At 42, Helen Skelton has a very impressive fitness CV. Having taken on some of the world’s toughest endurance challenges throughout her career, including a 78-mile Ultramarathon in Namibia, a world record-breaking solo kayak down the Amazon river and a South Pole cycling trek, she’s no stranger to a challenge.
Variety is king
Currently, though, the mum-of-three is challenging herself on more of an everyday level when it comes to fitness. ‘I exercise because I don’t want to be frail,’ she told Woman & Home in a recent interview, adding that she preferred not to focus on one specific type of workout to prevent it feeling like ‘a chore’.
Indeed, she previously told Women’s Fitness how she prioritises variety when exercising. ‘I have always mixed up my fitness routine,’ she said, ‘I go through phases of doing things like netball and Zumba, to running with a child in a pram, to HIIT sessions with the kids. Also, I adore cycling, and always take the kids on bike rides. I am lucky to be living in the countryside as it is the best way to get around.’
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And it’s an approach the science suggests works – one 2023 analysis of 28 studies found that adding variety to exercise routines can increase enjoyment, motivation and adherence.
For the right reasons
As for exercising to avoid frailty, that’s something we are absolutely here for at WH – so-called ‘muscle-first medicine’ – increasing and maintaining muscle mass as you age – is crucial for healthy ageing.
Helen told Woman & Home that she goes to the gym ‘for joy, not aesthetics’. ‘I work out to keep my head clear, not my bum peachy! I like movement and sport. I’m not one for those shouty, dark gyms – I get enough of that energy at home with my kids!’
In other words, Helen treats her workouts as much of a boost for her brain as her body. ‘When I exercise, I find I am so much calmer and a better person all round,’ she told Women’s Fitness. ‘My brain gets an excellent workout and that is what is far more important to me.’
The power of walking
And while Helen is known to switch up her fitness routine, there’s one thing she will consistently prioritise: walking. ‘I’m obsessed with steps – my friends tease me – but I’ve always been like that. I love fresh air. I don’t even mind the rain; it makes me feel alive. I’m lucky living in the countryside, but even if it’s dark, I’ll go for a walk. Movement and fresh air make me feel good. And honestly, if you wrap up right, there’s something so smugly satisfying about braving the rain,’ Helen told Woman & Home.
In a world full of fancy gyms and conflicting fitness advice, it can be easy to forget just how good walking – a weight-bearing activity – is for your health and longevity. And you don’t have to hit 10,000 daily steps either; in case you weren’t aware, that’s a relatively arbitrary figure that can be traced back to an old pedometer marketing campaign.
Newer scientific studies have identified health benefits from as little as 2,600 steps per day, with one recent paper finding that walking for at least 15 minutes (which works out at about 1,500 steps) without stopping is ideal and gives your heart a good workout. The study, which looked at 33,560 adults aged 40-79 in the UK, concluded that one longer walk per day outdoes multiple shorter strolls for reducing risk of heart problems.
Another very recently published study also suggested that walking may help slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease among people at heightened risk. Researchers found that cognitive decline was delayed by three years on average for people who walked 3,000-5,000 steps per day, and by seven years in people who walked 5,000-7,500 steps per day.
The simple things
Helen also highlighted how her focus was on ‘the simple stuff’ – ‘Move more, eat well, and sleep’, she told Woman & Home. It’s helped family members, she added: ‘I look at my aunt – she’s still in the gym three times a week – and think, “That’s worked for you”.’
Doing what you can is an approach we can all learn from, and it’s clearly allowed Helen to maintain a very good fitness base, motivation, and openness to trying new things – she even did a HYROX with Morning Live co-host Gethin Jones earlier this year.
Her commitment to doing some form of exercise daily, even if it’s ‘just for 10 minutes’ – which, again, research shows has tangible health benefits – and resting, fuelling and recovering well is something we should all take into the New Year.
Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.