Women's Fitness September 2025

The start of a new season is a great time to reflect and readjust your fitness goals. Perhaps like me, you find the shorter days and cooler temperatures naturally lend themselves to a shift in activities. I do less pavement pounding and more trail running, with fallen leaves underfoot and the crisp smell of autumn in the air. I also swap some outdoor activities (road cycling, bootcamp-style workouts) for indoor gym time and more restorative yoga sessions. This is just what my body craves when the weather turns. Perhaps you too crave a change of activity to keep motivation levels lifted. If so, I recommend you turn to new Women’s Fitness columnist, double Winter Olympian Aimee Fuller’s column on padel tennis. Aimee explains how trying something new and finding your…

STAR LETTER ‘I’VE STOPPED COMPARING MYSELF TO OTHERS’ Your feature about Meggan Grubb – I’m mentally a lot stronger now (August issue) – really struck a chord with me. Day-to-day tasks, which get more difficult as you age, can be a lot easier to manage if your body has been cared for and strengthened throughout. I always bear Meggan’s advice in mind: I follow her on Instagram and she is a great motivator, continually inspiring me to be fitter, healthier and mentally stronger. Growing up, I struggled with confidence, compared myself to others and wanted to be different, but Meggan has helped me realise we are all unique. She made me look at others with a whole new perspective and I no longer liken myself to friends who may be…

Fit for all Crew Clothing’s debut activewear collection combines technical performance with the British lifestyle brand’s signature style and heritage. Designed to see you through every workout feeling confident, the Crew Sport womenswear line-up offers clothing for a range of activities, with seam-free crop tops, leggings and tees for yoga and Pilates, sweat-wicking shorts, skorts and vests with four-way stretch for HYROX and padel, plus dedicated running gear, including a jacket and gilet with reflective detailing for the track, roads or trails. Prices start from £25, crewclothing.co.uk DO THIS... Scenic miles, big smiles The world-renowned Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running is returning to the breathtaking Scottish Highlands for its 23rd edition. A true celebration of running, nature and community, the weekend kicks off on Saturday September 27…

ERYN BARBER Eryn is a personal trainer at The Fitness Group. A certified running coach and keen trail runner, she also has a master’s degree in Strength & Conditioning. Visit thefitnessgrp.co.uk Q I’m returning to fitness after a break and I want to get a basic activity tracker or fitness watch to keep myself motivated. What sort of features should I be looking for? A When you’re returning to fitness, you don’t need an activity tracker that has an extensive number of features. These are usually unnecessary and can leave the user feeling confused about what they should be monitoring and tracking. If general health and fitness is your priority, having a step counter on your activity tracker is a great way to make sure that you’re doing enough movement…

‘You’ll never have time to yourself.’ ‘You’ll always be tired.’ ‘You’ll never get your abs back…’ These are just a small sample of the many negative things people said to Shakira Akabusi (@shakira.akabusi) when she gave birth to her eldest son, Rio, back in 2014. Not surprisingly, these words also provided the fitness expert and now mother-of-four with the catalyst she needed to embark on her ongoing mission: to shatter stereotypes surrounding motherhood and fitness, and help mums everywhere to thrive through an active lifestyle with her fitness and maternal mental health platform, StrongLikeMum (stronglikemum.com). ‘I found people spoke to me about motherhood as being the end of a lot of things,’ explains Shakira, who, as the daughter of Olympian Kriss Akabusi and corrective-exercise-specialist-turned-over-50s-fitness-expert Monika Akabusi (@strong_ like_oma), was always…

Let me tell you about the sport that’s got me utterly hooked. It’s high energy, fast-paced, mentally challenging and has community at its core. It’s called padel tennis, and yes, I’m sure you’ve heard of it; chances are, if you haven’t played it yet, you soon will. I first discovered padel a few years back through hosting a new series for the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association). It’s native to Mexico, but in Spain it’s a national obsession. It’s got the speed and rhythm of tennis, the tactical flair of squash, and a totally inclusive vibe that means beginners are all welcome. That first game? It brought four of my friends together through sweat, movement and teamwork – it had us all smiling! Padel is now one of the fastest-growing sports…