A shoe that makes you run faster sounds too good to be true. Surely it’s hard work and grit that get you moving quicker? Well, yes, but as we move ever-closer to that coveted sub-2 hour marathon, more will be done to shave milliseconds off run times. Nike’s Vaporfly shoe technology is no exception, but how does it work, and should it be allowed? Of the 36 podium positions in 2019’s marathon majors, athletes were wearing the Nike Vaporfly in 31 of those, with the official marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge wearing them when he ran a 2:01:39 race in Berlin, with newly-crowned women’s WR ..read more

  Let’s be frank. It would be pretty easy for me to tell you that I’m the right Personal Trainer for you – but being realistic, everyone has unique needs, requirements, and availability, so what works for one individual may not work for another. Here’s a couple of factors you need to consider when you’re choosing which Personal Trainer you’d like to work with, looking at whether you need someone with specialist qualification, interests aligning with yours – or maybe you just want someone you can have a laugh with! Read on and make sure you’re clear of what you need before you start y ..read more

We all know that exercise is good for us and there are guidelines out there to tell us how much we should be doing, yet 1.4 billion of us are still not doing enough to keep fit and ward off heart disease, type-2 diabetes and some cancers. It’s been joked before that if you could put exercise into a pill form it’d be a strong medication for many different ailments – and scientists seem to be closer than ever before in working out how to do this. Researchers from Michigan Medicine have been studying naturally occurring proteins, Sestrin, and have released a report this week covering their findin ..read more

This post contains affiliate links and a sponsored link for Super Watches The 2010s were a busy decade for health, fitness and wellness. Going to the gym is now for everyone, not just for those who want to get super hench; Ironman triathlons and ultramarathons have become more accessible, with photos of breastfeeding mothers at rest stops going viral; and everyone seems to know more than ever about nutrition, with many subscribing to one of the nutrition camps that have been popular over the past few years. But with the new decade comes the potential of new trends. Will we have learned from ou ..read more

The weather has definitely turned over the past few weeks, but those bright, cold days are the best ones for hiking as long as you’re kitted out appropriately. I was lucky enough to spend 24 hours in the Peak District in some spectacular autumn weather with YHA, which is a charity that transforms young lives forever through travel and real adventure. They have amazing places to stay and opportunities to explore, along with their Supper Club, where travellers eat a communal, hearty meal after their day exploring. As part of a collaboration with YHA I’ve brought you my five favourite adventures ..read more

Yeah yeah, we get it. Everyone here knows that strength training helps you feel like a badass, but we’re pretty fed up of hearing that strength training sculpts your body and reduces belly fat. We don’t spend hours of our week lifting more than our bodyweight to look like Kim Kardashian – we do it because we know it benefits us physically, emotionally, and mentally. I’ve also been recently irritated by a Facebook ad that said resistance training wasn’t suitable for women, so I wanted to put the record straight in case there are some out there who still believe that. But how exactly are we futu ..read more

All of my clients do step-ups – whether it’s bodyweight onto a smaller step, with dumbbells onto a box, or even a barbell onto a high box – and almost all of them dislike the exercise. Vehemently. So why would I have them doing an exercise they dislike so much? Is it because I love doing step-ups, so feel I should spread the love? Actually, I hate them too (especially the barbell variant), however I do believe they’re a great functional strength exercise with good opportunities to assess lower body capability – after all, the majority of us do climb stairs multiple times per day. Are they bene ..read more

I like this blog to be as informative as possible – so if I’ve experienced something, I want to add a spin on it that helps others – but honestly, there’s already so much information out there about visiting Bali that I just don’t think I could add anything valuable to the conversation. Instead, I’m taking this blog back to the old school and simply using it as a diary for my trip, so I can look back on it and remind myself it was real and not just a dream! If you’re travelling to Bali in the future, then first of all I’m super jealous as you’re going to have the BEST time, but I also hope you ..read more

“If you have no time to warm up, then you have no time to train”. Think you just need to do a few reps with an empty bar before strength training? Warming up fully will help get your muscles loose, active, and warm, which will in turn improve circulation and muscle function. It’ll activate your Central Nervous System so you can give your very best effort for each lift and increase flexibility in your muscles and joints, ensuring your form stays proper and you are resilient to injury. I’ve teamed up with The Sports Edit to bring you a guide to warming up fully before you strength train, so foll ..read more

Deadlifts are absolutely awesome. They work pretty much your entire body, from your legs and back being the prime movers, to your core being the stabiliser – and even the brain! My clients say there are so many cues to remember for the deadlift, considering it’s essentially just picking up a weight from the floor. Not all types of deadlifts work for everyone, however. We’re all differently shaped so while a conventional deadlift might work for many people, a sumo may suit others better. If these words mean nothing to you then read on – this post will explain three different types of deadlifts ..read more