CATEGORY
Strength and mobility
50 articlesExplore everyday movement, strength, balance and flexibility.
The benefits of walking barefoot, and how to start safely
What barefoot walking does for foot strength and balance, why the grounding claims are shaky, who should avoid it, how long to do it for, and how to start without hurting your feet.
The benefits of walking backwards, and how to try it safely
What retro walking is, what the evidence supports for knee pain, quads, balance and calorie burn, how long to do it for, and how to try walking backwards without risking a fall.
Benefits of stretching before bed (and an honest look at the evidence)
Stretching before bed won't knock you out, but it's a pleasant way to wind down. Here's what the evidence shows, a gentle six-stretch floor routine, the stretches that help night-time leg cramps, what to avoid, and how to make it a habit.
Pilates vs yoga: an honest comparison to help you choose
Pilates and yoga overlap more than the studios suggest. Here is the honest split, where the evidence favours each for core strength, flexibility, back pain, stress, sleep and balance, which is harder, and how to choose or combine them.
Benefits of reformer Pilates: an honest, evidence-led guide
What reformer Pilates is, how it differs from mat, and the benefits the research supports: core strength, flexibility, balance, rehab and modest body-composition changes. Plus belly fat and body shape, whether it's enough on its own, UK costs, safety and what your first class looks like.
Benefits of Pilates: an honest, evidence-led guide
What Pilates does for your body and mind, and how strongly the research backs it: core strength, posture, flexibility, balance, back pain, mood and sleep, plus the honest caveats on weight loss and bone density, who it suits, and how to start.
Benefits of hot Pilates: what the heat adds, and what it doesn't
What hot Pilates is, whether it's harder than regular Pilates, which benefits the research supports, what the heated room does and does not add (including the sweat and detox myths), what to bring, and how often to go.
The benefits of cycling for women, from your heart to your bones
What cycling does for women's hearts, joints and mood, why it needs a weight-bearing partner for your bones, how to ride through your cycle, pregnancy and menopause, and how to make the saddle comfortable.