Know someone who’s a fan of early morning gym sessions, post-workout rituals, and discovering how strong she is both in and out of the gym? Someone who romanticises sweaty workout sessions, lives for an uplifting gym bag essentials, and makes time for the routines that’ll make her feel good both inside and out?

Then you’re in the right place.

I’m a Health Editor who’s lucky enough to test the latest fitness launches and must-tries day in, day out. Keep scrolling for my personal pick of the best gifts for the fitness enthusiast in your life—gifts that celebrate every version of her health journey and encourage what’s to come. Gifts that make life easier, and movement more joyful. Small tools to make home workouts simpler; everyday gym essentials; and feel-good finds that promise to make working out feel like a privilege, not a chore.

Because there’s something powerful about a woman who keeps showing up for herself.

This gift guide is for her; for the woman dedicated to finding her strength.

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But ask a physio or strength coach how strong you really are, and they might be less interested in your measurements than whether you can get up off the floor.

That's because the simple, everyday stuff can tell us a lot about our physical strength. “There’s often a misconception that people need to lift a certain weight or perform a set amount of reps to be considered 'strong',” says Samantha Cubbins, a lifting club manager at Gymshark. “However, this is completely false.”

Research backs up the importance of these everyday capabilities, too. A study of more than 2,000 adults aged 51 to 80 found that the better people scored on a test measuring the ability to sit down on the floor and get back up again, the longer they tended to live. And a 10-year study involving more than 300 female twins found those with greater leg power experienced less decline in memory and thinking skills as they aged.

Keen to find out what being 'strong enough' actually looks like, I spoke to industry experts about seven simple things every woman should be able to do, plus how to work towards them if you're struggling right now. And if you're looking for more ways to support your long-term health, check out our guides to strength training moves for healthy ageing, the best longevity workouts, healthy ageing habits and longevity moves you can do at home.

Is Functional Strength the Best Measure of Your Health? These Are the Expert Moves That Experts Say Matter Most

What Is Functional Strength?

“Functional strength is essentially whether your body is capable of doing the things your lifestyle asks of it,” explains Rebecca Bossick, physiotherapist and founder of One Body LDN. “This is generally what physios are assessing you for: how well your muscles, bones, joints, and nervous system work together."

It's a far better measure than pure weight or aesthetics, she explains, as neither can tell the difference between losing fat and losing muscle. Put simply: two women can weigh exactly the same, but they can have completely different amounts of bone density and muscle, depending on their genetics and lifestyle.

Everyday movements can act as a useful indicator of functional strength because they use several muscles at once. “If one of those is lacking, it will quickly show up in these everyday movements, usually as a hand on the knee or a breathless pause on the landing, or needing extra support,” adds Bossick.

Why Should Women Pay Attention to Functional Strength As They Age?

Our bodies change as we age, and for women, menopause can speed things up. We naturally lose muscle mass as we get older, while falling oestrogen levels—which help to protect bone health—can accelerate bone loss.

“In fact, women can lose up to 10% of their bone density in the first five years after menopause, making them more prone to osteoporosis and breakages,” says Bossick.

The good news? Functional strength is something you can build at any age—and it's key for staying independent for longer.

As personal trainer Carly Corrigall puts it: “These movements become particularly relevant to maintaining independence as we get older, but I don't think we should see them simply as “minimum standards” to preserve. We should be looking to build strength and physical capacity wherever possible, not just hang on to what we've already got.”

7 Functional Strength Markers Every Woman Should Know

According to the experts, these are the simple functional strength markers you should prioritise, whatever your age:

1. Get Down on the Floor and Back Up Again

Both Corrigall and Bossick rate this one highly, and it's one of Corrigall's favourites. “It requires strength across multiple muscle groups, alongside mobility, balance and coordination,” she explains. “After all, if we fall, we want to be able to get back up again.'”

Try it: Start by practising moving from standing into a half-kneeling position and back again, using a sturdy chair or wall for support. Over time, try to rely on using your hands less.

2. Balance on One Leg

If you're in your 20s or 30s, Cubbins suggests aiming to stand on one leg for 40 seconds.

“This shows that your vestibular system in your ear, the vision in your eyes, and your muscles are all able to work effectively together,” she says. “It also proves that you have strong core muscles and good lower body stability.”

There's research to back this up, too. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that being able to balance on one leg for 10 seconds or longer was associated with better long-term survival in middle-aged or older adults.

Try it: “Next time you brush your teeth or wait for the kettle to boil, practise standing on one leg for 10 seconds at a time, which you can gradually build up,” suggests Cubbins.

3. Stand Up From a Chair Without Using Your Hands

“Being able to stand up from a chair without using your hands is a simple but useful indicator of leg and glute strength as well as your balance and coordination,” says Corrigall.

And how you sit back down matters just as much. “If you're effectively falling into the chair, it could suggest that you're lacking the strength or control to lower yourself slowly, which is something to work on,” she adds.

Try it: Start by using a higher surface (such as a bar stool or the edge of the bed) if you need to, then work towards a lower chair and eventually doing the movement without using your hands.

4. Carry Heavy Shopping Bags

“Carrying heavy shopping bags is perhaps my favourite marker of functional fitness, as it’s something most of us will have to do on a daily basis, says Cubbins. “Heavy bags test your core and upper-body strength, especially your grip strength.”

Try it: Start by holding a manageable weight in each hand and walking a short distance, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your body upright, then gradually increase the weight or distance.

5. Push Yourself Away From a Surface

Good news if you dread press-ups—you don't need to be able to perform 20 of them. “I’m not a fan of saying “you must be able to do x number of press-ups in order to be considered healthy”, as I think this is pretty arbitrary,” Corrigall says.

What matters more is having enough upper-body strength to be able to push yourself away from a surface, whether that's a heavy door or the floor.

Try it: Start with push-ups against a wall, then a kitchen worktop, and work your way down from there.

6. Lift Something From the Floor and Raise It Overhead

Whether you're lifting a suitcase into an overhead plane locker or lifting a child into a high chair, Corrigall says this is a great test of whole-body strength and coordination.

“You're asking several muscle groups to work together to move and control a load,” she explains.

Try it: Corrigall suggests breaking the movement into two parts. First, practise picking up a light object from a raised surface, and practise pressing a light weight from shoulder height to overhead, before combining the two movements.

7. Climb Four Flights of Stairs Without Stopping

“Climbing four flights of stairs without stopping in under a minute indicates good cardiovascular function," says Bossick. “While struggling usually points to weak legs, poor fitness, or both.”

And don't forget your calves, which Corrigall says are some of the most neglected muscles in strength training

Try it: Start with double-leg calf raises, holding onto a wall while lowering slowly, before progressing to single-leg raises.

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As I listened, I couldn’t help thinking what a relatable conversation that was. As women, we’re navigating a pretty relentless combination of pressures. We’re expected to contend with unrealistic beauty and body standards, whilst shouldering a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities—research shows we still do roughly twice as many hours of unpaid work as men. Meanwhile, gender gaps in both pay and leadership persist, with women accounting for just 24% of CEOs globally. Is it any wonder, then, that nearly a third of us wake up never feeling well-rested - or that so many of us struggle to give ourselves permission to rest when we need it, something colloquially known as ‘rest guilt’?

Learning when to rest is a journey many of us are navigating, myself included. We know our frazzled nervous systems need a break, that too much high-intensity training can play havoc with our hormones, and that sleep is crucial for our mental wellbeing. The tricky part, when it comes to exercise, is that for many of us, it isn’t just about our bodies. Movement works wonders for our minds, too. In fact, a new study in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that an eight-week weights programme could reduce symptoms of depression amongst young women.

Enter exercise snacking: something that’s been a game-changer for me on days when I’m too tired for a full workout. These short bursts of activity, which can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, have been shown to benefit cardiovascular health and muscle strength, whilst also being linked to improvements in brain function and mood. One study even found that six weeks of exercise snacking reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress in adolescents with childhood trauma.

I’ve been using these bite-sized workouts for more than six months, and have noticed positive changes to my mood, energy levels and, surprisingly, my body composition. With winter approaching and darker mornings and shorter days making it harder to find the time and inclination to exercise, I expect they’ll come in even handier. So, without further ado, here are my favourite exercise snacks - plus why the experts are such big fans of these tiny bouts of movement, too.

If you fancy reading more about exercise snacking, we’ve got guides to the benefits of micro workouts, the equally important micro-recovery, and what happened when one writer transformed her body with a 10-minute afternoon reset.

Six Months Exercise Snacking Has Transformed My Mood and Energy—Here's How

What is an exercise snack?

For Will Pate, Master Strength and Conditioning Trainer at the prestigious London gym chain, Third Space, the beauty of an exercise snack lies in its low barrier to entry. “The great thing about an exercise snack is that it requires no kit, no changing into gym clothes and no travel,” he says. “It can be any sort of short, deliberate burst of movement that gets your heart rate up.”

Personal trainer Aimee Victoria Long agrees. “In research, an exercise snack often means something very brief, such as a minute of stair climbing, repeated at different times. In everyday life, we can use the idea more broadly to include a 10 to 15 minute workout. That could be a brisk walk after the school run, a short Pilates sequence between meetings, or a few rounds of squats, rows and wall press-ups at home. The key is to choose movement that serves a purpose, whether that’s getting your heart rate up, challenging your muscles or easing stiffness.”

What are the benefits of exercise snacking?

When it comes to the benefits of exercise snacking, Pate’s point about intensity is interesting. If we’re focusing solely on the physiological benefits—how much exercise snacking can improve our cardiovascular health and overall fitness - then it’s true that we need to ramp our heart rate up. Studies suggest that vigorous-intensity exercise makes the biggest difference to our body composition and VO2 max, a key marker for cardiovascular health and longevity.

But there’s another important piece to this puzzle: the psychological benefits. When your body and mind are exhausted—whether from overtraining, work stress, or anything else in between—gentler movement can help you feel calmer, happier and less overwhelmed. In fact, research suggests that mind-body practices like yoga and Pilates, practiced regularly for as little as ten minutes, can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and help to shift us out of fight-or-flight mode.

“Mentally, a short bout of movement is one of the most reliable mood shifters we have,” confirms Pate. “Most people feel more alert and less stressed within minutes.”

For women juggling multiple demands on their time and energy, a shorter session can be particularly appealing. “If you’re spending your day responding to everyone else’s needs, ten minutes can feel like something you can realistically claim for yourself,” says Long. “That’s a big practical benefit to exercise snacking.”

How do I know whether to exercise or rest?

Of course, even exercise snacking could become problematic if we start relying on it to avoid ever fully resting. “This is really important,” says Simon Rayfield, elite personal trainer at Virgin Active Chiswick Riverside. “Sleep, stress, nutrition, menstrual symptoms, pregnancy, postpartum recovery and menopause can all influence women’s readiness to train. Don’t interpret exercise snacks as meaning you should continue to exercise every time you feel tired.”

The reality, though, is that it’s not always easy to tell if a little movement would lift us out of a slump, or whether curling up under the duvet is actually what we need. It’s why, with his clients, Rayfeld seeks to distinguish between low motivation and low capacity.

“If you’ve been sitting at a desk all day and feel sluggish, a 10-minute walk might be exactly what you need,” he explains. “Similarly, if you’re stressed, a gentle movement session may help you reset. But if you're genuinely exhausted, unwell, injured, experiencing unusual pain, or you're noticing persistent fatigue and declining performance, that's a different situation. Your body may need recovery.”

Long agrees, adding that “women, in particular, can become very good at treating tiredness as normal, especially around motherhood or perimenopause.” Her advice? “If persistent exhaustion continues despite rest, speak to your GP, particularly if you also have heavy periods, as iron deficiency can be a factor.”

There’s another important point to make about rest, too: exercise snacks aren’t a substitute for it, and it doesn’t sit separately from your training—it’s part of it. “Rest days aren’t lost days,” says Pate. “They're when your body adapts to the work you've done.”

The Five Best Exercise Snacks, As Chosen By a Health Writer:

Over the past six months, exercise snacking has become one of my favourite ways to work out. Don’t get me wrong: I haven’t lost my love of a long weekend run, a sweaty spin class or a heavy gym session that leaves you struggling to walk the next day. They’re all still part of my rotation, just in moderation.

But as a former member of the ‘guilty resters’ club, giving myself permission to take things down a notch, stay in my comfy tracksuit and commit to just 10-15 minutes of movement has been a novelty I’ve fallen head over heels for. Sometimes, it’s exactly what I need to find the motivation for more – one express YouTube Pilates class leading to another. Other days, it’s simply enough to clear my head and allow me to get on with my day in peace. There’s very rarely a time when I’m not grateful I’ve done it, whether that’s a 15-minute stomp around the park or a gentle yoga flow.

I have, however, developed a roster of particular favourites that I lean on when motivation is especially low. You’ll find them below, including what they are, how long they take and, most importantly, why I love them.

1. Pilates by Izzy 10 Minute Core Sculpt

What? An express core workout using a yoga block and optional ankle weights.

Why? Fiery, intense and using functional movements that actually apply to day-to-day life, this quick core workout is the perfect activation for a longer workout or to be used as an exercise snack to work your abs.

How long? 10 minutes.

If you’ve read my review of Izzy Samuel’s 25-day challenge, you’ll know what a fan I am of her workouts. Known for her intense, contemporary take on the classical Pilates sequence, she’s got a genuinely engaging way of teaching that makes you feel as though you’re in the room with her. There are always levels to cater to different abilities, and I always walk away with my body burning and my mood boosted.

2. Lidia Mera 10 Minute Pilates Arm Workout

What? A short, no-equipment continuous arm workout.

Why? With no repeats and small, precise movements, this class calms my nervous system and works my arms at the same time.

How long? 10 minutes.

When I need something a little less intense than Pilates by Izzy, I always reach for Lidia Mera’s workouts. The Pilates teacher and content creator is my entry into movement on days when I don’t feel like working out at all. The classes pair calming backing tracks with Mera’s soothing voiceovers, whilst delivering a surprisingly spicy burn for the upper body without feeling unmanageable.

3. Move with Nicole 12 Minute Booty Workout

What? A knee-friendly, no-squat, equipment-free glute workout.

Why? This workout couldn’t be more accessible, whether you’re struggling with knee pain, are short of time or don’t have access to any equipment. It effectively challenges the major and stabilising muscles around your glutes and hips.

How long? 12 minutes.

I came across Move with Nicole’s YouTube yoga, Pilates and strength workouts at the beginning of 2025. Back then, she really got me out of my post-Christmas slump, and I’ve been a devout follower of her workouts ever since. She has something for every mood - whether I need an energising yoga flow or intense glute burn. And when it comes to exercise snacks, she’s brilliant. Whilst her classes extend up to an hour, she also has plenty in the 5-15 minute range.

4. The Aloha Girls 15 Minute Pilates Core

What? An express core workout using light handweights, with options for all levels.

Why? Striking that sweet balance between challenge and achievability, this class combines core work with gentle stretching that simultaneously works your abs and mobilises your back.

How long? 15 minutes.

Best friend duo, Alice and Hannah, founded The Aloha Girls to be a one-stop Pilates and Nutrition spot, and to take the noise and fuss out of eating and moving well. They have an app with tons more workouts, but I’m also a big fan of their YouTube options, which include this 15-minute Pilates core. Alice’s instruction is always clear and relatable, meaning I can look away from the screen and concentrate on what I’m doing. Plus, on days when I’m feeling a bit flat, it feels like I’m working out with my friends, which always leaves me brighter and more energised post-class.

5. Pilates by Izzy 15 Minute Express Upper Body Workout

What? A dynamic upper body workout using light hand weights.

Why? Combining weighted exercises with bodyweight push-ups, this is a challenging and functional class that packs a punch.

How long? 15 minutes.

I couldn't help but include another of Izzy’s classes, because this workout is one of the shortest yet most powerful upper body sequences I’ve tried. I credit it with the increase I’ve seen in the tone of my arms over the last few months, and am still working on being able to complete each move without breaks.

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Back in June, she started a mammoth 5,000km running challenge, setting off from Inverness in Scotland and working her way through every UK city, plus Dublin, until she reached her hometown of London.

Rather than another self-serving distance challenge designed to go viral online, Esme's was rooted in community. Aptly named The Nation’s 5K, she hosted a free community run club in every city, with the simple goal of encouraging more people to move in an inclusive, fun, and welcoming environment. She took time to speak to every single runner who showed up. She showcased their stories on social. She made it about them, as well as her.

Her passion for fitness has an inspiring backstory; when she was 18, complications from surgery left her paralysed, and she was told she might never walk again. But day by day, she built her fitness back, and her experience is now the inspiration for everything she does. It's also the main reason she wants to encourage as many others to run as possible; to reap the joys of movement while they can.

As a runner myself who tackled a few Ultra distances in 2021 and who has hosted various run clubs over the years, I can't even begin to stress the energy, effort, and skill this feat will have taken. Ultra distances are mentally and physically gruelling; even with the best training and preparation, you go to war with your mind and body for hours at a time. I ran three ultras—45km, 52km, and 58km—in 2021, and was so tired come the end, I think I was practically non-verbal.

Esmee was averaging more than that daily, every day, for 99 days straight, hosting a run club in the middle or at the end.

The run club presents a different skill set altogether, which is what makes this challenge so unique; hosting a run club requires energy, passion, and ample forward planning. There are safety elements, route planning, and community to consider. It's hard to fathom how she did both—the gruelling physical challenge of the day-to-day paired with the mental challenge of the energy required to inspire the many runners who showed up to run alongside her.

It's the achievement of a lifetime—but it was never about that, really; rather, the people she brought together along the way. Below, she shares her story.

Esmée Gummer on the 5,000km Run That Changed Her Perspective on Strength, Community and What It Means to Succeed

"What happened to me at 18 is everything I am today. Without that experience, I would never have realised the value of movement and saying yes. I also ultimately wouldn’t have taken on many of the challenges I have in the past, especially not my recent 5000km run."

"At first, the accident made me too grateful to push myself—I didn’t run for six years because I was just so happy to walk again. I didn’t want to risk anything by going above and beyond. But eventually, I realised that I didn't have to be nervous about my body—being able to recover from something like paralysis is evidence of how strong I am, not a sign of weakness."

"That mindset switch gave me so much confidence and was the biggest learning from my paralysis, and it was the reason I could run 5,000km. The inner strength that 18-year-old me found to put one foot in front of the other when I could have easily given up is the same fire that took me through this challenge."

What Running 5,000km in 99 Days Really Looks Like

"I always knew it would be hard, but you can’t ever really prepare for a challenge like this."

"The Nation’s 5K means averaging around 50km a day for 99 days, while also hosting a 5K in every city. My routine involved waking up in the van, normally in a car park or a campsite, choking down some food (normally pancakes and syrup) and a cup of tea if we had time to get the gas on. I brushed my teeth on the roadside, got changed, and started running."

"Every ten to 15 km, I would stop at a checkpoint for a refuel (think crisps, Quorn sandwiches, Ritz crackers and Philadelphia, Squares bars or Red Bull). When I got to a city, I would hopefully get a couple of hours of downtime to eat some pasta or a rice bowl in the van. At the same time, I'd be filming and approving content, doing interviews, or watching a quiz show on the campervan TV, before heading into the run club."

No One Gets Left Behind

"At the 5Ks, I’d give my introduction speech, then run/jog/walk alongside everyone and always come in last. I took this spot so no one else has to worry about it. We’d normally be at the run club for about two hours, then head back to a gym or leisure centre for a shower before snacking in bed, back in the car park."

"Running with hogweed burns was probably some of the hardest moments of my life. The blisters broke every time I bent my knee, and I didn’t sleep because of the pain. Other times, like running a 430km week towards the end of the challenge, put strain on my body in a way you can’t explain."

"People would often ask me how I wasn’t tired or sore, because I was often still jumping around and dancing. I always laughed and said, “I am!”. But I was so adamant that I wouldn’t let the physical pain change my mindset. We are rightly taught to listen to our bodies, but for this challenge I had to totally disconnect from mine."

"It would tell me to stop, that it didn’t want to do anymore, but I had to keep going. At the same time, I had more respect for it than ever. It’s complicated, but this challenge was never going to be simple."

"By the end of month one, I'd covered 1,555km, climbed nearly 17,000m and hosted 24 run clubs. I remember feeling such a huge sense of achievement; those stats alone are ridiculously impressive. Yet that was only a third of what I was having to do to complete this challenge I had set out to achieve. It was difficult to celebrate for too long as I had to keep my focus for what was to come."

"The biggest surprise of the journey was honestly how much my body was capable of. If I’m honest, that remained throughout. I never got used to the fact that my body was running an ultra marathon a day; I would love to say that it became second nature, when in reality I was surprised every single day that my body was doing it."

Why Bringing People Together Mattered More Than the Miles

"I started my own run club in London about three and a half years ago, and the stories that came out of it blew my mind. People weren’t just telling me that they fell in love with running, but that coming to do a 5K had genuinely changed their life."

"It was nothing to do with the run itself, but the people they met. They’d tell me that they turned up to their first Say Yes Club run often feeling like they didn’t know who they were, what they were doing with their life, or even that they didn’t want to be here anymore. Then, they met someone on that run who became their best mate, and a year on, they were celebrating their birthday together with a new group of friends, going on holidays together, getting new jobs, and running races together."

"I wanted that impact to go further than just my corner of East London. On this challenge, I’ve seen the same thing, where people have started their own run clubs after coming to a Nation’s 5K club, or left having exchanged numbers with someone they might not have ever crossed paths with."

Creating Welcoming Spaces for All

"The standout highlight of my The Nations 5K run clubs was seeing people like Bethany, who feel like they don’t belong in the running space, finally feel welcome."

"We had these experiences at every single 5K. People sometimes turned up saying they were too slow, not good enough or extremely nervous, but then they would hear my speech and see the crowd and feel welcome."

"If everyone who came to my run club left feeling like that, I definitely feel like I’ve achieved what I wanted."

What It Really Means to Make Running Inclusive

"Social media has a big part to play in making people feel that running isn’t “for them”. The algorithm pushes extreme versions of running—we’re led to believe everyone is running 20-minute 5Ks, and marathons have become the new normal."

"Even offline, a lot of run clubs cater to fast runners—I’ve seen plenty where, if you can’t complete a 5K within 30 minutes, you basically can’t join in, and that’s despite the fact that the average 5K time for a woman is 38 minutes."

"I invited people to walk, jog, run or wheel the 5K, and I've learnt a lot about making exercise genuinely feel inclusive rather than simply putting the word “inclusive” on an event along the way."

"I’ve learnt that you have to take the feedback from the people and listen to it, rather than think you are making people feel included. At every single 5k, I started at the front of the group and made my way back through to the very back, making sure I spoke to as many people as possible."

"By doing that, you get to talk to people, you understand them, and you know if they feel safe and connected. It’s very easy to call your club inclusive and then spend the whole time at the front leading, without connecting with every person there. I have hosted 77 run clubs back to back, and I can honestly say I have learnt more than I ever knew before."

Redefining Success After 5,000km

"I had so many ideas of what success looked like for this challenge before I set out. I spent the start of the challenge going through these in my head day after day, measuring the success of the challenge based on these. But it didn’t take long for me to have a deep conversation with myself about what was truly important. For me, that was always having an impact on people and getting them moving."

"I'll never know how many people I've impacted, which I used to be bothered about. I can’t count how many people were inspired to move because of my challenge. Maybe they saw it on Instagram and went for a run; maybe their neighbour came to one of my runs and told them about it, which in turn encouraged them to go to the gym that day."

"It used to bother me that I didn’t know the true number, but actually now I think it’s quite beautiful that my message is just out there, changing lives without me knowing."

"If having an impact on people and motivating them to move was the goal, I've definitely achieved it, and I can't wait to spread it further."

"I was presented with a Guinness World Records title at the finish of The Nation’s 5K in London for the most run clubs hosted in different cities by an individual."

"The idea of the Guinness World Record title was motivating because it wasn't about me. A lot of people have done record-breaking challenges—I didn’t want to be known for going the furthest or the fastest. I wanted to be known for bringing people together."

"I’m really excited that the record was for the run clubs and the number of people we got together."

But just like anything popular, with great interest comes great responsibility. It's fair to say that reformer Pilates is a market that's being capitalised upon—and iterations have sprung up that I'm definitely sceptical about. Far from being a trend, Pilates is a centuries-old methodology that demands precision, technique and a deep understanding of the fundamental moves as a bare minimum—not only to bank the benefits, but also to ensure that we're not doing more harm than good to our bodies.

It follows, then, that the advent of home reformer beds is something I've felt conflicted about. On the one hand, I totally endorse home reformer beds making Pilates more accessible (hefty price tag aside), but on the flip side, the practice is all about tiny, preferably hands-on tweaks that can take a move from easy to eye-watering in a second—something that, IMHO, simply can't be replicated in a home environment.

It's fair to say, then, that I was dubious my mind would be changed on this—that is, until I tried NordicTrack's brand-new Ultra 1 reformer bed—their first designed specifically for at-home use. I was lucky enough to try one out in a 1-to-1 lesson with Reform RX co-founder and Pilates pro, Yvette McGaffin; find out if it won me over below.

In the meantime, we don't like to brag, but our Pilates content is stellar: check out our guides to the best Pilates exercises of all time, the best Pilates moves for building muscle, and the best Pilates moves for runners—plus, find out how one Health Writer got on when she tried the viral Pilates with Izzy 25-day challenge, here.

I Tried NordicTrack's Luxe New Ultra 1 At-Home Reformer Pilates Bed—and I’m a Huge Fan

What is the NordicTrack Ultra 1 reformer?

NordicTrack's Ultra 1 reformer is the brand's first home bed offering. Building on the strength of its popular treadmill technology alongside the boom in home and online workouts, the Ultra 1 combines a sleek home bed with an integrated screen, allowing you to access online classes.

"The Ultra 1 Reformer is a studio-quality Pilates experience reimagined for the home," shares Yvette McGaffin, director of Pilates at iFIT and founder of Reform RX. "What makes it different is that we haven't simply taken a traditional reformer and put a screen on it; the whole experience has been designed around how people actually want to use Pilates at home.

"The Ultra 1 Reformer also brings together the physical experience of a premium reformer with the intelligence and content ecosystem of iFIT. So you get the feeling of being in a beautiful studio, but with the convenience and consistency of having that experience at home."

The result? A seriously stylish reformer that matches with substance: the classes are plentiful and tailored for beginners and advanced users alike, while the machine is intuitive and simple to get the hang of—more on this below.

What are the benefits of using the NordicTrack Ultra 1 reformer?

The mental and physical benefits of a consistent Pilates practice are well-established, and if you're a regular MC UK reader, you'll likely be acquainted with them. We're talking improved posture, core strength, balance, mobility and body awareness (to name just a few)—but the Ultra 1 goes beyond these advantages and offers something that's really at the heart of an effective Pilates regime: consistency.

"For me, the biggest benefit is consistency," agrees McGaffin. "Pilates is one of those practices where you really feel the benefit of doing it regularly, and life can make that surprisingly difficult. Even when you love your studio, getting there at a particular time, week after week, isn't always realistic.

"Having a reformer at home changes that. You can get on for 20 or 30 minutes when it works for you, before the kids are up, between meetings, or at the end of the day. And that ability to make Pilates fit around your life, rather than your life around Pilates, is where I think the real value lies."

Is the NordicTrack Ultra 1 reformer suitable for everyone?

It would be easy to assume that an at-home reformer bed would only suit those with some in-class experience, but McGaffin says this isn't necessarily the case.

"A really well-designed at-home reformer can be a wonderful place to start," she tells MC UK. "You don't need to be flexible, strong or 'good at Pilates' to begin. That's what the practice is for. The crucial thing is having the right instruction. Pilates has a language of its own, and if you've never used a reformer before, things like spring resistance, footbar positions and carriage movement can initially feel unfamiliar."

However, not all home-based reformers are created equal. If you're a beginner, look for one that is intuitive and preferably offers real-time feedback if you're unsure of spring changes and other tricks that more experienced users think of as second nature.

"For a beginner, those little details can make a big difference," agrees McGaffin. "You're not standing there wondering whether you've put the right springs on—the equipment and the instruction work together to give you that reassurance, so you can focus on learning the movement and building confidence."

Can an at-home reformer bed ever be as effective as in-studio classes?

So, time for the million-dollar question: is a home reformer bed really as good as going to a class IRL? For me, the proof will be in the pudding (more on this below), but McGaffin offers an alternative view, too.

"I don't think anything completely replaces being in a room with an exceptional instructor, and I wouldn't want to pretend that it does," she reflects. "There's something special about an instructor being physically present, seeing your body and making those tiny adjustments. That's part of what makes Pilates such a beautiful practice."

That being said, there's no doubt that the way we work out has changed almost beyond recognition in recent years, with more and more of us choosing to exercise via online classes from home. According to research conducted by PureGym, around 25% of UK adults solely work out at home—raising the question: should we ditch the either/or mentality around the idea altogether?

"We've moved beyond the idea that home and studio have to compete with one another," agrees McGaffin. "A great at-home reformer can give you access to high-quality instruction, consistency and a genuine reformer practice in a way that fits around your life. For someone who might otherwise do Pilates once a week because of time or logistics, being able to practise three or four times at home can completely change the relationship they have with movement."

"For me, the real opportunity is making Pilates part of everyday life, not something you only do when you can get to a studio."

I tried NordicTrack's newest reformer bed, the Ultra 1—my honest thoughts

It's safe to say, as a Health and Fitness Writer, the very best part of my job is having access not only to the newest, most exciting wellness launches but also being lucky enough to meet expert trainers who have poured their heart and soul into the products I get to test.

So, it's with much excitement and a lot of gratitude that I arrive at a stunning venue in central London to try out the Ultra 1—and my instructor is McGaffin herself. We start strong, as she comments that I 'look like I do a lot of Pilates'—reader, she's not wrong. But Pilates is so much more than an aesthetic, so I know she's saying I appear strong, and she's about to put her theory well and truly to the test as she puts me through my paces on the bed.

My overall first impression? Well, without doubt, it looks super chic; you can tell that this is a seriously impressive machine, right off the bat.

"Aesthetics were important to us," shares McGaffin. "If you're going to have a reformer in your home, it needs to feel like something you want to live with, not something you want to hide away."

But more than this, it feels really good to use, too. It's smooth, seamless and sleek—no clunking metal or squeaky springs here. In fact, you can't see the springs at all—but you'll know from the screen whether you're using the right ones, which is super handy if you forget mid-movement.

"Rather than having exposed springs that you manually adjust, the springs are engaged using simple push-buttons, so changing your resistance is much more intuitive," explains McGaffin. "The machine then shows your spring engagement and footbar position in real time on the screen, so you have a clear visual cue that you've set the reformer correctly before you start moving."

So, it looks good, and it feels good—but does it feel like a decent workout? In a word: absolutely. I'm impressed by the range of sessions available on the connected screen (which you can tilt, pivot or swivel so as not to interfere with your workout) and also by the real-time feedback I'm getting. As a Peloton fan (six years and counting—and still going strong), I have no doubt that I'd make excellent use of the Ultra 1 at home as well.

Now to find the room for it...

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The British middle distance runner, who set the world indoor 800m record with a time of 1:54.87 in February, rocked up the first-of-its-kind women-only athletics event in a one-of-one, full-body Nike speed suit, designed specifically to help the athlete improve aerodynamics and reduce drag (and, fun fact: the suit had actually been developed over more than a year, including body scanning and testing across different environments).

But, beyond that, is was designed to capture attention, to pay homage to some of the athletic greats of the past, and to show women everywhere that wearing a badass outfit for big moments is part of the performance. It was a statement as much as a stylistic choice, encouraging women everywhere to be unapologetically bold, both on the track and beyond.

As the co-founder of a brand built around making women feel their best, I loved it. If we haven’t met before, I’m Megan Davis, co-founder of aesene—a women's athletic brand and community that’s been shaking up the space since we launched last year.

My sister Lucy and I have long been passionate about designing workout clothes that look good and, in turn, make you feel good—we're firm believers that wearing clothes that boost confidence changes the way you move and exercise.

It’s not that a good outfit is suddenly going to make you fitter or stronger, but if you feel comfortable, supported and confident, you’re able to focus on the actual session rather than being distracted by what you’re wearing.

What You Wear Can Change How You Train

I really believe what you wear can change how you show up to train.

For me, when something fits properly and I feel good in it, I move more freely. I’m not pulling at a waistband, adjusting a bra or thinking about how my body looks from a certain angle. All of that mental noise disappears, and you can get on with training.

There's a psychological connection between feeling confident in your workout clothes and feeling more motivated to move your body. If putting on your kit makes you feel good, capable and ready to move, it removes one of the barriers between thinking about exercising and actually doing it.

Confidence also affects the type of movement you’re willing to do. You might be more comfortable walking into a gym, trying a new class, running somewhere busy or lifting weights in front of other people if you aren’t already worrying about your appearance.

Putting Your Attention on Your Performance

I've personally noticed a difference in the way I train and carry myself when I feel genuinely good in what I’m wearing.

I’ve worn functional kit before that technically did everything it needed to do, but I didn’t feel good in it. Suddenly I was thinking about parts of my body I would never normally worry about and becoming really self-conscious.

That is the last thing you want before an important session or race. You already have enough going through your head without worrying about how you look.

When I genuinely love what I’m wearing, I feel more confident, and I carry myself differently. I’m able to put my attention where it should be, on my performance and what my body is capable of doing.

It's massively important that activewear works with the body rather than making you feel like you have to change your body to fit the clothes, and it’s something we think about constantly with aesene.

The clothes should adapt to your body, not the other way around. You shouldn't feel that you need a different stomach, smaller hips or a particular body type to look right in performance kit.

We design for movement first, but we also care about how a garment makes someone feel when they put it on.

Performance and aesthetics shouldn’t have to compete with one another. Women are allowed to want technically excellent products and still feel really good in them.

Performance, Identity and Confidence Coming Together

A 2025 study of 279 women looking at their experiences in gym environments found recurring themes around feeling judged, feeling “on display”, self-criticism and clothing challenges. The same study also found that gym spaces could be empowering when women felt more comfortable within them.

Keely’s Nike kit for Athlos became part of the conversation around how athletes present themselves and perform. I loved that moment because it showed that performance and personal expression don’t need to be separate.

At that level, competition kit obviously has a physical job to do. It needs to work aerodynamically, regulate temperature, move properly and never become a distraction.

But psychologically, I think there’s another layer. When an athlete walks onto a track feeling powerful, distinctive and completely themselves, that can contribute to how they carry themselves.

Keely herself described the suit as “pretty sick”, and she went on to win the 800m at ATHLOS in 1:56.40.

You can’t say the outfit caused the performance, but it created a moment where performance, identity and confidence all came together.

The best visual moments in sport aren’t memorable because they feel like publicity stunts. They last because there’s authenticity behind them.

Keely’s outfit worked because it still felt like an athlete making a performance decision, just with much more personality and creative direction than we’re used to seeing.

It also referenced iconic sporting imagery, including Cathy Freeman’s Sydney 2000 suit, while still feeling completely contemporary.

Sport creates some of the most memorable fashion imagery because there’s something real happening underneath it. The athlete isn’t just posing in the clothes; they’re actually performing in them.

That combination of function, character and a genuinely significant sporting moment is what gives an image longevity.

The Link Between Body Confidence and Physical Confidence

Body confidence and physical confidence are much more connected than we sometimes admit.

When we started aesene, one of the things we felt was missing was performance clothing that didn’t force women to choose between feeling athletic and feeling like themselves.

We’ve learned through fittings, feedback and our community that tiny design decisions can have a huge impact on confidence. Where a waistband sits, how a short cuts across the leg, where seams fall, how secure a bra feels, and whether a fabric clings when you sweat might sound purely aesthetic, but they affect whether someone is thinking about their body or their training.

The goal for us has always been that once you put the clothes on, you stop thinking about them.

If we stopped thinking about workout clothes as something we wear to "look the part" and instead saw them as tools that help us move better, it would make exercise feel much more inclusive.

Instead of thinking “do I look like someone who belongs in this gym?” or “do I have the right body to wear this?”, the question becomes “does this help me move, does it make me comfortable, and does it make me want to be active?”

We don't need to dismiss aesthetics to get there. Feeling good in something can be part of its function.

The best performance clothing should support your body physically, remove distractions mentally and give you the confidence to focus on what your body can actually do.

That shift from appearance to capability is something that could make movement feel much more positive for a lot of women.

No matter how balanced and logical we are in our approach to health and wellbeing, it's almost impossible to be completely immune to the shift. With influencers, celebrities and even our mates shrinking before our very eyes, staying focused on health, strength and longevity as goals can be increasingly challenging, and it's easy to get sucked into a negative spiral of body comparison and nitpicking.

Which made it all the more refreshing to hear Swedish superstar Zara Larsson's beautifully balanced take on exercise and her body recently. The singer, who has a casual 13.2 million Instagram followers, took to her socials following a slew of requests for her to share her workout regimen, ostensibly to remind us all of the futility of comparing our bodies, workouts, nutrition and more - stressing that dancing is her favourite way to keep herself healthy and active.

And it's a pertinent reminder. We're constantly bombarded with wellness advice, are low-key obsessed with tracking metrics, and attempting to optimise every last second of our day - which doesn't leave much (if any) room for stopping and smelling the roses when it comes to wellbeing.

This maxxed out approach to exercise isn't actually doing us any favours, though. Research shows that, in fact, constant tracking can be a source of stress and anxiety (see this study, from the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing), while further studies (like this one, from the journal Healthcare (Basel)) reveal the impact of factors such as social media on mental health and body image.

So, we could all do with heeding Larsson's sage advice on ditching comparison culture and working out for the sheer joy of it - keep scrolling for all the reasons exercise is for everybody, regardless of body shape, plus how to disentangle the two. In the meantime, though, have a browse at our takes on why the sexualisation of women's sport matters, the best low-effort wellness habits to boost body and mind and all about the dubious health claims of AI wellness influencers, here.

Zara Larsson Wants Us All To Stop Comparing Our Bodies – and To Find the Joy in Exercise. Here’s Why She’s All Kinds of Correct

Zara's refreshing take on exercise and body shape?

If you're not already a fan of Larsson's, you will be after reading this. She took to TikTok (from her bed, no less) to talk about her love of dancing and how focusing on how movement makes our bodies feel is the key.

"What really matters is how you feel in your body," she shares. "Do you feel strong? Do you feel capable? Do you feel like you are living your best life? My tip is the dancing of it all.”

The advice holds steady: find something you love to do, and do it for the sheer fun of it. And the best bit? You'll reap the rewards of regular exercise without even realising.

What are the benefits of working out that have nothing to do with body shape?

So, what should we be looking for in a workout? You'll be pleased to hear there are so many brilliant reasons to move your body in a way that you enjoy - and none of them has anything to do with how you look.

1. It's great for mental health

"Movement is incredibly powerful for mental health," notes Nikki Behrens, founder of Nikkii Health and Rare Street Pilates. "It supports mood and helps us manage stress, as well as contributing to improved sleep. There’s also something incredibly empowering about focusing on what your body can do rather than what it looks like – feeling stronger, learning a new skill, having more stamina, or simply leaving a workout feeling better than when you started."

2. It's brilliant for cardiovascular health

This likely won't be news to any of us, but our cardiovascular systems love regular movement.

"Exercise is an easy way to improve your cardiovascular health by strengthening your heart and helping blood pump around your body more efficiently," shares Dr Daniel Atkinson, clinical lead at Treated. "And it doesn’t need to be vigorous exercise to have this effect either - walking can improve heart health, as well as raising good HDL cholesterol. Over time, regular exercise can improve your long-term health by lowering blood pressure and reducing your chances of stroke and heart disease."

3. It makes everyday life feel easier

Surely something we can all get on board with - especially as we age - is what's known as functional fitness. Essentially, this is about building a body that's capable and resilient enough to handle everyday life, whatever that looks like for you - and it's not to be underestimated.

"Exercise can even improve the small things you overlook," advises Rebecca Bossick, co-founder and clinical director at One Body LDN. "By this, we mean things such as having the ability to carry your shopping up the stairs or play with your kids on the floor without anything hurting, which are more than enough reasons to exercise without ever thinking about your waistline."

4. It improves bone health

It's a harsh reality that for women, bone density starts to decline in our mid-30s, leaving us susceptible to breaks, fractures and at greater risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis. But movement really is magic here - specifically, strength training.

"Most of us reach peak bone mass around our late twenties to early thirties, after which bone loss tends to begin, speeding up around perimenopause when oestrogen levels fall," explains Bossick. "Resistance and impact work is one of the few things that helps slow that down, which is why it's recommended that we undertake strength activities on at least two days a week, on top of the 150 minutes of moderate activity, as per NHS guidelines."

5. It boosts longevity

Now, longevity is something of a buzzword right now, but trust us when we say it matters, regardless of your current age. With lifespan ever increasing, it's more important than ever to take steps to ensure our healthspan matches up - and exercise is a key factor here.

"Exercise is the closest thing we have to a drug that benefits almost every part of the body," says Dr Lucy Hooper, private GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical. "We have an enormous amount of data showing that people who exercise regularly can have around a 20 to 30% lower risk of premature death compared with people who are inactive.

"And exercise is not just about longevity in terms of how long we live. It has a huge impact on our healthspan, or even our joy span, the number of years that we are healthy and able to enjoy our lives.

"Then there are the broader healthy-ageing benefits. Exercise helps preserve muscle mass, balance and strength, all of which reduce the risk of falls and help us stay independent as we get older."

Why do we struggle to separate exercise and body image?

All these benefits aside, many of us still think about working out as a way of changing our body. If you're relating to this, you're not alone, and there are legitimate reasons for struggling to separate the two.

"For a long time, fitness and exercise have been sold to us through appearance," shares Anwen Davies, certified personal trainer and gym and fitness product developer at Net World Sports. "Adverts, 'summer body' plans and before-and-after photos all tell us that the point of exercise is to change how we look. Social media pressure adds to this, because the content that gets shared most is usually visual and will often depict favourable outcomes and not show the less glamorous aspects. For example, a six-pack is easy to take a picture of. Better sleep patterns or reduced stress levels aren't.

"Progress can also be easier to measure in terms of appearance. People can step on the scales or take a photo, while improvements in those less tangible aspects are harder to notice day to day. That makes it easy to focus on aesthetics as the main sign that exercise is working, when there are actually so many other ways we benefit."

How important are genetics in determining body shape?

Larsson talks in her post about how influential genetics can be when it comes to body shape and factors such as fat distribution.

"And half of it, if not more, is genetics. I’m sorry, it is what it is," she says. "I feel like you can do something about your genetic makeup, but at the end of the day, some people are tall, some people are short, some people build muscles really easily, some people don’t, some people hold fat in certain areas of their body, some people lose fat really easily. That’s why it’s kinda useless to compare yourself to other people."

But how much of a part do they really play? "We don't all start from the same biological starting point," shares Dr Hooper. "Genetics influence things such as our height, muscle mass, tendency to gain weight, and even where excess body fat is stored. Studies looking at families and twins suggest there is a strong genetic contribution to things like BMI and body-fat distribution.

"But that does not mean you are predestined to be the same size or shape as your parents or family. Some influences are also not inherited directly through our DNA. Experiences very early in life, even before we are born, can affect metabolism later in life.

"Then, as we grow, environmental factors have a huge influence too, such as the food we had available as a child, sleep, stress levels, hormones and activity. So you can have two adults living very similar lives, with similar activity levels and nutrition, who still have very different body shapes, body composition and levels of body fat.

"That is one of the reasons comparing ourselves with friends, celebrities or people on social media can be so unhelpful. We are not all working with the same biological blueprint."

How to find the joy in exercising for mental health

This being said, it's absolutely possible to rediscover the joy of working out for all the wonderful reasons set out above.

"As the saying goes, when you enjoy what you do, you'll never work a day in your life - and the same applies to fitness, really," shares body image expert and positive psychology coach Elle Mace. "When you love an activity or sport, you do it for the happiness it brings and how it makes you feel rather than the external reward of how it makes you look."

And once you've made the switch, your mind (and body) will thank you.

"Finding movement you genuinely enjoy can be transformative for mental health," shares Behrens. "Exercise shouldn’t have to feel like punishment or something we do to compensate for eating. Movement can be a release, a source of confidence, social connection, time away from screens or simply something that brings us joy. Whether that’s Pilates, strength training, dancing, swimming, yoga or walking, the “best” exercise is often the one you actually look forward to doing.

"When we stop seeing exercise purely as a tool for changing our appearance, it becomes something much more sustainable: a way of looking after ourselves and celebrating what our bodies are capable of.

If you're finding yourself going back to aesthetic goals when working out, shifting the question from 'How is this changing my body?' to 'How does this make me feel?' can completely change our relationship with movement."

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While my focus and accuracy may have improved (you try clicking a cursor while speed walking, and then we'll talk), it's fair to say that my body isn't faring quite so well with the new arrangement. My hips, in particular, are stiffer than ever (and they've never been, let's say, mobile) while my back feels clunky and sore.

And I'm not imagining the impact of my (slightly) more sedentary lifestyle on my body. Research shows that periods of sitting affect the very areas I've clocked: this study (from the journal Musculoskeletal Science and Practice) reveals hips tighten and stiffen, while further studies clearly show the correlation between sitting and spinal immobility, even in the young (see this British Medical Journal study).

All of this is to say, despite a regular and balanced exercise regime (Pilates, strength training, running and spin weekly), my muscles and joints are struggling with sitting. But before I chuck my chairs away in rage, I want to know if a post-work mobility flow could go some way to counteract this, so I'm trying a 10-minute daily body reset every afternoon for a week.

To find out how it goes, keep reading. But while you're here, you might enjoy perusing our guides to the best basic Pilates moves, the strength training mistakes we're all making and all about the viral press up test - plus, find out how one MC UK Health Writer got on when she tried a 6-week arm workout challenge, here.

I Sit for Work All Day, Everyday, and My Hips Don’t Like It – so I Tried a 10-Minute Body Reset Every Afternoon for a Week and Here’s What Changed

What is a 10-minute body reset?

Refreshingly simple, a 10-minute body reset is essentially moving the body through ranges of motion after a period of stillness. And it doesn't have to be perfect - just a few minutes of mobility work can make all the difference to how our bodies feel - and how they move for the rest of the day.

"Every joint in your body needs taking through its full range of motion daily," explains physiotherapist and author of How To Be Your Own Physio, Nell Mead. "Your body keeps what you use, and range you don't use regularly is range you gradually lose. Most of us spend the whole day in a tiny slice of what our joints can do, so the ten-minute reset is your chance to visit the rest of it.

"After a day at a desk, the aim isn't really to stretch out a tight body; it's to remind it how to move."

We're talking gentle, mobilising movements such as spine rolls, rotations and child's pose, for just 10 minutes - simple, right?

What are the benefits of a 10-minute body reset?

If you're wondering whether 10 minutes of movement is likely to yield any legitimate benefits, listen up: the experts are on board - keep scrolling.

1. It lubricates our joints

Not necessarily something you'd give much thought to, but trust us when we say that you'll notice if you're lacking in synovial fluid - the lubrication that keeps our joints smooth and mobile. If you've ever heard the phrase 'motion is lotion', this is exactly what we're talking about here.

"Movement also keeps our joints lubricated," shares chief clinical officer and consultant physiotherapist at Pure Sports Medicine, Claire Small. "Within our joints, we have joint lubrication fluid called synovial fluid, which we need to keep our joints from becoming stiff. Movement also pushes this fluid into the joint cartilage keeping it healthy and preventing arthritis.

2. It improves circulation

It's likely not news to you that exercise is great for our heart and circulatory system, but it's not just about getting your sweat on - any movement helps.

"Regular movement keeps the blood circulating around our system - to our joints, our muscles and our organs," notes Small. "This helps bring oxygen to our tissues which is essential to keep them healthy and allowing them to function effectively.

"A circulating blood system also carries away de-oxygenated blood (where the oxygen has been used up), taking it back to our lungs to be re-oxygenated. While our heart do the majority of the work pumping blood around our bodies, it is helped by muscle contractions in our limbs, too."

3. It nourishes our body

It's really not an exaggeration to say that movement is medicine, and it can help to offset joint issues - no matter how old we are.

"Longer term, regular movement helps keep your joints and spinal discs nourished, and keeps those muscles that sitting switches off in working order," shares Mead. "That matters more than people realise. When the glutes stop controlling your hip, your thigh tends to roll inwards as you walk, which is a common source of knee pain."

4. It supports functional fitness and longevity

One of the most important aspects of wellbeing and longevity is being able to move easily and fluidly in everyday life - and a 10-minute daily body reset helps.

"Overall, regular movement helps us feel comfortable, strong and supported, and reduces everyday aches and pains that can result from sitting or moving with poor alignment," shares personal trainer Eloise Skinner. "For the joints, we benefit from moving through a range of motion, allowing the joints to feel more fluid and mobile. For our posture, these stretches allow us to lengthen or mobilise tight areas of the body, allowing us to maintain good posture and feel more comfortable returning to work, or starting work the next day and in the future, too."

5. It enhances focus and productivity

Hear this: the benefits of regular movement aren't limited to the purely physical - our minds will thank us, too.

"Incorporating a 10-minute body reset into your day will not only benefit your joints; you'll almost certainly feel more awake, too," assures Mead. "That second part is well supported: a large study published this year in the British Journal of Sports Medicine had more than 11,000 adults take five-minute walking breaks through their day for two weeks. Fatigue and low mood dropped, and positive mood rose, with bigger benefits the more often people moved, and it didn't harm their work. If anything, engagement and performance ticked up slightly."

6. It helps us transition from work to rest

There are psychological benefits to a 10-minute body reset too, Skinner advises.

"Psychologically, having a daily stretch routine can allow us to feel more supported and connected to ourselves," she tells MC UK. "Having this at the end of the working day can provide a psychological break between work and home life, allowing us to transition into the rest of the day with more ease and intentionality."

7. It's simple and accessible

Last but not least, a 10-minute body reset is almost universally suitable and beneficial.

"You absolutely don’t need a 45-minute mobility routine every evening," assures personal trainer and founder of The Ludorum Club, Jake Hitchcock. "Ten minutes of sensible movement done regularly is far more useful than doing nothing all week and then trying to make up for it with one huge session at the weekend.

"For me, the key point is that the body adapts to what we repeatedly ask it to do. If we want to stay comfortable squatting down, reaching overhead, getting off the floor, walking, running and lifting things, we need to keep exposing ourselves to those movements."

How to do a 10-minute body reset

Let's face it - the last thing we want after a long day of work is an elaborate routine, so you'll be pleased to hear that a 10-minute reset really isn't onerous - but it's not simply about stretching, either.

advises Mead. "Hours of sitting mean some muscles switch off, others brace to hold you up, and your joints spend the whole afternoon in the same few degrees of range. This routine works through all of that, and you can do almost all of it in office clothes."

Try the following steps, for two minutes each:

• Walk for two minutes - even just taking the stairs works - to get the blood moving through your legs again before you ask your body to do anything more precise.
• Seated upper back circles: Sit tall on a firm chair, feet flat, arms crossed over your chest with your hands resting on your lower ribs. Keeping your pelvis still, slump forwards, then lift your breastbone, five or six times. Then slide your ribcage from side to side, then turn it left and right, letting your head follow rather than lead. Finally, join it all into a slow circle, five each way.
• Glute switch-on: still sitting, slide your hands palms-up under your buttocks and squeeze both glutes. You should rise very slightly off your hands. Then alternate: right, release, left, release, like walking in slow motion. Once that's easy, stand with your hands on your lower buttocks and repeat.
• Standing hip circles: stand with about 80% of your weight on your right leg, left foot just touching the floor for balance. Shift your weight in a slow, continuous circle around your right foot: forwards towards your toes, out to the side, back towards your heel, and across to the inside. Ten circles each way, then swap legs.
• Roll-down: stand with your feet hip-width apart. Tuck your tailbone under so your knees soften, drop your chin to your chest, and roll down one vertebra at a time, sending your bottom backwards as your head goes forwards so your weight stays over the arches of your feet. Bend your knees as much as you need to for your knuckles to brush the floor, take three deep breaths into the back of your ribs, then uncurl: knees forwards, hips forwards, spine stacking up, head last of all, and reach up to the sky. Do this three times.

I did this 10-minute body reset every afternoon for a week - my honest thoughts

Days one to three

If you're a regular MC UK reader, you'll know that we love our fitness challenges - and this one is no exception. I am so guilty of sitting for hours working and then, once I've logged off, mindlessly scrolling in the exact same position, so I'm excited and intrigued to see how this week is going to benefit my body and mind.

And after a typically sedentary morning on day one (with the exception of my regular Monday mat Pilates class), it's safe to say that my limbs are not feeling the love, so it's time to get moving. I decide not to wait until the end of the day, and figure some lunchtime mobility is called for: I flow between child's pose, downward dog and cobra, and I can almost hear my spine thanking me.

It's a favourite combo of Mead's, too. "Doing a cycle of child's pose to cobra to down dog takes your lower back through its full range with the floor supporting you," she tells me. "Most of us haven't properly bent our spines in years, because we've been told to keep our backs straight, and a joint that stops moving stiffens. In the cobra, the trick is to let your back and glutes go completely and hang off your arms."

So far, so lovely, but I have noticed my hip flexors feeling tighter than usual, despite my mat class earlier, so I make a mental note to work on these later on. My only stumbling block? I want to hang out in these stretches and flows for way longer than 10 minutes, but - you know - work.

As for my focus, perhaps it's a placebo effect, but whatever it is, I'm going with it, because I'm locked in for (almost) the whole afternoon - unheard of.

Ironically, though, I wake up on day two with a stiff mid-back, so make a mental note to work on this over lunch - and some classic Pilates roll-downs and gentle seated spine rotations seem to do the trick. Mead assures me I'm not alone in my mid-spine struggles, though.

"The upper back is often the stiffest part of a desk worker's spine," she notes. "This matters beyond your back: in one study, simply slouching cost people nearly 24 degrees of shoulder movement and 16% of their arm strength." Wow.

Day three is glute day: we've all heard the scare stories of so-called 'lazy' glutes, and I'm keen to make sure I'm engaging and activating those larger muscles. Sitting can dull the signal from the brain to the glutes, and we have to work to retrain it. The answer? Skip the squats (for now!) and concentrate on the midfoot bridge.

"Lie on your back, knees bent, and push through the balls of your feet and your big toes to lift your heels just enough to slide a credit card under them," shares Mead. "Then squeeze your glutes and lift your hips the same small amount. Hold for 30 seconds. Most people push through their heels in a bridge, which dumps the load into the lower back. This version shares it across your calves, hamstrings and glutes."

Trust me when I say - you'll notice this one.

Days four to seven

The second half of the week continues in a similar vein, and I'm loving my new routine. And I've found that splitting it up into two sessions works really well, for me - a lunchtime move and stretch, and a (slightly) longer post-work flow.

I genuinely notice myself moving more fluidly as the week goes on, too - while I don't think the challenge will negate all the effects of sitting, it's certainly doing me more good than I'd anticipated.

More than this though, it's making me hyper-aware of how I'm sitting, and for how long, in a way I haven't really considered before. Clearly, it's an important part of my job to stay active - but functional fitness and overall joint health is about more than a few runs and some strength training, and I feel as if I'm learning different things about how my body works on the daily. For example, my left hip is way tighter than my right - something I've never noticed before - so I have to focus more on taking it to its full range of motion.

I won't lie: my back still feels stiff at the end of the week, but it's definitely starting to loosen up - and it might be simply that I'm noticing it more now, which is no bad thing.

Will I continue with my 10-minute post-work movement? I absolutely intend to. The difference in back stiffness and hip discomfort alone makes it worthwhile, IMO - and honestly? I'm not sure I've ever been more productive. As for those 3 pm slumps, they're a thing of the past - and it doesn't get much better than that.

Shop MC UK's go-to essentials for an afternoon body reset now:

But I’ve never really dipped my toe into the fitness band scene, and I’m going to give you the brutally honest reason why: visually, they're just not for me. I know what you’re thinking - maybe a little superficial, Ellie-Mae? Does it really matter what it looks like if its main job is to feed you data? Well, yes. And if I'm going to wear something 24/7, it simply cannot compromise a good outfit.

I’m not entirely convinced I’m alone in my slightly ridiculous standards for wearables. The more these devices become part of our everyday lives, the more aesthetics seem to really matter. Take the research: apparently, aesthetics can influence how much we enjoy using a wearable - and even how much we’re willing to pay for it. One 2022 study of smartwatch users and potential buyers found design was the biggest factor influencing whether people intended to use one. So, perhaps caring what my wearable looks like isn’t quite as frivolous as it sounds.

Which brings me neatly to why we’re all here - WHOOP Meridian, and its new jewellery-inspired Milanese-mesh band. Speaking to the brand, WHOOP says it’s “designed for people who care about their health and performance, but have equally high standards for design and how their wearable sits alongside the jewellery they already own.” Well, hello. Given my confession that my health tech needs to work with my wardrobe, I’d say I fit the brief. But this wasn’t just a test of whether Meridian looked good; I wanted to know whether making a fitness tracker more jewellery-like could actually make me want to wear it 24/7. As a first-time WHOOP user, I put it to the test.

Want to know more about wearable tech? Read our guides to the best fitness trackers, sleep tracking apps and health tech worth knowing about.

My WHOOP Meridian Review? I'm a Convert

What is WHOOP Meridian?

Let’s decipher the lore of WHOOP Meridian, shall we? For the newly initiated like myself, Meridian is WHOOP’s jewellery-inspired take on its screen-free health tracker: a Milanese-mesh band designed to look at home alongside your actual jewellery. It comes in Gold, Alloy, Matte Black and Rose Gold, with an adjustable magnetic closure designed to keep the sensor sitting flush against your skin.

But why exactly does it exist? According to WHOOP’s Global GM of Accessories and Apparel, Joel Lessard, the idea came partly from seeing their members styling their existing bands with their jewellery: “Meridian takes that a step further, giving you something designed to wear from work to dinner to weddings, without breaking your 24/7 tracking streak. The aim was to make wearing WHOOP adaptable to our members’ lives, instead of making them adapt to wearing WHOOP.”

Which, frankly, is exactly the experiment I was interested in.

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I wore WHOOP Meridian for four weeks here are my honest thoughts

The pros of wearing WHOOP Meridian

Let's skip the small talk and start with the bit I wasn’t expecting to like: the technology itself. The breadth of data is genuinely impressive.

As a first-time WHOOP user, I was relieved to find the set-up felt familiar. I’ve always found my Oura ring incredibly easy to use, so getting started with WHOOP was similarly straightforward - zero lengthy faff.

Now, the data deserves its own moment. This is certainly a device for people who want to know a lot about themselves. With consistent use, WHOOP starts building a picture of your personal patterns rather than simply throwing a number at you each morning. Yes, you get your Sleep, Recovery, Resting Heart Rate and Strain scores, but there’s considerably more underneath them, with metrics including HRV, respiratory rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature helping put your activity and behaviour into context.

I found that the most interesting part was testing this device across four weeks. It’s not simply telling me what happened; over time, it started to help me understand my own patterns. For some context: I’m a strength trainer, Pilates princess and avid hiker, but I also have a habit of pushing the boundaries of what my body can do. I regularly don’t get enough sleep; my latency - she’s all over the place- with my data showing me that it takes me almost an hour to drift off each night. With this in mind, I found the Recovery feature particularly useful. After a string of late nights, seeing my score take a hit was a fairly useful reality check - which often helped me decide if I should put my body through a punishing strength session, or opt for a stroll and sauna to regulate the nervous system.

Another plus I appreciated: unlike my Oura ring, which will happily tell me it’s time to get up, wind down or go to bed, WHOOP doesn’t constantly prompt me to do something. I like that. I don’t necessarily need another piece of technology gently parenting me throughout the day. Instead, the information is there when I want it. Which leads me to my final pro: there’s no screen. As someone with a smidge of health anxiety, not being able to see my data as I look down is a huge bonus. I’m in control of when I check the app - when I’m interested.

Now, for the other half of the equation: Meridian itself. Here’s the thing - none of that impressive data is particularly useful if I decide I don’t want to wear the device.

This is where I think WHOOP has identified a genuinely important gap. Lessard told me, “We had noticed members styling our LeatherLuxe band alongside their jewellery, which gave the team confidence that people wanted their WHOOP to reflect their personal style as well as their commitment to health. Meridian takes that idea further, being an option designed to be worn to work, dinner, weddings and other occasions without interrupting continuous tracking.”

And I’d say that’s a plus. The brand’s point is that 24/7 wear is what allows WHOOP to build a more complete picture of your health over time - and, actually, that makes perfect sense. If you’re going to ask people to wear something continuously, it helps enormously if they don’t feel like they have to compromise their personal style to do it. That was certainly true for me.

I know that I am far more likely to wear my health tech when it feels like part of my life rather than another task I have to remember to do. The chic design became a part of my daily stack, and the adjustable fit helped, too, because being able to customise how snugly it sits makes a difference when something is supposed to stay on your wrist day and night.

So, while the app is what actually hooked me into the WHOOP experience, Meridian is what made me more willing to collect all that data in the first place. I didn’t spend four weeks thinking about when I could take it off. I spent them forgetting it was a fitness tracker at all.

Does it actually look like jewellery?

Right, this is where I got properly forensic. Because if WHOOP is going to tell me this is a piece of jewellery, it will be treated like one. I wanted to know whether it could genuinely pass as jewellery or whether it would still look like a fitness tracker that had been given a makeover.

Am I asking too much from my technology? Perhaps. But I put Meridian through its paces anyway.

One particularly telling moment came while I was collecting leather samples from my supplier, John - a master leatherworker who supplies the goods for my weekend hobby of journal making. As we happily debated which leather colour I should choose, the 75-year-old suddenly stopped to compliment my watch. A man who has spent his life working with beautiful materials knows craftsmanship when he sees it, so I took the compliment seriously.

It wasn’t until I told him it was actually a fitness tracker that he realised. Consider that the first unofficial test passed.

I then wore it within an inch of its life: to dinner, stacked with bangles; various Pilates classes, in activewear, with jeans; to a London Fashion Week party; travelling; on dog walks and, yes, to bed.

And I soon established that this band doesn’t just look like jewellery - it actually stands out as jewellery. From across the room, you’d struggle to identify it as a fitness tracker. People might reasonably ask whether you can see the actual WHOOP hardware, but honestly, I never noticed. Not in pictures, not under a sleeve - in real life, on my wrist. The metal has a reassuring weight to it and, importantly, it looks and feels like it justifies the price tag. John was fooled; I rest my case.

The customisable fit also makes a difference. The band has a magnetic clasp, so you can adjust it to sit exactly how you want it, which makes it feel more wearable day-to-day rather than something you’re constantly fiddling with. The smaller details also passed my admittedly high-maintenance inspection. Does it scratch? No. Does the magnetic clasp feel secure? Yes. Does the mesh pull at my arm hair? Thankfully, no.

There is one caveat: the gym. When I’m working out, I generally don’t wear jewellery. As we’ve concluded, Meridian feels like expensive jewellery. Now, as someone who doesn’t consider a workout complete until I’m pouring with sweat, I found the mesh less comfortable against my sweaty skin.

Sleeping in it was similarly subjective. I don’t usually sleep in bracelets - rings, yes; bracelets, absolutely not. I sleep with my hands on my cheek (don’t ask), and the mesh made me feel a little claustrophobic when I got warm. That said, I have friends who sleep in their full jewellery stacks and would probably find this entire paragraph slightly dramatic.

Everywhere else, though? It was a surprisingly good chameleon. And, perhaps more importantly, it passed the John test.

The things to be mindful of before buying

Like most things, it isn’t perfect.

First, the data can feel intense. As a completely new WHOOP user, I found myself slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information to hand - a complete data paralysis, if you will. If you want this level of detail, that’s obviously a plus, but I found the app more difficult to navigate than my Oura. I’m a creature of habit, and I like knowing exactly where to look for my three key scores. WHOOP takes the detail to a whole new level - which is brilliant in theory, but in reality, overwhelming. I caught myself Googling my scores; in my second week, for example, my Recovery score dropped to 33, putting me firmly in the red, and naturally I spent the rest of the day spiralling. So, a warning to my healthy-anxiety girls: set some boundaries with your data. Not every number needs investigating.

Second, the sleep test didn’t quite pass for me. Aesthetically, Meridian is beautiful, but I found the weight of the mesh and the sensation against my skin increasingly uncomfortable in bed. I don’t sleep in jewellery beyond my rings, so having to keep a bracelet on overnight felt slightly claustrophobic - and I say that as someone who can’t even sleep in socks because they make me feel like I can’t breathe.

Third - the gym. I’m a sweaty girl, and the feeling of damp mesh against my skin was enough to make me take it off on several occasions. Which, when the whole point is continuous wear, rather defeats the object,

Fourth: Meridian DOESN'T charge your WHOOP. This is probably the biggest practical takeaway from my experience testing this. The band itself isn't compatible with charging, so you need to swap to another band when you charge the device. I’d say this is potentially quite an important consideration if we’re being sold the idea that we’re wearing this device 24/7.

And finally, there's the membership. The £119 gets you the Meridian band, but you’ll also need a WHOOP membership to access the full experience, so it’s worth factoring in the ongoing cost before deciding whether it earns a place in your jewellery collection. WHOOP starts at £169 a year in the UK, with Peak at £229 and Life at £349.

Who is WHOOP Meridian for?

If you’re reading this wondering whether you’re the type of person who needs a WHOOP Meridian, here’s what I’d say: Meridian has been designed with existing WHOOP members in mind.

Lessard tells me, “The product was built for people who already value continuous tracking, but want a more premium gold or silver bracelet that sits alongside their jewellery.” He also sees it appealing to people who have previously been put off wearable tech because of how it looks.

Which, on paper, sounds exactly like me. In reality? After four weeks of actually wearing it, I’m not so sure I’m their prime audience.

I loved having my Sleep and Recovery scores to hand, but beyond that, I kept wondering how much of the data I would actually use. I’m interested in understanding my body, but I’m not trying to optimise every metric it produces. Take the ECG feature, for example. It’s clever: you open the app, place your thumb and index finger on the sensors in the clasp and, after around 30 seconds, WHOOP gives you a snapshot of your heart’s electrical activity and rhythm. If that level of detail is what you’re after, brilliant. For me, though, I found myself thinking: what am I doing to do with this?

I think that’s really the answer: whether you need a WHOOP is entirely dependent on how much you want to know about yourself. And the Meridian, well, that’s for those who have been waiting for their fitness tracker to feel like an extension of themselves. Not something you keep for the data and take off when it doesn’t fit the outfit, but something you want to wear.

So after four weeks, did Meridian make me a WHOOP convert?

After all that, I think my answer is yes: with a few caveats.

Did WHOOP win me over as a health tracker? Yes. The depth and detail of its tracking are beyond anything I’ve ever seen, so I can definitely see why the brand has loyal users. Did Meridian win me over aesthetically? Also yes. It’s easily the chicest fitness tracker I’ve worn, and I genuinely found myself forgetting it was a tracker.

The other question is whether I’d pay for WHOOP long-term. I’m still undecided. Not because of quality; the data is compelling. I’m just not sure I need this much information about myself at all times.

The sticking point for me was the 24/7 wear. As much as I loved how it looked, I found myself taking it off quite regularly to give my wrist some breathing space - particularly when I was sweaty or getting into bed. And if you’re paying for a device designed to build a complete picture of your health through continuous wear, that’s worth considering.

Maybe the most telling part of this review: I went into it wondering whether a fitness tracker could be pretty enough to wear. I came out wondering whether I could tolerate wearing one all the time. For me, Meridian solved the first problem. The second? I’m still working on it.

Want your wearable to work with your wardrobe? Shop our editor-approved picks below

Then I realised there was one very simple question I wasn’t actually sure I could answer: can I actually move well?

Could I squat comfortably? Stand on one leg without wobbling? Rotate my hips properly? Touch my toes without letting out a little sign of discomfort as I roll back up? The honest answer was: I wasn’t entirely sure.

And that really didn’t sit right with me. I’m interested in strength and fitness for longevity, but I’d barely thought about the thing that underpins all of it: being able to move your body freely and confidently. And it turns out this isn’t just a problem for the inflexible among us. According to the WHO, around 1.7 billion people worldwide live with a musculoskeletal condition, with these conditions being the leading contributor to disability globally.

Mobility is increasingly being talked about alongside strength and cardiovascular fitness as we age, yet most of us probably don’t think about ours until something starts feeling stiff, restricted or - ominously - painful.

So, for the next 6 weeks, I’m going to find out just how mobile I am - which I’m sure is going to be a humbling experience. Working with physiotherapist and founder of CORE LDN, Claire Mills, I’ll do a proper baseline assessment of my flexibility, balance, range of movement and control, then follow a realistic mobility routine and see what changes.

I’ll also speak to Mills about what mobility actually means, why it matters as we get older, and how much of it we can genuinely change.

Yes, getting older is inevitable. Getting progressively worse at putting my socks on? That, ideally, is optional.

I'm Fit, But My Lack of Mobility Was Increasing My Injury Risk. How I Improved Things in Six Weeks

What does “mobility” actually mean – and why does it matter?

First things first: let’s get down to the basics. Before six weeks of discovering just how creaky I really am, I need to know what, exactly, I’m trying to improve.

“Mobility is the ability to move a joint through its available range with control,” Mills explains. And that last bit is important. “Flexibility might get you into a position; mobility is being able to use that range confidently - when you squat, reach overhead, turn to look behind you or get up from the floor.”

It turns out, mobility is a bit of a team sport; “I tend to think of mobility as the meeting point between flexibility, strength, stability, balance and body awareness.”

So, touching your toes doesn’t necessarily mean you’re mobile. “It might tell us something about the flexibility of the back of your legs,” says Mills, “but it also involves movement through your hips and spine, as well as your proportions and nervous system’s tolerance of the position.”

And there's a reason all of this matters beyond being able to impress yourself with a particularly deep squat. A 2025 Umbrella review found that things like balance, gait, strength and range of motion are all linked with fall risk in older adults.

Why does this tend to get harder as we age? Some of it is inevitable: “joints can stiffen, connective tissue becomes less elastic, and muscle strength can decline. Injuries, arthritis, pain and hormonal changes can play a part, too.”

But here’s another, less dramatic reason: we stop asking our bodies to do things.

“If you rarely squat deeply, rotate your spine, reach overhead or get down onto the floor, your body gradually becomes less comfortable and less capable in those positions,” says Mills.

So, note to self: the body adapts to what we ask of it - and what we stop asking of it. I say, it’s time to start asking.

Does being fit and strong necessarily mean you are mobile?

If, like me, you thought being relatively fit and reasonably strong meant you automatically got the flexibility of someone who can casually sit cross-legged on the floor. I have some bad news.

“No,” says Mills. “Someone can run, cycle or lift weights regularly and still have quite restricted movement in particular areas.”

Which feels slightly unfair, frankly. But it makes sense. “Fitness is specific,” she explains. “Cycling might give you excellent cardiovascular fitness and strong legs, for example, but involves spending a lot of time in a relatively fixed position. Strength training can improve mobility when movements are performed through an appropriate range, but you can also become very strong within a limited range.”

Research backs up the idea that being “fit” doesn’t automatically make you more mobile. A 2025 study of healthy recreational endurance runners found no overall relationship between their flexibility and running economy - a firm reminder that being able to run well - aka maintain a decent level of fitness - doesn’t necessarily mean you can move freely everywhere.

Mills assures me that this doesn’t mean your usual workouts are doing you dirty. Far from it. It simply means mobility needs some specific attention alongside cardiovascular fitness and strength.

A useful distinction, then: being fit and being mobile aren’t quite the same thing.

I put my mobility to the test – here’s how you can test yours, too

At the beginning of this trial, I set out to do two things: first, find out what part of my body was least mobile - and how much that might be contributing to my general stiffness. And second, work out how on earth to improve it.

I spent an afternoon with Mills, who showed me a series of simple self-assessments I could do at home to get a better idea of where my mobility was - and where it might be letting me down.

The plan she put together for me was simple: do all five tests at the beginning of my challenge, identify the restricted areas, and use that as a starting point for the next six weeks.

“These tests create a personal baseline rather than a pass-or-fail score,” says Mills. “Body proportions, previous injuries and natural anatomical differences all affect the result, so comparing yourself with somebody else is rarely helpful.”

With that in mind, Mills talked me through five simple tests to assess my mobility and work out where I was most restricted. Here’s what I did - and how you can try them at home, too.

1. Controlled squat

How to perform it: Stand with your feet approximately hip- to shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly outwards. Reach your arms forward and slowly sit your hips down as though lowering towards a chair. Go only as far as you can while keeping your feet grounded, then return to standing.

What it assesses: This looks at the combined mobility of the ankles, knees, hips and spine, together with lower-body strength, balance and control.

How to record it: Film the movement from the front and side. Record your comfortable squat depth, whether your heels stay down, whether you can pause at the bottom for three seconds, and whether you shift more towards one side.

What to look for: Notice whether your heels lift, your knees or feet collapse inwards, your trunk falls markedly forwards or your weight shifts to one side. These are observations rather than proof that something is wrong, but could mean restrictions in mobility.

Safety: Use a chair or worktop for support if necessary. Stop if the movement produces sharp pain, catching or a feeling that a joint may give way.

2. Forward reach or toe touch

How to perform it: Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart and your knees straight but not locked. Slowly roll or hinge forwards and allow your hands to reach towards the floor. Do not bounce or force the position.

What it assesses: It gives a broad indication of movement through the hips and spine and flexibility through the backs of the legs.

How to record it: Measure the vertical distance between your fingertips and the floor. If your fingers reach beyond the floor from a step, record how far past it they travel.

Also note whether bending your knees changes the result substantially.

What to look for: Observe whether the movement is smooth, whether one hand reaches further than the other and whether you feel the restriction mainly in your calves, hamstrings, back or somewhere else.

Safety: This test may not be appropriate during an acute episode of back pain, sciatica, dizziness or after recent surgery. A toe touch is influenced by limb proportions, so it should not be treated as a universal marker of health.

3. Knee-to-wall ankle test

How to perform it: Face a wall in a staggered stance. Keep the heel of the front foot firmly on the floor and guide that knee forwards until it touches the wall, tracking approximately over the middle toes.

Gradually move the foot away from the wall until you find the furthest distance at which the knee can still touch without the heel lifting.

What it assesses: Ankle dorsiflexion: the movement needed when walking, descending stairs, lunging and squatting.

How to record it: Measure the distance in centimetres from the tip of the big toe to the wall. Test and record both sides.

What to look for: Look for a meaningful difference between sides, the heel lifting, the arch collapsing or the knee turning markedly inwards.

Safety: Do not force the knee against the wall. People with recent ankle or lower-limb injuries should do so with caution or check with a physiotherapist before testing.

4. Seated hip-rotation test

How to perform it: Sit on a firm chair with your hips and knees at approximately 90 degrees. Keep both thighs facing forwards.

To test inward hip rotation, keep your thigh still and move your foot out to the side. To test outward rotation, move the foot inwards. Repeat on the other leg, avoiding any twisting through the pelvis or leaning sideways.

What it assesses: How freely the hip rotates independently of the pelvis and spine.

How to record it: Film from the front or take a photograph at your comfortable end position. You can use a phone angle-measuring app if desired, but consistent positioning is more important than obtaining a perfectly precise number.

Record the angle and any clear difference between sides.

What to look for: Notice whether the pelvis shifts, the trunk leans, or one side feels more restricted. Hip structure varies considerably, so symmetry should not be forced simply for the sake of it.

Safety: Stop if you experience pinching in the groin or joint pain. Do not push the leg further with your hands.

5. Floor get-up test

How to perform it: Stand beside a clear, non-slip area of floor, with a stable chair or worktop nearby if needed. Lower yourself into a comfortable seated position on the floor, then return to standing using your preferred method.

There is no requirement to cross your legs or make the movement look a particular way. The aim is to see how confidently and efficiently you can manage the transition.

What it assesses: Getting up from the floor brings together hip, knee and ankle mobility with lower-body strength, balance, coordination and confidence. Like the sit-to-stand test, it is better described as a measure of functional movement capacity than mobility alone.

It is particularly relevant to healthy ageing. Being able to move between the floor and standing supports everyday life, from playing with children to gardening, and provides the physical options needed if you ever find yourself on the floor unexpectedly.

How to record it: Time the movement from the moment you begin to rise until you are standing upright and settled.

Also record: How many hands, knees or pieces of furniture you use for support, whether you lead with the same leg each time, whether the movement feels controlled or effortful, and whether you can complete it without assistance.

A short video from the front or side will make comparison easier. Repeat the test using the same surface, footwear and starting position after six weeks.

What to look for:

Notice whether you need to push heavily through your hands, rely entirely on one leg, use momentum rather than control, lose your balance during the transition, avoid bending a particular hip, knee or ankle, and hold your breath or feel apprehensive.

Safety: Only try this if you are confident that you can return to standing safely. Have someone nearby if you are unsure, and keep a stable chair within reach. Do not perform it alone if you have a history of falls, significant balance problems or difficulty getting up from the floor.

My six-week mobility prescription

So, what did my mobility assessment reveal? Well, there was some work to do.

From the assessment, Mills suggested my posterior chain - essentially the muscles and tissues running down the back of my body, including my calves and hamstrings - could be contributing to some of my restrictions, i.e. me not being able to touch my toes as a relatively active 26-year-old. My knee-to-wall test was a particular giveaway: I managed around 3- 4 cm, whereas Mills would generally expect me to get closer to 6- 7 cm. Everything felt pretty stiff, too.

The seated pelvic tilt also showed that I’m naturally quite stiff through my lower back. So rather than prescribing me one giant list of stretches and sending me on my merry way, Mills made something very clear: mobility is individual. Why? "Ultimately, this is due to it being the balance of flexibility, strength, body awareness and stability. Therefore, it’s important to ascertain which of these elements you need to work on and where," she explains. TDLR: There isn’t a magic number of exercises you can do that will somehow sort everything out.

My aim: target the areas where I was most restricted, and gradually get more comfortable moving through those ranges, using a “toolkit” that was as easy to fit into my week as it was to actually do, before repeating the 5 assessments.

My prescription for the next six weeks was three things, around 3-4 days a week:

1. Calf stretching

Given my short knee-to-wall measurement, calves were an obvious place to start. The basic version is simple enough to do at home: stand facing a wall with one foot behind the other, both heels pointing towards the back heel planted. Lean forwards until you feel a gentle stretch in the calf. I can also repeat it with the back knee slightly bent to work a different part of the calf. Mills suggested keeping the movement slow and controlled rather than bouncing into the stretch.

2. Foam rolling my hamstrings

Next up, my hamstrings. I used a foam roller as a form of self-mobilisation, slowly rolling over the muscle rather than attacking it. My aim was to spend some time working on the area that felt particularly tight, rather than simply doing a generic full-body routine. Commonly used as a form of self-massage/self-mobilisation, I’m out here using it as a targeted bit of maintenance.

3. Pilates

The third part was Pilates, focusing less on simply getting further into a stretch and more on controlling my movement through my available range. This was about building control, stability and awareness around the joints - essentially teaching my body to actually use the range I have.

Then, once a week I’d try to incorporate a workout or class with a stronger focus on mobility and flexibility.

My mobility homework, then: not an hour of stretching every night, not trying to contort myself into some pretty funky shapes, and definitely not expecting one miraculous exercise to fix everything. Just regular, targeted work on the areas where I needed it.

So, how much mobility do we really need?

I entered this challenge, dare I say, quite naively. I knew I was tight, but I was actively avoiding dealing with it. Every time I squatted in the gym and felt restricted, or found myself sighing as I got up from the floor, I’d accepted it as just my body.

​Six weeks later, I’m looking at it through a different lens.

Going back through the same 5 assessments I tested at the beginning, I can feel a difference. My squat feels less laboured, my lower back feels significantly less stiff, and I’m more aware of how I'm moving rather than simply forcing myself into a position. I’m not suddenly able to fold myself in half, but things feel a little easier. And that is a win.

The biggest thing I’ve taken from my time with Mills is that improving mobility isn’t about becoming ridiculously flexible (although I wouldn’t say no to that); It’s about figuring out where you’re restricted, working on it specifically, and then learning to control that range.

Because ultimately, this isn’t really about touching your toes. It’s about making everyday movement feel easier - getting up from the floor, squatting, reaching, turning, all the things you want your body to keep doing without having to think twice about them.

And perhaps that’s the more useful way to think about mobility as we age: not how flexible can I become? But how well can I keep moving?

“The most useful question at the end of six weeks is not simply, ‘Can I touch my toes now?’ It is: ‘Can I access a little more movement, with better control and less effort?’ That is a far more meaningful way of assessing progress.”

MC'S Tried-and-Tested Favourites

The stats do the talking, really: ClassPass Pilates bookings rose 66% from 2024 to 2025, cementing its spot as the platform's most-booked workout globally for the third consecutive year. In 2025, it surpassed 27 million global searches on the app, leading to industry reports (including this UK-specific 2026 industry report from APPI) describing the sweat session as moving into a “post-trend era."

Long story short: Pilates is here to stay and showing no signs of slowing down.

But if you've been practising for a while now and not noticing the many (read: core strength, improved posture, better flexibility and more) benefits it promises, that's where I come in. I'm Ashlea McKee, a classical Pilates instructor, MC UK Master and founder of Élan Wellbeing and the Pilates with Ashlea app. I've been learning and teaching Pilates for almost ten years now, with a current residency at London's The Newman Hotel.

Keep scrolling for the one Pilates essential that you may be overlooking in your practice (spoiler alert: it's really simple). And if you're keen to learn more about your practice while you're here, be sure to read our guides to the best Pilates exercises for beginners, best Pilates core moves, best core sculpting Pilates moves and the best Pilates bar exercises here.

Not Seeing Results From Pilates? Try This Simple Tweak

One of the most commonly overlooked elements in Pilates is the mind-body connection. If you feel like you’re not seeing results or experiencing all those amazing benefits of Pilates we hear so much about, this could be the missing piece.

When we talk about the mind-body connection, we’re talking about bringing mindfulness into every movement. This helps us connect to our breath, improve our form, and engage the correct muscles.

In Pilates, we often work from what we call the 'powerhouse' - the deep abdominal muscles and the muscles surrounding the trunk and pelvis. We initiate many of our movements from this strong centre to support and protect the spine, build stability, and help the rest of the body move more freely.

How important is proper form?

Proper form is so important in Pilates. It’s what helps to transform the body by using technique and alignment to get as much as possible out of every exercise. Simply moving the body is still great, but moving with intention is where the real magic happens. Understanding the purpose behind each movement helps us find proper form, engage the correct muscles, and unlock all those amazing benefits Pilates has to offer.

Good form can vary because there’s no such thing as perfect form or one exact way that every exercise should look. All of our bodies are unique and different in terms of their structure and the way they move.

When we talk about good form, we’re talking about moving correctly for your body, working in alignment, and recruiting the right muscles. This helps us avoid placing unnecessary pressure on the wrong areas or reinforcing unhelpful movement habits that could over time contribute to imbalances, discomfort, or even injury.

Often, you won’t know what needs adjusting unless you have someone there to guide and correct you, whether that’s in a group class or a 1:1 session. Make sure your instructor isn’t just telling you what to do, but also teaching you how to do it. That’s when you know you’re in a good Pilates class.

How does the mind-body connection affect the effectiveness of your workout?

Pilates is mindful movement, so it’s really important to tune into that connection. It isn’t always easy at first, especially if it’s something you’re not used to. Personally, my favourite thing about Pilates is how it takes you out of a busy mind and brings you into the present moment. You can focus on what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and how your body feels. Through breathing and intentional movement, Pilates can leave you feeling amazing and energised from the inside out. Rather than moving aimlessly or feeling disconnected, you become completely connected and present in the room. This helps you progress, build strength, develop greater body awareness and, in turn, live a healthier and more balanced life.

There’s no quick fix for anything, but with consistency and drive, Pilates can definitely help you feel a difference. Moving with greater mindfulness and intention can transform not only how you move and progress in class, but how you feel in everyday life. You may begin to stand taller, feel stronger and more energised, experience a greater sense of calm, and find more mental clarity. These are just some of the amazing benefits that a consistent Pilates practice can help you build over time, and what I've noticed the difference in.

What should people be focusing on mentally during Pilates?

Pilates is an individual practice, and I think it’s important to start with the foundations and build from there. A big part of that (and one of the main principles of Pilates) is breath. One of the best ways to bring yourself into the space is to connect with your breath and then begin connecting your breath to your movement. This is a great way to kick-start that mind-body connection. As you become more in tune, listen closely to your instructor’s cues and ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you thinking about both how and why you’re moving?
• Are you observing which muscles or areas of the body are working?
• Are you lengthening, creating a two-way stretch, making a connection, or forming a particular shape?
• Are you thinking about the shape of the movement, the resistance within the body, and the control behind it?

I really recommend returning to the 6 commonly recognised principles of Pilates - breath, flow, precision, concentration, centring, and control. Try to bring these elements into every class, even if your teacher isn’t specifically cueing them. Coming back to these principles helps you maintain an intentional and authentic practice, so there is always purpose behind both the how and the why of every movement.

Any common exercises where people tend not to engage the right muscles?

It’s very common to use momentum rather than engaging the right muscles and moving with control. A great example of this is the Roll Up, a classical mat exercise that you might recognise from the classical Pilates repertoire. You begin lying on your back, then curl and peel yourself off the mat to come into a C shape, reaching over your toes before controlling the movement back down. As instructors, we often see the arms swing forward to lift the upper body. When that happens, the heels may also begin to lift, and we can lose that full-body connection. Although you’re getting yourself up, you’re not necessarily moving mindfully or using control.

Instead, try breaking the movement down. Breathe in to prepare, then breathe out as you slowly begin to lift. Think about the body moving in sections, using your breath to control every part of the movement. Visualisation and imagery can really help with this mind-body connection. As you roll back down, imagine melting your spine into the mat, one vertebra at a time, rather than flattening your body straight down. As you come up, rather than simply stretching forward and flattening the shape, think about lifting out of the hips to create a big C curve. Visualising that C can help you connect more deeply to your body while developing greater control and body awareness.

Could poor alignment explain why someone isn’t seeing physical changes?

Alignment and technique could definitely explain why an exercise feels harder than it should. You might be engaging the wrong muscles, compensating on one side, or relying on one side more than the other, which can leave you feeling unbalanced. If we’re not using our centre, everything can feel a little heavier and harder.

If we’re not connecting to our breath, it may be more difficult to sustain the movement, and without that mind-to-muscle connection, we can end up moving a little aimlessly, without much intention behind what we’re doing. But just because an exercise feels easy doesn’t mean you’re not progressing.

A foundational exercise can feel just as challenging as an advanced one when you perform it with real focus and intention. This also comes down to finding an instructor who knows how to challenge you. Even with something as simple as a shoulder bridge - lifting the hips and then rolling back down- there should be detailed cues that help you connect to every part of the movement, top to toe and feel yourself building strength, stability, and control.

What is one simple adjustment people can make?

One simple thing you can take into your next class and something you may not have heard before. It's the idea of oppositional stretch, or what we sometimes call a 'two-way' stretch. This helps connect the whole body and strengthen the mind-body connection, supporting better form and technique. For example, think about bird dog, where you’re in four-point kneeling and reaching one arm and the opposite leg away from your centre. You can also apply it to an abdominal exercise while lying on your back, reaching your arms and legs in opposite directions. Imagine your legs being pulled one way as your arms reach in the other, while staying strongly connected through your centre. Rather than forcing a greater range of motion, think about creating more active length through the body.

Often, we think we’ve reached as far as we can, but by connecting more deeply, using the breath, and engaging the deep core, we may find a little more length and strength within the movement. So, in your next class, think about where you can create that two-way stretch and find two opposing points of connection.

If someone feels like they’ve “plateaued” with Pilates, what would you recommend?

My biggest advice is don’t give up. Try a different class, a different instructor, or even a different style of Pilates. Pilates is a whole system, but the formats we see most commonly today are mat and reformer, as well as tower and other studio apparatus. If you’ve gone straight into reformer, I really recommend exploring the mat and learning the foundations.

You can do this at home through the Pilates with Ashlea app, where you’ll find more than 200 classes, including beginner guides, exercise tutorials, and full-length sessions. For me, mat work is where it’s at, while reformer can be a brilliant complement and may feel more dynamic depending on the teaching style. It’s also worth exploring different studios. You’ll find fitness-based, contemporary, and classical Pilates, and every space will have its own atmosphere, teaching approach, and style of cueing. Just because you’ve tried a few classes and haven’t loved them, it doesn’t mean Pilates isn’t for you. You may simply not have found the right fit yet.

If you’ve only practised on the mat, you might enjoy introducing apparatus or props such as the Magic Circle or Pilates ball. You could also explore reformer, tower, or a fully equipped Pilates studio. There are so many ways to experience and progress within the method. When you find a teacher, studio, and community that you really connect with, stick with them. Movement should feel amazing and be something you genuinely look forward to. Of course, we all feel tired sometimes, but your practice should ultimately leave you feeling fuelled with positivity.

If it’s within your budget, I’d also recommend booking a 1:1 session. Personalised guidance can help you understand what your body needs and give you specific tools to take into your group classes. That could be a single introductory session or a package that allows you to explore your practice more deeply.

And if you’re in London, you can join us for group mat classes at The Newman in Fitzrovia that are challenging, educational and just as fun.

Shop MC UK Pilates essentials here:

Coming away from that piece, you’d conclude that women are active, valued and respected members of sporting communities. And in many ways we are. This year the largest media rights deal in women’s sporting history was signed by the WNBA. In football, the women’s game is expected to have over 800 million fans by 2030, making it one of the world’s top five sports. And at the Paris 2024 Olympics, nearly 40% of commentators on Olympic broadcasting services were female—an uptick of more than 200% since Rio 2016.

This all only makes it more dystopian that, this month, I’m sitting down to unravel an online storm around the sexualisation of women’s bodies within sports marketing. In the blink of an eye, or in this case, the release of a 58-second Instagram advert by a sports betting platform, women’s entire right to exist safely within sport has been called into an algorithmically-driven question.

If you have social media and follow women’s sport, you’ll know exactly what I’m referring to. But we want to be clear here—this isn't an attack on the individual actor who fronts the campaign. There are enough reels scrutinising her on your For You Page for that.

Instead, I'm exploring the systemic and cultural issues which prompted an advert like this to be created, and what the reaction tells us about the current safety of women in sport.

Breaking Down the Sydney Sweeney Novig Ad—and What It Means for the Future of Advertising

Why is the ‘Just Sports’ ad problematic?

First of all, let’s be clear. The Just Sports advert doesn’t try to present Sydney Sweeney as a female athlete. That’s part of what makes it so uncomfortable. In the video, her body is sexualised and used to sell sports betting to men. Her role, adjacent to but not actively participating in sport, speaks to an archaic, but not unfamiliar, position for women.

“Historically, women were rendered accessories to the action,” explains sport sociologist Dr Bethan Taylor-Swaine. “We were ring girls, grid girls and cheerleaders, there only to provide the entertainment between the competitions.”

Even when we did break free from the sidelines (note: women didn’t compete in the full Olympic programme until London 2012), our position as entertainers for the male gaze has lingered in the systems, customs and regulations around sport. It’s why we saw the Norwegian handball team fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms at the 2021 European Championships and why in 2024, female athletes from team USA had to contest their Olympic kit for being too revealing.

It’s also why I, when I was a 13-year-old junior athlete, felt more preoccupied by the way I looked in my skimpy crop top and running briefs than in my on-track performances. It’s why, as a kid, content creator Mary McCarthy worried more about her post-race photos than about the races she’d won, and why 73% of girls say they don’t like others watching them exercise. This sense of being constantly observed from a young age is also part of the reason up to 45% of female athletes struggle with disordered eating. “Women are still making choices about the way their bodies should look and what they should do with them based on a patriarchal ideal that’s been set for centuries,” explains sports dietitian Renee McGregor.

This is why the Just Sports campaign has had such an impact. “The reaction is fundamentally about context, power and history,” explains Professor Philippa Velija, Professor of Sociology and Interim Dean of the School of Education at the University of Roehampton. “Female athletes are not necessarily objecting to sexuality itself; rather, they are responding to a cultural environment in which their athletic legitimacy is often overshadowed by a focus on appearance.”

“Women in all sports, including players and spectators, have had to fight for the right to be taken seriously,” echoes Professor Stacey Pope, Director of Research in Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University. “Adverts such as this touch a powerful nerve, because they show just how fragile the nature of women's progress in sport has been.”

For more evidence of this fragility, you don’t have to look far. Just weeks before Novig’s advert, an audio clip went viral online, in which a manosphere podcaster argues that women who participate in sport go against their essential role of femininity. And in July, the European Broadcasting Union produced a 23-page document containing new filming regulations for camera angles in track and field after it found that female athletes were being disproportionately targeted by low-angle and lingering body shots.

“We’re living in a time where politics is becoming more right-wing and beauty standards are shifting back towards an outdated thin ideal,” says Dr Taylor-Swaine, who points to a recent article published by The Telegraph with the headline, ‘Slim and beautiful women are back in fashion. Thank God for that.’ “These are tools used to reinforce patriarchal norms by preoccupying women with their cosmetic presentation.”

It’s a murky, and at times downright ugly, backdrop, one which contextualises the emotive response to Novig’s advert. That’s all before you even consider that this is a brand which sells gambling to men—an activity which research shows interacts with violence against women and girls, thanks to its connections to substance abuse, shame, stress and stigma.

But even with all this context, you still wonder why, when revenue from women’s sport is growing 4.5 times faster than men’s and athletes are reported to hold more influence over consumers than celebrities, would a brand choose to present such a backward depiction of women in sport?

What was the motivation behind the Just Sports advert?

While we’ll never know for certain what guided the creative direction of Novig’s campaign, the likelihood, according to Sinead Brennan, Head of Social at creative agency Hijinks, is rage bait.

Built to inflame and infuriate, rage bait content has grown at pace since the early 2020s, when algorithms began to consistently reward divisive content. “Rage bait becomes its own content generator,” explains Brennan. “You don’t need people to love, like or even know your brand in order to give them a strong reason to participate—all you need is to create a reaction strong enough that it makes them want to say something.”

For a relatively unknown brand like Novig, you can see why that tactic appeals. In the space of a single day, “They’ve gone from a brand most people wouldn’t have heard of to one that we recognise and talk about,” says Brennan. And, as she points out, they’ve done it while drawing little attention to the service they’re actually selling. “In most categories, this would be a bad thing,” says Brennan, “but given the negative connotations of gambling, the ability to build familiarity and cultural relevance around the brand before people register that it’s a betting product, is powerful.”

It’s an uncomfortable truth, one which gets even more uncomfortable when you consider Sweeney’s role in the saga. “I don't doubt that she [Sweeney] is a product of the system and that she, consciously or otherwise, has been exploited,” says Dr Taylor Swaine. “But, as an equity partner in the brand, she is also a beneficiary of the system that has, in this case, been engineered to ultimately benefit her.”

How should we respond to the Just Sports ad?

Of course, all this raises the question of whether the backlash to the advert has given Novig exactly what they wanted.

But on the other hand, the reaction from female athletes, creators and fans has felt overwhelmingly heartwarming; we shouldn't have to call ads like this out, but we aren't willing to ignore inequality in this sphere any longer. We've worked too hard for too long not to call it out. Marie Claire UK's Senior Health Editor Ally Head said as much to me this week. "From the negativity comes one undeniable positive; my entire feed is flooded with strong, active women sharing what working out looks like for them, and swapping personal stories and anecdotes. Conversations have been sparked worldwide about what being a woman in sport truly means, cementing how passionate people feel about levelling the playing field."

She goes on: "I doubt we'd have seen this response five or so years ago, which unequivocally proves how far we've come. Seeing people of all genders come together to collectively say no and stand up for women's rights is a beautiful thing."

To continue positive change, we need to encourage conversations around women’s role in sport long after this trend fades. “There has been a certain amount of jumping on the bandwagon around women’s safety and gender in sport in response to the advert,” explains Dr Taylor-Swaine. “While it’s well-intentioned, and we do want people to talk about these issues, we also need them to continue using their platforms to support work that’s been going on in this landscape for a long time, even once the opportunity for trending content dies down.”

Nicola Kemp, communications co-chair for the WACL, echoes this. “This is a great opportunity to showcase the importance of women and girls feeling like they belong in sport,” she says.

If you’re looking for ways to stay consistently involved in the conversation around women’s role and safety in sport, Dr Taylor-Swaine (whose own Instagram and Substack are a treasure trove of knowledge) has some recommendations. “On an individual basis, challenge misogynistic comments when you see or hear them, provided of course you feel safe and able to do so.”

On an educational level, she recommends following Our Streets Now, an organisation which works against public sexual harassment, and This Ends Now, a charity which challenges gender based oppression. Then there’s The Gist, a sports media brand which provides genuinely equal coverage of men’s and women’s sports. And of course, there’s the wealth of women’s health and fitness content right here at Marie Claire UK. We’ve got deep dives into the silence around endometriosis in sport, the barriers to exercise safety for women and why the rates of domestic abuse rise when England loses a football game.

As for a parting message, we’ll leave you with this from Dr Taylor-Swaine. “Speak out, challenge your own perceptions and those of people around you, read lots and crucially, watch women’s sport—not just the big games, but the ones played by your local team.”

And honestly, I'm here for it. Pilates has been one of the biggest fitness success stories of recent years, and our collective obsession shows no sign of disappearing anytime soon. But with so many moves being hailed online as the one you need to be doing, I started wondering what someone who's actually qualified to teach Pilates makes of the exercises we see on repeat.

So I asked Georgia Weibel, founder of Pilates with Georgia, to rate six of the most popular basic Pilates moves – including which muscles they actually work, and whether they're genuinely worth adding to your routine. Consider this your expert-approved guide to the Pilates essentials.

Cut Through the Noise With the 5 Best Basic Pilates Moves to Try

What are the benefits of basic Pilates moves?

Before we get into the six basic Pilates moves and what Weibel actually thinks of them, it's good to know why we should bother practising them in the first place.

Slow, controlled Pilates exercises can challenge everything from your core and legs to your balance, mobility and coordination. Better still, mastering the fundamentals gives you a solid base from which to progress onto harder variations – rather than rushing straight towards whatever impressive-looking move happens to be trending.

There's research to back up Pilates in its most basic format, too. One study following middle-aged women through a 12-week mat Pilates programme found improvements in core and lower-body strength, flexibility, agility and balance. That's quite the return from a workout method which, lest we forget, often involves little more than your bodyweight and a mat.

Pilates is also seriously good for our balance, which we all know is important to keep in check as we age. A systematic review of Pilates programmes in older adults found positive effects on both static and dynamic balance, adding to the evidence that those small, controlled movements can have practical benefits beyond simply feeling stronger during class.

1. The Hundred (2/5)

What? One of the most recognisable Pilates exercises, the Hundred involves lying on your back with the head and shoulders lifted. The legs are extended or held in tabletop while the arms pulse alongside the body.

Why? "This might be controversial, but I personally think The Hundred is overrated!," Weibel says. "It challenges the abdominals and requires you to maintain trunk stability while coordinating the arms and breath, but if my goal was to really strengthen the core, there are other Pilates exercises I would choose first. I also find that people can become so focused on completing the 100 arm pulses that the quality and control of the movement can get lost."

How long? Traditionally, it's performed for 100 arm pulses, using 10 breathing cycles of five counts in and five counts out.

2. Single Leg Stretch (4/5)

What? From a curled-up position, one knee draws towards the chest while the opposite leg extends away. Alternate the legs with control.

Why? "I much prefer this for challenging the core because the abdominals have to stabilise the trunk and pelvis while the legs are continually moving," Weibel explains. "It also brings in coordination and really encourages that mind-to-muscle connection Pilates is known for."

How long? Six to ten reps per leg.

3. Side Bend (5/5)

What? A side-supporting exercise where you lift the hips away from the mat, creating a long line through the body before lowering with control.

Why? Weibel loves this one because so much of the body has to work together. "It challenges the obliques and lateral core, but you’re also asking a lot from the shoulders, glutes and hips to stabilise the body. It’s a great example of how Pilates can create full-body strength without needing lots of equipment."

How long? Three to five reps per leg.

4. Roll Up (4/5)

What? Starting lying down, use the abdominals to slowly roll the body up to sitting before reversing the movement and lowering back down with control.

Why? "Doing a Roll Up without using momentum requires a lot of abdominal control," Weibel explains. "I also love the spinal articulation involved. Rather than thinking about simply getting yourself from lying to sitting, you’re concentrating on moving through the spine with control, which makes the movement much more intentional."

How long? Three to five reps.

5. Teaser 5/5

What? One of the most iconic Pilates exercises where you balance on your sit bones with the torso and legs lifted into a V shape, maintaining control through the centre of the body.

Why? "For me, this is Pilates in one exercise. You need core strength, hip flexor strength, balance, coordination and a huge amount of control. There’s also nowhere to hide in a Teaser. If you rush it or rely on momentum, you immediately lose the quality of the movement."

How long? Three to five reps.

6. Scissors (4/5)

What? Lying on your back with the upper body curled up, the legs alternate in a scissoring action, with one reaching towards you as the other extends away.

Why? "Scissors combines core strength and stability with mobility through the hips and hamstrings," Weibel says. "The challenge is not just moving the legs, but keeping the trunk and pelvis controlled while they move independently. That focus on stability alongside movement is one of the reasons I think simple Pilates exercises can be so effective."

How long? Six to ten reps per leg.

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Since then, I’ve had bouts of full-blown insomnia, usually triggered by stress. Whether it’s tension with friends, a mounting to-do list or money worries, there can be months where I lie awake night after night, plagued by a racing mind.

I know I’m far from the only one. According to the NHS, one in three people experience symptoms of insomnia, which range from struggling to fall or stay asleep to waking up early and feeling tired and irritable during the day.

I also know how frustrating it is when people try to offer you advice.

Have you tried journaling?

What about herbal teas, or leaving your phone outside your bedroom?

Tick, tick, tick. If you’ve ever struggled with sleeplessness, the chances are you’ve left none of these stones unturned.

Sometimes, at least in my case, they do work. But in other, particularly stressful, periods, they don’t even touch the sides. I’ll feel my heart racing, my legs restless and my mind alive and kicking with thoughts, pressures and anxieties, no matter how diligently I’ve tried to wind down.

It’s why my latest tactic - an evening swim and sauna ritual - has excited me so much. After a particularly bad period of poor sleep, it’s done consistent wonders for my nighttime relaxation over the past two months. To discover why, and how you can create your own swim and sauna ritual, read on.

We’ve also got guides to the benefits of saunas, the most common ice bath FAQ’s and the six Scandinavian wellness principles we can learn from. It’s also worth reading how Health Editor Ally Head fared when she went to the sauna weekly for six months.

An Evening Swim and Sauna Has Revolutionised My Sleep - Here's How

How does combining a swim with a sauna benefit your nervous system?

The swim

I stumbled across swimming almost by accident. After joining my local leisure centre, which has a pool, I pulled out my old swimsuit just to mix up my usual exercise routine. It was only then that I was reminded just how calming having my head in the water for thirty minutes could be. Without music blaring in my ears or sweat dripping down my face, it felt meditative, but I couldn’t explain why.

For that, I turned to psychotherapist and nervous system specialist, David Cornwell. “Swimming improves our breathing rhythm, which is foundational to nervous system regulation,” he explains. “The gentle holding of the breath as we move through the water begins to improve both the biochemistry and the biomechanics of our breathing. This directly stimulates and tones the vagus nerve, and supports autonomic nervous system regulation.”

Then, he says, there’s the stimulation of the diving reflex, which is an automatic body response that helps us to survive underwater by slowing our heart rate and redirecting blood flow to our major organs. Research has suggested that this reflex, which activates our parasympathetic nervous system (aka rest and digest), can be used to treat symptoms of panic and anxiety.

Finally, Cornwell says there’s the sensation of water to consider. “As we swim, there is a gentle stimulation of the skin all over our body, which has a similar effect to a gentle massage,” he explains.

The sauna

And that’s all before we’ve even discussed the sauna. “Passive heat raises our core temperature, and when we come out and cool down, that drop stimulates our body's natural temperature decline, which can help release melatonin,” explains Cornwell.

Waldo Ramsay, co-founder of REBASE recovery studio, echoes this. “The heat of the sauna mimics the effect of mild exercise, causing your body to enter a sympathetic state. When you exit, you quickly return to rest and digest. This is where the benefits for sleep can be harnessed.”

Cornwell adds that the environment around the sauna has further relaxation benefits. “The sauna provides a quiet, screen-free environment to settle us towards sleep,” he says. “But there’s also an important component around co-regulation. Humans don’t do well on our own - we’re better in community. Sharing a communal sauna cultivates a sense of belonging and connection, which moves us into a tend-and-befriend, parasympathetic state. It helps us feel safe and connected, which is exactly what we need to fall asleep.”

How much time should you spend in the pool and sauna to see results?

Across every expert I spoke to, the key message was to find a routine that balances discipline with enjoyment. Of course, accountability and consistency are important, but if a healthy nervous system is what we’re after, it’s also crucial not to constantly be pushing ourselves.

“We often have a tendency, especially when the nervous system is dysregulated, to impose more and more on the body,” says Cornwell. “But what really matters is listening and feeling what we need, rather than forcing more onto ourselves.”

Chess Ridgard, open water swimmer and coach at Sea Lanes Canary Wharf, agrees. “Even if you get in the water for 20 minutes, you’ve given yourself that moment away from technology and from anything that’s going on in your life. That 20 minutes of breathwork and relaxation can be as powerful as any 90-minute session working on technique.”

At REBASE, Ramsay recommends three 15-minute sauna sessions a week. “Finnish studies have suggested that 60 minutes a week, spread across two to three sessions, is the sweet spot for harnessing the cardiovascular benefits,” he explains. But he emphasises that everyone is different, and like Ridgard and Cornwell, he recommends tuning into your own body for guidance. “If you’re new to sauna, or are feeling under the weather, it’s particularly important to adjust slowly and not overdo it,” he says.

How can I support my nervous system in the pool and sauna?

Swimming is one of the most mindful and relaxing forms of exercise, but only if you feel strong and comfortable in the pool. When you don’t, it can be stressful, which is the exact opposite of the feeling we’re trying to create.

According to Ridgard, most of that stress comes from not knowing how to control your breathing. “Your breath will unlock everything you do in the water,” she explains. “It’s the thing that will switch you from sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system.”

Thankfully, she has some tips to help us relax in the pool. “When your body is in water, you have a need to take air in,” Ridgard explains. “But the more you take in, the less you’re breathing your waste gas - the CO2 - out.”

Instead of taking a big gasp, she encourages us to focus on allowing the air in naturally. “When you push off the wall, take a big sigh out,” she says. “That will set you off for a nice relaxed swim from the very start.”

When it comes to the sauna, Cornwell also has some advice to maximise relaxation. "Wear a sauna hat or put a towel over your head," he says. "“This helps you stay in the sauna longer without feeling like you're overheating."

He also reminds us to drink plenty of water with electrolytes. “In cold countries, we don't drink enough water, simply because it is so cold that I don't feel like it. The sauna encourages us to drink, and that’s great for replenishing our bodies.”

An evening swim and sauna has become my new wind down routine - now I sleep better than ever

Month one

The first time I combined my swim and sauna routine was back in July when I went to try out the new Sea Lanes Canary Wharf - an open-water swimming venue in central London. I’d just started swimming at my local leisure centre (which unfortunately doesn’t have a sauna), and was already feeling the benefits.

But after combining the two practices for the first time, I noticed that the calmness I’d experienced after my swim was multiplied by rounding out the evening with a sauna. After replenishing with plenty of water and a fairly light dinner, I had the best night’s sleep I’d had in months.

From then on, my curiosity was piqued, and I set out to make the combination of swimming and sauna a habit. I visited various lidos and leisure centres, as well as a lucky trip to the luxury health club Third Space Islington, where I went as a guest with a friend.

And time and again, the same thing happened. I’d arrive at the pool a little frazzled, my mind flitting between 100 different places, only for things to go almost immediately quiet from the first push off the wall. In the water, everything seemed to move slower; my thoughts clearer and the to-do list less urgent.

The 15-minutes I spent in the sauna afterwards became even more sacred. Rather than rushing back to the changing rooms, scrubbing my hair as fast as I could and checking my phone whilst still in my towel, taking that time - either in silence or chatting to a friend - made me feel rooted in the present. It was an opportunity to mull over my worries in a place where I was relatively unreachable, free from notifications and requests.

Month two

By month two, I was utterly convinced of my new routine. I didn’t go every day, but on the days I didn’t, I really missed it. Usually, I go two or three times a week, swimming for around 30 minutes and spending a further 15 minutes in the sauna. I make sure not to rush the process of showering and getting dressed afterwards either, keen to extend this slower pace right into the evening.

Whilst for me, the movement element of swimming is a core part of the relaxation process, one night I do try contrast therapy at REBASE - a wellness and recovery studio in central London. Instead of swimming, I combine a few minutes in a cold plunge with time in their infrared sauna. There are undeniably similar effects, and if swimming isn’t your thing, it’s a great option. My preference, though, is to go for a swim first and then head to a studio like REBASE for recovery.

A key part of improving my sleep has been putting distance between my phone and I. Before I arrive at the pool, I set it to ‘do not disturb’, and it stays that way until the next morning. I cherish the time to fully switch off and unwind, and I know that logging back onto my emails and social media would undo all that good work.

I’ve fallen head over heels for my new evening routine. Of course, everyone is different and what helps me sleep might not be the same for you, but if you’re feeling a little stuck on high alert, I’d highly recommend giving it a go.

Shop MC-UK approved swim and sauna essentials:

The kit was the main barrier to entry. Did I need padded shorts? Special UV-protection glasses? A specific shoe?

Lucky for me, one of my best friends who's an avid cyclist persuaded me to give some longer rides a go with her this summer. From our Richmond Park Friday loops to an 85km cycle to Brighton, it's fair to say I'm a convert - largely thanks to the brilliant brands below that have kept me comfortable, cool, and supported for every cycle.

I've learnt a lot about cycling over the past few months, but my main takeaway is that it can be a really freeing, fun, and inclusive workout if you're willing to give it a go. And you don't need tonnes of new kit to feel your best, just a few well-designed basics that'll keep you comfortable. My top tip? Find a friend to ride with, don't overthink things, and take your time. Workouts are always more enjoyable when you do them with friends.

For my tried and tested favourite cycling brands, keep scrolling. And don't miss our edits of the best workout clothes for women, running trainers, gym leggings, sports bras, and Pilates clothes, while you're at it.

Best cycling brands for women: Quick links

• Best cycling vest: £58 at Pas Studios
• Best jersey: £179 at Jelenew
• Best padded shorts: Was £250, now £150 at Rapha
• Best sunglasses: £72 at Mileoff
• Best gilet: Was £100, now £85 at Universal Colours

I'm a Health Editor: 6 Cycling Brands I Genuinely Rate

1. Rapha

Even if you're not a cyclist, you'll likely have heard of Rapha, one of the most well-known and loved cycling brands in the world. Founded in London in 2004, the brand has played a large part in transforming the function-only, technicality-first cycling kit of old into the fashion-forward, design-led kit of today.

I tested the Women's Pro Team Training Jersey, a high-performance top that sweatwicks and supports you through any effort level. It’s easy to wear, washes well, and has spacious pockets for all your essentials, too (although I did find it ran on the small side, but most cycling kit generally does). The Women's Pro Team Bib Shorts were the best I tested by a mile - unbelievably comfortable and designed for serious mileage thanks to their women's-specific chamois. An investment, but one that is definitely worth it.

2. Pas Normal Studios

One of the coolest cycling brands, Copenhagen-based Pas Normal Studios launched in 2014, introducing their own Scandi, fashion-conscious aesthetic to the cycling world. Head to Richmond Park and you’re hard-pressed not to spot at least a handful of other cyclists in head-to-toe Pas.

They’re best known for their Mechanism collection, a sleek, race-focused range, and so I gave the Women's Mechanism Jersey and Women’s Mechanism Bibs a go. The jersey is streamlined, stylish, and practical, with secure grippers, rear pockets, and a minimalist aesthetic that feels sleek rather than sporty. The bibs also get my seal of approval: designed for long, hard stints in the saddle, with built-in compression, breathable straps and a women’s-specific chamois, they’re a dream to cycle in. Everything stays where it should; their kit is the epitome of effortless.

3. Universal Colours

I’d seen Universal Colours kit popping up on my Instagram feed long before I tried their designs personally. Another London-based cycling brand prioritising aesthetics alongside aerodynamic function, they launched their first collection in 2020 after two years of design development. Their aim was simple: to shake up the industry and focus on fresh, fashion-forward designs that prioritised considered material choices.

I love Universal Colours’ dedicated women's fits, and their Chroma collection in particular. I tested the Women's Chroma Light Short Sleeve Jersey, which was exceptionally lightweight, breathable, airy and comfortable, and the Women's Chroma Bib Shorts, which are impressive. They combine compressive woven fabric with a women's-specific Elastic Interface chamois and soft straps for an undeniably supportive and comfortable fit.

4. Jelenew

A brand with one sole focus - designing cycling kit specifically for women - I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of Jelenew. Co-founded by former world champion Marion Clignet, the brand goes above and beyond with their fits, chamois design and colourways (so much so, it's actually hard to choose which to go for on the site).

I tested the Ventrix LT Short Sleeves Jersey, a top designed for the summer months that's lightweight, breathable, and comfortable. This is the jersey I opted for on our 85km cycle to Brighton, and it didn’t disappoint - the moisture-wicking and UPF 50+ protection came in particularly handy. The Magclasp QuickRelease Bib Shorts are also great, with a neatly designed magnetic quick-release system which enables you to undo the bib straps without removing your jersey. I found this a bit fiddly to begin with, but a godsend once I got the hang of it. Buy for bibs that solve a real problem rather than simply adding another piece of tech.

5. Mileoff

Technically not a cycling-specific brand, but a running brand that designs jerseys and sunglasses that can be worn for both running and cycling, Mileoff is a brand to have on your radar. Launched by Alice Bugeja in 2025, she’s passionate that women’s workout gear shouldn’t just be scaled-down men’s clothing. They may be a running label, but at its core, they design practical, fashion-conscious items that are useful beyond the track.

I tested the Long Sleeve Running Zip Layer and have worn it for several chillier cycles - it’s lightweight but close-fitting enough to keep you cosy, and has handy thumb holes to keep your hands warm. There is a rear pocket, but be warned, it’s on the small side, so you may need to take a backpack. I’m also a massive fan of their Photochromic Running Sunglasses and have worn them for races and long bike rides; in a clever feature, the photochromic lenses automatically adjust to changing light levels and offer UV400 protection alongside a secure, adjustable fit.

6. PARIA

Last but by no means least, Yorkshire-based PARIA launched in 2015 and offers a more alternative edge to the cycling clothing scene. Blending crucial technical performance with influences from art, streetwear and the outdoors, they’re a great go-to if you’re a rider who wants something less conventional.

I tested the Short Sleeve Aero Jersey from the brand and had no complaints: it’s comfortable, easy to wear, and designed with an all-important aerodynamic silhouette. Opt for PARIA if you want cycling gear that performs well but doesn’t compromise on personality.

Which is probably where the idea of incorporating resistance band workouts into my routine appealed to me. I've used them on and off over the years, but never fully committed to them. But when I was looking for a new way to fit strength training into my week, I realised resistance bands tick a lot of boxes - you can do them almost anywhere, you don't need lots of equipment, and they're convenient enough to fit into a busy lifestyle.

And if the evidence is anything to go by, they're effective, too. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that elastic resistance training can produce similar strength gains as using weights or machines. Translation: you don't necessarily need a gym full of equipment to get stronger.

Rebecca Bossick, physiotherapist and founder of One Body LDN, explained why they could be the ideal solution to fit into my lifestyle. "Their adaptability, portability, and lower cost are a big reason why they’ve become a mainstay of workout regimens, especially among busy mums," she said.

With this in mind, I decided to get serious about adding resistance bands to my workout routine. For two weeks, I committed to fitting 10-minute resistance band sessions into my routine several times a week to see if they could be the low-effort strength training session I'd been looking for. Keep scrolling to see how I got on, and while you're here, we've got plenty more resistance band content, including our guides to the benefits of resistance bands, how to make resistance bands effective, best resistance band leg workouts, best resistance band core workouts and best resistance band arm workouts.

Resistance Bands Promise to Build Strength in No Time: I Tried for 2 Weeks

Can a 10–15 minute resistance-band session genuinely improve strength?

If, like me, you're often strapped for time, the good news is even a short resistance band session can make a noticeable difference. In one seven-week study, published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, participants who added heavy elastic bands to their strength training saw improvements in upper-body strength similar to those using more traditional resistance-training methods.

"Even if you can only do a 10-15 minute workout routine each day, adding resistance bands into the mix will improve your overall strength," says Samantha Cubbins, strength and conditioning coach and Lifting Club Ambassador at Gymshark.

Bossick agrees that short sessions can be worthwhile, and says that regardless of your fitness level, resistance bands are a great way to build muscle. "Even though working with them does look rather simple, bands actually have quite the advantage over free weights: the more you stretch, the higher the resistance, meaning that you get genuine tension right through the whole movement rather than just at the hardest point."

One of the main appeals to me was that resistance bands don't take up much room - they're small enough to live in a kitchen drawer or tote bag. "Using resistance bands means you don't need a gym membership or even much floor space, and even ten to fifteen minutes is more than enough to recruit and build various muscle groups properly," adds Bossick.

What are the best resistance band exercises if you only have 10 minutes?

“The great thing about resistance bands is the versatility," says Cubbins. "They can be added into so many different movements, meaning for many, you won’t even need to create a whole new workout routine."

If you're really short on time, Bossick recommends choosing movements that hit multiple muscle groups in one exercise.

1. Banded squats

What? Stand with the band looped just above your knees or under both feet and held at shoulder height, then sit back into a squat as if lowering onto a chair before pushing back up through your heels.

Why? "This works the major muscle groups within your lower extremities like glutes, quads, and hamstrings with an extra focus on your hip abductors and stabilisers, covering all your lower body’s biggest muscle groups in one time-efficient movement," says Bossick.

How many? Aim for 12 to 15 reps.

2. Banded rows

What? Loop the band around something secure at chest height, or anchor it under your feet if seated, and pull both handles towards your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together before releasing slowly.

Why? "This engages the whole of the upper back and rear shoulders, so it's brilliant for posture alongside strength," says Bossick.

How many? Aim for 12 to 15 reps.

3. Glute bridges

What? Using a shorter band, looped just above your knees, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push your knees outwards against the band as you lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top, then lower slowly.

Why? It works your glutes and also challenges the muscles around your hips, helping to build lower-body strength.

How many? Aim for 15 reps.

4. Bicep curls or overhead press

What? Stand on a longer band, holding a handle in each hand. Bend your elbows to bring your hands towards your shoulders, and again, start with your hands next to your shoulders and push straight overhead for a rep.

Why? "These moves combined can help you build upper and lower body strength with minimal transitions between moves, so perfect for those in a time crunch," says Bossick.

Cubbins adds that you can try this during a wall sit for added heat.

How many? 10 to 15 bicep curls.

My experiment: Trying resistance band workouts for 2 weeks

Week 1

The focus during the first week of my experiment was simply to get into a flow with resistance band training and make it part of my routine.

One piece of Bossick's advice resonated with me before I'd even practised any of the exercises: "With these moves there's zero setup, meaning no weights to load or equipment to move around or clean up, which is essential when you have limited space or children to look after."

On days when I'm stuck in with the kids and struggling to get out, I'll often rely on my walking pad for getting some movement in, but I'll be honest, sometimes having to set it up can feel like it's eating into my (often limited) workout time.

So whether I had a spare 10 minutes first thing in the morning, or later in the day when it was the kids' mealtimes, with no preparation involved, there wasn't really any room to talk myself out of it.

I kept the actual exercises themselves fairly straightforward to begin with. Using a set of three loop bands - light, medium and heavy - I started with the lightest and alternated between glute bridges and squats for the first few sessions. The light band felt manageable on the bridges, but I noticed the tension on squats by around rep 10, and my thighs were starting to feel noticeably shaky by the last few reps.

By day four, I started to feel the physical effects - DOMS in my glutes that I wasn't expecting from such a short, equipment-light session. While it wasn't anything dramatic, I could definitely feel the burn walking down the stairs the next day.

Bossick had said the more you stretch, the higher the resistance, meaning that you get genuine tension throughout the whole movement rather than just at the hardest point. I could feel what she meant, particularly on the banded rows, where my upper back was working the entire way through rather than just at the squeeze.

Week 2

By week two, I started mixing things up and experimented with the medium-strength resistance and then the heavy band. I wasn't suddenly spending an hour lifting weights; I was still doing short sessions, but I liked the fact that I could make them more challenging if I wanted to, without making the workout itself any more complicated.

One of the things Cubbins told me stuck with me, too. "You need to be progressively overloading your muscles, meaning you continually challenge your strength, increasing weight, reps and time under tension." For me, that didn't suddenly mean spending longer exercising. It was as simple as swapping the light band for the heavier one when I wanted a more intense workout.

I was predominantly using a set of shorter loop resistance bands, but for arm workouts I did keep an elasticated tube band to hand, as the loop bands don't have enough give for a proper curl. Lifting my toddler the following day was the proof that I was starting to see results - the aching in my arms was real.

I wasn't expecting two weeks to produce a dramatic physical transformation - and if I'm honest, I can't say I felt noticeably stronger. But what I did notice consistently was how much better mentally I felt for having done it. Just carving out 10 minutes felt like a small sense of achievement on days when it would be easy to do nothing at all. Plus the mild, lingering aches I started to feel were actually a reassuring payoff.

It was my mindset that shifted more than anything. Rather than feeling like I'd failed to fit in a 'proper' workout, I started to see how valuable these small pockets of exercise were for me mentally and physically.

My verdict? Resistance band workouts haven't magically created more time in my day, but I realised they're a great way to make the time I have feel more useful.

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There are very few (if any) Pilates moves I haven't tried - but this isn't to say that I'm an expert at any of them. I'm humbled pretty much every time I take to the mat or reformer - and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This being said, there's one move I've been actively avoiding: boat pose. Aside from being a fairly advanced move, it also taps into all my weak spots: tight hip flexors, lower back and core. But having researched the position, it's clear that I need to buckle up: there are some serious benefits to be gained.

Rumoured to be as effective at strengthening the core as 100 sit-ups (the jury is out on this one, but hear us out!), the pose is in fact a Pilates/yoga hybrid - and it's dividing the experts. Traditionalists insist that a boat pose is, in fact, simply a Pilates teaser, while others maintain there are subtle differences between the moves.

More on the controversy below, but my interest was piqued enough to spur me to try boat pose every day for two weeks, regardless. Keep scrolling to find out what happened to my core strength, stability and hip flexors - but in the meantime, you might want to check out our guides to the benefits of Pilates leg circles, the best Pilates exercises of all time, and the only Pilates clothes worth your money, here. Plus, find out how one Health Writer got on when she quit expensive studio classes for Pilates with Izzy for a year.

I Caved and Tried the Pilates Boat Pose—and, Wow

What is Pilates boat pose?

Let's get into it: boat pose is both a yoga and a Pilates move - but its Pilates form is very similar to a teaser.

"Boat pose isn’t actually what we call this exercise in Pilates," notes Pilates instructor Aleksandra Warburton. "The V-shaped position you’ll often see referred to as boat pose in yoga is very similar to the Pilates teaser, which is one of the more challenging exercises in the classical Pilates repertoire.

"The teaser involves balancing on the sit bones with the legs lifted, and the torso angled back, creating that recognisable V shape. It looks deceptively simple, but it requires a huge amount of core strength, balance, control and body awareness to perform well."

This being said, there's a school of thought that boat pose involves a slightly different spine position: in teaser, you may have a slight 'C' curve to the back, whereas boat pose requires a straight (or neutral) spine. Either way, the move is an advanced one, requiring deep core strength and stability alongside hip flexor strength and balance.

"It’s also worth making the distinction between boat pose in yoga and teaser in Pilates," Warburton continues. "They can look remarkably similar, but they come from different movement traditions. In yoga, boat pose, or Navasana, is generally performed with a more upright, neutral spine, whereas the classical Pilates teaser incorporates a more rounded, articulated spine as you roll up and down. Most importantly, Teaser is not simply about holding a V shape; the rolling movement into and out of the position is an important part of the exercise."

What are the benefits of Pilates boat pose?

Whether you're a yoga or a Pilates advocate, there's no denying that boat pose brings substantial benefits once you're ready for the move.

1. Core strength

First up, the biggest benefit of boat pose (and its biggest challenge) has to be core strength.

"This move is a fantastic full-body strength and control exercise, but the core is definitely the star of the show with this one," notes Warburton. "It challenges the deep abdominals, including the TVA, as well as the obliques and rectus abdominis, while also requiring significant hip flexor and leg strength."

2. Balance and co-ordination

Boat pose calls for both balance and co-ordination, forcing those deep core stabilising muscles to switch on.

"It's also brilliant for balance, coordination and proprioception," Warburton continues. "This is your understanding of your body in space: because you're essentially asking your body to maintain a very challenging position while moving both the upper and lower body simultaneously, your proprioception will increase as you practice the move."

3. Body awareness

As well as proprioception, boat pose enhances overall body awareness too.

"For me, one of the biggest benefits is the body awareness the move develops," shares Warburton. "You have to understand where your pelvis, spine, legs and arms are positioned and coordinate them all together, which is what makes Teaser such a wonderful progression exercise."

4. Overall stability and control

Since boat pose involves a lift and lower with control, you're going to need to harness all the stability you can to avoid losing your form.

"This move requires balance, stability, control and full-body integration," notes Pilates instructor and founder of Sol Studio, Meg Bew. " Coordination, balance and control are essential - we want the movement to feel fluid and controlled, rather than something you have to throw yourself into."

How to do Pilates boat pose with good form

As a more advance move, a focus on form is even more important than usual. Warburton recommends the following:

• Start lying on your back with your legs extended and arms reaching up.
• Engage your powerhouse, lift the head to look towards your toes and slowly begin to roll up through the spine, lifting the torso and legs together until you arrive in your V-shaped position.
• The aim is to balance on the sit bones whilst continuously reaching the chest up, rather than collapsing into the lower back.
• Keep the chest open, shoulders back and down away from your ears and arms reaching forwards on the outside of your thighs, with the legs long and together (ideally in a small turn out, which we call your Pilates V, meaning heels together, toes slightly apart to keep the inner thighs switched on and active).
• Most importantly, move slowly. I like to pause at the top and really own the V shape before lowering back down with control, keeping the toes in line with your eye line.
• The descent is just as important as the lift. If you can control the way back down rather than simply dropping to the mat, you're getting a huge amount of strength work through the core.

Who is boat pose best for?

Despite being an advanced move, boat pose is suitable for most people.

"The move can be modified to accommodate different abilities, mobility restrictions and training goals," shares Bew. "However, the full movement is best suited to more advanced Pilates practitioners, once the necessary strength, mobility and control have been developed."

That being said, Bew warns that some people should avoid the move.

"Teaser places significant load through the lumbar spine and deep abdominal wall, so it isn’t appropriate for everyone. Caution (and in some cases avoidance) is advised for:

• Anyone with acute low back pain or an unresolved disc injury;
• Diastasis recti or postnatal clients who haven’t yet rebuilt deep core control, particularly in the early postnatal period;
• Those with reduced hamstring or hip flexor mobility that prevents the pelvis from stabilising correctly;
• Clients with cervical spine issues, given the loaded neck flexion involved
• Anyone with osteoporosis or reduced bone density, due to the spinal flexion under load;
• Pelvic floor dysfunction, where increased intra-abdominal pressure may be contraindicated."

I tried a Pilates boat pose every day for two weeks - here are my honest thoughts

Week one

No stranger to a Pilates challenge, I'm excited for the fortnight ahead as I roll out my mat in week one. And - I won't lie - I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to nail the move by the time my two weeks are up.

It seems my years of Pilates have taught me very little, though - because there's nothing simple about this move. I have to spend the first few days really focusing on engaging my core rather than my hip flexors, which seem to love really taking over - a sure-fire sign I'm not activating properly through my abs and obliques.

"The biggest thing to watch is trying to force the shape rather than earning it through strength and control," notes Warburton. "If you're gripping through the hip flexors, rounding excessively through the spine or throwing yourself into the V position using momentum, you're probably not quite ready for the full exercise."

Eek: consider myself humbled. My excuse? There are so many things to focus on at the same time with boat pose - and just when you think you've cracked one aspect, it turns out you've let all the others slide.

Another pitfall? Trying to go too high with the legs. Form trumps aesthetics, always.

"I'd also avoid sacrificing your form just to get your legs higher," advises Warburton. "A slightly lower V with a beautifully controlled spine is far more valuable than forcing yourself into a perfect-looking shape."

However, I'm no quitter, and I'm adamant that I am strong enough to master the move, with a bit of mind-muscle connection.

Week two

Undeterred, my mood is high at the start of week two - and, thankfully, the temperature has also dropped, so I'm not quite so hot and bothered: a win.

This being said, the move doesn't feel altogether easier this week. I'm still quite shaky, and those hip flexors are bothering me again. However, Warburton is reassuring, telling me that if it feels easy, I'm probably not doing it properly.

Additionally, my body might need a break from the movement pattern, too.

"You don't need to practice the move every day to benefit from it," says Warburton. "For most people, incorporating it into a Pilates session two to three times a week is more than enough, particularly because it's a relatively demanding exercise."

Can I feel the difference? Without a doubt: my core is sore, and I'm still shaking my way through the reps (which, I'll confess, I keep low!), but I've definitely noticed that I can hold the V shape a little longer without compromising my form - a small win, but one I'm taking, nonetheless.

The biggest flex, though, has to be how it makes me feel mentally to have stuck at it and not given up - full disclosure, I hate not feeling good at things - and it's absolutely this that is the best takeaway.

Honestly? I'm not desperate to continue doing boat pose every day as the fortnight draws to a close. It's a move I'll definitely return to when I need a challenge, but it's not going to be part of my daily routine any time soon.

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I always wish I'd discovered movement sooner. The mental clarity, self-belief, and general understanding of my body’s importance would have been really helpful in navigating my teenage years.

That's why I created Project Power, a school initiative aiming to counter how many teenage girls drop out of sport. Going into schools, providing supportive workout clothing and teaching the fundamentals of strength training, the goal was simple: to boost these girls' confidence and show them just how mood-boosting movement can feel.

The idea came about after I'd read some research on women's confidence. I noticed that so many of the challenges women experience around body image and self-belief actually begin in girlhood.

At the same time, I came across statistics showing that so many teenage girls are disengaging from physical activity because of something as simple as feeling uncomfortable in their PE kit. There were so many barriers to taking part.

That really stayed with me. I wanted to create something that could help change those early experiences and give girls the confidence to move their bodies without fear or self-consciousness. Fitness had such a positive impact on my own life, and I wanted to help more young girls discover that same feeling much earlier than I did.

Krissy Cela on Inspiring the Next Generation of Girls to Get Active

I think a lot of women can relate to the body image struggles you have during your teenage years. Our bodies are constantly changing, and beyond that, we’re also more generally trying to build our confidence and learn who we are.

Providing the girls with a kit isn’t just to remove a practical barrier to participating, but also a way they can feel genuinely confident.

Strength training as a superpower

Strength training is important for women at every age, but starting in our teenage years really sets us up for success. I chose to teach the girls the basic strength training fundamentals because building those foundations during our teenage years will help increase muscle mass, improve bone density, boost confidence and create a lifetime of healthy habits, which will support us for years to come.

Common misconceptions

The most common misconception I've encountered is the idea that young girls believe they need to look like other women they see online. Having that perception negatively impacts their body image and overall confidence, which in turn deters them from staying active as they feel like they constantly need to chase unrealistic aesthetic goals.

Doing the work that matters

One of the most rewarding things to witness is the transformation that happens during a session. Students often walk into the sports hall feeling shy, uncertain, or unsure of their abilities. But once the music starts and they begin moving, you can see something change.

They start to challenge themselves, realise they are capable of more than they thought, and experience the enjoyment and confidence that movement can bring. That shift is exactly why Project Power matters. Teenage girls are at a stage where confidence can be fragile, so seeing how the tools we’re giving them are supporting them in feeling stronger, more capable, and more confident in themselves really drives home why this work is so important.

Coming into their lives at this point and hopefully inspiring them to choose themselves will instil confidence that they can take through life.

Challenging the system

Beyond the workshops themselves, I think more wellness education outside of the regular PE curriculum is needed. This could include supporting girls with their body image, deepening their understanding of all the ways their bodies can change and how key fitness is a pillar in life.

Fitness isn’t just for our physical wellbeing and aesthetics, but choosing to continuously take care of yourself is incredibly mentally empowering.

Trying something new

If a girl reading this has already written herself off as "not sporty," I'd recommend she try different types of movement. I push the importance of strength training, but any movement is better than nothing.

Pilates and run clubs are really popular right now, but if those more trendy forms of movement aren’t for you, it doesn’t mean you should give up. For example, as much as I love training in the gym and doing hot mat classes, I also absolutely love to walk and hike. It’s great for my health and good cardio, but it also really clears my busy mind. I recommend finding the movement you love, as it’s always easier to stay consistent that way.

Tailoring the message

I've made a conscious effort to use my platform to remind people that following someone's "what I eat in a day" videos or ab workouts won't make you look like that person. We all have different bodies, genetics, and lifestyles, and it's so important to keep that perspective.

I wouldn't say the message itself is different for teenage girls, but it does feel even more important. Through Project Power and conversations with my community, I've seen firsthand how much pressure young girls are under and comparing themselves to what they see online. That's why I want to encourage them to focus on how movement makes them feel, rather than how it makes them look. Building confidence, strength, and a positive relationship with exercise from a young age is so much more valuable than chasing an unrealistic ideal.

Continuing the growth

In the next five years, I'd love to see Project Power expand its reach and deepen its impact. While we're incredibly proud that we've already visited over 50 schools, delivered workshops to nearly 5000 students, and gifted over 18,000 Oner kits to teenage girls across the UK, our ambition is to inspire even more young women in the years ahead and take Project Power around the world.

I'd also love to find meaningful ways to stay connected with the girls beyond the workshop itself, supporting them at different stages of their journey. Community has always been at the heart of Oner, and I want Project Power to embody that same sense of belonging and ongoing support.

It would be great to bring back girls who have been through the programme to help lead future sessions. Hearing directly from someone whose confidence, relationship with movement, or outlook has been shaped by Project Power would be incredibly powerful. It creates a full-circle moment, showing the next generation what's possible and, hopefully, also helps inspire them to continue their own journey long after the session ends.

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I'm usually fairly consistent when it comes to running, except for the odd lull from time to time, but I've noticed a pattern after races - once it's over, my motivation can take a serious hit. Don't get me wrong, after following a training plan in the three months leading up to it, I fully intended to take a short break from running when I crossed the finish line. But what I didn't anticipate was how much of a struggle I'd find getting back into my usual routine.

I finished the race itself with that exhilarating runner's high and was even Googling my next event on the way home. So, after the tension in my legs eased a few days later, instead of lacing up my running shoes, I talked myself out of going. And I did the same the next day, and the day after that.

I knew the 'post-race blues' weren't just something I was experiencing. Even elite athletes can experience a psychological comedown after a major competition. Take, for example, this research published in Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, which found that the period after the Olympics could be a difficult time for UK Olympians. And while I'm not suggesting my half marathon training is comparable to training for an Olympic event, the feeling was surprisingly familiar.

Determined to get out of this running rut, I turned to experts for some advice. Here's what I discovered - and what happened when I tried their advice for myself. And, while you're here, if you're looking for some running inspo, our features on the benefits of running, why more women are taking up running, and the best races to book might help.

I Fell Into An Exercise Slump After Completing a Race: Here's How I Got Over It

Why do we get the post-race blues?

According to clinical psychologist Dr Tracy King, after completing a big event, it's common for runners to feel a little lost because the structure, stimulation and sense of purpose that have carried them through months of training suddenly disappear.

"A training plan decides what happens on Tuesday evening, what the weekend is for and what the runner is working towards," she told me. "It reduces daily decision-making and provides frequent evidence of progress. Once the race is over, that external structure disappears overnight."

The research backs up the idea that what happens around a race can influence how we feel afterwards, too. This 2022 study of 152 amateur runners found that how successfully they achieved their goals, alongside levels of perfectionism, was associated with their mood in the week following a 10k race.

That made sense to me, as for the past few months I knew what days I was running, what route I was taking and the distance I was covering. Anyone training for a big event will relate when I say it sort of becomes your identity - you spend months planning your weekends around runs and clocking up the miles before it all comes to a head.

Why is recovery so important?

Rest and recovery are hugely underestimated, says personal trainer Carly Corrigall. 'The event itself is the tip of the iceberg. Beneath it lie months of training and preparation, and your body (and brain) needs to recover from all of it - not just one day.'

As personal trainer and running coach Sarah Campus puts it: After training for a specific event like a half marathon, marathon or HYROX, your body needs time to recover. It’s very easy to think that because you can physically get through the event that you should be ready to jump straight back into training, but your body has just been under a huge amount of stress.

So, how much time should you take off from running, and exercise in general, after an event?

Corrigall says there's no blanket rule, as it will vary between individuals. "As a baseline, even if you think you're feeling fine straight after an event, I'd always advise taking a complete week off from proper training as your body really needs that time to recover as a minimum."

After that, for most people, the aim is to scale back up to normal activity levels over the next 2-4 weeks, but there really is no rush, says Corrigall. "Think of this as a 'reverse taper' (most runners will be familiar with the concept of a taper leading up to a race) - here we're building back up to usual distance and pace or weight if you're lifting, rather than scaling down."

How to get of an exercise slump

Weeks on from my race, I still hadn't found my running mojo again, so I asked the experts to share their top tips for how I could realistically ease back into my routine again. And while my slump came after a race, their advice can be applied to getting out of an exercise slump more generally, too.

1. Start small

If you're in an exercise slump, the hardest part is often getting started again, which can feel easier said than done when your motivation levels are at zero. Corrigall recommends starting small.

"One tip which works brilliantly is to agree with yourself that you're just going to do your chosen run or workout for 10 minutes," advises Corrigall. "By giving yourself permission to stop after 10 mins, most people find that they can manage that, no problem, and often find themselves thinking, "Well, I've started, and it feels ok, so I'll keep going."

2. Take the pressure off

Not putting any pressure on your performance will help towards finding enjoyment in running again. Campus says you should forget pace, forget distance and forget what your splits looked like before your race.

"Your first run may only be 20 - 30 minutes, and it should feel really easy and conversational. You’re not trying to prove anything; you are simply moving your body and reminding your body that running can feel enjoyable," she says.

3. Try something new

Sometimes the slump is your body telling you it needs a break from running specifically, says Corrigall.

'If you've been training for months with one focus, doing something completely different for a little while, whether that's strength work, swimming, cycling or doing classes, can freshen things up - and you might find that you start to miss those runs and look forward to getting back to them."

Campus adds that giving yourself permission to do something different can also help with motivation. "Give yourself something to look forward to rather than immediately setting another huge goal," she says. "It could be a relaxed social run with friends, trying a new route, joining a run club, running somewhere beautiful or even signing up for a shorter, fun event."

4. Don't wait for motivation

For me, I'd been blaming my lack of motivation for stopping me from getting back into my usual running routine, but as Corrigall told me, you don't necessarily need to feel motivated before you start moving again.

"If the slump is just a slump, then this is completely normal, so don't beat yourself up," she says. "However, the idea that 'motivation follows action' is definitely true, and my biggest tip here is just to get started - however imperfect that might look or however unfit you might feel. And it's completely normal to find those first sessions hard."

My experiment: How I got out of an exercise slump

I'd love to say I followed the experts' advice and immediately fell back in love with running, but in reality it took a couple of months to properly find my way out of the running slump.

The first few runs after my half marathon were inconsistent, to say the least, and if I'm being honest, I didn't enjoy them. I was still putting pressure on myself to get back to where I'd been before the race, whether that meant running the same distances, maintaining the same pace, or generally feeling as enthusiastic as I usually did.

I came close to booking another race a couple of times, but I realised another goal wasn't what I needed. I wanted to learn to fall back in love with running without putting added pressure on myself to jump straight back into training.

The turning point came when I stopped trying so hard to get my running 'back on track'. I eased off the pressure, stopped worrying about what my next race would be, and just headed out with no distance or goal in mind.

One of the things Campus had suggested was changing my environment: "It could be a relaxed social run with friends, trying a new route, joining a run club, running somewhere beautiful or even signing up for a shorter, fun event." So, one Saturday morning when I usually head out for a run, I took part in my local Parkrun. I've always loved the community aspect of it, as well as not having the pressure to complete a long distance. I loved being able to just turn up, run and go home.

Slowly but surely, I found myself wanting to get outside first thing for a run, rather than make excuses not to do it. There was no instant, overnight fix. The biggest lesson I've learnt? I didn't need another goal to enjoy running again; I needed to take the goal away.

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It was to my surprise, then, that 25 days later, I’d fallen hard and fast for Pilates by Izzy. My body feeling sore but strong, I was blown away by how much muscle tone I’d built in just three and a half weeks. Aside from a short burst of social connection, I’d missed very little about going to the studio, and had saved myself more than £100 on membership fees and post-class coffees.

It’s why, nearly a year later, I’m still committed to my thrice-weekly YouTube classes with Izzy. From 15-minute express workouts to 55-minute studio-style sessions, there’s a huge catalogue of classes which have fitted seamlessly into my frequently chaotic schedule.

Ahead, everything I’ve discovered in my year of Pilates by Izzy and my all-time favourite classes for you to bookmark. Plus, a renowned Pilates instructor weighs in on what makes Samuel’s workouts so effective, and how to know if home Pilates is right for you.

If you’re looking to expand your Pilates practice, we’ve got guides to the best advanced Pilates moves, the best exercises for your core, and how to master the notoriously challenging Pilates Teaser. Plus, find out how Pilates compares to the trending Lagree method; a strength and postural workout which provides a serious burn.

Pilates by Izzy Blends Pilates with Strength—And I’m Completely Converted

What are Pilates by Izzy workouts?

We all know Pilates is good for us - studies frequently find evidence of its power to strengthen your core, balance, posture and functional mobility. But Izzy’s classes are a departure from the classical sequence, incorporating more contemporary and strength-based flows which you wouldn’t find in a traditional mat class.

“Izzy infuses Pilates with barre, strength, and functional fitness, which adds creativity and variety to her classes,” confirmed Pilates Instructor and Founder of Aether Spaces, Jo-Leigh Morris, when I spoke to her last year.

It’s this which makes her classes so popular, says Pilates Instructor, Eloise Skinner. “As Pilates has risen in popularity, many people have started to look for variations on the classical sequence. Izzy’s blend of strength, form, control and precision meets that need, with formats like her challenges, which inspire people to get involved.”

Samuel has an app, Strong by Izzy, with a library of over 300 workouts which you can access for £29.69 per month. So far though, I’ve managed a full year using her free YouTube classes alone, so I’d recommend starting there before investing.

Who are Pilates by Izzy workouts best for?

There’s no denying that Samuel’s classes are on the advanced side of home Pilates, which means you’ll want to build up some experience before trying them, especially because many of her classes incorporate weights.

“Safe use of weights depends on correct form, which is best to check in a studio environment first before progressing your practice at home,” confirms Skinner. “For those with a bit of experience and who want to get started with more challenging home workouts, I'd still recommend building up the intensity over time, and don't forget that cool-down and recovery routines still matter, even when you're not in the studio.”

As I’ve quickly discovered, Pilates by Izzy is great for anyone short on time or with an inconsistent schedule. “Home classes are more convenient, cheaper, easier to schedule around other commitments, better for those with additional responsibilities like childcare and enable you to work out in whatever you feel comfortable wearing without worrying about what others might think,” says Skinner. “They also allow you to repeat certain sections, personalise your practice and amend things like duration, equipment and intensity level to fit your current situation.”

Five Pilates by Izzy Workouts To Try This Month:

1. 15 minute deep core workout

What? An express class targeting the deep core muscles using the Pilates ball.

How long? 15 minutes.

2. 25 minute upper body Pilates workout

What? A deceptively challenging upper-body-focused workout using light hand weights.

How long? 25 minutes.

3. 30 minute glute workout

What? A glute-focused lower-body burn with plenty of bridging and side-lying.

How long? 30 minutes.

4. 40 minute full body Pilates workout

What? A signature Pilates by Izzy workout - plenty of core, lower and upper body moves to torch your whole body.

How long? 40 minutes.

5. 50 minute full body strength workout

What? A full-body strength workout using light handweights, targeting the glutes, core and upper body.

How long? 50 minutes.

I Gave Up My Studio Pilates Classes for Pilates by Izzy—Now I’m Stronger Than Ever

Months one to six

Having completed the 25-day challenge last September, I toyed with the idea of returning to the studio. But looking at the positive change to my bank balance and my ever-shifting calendar, I came to the conclusion that my new home set-up suited me too well to give up. Plus, I had a whole library of Samuel’s classes to explore (at the time of writing, she has 118 videos on her channel).

At first, I really was obsessed, and would do Izzy’s classes five to six times a week. Some days, it was just a 15-minute express session tagged onto the end of a morning walk or jog, and other days it was a longer 40-minute class that formed the entirety of my exercise for that day.

My favourites, though, were the 25-30 minute classes. Short enough to be manageable whatever your mood or level of motivation, but providing a burn over and above what you’d expect for their length, I found that they’d often provide a gateway into movement. It plays into that whole ‘just do it for five minutes’ theory. I’d start the class feeling sluggish and by the end would be clicking ‘watch next’ raring for more.

In those first few months, the classes would frequently push me to my limit, even as someone who’d been going to studio classes for years. This was particularly the case in the upper body sessions, where the pulses and progressions seemed to verge on endless. Often I’d modify or pause the video to give my muscles a break - something I’d encourage as you build up to Samuel’s intensity.

Months six to twelve

By six months of consistent Pilates by Izzy, I’d noticed huge changes to my strength. I could handle pretty much any progression she threw at me (not without complaint, mind you), and hardly ever needed to pause the video or drop the weights.

I was aware, however, that I’d become a bit reliant on home Pilates classes and had begun to neglect lifting at the gym and, to an extent, cardio. Conscious of the need to lift heavy to protect my bone health and muscle mass, and to keep up the cardio for long-term heart health, I did reduce my Pilates by Izzy sessions to three days a week, with the now spare days dedicated to the gym and a weekly swim.

Since then, I’ve found the combination to be my sweet spot: weekly Pilates, running, swimming and weights serve me really well. I feel strong, fit, energised and, importantly, I’m rarely bored of movement. Involving a social element through the gym and running has also given me back the crucial connective element of exercise which I’d started to miss since leaving the studio, without the same price tag as Reformer classes. Occasionally, I still book a one-off class - if you enjoy it, there’s absolutely no harm - but from a body composition and strength perspective, I’m wholeheartedly convinced that Pilates by Izzy is as good as anything I’ve done in the studio.

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The radio host grew up in the spotlight, with a media-facing mother and a childhood that unfolded against the backdrop of London's creative scene.

But her life looks a little different these days. After 25 years on TV and the radio, she now lives in Hackney, walking distance from her cousin Sulaiman (who's also the co-founder of Ropes, her latest venture). Her morning routine is simple, but effective—she chants for ten minutes, listens to Louise Hay's Trust the Universe, and then skips for 20 to 30 minutes outside before her dog walker arrives. While she isn't training with him at the moment, she smiles when she mentions her tennis coach, Faris, who kept her sane during the overwhelming, exciting period that followed the launch of Miss Me? (the show became one of the BBC's most listened-to podcasts within months of launching).

A practising Buddhist, she admits that she now prioritises calm and wellbeing in all areas of her life—when I ask her what she had for lunch, she raves about her current hyperfixation, a huge tuna salad with chickpeas, haricot beans, radish, spring onion, lemon, oil, salt, and leaves from a specific deli near her house that grows its own bags of greens.

The catalyst which inspired this lifestyle shift is surprisingly heartwarming—she loves skipping, and has done since lockdown, when she discovered her love of the sport. A passion that's inspired her to spend the last five years quietly building a new, world-first venture, referring to it as her "calling in life."

Her company, Ropes, has designed the world's first retractable skipping rope—a venture born out of the frustration she felt after years of personal practice. She wanted to make the sport easier, more accessible, more appealing; because skipping, for Oliver, offers a rare pocket of daily stillness in an otherwise unpredictable, always-moving life, and she wants to offer others the same joy.

Ropes is much more than just a business venture, though—Oliver quite literally lights up when we discuss it (at length—she really loves skipping). She's keen to encourage as many people into movement as possible—kids, adults, and anyone who's never found a sport they truly loved. That's why she's also made Ropes part business, part community project, personally taking the sport into schools and communities who might never otherwise have access to the equipment.

Below, she talks us through Her Life In Movement and the version of her day nobody sees on screen—the routines, the joys, the hard-won lessons, and the rope that changed everything.

This article is part of our 2026 Women in Sport special. For the full cover interview with Lioness Chloe Kelly, click here.

Starting out

I started ropes because skipping changed my life. I've always skipped, but I started skipping in lockdown, and it was just this road opener. I was suddenly like, hmm, my body's changing. I feel fantastic. And this is fun.

There's something about jumping up and down. It's something about the reward of jumping over a rope again and again, and then finding your rhythm. That's why our slogan is 'find your rhythm.'

Inspiring others

My stepdad Garfield is a 65-year-old Rasta. He was adamant he couldn't skip—he kept saying he couldn't get it over his dreads. But I kept encouraging him, and he became one of my first skipping converts during lockdown. He was quite overweight at the time, and was really nervous to start.

That was six years ago, and my Dad is now extremely slim and has been since he started skipping. He skips four times a week and swims as well and still loves it. It wasn't just skipping—it was the gateway for him into changing the way he looked after himself.

Having the idea for Ropes

I had the idea while I was walking my dog. I suddenly worked out a way to engineer the skipping rope—a way to build something better. And when those two things came together, I suddenly realised I was really onto something.

Sully and I say a lot—it's not a toy, it's not a sweet. It's a thing that we know is brilliant for people, because it's changed my life, and it's changed my Dad's, too.

Inspiring communities

When we were at a school in Stratford last year, there were about 30 kids who were asylum seekers being housed in a hotel near their school. There are like 20 of them in one room.

When they came to school, and we were doing a Ropes day, there was this one boy who was like: 'I've been cooped up in this space, so it feels really unnatural for me to just jump.'

We were like, 'You've got to do it, you can do it, just jump.' And after about ten minutes he did it, and then after about half an hour, you couldn't stop him. So often it reminds me that this is about more than skipping. It's about who we are, and connecting to the parts of ourselves that are connected to courage and bravery and freedom and joy. That's why when we go to schools, we always say to the kids: dream bigger, jump higher.

My mum showed me that community saved my life and raised me. I don't know what we would have done as a single-parent household without community. So Ropes is very much built from that.

On learning to fail

You trip a lot when you skip, but after a while, the trips don't feel like trips anymore. They feel part of the process, rather than a mistake you have to come back from. And that is a life metaphor. I find a lot of life metaphors within sport—that's why I play so much of it.

Let go and surrender, because that's half of it. The other half is crossing that line with yourself.

On building a body for life

I like being lean, but more importantly, I like to feel strong. I think that's kind of what we all want. I know that these six years of skipping and training will directly affect my health—my body, and my mind—for the next 10 to 20 years.

On skipping as "active meditation"

The idea of jumping up and down has a tendency to scare people. It requires courage and a sense of freedom, but as we all know, all the best things are on the other side of those feelings.

Once you have found your rhythm, which is the thing we encourage most at Ropes, there is a sense of calm that meets a sense of play, and it is truly joyous. That is what active meditation can feel like.

On giving kids access to sport

One of the most important things for Ropes is to debunk the myths around who should play what sport. I wanted to play tennis, badminton, and squash, but I didn’t have access to those things, whether it was the equipment or a court. I now play all of those sports, and skipping was my gateway into an active life as an adult.

I want to show young people, as early as possible in their lives, that taking just a moment for themselves to jump up and down over a piece of rope can exponentially change their lives because it changed mine. We also use skipping to encourage kids to ‘dream bigger, jump higher’ because of who they are and where they come from rather than in spite of it.

On movement helping you feel like you can do anything

Just as it does with kids, the movement of skipping every day reminds me to dream bigger, jump higher, and live with courage. It reminds me how important play is, and when all of these things are remembered, I live differently.

On trying skipping for the first time

To bounce—it's the first thing we teach in Ropes classes. You don’t need the rope; you begin by simply finding that restful place between the bounce and the jump. Once that rhythm is found, pick up your rope and play.

The great thing about skipping is that if you trip, you have to pick yourself up and start again. It makes you resilient to “mistakes”. There is no right or wrong way to skip—you must simply find your rhythm.

This is the first of many products to come. Ropes is just the beginning of our Ropes world, a vision we’re continuing to build and bring to life, where the brand represents more than “just skipping” and serves as a platform for culture, connection, music, movement, and everything that brings people together.

On her favourite bit of life advice

Keep your eye on the prize. I've never felt more like it's a calling or a purpose. I thought broadcasting was maybe my calling, and I do love it, and I'm very good at it. But if life is two chapters, this just feels like the next one.

But not this Sunday. This Sunday, the first weekend of December 2025, I’m at the start line of the Valencia Marathon, bib pinned to my top, headphones in, and carbon plate trainers on. Nerves are bubbling in my stomach. My 4 am coffee has done its best. It’s race time.

Glancing around at the other runners in my pen, I come to the slow realisation that I’m surrounded by men. My little brother, who is running the marathon with me, is one of thousands. I, on the other hand, am one of a handful. In our entire start wave, I spot one other woman—who I instinctively smile at, nodding in solidarity.

Post-race stats confirmed what I’d noticed—of 40,000 runners, only 8,700 were women. At 23% of the total number of participants, that’s less than a quarter.

There’s something inherently lonely about standing on the start line of such a monumental event and questioning whether you should even be there because you’re in the minority. Thankfully, this is becoming something of a rarity in the current running climate—a shift that’s been noticeable, anecdotally and statistically, in the past few years. That start line in Valencia was a reminder, in both good and bad ways, of how much things have changed.

At the Boston Marathon this year, for example, my start pen was packed with female runners, and we spent hours before the race discussing our training, favourite kit picks, and the charities we’d fundraised for. Just a week later, the London Marathon broke the world record with the largest number of finishers at a marathon event ever. But the standout stat for me came in how many women finished—a record 24,000, making up 40% of the field. And that momentum is growing, according to an insider I spoke to shortly after the race, with the 2027 TCS London Marathon ballot attracting a world-record 1,338,544 applications. Women aged 20 to 29? They made up the single largest UK applicant group, with over 179,000 applications.

I’m noticing it in real time, too. London is awash with inclusive, all-paces-welcome, female-only run clubs. Tracks are hosting female-specific track nights. And at every other race I’ve laced up for this year, there are more female runners, too. Hackney Half was a sea of star clips and pink carbon-plate trainers; London Landmarks had entire run clubs of women screaming each other’s names; and I saw so many matching outfits at last month’s Saucony 10km that I actually lost count.

Why now? What’s shifted? And how do we maintain this momentum, ensuring that start lines stay a safe space for women for years to come? Below, I ask industry experts for their take.

This article is part of our 2026 Women in Sport special. For the full cover interview with Lioness Chloe Kelly, click here.

Run Clubs are Full, Marathons are Selling Out—and Women are Driving the Boom

To give you a little background on why I feel it’s so important that we make running and races a safe space for all genders, let me tell you a story. I struggled with my confidence for the majority of my childhood. I vividly remember lying in bed, aged 10, worrying about my weight and praying that the mandatory PE lessons at my new secondary school would help my self-confidence. Looking back, I wasn’t overweight, but I wasn’t sporty, either, and felt constantly insecure about my frame—that was, until I reached my early 20s and found running.

It was a hard slog, at first. I could barely run for ten minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out. But later that year, after months of training and hard work, I completed my first marathon. I’ll never forget how I felt crossing that finish line. Week by week, mile by mile, I stuck at it and cemented a lifelong habit, proving to myself not only that I’m capable of hard things, but that so many of the fears I’d carried about how I looked or how others might perceive me were unfounded.

Running has changed my life, figuratively and literally—and I’m determined to even the playing field and educate as many women as possible on how empowering, life-changing and transformative sport and finding your power through it can be.

What’s Driving the Surge?

So, what has started shifting the dial in recent years? Is it lobbying? Social media? The rise of inclusive, all-paces-welcome run clubs and fairer representation—has there been a fundamental societal shift in what people view running as? A bit of all of the above, according to Heather McCormick, group communications and public affairs director at London Marathon Events.

“Women now make up 46% of all UK runners, and this growth is being driven by a powerful combination of visibility, community and changing attitudes towards what running represents,” she says. “More women are seeing people like themselves running—friends, colleagues, school mums, women of all ages and abilities—and that makes taking on challenges feel far more achievable than it once did.”

Seeing a more diverse representation of women taking on every distance is a powerful reminder that running isn’t reserved for one body type, background or fitness level. Whatever your height, race, hair colour or pace, there’s a place for you on the start line. As McCormick notes: “Representation matters because it changes what’s possible in people’s minds.”

Or as Grace Cook, writer and founder of the culture-led health and wellness media platform Salty, puts it: “We can’t be what we can’t see, and the uptick in women participating in marathons is directly linked to our peers running marathons. Suddenly, this space that was once so male-heavy feels like it’s within reach.”

If You See It, You Can Be It

Social media has undoubtedly played a part in this—content creators with millions of followers now share daily training updates, race vlogs and tips for getting into running as a beginner. They make training look effortlessly cool and fun, even to the most cardio-averse person. While it’s a nuanced subject—ample research indicates that social media usage treads a fine line between positive inspiration and obsessive social comparison, idealised self-presentation, and feedback loops that quietly reshape personal identity and self-esteem—when it comes to moving more, better representation has positively influenced the number of women willing to give sport a go.

While I didn’t have a TikTok feed full of running creators when I started out, I am grateful for them now—they’re encouraging millions of women worldwide to discover the joys of movement. For Cook, it’s more than mere encouragement, too: it’s a reaffirmation of who the sport belongs to. As she puts it: “The boom in content creators and everyday women documenting their runs or simply posting about going for a run gradually changes a woman’s optics around who the sport is for.”

Seeing more and more women take up running, in their own unique ways, has made the sport feel less intimidating and more fun—it has a less elitist feel to it now. “There’s growing recognition of the fact that there’s no set definition of what a runner looks like,” says Emma Bord, a personal trainer and World Marathon Major runner whose content has a special focus on balancing movement and motherhood (she herself is a mother of three). Whatever your pace, goals, dreams, or ambitions, there’s space for everybody—it’s always the taking part that counts, she insists: “If you run, you are a runner, and that mindset makes the sport feel accessible to so many more women who may once have assumed it was not for them.”

Outdated Norms Are Being Challenged

On a wider cultural scale, shifting economic climates and the cost-of-living crisis may go some way to explaining why we’re seeing such an uptick in twentysomething female marathoners. Our parents could afford houses; we’re being priced out. For those keen and fortunate enough to have children, pregnancies are happening later. We’re reshaping what it means to be a woman in your 20s and 30s—what Cook calls “a reframing of social milestones”, which is an apt nod to how different our lives look from the lives our mothers lived 20 or 30 years ago.

“The parameters for heteronormative success have changed,” she explains. “The old benchmarks—a boyfriend or a husband, marriage, a baby, a house—are not necessarily what women are focusing on, and for many, aren’t within reach. A marathon is a huge feat, and it gives women a chance to feel like they are working towards something that’s within their control, especially in a world of gender pay gaps, economic instability, and heterofatalism [the belief that heterosexual relationships are inherently flawed and destined to fail].”

At the same time, we’re reshaping what it means to be a woman who works out—rewriting the rules of activewear, athleisure and the way we dress for movement. Jenna Litner is a digital personality and cultural commentator who’s amassed a cult-like following on social media for her online style series, Your Workout Outfit Looks Like Sh*t. Her take? We’re reclaiming a space that was male-dominated for years and quietly shifting into more expressive workout looks to rebel against the notion that women work out just to look good.

Wellbeing as Status Symbol

That, and that fact that women today seem to be prioritising being truly well over materialistic items, like cars and houses. “Wellness has become something our generation views as a luxury worth investing in,” she shares. “We subscribe to a health-is-wealth mindset, and it’s encouraging to watch that get prioritised for reasons beyond solely appearance. What you gain from participating in sport—like mental fortitude and discipline —matter so much more than how you look. Women are finally being met with spaces that reflect that.”

You may recall the step aerobics and Buns of Steel craze of the 1990s; the boxercise, spin and fitness DVD era of the noughties; and the max-effort, high-heart-rate HIIT classes and bootcamps that defined the 2010s. For decades, women’s fitness trends were often sold with one goal in mind: to get smaller. But today, more women are rejecting the idea that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach to health, instead making time for the types of movement that genuinely bring them joy while benefiting both body and mind.

As our understanding of wellbeing has evolved, so too has our relationship with exercise. Rather than chasing calorie burn or shrinking their bodies, many women are prioritising movement that helps them feel stronger, more energised and more resilient. Bord agrees: “Now, women are turning to exercise to feel stronger, more confident, and generally happier.”

No Need for Speed—or Dated Barriers to Entry

Breaking down the notion that you have to be “fast” to be a runner has also played a large part in encouraging more into the sport—speaking to friends anecdotally, so many confess that they were afraid to lace up for fear of holding people back or embarrassing themselves because of their pace. Jennifer Mannion has played a big part in debunking this preconception with her women-only running community, Runners and Stunners. She believes the biggest hurdle for many women isn’t fitness—it’s feeling confident enough to show up in the first place. “Sometimes women just need the invitation to come along. The intimidation often comes from wondering, ‘Am I fast enough to be here?’ A lot of women feel they need to reach a certain pace or look a certain way to be considered a runner, which isn’t the case.”

Mannion’s goal with Runners and Stunners is simple—to encourage as many women into movement as possible, and to reframe exercise as something that’s joyful, social, and mood-boosting, not a chore. “I hope the idea that slower runners are somehow less worthy is fading, but there’s still a long way to go. You see some women complete their first marathon in over six hours, and the comments are often not a nice place. The win should always be getting up and doing the thing, not how long it took you, especially for everyday runners. Movement is joy.”

Running as a Social Moment

If you live in London, you’ll know that you can’t leave your house on a Saturday or Sunday morning without bumping into a run crew or two. East London has Your Friendly Runners; South, Grove Lane (New Balance wins hearts every London Marathon by spotlighting the everyday runners from these crews in their marathon campaigns alongside seasoned athletes). Stats predict that there are now 100-plus crews in London alone, with over 2,000 run clubs in the UK. Strava saw a 250% increase in running clubs on its platform in 2025 compared to 2024, alongside an 89% year-on-year increase in women joining running clubs.

Community-focused running, where your workout is less about the sport, more about the time with familiar faces, has transformed the sport’s appeal. For many, running has become about far more than the workout itself—it’s about companionship, togetherness, and spending time with friends while also moving your body and taking some time for yourself. “For many, running is as much about friendship, confidence and community as it is about fitness. Running clubs have become places to socialise, and that sense of belonging has made running feel welcoming in a way it perhaps never has before,” says McCormick.

Covid undoubtedly played a part; a global pandemic is one way to remind yourself that time is precious and your health, your ultimate currency. Pair that with a societal shift in how we spend our free time—more saunas, alcohol-free alternatives and activities that leave us feeling rested, not burnt out—and run clubs and races have cemented themselves as the perfect weekend activity.

As Cook points out, it can be hard to make friends as adults, and working alongside someone doesn’t necessarily mean you are a personality match. “Lots of the friendships we have in life are based on geography—school, university and work. Making new friends at a run club gives us the chance to show up as the most present version of ourselves, and to make friends based on lifestyle, personal interests, and a growth mindset. In cities especially, it can be really hard to pin down plans with friends. When I joined my run club, I loved that I could see 40 people without having to make a plan beyond showing up at 9 am on a Saturday.”

Litner also reflects on how running was marketed in the 1990’s and early noughties: for many, it was the default punishment in team sports growing up. “I rarely saw the version where you run with friends to enjoy each other’s company, to encourage one another, to build mental toughness together, to have a genuine human connection and a newfound relationship. Run clubs flipped that. They’re reminding my generation why in-person community is so rich and fulfilling in a way a screen isn’t. It’s a community disguised as exercise (or vice versa). You show up for the people and the miles tick away.”

Kit Is Playing Its Part, Too

Whether you’re a runner or not, you’re likely to have noticed the cultural shift happening around the sport. From the explosion of independent running brands to the rise of elevated performancewear that blurs the line between activewear and everyday fashion, there’s been an undeniable shift towards sport style and self-expression. But is it encouraging more women into the sport, or is it more a reflection of women who were already running feeling freer to show up as themselves?

Cook credits brands like MileOff with bringing more women into the space. “Typical running gear is very masculine-coded, whereas Alice [Bugeja], the designer of MileOff, launched into the market with pastel-coloured running skirts and frilly socks that were like a breath of fresh air,” she says. “Women love to cosplay for sports as much as we do social occasions, and I think feeling good in any outfit is key to reducing the friction or self-consciousness that might prevent us from starting. Many lifelong runners probably will never be interested in wearing a fashion-forward outfit to run in, but the rise of the run girlie might mean they now feel comfortable wearing a tinted moisturiser or a lipstick or cute hair accessories. The more self-expression there is in sport, the freer women feel, period. There’s no one fixed way to show up any more.”

Litner reckons that for many of us, seeing that you’re free to do incredibly hard things while dressing however you want will feel like an invitation into the sport itself. “Women are increasingly prioritising spaces that feel fun and familiar, while also building real physical and mental strength, and running culture feels like the rare opportunity to do both,” she explains.

She encourages her followers to create their own narratives with both sport and style—but for her, it all comes back to confidence and ensuring she feels her best, and Litner encourages the same for her followers: “Confidence is a very nuanced, complicated word, especially for women. Being a bit audacious, whether that’s with your training, your fashion, your styling, or just leaning into your truest form of self-expression, can be liberating.”

Continuing the Change

While there’s always more to be done—after undertaking exclusive research with Sport England last month, we revealed that 46% of women fear for their safety before working out, often causing them to skip workouts altogether—but McCormick believes we’re on the right track. “One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed recently is how normal and more visible running has become for women. You see women running before work, after work and at weekends, with conversations about training becoming a part of everyday life.”

Both McCormick and Bord mention the TCS Mini Marathon, too. “Observing the next generation’s attitude to running at the mini-marathon at my children’s school this year was inspiring,” Bord says. “It was amazing to hear so many of the little girls say, ‘I want to run a marathon one day.’ Watching them find joy in running instead of seeing it as a chore and their belief that they can do something that felt less accessible when I was younger demonstrated how things have changed.”

Litner’s bottom line? The movement isn’t just creating runners—it’s creating women who believe they belong in these spaces who will then help others do the same.

What Next?

So where do our experts see this movement heading—is this a genuine, lasting shift or does it need continued work to stick?

Cook reckons it’s not just a trend, and the movement will continue to grow, but that there’s work to do to meet the demand and ensure women have a good experience once they’re in the community, in the system, and competing in races. “Communities need to have safeguards in place to protect women from unwanted attention, harassment and anti-social behaviour,” she explains. “This is critical to ensure safety, and run clubs and brand-led clubs should have strict protocols in place so women feel safe and comfortable reporting anything untoward. From an infrastructure point of view, we need things like a bathroom in the starting pens. That so many women are taking up running should be celebrated, but the infrastructure needs to enable us to continue doing so.”

McCormick agrees, adding that the demand is undeniably there. “The near-equal gender split in the 2027 London Marathon ballot, alongside the surge in younger women applying, shows that women want to take part in record numbers. The next challenge is retention,” she says. Her aim is to make sure women continue to feel supported after they’ve signed up, whether that’s through welcoming clubs, safe places to run, or better support during life stages such as pregnancy and menopause.

Bottom line? Creating lasting gender equity and encouraging more women into the sport is a complex puzzle, and one that won’t be solved overnight. It requires continued commitment, investment and a collective shift in how we think about who running is for.

The sport needs to be accessible, welcoming and representative; it needs to celebrate women’s achievements, invest in grassroots communities and ensure women feel safe. Because true progress isn’t just about seeing more women taking part—it’s about making sure they feel they belong there, too. As McCormick puts it, “The goal isn’t simply equal numbers on a start line; it’s creating a sport where every woman feels she belongs, feels represented and feels confident enough to keep coming back.”

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And that talent and tenacity is more necessary than ever. Because despite enormous strides towards gender parity, economic and social gaps still persist across sport. For instance, while the largest media rights deal in the history of women’s sport was signed by the WNBA this year, the average player still earns 80 times less than those in the men’s game. Turn to the Forbes 2026 list of highest-paid athletes, and you’ll find no female names, but look at the World Athletics report on online abuse at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and you’ll find that 87% of it was directed at female athletes, with Black women disproportionately affected.

What we know, however, is that with the right visibility and support, female athletes can impact society in positive and unprecedented ways. The evidence proves it—80% of female Fortune 500 CEOs played sport in their formative years, while 55% of girls say that watching female athletes makes them feel they can do anything.

Ahead, we spotlight 50 of the women who are shaping the future of women’s sport the world over. From world record holders and Olympic champions to rapidly rising stars, these are the women to know, support and take inspiration from in 2026 and beyond.

This article is part of our 2026 Women in Sport special. For the full cover interview with Lioness Chloe Kelly, click here.

50 Influential Female Athletes To Know, Watch and Follow—in 2026 and Beyond

1. Chloe Kelly

Chloe Kelly’s shirt-waving celebration at the Euros 2022 will forever be etched in our minds, but the Arsenal and England attacking midfielder is far more than that moment.

Now regarded as a clutch player—aka one who stays calm under even the highest pressure—for the way she consistently delivers in such moments, she was responsible for the winning penalty at the 2025 Women’s Euros and played a crucial role in Arsenal’s 2025 Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Off the pitch, she uses her voice, not just to inspire young girls to play football, but to highlight the vulnerabilities that can sit just beneath the surface of success. Speaking on Fearn Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Kelly opened up about the anxiety, panic attacks and hair loss she struggled with during the transfer process from Manchester City to Arsenal last year.

“You look after your legs when you recover from training, but it was my head that was struggling,” she told Cotton. “Taking a step away and into a new environment was what I needed. I’m in a good place now, but I’ll never forget the times I’ve struggled.”

Her unwavering honesty and tireless commitment to advancing the women’s game are what we’ve come to know of Kelly who, as well as being recently signed by adidas, surely has many more trophies left to lift.

2. Eileen Gu

“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history,” 22-year-old Eileen Gu responded when a journalist at the Milano Cortina Olympics asked whether she saw her two silver medals as a sign of victory or defeat. Her words, as important today as they were back in February, are characteristic of the two-time Olympian’s self-assured honesty, whose influence on the world is difficult to quantify.

Because aside from her spellbinding performances on the slopes, the Chinese American—who switched to representing her mother’s home country in international competitions in 2019—demonstrates that female athletes are multifaceted and nuanced. A 2026 Stanford Graduate who majored in international relations, Gu has balanced elite sport with studying and an international modelling career while, crucially, advocating for the growth of winter sports for women and girls in China.

3. Serena Williams

Does she need an introduction? Twenty-three Grand Slam singles’ titles (of a total 39, including women’s and mixed doubles) and a professional career spanning over 30 years, Williams epitomises the word icon—not in tennis or even women’s sport, but in sport, period.

And though she’s in the midst of a gradual transition out of international tennis, her global presence shows no signs of fading. Entrepreneurial through and through, Williams currently manages two thriving businesses—a venture capitalist firm called Serena Ventures and Nine Two Six, a multimedia production company that focuses on female and diverse stories.

As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, she’s also the host of the Stockton Street podcast, a series of intimate conversations about careers, family, entrepreneurship and pop culture, which she hosts with her sister and fellow tennis star, Venus.

4. Venus Williams

Who else could we turn to next? One of the most decorated athletes on the planet and a former Marie Claire UK cover star, Venus Williams could serve at 100 mph by the age of 10. Turning pro at just 14, she’d won her first Wimbledon by the time she was 20. It was the first of 23 Grand Slam titles she’d go on to win.

All this was achieved while silently battling undiagnosed uterine fibroids—a topic Williams has become a vocal spokesperson for in recent years. Foregoing her usually private persona, she’s been forthright and honest in her discussions about the years of playing through acute pain and heavy bleeding, as well as her struggles with medical dismissal and misdiagnosis—becoming a vital advocate for medical research into women’s health conditions.

There’s more, of course. Because through her love of fashion and design—she’s a fashion and business graduate and the founder of interior design firm V Starr, Williams has been dismantling stereotypes surrounding presumed oppositions between sport and the arts. “I don’t believe in putting art, or people, in a category,” she told us last year. “Design and wellness—this is kind of where I belong.”

5. Simone Biles

She’s the most decorated gymnast in history, and that’s just the one of the things to know about Simone Biles.

A prominent advocate for athlete mental health, racial equality and protection from abuse, and a champion for the rights and protection of children in foster care, the now 29-year-old appeared on the senior international stage at just 13, before winning her first global all-around title at the age of 16. Since then, she’s added seven Olympic gold, two silver and two bronze medals to her roster.

But it was her decision to withdraw from events at the Tokyo 2020 Games that sparked a crucial conversation about athlete wellbeing. After struggling with the ‘twisties’—a kind of mental block that throws off gymnasts off-balance in mid-air, and can lead to serious injury—Biles’ decision to take time off from competition became the catalyst for a movement to reframe mental health as an essential training component rather than a sideline issue.

Her bravery doesn’t end there. In 2021, she testified against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar for sexually abusing her under the guise of medical treatment, helping to bring about structural change within the national gymnastics system.

Whether she’ll return to gymnastics for her home Olympics in 2028 is still unknown. What is certain is that Biles is one of the most influential voices in sport, and an inspiration for women globally.

6. Ellie Kildunne

If you’re looking for inspiration, you’ll find it in spades in Ellie Kildunne. Softly spoken and as down-to-earth as a person could be, she’s an Olympian, a Rugby World Cup champion, Six Nations champion and 2024’s World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year.

She’s also known for her mantra, “lukewarm is no good”, a saying taken from Roald Dahl’s book My Uncle Oswald. When we speak, though, I discover she has another phrase in her armoury. “If you want to play in the jungle, you cannot live in the zoo,” she says with a smile. “For me, I see that as: it’s OK to make mistakes, to challenge yourself and be uncomfortable because there’s a whole jungle out there.”

The newly signed Bristol Bears player certainly doesn’t shy away from discomfort and challenge, on and off the pitch. She’s spoken openly about navigating a late diagnosis for ADHD and her struggles with body dysmorphia—topics she delves into in her recently released autobiography, Game Changer. “I don’t want any young girl thinking that they have to restrict themselves, or be controlling or obsessive, to think of themselves as beautiful,” she told the BBC earlier this year.

Her motivation for the future, then, makes complete sense. “I want to drive the women’s game to places it’s never been before, but also I want to seek happiness in everything that I’m doing.” Words to live by.

7. Keely Hodgkinson

Olympic champion, world indoor champion and British record-holder Keely Hodgkinson is raw, honest and open. The 24-year-old, whose Instagram bio reads “always earned, never given”, is that rare mix of ambition and humility: unafraid to set out her stall of mighty goals, while equally ready to acknowledge the challenges and vulnerabilities that go hand-in-hand with elite sport.

At the UK championships this year, for instance, she made the brave decision to withdraw from the start line of the 400m due to tightness in her hamstring. “I think when you’re an athlete and you suffer bad injuries, you can underestimate a little bit of the trauma it leaves in your head,” she told Olympic Channel TV.

It’s this level of honesty and maturity, coupled with her wealth of achievements and playful online presence, that make her a key figure in the popularisation of women’s sports—and an idol for many young girls in athletics.

This year, she’ll race for gold at the European Athletic Championships. Beyond that, anything is possible, but there’s no doubt that many eyes will be set on her performance at the LA 2028 Summer Olympics.

8. Summer McIntosh

In the pool, Summer McIntosh is a machine. Online, she oozes fun. The 19-year-old, who stormed onto the world stage at just 14 when she placed fourth in the 400m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is part of a new generation of digital-native athletes who straddle the world of elite sport and content creation.

For her fans, Summer’s vlogs provide an insight into the world of one of the greatest swimmers of her generation. From day-in-the-lives to learning to front flip with cliff diver Molly Carlson, her personality is as captivating as her performances in the pool. “What excites me most is paving the way for the next generation of young female swimmers,” she tells Marie Claire UK when we put the question to her. “Inspiring girls to be brave and dream bigger than ever.”

That she does. McIntosh’s career so far is the stuff of dreams. Comprising three Olympic and two Commonwealth golds, alongside eight World Aquatics champion titles, she’s also the first swimmer since Michael Phelps to break three world records in a single meet. And really, this is just the start. Now training under Phelps’ former coach, Bob Bowman, McIntosh has her sights set on Olympic gold at LA 2028. “I’m focused on all the small and big steps it will take to get there,” she says. “I’ve been training with Bob for almost a year now, and I’m excited to continue working with him every day as we prepare for these next Olympic Games. I know he’ll prepare me to perform at my very best.”

9. Faith Kipyegon

Faith Kipyegon is so good that there are scientific studies dedicated to her potential. A paper published in the Royal Society Open Science concluded that she could break the four-minute mile—a feat previously considered impossible for women. She’s yet to do it (last year she came close in a Nike-sponsored race in Paris), but it seems only a matter of time.

It would be the icing on the cake of an already illustrious career. The greatest female middle-distance runner in history, she is a world-record holder in the 1500m and the mile, and the first woman in history to win three consecutive Olympic golds over the 1500m. Add to that an Olympic silver in the 5000m, and you’re starting to paint the picture of this remarkable athlete.

And yet, off track, there’s a bigger story. Because after giving birth to her daughter in 2018, Kipyegon made it her mission to transform maternity care in her rural town of Keringet, Kenya, where expectant mothers walk up to 35km to receive treatment. “I see women go into labour full of hope, carrying life, carrying dreams, and too many times, they come back empty-handed,” she explains over email. “Not because they did anything wrong. But because the care they needed was too far away, too limited, or simply not good enough.”

Kipyegon’s mission is to open a mother-and-baby facility in the town, transforming birth safety for mothers and babies. Named the Dare to Dream Maternity Ward, the project is being funded by Nike and is set to open later this year.

10. Sky Brown

The world first met Sky Brown in 2012 when, at just four years old, a video of her ripping at the skatepark went viral on YouTube. Now 17, she’s gone on to become the darling of British skateboarding—our first world champion in the sport, a two-time Olympic medallist, a two-time X Games gold medallist, and the first female skater to land a frontside 540 (a one-and-a-half aerial rotation): a feat Brown achieved at the age of just 11.

Central to her career is inspiring other girls to take up skateboarding. “I wanted to be in the Olympics to inspire girls to get out there,” she told TNT Sports in a documentary released in 2022. In 2024, she continued that mission with the release of her first children’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Skateboarding.

What’s next for her? After narrowly missing out on Team GB’s Olympic surfing team for Paris 2024, she’s hinted at plans to successfully bag the skate-surf double at LA 2028. Watch this space.

11. Allyson Felix

So you thought that the most decorated track and field athlete in history had retired? Think again. In April this year, 400m legend Allyson Felix announced her plans to target the LA 2028 Olympics during the debut episode of her new podcast, Built To Last.

And who would doubt her? The 11-times Olympic medallist has been challenging the status quo since 2009, when she made the watershed decision to be managed by her brother, Wes—a choice that was met with resistance by the establishment at the time.

Felix has since gone on to become not only one of the greatest athletes of all time, but a thriving entrepreneur and maternal health activist, after her long-time sponsor, Nike, proposed to cut her pay by 70% when she fell pregnant. Following unsuccessful negotiations with the brand, Felix wrote a powerful op-ed for The New York Times that opened a conversation that transcended sport and set a new precedent for maternal rights of athletes.

Things didn’t stop there. After her split from Nike, Felix founded her own footwear brand, Saysh, becoming the first track athlete to compete in her own shoe. “It’s so much deeper than selling shoes,” she told Bloomberg. “It’s about impact. If people feel seen and represented, and we start to shift the culture, that would be success.” Felix remains at the helm of the brand, which has a policy of allowing women to exchange their shoes for a new size if their feet swell in pregnancy. She juggles it with motherhood, campaigning for improvements to maternal healthcare for Black women, podcasting and a return to elite sport.

12. Ilona Maher

Former Marie Claire UK cover star Ilona Maher is the most well-known rugby player on the planet. With over 10 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, she’s nothing short of a sensation—known as much for her work dismantling body image standards as she is for her performances on the pitch. Not that she believes it.

“Ask people who the best rugby player in the world is, and they probably won’t be able to name the woman,” Maher told us last year. “But they can name that funny girl online. It’s a focus on connecting with people.”

Whatever her take on it, her approach works. Her short-term signing for the Bristol Bears from January to March last year catapulted interest in the women’s game, instantly giving the club the biggest reach in the league and forcing entire stadium switches to accommodate the increased demand in match attendees.

If her work championing women’s body acceptance and diversity is perhaps what she’s most known for—her hashtag #beastbeautybrains has become a mantra for women the world over—she’s also a vocal critic of the pay gap between men's and women’s sport. “I would love to get on the field and just play rugby and make a million dollars,” Maher told us. “But that’s not possible right now. I don’t think there’s a single women’s rugby player in the world making over £100,000. How do you expect me to focus on the field when I can’t support myself or live a comfortable life?”

Maher’s pragmatic and tenacious work ethic is just another reason to admire her. She’s business savvy, ambitious both on and off the field, and has done the work to get to a point of confidence—in her body, her talent and her skillset. As well as being an Olympic bronze medallist and one of the best rugby players in the world, she’s a podcaster, a Sports Illustrated cover star and swimwear runway model, and, according to industry bible SportsPro, the third most marketable athlete—behind only Lewis Hamilton and Simone Biles—in the world.

13. Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is a great tennis player and, we would argue, an even better person.

One of the most prominent social activists in the world of sport, her rise to fame skyrocketed in 2018 when she beat her childhood idol, Serena Williams, in the final of the US Open. From there, Osaka had a gold rush, becoming the first Asian woman to be ranked number one in the world in 2019, when she was just 20 years old, and winning three further Grand Slam titles by 2021.

At the same time, she was emerging as one of sport’s most prominent political figures, through her on- and off-court protests against police brutality as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Her work, which was received well by tennis organisations, the media and the public, set a new example and precedent for athletes’ role in politics.

It was in 2021, after withdrawing from the French Open, that her activism expanded to the realm of mental health. Using her voice to address issues of social anxiety, depression and the lack of athlete welfare protections in sport, she raised global awareness and sparked structural reform, which led to a three-part Netflix documentary and a celebrated essay—It’s OK not to be OK—for TIME magazine.

Then there’s her enviable sense of style, using her profile as an opportunity to spotlight independent designers and showcase her heritage. In a press conference at this year’s Wimbledon, she said, “I would actually prefer to talk about my clothes. In some ways I feel like I’m a lot more equipped to talk about my clothes than to talk about my tennis.”

Whether you follow her for her tennis, style or activism, Naomi Osaka isn’t just one to watch—she’s one you can’t take your eyes off.

14. Alysa Liu

Want to know a thing or two about staying true to yourself? Ask Alysa Liu. The Olympic gold medallist, who temporarily stepped away from figure skating due to burnout after becoming the youngest US national champion of all time, was told repeatedly that she’d have to change her now-trademark striped hair when she returned to the sport.

To which, she said, no. End of. “These days, I say no to more things than I say yes to,” she confirmed in an interview with her sponsor, Nike, earlier this year. “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no.”

That fierce individuality is part of what makes her such a joy to watch. Her performances, which are a heady mix of elegance, fun and flair, led her to become the face of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics back in February, where she won gold in stunning fashion. It’s also what makes her such an inspiration, both within and beyond sport.

“It’s cliche—but you really only live once,” she told Nike. “If something is feeling too hard mentally or physically, take a break and try other things. Step away, reassess and see if it pulls you back in. If it does, great. And if it doesn’t, then maybe you’re being pulled toward something completely new.”

15. Demi Vollering

“It all starts with dreaming,” goes the motto of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes champion, Demi Vollering (who, at the time of writing is going into this year’s race as the favourite, too). She has also won the world’s two other major multistage cycling races: La Vuelta Femenina (twice, in 2024 and 2025) and the Giro d’Italia Women, in June this year. Vollering is only the second woman to have won this trio of races.

The Dutch cyclist, who comes from a family of greenhouse growers, left her job as a florist to go fulltime on the bike in 2019 and has been outspoken about removing taboos around athlete menstrual health, as well as the importance of exercise for mental health in the years since.

She’s also been a pioneer in the growth of women’s cycling, speaking out about the need for new age group categories and better broadcast coverage of events. “I want to do what Serena Williams did for tennis,” Vollering said in an interview with The Guardian. “She’s much more than a tennis player. She transcended the sport and showed young girls that they could dream bigger.”

16. Leah Williamson

Watch any interview with the captain of the Lionesses, Leah Williamson, and you’ll feel the gravity with which she holds her position. She knows the weight of responsibility that comes with the shirt she wears; the number of young girls she inspires every time she steps onto the pitch; and the doors she and her teammates are opening for future generations.

It’s not just the back-to-back Women’s Euro victories she led the team to in 2022 and 2025; it’s the openness with which she talks about her battles with injury, endometriosis, performance anxiety and her devotion to creating more opportunities for the next generation of female and LGBTQ+ footballers.

In 2023, Williamson was awarded an OBE for her services to football; in 2026, this was upgraded to a CBE in acknowledgement of her achievements on behalf of her team at Euro 2025. As for what’s next? All eyes are on the squad qualifying for the Women’s World Cup (which she missed in 2023 due to injury) ahead of the tournament, which takes place in Brazil next June.

17. Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark burst onto the global stage during her collegiate career, where she became the greatest scorer in NCAA Division I history across both men and women—surpassing the record held by Pete Maravich in 1970.

Since then, she’s been shattering WNBA records for her team, Indiana Fever, helping to drive visibility and viewership for the women’s game. In fact, it’s been suggested that in 2024, she was responsible for 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity after factoring in revenue from merchandise, ticket sales, and television.

Off court, she’s the founder of the Caitlin Clark Foundation, a non-profit that expands access to education, nutrition and sports for children across the USA.

18. Shamera Sterling-Humphrey

Shamera Sterling-Humphrey is one of the best defensive netball players in the world. The Adelaide Thunderbirds player is a three-time winner of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) league, one of the most competitive series in the world.

This year, Sterling-Humphrey has become known as much for her off-court candour as her remarkable interceptions. In 2025, after giving birth to her son, she suffered from postpartum depression. Speaking openly on Sky Sports’ Off the Court podcast in May this year, she shared her journey through depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, which shaped her first few months of motherhood.

She’s since returned to competitive netball, winning her third SSN, but is unafraid to say she’s not yet out the other side. “I’m grateful to say that I’m a bit better now but I’m not where I want to be,” she said on Off the Court. “I’m still trying to find myself. I have my good days and my bad days, but I’m still not the Shamera I used to be.”

19. Jamie Chadwick

Women haven’t always been welcome in motorsports. Challenges from intermittent gendered bans as far back as the early 20th century to a longstanding lack of investment in young female go-kart drivers have ensured female drivers have been kept fighting on the sport’s fringes for years. That was until 2022, when former racing driver Susie Wolff set up the F1 Academy to increase female participation in driving.

A driver like Jamie Chadwick, therefore, has defied all the odds to be in her current position. Introduced to the sport via karting at age 12, Chadwick quickly climbed the ranks to become the youngest driver—and first female—to win a British GT title at just 16. Her career of firsts has continued since: she’s the first woman to win a Formula 3 race and the only woman to have won a race in the European Le Mans series.

Inspiring other women to enter the sport is central to everything Chadwick does, whether that’s speaking on podcasts, serving as a pundit for Sky Sports, or in her role as an F1 Academy advisor for Williams Racing. “People are finally recognising the level of talent that’s always been there,” she tells me. “In motorsport, we’re seeing more pathways, more visibility and more young girls believing they can have a place in the sport. That’s incredibly exciting.”

20. Gabby Thomas

When Gabby Thomas shattered her 200m personal best at the 2021 US Olympic trials, the world sat up and noticed. She crossed the line over half a second faster than she’d ever run before, placing her third on the all-time list behind sprint legends Florence Griffith Joyner and Elaine Thompson-Herah. “Overnight, I went from almost unknown to a favourite,” she revealed to Marie Claire UK earlier this year. “The attention and expectations were a lot to manage, but I couldn’t have been more excited to be on that Olympic team.”

She went on to take home two medals—a silver and a bronze—at the 2022 Olympics, and four years later went one step further when she became the first American woman since Allyson Felix to win three gold medals on the track in a single Olympics at Paris 2026. “She [Felix] was my original inspiration in sport,” Thomas tells me now. “I saw a lot of myself in her, so it felt very full-circle. The other day at a cafe someone actually mistook me for her, which I took as a huge compliment.”

Her performances on the track are just one side of Thomas. The Harvard graduate who majored in neurobiology and global health is focused on closing the racial health disparity gap and, in the run-up to Paris, spent five years working at the Volunteer Healthcare Clinic in Austin, Texas. As she told us back in May: “Giving back to my community helps fill my cup.”

21. Carissa Moore

In Hawaii, 4 January is Carissa Moore Day. The state officially recognised the surfer in 2016 for the leadership, grace and aloha she brings as a competitor and role model for young women. At the time, Moore was a three-time World Surf League (WSL) champion—the youngest ever to take the title at just 19 years old. Since then, she’s gone on to win the first Olympic gold in surfing history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has added two more WSL championships to her medal roster.

She returned to the Olympic stage at Paris 2024, while pregnant, riding one of the heaviest reefs in the world with her baby on board. And though she’d talked about retirement afterwards, she’s now back to number two in the world, with no sign of slowing down.

Moore is also the founder of Moore Aloha, a charity organisation dedicated to supporting women’s and girls’ mental health. They focus on events which promote mindfulness, physical and emotional wellness and environmental responsibility.

22. Hannah Cockroft

Dubbed Hurricane Hannah by the media following her storming success at the London 2012 Paralympics, Hannah Cockroft is a nine-time Paralympic champion, 19-time World Para Athletics champion and a fervent activist for disability rights and inclusion.

“Growing up, I went to mainstream schools where I was always the only disabled child,” Cockroft told the Sports Gazette in 2021. “PE for me was reading a book in the library or sitting and watching or keeping score of my friends’ games. It was never getting involved.”

At the age of 12, however, after watching a wheelchair basketball demonstration at her school, the world of para-sport opened up. Today, she’s one of the most decorated British athletes in World Para Athletics Championship history, with five Paralympic gold medals and multiple world records to her name. And after becoming a mother for the first time earlier this year, her sights are firmly set on backing a return for the 2028 Olympics in LA.

23. A’ja Wilson

A Met Gala debut, TIME Athlete of the Year, a New York Times bestselling author who just happens to have a signature footwear line with Nike—oh, and the fastest ever player in WNBA history to reach 6,000 points scored: all in a career that is very much far from over for basketball player A’ja Wilson.

Becky Hammon, her coach at Las Vegas Aces, calls it the it factor. This “thing” that the South Carolinian—who is a four-time league MVP and the first player in WNBA history to score over 1,000 points in a single season—has. “I run out of adjectives for her,” Hammon told Vogue back in March.

No wonder she was offered richest contract in WNBA history to ensure Wilson remained with the team back in April, making her the first player in the league to earn seven figures—and, in the process, forever moving the needle on salary expectations for female athletes. It’s something she’s deeply passionate about. “This isn’t just like, ‘Oh, I want the million-dollar contract.’ This is for the generations after me, Wilson told Vogue in the same interview. I don’t have a problem sitting at the table until we get what we want and get what we deserve.”

Wilson also speaks openly and vulnerably about her mental health, as an athlete and as a Black woman. In an essay penned for The Players Tribune in 2021, she described her struggles with anxiety, depression and grief, and her decision to go to therapy. If you read one thing today, let it be that.

24. Fran Hennessy

Whenever I’m doubting myself, I think back to the video of nine-year-old Fran Hennessy, a smile plastered on her face, going for her eighth lap of the athletics track with her Dad, Mick, shouting words of encouragement from behind the camera.

From that little girl to an undefeated 9-0-0 professional boxing record (with two knockouts) 11 years later, Hennessy is now aiming to become the youngest ever undisputed four-belt bantamweight world champion across both men and women. At the time of writing, she has just under a year to make it happen.

Hennessy has spoken openly in the past about her childhood struggles with body image and dyslexia, and using humour as a protective mechanism for these insecurities. In boxing, though, she found home—a place where she could grow in confidence and enter pure flow.

Hennessy’s fight against the current reigning bantamweight world champion, Cherneka Johnson, isn’t yet fixed, but watch this space because it won’t be far away.

25. Zoe Bäckstedt

“Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits,” says Zoe Bäckstedt when I ask her for the mantra she lives by. It checks out. The 21-year-old seems to be almost limitless on a bike.

Back in June, just a week after winning a stage of the Tour de Suisse Femmes, she became double national champion in the elite women’s time trial and the road race; victories which see her make her mark on the senior stage after a stunning junior career, which included multiple World Championship titles.

While Bäckstedt is still at the very start of her career, many have tipped her to be the future of British cycling across road and cyclo-cross. As for what motivates her? “Right now, it’s the will to push myself to the limit in all my races and fight for that victory.”

26. Nelly Korda

It’s a big year for Nelly Korda. The 27-year-old world number one is US Open champion and just two points away from being inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame—an honorary club of just 35 women who, between them, make up the greatest golfers of all time. And she’s just one world major away from completing the career Grand Slam. If she does it, she’ll be only the eighth woman in history to have won four major golf tournaments.

Her career, of course, is already peppered with greatness. A gold medal in her Olympic debut in 2020 paved the way for 2024, her most successful season to date, where she clocked five consecutive tournament wins. A number that equalled the record for the longest winning streak in women’s golfing history.

Off the course, she’s thriving, too. Deals with Nike, Goldman Sachs and Delta contributed to her becoming the seventh highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2025, while her appearance in Sports Illustrated’s iconic 2025 swimwear issue, alongside Ilona Maher, Anna Hall, Gabby Thomas and Eileen Gu, has contributed to the celebration of strong, athletic bodies within media.

27. Laviai Nielsen

If Laviai Nielsen could relive any sporting moment from her career thus far, it would be winning an Olympic medal alongside her twin sister, Lina, at Paris 2024. “After everything we’d been through—all the setbacks and disappointments in trying to reach our dreams—winning that medal with my best friend is something I’ll never be able to put into words,” she writes over email.

It seems a long way from the 16-year-old Nielsen who carried Jessica Ennis-Hill’s kit at the London 2012 Olympics. Back then, competing on the senior world stage was just a dream. Twelve years later, it was her reality. That reality, however, didn’t come without setback. In 2021, just two weeks before Nielsen was set to make her Olympic debut, she received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a lifelong condition that affects the nervous system. Her sister, Lina, also has the condition and the pair have since been dedicated to raising awareness, particularly on social media, where they both share the highs and lows of elite athlete life.

“My sister and I kind of understood that we had a bit of a social responsibility with telling our story,” Nielsen told Olympics Channel TV in 2024. “We want to show people that even though there might be a roadblock, you can still continue. It might be on a different path, but you might still get to the same place.” At time of writing, that place is Glasgow, where the 2026 Commonwealth Games is underway and, where she has her sights set on a medal. With her kind of resilience, who’d doubt her?

28. Funmi Fadoju

Growing up, Funmi Fadoju’s idol was Serena Williams. “It’s not just because she’s the GOAT,” she says, “it’s because she was unapologetically herself. She never asked for permission to take up space, and she showed me that greatness isn’t about fitting into people’s expectations. It’s about having the courage to define your own, which is something I try to do every day.”

That she does. Fadoju is one of netball’s brightest rising stars, playing in defence for London Pulse and England’s Vitality Roses. Named Netball Super League Young Player of the Season in both 2021 and 2022, she’s since become a prominent figure in senior squads, earning over 40 caps for the Roses.

This summer, she’ll be on court at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, an event she hopes will continue to build momentum for netball, and women’s sport more widely. “It’s really amazing to be part of this moment in history,” she says. “In netball, we’re seeing more investment, more visibility and more opportunities than ever. I hope the Games will continue to catapult women’s sport to another level.”

With consistently impressive performances on court already attracting deals with the likes of Nike, there’s little doubt that the future looks rosy for this defensive superstar.

29. Doriane Pin

It’s been 34 years since a female driver entered an F1 race. The question of why is a complicated puzzle, involving investment, visibility, prejudice and stigma. But now, with a fresh wave of female drivers rising through the ranks of the F1 Academy, the idea of female representation in an F1 race feels closer than ever. At the helm of this movement is French 22-year-old Doriane Pin, the Mercedes driver who won 2025’s F1 Academy series.

Having begun her go-karting career when she was nine, Pin’s been making strides towards her dream of driving in an F1 race ever since. 2026 has already been a momentous year in that journey, with Pin becoming the first woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car back in April. Her maiden test, which took place at Silverstone, involved 76 laps of the track in the 2021 title-winning W12.

Watch this space.

30. Ros Canter

Ros Canter’s daughter, Sener, was just 16 weeks old when her mum won her third Badminton—the world’s largest equestrian eventing competition outside of the World Championships—in May 2026. The baby was no stranger to horseback, having literally been there with her when a five-months-pregnant Canter won Burghley at the end of 2025.

These are remarkable achievements, ones which sit alongside gold medals at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games, and which go a long way to dismantling the stigma around maternity in sport.

At Belsay Horse Trials this year, when asked about what had changed since giving birth with regard to keeping up with her own training, Canter joked: “Sener has lost a bit of her routine since Badminton, so I have some time in the middle of the night.” Clearly, nothing will stop her.

31. Katie Ledecky

Katie Ledecky is the ultimate professional. The nine-time Olympic gold medallist, 23-time World Champion and New York Times bestselling author has been winning global medals since she was 15. Fourteen years later, she’s as focused and humble as she was then, despite holding the record for the most Olympic gold medals in women’s swimming, and the equal highest number across any sport.

“When I was six years old, I never even dreamed of making it to one Olympics,” she told the Hurdle podcast last year. “When I won a gold medal, my family and I had a conversation, and we realised that anything more than that is icing on the cake. None of us ever imagined I would make it that far in the sport.”

That doesn’t mean she’s not ambitious. Despite breaking 17 world records so far, the swimmer is far from finished. “I’m always eager to chase something new. I’m not perfect, and I haven’t achieved every single one of my goals,” she told Hurdle. “I love the chase, I love the journey, I love the process.”

Passing on the learnings from her remarkable sporting career is a huge part of her athletic identity. She’s an advisor to Athleta’s Power of She collective and has worked closely with Billie Jean King’s Women’s Sport Foundation, which funds research and provides financial support to aspiring athletes, while also advocating for female athletes around the world.

32. Menna Fitzpatrick

Have you ever skied in low cloud with a blizzard swirling around you? That’s how Menna Fitzpatrick describes her experience as a visually-impaired skier. Britain’s most decorated winter Paralympian was born with congenital retinal folds, meaning that she has no vision in her left eye and very limited sight in her right eye.

Not that it’s never stopped her. At the age of five, she was skiing on family holidays; her dad guiding her down the mountain. Today, she has six Paralympic medals, having burst onto the international scene in 2016 when she won the World Cup title for visually impaired skiing.

At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics, she secured four medals, making her the most successful British athlete at a single Winter Games. Two further medals came at Beijing 2022, and at this year’s Milano Cortina Games, Fitzpatrick returned to elite-level competition despite suffering an ACL injury just a few weeks prior. Focused is an understatement.

33. Dina Asher-Smith

Dina Asher-Smith is the fastest British woman in history. The record-breaking athlete first dipped below the magical 11-second barrier over the 100m in 2015. She’s since lowered that mark even further, running 10.83 seconds to win silver at the World Championships in Doha 2019. At that same competition, she became the first British woman to win a global sprint title when she took gold in the 200m, firmly cementing her place in the history books.

Despite her commitment to track, Asher-Smith has always maintained an identity beyond sport. Graduating from King’s College London with a history degree in 2017, she’s since turned her eye to fashion and has been the face of numerous global campaigns, including the 2026 launch of the La Ferrari Dino handbag.

Now training in the USA, Asher-Smith is set to compete at this year’s European Championships, having pulled out of the Commonwealth Games due to injury. We do not underestimate her chances.

34. Aitana Bonmati

For three consecutive years, Aitana Bonmati has been FIFA Women’s Player of the Year. The midfielder, who plays for Spain and FC Barcelona Femení, is also a three-time Ballon d’Or winner; an individual award considered the most prestigious in the game.

And now her tactical analysis is becoming as respected as her game, after she stepped into broadcasting for the men’s 2026 World Cup. Working with Mexican network TUDN, she’s been praised for her breakdowns of what’s happening on the pitch and why.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2024, Bonmatí credited her mental state as the defining characteristic behind her success. “Talent is one thing, and you can work hard as well, but without this mentality of sacrifice, resilience, fight and to want to be better every day… I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” she said.

35. Katarina Johnson-Thompson

To know the footprint of Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s career is to know that she is a master of resilience. After stepping out onto the world stage as a 19-year-old at the London 2012 Olympics, where she could soak up the experience in the shadow of Jessica Ennis-Hill’s Golden Girl pressure, she was thrust into the limelight as Britain’s next heptathlon superstar.

And that she is. Look at her medal cabinet, which includes an Olympic silver, two World Championship golds (plus a further bronze), multiple Commonwealth Games titles and a cluster of international indoor medals.

Such achievements, however impressive, have been far from easy to accrue. KJT, as she’s affectionately known, has battled through her fair share of challenges, including a ruptured Achilles just months before the Tokyo Olympics. If anything, such hurdles have only made her stronger, with a reputation for wearing her heart on her sleeve that is equally admirable in the world of professional competition.

In 2024, after her Olympic silver, she released her book Unbroken in which she addressed her struggles and triumphs in equal measure, including a candid reflection on her teenage body image battles. It’s an essential read, not only for young athletes, but for women navigating ambition, confidence and relationship to their body.

36. Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff’s entry onto the world stage was something of a fairytale. In 2019, she became—at the age of just 15—the youngest player in history to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon, going on to beat her childhood idol Venus Williams in round one. She made it to round four in the tournament, by which time she’d cemented herself as one of the most exciting prospects in the game to date. By 2023, her transformation to champion was complete when she achieved her first Grand Slam title on home soil at the US Open.

Since then, she’s become an icon on and off the court, adding the French Open 2025 to her Slam singles’ titles and becoming—like fellow pros Naomi Osaka and Venus Williams—one of the players cementing the intersection of high fashion and sport, having built globally successful collaborations with sportswear brand New Balance and fashion house Miu Miu.

37. Daryll Neita

You might think fourth place is the most agonising position to finish in athletics. Not Daryll Neita. When the second fastest British woman of all time missed out on a medal in her Paris 2024 Olympic final, she focused on the positives: “Stepped up when it mattered and did myself proud,” she shared on Instagram after the race. “Last place in the final in Tokyo, fourth place today. One thing about me, I’m gonna keep pushing.”

That unbreakable self-belief is what makes Neita so exciting. “I’ve always believed that I’m born to do track and field,” she told Marie Claire UK. “I believe that I can be the best. I just believe it.”

We believe it too. But Neita’s career isn’t just about her own performances. The sprinter is as committed to getting the next generation onto the track as she is to winning medals (and she has won plenty of medals, including Olympic, as well as at European and world championships). In 2024, she founded the Daryll Neita Athletics Community to inspire children to participate in sports, launching it with a sports day for over 100 students, and has plans to build out a programme of mentorship, workshops and events. The message she’s sending? The same one she’d tell her younger self: Never stop believing.

38. Emma Finucane

Look at 23-year-old Emma Finucane’s June photo dump, and you’ll find a mix of family photos, holiday shots, mirror selfies, pizza and coffee. You’ll also find videos of her front squatting 80kg, being interviewed alongside cycling legend Victoria Pendleton and riding in velodromes all around the world. All just part and parcel of life as the world’s fastest female cyclist who, back in February, broke the world record for the flying 200m event.

Finucane’s talent has been evident for a while. In Paris, at just 21, she won a hat-trick of Olympic medals—one gold, two bronze—to add to her first World Championship title in 2023. Since then, she’s become a two-time world champion, has signed with Adidas and become a host of the Watts Occurring Femmes podcast, a show dedicated to year-round cycling content.

“I’m not afraid to admit that I have big and bold dreams for myself,” she says when we catch up with her. “I’m motivated to be the most successful women’s sprinter there is, and I’ll chase that unless my body says otherwise.” And she wants to lead by example: “I hope to show young girls that being ambitious, and having dreams and goals, isn’t unrealistic. You can make them your reality.”

39. Zoe Atkin

I can lose hours watching the days-in-the-life vlogs of Stanford student and pro skier Zoe Atkin, who is “just a girl”—albeit one who majors in symbolic systems (a programme that combines computer science, psychology, maths and AI) and happens to also be a world champion. Oh, and an Olympic bronze medallist.

Atkin’s vlogs provide a look behind the curtain at the juggle that is student-athlete life, including training, nutrition, study, recovery and her passions outside of sport. What she shows, whether she means to or not, is the person behind the elite athlete. Her feed is, quite simply, a hugely positive place to be.

Speaking with Marie Claire UK ahead of this year’s Winter Games, she said: “It’s been a huge journey since my first Olympics in 2022. My mindset is something I work on every day. I’m very conscious of my thought patterns and emotions; I practice meditation and mindfulness every day, which really helps me to stay present.”

Sharing messages around women’s strength and body positivity, being open about the psychological side of sport, and just—quite simply—getting on with things. Inspiring and practical: that’s Atkins all the way.

40. Sydney Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been making history since she was 16. The then high-schooler finished third at the Olympic trials in a new world junior record and became the youngest US track and field athlete ever to make an Olympic Games, going on to compete at Rio 2016.

As we now know, that was just the start for the 400m hurdler, who has gone on to become the only track athlete ever to break four world records over a single event. Those records—which included becoming the first female 400m hurdler to run under the magical 52 and subsequently, 51-second barrier—feature alongside four Olympic and four world championship gold medals.

That medal tally is currently on pause, as McLaughlin-Levrone has recently given birth to her first baby. With plans to make her return to training in time to target the LA 2028 Olympics, naturally.

41. Emma Raducanu

On a warm New York day in September 2021, a British A-Level student—one Emma Raducanu—became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title. And she did it without dropping a set. That single game catapulted her onto the world stage and, as the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1977, firmly into the hearts of the British public.

In the five years since, Raducanu’s battled injury, illness and coaching changes—all under the scrutiny of the world’s media. “Long term, I want to win Wimbledon. That’s my number one goal,” she told Marie Claire UK back in 2024 (this year’s tournament was not to be the one, after being forced to withdraw due to a stress fracture). “I think it’s very easy in tennis to panic, and I’m guilty of it. You feel like you only have 10 years of your career ahead of you, and that it’s going to be over before you know it.”

Despite the pressure, she remains level-headed—and committed to a life both on and off the court. Whatever her Grand Slam status, a headline deal with Uniqlo, announced earlier this year, is just the latest of a long list of notable ambassadorships, including Dior, Tiffany, Evian, Porsche and British Airways, demonstrating her continued pulling power. Power that Raducanu makes good work of in other areas, too, regularly offering her time to inspire younger generations in tennis, visiting children at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital and supporting community initiatives such as Surplus to Supper, which works to combat food poverty.

42. Yaroslava Mahuchikh

Very few athletes have won a World Championship gold. Let alone after a gruelling three-day escape from their war-torn home. In 2022, Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh—who was 20 at the time—won the World Indoor Championships in Serbia after a gruelling 2,000km journey by car through the Russian invasion.

Mahuchikh subsequently lived and trained as a refugee in Germany, Belgium, Estonia and Portugal, staying in touch with family and friends back at home via texts and calls. Still living away from home in 2024, Mahuchikh broke a world record that had stood since 1987, clearing a historic 2.10m at the Paris Diamond League, going on to win Olympic Gold just a few weeks later. At the end of the season, she was named Women’s Field Athlete of the Year at the World Athletics Awards for her undefeated year and world-record-breaking jump.

“Sport unites, sport helps, and athletes help each other,” Mahuchikh told Olympic Channel TV the year she left home, speaking of both her personal circumstances and wider beliefs in what sport can achieve.

And really, she’s just getting started. High jumpers regularly compete until their early 30s, meaning that (all going to plan), we’ll have at least a decade of Mahuchikh’s brilliance to come.

43. Millie Bright

Footballer Millie Bright’s career extends far beyond the pitch. The former Chelsea captain, who announced her retirement in April, had such an impact on the club and its fans that she’ll stay on as a foundation trustee and club ambassador, working closely with them to inspire the next generation. Which shouldn’t be a surprise: “It’s what I play for—to inspire young girls and boys,” she told Marie Claire UK back in 2023.

Bright’s influence on the world of women’s sports shows no signs of slowing down. An ambassador for mental health charity YoungMinds, successful podcaster and regular pundit and presenter—not to mention a new YouTube channel—Bright also recently launched The Growth Locker, an online platform is aimed at helping female entrepreneurs establish small businesses.

Stay tuned, because we’ve got a feeling there’s a lot more to come.

44. Aryna Sabalenka

Four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka is known as The Tiger for her fierce energy on and off the court.

A formidable star, who this year took the so-called Sunshine Double after back-to-back wins at the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open tournaments, she’s also a vocal proponent of player rights and fair pay. At the French Open this year, she spoke openly about the need for players to receive a greater share of tournament revenue, and for tournaments to make contributions to pensions, healthcare and maternity pots.

Her influence extends beyond the court. In January 2026, she was unveiled as Gucci’s latest global brand ambassador; a move that demonstrated both her individual influence and marked another step towards closing the sponsorship gap between the men’s and women’s game.