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

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

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

Standing ab exercises to try

1. Standing wood chop

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

Here's how to do the standing wood chop:

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

2. Standing side bend

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

Here's how to do it:

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

3. Standing side crunch

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

Here's how to do it:

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

How often should you do standing ab exercises?

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

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

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

Standing ab exercises vs plank

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

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

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

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

Hiking exercises

1. Slow eccentric squat

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

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

Here's how to do it:

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

2. Step downs

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

How to do it:

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

3. Single-leg calf raise

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

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

Here's how to do it:

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

How to train for hiking

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

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

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

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

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

Tips for doing hiking exercises

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

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

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

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

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

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

20-minute full-body workout to follow

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

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

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

If you entered the ballot for the two-day London Marathon next year, you'll know by now if you’ll be pounding the streets of the capital. While the event is still a while off, it's essential to build a good foundation before you start training.

Susie Chan is a four-time Marathon des Sables finisher and the first European female to finish all three Badwater races - some of the most challenging races in the world. She also made headlines when she set the world record for the longest distance run on a treadmill in 12 hours. Today, she leads Tread classes at Peloton, taking thousands of new runners through their treadmill workouts.

It's fair to say she knows a thing or two about running a marathon as a beginner. We asked her for five tips for getting yourself race-ready, from the workouts to follow to the must-have kit.

1. Invest in a good pair of running shoes

You're going to be racking up the miles during your training, and the wrong shoes are a fast track to discomfort - or even injury. Susie recommends going for a gait test. This is a simple test to see how you run and determine the type of running shoe that would be best for you.

Remember to consider comfort and durability first, over colour or brand, when choosing the best running shoes for you.

Good socks are also essential for training, she says, as they'll protect your feet from the rain (when it arrives!), provide extra cushioning, and help prevent rubbing.

2. Find a training plan

The earlier you can start training, the better. Susie says it’s important to have a comprehensive programme so you can “build those miles gradually” and avoiding heading out too soon for a distance you're not ready for.

She recommends Peloton’s Pace Your Race programme, but there are other running apps, such as Strava or Runna, which can also create a fitness plan for you.

3. Prioritise strength training

By now, you probably know how important strength training is for women. It helps build bone and muscle mass, which is essential for staying healthy throughout life, but it also makes a real difference in marathon training.

Susie says doing even a simple weights workout twice a week can help prevent injury. That could be a dumbbell workout at home or a dedicated lifting session in the gym.

Pilates and yoga can also be beneficial for people training for marathons, she says, as they help strengthen your core and upper body, and improve mobility.

4. Treat your long runs as marathon practice

When your miles begin to stack up, treat it like a practice run for your event. You’ll start to learn what your body needs before, during and after a run, and the foods you can tolerate on the move.

“You’ve got lots of time in those longer runs to test things out for race day. Test out some nutrition and maybe the kit you’re going to wear on the day," she says.

There's no need to spend a fortune on running kit. A good hydration vest, a sports bra, and running shoes are essentials, though. If you like listening to music, a pair of exercise headphones can help you through the more challenging moments in your training.

When you give yourself enough time, you have the chance to experiment with all these things and work out what feels best for you.

5. Think about recovery

Rest and recovery are just as important as the miles when training for a marathon. “Sleep is a really great way to help you keep your body nice and fresh,” says Susie.

It's worth learning how to improve your sleep so you can get good-quality rest, even if you can't manage eight hours a night.

Nutrition is also very important, she says. Eat a balanced, high-protein diet to help you recover from your training, limit alcohol intake, and develop a good stretching routine to help release lactic acid. This can cause muscle pain.

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

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

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

1. Jiva flow

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

Here's how to do it:

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

2. Skanda flow

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

Here's how to do it:

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

3. Flowing bridge

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

How to do a glute bridge:

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

Why do my hips feel tight?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to do plank rows

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

Benefits of plank rows

1. Functional exercise

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

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

2. Boosts back strength

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

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

3. Improves full-body stability

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

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

4. May help improve posture

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

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

5. Balances out strength

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

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

What weights should you use for plank rows?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Specifications

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3: Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Fitbit Inspire 3

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

Sleep tracking on the Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3

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

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

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

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

Winner: Fitbit Air

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

Price of the Fitbit Air vs Inspire 3

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

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

Winner: They are both the same price

The w&h verdict

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

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

Overall winner: Fitbit Air

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

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

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

15-minute resistance band workout

1. Banded squats

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

Here's how to do a banded squat:

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

2. Side tap outs

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

Here's how to do it:

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

3. Reverse lunge

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

Here's how to do it:

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

4. Glute bridges

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

Here's how to do it:

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

5. Single-leg glute bridge

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

How to do it:

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

6. Fire hydrants

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

Here's how to do it:

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

Electrolytes are minerals that help your body function normally, from balancing fluids and supporting nerve function to keeping your muscles (including your heart) working properly. When you sweat, you lose some of them.

In recent years, electrolyte powders have gone mainstream. Added to your water, they are designed to replenish these important minerals. Once only found in athletes' cupboards, now there's an advert for them every second scroll on social media.

Dr Amir Khan is a GP and woman&home's resident doctor, and he says these supplements are "everywhere right now". "People are adding powders to their water, putting salt in their drinks, talking about 'optimising hydration'."

Electrolyte powders are different to sports drinks. They tend to be much lower in sugar. Some are designed for daily drinking, while others are only meant for drinking after intense exercise. While helpful for some, "most people living their day-to-day life" won't need to take a supplement like this, he says. "Your body is actually very good at regulating this on its own."

There’s also not much evidence that these supplements can help with hangovers. We know that drinking alcohol can cause dehydration, but experts say we’re better off drinking water as a cure instead - and ideally, cutting back on alcohol altogether, especially when it's hot outside.

What about salts? Some experts suggest Himalayan sea salt as an alternative to artificial electrolyte powders. The doctor has seen "a lot of" this online.

"For most people, that's not necessary. In fact, it can mean taking in more salt than you need. Over time, this can affect things like your blood pressure," he says. "For everyday hydration, plain water is absolutely fine. We've been doing it for centuries before influencers came along."

Who needs electrolyte supplements?

If you are doing intense exercise, especially in hot weather and sweating profusely, or losing a lot of fluids through vomiting or diarrhoea, then adding an electrolyte supplement to your water can "be really helpful", says Dr Khan.

In general, it's thought that 60 to 90 minutes of intense exercise (where you are breathing heavily and sweating) is enough to consider adding electrolytes. That could be "running marathons", the doctor says as an example.

Most people will be completely fine with regular drinking water, though. "It's not something most of us need to overthink," he adds. "Eat a balanced diet and drink water regularly."

We can also look at our diet to make sure we’re getting the nutrients we need to stay healthy. Fruits and vegetables, particularly leafy greens, and nuts, wholegrains, seeds and legumes are all hydrating foods that can help you meet your daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals.

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

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

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

Keen Newport H2 review

Specifications

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

What are the Keen Newport H2s like to walk in?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who are the Keen Newport H2s made for?

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

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

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

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

The w&h verdict

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

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

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

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

A-lister Penélope Cruz became one of the first celebrities to speak openly about menopause when she discussed her symptoms and debunked myths during a press tour in 2018. "There are too many taboos surrounding women's bodies, and I think it equals a big lack of respect," she told Tatler magazine.

Now in 2026, Penélope Cruz and Olivia Wilde star in The Invite, a comedy about a married couple (Olivia and Seth Rogen) in a struggling marriage who invite their upstairs neighbours (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) to dinner.

Along with questions about sex and relationships, a key topic in the film, the stars revealed to Allure magazine what they wish they'd known about perimenopause symptoms when they were younger.

Penélope is the first to answer. "That it can last 10, 12 years," she replies. "It can start as early as 40. The ups and downs can be crazy. I remember when I was 41, and my doctor told me: 'Your hormones are going to be doing this crazy dance for the next 10 or 12 years'. And I thought it was a really bad joke."

The star reveals that she developed a cyst in her ovaries almost every month and still does. "They spike hormones, so you can go from a number 30 of oestrogen to a number 500, and they would look at that and go: 'No, this is a mistake from the lab, so let's repeat the test', and it was right," she says.

Despite still getting her period every month, the 52-year-old says her hormones are up and down every month. It's something she wants women to know, to prepare themselves.

"A lot of people have this idea that it's going to be about hot flashes," she says. "That has never happened to me."

Penélope credits bioidentical hormones (a type of HRT treatment) with helping her handle the symptoms and impact of perimenopause on her body. These hormones are made in a lab and are chemically identical to the hormones we naturally produce, so they can be effective in treating certain symptoms.

Olivia Wilde, 42, also reveals that it was during the filming of The Invite that she learned about frozen shoulder from Penélope's character. This is another common symptom of menopause, where the connective tissue around the shoulder is painfully inflamed and feels tight.

Menopause is a key theme in the film, woven into the script as a way to explore female pleasure, intimacy, and the reality of long-term marriage, as the characters discuss how hormonal changes have affected one of the characters.

Sex, non-monogamy, and long-term relationships are also key, and the two didn't hold back on these topics either, revealing that renowned sex therapist Esther Perel was a consultant on the film.

In the interview, the stars were asked how often is normal to have sex in a long-term relationship. "That is like a different universe for each person and each couple," says Penélope.

Olivia cites the therapist when she says, "it's not normal to not have sex", but there doesn't need to be a number in mind.

Jessica Biel has worked with her personal trainer for over a decade, through projects like The Better Sister on Amazon Prime, which had everyone asking after her back workout routine.

This week, the star posted a full-body workout to Instagram, done alongside her personal trainer, Ben Bruno, who says that anyone can copy the exercises or just "steal bits and pieces" from the session to add to their own workout.

It starts with 10 minutes of mobility exercises “to loosen up” which Ben says is Jessica’s favourite part of the regime. “Honestly, Jess would be happy doing mobility the whole time if I let her because she loves it,” he says. “We always do full-body workouts but we went a little easier on the lower body this particular day because her legs were feeling extra spicy from the last workout.”

The exercises aren't for beginners, but if you know your way around a pair of dumbbells, you should be fine. If you're new to strength training, use lighter weights or do it as a bodyweight workout. As Ben says, you can choose how hard you want to go.

Jessica Biel's full-body workout

Lunge with arm rotation

A lunge is a compound movement, meaning it works multiple muscles at the same time. In this case, it's a glutes, hamstrings, and quadricep exercise. With the arm rotation, it also works the upper-body muscles.

Here's how to do it:

• Start in a long lunge position with your hands on the ground.
• Rotate the arm closest to your front foot and stretch it towards the ceiling, following your arm with your eyes.
• Lower your arm to the ground, switch legs and do the same on the other side.
• You can adapt this by resting your back knee on the mat.
• Complete 12 reps and switch sides, making sure to do both sides of the body.

Delt fly to overhead reach

Jess uses lighter weights to do this exercise, which is excellent for shoulder and back strength and flexibility. You can start off with no weights if that’s easier, or very light dumbbells.

You’re working the smaller muscles in your upper body so you don’t need to use heavy weights for this exercise.

Here's how to do it:

• Start with your legs in a wide stance, arms hanging below you holding the weights.
• Hinge forward, making sure to brace your core and lead with your glutes, rather than your lower back.
• Raise the dumbbells out to the sides with your arms straight, or a slight bend in the elbow.
• Move your arms in front of you so they meet.
• Reverse your arms and bring them back below you again.
• Complete 12 reps.

Hip thrust press

Ben says this is a great upper-body and glute exercise. “Jess is using 30lb (13.6kg) dumbbells which is pretty big time,” says Ben. He recommends starting with 10lb (4.5kg) weights for this move.

Here's how to do it:

• Rest your upper back and shoulders on a bench with your knees bent in front of you.
• Rest the dumbbells on your hips.
• As you lift your hips off the ground, raise the dumbbells straight above your head.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold the move for a couple of seconds before slowly lowering yourself back down.
• Complete 12 reps.

Split stance batwing row

Ben says this exercise is a “great one for working the back and secondarily the hamstrings and glutes”.

Here's how to do it:

• Move your legs into a wide lunge position and hinge forward to lean over your front knee.
• Doing one side at a time, bring the dumbbell up towards your hip and lower it again.
• Complete 12 reps and switch sides.

Lateral raise in lunge position

Ben says this move mainly works the shoulders and thighs. “Jess is using 10lbs here without much of a struggle but you’ll probably want to start with 5lbs as it’s a lot harder than she makes it look,” the PT says.

Here's how to do it:

• In the lunge position, raise both arms laterally either straight or with a bend at the elbow.
• Then start a single-arm raise while keeping the other arm out to the side.
• Do your 12 reps and then switch sides.

Side plank with leg raise

Ben says: “If this next core exercise looks brutal that’s because it is. Jess usually calls me all kinds of obscenities when I make her do it, but thankfully I’ve got thick skin.”

Here's how to do it:

• Lie in the side plank position with both legs resting on a bench. Come up onto one hand, making sure to stack your wrist, elbow, and shoulder on top of each other in one line.
• Brace your core and raise your top leg off the bottom, making sure to keep your non-bracing arm above your head.
• Complete 12 repetitions then switch sides.

One million people entered the London Marathon 2027 ballot, so it's fair to say that with only 100,000 places, including charity spots, the odds of getting a bib number were limited. If you (like me) were one of the unlucky ones, you might be thinking whether there's another way to experience the capital on foot.

With over 100 other races crossing iconic landmarks like Tower Bridge and Big Ben, the good news is that there is. Many are closed to cars, bikes, and walking pedestrians, set up with fuelling and water stops, and have runners known as 'pacers' to help you (and your running watch) get your desired finishing time. Just like the marathon.

I've been living and running in the city for over six years, so I've taken part in a fair few of these events. Here are the ones I recommend...

1. London Landmarks Half Marathon

There's no event that more closely mirrors the London Marathon route, with its closed roads and scenic way markers, than this 21km race.

Taking place in April every year, the London Landmarks Half Marathon starts next to Downing Street and winds its way past St Paul's Cathedral, the Gherkin, Walkie Talkie, Cheese Grater, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and the Shard, among other sights.

I have taken part in this event twice now, and it's certainly a favourite as it covers all the best bits of the marathon, without the pressure of the longer distance.

Entries have closed for 2027, but charity places are still available for next year via the London Landmarks Half Marathon website.

2. Saucony London 10km

Short, snappy, but just as much fun - the Saucony London 10km starts across the park from Buckingham Palace and finishes next to Downing Street. On this 10km route, you'll pass Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, and get to run down a car- and pedestrian-free Regent Street.

I've run this event before - and I'm about to do it again this weekend. It's a must-run for Londoners and fans of the city, as it covers all the must-see sights at an enjoyable distance. It's also a closed-road race, so you'll have plenty of chances to soak up the atmosphere and see the sights.

Entry will reopen for 2027 in the next few days, so visit the Saucony London 10km website to find out more.

3. Royal Parks Half Marathon

If there's one thing about the London Marathon you should be happy to miss out on, it's the weather. While everyone likes a sunny run, in recent years, race day has seen temperatures of 24°C.

The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes place in October every year, allowing you to swap your running shorts for workout leggings on your run and take in the sights without suncream. From experience, it feels like a quieter event compared to the Landmarks Half (and certainly the London Marathon!), with fewer runners on the course, giving you more space to move.

This route covers four of the eight Royal Parks in London, and crosses over with the marathon route at several points, including St James' Park, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament.

Charity places are still available for this year's race, or you can enter next year's in October. Find out more information on the Royal Parks Half Marathon website.

4. The Big Half

You might like to think of the Big Half as running some of the London Marathon backwards. This 21km event starts by Tower Bridge and finishes in Greenwich, the reverse of the marathon route.

Runners go through Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham, and Greenwich, passing Canary Wharf and Bermondsey, and finishing right next to the iconic Cutty Sark.

It takes place in September every year, and charity spots are still available for 2026, or you can enter next year's race. Take a look at the Big Half website for more details.

5. London Winter Run

This 10km route starts right next to Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square and takes runners past Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral, and down Victoria Embankment for a chilly jog next to the river.

You'll want to wrap up warm for this one as the race embraces the February cold. It's an entirely flat route though, giving you the chance to put your running shoes through their paces and warm up.

The event also provides a welcome burst of fun post-festive period, with penguin and polar bear mascots along the route and plenty of events happening around the race for all to enjoy.

Places are still available for the 2027 race on the London Winter Run website.

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

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

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

How to do the Russian twist exercise right

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

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

Benefits of the Russian twist exercise

1. Great for beginners

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. May help reduce lower back pain

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

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

4. It's a functional movement

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

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

5. Improves strength and definition

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

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

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

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

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

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

Asics Gel Nimbus 28 review

Specifications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The w&h verdict

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

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

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

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

If you applied for the London Marathon 2027 earlier this year (along with the one million other people who did), then today is your big day. I've been refreshing my inbox over the last hour to find out if I've got a place in the race, and it's likely you are too.

The London Marathon 2027 ballot results are being sent out today for the two-day event taking place on Saturday 24 April and Sunday 25 April next year. It's thought that there will be 100,000 people taking part in the route, which stretches 41.2km from Greenwich to Westminster.

But how do you know if you'll be pulling on your running shoes and workout leggings for this historic event?

How to check your London Marathon ballot result

If you applied for the London Marathon 2027 earlier this year, you'll be sent an email today with your ballot result. The emails are being sent out throughout the day, so if you haven't received one yet, don't worry - there's still plenty of time.

Be sure to check all your email folders, including junk and spam, for the message, which will be sent from: no-reply@marketing.londonmarathonevents.co.uk.

Organisers say that if you haven't received your email by 9 am on Friday 10 July, then you can get in touch to request your result.

For the first time, the London Marathon is taking place across two days - the Saturday and Sunday - giving runners more chances than ever to take part in the event and raise even more money for charity.

What happens if you don't get a place?

Chances of getting a place in the London Marathon are higher than ever, but as a multi-time unsuccessful applicant, I know that disappointing feeling of being turned down.

If that happens to you, and you still want to race, there are a few London Marathon 2027 race alternatives:

• Run for charity: Every year, charities are given spots in the London Marathon to give to runners who want to raise money. Some of these places will still be available after the ballot release, and the best way to find and apply for them is through the website. Typically, you'll be asked to raise around £2,000 for your place and pay an admin fee.
• Enter the virtual London Marathon: You can run 42.2km in your local area and still get a finisher's medal by completing the virtual marathon. Entry is £40, and it must be completed over the marathon weekend next year.
• Enter the 'Good for Age' category: Are you a regular runner - and a fast one? If you're faster than average for your age, you could qualify for this category, which comes with a race place.
• Find an alternative: If you are rejected from the London Marathon, you'll be offered a place at the Brighton Marathon (for a fee), which takes place earlier in the same month next year. I ran this last year - beach views, lots of hills, and plenty of crowd support make it a great consolation prize!

Of course, you can always try again next year. After the 2027 London Marathon, the ballot entry will open again, and you'll have another shot at running a marathon. There's no telling whether 2028's race will be a multi-day event yet, though.

In the meantime, you might also want to check out smaller marathons around your local area. These often don't have a ballot, and you can enter simply by paying a fee. RunThrough is a website that lists most events happening around the UK, with options from 5km to marathon and beyond.

If it's the views you're worried about missing out on, I've run the London Landmarks Half Marathon twice, and the Saucony London 10km, and I'd recommend them as alternatives. Both loop the main sights of the city without the same pressure of the marathon distance.

There’s no escaping talk of weight loss medication in 2026. ‘Skinny jabs’ as they’re commonly known are filling newspaper column inches on a weekly basis and, as of April, it was reported that at least 1.6 million people in the UK had tried GLP-1 injections in the last year. That number is only expected to rise - especially as, from this week, a capsule tablet GLP-1 has hit the market.

And yet the likes of Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy are still considered “controversial” - but “they don’t need to be,” says former Apprentice and Loose Women star, Saira Khan.

In an exclusive interview with woman&home, the businesswoman, who left the TV industry in 2020 and now runs her company SAIRA Skin full-time, explains that while she was originally “very sniffy” about weight-loss drugs, her experience has been “100% liberating.”

While many have turned to weight-loss medication as a “quick fix,” Saira, 56, makes it clear that wasn’t the case for her and it wasn’t a decision she took lightly. “It wasn't that I wanted to go on it. I was advised to go on it by my hormone doctor, Dr Susanne Hooper,” she tells woman&home.

“I felt that there was something not quite right with me. Not just the menopause. I was really bloated. I would sometimes eat just an apple and look about nine months pregnant. My attitude to life has always been, try and help yourself first - and I did, but I still didn’t feel right.”

Saira continues, “So I did a complete and utter MOT of what my body was doing and a blood test. We got the results back and Dr Hooper said, ‘You eat well. You strength train, but your physiology is going in the wrong direction. You're 5 '1, South Asian, your BMI is 29 and your cholesterol is going in the wrong direction, it's high for all the effort that you’re putting in.’ And so she put me on Mounjaro alongside eating 80g of protein and continuing to strength train three times a week.”

Revealing her initial reservations, the mum-of-two shares, “I was shocked [she was advising this]. Previously I’ve been very sniffy about them.”

“I'm one of these women going, ‘you shouldn’t need jabs,’ and you hear all the horror stories in the media, all the side effects, the Ozempic face. But she said, ‘I’m only offering this to you because I know you've already got your exercise plan in place, you eat well.’”

As we chat, Saira wants to make it clear that she did things the “right way,” explaining, “I think it's important to know that I went to a doctor, it's not like I went to Asda and just picked up medication.”

She adds, “It wasn't that I wanted to be skinny, it's that I actually needed to reverse metabolic problems in my body. It was through medical advice and tests.”

The presenter, who has partnered with Green Chef to launch the Nutrient Rich Network to help those on weight-loss journeys understand nutrition better, says that she was “straight up,” with both her family and social media followers when it came to taking the medication.

Right from the start, I told my husband, I told my kids… I lost followers [but] I don't want medication that can really help people to be a taboo subject.”

The star believes that transparency is key. “Unfortunately, I see people in the public eye who are on these drugs and say, ‘I'm just healthy eating,’ or whatever. It gives people the wrong ideas and makes it unachievable.”

She also makes it clear that going on the drugs without making healthy lifestyle changes, which is why she’s teamed up with recipe box company Green Chef.

“It's not just about taking the medication and Green Chef supports that. There is so much more to think about and so many things that could affect you negatively if you don't do it properly. Nutrition is the key.”

“But I ended up eating the same foods, it became really repetitive. Before the kids would say, ‘Mum, not chicken and salad again.’ But this week, with Green Chef, we've had steak, herb crusted salmon, and Beurre Blanc fish. It's wonderful and they're so easy and fresh.”

Through the campaign, she reveals she’s learnt “yes, you can have meat, but you can add some beans and other vegetables to increase the nutrients.”

However, she insists, “I'm not counting calories, I'm counting protein and fibre,” explaining, “That's a whole different mindset and as you get older, you need calories but they need to come from the right foods.”

work with Green Chef has “completely changed” her relationship with food. “Before, it was about guilt, control, restraint. It felt such hard work and it wasn’t normal.”

The former Loose Women panellist explains, “No matter how hard I’ve tried, I've been on diets, I couldn’t sit down with a cup of tea and not have a chocolate biscuit. I might not even need it, but it's a habit thing and it's about reprogramming that. “

“I had a lot of food noise. Some people can really control what they're eating. I love food and I found that difficult, but this medication has helped me.”

Proving that her weight-loss journey and establishing a healthier relationship with food is all about balance, Saira tells fans, “I still have a bit of chocolate or a little treat every day, but I know that I've had my nutrients.”

“And they’re the habits people need to implement if they want to maintain after reducing and ultimately stopping the medication. I just hope that more people start to do it properly and understand that the medication should not just be a quick shortcut to getting thin.”

As for how she feels now, the star shares that she’s “really starting to feel like myself again and feel better mentally.”

“I don’t weigh myself but my BMI is getting better, I've started to buy a few more clothes and also get into my old clothes.  Because I’m strength training, I'm toning up, becoming a bit leaner and I 100% feel much more confident in myself. When you're not bloated and you feel like you're eating well, it feeds every part of you. Your body, your gut, your mental health.”

She concludes, “I’m thriving now.”

Green Chef UK has partnered with Saira Khan to launch the Nutrient Rich Network, giving expert advice and recipes for every stage of the weight loss journey

Regular exercise is key to staying healthier for longer - but the good news is that it's never too late to learn how to start a fitness routine. If cardio, strength training, and mobility exercises haven't been part of your life up until now, a few small lifestyle changes can make all the difference.

That's according to several recent studies and experts like orthopaedic surgeon and longevity expert Dr Vonda Wright, who is a regular guest on Mel Robbins' podcast. She believes that ages 44 to 60 are the most critical of our lives, and that this stage is the time to make changes.

She says one of the biggest lies about ageing is that there’s nothing you can do to stop it, something she's written about in her bestselling book, Unbreakable, which aims to help women achieve lifelong independence and give them tools for ageing with power.

Dr Wright has devised a four-step plan to help people who are getting back into exercise after a break, or even starting to exercise for the first time. “All you have to do is start,” she tells Mel. The key to success is to start small and build up as you become fitter and stronger.

How to start a fitness routine

1. Go for a walk once a day

A short walking workout is great for metabolism, mobility, and mental health, and most people can find the time to head outside, even if it's just for 10 minutes.

“All you have to do is go for a walk today, for as long as you can,” she says. “And you’re going to do that for seven days. I don’t want you to lift tomorrow. I just want you to walk for seven days because that is a streak.”

If you use Strava or other workout apps, you'll know that completing a streak makes you want to make it a habit, and this is the feeling Dr Wright wants to instil. “If you walk every day, preferably after your biggest meal, you’re not going to not do it on the eighth day because you’ve accomplished something, and you’re going to feel good about that.” This is how routines are formed.

2. Lift weights every week

Dr Wright says after you’ve started incorporating walks into your routine, it’s time to start lifting weights. There are so many different types of strength training you can do, from bodyweight exercises at home to full dumbbell gym workouts.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated or lifting heavy weights,” when you start, she says, because if you do it regularly, she believes everyone will see real progress in six months.

“Once you’re lifting, you can maintain by lifting twice a week” in a full-body workout. She tells Mel that you can become more specialised with your routine once you’ve made strength training a regular part of your life.

3. Retrain your balance with daily exercises

Balance is an important indicator of physical health and a good predictor of lifespan, according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Researchers looked at the performance of participants in a 10-second one-legged stance, finding that adults between 51 and 75 years old who couldn't complete the test had a "significantly" higher risk of premature death compared to those who completed it.

It's why Dr Wright's third suggestion is to retrain your balance and flexibility, to help prevent falls and fractures.

She recommends coupling basic exercises, like standing on one leg as you brush your teeth, with flexibility-focused workouts like yoga or Pilates, or even just stretching in your living room.

4. Get your heart rate up

“To build fitness, we have to challenge ourselves,” says Dr Wright. She suggests sprint intervals at the end of a cardio session. This is a 30-second burst of activity to raise heart rate before taking 30 seconds to recover, done four times.

“It’s really remarkable for building overall fitness,” she adds. It doesn’t have to be running. It could be a short cycling workout, going on the rowing machine, speed walking, or doing a dynamic strength movement like swinging a kettlebell.

“It’s about your heart rate, not necessarily the apparatus,” she explains.

While we often speak about the benefits of strength training for women in perimenopause and beyond, cardio is still essential. Heart disease is still one of the most common issues faced by women.

“Almost globally, the number one killer of women is heart disease,” she says, and doing regular cardio exercise can help lower the risk.

Vaginal oestrogen is a type of HRT for those going through perimenopause and suffering from dryness and irritation, which are common symptoms. The medication is also very effective at reducing recurrent urine infections (UTIs) after menopause, but a new study has found that this treatment may have even more health benefits.

GP Dr Amir Khan, who is a frequent guest on This Morning and Lorraine, and woman&home's own resident GP, took to social media to talk through the study's results. He said it was one of the "biggest women's health studies of the year" and it could "change how we think about vaginal oestrogen".

Researchers at Albany Medical College used a huge database to look at almost 1.9 million women with recurrent UTIs. They compared the results for those who were using prescribed vaginal oestrogen against those who weren’t. They knew the medication could reduce urine infections in older women, but they also found huge benefits for women across all age groups.

The results, published in the journal Urology, showed that women of all ages who used vaginal oestrogen had a lower risk of sepsis, hospitalisation, and early death. The data showed that sepsis occurred in 4.2% to 10.4% of oestrogen recipients versus 8.5% to 24.1% of non-recipients. Hospitalisation occurred in 7.5% to 12.0% of recipients compared with 15.7% to 27.5% of non-recipients. Mortality increased in both groups with age but was lower in the group of women who used vaginal oestrogen.

Dr Khan says the findings are “important because we’ve often thought of vaginal oestrogen as something to consider mainly for older women”. He says the study suggests that women of any age who have low oestrogen levels and regular UTIs may see the benefits of using a gel or cream.

The study concludes: “Vaginal oestrogen prescription within 2 months of UTI diagnosis is associated with lower odds of serious adverse outcomes across age groups.”

The reason this medication can be so effective when it comes to our general health is because it doesn’t just affect our vagina. “It keeps the tissues of the bladder and urethra healthy, maintains the acidic environment, that protective lactobacillus bacteria we love, and makes it much harder for bacteria like E. coli to gain a foothold,” explains Dr Khan.

He says if recurrent UTIs are “ruining your life”, you don’t have to take antibiotics every time. Taking antibiotics too often can cause gut issues, drug resistance, yeast infections, and diarrhoea or vomiting.

“Ask whether vaginal oestrogen could be part of the solution,” says Dr Khan. “This study suggests we may need to start that conversation much earlier than we used to.”

What is vaginal oestrogen?

Vaginal oestrogen is a topical treatment that delivers hormones directly to the tissue, rather than circulating through through the bloodstream like HRT tablets do. They help treat genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), which includes thinning, drying and inflammation of the vagina, vulva and urinary tract.

Dr Khan says: “It’s a tiny dose applied directly where it’s needed, with minimal absorption into the bloodstream.”

It comes as a tablet, cream, gel, pessary or ring that you insert into your vagina. It’s usually only available on prescription, although there are a few brands you can buy from a pharmacy. It can take a few months to start to work fully, but it's thought to have fewer risks than other types of HRT.

Vaginal oestrogen won’t help with other perimenopausal symptoms like hot flushes, insomnia or mood swings.

Speak to your doctor if you want to explore hormone therapy options, including whether it's right for you and any HRT alternatives.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shop Kate's hiking wardrobe

If a stranger walked into my house during a heatwave or hot spell, they might wonder if we’d been burgled. Clothes on the floor, beds unmade, piles of items on the stairs - everything is abandoned when it’s hot. I just can’t find the energy to do anything, apart from moan about being sweaty and tired.

There are many reasons why higher temperatures make us feel tired, from not being able to find the right sleeping position for the heat, to our bodies having to work harder to keep us cooler. Research has actually shown that women feel the effects of heatwaves more than men. GP Dr Amir Khan, woman&home's resident doctor, recently told ITV host Lorraine Kelly that women sweat less than men and our hormones can make us feel hotter.

“Oestrogen and progesterone can affect how your body regulates temperature, and menopause and hot flushes can make things so much worse,” he tells Lorraine. Body size and blood volume can also make it harder to cope with the heat.

"Women also tend to have smaller hearts and narrower blood vessels, so shifting blood around the body to get rid of excess heat may be slightly less efficient than that of a man's,” Dr Khan explains.

Another reason why we might feel extra tired could be our iron levels. Dr Khan explains that “women are much more likely to be low in iron because of periods. And if your iron levels are low, hot weather can leave you feeling absolutely wiped out, dizzy, and exhausted”.

Dr Ian Cole, GP at King Edward VII's Hospital, says while our bodies are designed to protect us from the heat, our energy levels will still be affected. "The middle layer of the skin, or dermis, stores most of the body's water. When we get into higher temperatures, our bodies send fluid from this layer and blood to the skin's surface to cool down," he says. "This depletes your body's water resources and can leave you feeling fatigued."

Dehydration is of course also more of a risk when we’re hot and sweaty. When we get too warm, we can lose precious minerals from our body, such as potassium and sodium, which we need to maintain our electrolyte and glucose stores.

Exercising at the hottest times of day can also leave us dehydrated and tired. Emily Servante, personal trainer at Ultimate Performance, says: "In searing temperatures, you do need to be sensible. Exercising outdoors when it's slightly cooler, preferably early in the morning or later in the evening, is better than crunching out a session in the midday heat."

Tips for staying awake

Stay hydrated

As we’ve said above, sweating more than usual and not replacing lost fluid with plenty of water will make you feel lethargic. "Please stay hydrated and drink plenty of water," Emily stresses. "And water is important, not sugary drinks. If you can, look to drink high-quality products that contain electrolytes, which help to maintain our body's hydration levels."

Also add some hydrating foods to your plate for each meal, such as cucumber, tomatoes, celery, watermelon or lettuce.

Avoid the sun

Staying out of direct sunlight will keep you cool and preserve your energy. This could mean sticking to the shade or staying indoors during the hottest time of the day.

If your home feels hot, make sure to cool it down by closing the curtains and keeping your bedroom cool. Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your head and keep your body cool.

Eat light meals

"Foods which are easy to digest are best consumed during a heatwave as our body temperature is already elevated," nutritionist Jenna Hope explains.

"Digesting heavy foods can contribute to raising body temperature and make us feel even hotter." Heavy meals also make us feel sleepy and lethargic. Opt for lighter dishes like omelettes, fish, salad, smoothies, yoghurt, and fresh fruit.

Move your body

We don’t have to stop exercising during a heatwave. We just need to adapt how and when we do it. You could go for a cooling 10-minute swim rather than a run around the park. This will still get your endorphins flowing and help you stay awake and energised throughout the day.

Choose an air-conditioned gym or work out at cooler times of the day.

Optimise your sleep

We’re not talking sleep gadgets and gizmos here - it’s much simpler than that. If the heat is draining you and you want to sleep better, there are a few key things you can do.

Firstly, think about your bedtime routine. As tempting as a cold beer or glass of wine might be on a summer evening, alcohol makes our sleep worse - as does caffeine and exercising too late into the evening.

As well as keeping your bedroom cool, wear loose cotton pyjamas and sleep under a cotton sheet. This material is heat-wicking and will keep you cool. You could always even move downstairs if it’s cooler to sleep there, and Dr Cole says: "Fans help with airflow, but don't rely on them to cool down as they don't work over a certain temperature. If it's hot, all they do is move warm air around. That said, placing a bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan can help cool the air down."

While heatwaves are becoming more common in the UK, feeling lethargic and tired in the heat can still be worrying - but there are only a couple of instances where you need to be concerned for your health.

"Heat exhaustion is not usually serious if you can cool down within 30 minutes," explains Lloyds Pharmacy's pharmacist Anshu Kaura. "If it turns into heatstroke, however, it needs to be treated as an emergency."

The difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke is in the temperature. While exhaustion will leave you with symptoms like tiredness and sweating, heat stroke is when your body tips over 103F (39C). Other symptoms of heat stroke include fever, shortness of breath, confusion, headaches, nausea and fainting.

Do your hamstrings feel tight when you bend down to pick up the laundry, or try to do a forward fold in a yoga workout? Trust me, you’re not alone. I’ve been teaching yoga for almost 20 years, and tight hamstrings are easily one of the most common reasons that people come to my classes.

Stiffness and restriction in these important muscles can lead to lower back pain and poor posture. It can also increase your injury risk during exercise, especially if you’re doing explosive movements like plyometrics – or just running for the bus.

I can remember being unable to touch my toes as a teenager, and yoga has been really helpful in accessing more mobility - but only once I figured out how to be smart about my approach to stretching.

The half splits pose is my favourite exercise for stretching out tight hamstrings and improving low mobility. But you can do this move over and over with no results if you're only doing it passively. In my years of experience, I've learnt how to do it as effective strengthening yoga.

How to do half splits pose

• Step your right foot forward into a lunge. Bring your left knee down (pad it with a folded towel if it’s more comfortable) and place your hands on two blocks – the higher the better.
• Start to straighten your right knee, bringing your hips directly over your left knee (don’t sit back on your left heel here). You may have to slide your right heel forward an inch or two as I do.
• Bend your right knee a little so you can tilt your pelvis back, drawing your sitting bones up and your chest forward to keep your spine long. This moves the two ends of your hamstrings apart.
• Instead of just hanging out here, strongly press your heel down and try to drag it towards you to contract your hamstrings, like you’re trying to bend your knee. This sends a signal to a receptor where your hamstrings connect with tendons to release. Hold for up to 15 seconds.
• Now release the contraction, fully straighten your knee and contract your quadriceps at the front of your thigh. Flex your ankle so your toes draw back towards you too, bringing your calves on board.
• Hold this more passive stretch for between 30 seconds and one minute to override your nervous system’s bracing response.

Why are my hamstrings tight?

Your hamstrings are a group of three muscles sitting on the back of your upper leg. Their main job is to help bend your knee, but they also help lift your leg in front of you, so we use them all day long when walking, running, or sitting down/standing up from a chair.

Hamstrings feel tight for a couple of reasons. If you do a lot of exercise without stretching, these muscles could be quite strong, but they're not used to a wide range of motion. That means when you finally try to do that seated forward fold in class, your nervous system might go into fight-or-flight mode and tense up.

On the other hand, if you spend a good chunk of the day sitting down to work at a computer, your hamstrings may have become weak through underuse, and the surrounding connective tissue might have contracted. Because your hamstrings attach to your sitting bones, this can result in your pelvis being constantly “tucked,” or tilted forward, which can affect your posture and lower back. This can increase your risk of injury when you do finally start moving and stretching.

Many people also do yoga to loosen tight hips and glute exercises for similar reasons.

No matter the cause, your hamstrings are not actually short if they feel tight, and stretching them doesn’t make them longer. Your nervous system might just be trying to protect you from injury by contracting the muscle fibres when you want to lengthen them.

What is good mobility?

How do you know if you have good mobility? Well, you don't need to be striving to get your leg behind your head to stretch your hamstrings effectively. The key to functional movement lies in establishing enough mobility, so you perform daily tasks without pain, but not so much that you sacrifice stability. Strong hamstrings help protect your knees and stabilise the pelvis after all.

With the right approach to stretching and mobility exercises, you can temporarily lengthen the muscle fibres and surrounding connective tissues of your hamstrings. Over time and with consistent practice, this can provoke more permanent changes to the connective tissues and essentially retrain your nervous system to allow your muscles to release more.

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

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

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

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

Gym exercises for tennis

1. Medicine ball throws

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

Here's how to do a medicine ball throw:

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

2. Squats

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

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

How to do a squat:

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

3. Lunges

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

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

How to do a lunge:

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

4. Skaters

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

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

Here's how to do them:

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

5. Hip openers

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

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

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

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

First impressions: quality you can feel

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

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

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

Fit and design: a welcome confidence boost

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

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

Ultimate test: do they stay put?

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

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

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

Pockets, too!

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

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

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

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

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

Wash, wear and longevity

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

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

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

The verdict: are they worth It?

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

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

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

The highlights

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

Things to consider

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

Lululemon leggings: at a glance

Many people assume that mental fitness declines with age, but a new study has just shown that cognitive function can actually improve at any stage of life. The three-year study examined how brain health can be improved throughout life, not just in the later years.

A team from The University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for Brain Health (CBH) followed almost 4,000 adult participants in the BrainHealth Project (BHP) between 19 and 94 years of age. They were asked to spend five to 15 minutes on brain-training activities per day over three years. The training included strategy-based learning, coaching, and brain-healthy habits such as completing daily tasks, maintaining a good sleep routine and minimising distractions. Habits included regular exercise, a healthy diet and mindfulness.

The study then assessed the group’s brain activity using a tool called the BrainHealth Index (BHI). The tool can spot all kinds of brain changes, both improvements and deterioration, and focuses on three key factors: clarity (cognitive function), emotional balance (mental wellbeing) and connectedness to people and purpose (social health).

The experts’ key finding was that all brains are unique and have growth potential, regardless of age. “This study challenges the prevailing narrative of inevitable cognitive decline, suggesting instead that brain health can be proactively cultivated at any age,” says Lori Cook, CBH director of clinical research and an author of the study, which was published in Scientific Reports, a Nature journal.

The researchers found that those who saw the most improvement engaged in the brain-training exercises. This was across all participants, regardless of age, gender, and education level.

The improvements were seen across the board, including people in their 80s and 90s. This shows that our age doesn’t define how healthy our brains can be, and that change is possible throughout our lifetimes, provided we take an active role in caring for our brain.

One notable finding was that the people who started with the lowest BHI scores experienced the biggest improvements over the three years. "Those who are starting at the lowest level appear to have the most opportunity for growth and may be coming in with more pre-existing concerns," Lori says. "As such, they may be more motivated to invest the time needed to see more growth potential. But it is noteworthy that we saw measurable growth even in those entering as high performers."

A healthy brain as we age is important for preventing neurological, psychiatric, age-related and behavioural problems, which can be life-limiting in some cases.

A limitation of this study was that it involved mainly white, female college-educated participants. The authors acknowledged that they need to include other demographic groups to review how brain training can help the population as a whole.

Tips for looking after your brain, whatever your age

NHS GP Dr Amir Khan has previously given woman&home his tips for improving and protecting our brain health. These include:

• Eating well: Focus on omega-3 fatty acids such as oily fish, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds and foods like berries, which are high in antioxidants. These foods can reduce the risk of dementia and the impact of stress on our brains.
• Staying active: Exercise improves circulation, which improves blood flow to our brains and gives it the nutrients it needs to function. This can reduce the risk of stroke and can promote cell growth in the hippocampus. This helps with memory and focus.
• Stay social: Social interaction helps keep our brains healthy by stimulating attention and memory functions. Loneliness can be associated with a higher risk of dementia.
• Sleep: Improving your sleep where possible and aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep a night to give your brain time to clean itself and prepare for the next day, which it can’t do when you’re awake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What exercises improve chest and back strength?

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

These include:

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

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

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

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

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

How to do the bird dog exercise

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

Here's how to do it:

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

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

Benefits of the bird dog exercise

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

Can you do a weighted bird dog?

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

How to do a weighted bird dog with bands

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

Is the bird dog better than a plank?

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

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

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

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

How long should you hold the bird dog pose for?

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

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

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

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

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

1. Squat

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

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

2. Push-ups

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

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

3. Planks

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

4. Balance exercises

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venus Williams' mobility routine

Leg and hip stretches

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

Upper-body stretches

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

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

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

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

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

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

Try this arm workout

1. Arm circles

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

Here's how to do arm circles:

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

2. Shoulder press

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

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

Here's how to do it:

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

3. Bicep curls

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

Here's how to do it:

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

4. Single-arm lat pull down

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

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

Here's how to do it:

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

5. Steering wheels

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

Here's how to do it:

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

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

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

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

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

Benefits of 10-minute swimming workouts

1. Aids muscle recovery

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

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

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

2. Supports muscle building

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

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

3. Boosts energy levels

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

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

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

4. Lowers stress levels

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

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

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

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

5. Burns calories

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

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

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

10-minute swimming workouts to try

Multi-stroke sprint swimming workout

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

How to do it:

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

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

Varied swimming workout

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

How to do it:

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

Recovery swim

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

How to do it:

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

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

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

Chronic stress is feeling like you're in a constant state of 'fight or flight' with high adrenaline and cortisol levels.

NHS GP and woman&home's resident doctor, Dr Amir Khan, says these hormones are "helpful in short bursts", but when you can't lower your cortisol levels, for whatever reason, it can start to cause damage, and physical signs of stress start to manifest.

70% of adults in the UK have felt stress that's led to them feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope in the last year, with 81% of women reporting early signs of burnout compared to 67% of men, according to The Priory.

The good news is that the doctor also says you can reverse these symptoms. “Your body is incredibly good at healing when you give it the chance. Start small with better sleep, regular movement, talking to someone - even just slowing your breathing. Looking after your stress is looking after your whole body.”

Physical signs of stress

1. Headaches

We know that when we’re stressed, one of the first places we feel it is in our heads. It will affect everyone differently, but you might experience headaches, brain fog or mood swings.

Dr Khan explains: “High cortisol levels over time are linked to anxiety, low mood and even depression. It can also disrupt sleep, which can then make everything worse."

It’s also normal to feel forgetful and overwhelmed or lash out at those closest to you when you’re stressed.

2. Racing heart

Stress can have a big impact on your heart health. It increases your heart rate and blood pressure, so if you’re operating daily at a high stress level, it can lead to serious health problems.

"When you're stressed, your body pumps out adrenaline to prepare you for action, in case you need to run away from danger. That increases your heart rate and blood pressure," says Dr Khan, pointing to evidence linking chronic stress to cardiovascular problems.

3. You get sick often

“Initially stress can boost immune system activity but long term it suppresses it,” says Dr Kahn. “That means you’re more likely to pick up infections and may take longer to recover.”

Also, when we're going through a stress time, it's common to get out of a regular routine of exercise, sleeping, and eating well, which also negatively impacts the immune system.

4. Digestive discomfort

The gut-brain axis is the essential link between these two vital parts of the body. When one isn't working well, the other is affected.

Dr Khan says: “Stress can cause problems like bloating, pain, diarrhoea or constipation and can worsen symptoms of IBS. That’s why people often feel stress in their tummies.”

5. Weight gain

As well as reaching for sugary foods which might give us a short-term high, chronic stress increases our cravings for high fat foods and promotes fat storage “especially around the tummy area”.

Not sleeping well or exercising regularly can also have a significant impact on weight.

6. Muscle aches

"When you're overstressed, your body goes into that 'fight or flight mode'. That means the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and jaw tighten, ready to respond to danger," he says.

This source of stress could be a genuine emergency - or it could be work, family, or personal pressures that have built up over time. The body, unfortunately, doesn't know the difference.

“If you’re feeling exhausted, run down or not quite yourself, it might not be a lack of willpower. It could be chronic stress,” says Dr Khan.

Tips for easing stress

It's the small lifestyle changes that make a big difference, says the doctor, such as a 15- or 10-minute walk every day. In fact, a new study found that five-minute breaks during the workday can positively impact wellbeing, improving mood, positivity, and alertness.

“Prioritising sleep provides a good foundation,” he says. "Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time most days to get into a routine. Breathing exercises can also help, and slow, deep breathing can calm the nervous system.

If you feel like you’ve got too much on your plate, set clear boundaries and ask for help if you need it. “If this doesn’t work, talking therapy or CBT can be helpful, and sometimes medical support with medication is needed,” says Dr Khan.

“Remember, stress isn’t just in your head, it’s a whole body process.”

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

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

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

A quick review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sleep and hot weather are not a match made in heaven in the UK, but there are ways to sleep better in the heat if you're struggling to drift off this week.

Everyone has their own 'hack' for cooling a bedroom down, whether it's putting ice in front of a fan or changing the bedding, but sometimes it's even simpler changes to your bedtime routine that can make a difference.

Sleep expert Alison Jones says: “Trying to sleep when it’s warm can take some of the joy out of this time of year. Humid nights can cause people to wake more frequently, reducing sleep quality and quantity. Warm temperatures reduce the time spent in slow-wave sleep and REM sleep - the stages when the body does critical work to rejuvenate and restore.”

One way to improve airflow during the night is to change your sleeping position. It can be tempting to lie flat on your back and starfish (with your arms and legs splayed). This may not be the most effective option. Alison recommends sleeping on your side. She says this “exposes more of your body to the air” and "heat from the body can escape more easily, which regulates body temperature,” she explains.

Keeping your hands and feet outside of the sheet or duvet will also help you regulate your body temperature.

Known as the 'pole' sleeping position, this alignment is also recommended for better digestion and circulation, which are especially appreciated in the summer months.

Placing a pillow between your knees can help align your hips and make the position more comfortable to sleep in, especially if you're not used to it, as it will prevent your top leg from pulling your spine out of neutral.

Tips for sleeping in the heat

• Keep light and air out of your bedroom: One of the best ways to keep your house and its bedrooms cool is by keeping blinds, curtains and windows all closed. This will stop the hot air and sunlight from coming in during the day. Once it’s cooler in the early morning or evening, you can open them again and enjoy sleeping in cooler temperatures.
• Have a lukewarm shower before bed: If you’ve been hot and sweaty all day, there’s nothing better than a shower before bed to cool you down. Aim for one with lukewarm water, which will bring your body temperature down before you get into bed.
• Put your pillowcase in the freezer: Obviously this trick won’t last the night, but it might help keep you cool as you drift off. Put your pillowcase inside a bag in the freezer an hour or two before bed.
• Go for cotton: Cotton bedding and loose cotton or linen pyjamas are a great option for sleeping under or in during hot weather because they release heat and moisture most effectively. Synthetic fibres will make you sweat more and keep the moisture close to your skin, which is uncomfortable.
• Avoid using a fan all through the night: While cooling fans can be effective, they can also be quite disruptive to sleep. They can be noisy and also lead to drops in body temperature in the early hours. This might cause you to wake up. They can also make your hay fever symptoms worse at night because they blow pollen or dust around. Set a timer to turn the fan off after a few hours and point fans at the ceiling or a wall.
• Move to another room: If you sleep on the top floor of a house and it’s unbearable at night, move to a ground-floor room for a few days for respite from the heat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 11

Specifications

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

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

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

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

Winner: Either - they have very similar designs

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Apple Watch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Apple Watch

Apple Watch vs Garmin Venu 4: Price and alternatives

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

Here's where you can save on both watches:

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

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

Winner: Depends on budget

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

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

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

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

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

Overall winner: Apple Watch

Even in the heat, it's good to move our bodies and keep the blood pumping. If you can't get into your air-conditioned gym and don't fancy an outdoor workout in these temperatures, then this quick 30-minute workout with dumbbells at home could be for you.

Caroline Idiens is a women's fitness coach with over two million followers on social media, and the founder of Caroline's Circuits. Jenni Falconer is a friend and fellow fitness lover. Together, they demonstrate the strength training workout.

"Absolutely LOVED this one @jennifalconer ~ it's such a great circuit using all muscle groups in 30 mins, some of my favourite functional full body exercises," says Caroline.

The pair are using 3kg dumbbells, but you can choose whatever weight you can manage. Just remember you'll be doing nine exercises in quick succession, so use weights you can lift.

30-minute dumbbell workout

1. Squat and alt press

• Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height.
• Squat deeply.
• As you rise to stand, push one dumbbell above your head with a straight arm.
• Squat for 40 seconds, alternating each arm.

The squat and alternating press will give you a full-body workout that targets your quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, upper arms, and shoulders.

2. Romanian deadlift (RDL) to row

• Stand up straight and hold two dumbbells.
• Bend your knees and hinge forwards at the hips, imagining that you're closing a car door behind you with your buttocks.
• Lower until your dumbbells are just past your knees or you feel a real stretch behind your thighs.
• Pull the dumbbells up towards your hips.
• Straighten your arms and come back up to standing.
• Repeat the exercise for 40 seconds.

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a great glute exercise, but adding a row recruits muscles like the lats, triceps, and biceps in the upper body, turning it into a full-body exercise.

3. Reverse lunge and knee drive

• Keep the dumbbells at shoulder height.
• Stand with legs hip-width apart.
• Raise one knee in front of you before driving it backwards into a lunge position.
• Repeat on one leg for 40 seconds before switching sides.

You’ll really feel the burn in your glutes when you do this exercise, which is also great for improving balance and loosening tight hips. The dumbbells add intensity and help engage your core and upper body in the repetitions.

4. Sumo squat to front raise

• Stand with your feet wider than your mat.
• Squat deeply and as you rise to stand again, raise the dumbbells straight in front of you.
• Lower the weights between your legs while you squat.
• Repeat the squats and raises for 40 seconds.

Sumo squats will give you a deeper burn in your quads, inner thighs and glutes. Front raises improve upper-body strength. These kinds of strength moves improve your shoulder and anterior deltoid (front of the shoulders) strength, which will help functional movement and your ability to do daily activities such as bending and lifting.

5. Curtsy lunge to lateral raise

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Step back and across with one leg and bend both knees.
• At the same time as you bend, raise the dumbbells out to the sides at shoulder height.
• Bring the leg back to the front and gently touch the ground before repeating the curtsy lunges on that leg.
• Repeat with the other leg.

Curtsy lunges are a step up from a regular lunge and are a great hip, glute, and quadricep exercise. If you have any knee injuries or pain, take extra care when doing these or speak to a PT first.

Lateral raises improve posture and shoulder strength, reducing the chance of shoulder injury or pain.

6. Kneeling shoulder press

• Kneel with your knees hip-width apart.
• Hold the dumbbells to the side at shoulder height.
• Raise them above your head with straight arms before lowering back down to shoulder height.

This is a purely upper body move which will work your biceps, triceps, shoulders and upper back. You could do heavier weights for this if you’ve been strength training for a while, but Caroline and Jenni are using their 3kg weights in their workout.

7. Glute bridge with skull crusher

• Lie on the mat with your knees bent and heels close to your bottom.
• Lift your hips off the mat and lift the dumbbells straight above you.
• Hold your hips up while you bend your arms back towards your ears.
• Straighten your arms again and lower your hips.

Caroline’s exercise ups the ante on a move which is really effective for building muscle and strengthening your glutes. The skull crushers will give your triceps a good burn. Doing these moves together takes some concentration and coordination, but it's well worth it.

8. Crunch with extension

• Lie flat on the mat with just one dumbbell in both hands.
• Lengthen your legs and arms above your head.
• Raise your feet off the mat and lift your head and shoulders off to bring the weight as close as possible to your shins.
• Lie back down again, but keep your heels off the floor if you can.

Your core will really feel the benefit of this exercise because it works both the upper and lower abdominal muscles. The use of the weights again adds an extra burn for your shoulders and triceps.

9. Weighted deadbugs

• Lie on the mat with your legs in tabletop position and arms straight above your head.
• Extend one leg towards the floor and the opposite arm straight back behind you.
• Alternate arms and legs while keeping your back flat and hips stable.

Deadbugs are a favourite exercise for strengthening the core. Adding weights again gives a full-body workout. Make sure you don’t arch your lower back when doing these, and if you’re finding it hard to extend your legs fully, you can always switch to toe taps.

Collagen has quickly become one of the most talked-about and sought-after supplements for women, along with creatine. Brands that sell it promise everything from improved skin and hair to muscle mass.

While collagen is an essential protein in the body, acting like glue for the skin, muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments, giving them elasticity and resilience, up until recently, the evidence on taking collagen supplements has been limited.

A new umbrella review, published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, has brought together evidence from 16 systematic reviews, 113 randomised controlled trials and almost 8,000 people to try and change this.

What are the benefits of collagen?

The team from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge examined how collagen intake affects all of our major health areas, taking into account dose and duration of supplementation among participants. The two areas they found the greatest improvements in were skin health and osteoarthritis outcomes, with few reliable results in other areas.

Skin health

Many women take collagen to help improve their skin health as they age. The good news is that the ARU team found that those who took collagen for longer periods experienced greater improvements in skin hydration and elasticity.

However, it didn’t find collagen to be beneficial for improving skin roughness or texture.

Osteoarthritis symptoms

The other area where the most benefits were observed was in the joint health of people with osteoarthritis.

The review found that longer supplementation was associated with reduced pain and stiffness, and the authors say collagen offers a strong alternative to more medicalised joint disease treatments.

There were also improvements in the muscle mass, muscle structure, and tendon structure of participants who took collagen, although these were not dramatic.

Healthy ageing

While the benefits of collagen for skin health and osteoarthritis were most obvious, together, they make a case for collagen as a good supplement for boosting longevity.

Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at ARU and co-author of the study, says: "This study brings together the strongest evidence to date on collagen supplementation.

"Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis. Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy ageing, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use," he said.

"This study marks an important step towards more informed public guidance and better-designed future research. We need more high-quality clinical trials, including research examining long-term health outcomes, optimal dosing and differences between collagen sources."

What doesn't collagen help with?

Oral health

Some people believe taking collagen is beneficial for oral health as it acts as structural support for the jawbone, gums, and ligaments in the mouth. However, the team did not find any convincing evidence that collagen lowers the risk of gum disease or boosts the chance of a positive outcome after cosmetic dentistry.

Metabolic health

Collagen is a source of protein, so some people point to supplementation as a way to manage blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity and improve satiety. However, the team also looked at markers for this, such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, and found very mixed results.

Exercise performance

Sports nutrition brands have added collagen into their supplement line-up in recent years. It makes sense, given the reported benefits for musculoskeletal health. However, “despite widespread marketing claims aimed at athletes and fitness enthusiasts”, the study found “little evidence that collagen improves exercise performance or recovery”.

The researchers found “no meaningful benefits for post-exercise muscle recovery, muscle soreness, or the mechanical properties of tendons”.

Collagen production starts to slow down in our mid-20s. We can start to see the impact from our 30s onwards, as the decrease in oestrogen during perimenopause contributes to further collagen loss in our late 40s and 50s. This is why collagen supplements are popular.

Signs of collagen loss include brittle hair and nails, fine lines on your face and sagging skin. It can also impact your flexibility and cause pain in your joints and tendons.

The review didn’t go into detail on the specifics of bovine, vegan, or marine collagen supplements, but it’s one of the most comprehensive studies of collagen so far.

If you've thought about tracking your sleep, you've probably considered the Oura Ring vs Apple Watch. With insights including how long you've slept for, the quality of that sleep, and your personal circadian rhythm, one of these fitness trackers can be a valuable tool for improving your health.

I've worn an Oura Ring for over a year now, tracking my sleep with it every night. Recently, I upgraded to the Oura Ring 5 (which I would recommend to anyone looking to buy versus older models) and started wearing another tracker to bed recently - the Apple Watch Series 11. Why? I wanted to see whether Apple's new overnight metrics were up to par with Oura's indisputable reputation for sleep tracking.

Plus, with upcoming Amazon Prime Week, the new release from Oura, and the likely release of a new Apple Watch in a few months, now could be the time to snap up a saving.

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch

Specifications

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Design

The Apple Watch is a classic watch design with a square face, aluminium or titanium casing, and a silicone strap that can be swapped for others of different materials and colours. It sits flush to the wrist, making it comfortable to wear overnight, and depending on the strap you go for, it can be relatively discreet in design for wear in daily life.

The Oura Ring 5, as the name suggests, is a ring design that sits on the index, middle, or ring finger of the non-dominant hand. It comes in various metallic colourways, including silver, black, gold, and coppery rose gold, which I opted for. If you didn't know it was a smart ring, you wouldn't think it out of place amongst other jewellery, as the updated design is thinner than the previous Oura Ring 3 or 4.

While the Apple Watch isn't bulky (it's also thinner and lighter than previous models) and the silicone strap is lightweight and comfortable, the Oura Ring has a naturally more distraction-free design that makes it ideal for overnight wear.

Even if you've had an Oura Ring before, I would recommend getting the sizing kit as the newer model is proportioned slightly different. I stuck with the same size, but comfort depends on the ring fitting properly, so it's worth doing. Plus, the kit is still free to order with purchase.

Winner: Oura Ring

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Sleep tracking

If we were having this conversation about the Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Series 10, there would be a clear, undisputed winner. However, thanks to new updates, the Apple Watch Series 11 is a serious contender.

Late to the game but still impressive, the Apple Watch now has Sleep Score. This feature is an analysis of nightly data and a number from 1 to 100 based on key metrics, including duration, sleep consistency, overnight interruptions, and sleep quality. The higher your score, the better your sleep. Overall, I've found the data to be very accurate, and you can view it on your watch and in the Apple Health app.

You'll also be able to see how your night's sleep compares to your average. I find this useful to look at the bigger picture. I know that one night of bad sleep isn't the end of the world, provided my sleep is good on other nights in the same week. If it's not, something needs to change before it catches up with me.

Also new is the sleep schedule feature. Research from King's College London shows going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can be game-changing for sleep health, and this feature helps make it happen via connectivity to your phone. At 9.30 pm every night, I get a notification telling me to start winding down, and my Sleep Focus mode comes on, which is my sign to get off Instagram for the evening.

The Oura Ring 5 has these metrics - and more, including sleep latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep), efficiency (the percentage of time in bed spent asleep vs awake), and long-term features that look at how sleep is affecting your overall health via a Readiness Score, with other lifestyle factors (like exercise) considered as well.

After I wore the ring for three months on the trot, I received an analysis of my chronotype (morning lark or night owl). This revealed how my sleep corresponds with my body's natural circadian rhythm. It's a feature that can help optimise your daily life as you work with your body, rather than against it. As I'm a 'late-morning' person, I thrive just before lunchtime, so I try to work my day around this.

It would also be remiss not to mention the battery life. I've found the brands' suggestion of 24 hours of battery life for the Apple Watch and up to nine days on the Oura Ring 5 to be very accurate. It's hard to continuously monitor your sleep and make the most of other daily metrics on the Apple Watch when you have to take it off to charge so often. It's a serious flaw within an otherwise excellent smartwatch and sleep tracker.

Winner: Oura Ring

Fitness tracking on the Oura Ring vs Apple Watch

I wouldn't describe the Oura Ring as a strict fitness tracker. It records basic insights like heart rate, calorie burn, step count, and automatically logs workouts (from strength training to running) with a GPS route if done outside. However, these are not designed to help improve your fitness with a specific goal in mind, as a running watch would. Rather, it takes this data, combined with your sleep and other health metrics, to assess your overall wellbeing. It also doesn't have a screen.

The Apple Watch, on the other hand, is a true fitness tracker. You'll be able to manually record workouts (with particularly detailed metrics for cycling and running) with live data on your screen, and see how your workouts impact your fitness, heart health, and overall wellbeing.

A redesigned Workout app on the watch makes it easier to find favourite modes, you can see your workout data live on the screen with customisable data screens, and there is now a Training Load (a measure of how much your workouts are impacting your body) feature that brings it in line with other top trackers like Garmin watches and Fitbits.

Winner: Apple Watch

Health tracking on the Oura Ring vs Apple Watch

When it comes to seeing how sleep influences your overall health and keeping an eye on this, the two devices stand side by side. Both have features that keep a close eye on your health, using data from vital signs like resting heart rate, HRV, body temperature, sleep, and activity levels. They are very similar.

The Oura Ring packages its health data into four scores: Readiness (how prepared you are for the day ahead), Sleep Health, Stress Management, and Heart Health (cardiovascular age). Within each of these, you can see valuble insights into your health. For example, along with the regular sleep data, you'll see any breathing irregularities in your Sleep Health section, which could flag symptoms of sleep apnea. In Heart Health, you'll see your cardio capacity (V02 max), which measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen.

On the Apple Watch, this data is logged in separate tabs for each metric. I've found this not to be quite as organised as it is in the Oura app, but it certainly dives into the specifics, and I found it easier to get all the information I wanted on the specific metric.

The Apple Watch does take it one step further with an electrocardiogram (ECG) and safety features like Fall Detection and Crash Detection. These are built into the Apple Health app ecosystem as well, so family members with permission can also be alerted to any falls or major health incidents via message.

Winner: Either - both have useful and accurate health features

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Price

Unlike when I compared the Oura Ring vs Fitbit Air, the price of these two devices is very similar. The new Oura Ring 5 comes in at £399 (for silver and black colourways) or £499 (for all other colourways). The Apple Watch Series 11 is £369 for the regular model, rising in price for the cellular connection or titanium casing.

Both are an investment, so it's worth considering what you value most. If you regularly exercise and want a fitness tracker to keep an eye on your workouts, the Apple Watch offers a high standard of sleep and fitness tracking. You'll save money in the long term as you won't want to buy another tracker to record your workouts, which you may do if you choose the Oura Ring.

You will also need to pay a subscription to use the Oura Ring after buying it, making it a longer-term investment. It's £5.99 per month (or £69.99 for the year). While it's an additional payment, I would say new features are added fairly regularly without price increases, so it's worth the investment if you have the budget.

Winner: Apple Watch

The w&h verdict

When it comes to sleep tracking, the Oura Ring 5 is my favourite. The low-key, highly wearable design is forgettable on the finger in the best possible way, and the sensors deliver all the insights you could need to improve your rest and recovery. Plus, the nine-day battery life means you can wear it continuously, which is needed to make the most of the insights.

The Apple Watch offers enough sleep tracking insights to be worth the investment if you're also looking for a fitness tracker to log your workouts and improve your health. The smartwatch features are also not to be underestimated - with the cellular option, you can essentially leave your phone at home, and the watch does the same job. From paying for coffee to texting friends, it's all there on that screen. The range of safety alerts is also worth considering.

For sleep, there is a clear winner. However, the perfect pairing is the two together, and they integrate very well. I can see my Oura data on my Apple Watch, and my Oura Ring detects movement from my Apple Watch.

Winner overall: Oura Ring 5

The internet was abuzz with a new study last week. A maximum of two hours of strength training every week was linked to better longevity, with a 19% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of death related to a neurological disease, such as dementia.

Experts used data from three studies to see how weekly resistance training and aerobic exercise impacted the health of 147,374 people over 30 years. The participants, with an average age of 54, were asked to record how much of each exercise they did per week.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that effects were even more significant when aerobic exercise was added, and there was no observed benefit among people who did more than 120 minutes of strength training a week.

It sounds simple enough, but if you're new to strength training, where do you start to fill this prescription for a potentially longer life? "I think one of the biggest barriers is the idea that strength training only counts if it means a full workout, several times a week, with lots of equipment or a gym membership," says Kate Rowe-Ham, a personal trainer specialising in women's fitness and the founder of Owning Your Menopause. "For many women, that thought alone is enough to make it feel unmanageable. But actually, it doesn’t have to look like that at all."

What counts as strength training?

In the study, the researchers valued workouts that included press-ups, squats, and lunges, completed with weights or as bodyweight exercises. But, essentially, any form of exercise where the muscles work against a resistance counts as strength training.

Resistance can "come from weights, machines, resistance bands, bodyweight, water resistance, or loaded daily tasks such as carrying shopping or climbing stairs," says Matt Molloy, a chartered physiotherapist and sports scientist working with Les Mills.

"The key point is the stimulus, not the equipment," he explains. "Are the muscles being challenged? Are the major muscle groups involved? Can the exercise be progressed over time? If yes, then it can count as strength training."

The two hours don't have to be in dedicated sessions, adds Kate. You can divide your time up into 10-minute workouts if needed. "It might mean doing a few simple movements while dinner is cooking, before you get in the shower, or in a spare pocket of time at the weekend," she says.

As for aerobic exercise for extra benefits, the study recorded this as brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis, squash, strenuous outdoor work and stair climbing.

2-hour strength training routines to try

3 x 40-minute sessions

Ideally, strength training should be divided into three workouts per week, lasting for 40 minutes, says Kate. "I would break this down into an upper-body workout, a lower-body workout (with quadriceps and glute exercises) and a full-body workout so you can factor in rest days, in case you have any soreness."

If you want to structure your own session, PT Kate recommends "including all seven functional patterns of movement" in your workouts.

Here's what that includes:

• Squat: Any type of squat will be a good compound exercise, targeting muscles like the quadriceps and glutes.
• Lunge: A walking lunge is good if you've got the space, but otherwise, a regular lunge is a great single-leg exercise for boosting balance along with strength.
• Hinge: This will typically be a deadlift, a Romanian deadlift, or a hip thrust, which can be done in the gym or at home with weights.
• Push: Think press-ups, chest press, or overhead shoulder press for the upper body, and a leg press exercise on the machine for the lower body.
• Pull: This could be pull-ups with a resistance band, lat pull-downs on the machine, or a bent-over row.
• Rotate: Think core exercises like Russian twists and variations of the plank.
• Carry: This could be a farmer's carry, for example, which uses kettlebells or dumbbells.

These are what's known as compound exercises, says Matt. "They give you more benefit for the time you invest. They train several muscle groups at once and build strength in movements we use every day, such as standing, lifting, carrying, climbing stairs and controlling posture."

Exercise snacking

If three dedicated sessions aren't possible for you, try four lots of 30 minutes, six lots of 20 minutes, or "12 lots of 10 minutes on an extra-busy week", says Kate.

I've done this before by setting my fitness tracker to ping every few hours (three times a day) when I'm at home in the evening on two working days and over the weekend. That's 12 sessions of 10 minutes across four days.

When my Garmin watch pings, I know it's time to pull out my weights and do a 10-minute weighted workout. It may not seem like a lot, but by the end of the week, I can truly feel the benefit.

"The encouraging thing is that the research suggests that even relatively modest amounts of muscle-strengthening activity seem to matter. So the message is not that women need to hit some perfect target straight away. It’s that doing something is far better than doing nothing, and small amounts still count," says Kate.

Wear a weighted vest

A weighted vest, as the name suggests, is a pull-on weight that is worn like a jacket. While you'll still need to do some work, simply wearing one of these "increases the load and makes movements more demanding," explains Kate. It's a hands-free approach to strength training if you walk with a weighted vest.

"I wouldn’t want women to think they can wear one while doing chores and tick off strength training," says Kate. "But if you're wearing a weighted vest while doing squats, lunges, step-ups, push-ups, or walking, then it can be a useful addition."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where to shop walking shoes in the sale

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

My top picks for walking shoes in the sale

How to find a good walking shoe in the sale

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

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

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

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

How to do a farmer's carry

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

Benefits of the farmer's carry exercise

1. Improves core strength

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

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

2. Improves posture

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

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

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

3. Boosts grip strength

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

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

4. Improves mobility

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

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

5. Adaptable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As a huge Spice Girl fan, when I got an email inviting me to meet the one and only Mel B I couldn’t say no.

While I was a little dubious upon reading the details and discovering it included partaking in a Zumba class - I have absolutely no rhythm and Mel is a trained dancer - all my worries were brushed aside when the music started. “That’s why Zumba is so great,” the singer tells me when I explained my initial anticipation.

Here, the star, who made an appearance at SXSW’s Zumba House, reveals all about her wellness routine, including having a menopause group chat with the other Spice Girls…

Get moving

“I love it so much, because it’s not so strict. When I was training as a dancer, it was very conformed. If you did a ballet step wrong, it was very constricted to how you move. Whereas Zumba, to me, as long as you know the basic sidestep, you can just do your own thing all over it, which is very, very freeing.”

She adds, “You can add in your own spice to Zumba and there’s something really fun about dancing with a group of other people. It’s infectious!”

As someone who has been open about her mental health struggles - particularly following her divorce from ex Stephen Belafonte, who she says was “abusive” but is something he strongly denies - Mel says that is “really important to move.” The star, 51, explains, “Moving makes you feel so much better. And I don't think we put enough emphasis on that.”

She adds, “Also, because what do we do? We sit down for work, we sit down and eat. We sit down and watch TV. Who wants to be a couch potato?”

But, Zumba isn’t the only way she keeps fit. In recent years the mum-of-three has focused on strength training. “I turned 51 this year and from the age of about 35, you start losing all your collagen and your bone density.”

“So I've been trying to do my version of weights. I walk around my farm with a weighted vest,” she shares, adding, “To go into a gym and weight lift is daunting, but I can lift one of my Rottweilers up and I can find ways that are doable.”

Mel adds that she’s also “constantly moving,” walking her beloved three dogs, two of which join us during our chat, and tending to her farm.

She makes it clear that getting your body moving “doesn’t have to cost much,” either. “If you’re going to the park or meeting for coffee, instead of taking the car, you take your bike or you speed walk there. I love speed walking. It looks hilarious but I love it.”

Healthy habits

And her wellness habits extend beyond exercise. “Me and my husband just put a little spa in our house. I have a LED red SunShower, a Himalayan salt sauna and an ice bath outside, which I love doing.”

Explaining the benefits, Mel, who tied the knot to hairdresser Rory McPhee last year, shares, “It’s what it does to your nervous system, which is really good for women that have suffered from trauma. It's really good just to reset your body.”

She adds, “The maximum you're meant to stay in over a week is 12 minutes, so I do three minutes every other day.”

The star also starts every day with “one hour of self raki” before Rory brings her a coffee. “The morning that he doesn't get me a coffee, I'm gonna have a breakdown because he’s set the standard now,” she laughs.

Crazy for collagen

Collagen is also a non-negotiable for Mel. So much so that she’s an ambassador for Revive Collagen. “It came at such a magical time because I was just figuring out if I wanted to try HRT.”

“I’m in a group chat with all the other Spice Girls and we're all hormonal, talking about symptoms, saying ‘I don't know if it's peri, I don't know if it's full menopause.’ So I wanted to try and see if something would help.”

Mel continues, “I take the Menopause Max in the morning and then I'd take a Menopause Beauty Sleep one at nighttime. Between the hot sweats and the brain fog and the insomnia, that just kind of levelled me out.”

“The good thing about Revive is you can take it alongside HRT too and it's just a little sachet so it’s easy to take. Not only does it taste good, it’s the highest, most potent one on the market so it really gets into your system.”

Beauty staples

When it comes to beauty, Mel admits, “I'm a gadget girl.”

Her go-tos? “I've got an LED mask, my own Dermabrasion [device]. I'm like, ‘let me just see if the wave is real,’ when somebody goes, ‘oh, this is the must-have thing,’ I let it fade and then if people are still talking about it I’ll try it.”

And, of course, she’s a huge fan of fellow Spice Girl Victoria Beckham’s eponymous beauty brand. “Victoria always sends me stuff [her products]. I always say to her, ‘make sure you make shades for my colour people,’” she reveals.

Sharing her parting beauty and wellness advice, Mel concludes, “Look after your skin and drink water. It all starts with the basics… It really is that simple. Drink water, move, eat vegetables and wash make-up off your face every night.”

Mel spoke to woman&home at SXSW’s Zumba House

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

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

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

The quick list

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

My top picks in the Garmin sale

What Garmin watch should I buy in the sale?

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

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

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

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

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

When is the best time to buy a Garmin watch?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The quick list

• Back to the top ⤴

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

Best hydration vest overall

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

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

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

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

Best hydration vest with bottles

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

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

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

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

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

Best hydration pack for hiking

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

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

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

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

Best budget hydration vest

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

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

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

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

Best hydration vest for hot weather

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

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

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

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

Best hydration vest for versatility

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

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

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

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

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

The best small capacity hydration vest

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

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

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

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

Best hydration vest for race day

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

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

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

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

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

Best hydration vest for carrying poles

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

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

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

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

Testing the best hydration vests for women

How I tested

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

Here is the criteria I used during testing:

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

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

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

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

Whether you want to relieve discomfort while sitting at your desk or make sure you can get on the floor to play with your grandchildren in the years to come, keeping your hips supple is vital. Take it from me - I've been teaching yoga for 17 years, and tight hips are one of the most common reasons students come to my classes.

Modern-day yoga workouts offer simple but effective movements that can help you to unlock “tight” hips. While students come in expecting the pigeon stretch, this movement is really just the tip of the iceberg.

Your hips are at the centre of almost every movement you make throughout the day, so when they feel stiff, you might experience difficulty, discomfort or even pain performing basic tasks. Though tight hips aren't necessarily a problem to be solved, if they're causing you discomfort, improving your hip mobility can help.

Yoga moves to loosen tight hips

1. Window wipers

This may seem like a simple start, but the simplest movements are often the most effective for unwinding tension in your hips and lower back before you move on to more advanced mobility exercises.

Here's how to do window wipers:

• Lie down on your mat with your knees bent and bring your feet to mat-width. Release your arms overhead.
• As you exhale, release your knees to the right.
• Inhale to bring your knees back to centre, then exhale, drop your knees to the left.
• Continue moving with your breath for 3 - 5 rounds on each side.

2. Bridgeon

This pose is a marriage between the bridge and pigeon poses, and it covers a lot of bases. It strengthens your glutes and stretches your hip flexors while also reintroducing your hips to external rotation.

Here's how to do it:

• Start on your back with your knees bent, hands down next to your hips. Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
• Press your left heel down and lift your hips. Squeeze your left glutes to make a small pulsing action, while also pressing your right outer knee down.
• Hold for 5 - 10 breaths, then release and switch sides.

3. Hip circles

Your hip is a synovial joint, which means it produces fluid for lubrication – but movement helps to optimise this process. Hip circles are a simple way to move your hips in all directions to keep them juicy.

Here's how to do it:

• Come to your hands and knees, padding your knees with a blanket if you need to.
• Draw your right knee in towards your chest, then keeping it bent, take it out to the right, lift it behind you, and draw it in again to complete the circle.
• Try to keep your arms straight and concentrate the movement on your hip joint.
• Repeat 3 - 5 times, then switch sides.

4. Funky bird dog

The bird dog has become a favourite in home Pilates workouts in recent years - and for good reason. My take on it puts your hip joint through a wide range of motion to both stretch and strengthen your outer hips and hip flexors.

Here's how to do it:

• Come onto your hands and knees and extend your right leg straight back, keeping your heel in line with your hip.
• Turn your toes out to the right, rotating your hip in the socket, then exhale and bend your knee in towards your right armpit, keeping your knee as high as you can.
• Inhale, straighten your leg behind you again and turn your toes to face down.
• Exhale and cross your right leg over to the left, touching your toes down on the floor. Look over your left shoulder to increase the stretch along your right side.
• Repeat 3 - 5 times, then change sides.

5. Low lunge pulsation

This takes a common yoga posture – low lunge – and makes it really work for your hip flexors, which can feel tight if you sit a lot. It involves first contracting your hip flexors to activate them, then lengthening them to promote both strength and mobility.

Here's how to do it:

• Bring your right foot forward into a lunge, then climb your hands up onto your knee. If you’re able, slide your left knee back a bit so your left thigh is at an angle.
• Inhale and shift your hips back, rounding your spine and drawing your pubic bone up toward your navel.
• Exhale and sink your hips forward a little, pressing your hands gently into your knee to keep your chest lifting, and squeeze your left glutes.
• Repeat 3 - 5 times, then come back to hands and knees to switch sides.

6. Figure 4 pulse

Everyone loves pigeon for stretching the outer hips, but this is my favourite way to approach it, not least because you can do it anywhere – including at the airport or mid-flight if you want to break up all that sitting-down time. If you have trouble with balance, do it close to a wall.

Here's how to do it:

• From standing, cross your right ankle just above your left knee and bring your hands together at your chest (one hand will do if you’re holding the wall for balance).
• Take an inhale to steady yourself, then exhale and bend your standing knee, sitting your hips back.
• Press your thumbs into your sternum and lift your sternum into your thumbs.
• Take 5 to 10 breaths here, rising a few inches on your inhales and sitting a little deeper on your exhales, all the while keeping your chest lifting towards your thumbs, then change sides.

What’s the best way to improve hip mobility?

I suggest following the routine above two to three times a week and giving it several weeks to make a difference. You can do it on its own or after a workout, and at any time of day. If you experience sharp pain in your hips, stop and consult a physiotherapist, but remember that a little discomfort is probably normal if you’ve been neglecting your hips for a while.

Focus on your breathing while doing these postures, and move slowly. This can signal to your nervous system that you’re in a safe place. It will then be more likely to stop telling your muscles to clench.

Modern-day yoga is known for incorporating lots of stretching. But often, passive stretching alone isn’t enough to improve mobility - especially if your nervous system braces against it. Through my years of teaching and training, I’ve found that a multi-pronged approach of active and passive stretches, and strengthening and balance exercises, is most effective. That’s why I think yoga in particular can be so helpful for freeing your hips.

Instead of just banking on one pigeon pose or frog stretch, which stretch one part of your hips, this approach helps you think of your hips as having four sides that need attention: your hip flexors (front), glutes (back), adductors (inner) and abductors (outer). My remedy for limited hip mobility involves a series of reclining, kneeling and standing postures that target all four sides.

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

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

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

Oura Ring 5 review

Quick overview

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

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

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

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

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

Specifications

What is the Oura Ring 5 like to wear?

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

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

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

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

Sleep tracking on the Oura Ring 5

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

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

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

Fitness tracking on the Oura Ring 5

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

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

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

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

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

Health tracking on the Oura Ring 5

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

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

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

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

Is the Oura Ring 5 worth buying?

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

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

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

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

I quite often wake up in the morning feeling overwhelmed, and I know I'm not the only one. I immediately start thinking about what lies ahead and how much I have to do. But while my life is very busy, I'm also very good at procrastinating, and I put off even the simplest tasks, only to be surprised by how little time they actually take.

One person who knows how to be more productive is success coach and bestselling author Michael Heppell. He has a simple daily exercise to get every day off to a good start. It's called a '17-minute sprint' - and fortunately for us, it's not the kind of sprint that requires running shoes.

The idea of this sprint is to combine urgency with productivity to help complete tasks you're trying to avoid. You set a timer and go full steam ahead during this limited window. It could be anything from emptying the dishwasher to making a phone call, applying for a job, tidying your office, or writing an email.

"It's a quirky length of time. It's not 15 minutes, it's not half an hour, it's 17 minutes," he explained on a recent episode of This Morning with hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. "So immediately, your brain is going, 'Oh, that's a bit weird, that's a bit unusual'."

While he doesn’t explain how he decided on 17 as the magic number for productivity, he says that it's just enough time to get "into the groove" of what you're doing, so by the time the 17 minutes are up, you want to keep going.

According to a recent survey, 76% of women report feeling tired in the morning, compared to just under 60% of men. If you do have to get up and moving, this technique is certainly worth trying.

Michael has worked with Davina McCall and Sara Cox, who has reportedly worked with the coach since 2011 but recently thanked him for helping boost her confidence ahead of her new role as Radio 2's weekday breakfast host.

In the segment, Cat also asked Michael his opinion on to-do lists as a productivity tool. Many people write themselves lists but find they create more stress than relief - and Michael tends to avoid them.

"In the morning, you write 25 things. You put a load of things on there that don't need to be on there. You do the easiest ones first. You even put a couple on that you've already done and put a little tick next to them to make yourself feel good. Then, you get to the end of the day and beat yourself up because you haven't done it," he says.

Instead, the expert suggests writing a 'must-do' list, which includes the five most important tasks. "Not the five most urgent - the most important," he explains, using examples of calling family or exercising. "If you only do three of them, great news."