Winter is here, and while most have steadily phased out outdoor exercise in favour of the warm – if crowded – gym variety, continuing to brave the elements might just be the best thing we can do to protect our collective mental health. Seasonal affective disorder (also known as ‘winter depression’) is a very real thing, but your best weapon in the fight against it doesn’t need to be heart-thumping HIIT. Hard-and-fast, ‘full-send’ workouts are easy to sell – and don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty in this issue – but in the pursuit of instant fitness fixes it’s easy to overlook the foundations of good health. Which is why we’re celebrating one of the simplest – albeit less sexy – ways to protect both mental and physical wellbeing: walking. A long walk works wonders for body and mind, as record-breaking adventurer James Forrest explores.
That said, if you do prefer pedal-to-the-metal forms of fitness, we’ve also got you covered. HYROX is the new multi-discipline competition format blending endurance (mainly running and rowing) with functional strength and high-intensity exercise. We speak to the founder, and meet the man dominating the fledgling event.