WH Fitness Director: 'My 13 hacks to make YOUR exercise easier'
Everyone knows fitness requires commitment, motivation and consistency. That’s why so many people struggle. No one innately enjoys getting out of bed at 5am to go to the gym, going for a run after a long day in the office, or taking the stairs when there’s a perfectly good lift ready and waiting. As Women’s Health’s Fitness Director, I’m no exception, but there are things I’ve learned that make exercise – both doing it and finding the motivation to do it – easier. Here are 13 tricks to being your fittest and healthiest self in 2025.
1. Save time with one-kit workouts
When I’m tight for time, I’ll programme workouts that only use a single piece of equipment to avoid setting up time, or time spent waiting around for others to finish using certain gym machines. Cable-only, smith machine-only and dumbbell-only workouts are my go-tos. These can all be adapted for exercises to target your full body, and I save at least ten minutes per session by sticking to a single piece of kit.
2. Exercise as soon as you wake up
Granted, there are some days when I snooze my alarm, but I’ve learned that if I exercise first thing in the morning, I’m less likely to come up against obstacles that might prevent me from working out later in the day. I’m also less likely to make excuses as my brain doesn’t have a chance to realise what I’m about to do. If I’m doing Pilates or yoga at home, I’ll even do it in my pyjamas; for anything else, I’ll make sure I lay out my activewear the night before – on a radiator during winter.
3. Go to the gym to push yourself
Home workouts can’t be beaten for convenience, but on the occasions when I’ve had my eight hours sleep, I’ve got the time, and I’m up for pushing myself, I’ll go to the gym. I’ll almost always challenge myself here more than I would at home, and studies show this is because exercising around others can make you feel more encouraged and hold you accountable - I’m less likely to give up mid-way through a set of squats if I know someone is waiting to use the rack after me, for example.
4. Save planning time with group classes
While I’m proof that programming workouts incorporating progressive overload will boost progress, there are also times – sometimes days, sometimes weeks – when I don’t have the capacity to plan my workouts. Instead of doing nothing at all, I’ll go to a group class where I don’t have to think, just do. This helps when I’m lacking motivation, too; if I’m close to calling off my own workout, I’ll force myself to attend a group class since I know that I won’t cancel if I’ve signed up and paid, and I can’t walk out mid-class if I’m not feeling it.
5. Watch TV or listen to a podcast during cardio
I never have been and never will be a fan of cardio, but by only allowing myself to listen to the next episode of my favourite podcast (Power Hour, if anyone’s wondering) when I do an incline walk, cycle or use the Stairmaster, I look forward to something I would typically dread, or avoid altogether. It’s a form of reward theory; studies show that incentives to exercise may increase activity levels.
6. Wear activewear to boost motivation
If I’m not able to exercise pre-work, I’ll wear gymwear during the day as I know I’m less likely to make excuses if I do so. Not having to change into your leggings and sports bra is one less step to getting moving, after all.
7. Incorporate progressive overload to avoid burn out
I know all too well how important it is to incrementally increase the intensity of your workouts. Running too frequently too soon after starting left me with a pelvic stress fracture, and lifting too heavy without enough fuel and rest left me totally exhausted. Besides the physical repercussions, though, both instances left me hating exercise. Now, I know that going slow and following a progressive plan – both with running distances and how heavy I lift – is more physically and mentally rewarding as I can clearly see the improvements I've made, which encourages me to press on.
8. Do endurance runs outside
If running a 10k, half marathon or a marathon is on your 2025 bingo card, endurance runs are probably on your radar. Of course, there’s nothing one-size-fits-all about running, but for me, longer runs are considerably easier and more enjoyable when I do them outdoors. Staring at the same view on a treadmill for anything upwards of an hour is not the one. Find an outdoor route that you feel safe but inspired by and aim to mix it up every two or three sessions.
9. Lift slowly if you want to see results
There are two phases to every strength exercise: the concentric and the eccentric. The former refers to the lifting phase of a move, like standing up from a squat, while the latter refers to the lowering phase, like lowering into a squat. During the eccentric phase, your muscles lengthen as the resistance of the weight becomes greater than the force your muscle is producing – studies show this is when your muscles are more likely to build strength, but only if you do it slowly. I’ve found that it’s easy to subconsciously ‘cheat’ by gaining momentum – you might swing your leg up and down in a leg raise, for example (guilty), which means you then lose the tension on the eccentric phase, and you won’t see results. I now take three-five seconds to lower into each exercise, and I’ve built noticeably more muscle on both my biceps and glutes. Bicep curls and Romanian deadlifts are good moves to apply this to.
10. Try walking meetings
When working from home, I’ll take any meetings that don’t require a camera on while on a walk. This has helped me hit my daily step goal of 8k (the 10k myth is nothing more than a marketing tool, FYI), and helps me beat the post-lunchtime slump and stay productive in the afternoon.
11. Take the stairs
Along with walking meetings, taking the stairs over the lift when in the office also helps me hit my daily step count.
12. Stretch while watching TV
Research shows that 50-70% of people skip stretching after a workout, citing time restraints as the most common reason. I’m one of those people, but although I might not stretch straight after a session, I always make sure to do them when watching TV in the evenings, and I find that I still manage to dodge any DOMS and relieve tension ahead of my next morning workout.
13. Take up reformer Pilates to avoid injury
Since starting weekly reformer Pilates four years ago, I (*touch wood*) haven’t experienced a single injury. For someone once very injury-prone (hamstring tendonitis, stress fractures, adductor strains - you name it, I've had it), this is a huge win. My core strength, flexibility and balance have improved no end, and I credit that to Pilates' low-impact nature. I won't be quitting any time soon.
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