Body & beauty

Beginner workouts and women’s fitness tips

Discover easy workouts to incorporate into your daily routine, and how to maximise your exercise efforts to deliver the best results.

The right kind of regular exercise, just like the right kind of food, can help support normal body function and health. Correct exercise and diet form part of the building blocks for good health, but the wrong kind of exercise, just like the wrong kind of food, can be detrimental to health and wellbeing.

“Although there is plenty of information out there on exercise, much of it is very generic and does not necessarily consider the goal of the patient,” says integrated health expert Emma Cannon. “I am always being asked: ‘How much exercise can I do?’, ‘what sort of exercise should I choose?’ and ‘what intensity is right?’.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach and the type, amount and intensity of exercise will depend on who the person is that’s doing it, how fit they are and what they want to achieve.

So whether you’re doing a gym workout, using a fitness app for your workout routine or doing evening workouts from the comfort of your home, read on to find the right exercise to suit you.

How to start exercising

Emma Cannon shares her expertise on the right kind of exercise, in conjunction with fitness expert Tim Weeks.

Be mindful when exercising

It is very important to be focused in the moment and totally mentally engaged and present in whatever exercise you are doing. In a recent piece of research, two groups were set up to measure the effects of mindfulness on muscle strength.

One group had to move their finger for a set amount of time each day and the other group just had to imagine doing it. At the end of the 12-week trial the increase in strength was measured. In the group that did the exercise their strength had increased by 53 per cent, but more incredibly, the other group who only imagined the exercise had an improvement of 35 per cent. Imagine the possibilities when you’re exercising and focusing on it at the same time!

Keep a good posture

Good posture helps the energy flow better through the body. It’s important that the top of the pelvis, the area behind the heart and the base of the skull are in alignment in order to enable the free flow of Qi to all the internal organs.

Remember to relax and enjoy exercise

It’s important to enjoy whatever you decide to do. I truly believe that when ‘your heart is in it’ you will achieve better results and will be more likely to stick at something. Be relaxed and remember to breathe; tension is a cause of disease and if you feel unhappy and stressed you are more likely to be doing yourself more harm than good.

Ab workout for women

The best thing for flat and defined abs is a good cardio routine, but combined with core exercises, you can be sure you are targeting and toning the right muscles and speeding up results. Try combining the cardio with these ab exercises by warming up with running or using a jumping rope, and add in some stretching for good measure. It’s also important to be aware of your overall posture and alignment, as balance in the body is key to stay free from pain and will also help you look taller and leaner.

7-day plank challenge

For an easy challenge to get you building core muscle strength, check out Anthony Mayatt’s 7-day plank challenge.

Power grab

This ab builder targets the six pack abs, whilst challenging your balance, so you get to tone the deep core muscles at the same time. From all fours, extend and reach the arm and leg out in opposite directions, then draw them in towards each other, whilst rounding the back and looking into the navel. Be sure to repeat on both sides.

Forearm plank

This simple plank is a fantastic way to work the core, whilst also activating the whole body. Imagine a long pole through the body, from heels to crown of head, and draw your abs in and up. Remember, quality is key, so only hold this as long as you can keep good form. You can make this easier by lowering to your knees. Be careful not to let your hips or head drop.

Woman planking

Marching table top

I know we’re talking about flat abs, but you’d be amazed at the effect that simply standing upright and straight can have on making your tummy look flat. This exercise tones the glutes and opens the chest and shoulders whilst lengthening the spine. It’s a great way to look taller and leaner. Be sure to draw your abs in and up and keep the hips level as you march the legs.

Glute workout for women

The gluteus maximus is the most powerful muscle in the body, so isolating it through activation contractions is crucial.

If the glutes don’t correctly fire up, other muscles such as the hamstrings, quadriceps and calves are forced to pick up the slack. When these other muscles carry a motion they are not mechanically designed to do, it can lead to tightness, pain and injury in those areas.

Rigorous glute workouts are not required; the following exercise will activate the glutes and teach you how to engage them as you walk, run, squat and sit. This will reduce repetitive strain injuries of the lower back, the hip joint, knees and surrounding structures, also to the foot and lower leg.

Pre workout steps

Make sure your hip flexors are relaxed.

Fatigue your hamstrings, this will encourage activation of the glutes.

The moment you feel the need to recruit other muscles, stop.

Instead of taking a pre-workout supplement, we recommend eating a pre-workout snack, such as a protein shake or bar, 30 to 45 minutes before you exercise.

Butt exercise

Lie face down, hands under forehead. Concentrate on one glute.

Slowly squeeze the glute (it should feel like a sideways slide across the buttock), hold for three seconds and slowly, fully release.

Concentrate on deepening the sensation and lengthening the time it takes to perform each activation.

Glute activator

Lie flat on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight with your hands placed by your sides, palms facing the ceiling at 45 degrees.

Keep your shoulder blades and upper back on the ground; there should be no stress on your neck.

From here pull your belly button inwards, clench the glutes together, then push upwards through the hips until you reach a bridge position – knees in line to the shoulders with one leg maintained straight out in front of you.

Hold for five seconds then lower that leg, and lift the other.

Alternate lifting your legs for a total of 10 repetitions, then relax. Do two sets every day.

Full body workout for women

Woman exercising outside

“Bums, bellies and bingo wings are common problem areas for women,” says Ben Pratt, Research and Development Manager for Premier Training International. “By doing this circuit workout – two to three sets of each exercise, three times a week – and improving your diet, you will tone up problem areas and see a significant difference.”

Legs & bums: the lying wall angel

Lie down on your side with your back against a flat wall.

Position the soles of the feet against the wall with knees at a 90-degree angle.

Raise the upper leg, driving the knee outwards towards the wall.

Hold the uppermost position for 6-8 seconds, lower and repeat.

Ensure your back remains against the wall throughout.

Bellies: the plank

Lie facing down.

Lift the body up off the ground, suspended between the elbows and toes.

Hips should be held in alignment so that the body forms a straight line.

Keep good back alignment and shoulders retracted throughout.

Hold for 20-60 seconds.

Keep breathing steadily during the hold.

Dumbbell arm workout – The single arm dumbbell driver

Stand in a split stance with a dumbbell in the same hand as the forward foot.

Bend forward whilst simultaneously driving the arm backwards.

Quickly extend the legs whilst accelerating the arm forwards and upwards overhead.

Allow the elbow to bend overhead to decelerate the dumbbell.

Return to the start position and repeat.

10 easy tips for gentle weight loss

Integrated health expert Emma Cannon explains the 10 ways to lose weight in a manageable, long-term way:

Try not to worry too much about calories, and think about the quality of the foods you eat instead. Go for fresh, unadulterated and natural foods wherever possible.

Don’t go low-fat. Essential fats will help you lose weight, especially those found in oily fish, avocado, olive oil and sesame.

Eat regularly and do not skip meals. Eat as rich a variety of foods as possible.

Don’t flood the digestion with too much water during mealtimes, but sip room temperature water or warm herbal teas throughout the day.

Raw food tends to constrict the digestion, so rather than choosing salads for every meal, go for soups instead.

Choose two days a week (I do Monday and Thursday) where you eat very lightly. I don’t count calories but I will eat broth and vegetables only on these two days and drink herbal tea.

Add a little sweetness through honey and avoid refined sugars.

Eat more in the morning and less in the evening to fire up your digestion first thing and let it rest and recover overnight.

Don’t think of vegetables and grains as side dishes. There are so many vegetarian recipes that make a great meal, with ingredients like aubergine, beans, quinoa and squash.

Remember that if you add some light exercise to your day then you’ll be helping to fire up your qi and your digestion.

HIIT home workout programme for women

It’s easy to become a seasonal exerciser, with fair-weather runners only venturing out when the sun shines. But there’s no reason why you can’t exercise indoors; some people don’t realise that they can perform a great workout in a small area in their own home. You could try tabata, which involves doing 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, and this is done continuously for four minutes. This is a form of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) exercise and can involve just one exercise or multiple exercises.

The most common tabata is to perform jumping lunges and press-ups, but feel free to mix and match or focus purely on a particular group of muscles. If you can set aside just 15 minutes, you can perform three separate workouts. If you’re struggling, try performing this set of tabata routines as a 7-minute workout.

Jumping lunges/Press ups

Star jumps/Mountain climbers

Plank/Russian twist

These three routines focus on upper/lower body, cardio and core, so doing this in just 15 minutes anywhere is the perfect way to work out if you only have a small amount of space in your home.

Pilates: toning workout for women

Pilates may not be the first thing you think of when looking for a way to lose weight, but when performed correctly with the right instructor, you’ll be surprised by the difference it makes.

Bridging

The shoulder bridge is an amazing way to tone the glutes and the backs of the legs, whilst bringing mobility to the spine. This one makes you stand taller and tones up the back of your body. Try this whilst squeezing a block between the thighs for even more toning.

Eagle crunches

Ok, so this is not strictly a Pilates exercise, but holding an eagle pose whilst you fire up your abs not only sculpts them, but stimulates the digestive organs and stimulates lymph drainage in the thighs. Be sure to do the same on both sides. A balanced body is everything!

Swimming

If you want a flat tummy, start with the back. This sounds funky, but if you stand up straight and tall, you’ll instantly look slimmer. Use swimming to strengthen your back muscles, whilst the increased heart rate from the movement burns those calories fast!

How to improve your fitness

Get out in the cold

Are you typing, ‘best fat burning workout for women’ into Google? A simple strategy is to use the cold weather to your advantage. “To maintain its core temperature, the body has to generate heat through shivering or using up brown fat cells,” explains top personal trainer and strength conditioning coach Nolan Sunnassee. “Around 10-15 kilojoules per minute of heat is produced from shivering, and this is thought to significantly contribute to the 35 percent more fat that’s burned when you exercise in the cold. You also take in more oxygen and release more adrenaline; the latter tells the brown fat cells to use more glucose and fat and to raise the body’s temperature.”

HIIT training

High intensity interval training (HIIT) involves alternating speed and recovery intervals when you exercise to increase the intensity of a workout. Exercising hard for just one minute a day doesn’t sound like the recipe for success, but research has demonstrated just three 20-second HIIT sessions a day can improve cardiovascular fitness by as much as an hour’s moderate-level aerobic exercise over a four-week period. This type of training also reduces visceral fat – the type surrounding organs that’s associated with chronic disease – and increases muscle as well as speeding up fat metabolism.

It’s best incorporated into a workout. For example, you might jog at a steady pace for 15 minutes, then sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds, and then jog at an easy pace for two or three minutes, then sprint again, and repeat three times.

Lift weights

Not all exercise is created equally, and performing the wrong type can actually increase stress in your body. “Aerobic training like jogging increases the stress hormone cortisol; in addition to elevating oxidative stress,” says Nolan. “The body cannot distinguish between this and other stress.”

Exercising a stressed system can exhaust essential nutrients, which in turn can lead to adrenal fatigue. If you’re very stressed out, concentrate on strength training or weight training with resistance band workouts, bodyweight training, or full-body kettlebell workouts. Gradually increase the weight to increase muscle-building hormones which negate the effects of cortisol and inflammation. Strength training workouts can be great for maintaining your bone density, too.

Stretch correctly

You should hold your muscle stretches for 30 seconds each, but if you’re over the age of 40, try to hold them for 60 seconds. As your muscles become less pliable as you age, you need to give them longer.

Compound exercises

“Due to the intense level of movement, it raises our heart rate. This increases our cardio output, allowing more calories to be burned while contracting more muscles. If your strength training or weight training programme only consists of isolated exercises (single movement exercises), it’s a great method to build muscle, but will not be sufficient to burn as much fat if this is a primary fitness goal.”

Ben Walker from Anywhere Fitness explained the benefit of compound exercises. “They recruit more than just one muscle group when performing an exercise. These exercises are dynamic and require a lot of movement in a single repetition. If you’re looking to get lean, this is a great way to fast-track your fitness results. This is one of the best methods to build strength and lose weight simultaneously.

Get competitive

Need to maximise your gain from exercise? Then it’s time to get competitive. Research has shown that competition significantly increases performance. “Studies have found that participants can lose between five and 20 percent more when competing in a group environment in a weight-loss challenge, than going it alone,” says Nolan. “The more social influence, the greater the results seem to be.” But interestingly, men and women need very different training buddies to thrive.

“Men are generally much more competitive than women when it comes to physical activity, so training with other men similar in age, height and weight makes them succeed, whereas for greatest success, females should be paired with someone they dislike, as this maximises performance,” reveals Nolan.

Go swimming

Swimming is a great whole-body exercise for everyone, but in particular, those who have musculo-skeletal or weight limitations. If you’ve recently started swimming, improving ankle flexibility will really enhance your performance. Flexible feet will act as flippers, and make your technique more effective.

With your legs extended in front of you, point your toes as much as you can, then flex them back towards your shins as far as you can. Repeat this 10 times every day.

Change the way you think

Are you a fan of working out in the gym? Next time you attempt chin-ups, imagine pulling your elbows down rather than focusing on pulling yourself up. Psychologically, it will seem easier and you’ll get more benefit.