Jessica Downey
Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her love for keeping fit and fueling her body with healthy and enjoyable food quite naturally led her to write about all things fitness and health-related. If she isn’t out testing the latest fitness products such as the latest running shoe or yoga mat for reviewing then she can be found writing news and features on the best ways to build strength, active aging, female health, and anything in between. Before then she had a small stint writing in local news, has also written for Runners World UK (print and digital), and gained experience with global content marketing agency, Cedar Communications.
Born and raised in Scotland, Jessica is a massive fan of exercising and keeping active outdoors. When at home she can be found running by the sea, swimming in it, or up a mountain. This continued as she studied and trained to become a PPA-accredited magazine journalist in Wales. And since working and living in London, she splits her time between weight training in the gym, trying new fitness classes, and finding scenic running routes. Jessica enjoys documenting this on her fitness-inspired Instagram page @jessrunshere where she loves engaging with like-minded fitness junkies.
She is a big fan of healthy cooking and loves learning more about this area with expert nutritionists she has met over the years. Jessica is a big advocate for building healthy relationships with food rather than building restrictive attitudes towards it. When she isn’t eating or running she also enjoys practicing yoga in her free time as it helps her to unwind and benefits her performance in other sports.
Latest articles by Jessica Downey
Forget shin pain — follow these 3 tips for a pain-free running experience
By Jessica Downey published
Three tips to help prevent shin splints while running.
I did 50 kettlebell upright rows every day for a week — here’s what happened
By Jessica Downey last updated
Are you a fan of upright rows? Here’s what happened when one of our writers tried completing 50 of them with a kettlebell every day for a week.
Forget crunches — this 6-move dumbbell workout strengthens your core and builds full-body muscle
By Jessica Downey published
Grab some dumbbells and try these six exercises to train your core and build muscle all over.
5 things I wish had known before getting my first road bike
By Jessica Downey published
Our writer shares some valuable tips she has learned since buying her first road bike.
I did 75 banded mountain climbers every day for a week — here’s my results
By Jessica Downey published
Mountain climbers are a great exercise for building core muscle. Here’s what happened when we tried adding a resistance band to the exercise.
How to warm up for a run — 5 running coach-approved exercises
By Jessica Downey published
We spoke to elite runner and run coach, Helen Gaunt, to find out how to warm up for a run the best way possible. Here are her five essential exercises she does before a run.
Forget big weights — all you need is 1 kettlebell and 20 minutes to build lower body muscle
By Jessica Downey published
Strengthen your legs, boost your lower body muscle, and improve your posture in just 20 minutes.
Wandrer helped gamify my running, and I think I prefer it to Strava
By Jessica Downey published
Our fitness writer found a running game that rewards you for conquering new miles. Here’s why she thinks it makes running more fun.
5 ways to avoid running injuries, according to a world class physiotherapist
By Jessica Downey published
Runners, here are five ways you can injury proof your body and reach your full potential while running, according physiotherapist Helen O'Leary.
Forget sit-ups — build a stronger core in 10 minutes with these 6 exercises
By Jessica Downey published
You can use these six exercises to tone and strengthen your core muscles and it will only take up ten minutes of your time
The best ab workouts — free ab workouts you can do from anywhere
By Jane McGuire last updated
The best ab workouts — from free ab workouts to 10-minute ab workouts, here's the best ab workouts to try.
I cycled through the Al Wathba desert in Abu Dhabi — here’s 5 ways it changed my mind about cycling
By Jessica Downey published
What happened when our writer dropped her running shoes and took to the pedals to cycle through the Al Wathba desert in Abu Dhabi.
Forget weights — improve your running with these 3 bodyweight strength exercises
By Jessica Downey published
Building and maintaining strength is essential for all runners. Here are three bodyweight exercises you don't want to miss.
Russian twist: how to do it, and the benefits for your core
By Jane McGuire last updated
How to do a Russian twist, the benefits of Russian twists, and the best modifications to try.
Plank exercise: This is how long you should hold a plank for
By Jane McGuire last updated
How long do you need to hold a plank exercise to see results? It's not as long as you think.
Training for a marathon in 2024? Here’s 5 essential tips I swear by
By Jessica Downey published
Not only do you want to stay consistent with marathon training but you want to enjoy it. Here are five top tips our writer swears by for marathon training.
9 essentials you need to pack before hiking in bad weather
By Jessica Downey published
Stay safe and sound while hiking in bad weather with these nine items.
I ran in the Saucony Ride 17 for month, and I was surprised how much I liked them
By Jessica Downey published
I put the Saucony Ride 17 running shoe to the test, even used it as my daily driver, and I don't regret it.
Forget crunches — you only need a kettlebell and 4 exercises to strengthen your core
By Jessica Downey published
Scrap sit-ups and crunches and take on these four kettlebell exercises designed to tone and strengthen your core muscles.
5 things keeping me motivated during marathon training
By Jessica Downey published
Our writer unveils the five things she relies on to maintain momentum in marathon training and enjoy every step of the journey.
Forget weights — 4 bodyweight moves for toning your core and upper body muscles
By Jessica Downey published
Using just your bodyweight and four exercises you can work your core and upper body muscles fuss-free.
I tried the Daisy Keech hourglass workout with 10 million views — here's what happened
By Jane McGuire last updated
I tried the Daisy Keech hourglass workout, one of the most viewed YouTube ab workouts - here's what happened.