of deaths in the general population.

We can all find 10-15 minutes a day to move our bodies.

2. Anyone can do it

This 12-minute workout suits anyone, whether you’re new to exercise or you’ve been strength training for years.

Once you’ve mastered each move, you’ll be able to up the reps and perhaps add in equipment like light dumbbells.

Helen Mirren has been doing this routine for decades, showing that the fundamentals of exercising for health and longevity have not changed over the years. While she only does the first two levels, you can progress to through all four charts.

3. Improves your heart health

Regular exercise is essential for our cardiovascular health and for lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

Dr Bill Orban chose these exercises for military personnel, but they will be effective for all of us. The running, hopping and stride jumps will raise your heart rate and get your blood pumping, which is great for heart health.

4. Improves your strength

Each chart is a great full-body workout and includes compound moves. These work multiple muscles at the same time. The sit-ups and leg lifts will improve your core strength, while the push-ups are essential in any upper-body workout.

Strengthening your muscles and joints may prevent injuries, help you maintain independence, and keep you mobile and flexible with age. It will also improve your bone strength, which is essential for women who are menopausal or postmenopausal. As oestrogen levels fall, it can impact bone density and lead to health issues, such as osteoporosis.

5. Helps with weight management

Regular strength training is important for weight management, especially for women.

Moderate to vigorous exercise will burn more calories and help you lose weight, if that’s your goal.

A compound movement uses multiple muscles at once, like a squat or a lunge. If you want to get stronger, focusing on these while you're strength training is the most practical and time-efficient way to do it.

Jill Brown is a 59-year-old board-certified health and wellness coach who works primarily with women in their 40s to improve functional strength.

Her "favourite" exercise is the stiff-leg deadlift, followed by a single-leg stiff-leg deadlift, otherwise known as the Romanian deadlift. This pair of dumbbell or barbell exercises boosts lower-body strength, stability, and mobility, and teaches useful movement patterns for other exercises.

How to do Jill's deadlift duo

How to do a stiff-leg deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding your dumbbells or barbell over the middle of your feet, shoulder-width apart.
• Keep a very soft bend in your knee, but make sure not to bend them further as you move through the lift, and keep your shins vertical.
• Push your hips towards the back of the room until you feel a deep stretch through your hamstrings (behind your thighs).
• Make sure to keep your back straight.
• Push through your heels and bring your hips forward to return to the starting position.

How to do a single-leg Romanian deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbell in the hand opposite to the leg going first. A kettlebell is also suitable for this exercise.
• Move your weight onto one leg, keeping a soft bend in your knee.
• Push your hips towards the back of the room while extending your non-working leg straight behind you.
• Make sure your pelvis stays facing the floor to avoid rotating and that your back stays straight.
• Lower until your chest is close to parallel with the floor as possible, keeping the weight close to your body.
• Push through the front foot and bring your hips forward to return to the start position.

Benefits of the duo

1. Reduces risk of bone and muscle loss

Resistance training is key for women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, more so than in any other period of life. "Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) begins by our mid-30s, and the only way to slow it down or reverse it is by lifting weights," she says.

Exercises like the stiff-leg and Romanian deadlift put physical stress on the bones, triggering the production of new, bone-forming cells and increasing bone density. The same goes for muscle. Lifting weights creates tiny tears in the muscle. When these tears repair and grow, muscle grows with it.

2. Superset exercise

Doing exercises back-to-back without rest between them is known as a superset. This is a time-efficient and more intense way to lift weights. With fewer sets and more high-intensity work, your heart rate stays higher for longer, which has cardiovascular benefits.

A superset increases the time the muscle works, which means it also boosts muscle growth and endurance.

3. Great for beginners

These deadlifts teach the hinge movement. As well as being an essential one for everyday life - when you have to pick something off the floor, for example - this is used in other strength training exercises.

"It teaches you how to hinge back at the hips properly rather than bend at the spine, which protects the lower back and strengthens the glutes," she says. "It's also the first part of a squat and how we sit and stand up."

4. Helps improve balance and posture

The spinal erectors are muscles on either side of the spine. They run from the hips to the neck and are vital for maintaining good posture and full-body stability.

In this deadlift duo, you have to keep your spine level and work against gravity, which engages these muscles and forces them to get stronger.

In the single-leg Romanian deadlift, you have to balance on one leg, requiring good balance and core engagement.

5. Improves mobility and flexibility

This deadlift duo requires you to keep your legs straight as you lower the weight. Moving through this deep hinge movement stretches the muscles on the back of the body, making it a great lower-body and back exercise.

It stretches the muscles, improving mobility for other exercises and daily life, as well as flexibility.

Trinny Woodall, 62, leads a very active life but she knows how you start the day makes all the difference, and often shares videos of her routines on Instagram. Recently, she picked up a set of resistance bands.

“As we get older, we sometimes have to work a bit harder to shake off that morning stiffness and tell our bodies it's time to move,” she says. As well as working her joints and muscles, Trinny also likes to make sure she taps out any tension and “gets the lymph moving” by gently rubbing her skin. Lymph is the fluid in our bodies which removes waste from our cells and delivers nutrients.

These light, cheap, and stretchy bands might not look like much, but studies say they can be just as effective as dumbbells for building strength, muscle, and mobility, provided you make the exercise continously harder. This is known as progressive overload. Luckily, resistance bands come in different tensions, making it easy to level up when you're ready.

Trinny calls this session her "favourite travel-friendly morning workout to do" when she's away from her usual strength training and Pilates routine. "All you need are a couple of bands and around 10 minutes," she says.

1. Arm pulses

Straight out of a Pilates home workout, arm pulses not only work the arms but also the shoulders and upper back.

Here's how to do it:

• Wrap the resistance band around your wrists and hold your arms straight out in front of you.
• Pulse your arms outwards so the band becomes loose, then taut, repeatedly.
• At the same time, raise your arms up and down as you might in a lateral raise.
• Repeat the movement 10 times.

2. Side steps with Y and T

Trinny says she curls up "like a ball" when she's asleep, so she does this exercise to open up her back in the morning and strengthen her muscles. It also helps to improve hand-eye coordination, she says.

How to do it:

• Wrap the resistance band around your calves and stand with a gentle bend in your knees, legs hip-width apart.
• Step to the side as you might in a crab walk, making sure to keep the steps small.
• As you move along, combine the steps with shoulder raises, raising your arms up together (as if forming the letter 'Y') and to the sides (as if forming the letter 'T').
• Keep the band taut as you move and alternate between the Y and T positions.

3. Leg raises

Leg raises are another classic Pilates quadriceps exercise that Trinny does "every morning", with a cup of lemon tea in hand.

Here's how to do it:

• Wrap your resistance band around the bottom of your calves.
• Sit down on a chair and position your legs so they are parallel to the ground.
• Lift one leg at a time, extending at the knee. Make sure to keep the other leg on the floor and your core braced.
• Complete the exercise 10 times on each leg, then swap over.

4. Shoulder opener

Switching to a long resistance band, Trinny demonstrates a move for improving posture “at any age”, but she admits that it's "not my favourite".

"It reminds us to take breaths because we’ve opened up our chests,” she adds. "When I first do it, I'm like, oh God, help me."

Here's how to do it:

• Hold a longer resistance band, with one end in each hand.
• Stretch the band out so it's taut, and bring it in front of you so your hands are resting on your thighs.
• Raise your arms up and over your head, pulling the band as far behind your back as you can.
• With control, repeat the movement, lifting the band up and over your head 10 times.

5. Around the world

This 'around the world move' opens up your back while also stretching your hamstrings and triceps. Use the same resistance band as above.

Here's how to do it:

• Keep hold of the long band. Stand with your arms and legs totally straight.
• With control, imagine you’re drawing a circle with the band as you take it down to the side, then to your toes and back up the other side.

Following a busy summer spent with family and exploring the great outdoors, Helen Skelton is back to work - and back in her running shoes. Over the weekend, she took on the Great North Run, a 21km race, raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer Now.

"I've been lucky enough to do quite a few of these mass participation events. [You see] the best of people, the best of humanity. It makes you smile, makes you cry. It's an absolute privilege to be here. I love this event," she said.

The Morning Live and Countryfile presenter is no stranger to long-distance running, having completed an ultra-marathon and the London Marathon several times.

For this road race, she chose the Asics Superblast 3 running trainers. Having worn them myself for a recent event, I can see why. It's a bouncy shoe, designed to be comfortable enough for the pavements, but it keeps a spring in your step as the miles rack up.

Quick review

The Asics Superblast 3 is a comfortable running shoe that does what few others can, blending speed potential with real support. I trained for a 10km race in these shoes, racking up at least 30km per week to prepare for an attempt at a personal best. Pulling them on, I immediately noticed how soft the soles were, with the wedge of lightweight cushioning making it feel like I was running on clouds.

The cushioning has multiple layers, which is how it manages to blend speed with support. FF Leap foam, taken from the brand's line of proper racing shoes and so built to be lightweight with lots of energy return, makes up the top layer. FF Blast Plus foam is at the bottom. This is more supportive. Together, they hold the foot in a natural rocker shape that pushes you forward with every step.

The combination meant it was easy to pick up the pace (and I ran my fastest 10km time ever), but not so easy to run very slowly. They aren't hybrid running/walking shoes either - unlike the Asics Gel Nimbus 28. This shoe is for those who want to get faster running while minimising road impact on their joints, making them a good choice for those who've been running for a while.

The lightweight upper also keeps the shoe breathable. As I tested these in the middle of the last heatwave, it was a real advantage.

The Asics Superblast 3 is a unisex shoe, so the toe box is naturally wider than you'll find in lots of running shoes (including Helen's other favourite, the Asics Gel Kayano 33). My regular size felt a little roomier than usual, but not too big. There's also support along the shoe's sides that prevents any ankle rolling. For an overpronator like myself, this is a win.

In the race, Helen paired her Asics Superblast 3 running shoes with a pair of black running shorts, a running belt to store her nutrition and essentials for the event, a pair of bone-conduction exercise headphones, and sunglasses.

Shop Helen's look

To build strength, it's important to make an exercise continuously harder, whether that's doing more repetitions, moving on to a heavier weight, or simply doing the exercise for longer. Many people think you always have to lift heavy weights to see progress in strength training.

Jill Brown is a Level 2 Master Health Coach, fitness instructor, and nutrition expert with over 30 years of experience as a personal trainer. She says: "If you listen to many of the new midlife influencers, you think you have to lift heavy, or you're wasting your time. But there's plenty of research to show that moderate weight builds just as much muscle, and maybe more, if you do enough sets and reps to fatigue."

The key is choosing dumbbells where 8 to 12 repetitions leave you fatigued by the final few reps, she says. This is where the muscles grow.

Wondering where to start as a total beginner? Jill reveals her five go-to exercises to do at home or in the gym.

1. Stiff leg deadlift

The stiff-leg deadlift is Jill's favourite lower-body exercise. "It teaches you how to hinge back at the hips properly rather than bend at the spine, which protects the lower back and strengthens the glutes," she says.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Rest the dumbbells on the front of your legs.
• Keeping your legs straight, push your hips to the back of the room.
• Stop when you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings (back of your thighs).
• Push through your feet to return to standing.

2. Dumbbell step ups

Step-ups are a functional exercise, meaning they replicate the movements we do every day. "It’s just a simple, overall functional exercise that enhances quality of life. It will make walking up stairs with bags of groceries a lot easier," says Jill.

Here's how to do it:

• Set up a secure chair up against a wall for support or a sturdy workout bench.
• Place one foot onto the bench and push through this foot to step up.
• Pause for a moment at the top, then lower back down.
• Make sure you don't push off your bottom foot when stepping up and ensure your knee stays in line with your foot.

3. Arm bent over rows

Bent-over rows are part of many upper-body workouts, and there's a way to do them that "engages the core more while strengthening the lats, which are the big muscles on the upper back".

Here's how to do it:

• Place one knee on a workout bench and place the hand on the same side of the body on the bench in front. Bring your other foot out to the side and grab the dumbbell with your non-working hand.
• Bring your shoulder blades back and down, straightening out your weighted arm so it hangs securely next to the bench.
• Press into the bench with your non-working hand. With the other, row the weight up towards your weight.
• Complete the exercise eight to 10 times, then switch sides.

4. Lunge

Jill teaches clients "all kinds of lunges" in her workouts, as they teach you to transfer your body weight from one leg to the other while strengthening each leg independently.

How to do it:

• Stand shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Step one foot forward, bracing your core for balance.
• Bend both knees, bringing your legs parallel to the floor and your back knee a few inches off the ground.
• Push up through your front foot to return to standing.

5. Overhead press

This is another great functional exercise, says Jill. "We need to be able to put things in cabinets above our heads or in overhead bins from time to time."

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. You can also sit on a workout bench with the back propped up to support yourself.
• Bring each dumbbell to shoulder height, bracing your core.
• Turn your elbows out 45 degrees, so they are diagonally across you, rather than straight out to the sides or in front.
• Push up until your arms are almost straight, but don't lock out your elbows.
• Slowly bring them down until the weights sit level with your shoulders again.

Suranne Jones doesn't take it easy when it comes to staying fit. Strength training is the clear priority for the 48-year-old star, even with seemingly back-to-back filming schedules this year.

Murder-mystery drama Vigil is rounding up its third season tonight, where Suranne plays detective DCI Amy Silva hunting for a killer in the Arctic. The star has also been spotted filming for Doctor Foster, after a third and final season was announced earlier this year.

Limited on time, it makes sense that Suranne sticks to full-body workouts and movements that target multiple muscles at once (known as compound exercises). She also utilises the knowledge and know-how of personal trainer Louise Yerby, according to Women's Health.

Together, they use dumbbells, barbells, and bodyweight movements to achieve progressive overload. This involves increasing your weight, repetitions, or time under tension to challenge your muscles once an exercise is gets too easy. It's the only way to get stronger.

Suranne's favourite lower-body and core workout is the one below, according to the personal trainer. She does it at least once per week, prioritising "consistency over intensity".

It takes at least 35 minutes to do the workout for three rounds of eight to 10 repetitions. The weights should be heavy enough that your final two repetitions feel challenging, but you can still do them.

1. Romanian deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is a leg and glute exercise that you can do with a barbell or with dumbbells.

Many people feel this exercise in their lower back. To prevent that, make sure you keep the weights close to your body and push your bottom to the back of the room as you hinge, as if you're trying to press a button.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding your weight on the front of your thighs.
• Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades back and down. Create a soft bend in your knees.
• Slowly, push your bottom back towards the wall behind you while making sure your spine stays straight.
• As you do so, your weights will lower. Avoid lowering them past your knees - or stop once you feel a deep stretch through the back of your legs.
• Push up through your feet to return to standing.

2. Dumbbell reverse lunge

This is another lower-body exercise that helps build strength in the muscles at the back of the body, known as the posterior chain. It focuses on the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, but you'll need core strength to stabilise yourself.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Brace your core and keep your chest lifted.
• Take a big step back, landing on the ball of your foot.
• Bend both your knees, bringing your body towards the floor. Lower down until your back knee is a couple of inches from the floor, and make sure to keep your shin vertical.
• Push up through your front foot to return to standing.
• Switch sides and repeat the movement on both legs.

3. Hip thrust

You can do a hip thrust with a dumbbell or with a barbell. All you need is a bench behind you to rest your upper back on.

Here's how to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench then place your weight across your hips.
• Place your feet on the floor in front of you, about shoulder-width apart. Lift up to test position - your shins should be vertical and your knees should be parallel to the ground.
• Make sure to tuck your chin to your chest and to engage your core.
• To complete the movement, come down to the starting position. Drive up through your heels until your are parallel with the bench, squeezing your glutes at the top.
• Slowly lower your hips back down.

4. Pallof press

As a personal trainer for women in their 40s and 50s, Louise recommends the Pallof press out of all the core exercises. This is the "midlife hormone support" exercise, as it doesn't trigger cortisol (the stress hormone) like a full core workout might.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand side-on to a cable machine, with a single handle at chest height. Hold the handle with both hands at your chest.
• Engage your core and press the handle straight out.
• Make sure you don't twist your torso as you push out.
• Return to the starting position by bringing the handle back in.

5. Farmer's Carry

The farmer's carry exercise is one of the more underrated full-body exercises around. Not only does it boost core strength and stability, but it also improves upper-body and grip strength when you do it with a set of kettlebells.

Here's how to do it:

• Place a set of heavy kettlebells on the floor beside you, about hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to pick the weights from the floor. Bring your shoulder blades back and down, and engage your core to stop the weights swinging.
• Looking forward and keeping your arms straight, take short steps in one direction.
• Once you've completed your walk, put the weights down by hinging at the hips again and bending your knees.

Speaking of full-body exercises, Suranne Jones has shared that she got into the habit of doing regular planks while filming the original seasons of Doctor Foster. After discovering the exercise while raising money for breast cancer charities, she did it regularly to improve her fitness after having a baby.

“Spoiler alert. Gemma takes her clothes off at some point and I’d just had a baby. So the planking helped," Suranne told The Independent.

It's a habit she picked up again when filming the Netflix drama Hostage. To prepare for her scenes, she told the paper: "I want music on, I want Celine Dion pumping out, proper dance vibes. And then me and my make-up designer, she's [into] fitness - we started planking in the morning."

The pair would reportedly hold the plank for up to five minutes a go, but "towards the end of the job...that turned into a lot of cheese, meat and wine".

The 59-year-old Hollywood A-lister has been walking the red carpet this summer with co-star Sandra Bullock to promote their new film, Practical Magic 2.

Nicole stars in the film with Joey King, who previously shared the brutal glute exercise routine the Australian taught her on set for another film the two co-starred in. Nicole is known for doing low-impact Pilates and Lagree workouts, so it’s no wonder she’s become a pro at working these essential muscles.

“She taught me the most epic, awful butt workout I've ever learned in my life," Joey told Jimmy Fallon. "It was so intense. I was like, 'I'm a youngster. I can hang. I'm young, and I'm agile’. I thought I could hang, but I couldn't hang."

Melissa Leach, a strength and conditioning coach at Yoga-Go, says: “The glutes play a crucial role in supporting the body through everyday movement. When they’re strong, they help improve stability, posture, and overall strength. When they’re weak or underused, which is increasingly common due to sedentary lifestyles, it can place significant strain on the lower back, hips, and knees.”

Nicole's go-to strength exercises include donkey kicks, the rainbow, and fire hydrants. These make up a 15-minute glute workout, or they can be done as part of a wider session.

Donkey kicks

Donkey kicks are a great exercise for isolating the gluteus maximus and building strength in the back of the hips, helping improve lower-body control and stability, says Melissa.

Here's how to do it:

• Start on all fours, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
• Keep your core engaged and spine neutral.
• Lift one leg, keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees, and press your foot up toward the ceiling.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower back down slowly.
• Perform 10 to 15 reps per leg.

Expert tip: “Avoid arching your lower back as you lift. Focus on keeping your hips square and the movement slow and controlled,” she says. If you have any joint pain, try resting on a thick yoga mat for this exercise.

If you find it too easy, wrap a resistance band between your knee and ankle on the working leg to make it feel harder.

Rainbow

There are a couple of variations for this exercise. You can do it with a bent or straight leg, but we’re going to explain how to do the flexed-leg version below.

Here's how to do it:

• Start in an all-fours position with a neutral spine and your hands below your shoulders.
• Lift one bent leg up behind you with the foot flexed and a 90 degree angle in your knee.
• Imagine you’re drawing an arc shape with your big toe and rotate your leg in and out.
• Keep the rest of your body still, with your glutes and core engaged throughout.
• Try doing these for 30-45 seconds on each leg.

Fire hydrants

Fire hydrants are another bodyweight exercise that focuses on the glutes, while also working your hip flexor muscles and core.

Here’s how to do them:

• Start in all fours again with your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips.
• Keeping one knee bent and your foot flexed, lift the leg out to the side.
• Raise it as high as you can, without feeling a rotation in your hips.
• Lower it back down to meet your other knee.
• Repeat 10-15 times on each leg.

If you want to increase the intensity of this exercise, you can add a resistance band or put a Pilates ball behind your raised knee. This will give you a deeper glute workout. Other effective glutes exercises include the clamshell, glute bridge and bird dog.

Training the glutes (buttocks) is as important as any quadricep exercise for lower-body strength and full-body mobility. These three muscles are responsible for much of our everyday movement, including standing from a chair and walking up stairs.

Simone de la Rue is a certified personal trainer and has worked with celebrity clients like Sandra Bullock. Speaking about the star to Radar in 2011, the PT revealed how dedicated the star was to regular exercise: "She puts in an hour a day, six times a week. She's extremely motivated and driven."

When it comes to strength training, Simone says there's one exercise she "always" puts into her workouts. That's the single-leg weighted glute bridge.

In an Instagram video, the PT says that she likes this "unilateral strength exercise" more than the traditional glute bridge. "Each side has to work independently while your pelvis and core resist rotation," she explains.

If you do Pilates or regular resistance work, you’re probably already familiar with a glute or shoulder bridge. It’s an excellent glute exercise, but also builds strength in the hamstrings and core. What's more, it can be done from the comfort of your living room floor.

How to do the single-leg glute bridge

• Lie on your back with both knees bent and hip-width apart.
• Rest a dumbbell on the hip which won’t be lifting up.
• Raise your hips and lower back off the mat with your arms straight by your sides.
• Raise the leg on the unweighted side straight up above you.
• Slowly lower the leg towards the ground.
• Repeat for 8-12 times before switching to the other side.

Expert tip: “For good form, keep your ribs down and core engaged, drive through the heel of the working leg, keep your hips level, and think ‘squeeze the glute to lift’ rather than arching through your lower back," says Simone.

There are plenty of ways to make a regular glute bridge harder. Simone has chosen to use a dumbbell and make it a one-leg exercise, where traditionally it's done with both legs on the floor.

Speak to a PT or physio if you have any lower back problems or aren’t sure how to do this exercise properly.

Benefits of the single-leg glute bridge

1. Builds strength

Doing a weighted glute bridge is a one-way ticket to better strength, as "adding weight gives you a way to progressively overload the glutes as you get stronger", the PT says.

Progressive overload essentially means making an exercise harder once you become strong enough to do it easily. You can do this by adding more resistance (like weight), changing your form (doing it with one leg), or increasing the number of times (repetitions) you do.

2. Better pelvic stability

One of the key benefits of the one-legged glute bridge is "improved pelvic or core stability", says Simone. The pelvis and core act as a foundation for many movements, both those done in exercise and daily life, so having strong ones is essential.

It also helps improve posture and may reduce the risk of lower back pain.

3. Irons out imbalances

Most people are stronger on one leg than the other, and the one-legged glute bridge can help iron this out as it forces each leg to work independently.

If you're a keen walker, runner, or cyclist, this is especially beneficial to add to your routine with knee exercises to prevent injury.

These simple rubber bands may be half the cost and a fraction of the size of a pair of dumbbells, but they can be just as effective for strength training. You don't need to spend hours with resistance bands to get stronger either - even a 10-minute workout can help.

"Barbells, dumbbells and machines are great for building strength, but resistance bands are also an effective tool as they put muscles under tension, which elicits growth," explains Samantha Cubbins, a certified strength and conditioning coach with 20 years' experience, who works with Gymshark. "Some studies have even found that resistance bands lead to similar strength gains to dumbbells or weight machines when used efficiently."

Wondering where to start? Samantha has created this 10-minute resistance band workout from scratch. It works the upper and lower body in equal measure, and also helps improve grip strength. You'll need two resistance bands for this: a short one and a long one.

10-minute resistance band workout

1. Squats

Squats are known as a compound movement, which means they work multiple muscles at once. You'll find it's a real glute and quadriceps exercise, focusing on the lower-body muscles in the buttocks and legs.

Here's a reminder of how to do a squat with a resistance band:

• Stand shoulder-width apart with the band under your feet on one end, the other end in your hands.
• Bring the band to shoulder height, holding it comfortably and securely.
• Sit back into your squat, making sure that your knees track in line with your toes as you come down. Try to come parallel to the floor.
• Push through your feet to return to standing.

2. Glute bridges

As a glute exercise, these bridges work all three major muscles in the buttocks. Strong glutes help with everyday movement, like standing up from a chair or climbing the stairs. You might recognise this exercise if you've done a lower-body Pilates workout before.

Here's how to do a glute bridge with a resistance band:

• Lie on your back with knees bent, resistance band wrapped around your legs, just above the knee. Your feet should be directly underneath your knees, arms at your sides with your palms down.
• Exhale and press through your whole foot, lift your hips. Think about driving the hips toward the ceiling by squeezing the glutes.
• Pause for a moment at the top, squeeze your glute.
• Come back down.

3. Clam shells

Clam shells are also one of the best glute exercises. As you might guess, the name comes from how your legs open and close, so you'll need a short resistance band for this one.

Here's how to do the clam shell exercise with a resistance band:

• Lie on your side with the resistance band wrapped around your legs, just above the knee. Bring your knees towards your chest.
• Stack your knees and hips on top of each other.
• Lift the top knee towards the ceiling as high as you can, making sure your hips don't roll back. Keep your feet together.
• Repeat the movement on one side then swap over.

4. Bicep curls

Moving on to the upper-body workout exercises. "You can do this during a wall sit for added heat," says Samantha.

Here's how to do a bicep curl:

• Stand on the resistance band so it sits under the middle of your feet. Hold the other side with both hands. Keep a soft bend in your knees and engage your core.
• Pin your elbows tight to your body, bend your elbows, and curl the dumbbell towards your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still.
• Hold at the top for a moment and then slower lower back down.

5. Seated row

For the seated row, a back exercise, you'll need to get down onto the floor and hook your long resistance band securely around your feet. Some packs come with a door anchor that you can thread through a closed door for more reach.

Here's how to do a seated row with a resistance band:

• Sit on the floor with your legs slightly bent at the knees, holding one end of the resistance band. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders back, and arms straight.
• Keeping your elbows close to the sides of your body, pull the band towards your waist.
• Pause for a moment as the band reaches your waist, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Return slowly to the starting position and repeat the movement.

Does a 10-minute resistance band workout really improve strength?

Yes, Samantha says that even if you can only do a 10-15 minute workout routine each day, using resistance bands on top of regular bodyweight exercises can help boost your overall strength and mobility.

To get stronger, you need to be progressively overloading. That means making an exercise harder - either by increasing the weight, how long it takes you to do it, or the number of times you do it. As you push through, tiny tears form in the muscle fibre. As these heal, you get stronger.

“For notable muscle growth, your muscles need to be placed under tension - using resistance bands or free weights - continually," adds the PT. "Frequency is important too. I would recommend aiming to use resistance bands daily to notice a real difference over time, if this is your main method to improve strength."

Bones need load to get stronger. Recently, some experts have suggested that jumping workouts - like doing 50 jumps every day - are a good way to load up the skeleton to improve bone density.

It's not wrong. Women lose up to 20% of their bone density in the years after menopause, and jumping is a high-impact exercise that helps create bone-forming cells in the body. When you land, the strain on the legs, hips, and spine triggers the creation of cells called osteoblasts. These cells help improve bone density over time.

However, not everyone can jump around easily. Phil Evans is a chartered physiotherapist who has spent more than 20 years working with women over 50. He says that simple bodyweight workouts are a good starting point if you're new to strength training or struggling with your balance.

1. Sit-to-stand

The sit-to-stand exercise is very similar to a squat, but it doesn't require the same stability. It strengthens the thighs and glutes, muscles you rely on every time you get out of a chair or climb the stairs. "Strong legs also make you steadier on your feet, which helps to prevent falls," says Phil.

How to do it:

• Sit towards the front of a chair with your feet underneath your knees.
• Lean forward slightly and stand up using your legs rather than pushing through your hands.
• Slowly lower yourself back into the chair.

Expert tip: Pay as much attention to sitting down as standing up, says Phil, who is also the founder of Urban Body and author of Built to Last After 50.

"A lot of people get halfway down and then drop into the chair. Try to lower yourself slowly over three to five seconds and stay in control," he says.

2. Step-ups

Step-ups combine weight-bearing exercise with strength, balance, and control on one leg, says Phil. "I like them because they're a movement you actually use in everyday life. Every time you climb stairs, step onto a kerb or walk uphill, you're asking one leg to support and lift your body."

How to do it:

• Use the bottom step of your staircase and hold the bannister if you need support.
• Place one foot fully onto the step, move your weight over that leg and push through your heel to step up.
• Step back down slowly and repeat before changing sides.

Expert tip: Keep your foot, knee, and hip roughly in line, rather than allowing the knee to collapse inwards, he says. "Focus on pushing through the leg that's on the step rather than pulling yourself up with the other leg."

3. Wall press-ups

Bone health isn't just about your hips and legs. "A wall press-up gives your upper body some load to work against while strengthening your chest, shoulders and arms. It's also easy to adapt for someone who isn't comfortable getting onto the floor for a traditional press-up," says Phil.

Here's how to do it:

• Stand facing a wall with your hands around shoulder height and slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Step your feet backwards, keep your body straight and slowly bend your elbows to bring your chest towards the wall before pushing yourself back out.

Tips for better bone density

• Make the exercises harder: Phil says these movements shouldn't stay easy forever. "Your body adapts to what you ask of it, so once an exercise becomes comfortable, give it a little more to do."
• Add weights: "These exercises are a good place to start, but improving bone strength requires your body to be challenged progressively over time," he says. Do the same movements with dumbbells to make them harder, increasing the weight over time.
• Develop your balance: "Stronger legs and better balance also make you steadier on your feet, which helps reduce the risk of the fall that causes the fracture in the first place."
• Start where you are: Whether you've never done regular exercise or you do it all the time, everyone starts somewhere with resistance training. "Just keep building," says Phil.

Almost like clockwork, Apple releases a new Apple Watch every year. Every year, a few new design and software features make me hover over the 'Buy Now' button. But is it always worth upgrading?

With a new release on the horizon, I went back and re-tested the Apple Watch Series 11, which came out in 2025, for one month. I used it as my primary fitness tracker for the month, recording all my steps, workouts, and nights of sleep, and I made sure to use the extensive smartwatch features.

One month in, and I'm very interested to see what's coming on the newest watch since the Apple Watch Series 11 has almost everything you could ever need.

Apple Watch Series 11 review

A quick overview

The Apple Watch Series 11 came out in September 2025 in two sizes (42mm and 46mm) and two materials (aluminium or titanium). Along with the standout software features I found below, the watch has an improved design. The screen has double the scratch resistance of the previous model, it's thinner, and it has a larger battery, which means there's more life between charges.

As standard, you'll get daily movement insights, such as step count and predicted calorie burn. Activity rings haven't gone anywhere, and you'll get hundreds of workout modes. In each of these, you'll get insights related to that activity. For example, you'll see your distance, speed, and duration in a running workout. You can also customise these screens on the Series 11, so they show what you want to see.

Apple Watch remains one of the best smartwatches as well. Basically, anything you can do with an iPhone, you can do on the Apple Watch Series 11. But now, you can do it with 5G connectivity, which means you can leave your phone at home with full confidence that you're connected.

Having also tested the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Series 10 in-house, I've seen what's new in the device over the past two releases. Comparing them to the Apple Watch Series 11 has been interesting. I found most features peaked in the Series 9, especially in workout data and functionality, since this model launched the Double Tap and Smart Stack.

However, many in the Series 11 make it a worthwhile upgrade from either of these two - and certainly it's one to hang onto for a few years if you already own it.

1. Sleep Score

Sleep Score might be old news for some brands, but it's new to the Apple Watch Series 11, and it's impressively accurate. I've always found the best thing about Apple is that they won't be the first to do something, but when they do, it'll be among the, if not the, most accurate.

Simply wear the watch to sleep, and you'll get a detailed overview of your night in a score from 1 to 100, including sleep stages (light, deep, REM), consistency (compared to the last 13 nights), and interruptions (how long you were awake for).

I found the data to be spot on, and the insights in the Apple Health app were easy to follow. They aren't as extensive as you'd get on the Oura Ring 5, for example, but if you're looking to understand your sleep and recovery, it's all you need to improve your sleep.

You don't have to take my word for it, either. The Wall Street Journal reviewed several popular devices at the Harvard Sleep Lab and found that the Apple Watch was the most accurate sleep tracker of the bunch. It also scored points in heart rate monitoring during workouts.

2. Quick charging

Less than 3 days of battery life between charges is pretty standard for smartwatches like this, and you'll find similar lifespans on the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Google Pixel 5. However, it's still my main gripe with the Apple Watch. I always feel like I have to give something up when using it, as I have to take it off to charge it when I could be recording my sleep, logging steps, or using the smartwatch features.

The Apple Watch Series 11's battery only lasts 24 hours with normal use - or 38 hours in Low Power Mode.

That said, the Apple Watch Series 11 has a new feature, so this isn't so much of a problem: quick charging. You can get 8 hours of life in just 15 minutes on the charger. This was a lifesaver for me on a few nights when I found my battery was almost flat, but I was just about to go to bed (and record my sleep). While I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed, I charged my watch and had enough power to see me through my eight hours.

It's an underrated battery life hack that I haven't seen too many people talk about. If you're thinking of swapping out your Series 11 for the battery life, try this first.

3. Vitals app

The Apple Watch Series 11 has a few new health features worth shouting about, but I found that the Vitals app was the most useful to me, and the one I started looking at more than any other.

Once I'd worn the watch for seven nights, I got my baseline vitals. This includes heart rate, respiratory rate, skin (wrist) temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep duration. For the first few weeks, nothing happened. Then one Monday morning, the watch flagged that my resting overnight heart rate and skin temperature were higher than usual. I got a notification, and two days later, I got a cold.

As well as potentially flagging longer-term health issues (like sleep apnea), I found this very useful for letting me know I was getting ill before I got the symptoms. It didn't change anything, but it did mean I had time to change my schedule for the week and stock up on zinc.

Hypertension monitoring is another worth noting. If you have concerns about your heart health, the heart rate sensor on the Apple Watch Series 11 can pick up irregularities and flag them to you.

Neither feature is for diagnostic use, but they can tell you there's potentially an issue and provide data your doctor may find useful for diagnosis.

4. Smart Stack suggestions

I've worn a lot of smartwatches over the years. Recently, I weighed up the Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch won. It is really the best smartwatch out there if you have an iPhone.

Smart Stack was released on the Series 9, but it's got a major upgrade on the Series 11. It's now smarter and takes your location and routine into account and suggests widgets that'll be most useful in that moment. It really pleasantly surprised me when I first saw it, and it has made a noticeable difference to my day.

Instead of just being a collection of personalised widgets, the Series 11 brings up what that moment calls for. For example, I was at the airport recently. My smart stack noticed my location and put my wallet, where I had my boarding pass, at the top. When I get to the office, another regular location, my calendar automatically moves to the top. This is so helpful when I'm inevitably juggling a coffee, my laptop, and phone, and trying to find where my meeting is. It's a small thing, but it made a big difference for me.

5. Custom workouts

If you like working out, know it's important for your health, and want to stay (or to start being) consistent in your exercise routine, with a good amount of data to combine through, then the Apple Watch Series 11 is an excellent option.

In my view, the workout features peaked on the Series 9, but one new one stood out to me: custom workouts. On the watch, you can create a workout (e.g. running, cycling, walking, etc) based on your desired duration, calorie burn, or distance. You can also add a warm-up, cool-down, or interval duration. This knocked it into my list of best running watches as it's a personalised approach to working out and helps make it easier to exercise. Only want to run for 30 minutes? Set the workout duration and go - you'll be told when your time is up.

Workout Buddy is another worth trying. This AI feature will give you a pep talk at the beginning of your workout, shout out achievements as you go (like distance markers) and generally encourage. It wasn't for me, but if you need a little motivation on your next walking workout, give it a go.

Training Load - introduced in Series 10 - remains, which is great for anyone who needs more insights into the intensity and duration of their training. It can help you decide whether you need to make your workouts harder or take it down a notch. It elevated the Apple Watch as a fitness tracker, bringing it in line with sport-specific devices like the best Garmin Watches.

Is the Apple Watch Series 11 still worth buying?

Yes, the Apple Watch Series 11 is certainly worth buying if you're in the market for an Apple Watch before the new year. I've been reviewing fitness trackers for over six years now, and this one pops up in almost every round-up I've written, whether it's the best sleep trackers or running watches.

The new smartwatch, battery life, workout, and design features make it a standout among recent releases.

Given that it's almost a year old now, you may also be able to find a saving on the Apple Watch Series 11. I've found the following:

It's been a big year for Google, which released its first Fitbit in years and then the latest Pixel Watch within just months of each other, leading to natural comparisons between the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5.

Anyone who looks at these devices can see one big difference (two if you look at the price tags), but after testing them both for a few weeks, I learnt these potentially had more in common than just being on my list of the best Fitbits.

I put both the Fitbit Air and Google Pixel Watch 5 through their paces, doing my usual 8,000 steps a day, multiple running and strength workouts, nights of sleep, and daily movement.

Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5

Specifications

Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5: A quick overview

The key difference between the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5 is purpose. One (Fitbit Air) is a genuinely reasonably priced fitness tracker, designed to sit and work discreetly on your wrist while you go about daily life. It'll record your steps, workouts, sleep, and stress all in the background. It's less advanced than the Google Pixel Watch 5, but it's also a third of the price.

The other (Google's Pixel Watch 5) is a premium smartwatch. It's designed to be your left-hand woman throughout the day, and it's designed to provide advanced insights into your wellbeing, from exercise to heart health.

That said, those insights are very, very similar, as they both use the Google Health app. They are especially similar if you sign up for the Premium version of the Google Health app at an additional cost of £7.99 per month (or £79.99 per year). Read on to find out just how similar, and how to choose between the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5 for your next upgrade.

Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5: What are they like to wear?

The most obvious difference between these two devices is the design. The Fitbit Air is a lightweight, screenless band with a stainless steel buckle. The sensor sits over the wrist, tucked under the nylon band, which is secured with Velcro. The Pixel Watch 5 is undoubtedly more premium, with a domed full-colour screen housed in aluminium with a comfortable silicone strap.

During testing, I noticed that the Google Pixel Watch 5 was more comfortable to wear. While the Fitbit Air is more discreet and can sit next to a small, regular timepiece, looking like a sporty bracelet, it is a little bulkier than I was expecting, and the Pixel Watch doesn't have the same rough-feeling material against the skin.

The Google Pixel Watch 5 has a raised face, but it also sits flush against the wrist, more so than other smartwatches I've tested, so I found it barely noticeable during the day or while I was on my walk. The screen has a default always-on mode, but you can turn this off, so it only comes to life when you purposefully raise your wrist.

That being said, you can wear the Fitbit Air on other parts of the body - such as around the ankle or arm - and you can't do this with the Pixel Watch. It would be inconvenient at best and impossible for most.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5 is more comfortable, but it depends on your preference

Fitness tracking on the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5

If your main goal in buying one of these devices is to improve your fitness, the Fitbit Air is a great choice at under £100, saving you money you can spend on signing up for the Premium version of the Google Health app.

It does all the basics you can expect from even the cheapest Fitbit (like recording workouts, step count, calorie burn, heart rate, and sleep data) so excellently that it knocks basically any other Fitbit out of the water. Instead of viewing these insights on your watch, you see them in the Google Health app, where you'll get a Gemini-created rundown of your day and activities, highlighting wins and areas to improve. You can also create workouts or take suggestions from a pre-made plan based on your fitness goals, and send those workouts to your watch to follow.

It automatically picked up my walking workouts, too, so didn't have to take my phone out to get going. It truly works alongside you. I was so impressed during testing. I could leave the Fitbit Air on my wrist to tick along throughout the day, and on some days, the only times I opened the app were in the morning and at night. But there all my data was, ready to dive into, with full insights available. It's a hands-off, refreshing way to incorporate health insights into daily life.

All this is true, unless you're a runner or want to see your step count on your wrist as you walk (it updates as you go in the app). Then the Fitbit Air lacks one basic feature: a screen. This isn't a running watch, but the Google Pixel Watch 5 could be. It has all the same fitness-tracking features as above, but you can also see the details on your wrist. This is pretty essential if you're doing a workout where you need to see your distance, pace, and how long you've been moving. Of course, if you're a casual jogger, you may be able to go without this.

Winner: Fitbit Air - unless you want a watch for running workouts

Sleep and health insights on the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5

The Pixel Watch 5 is packed with new health features, including a Blood Pressure Trend report, insulin monitoring, and a Sleep Disturbances report. It's as much an independent health monitor as a smartwatch and fitness tracker, comparing your everyday vitals to your baseline and flagging any potential issues.

Many of these aren't available on the Fitbit Air, but some are supported, such as the Blood Pressure Trend reports. It's not a blood pressure reading, but rather insights from an algorithm that compares your data with insights from half a million users and 60 billion hours of heart rate data, so it seems very accurate, and it can flag if your blood pressure is starting to trend upwards.

Insulin Resistance Trend can also be found on both the Fitbit Air and the Google Pixel Watch 5. It's designed as an early detection tool, a non-invasive way to track whether your metabolic health is ticking along normally, using insights from your sleep, fitness, and manually-added nutrition data.

And naturally, as you're not looking at the screen of your Google Pixel Watch 5 while you're asleep, the fact that all the data is in the app makes no difference, whatever device you're using. It's also almost the same data, including sleep stages, duration, and AI insights into the quality of this sleep, but it doesn't have the Sleep Disturbances report, which is exclusive to the Google Pixel Watch 5, for now.

So the Google Pixel Watch 5 has the edge here, but for how much longer, as Google has provided Fitbit Air users with the same sleep data and similar health metrics?

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

Smartwatch features on the Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5

The Google Pixel Watch 5 is a smartwatch, so it's the better option for Android users looking for a digital assistant to help as much at home and in the office as in the gym. The Fitbit Air doesn't have a screen, so it lacks basically all smartwatch functionality.

The Google Pixel Watch 5 is maxed out with Google connectivity. You can pay for a coffee with Google Pay, check out your calendar for the week, set a timer, use your camera remotely, make phone calls, return texts, and so much. Thanks to the improved integration with Gemini, you can also do most of these without touching a single button.

Proactive Suggestions takes into account key information like location, calendar, and messages to display what you actually need. For example, when I was testing the watch, I went to get on a train. My ticket popped up from the app so I could tap through the gate without getting my phone out.

Gesture-led actions came about on the Pixel Watch 3 but they are new and improved for the 5. You can pinch your fingers together to start and stop workouts, answer phone calls and text, and more.

Winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5: Battery life

The Fitbit Air can last for seven full days and nights on a single charge. The Pixel Watch 5 lasts just 30 hours (on the 41mm option), which is a huge difference. Undoubtedly, the screen and smartwatch features are to blame for the difference, but it seems to be a persistent problem with smartwatches of this calibre. The Apple Watch Series 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 have it too.

It makes a difference in daily life. With the Pixel Watch, I found I had to keep taking it off to charge, which meant I didn't have it when I wanted to go for a workout, log steps, or go to sleep. 15 minutes on the charger can get you a full night of battery and more, but it's still a delay.

The Fitbit Air works quietly in the background, maintaining battery and ticking along.

Winner: Fitbit Air

Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5: Battery life

The Fitbit Air is £84.99, and the Google Pixel Watch 5 is £369, available from the Google Store or third-party retailers like Amazon.

Both are new devices, so I don't expect them to go on sale for a long while, but I'll keep an eye out for deals in the winter seasonal sales all the same.

This is obviously a huge difference - and that difference is reflected in the features. I remain impressed by the Fitbit Air. Its wearability, connectivity to the Google Health app and price are all excellent and offer real value in the world of £300+ fitness trackers. Gym lovers, step-count obsessives, and sleep trackers will be over the moon with it. However, it doesn't offer the vast array of features that the Google Pixel Watch 5 does, and if you're looking for any smartwatch capabilities (right down to setting a timer), then it will be the better option by miles.

Winner: Fitbit Air

Fitbit Air vs Google Pixel Watch 5: Which is better?

The Google Pixel Watch 5 is the better all-round fitness tracker and smartwatch, with so many impressive features that I'd be here for hours going through them all. At £369 (with the optional £7.99 Google Health Premium subscription), it is a serious investment.

You can still buy the Google Pixel Watch 4, and it'll be cheaper than the newer model. It has many of the same smartwatch and health tracking features, given it also supports the new Google Health app. As a good middle ground, it's also worth having a look at the Fitbit Charge 6.

The Fitbit Air will be the better option for some people, however. If you're on a budget, you can't do much better for the insights this device offers - even with the free version of the Google Health app.

Overall winner: Google Pixel Watch 5

When you’re trail running or hiking for hours, the last thing you want is tired feet slowing you down, but a thick midsole isn’t always ideal for rough ground. In recent years, many trail shoes have adopted the higher midsole stack found in road running shoes, but without careful design, they can feel like you’re running on stilts.

I recently packed the plush Nike ACG Zegama Trail shoes for a trip to Chamonix, where I hiked and ran on steep and rocky trails for three days. I loved the combination of comfort and capability. With ultra-soft midsoles, a breathable upper, and great grip, I hiked and ran in comfort, whether I was facing hot sun or torrential rain.

As an outdoors journalist, hiker and trail runner, I’ve tested dozens of the best trail running shoes over the years – including a few from Nike – and ACG Zegamas really stand out. I can run or walk for miles in them without aching feet or rubbing. They’ve managed to cram in a lot of foam underfoot without making me feel totally disconnected from the trail. I might think twice about wearing them for running on very rocky trails, but for gravel roads and long days I can hardly think of a comfier shoe.

Nike ACG Zegama Trail review

Specifications

• Size range: 3 - 9.5
• Weight: 247g per shoe
• Stack height: 38 mm - 34 mm
• Heel-to-toe drop: 4 mm
• Lug depth: 4 mm
• Waterproof version available: Yes

What are the Nike ACG Zegama Trail shoes like for running?

I previously tested the Nike Zegama 2 trail shoes, and I found them to be a bit sweaty and lacking room for my high arches. The ACG (All Conditions Gear) model is a noticeable upgrade in both departments. As soon as I pulled them on, I was struck by how spacious and soft they felt underfoot.

I tested them in the white/orange colourway, which, like most Nike shoes, looks really nice, but I always have to question the wisdom of making trail shoes in white. As it turned out, my first jaunt in them ended with an alpine thunderstorm, and despite a good scrubbing, I now own these in brown/grey.

Nike has the super maximalist approach here, using 38mm of super soft ZoomX foam under the heel. It was enough cushion for me to comfortably run on the roads through Chamonix town centre to reach the trail. That said, it doesn’t behave exactly like a high-stacked road shoe, and that's not a bad thing.

Without a carbon plate, the foam feels quite soft rather than super springy, and even though it’s thick, the lack of a rock plate meant that I was still aware of the roots and rocks on the trail. The longest I’ve run in these in one go is 12k, so this hasn’t posed a problem and means I feel I can respond quite well to what I’m running on, but for longer distances I wonder if I’d start to regret the lack of underfoot protection?

It’s no secret that a very high stack shoe can feel a little wobbly, but the low heel-to-toe drop of just 4mm helps counteract the height and creates a much more stable feel that I really enjoy running in. The result is a smooth ride, and even though I’d still choose a more moderate shoe for very uneven trails, I’m not worried about turning an ankle on the level.

The fit is also much improved on previous editions, with tons of room around my toes for comfort. The pair I’m testing is a half size up from my normal size, but if I lace them up well, I can achieve a good fit around my midfoot for stability, and my heel stays locked in place, which definitely increases my confidence.

Another feature I like more than usual is the stretchy ankle cuff to keep grit and debris out. In other shoes, like the Keen Seek trail running shoes, I have to wrestle my foot in, but Nike has a big pull tab. This makes it really easy to put them on. They didn't rub even when my sock slipped down.

The cuff perhaps works better because it’s woven into a more traditional tongue and lacing system, which all works together to provide support without causing pain on the top of my foot.

They could use a lace garage - a spot to tuck away laces - as I find my laces come untied on overgrown trails, and they do lack a little protection around the toe box. I discovered this when I tripped on a tree root. That said, because I’m more likely to save them for straightforward trails and gravel paths, these technicalities shouldn’t pose a problem.

What are the Nike ACG Zegama Trail shoes like for hiking?

Chamonix’s trails are so steep that any run there involves quite a bit of hiking, which gave me a good opportunity to test out the versatility of these shoes, and though I wouldn’t necessarily have guessed it by looking at them, I think they are also among the best walking shoes.

The Vibram rubber outsole has deep lugs arranged in a multi-directional pattern, which meant I stuck to the trails even when they turned to slop in the rain as I was coming down a particularly steep, rooted section.

The uppers are mesh fabric on the outside, and a sock liner on the inside. I found that makes for a really breathable shoe on a hot day, but one that doesn’t feel as though my feet will freeze when the weather turns colder. They did get soaked through when I got caught in the rain, but that didn’t cause me any rubbing. I didn’t have any newspaper on hand to stuff them with, but they were only a little damp the next morning, and not unpleasant to wear again.

The roomy fit around the toe box is ideal for hiking. I find that the longer I’m on my feet, the more my feet swell, and I’m never worried about rubbing or pinching in these shoes.

Also, the very slight rocker sole means that when I did find reasonably flat sections, I was rolling through each step for a very nice, smooth experience. Honestly, the only thing that would give me pause about packing them for a hiking holiday is that they’re quite big. They take up more room in my suitcase compared to the Merrell Morphlite, for example. Saying that, they’re shoes I’d probably be happy to wear to the airport.

Who should buy the Nike ACG Zegama Trail shoes?

These shoes are on the heavier side. Though I didn't notice on the trail, I might not recommend them for racing or speed days. I think they’re a great pick for anyone enjoying longer runs on more straightforward trails, on a mix of trail and road, or who wants technical capability but won't sacrifice comfort.

If you’ve gone all in on the plush feeling of a maximalist shoe and want room for your toes to splay, you’ll really love the all-day comfort of these shoes. But as always, I’d warn you to watch your step on tricky terrain as so much stack could be an invitation to turn an ankle.

Are the Nike ACG Zegama Trail shoes worth buying?

Priced at £154.99, these shoes are a little cheaper than the Zegama 2s, objectively better, and quite competitive for such a technical pair of shoes.

You get a lot for your money, and as long as you’re clear that these are a plush ride for a long, slow day and not a snappy, responsive shoe, you’ll be very happy with them. Also, they look great.

It's been a big few weeks for the world of fitness trackers, and the Google Pixel Watch 5 is the latest to come across my desk. As woman&home's digital health editor, I've been testing these watches for the past six years.

While I've often included Google Pixel Watches in my round-up of the best Fitbits since they used the original Fitbit app to store and display health data, there's a new one now. The introduction of the Google Health app has brought them into a world of their own, and it's better than ever before.

The Google Pixel Watch 5 also comes with new and improved fitness insights, sleep monitoring, AI integration, and smartwatch features. It's truly an all-singing, all-dancing digital companion for every part of life. Now, if only they could make the battery last longer.

Google Pixel Watch 5 review

What is the Google Pixel Watch 5 like to wear?

The Google Pixel Watch 5 sits flush on the wrist. I tested the smaller 41mm option and found it to be very comfortable and unobtrusive during my daily life. For those who want a larger screen or have larger wrists, the device is also available in a 45mm option.

Each comes with a choice of two silicone bands. These interlock like the old-school Fitbit Infinity bands, so they feel secure and stay out of the way.

I've also tested the Google Pixel Watch 3 and Watch 4, so I immediately noticed that the design hasn't changed all that much. There are new watch faces to try - should you choose the Modular face, you'll find the display of steps, active minutes, heart rate, etc is clearer to read.

Fitness and workout tracking on the Google Pixel Watch 5

Since releasing the Google Pixel Watch 4, the brand has introduced Google Health. I first tested it on the Fitbit Air and was very impressed by the new health and fitness features. For example, with the Premium subscription, you can use Gemini to create a workout plan based on your goal, and the weekly overview will prescribe workouts to follow. It's a genuine improvement. Rather than simply logging workouts, it tells you how to improve your routine and actually improve your fitness.

I took the watch out running a few times as well, and I found it clearer to read than many other devices. I also liked how you can customise the data screens to display the information you want first.

When the Google Pixel Watch 5 launched, I heard about a strength training feature that would let you take a workout suggestion (or create your own) and send it to your watch. You'd be able to log reps and sets and follow along with the workout, as you can already with the cardio workouts. Google says this is launching in September, so I'm keeping an eye out, as this will be the first smartwatch of the calibre to do so.

My only comment would be that watches like the Coros Pace 4 have been doing this for ages, and even better, you can start a workout on your watch and record the reps, sets, and rest time. With strength training more popular than ever before, it seems like a miss from such a tech giant.

The GPS tracking has also improved for city dwellers like myself, with double the accuracy in urban environments. While you may be better off with a Garmin watch in the deep countryside, for trails and city running or walking, this is a big win. I like to run through areas with high-rise buildings, and where many of my running watches have lagged or completely disconnected from GPS, this one held firm.

Sleep tracking on the Google Pixel Watch 5

Sleep tracking features on the Google Pixel Watch 5 mostly sit in line with previous models, but they are more accurate - by as much as 15% for sleep stage accuracy, according to the brand. There's also a Smart Wake Alarm. With this, the watch buzzes to wake you up at the ideal time in the morning based on your sleep stages.

There's also a new feature that provides insights into your breathing patterns during the night. The Sleep Breathing Quality metric in the Google Health app is useful if you're concerned about conditions like sleep apnea. While it can't diagnose, it will flag breathing disturbances and create a monthly overview of patterns, which you could then take to your doctor.

You'll see standard insights, including duration and quality of sleep, too. The design of the Google Health app makes viewing all of these easy to understand, even if you're totally new to tracking your sleep.

Smartwatch features on the Google Pixel Watch 5

What makes the Google Pixel Watch a great choice for Android users and the natural pick for anyone with a Google phone is its smartwatch features. Almost anything I can do with my Google Pixel 11 phone (which came out at the same time as the watch), I can do on my watch. This includes making a phone call, texting, using third-party apps like Spotify through my workout headphones, setting an alarm, or creating a route on Google Maps. It even has a torch.

Naturally, Gemini and the Google Pixel Watch 5 go hand in hand. While the AI companion was introduced on the previous version, it's improved here massively and has become scarily helpful. Proactive Suggestions is the biggest upgrade in my view. This takes into account key information like location, calendar, and messages to display what you actually need. For example, when I pulled up to the train station recently, my ticket popped up from the app on my watch so I could just tap through the gate without having to get my phone out.

It's also more hands-free than previous models. Gesture-led actions are something that many smartwatches have done before, but I've only ever really used them when testing previous models of this watch. I started using them more on this device, and then I used them for everything I could. Most often, I raised my wrist to speak to Gemini, gave it instructions (like 'Open a running workout') and then pinched to start it, pause it, and end it. I found my pacing and distance were more accurate than if I'd stopped and done it manually.

It might not sound like much, but when I started doing it in everyday life, it was game-changing. For example, one time I replied to an urgent text, hands covered in banana bread batter, without having to wash my hands, find my phone, and reply.

Of course, all of this requires setting up. I did have to play with the functions for a while, and some can be frustrating to set up if you're not so tech-savvy.

What's the downside of the Google Pixel Watch 5?

The Google Pixel Watch 5 in the 41mm case has up to 30 hours of battery life with typical use and always-on display, and up to 48 hours in Battery Saver Mode. The larger design offers up to 40 hours with normal use and 72 hours in the lower power mode.

It's more than the Apple Watch Series 11, but still, it's not good enough. Regardless of size, you still get less than two full days of regular use. I felt like my watch spent more time on the charger than on my wrist. I had to take it off to charge it regularly, leaving steps, workouts, and nights of sleep untracked.

The day someone creates a device with at least a week of battery life and the full suite of smartwatch and fitness tracking features, I'll give it five stars.

That said, I wouldn't let the battery put you off buying the device. It is the only downside I found during my week of testing, and it has more battery life between full charges than similar smartwatches. You can also get about 15 additional hours with just 15 minutes on the charger, which is impressive.

The w&h verdict: Is it worth upgrading to the Google Pixel Watch 5?

If you're looking to upgrade from a Fitbit, a Google Pixel Watch 3, or you want a smartwatch to pair with your Google phone, then it's certainly worth the jump. At £369, this device sits on par with other premium smartwatches.

If you're using the Google Pixel Watch 4, I'd do a serious deep dive into what updates you can install to use some of the newer features on your older device. You will be able to get some, but not others. For example, the new strength training feature will only likely be available on the Watch 5.

Many features are available on the Google Fitbit Air - the only fitness tracker I've given a 5-star review to. It's a fitness tracker rather than a smartwatch, and it's a band, so it doesn't have a face. You'll lose out on a lot of functionality, right down to the basics like telling the time. However, it is worth comparing for price and the features you want.

New insulin resistance features for early detection (rather than monitoring diabetes) and blood pressure monitoring are also new to this watch in the Health Guardian features, a plus for those monitoring health conditions.

I've loved using this smartwatch over the past week. The AI functions don't feel forced, and they are not complicated to use once you get going - same with the rest of the watch. It fits seamlessly into everyday life, and all are optional.

The solution to living healthier and for longer? Strength training. Lifting weights has been proven time and again to be the route to improved strength, mobility, and flexibility, all important to stay independent with age.

Few people know this more than Jo Whiley. She spoke to expert PT and strength coach Kate Oakley, who works exclusively with women in midlife and menopause, on a recent episode of Dig It, alongside fellow host Zoe Ball.

"I use strength training as an umbrella term. If your goal is to get stronger, strength training is it. All you're trying to do is give your bones work to do. Bone density is declining from our 30s. You don't need barbells, pull-up bars, and the stuff you see all over social media. You can honestly start with a couple of pairs of dumbbells at home and some resistance bands," says Kate.

It's "never too late" to start strength training, she says, and notes that she works with women in their 80s who are picking up weights for the first time. "It's never too late to start, but I would say to start safely and carefully. Don't go from zero to 45 minutes, three or four times a week. Start with 10 minutes, and feel that strength build."

Body weight exercises will be the right starting point, or, "if you feel ready", using a set of dumbbells.

Exercises to start strength training over 60

1. Squats

Kate says that squats are "absolutely top of the list" when starting strength training over 60. "It mimics the movement we need every day. When I start up and sit down from a chair, that's a squat. When we're thinking about older age, we want to be able to get out of bed, out of a car," she says.

There will be a squat variation that works for all women, she notes, even if you think you can't do the exercise.

How to do a squat:

• Stand shoulder-width apart, hands by your sides. If you feel confident, hold your weights.
• Bend your knees and come down as if you were sitting on a chair behind you, making sure to track your knees over your toes.
• Push through your feet to return to standing.

Expert tip: Raise your heels on a set of dumbbells or a few coffee table books, says Kate. "You'll actually be able to get into that squat position because sometimes it's about your ankle mobility or the length of your femur. It's not that you're doing anything wrong or that your body's weird. You just need to find the right squat for you.”

2. Chest press or press-up

You don't need to do a full upper-body dumbbell workout to build strength in your arms, back, chest, or shoulders. Kate recommends doing simple exercise snacks like a tricep or chest press against the kitchen counter while waiting for the kettle to boil. You could also do them against the wall.

"Just keep the elbows in close and push up from the counter. Say you can do 10 one week, maybe the next week you can do 12," says Kate.

How to do it:

• Place your hands against a wall or kitchen counter - any stable surface - and take a step backwards. Stand shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly and controlled, bend your elbows to bring your chest to the surface.
• Push through your hands to come back to standing.
• Repeat the movement.

Expert tip: The higher you take your hands, the easier a tricep press will become, says Kate. If you find you can press away from a kitchen counter, try the press movement against a wall.

Keeping your arms closer together will target more of the triceps (back of the arms). Widening the arms will target more of the muscles in the chest and shoulders.

3. Wall sits

You can even do strength training while brushing your teeth. A wall sit is one of the better quadriceps exercises and glute exercises. If you can do it even for half the time you spend brushing, you'll see serious progress in a few months.

Here's how to do it:

• Rest your back against a wall, drop into a seated position with your hands together in front of your body (or by your sides).
• Make your hips stay facing forward, and your knees stay in line with your toes.
• Try to keep the position for at least 30 seconds.

Benefits of strength training over 60

• Improves bone density and muscle mass: Bone density begins to decline in our 30s, and we start losing muscle mass during perimenopause. It's important to build these up to stay "living the life we want", says the PT.
• Avoids muscle wastage: Jo shares that she's noticed her body change a lot over the last six months, as she hasn't had much time to go to the gym. Kate says that strength training can help avoid this.
• Improves posture: Growing strength in your chest and shoulders will naturally improve your posture and prevent (or minimise) any "humps" or slouching. The best exercise to do is a chest press, shoulder press, or a push-up against the kitchen counter, says Kate.
• May help alleviate aches, pains, and joint issues: "It can feel counterintuitive to start strength training, but actually it can really help," she says. Jo also shared how she has continued exercising with arthritis. "If you've got issues with your knees, if you build strength in your quad muscles (thighs) and glutes (buttocks), then that can really support your knees."

If you are concerned about your ability to strength train safely, speak to a certified physiotherapist and/or qualified personal trainer, who will be able to create a routine that works for you.

Strength training is the gold standard lower-body workout. Whether with your body weight or a set of weights, resistance exercise is key to boosting strength, stability, and bone density as we age.

It's not about all or nothing, though. Different workouts complement your strength training, cardio, or flexibility-focused exercise to create a rounded approach to fitness. A good Pilates workout at home can be one of them.

"While it’s well known for developing core strength, one of the things I love about Pilates is that it works the body as a whole. The core provides a stable foundation, which allows us to work the lower body with greater control and precision," says Pilates instructor and founder of LIM Studio, Isobel Palmer.

A lower-body Pilates workout also works the legs in a really "well-rounded way", she says. "Rather than focusing only on the larger, more obvious muscles, exercises can recruit the smaller stabilising muscles around the hips, knees, ankles, and feet, too."

Lower-body Pilates workout

1. Side-lying leg raises

A side-leg exercise targets muscles around the side of the hip, including the smaller muscles in the glutes (buttocks). "These play an important role in stabilising the pelvis and supporting good lower-body alignment," says Isobel.

Here's how to do it:

• Come down onto your yoga mat and lie with your legs straight, stacked on on top of the other.
• Put your top hand on the floor for balance and rest your head on your lower arm.
• Lift your top leg towards the ceiling. When it reaches hip height, lower it back down.
• Keep all movement slow and controlled.
• Repeat the exercise 8 times on each side.

2. Lunges

Lunges help build strength in the quads and glutes while also challenging balance and stability. "Because you're working in a split stance, they ask the body to control movement through the hips, knees, and ankles while maintaining stability through the pelvis and core," says the instructor.

Here's how to do a lunge:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding your weights or with your hands on your hips.
• Take a step forward. If you struggle with balance, take the foot out wider.
• Lower your hips until your front and back knee are bent at 90 degrees. Make sure your hips are straight on and your knee sits over your ankle.
• Come down until your back knee hovers slightly above the floor.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.
• Repeat the movement 8 times on both sides, then switch.

3. Glute bridges

The glute bridge is a classic glute exercise, but it also builds pelvic stability. "Once a regular bridge feels strong and controlled, progressing to a single-leg variation increases the challenge considerably and asks each side of the body to work independently," says Isobel.

Here's how to do a glute bridge:

• Lie flat on your back, placing your feet flat on the floor in front of your buttocks.
• Engage your core and press your lower back into the floor.
• Push through your heels, lift your hips off the floor.
• Make sure your head, back, and glutes form a straight line.
• Clench at the top and hold for a couple of seconds.
• Slowly lower your hips back to the ground.
• Repeat the movement 8 times.

4. Calf raises with a Pilates ball

The calves might be among the smaller muscles in the legs, but they are two of the most powerful as the muscle helps pump blood back up towards the heart. Weak calves are also responsible for many runners and cyclists' injuries.

For the calf raise exercise, Isobel says she likes "placing a small Pilates ball between the ankles as it can help prevent you from simply rolling out through the ankles and allows you to target the calf muscles more effectively".

Here's how to do it:

• Stand tall on your yoga mat with your feet hip-width apart. Place a Pilates ball between your ankles to help with this.
• Slowly rise onto the balls of your feet.
• Pause at the top to squeeze your calf muscle.
• Slowly, lower your heels back down.
• Repeat 8 times.

What are the benefits of a lower-body Pilates workout?

• Builds strength and stability together: "What’s particularly valuable is the variety of muscle recruitment," says Isobel. "Squats and lunges, for example, can develop strength in the quads and gluteus maximus, while the Pilates side-leg series can target the gluteus medius and other muscles that stabilise the pelvis and hip."
• Focuses on alignment and control: "By creating stability through the core and paying attention to how the feet, ankles, knees and hips are working together, we can perform lower-body exercises more effectively," she says.
• Great for beginners: "I think of it as building strength from the ground up: the feet create the foundation, the core provides stability, and from there we can really challenge the legs," she says.

Anne Hathaway has had a busy few years, making her a huge comeback in roles like The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, and Verity, Coleen Hoover's book adaptation due to be released in October. The 43-year-old is looking fit and healthy, with her third child on the way.

Monique Eastwood is the personal trainer behind Anne Hathaway's workouts over the years. Her unique blend of Pilates, strength training, and barre exercises comes from her background as a former professional dancer.

While she has many go-to exercises, she told Women's Fitness there's one move she never leaves out. "I love bodyweight moves like the plank, and you'll always see one in my sessions. It's a fantastic way to build core strength," she says.

Monique, 59, knows how important it is for women to maintain flexibility and muscle mass with age to live healthily and independently for longer. “We all need to be able to hold our own body weight and get off the floor,” she says. “I focus on functional strength.” That's where the plank comes in.

What is the plank?

The plank is an incredibly popular bodyweight exercise which can strengthen your core and improve your balance and stability. Some love it, others loathe it, but incorporating it into your exercise routine will bring many strength and mobility benefits, as well as helping prevent injury.

Here's how to do a classic plank:

• Start on all fours on a thick mat, with your hands positioned directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Stretch your legs straight behind you. Keep your knees off the ground and your toes flat to the mat.
• Inhale and exhale slowly, while drawing your belly button in and squeezing your glutes.
• Keep your hips up to avoid any sagging in your lower back, and maintain a straight line from your head to your toes.

If you’ve never done a plank before or have any injuries, you can do a half plank on your knees, which won’t put strain on your lower back. You can also do an elevated plank, with your hands resting on a bench if that’s easier.

Variations on the plank include side planks, plank rows with weights, plank with shoulder taps and plank with hip dips.

Benefits of a plank

Even if you can only manage 20 seconds each time, there are lots of benefits to doing the plank exercise regularly. In fact, a study in the European Journal of Sports Science found that doing plank training three days per week for 12 weeks had major benefits.

These include:

• Changes your body composition by increasing muscle mass.
• Improves your cardiovascular fitness by lowering your heart rate, decreasing activity in the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and increasing parasympathetic nervous activity (rest and digest).
• Improves your posture by strengthening your back, chest and shoulder muscles.
• Improves core strength, both in the abdominals, obliques and back muscles.
• Improves your flexibility by lengthening your hamstrings and foot muscles. Side planks with an overhead arm stretch give a great stretch along the sides of your body.
• It's easy to modify because there are lots of variations to make planks both easier and harder.
• Helps with functional fitness, such as bending, reaching, and carrying, which we all do in our daily lives.
• You can do it at home, on holiday or in a gym. No special equipment or space needed.

Monique, who also trains British star Emily Blunt, doesn’t want fitness to be complicated and off-putting. She recommends making movement part of your everyday life rather than something formal you feel guilty about if you don’t fit it in.

“Start small, build gradually, do activities you enjoy and eat to nourish your body,” she says.