If you’re having issues with your Fitbit Air’s fitness tracking accuracy, I’m here to help. I just reviewed the Fitbit Air and have been wearing one pretty much nonstop for nearly a month. I’ve tested it against numerous other wearables, as well as Strava, while walking, running, hiking, and cycling with mostly impressive results.

Of course, shiny new pieces of consumer tech often ship with “quirks” — who could forget Apple's “Antennagate” — but with a growing number of Fitbit Air users reporting issues with fitness tracking accuracy via TikTok and Reddit, it’s worth rehashing the device’s technical limitations, along with some troubleshooting tips.

So, if you’re having issues with Fitbit Air fitness tracking accuracy, try these three things.

1. Manually start your workouts from the app; don’t use auto-tracking

The Fitbit Air’s auto workout tracking needs, well, work. At present, it only logs walks, bike rides, "sports," and "other activities." Moreover, you need to spend 15-20 consecutive minutes or more doing a supported activity for tracking to kick in. That’s hardly ideal.

For instance, I'm a beginner runner who averages about two miles per outdoor session. As a result, my runs tend to be shorter than 20 minutes, which means the Fitbit Air is hit-or-miss at automatically logging them.

Fortunately, the solution to this issue is simple: If you want to ensure the Fitbit Air actually records your workout, manually start a workout session for your activity of choice in the Google Health app (formerly the Fitbit app) before beginning.

2. For accurate daily step counts, carry your phone at all times

One of the biggest complaints I've heard about the Fitbit Air is that daily step count totals are far from accurate. However, there's a good reason this might be the case.

As a reminder, the Fitbit Air lacks an onboard GPS. This means you need to carry a paired smartphone with you at all times if you want precise daily step count totals, as the Air piggybacks off your phone’s GPS signal.

3. When tracking outdoor workouts, always bring your phone

Similarly, if you want accurate run, hike, walk, or bike data in your post-workout report, you must carry your phone along; otherwise, metrics like distance and pace will be far from accurate.

In my testing, you can start an outdoor-based workout from your phone, then leave it behind, and the Fitbit Air will try its best to measure location-based stats, but the results are faaaar from reliable. It’s also worth noting that there’s no onboard altimeter in the Fitbit Air. So, like GPS, the wearable relies on a paired phone, carried with you, for that info.

Ultimately, Google might be wise to add a warning in the Google Health app when users start an outdoor workout stating that a paired phone is required for accurate data.

Alternatively, Google could simply turn off all location-based metrics in the post-workout report when no GPS or altimeter info is available. If nothing else, this might help folks better understand the technical limitations of the Fitbit Air.

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• I went for a run with the Fitbit Air and Garmin Forerunner 70 to see how the $99 tracker compared, and I’m impressed
• Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3 — which $99 fitness tracker wins?

So many of my personal training clients suffer from rounded posture, tight pecs, and poor shoulder range of motion. Desk jobs are usually the major culprit, made worse by lots of bench presses and not enough mobility work.

Sometimes I’ll give my clients a few common chest and back stretches, but there’s actually one move I prefer over stretching: quadruped thoracic rotations. This exercise opens up the entire upper body, reducing overall stiffness and enhancing spinal alignment. It’s a movement that almost anyone could benefit from, but especially those who are stuck behind a computer all day.

Below, I’ll go over how to do quadruped thoracic rotations, their benefits, and common form errors to keep in mind. Roll out your yoga mat and give them a try for yourself.

How to do quadruped thoracic rotations

Consult with your doctor before trying any new activity. This exercise can be done by most people, but beginners should consider meeting with a trainer for guidance on proper form.

You’ll just need a yoga mat to do quadruped thoracic rotations. If you have sore knees, you can place a rolled-up towel or pillow underneath them for extra cushioning.

Start by doing 5-8 rotations on each side, 3-4 times a week. As your upper body mobility improves, increase to 10 reps on each side. Gradually work your way up to doing this exercise for at least one set, 5-7 times a week.

Quadruped thoracic rotations make a great addition to your warm-up routine. They can also be done after work or long periods of sitting.

Here’s how to do them:

• Come to all fours on the mat.
• Sink your hips back towards your heels.
• Place your right hand behind the back of your head.
• Place your left hand underneath your right shoulder.
• Rotate your torso and lift your right elbow towards the ceiling.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• Continue for 5-10 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Benefits of quadruped thoracic rotations

Most of our daily life is forward, from sitting on the computer to texting on our phones. All that time spent in front of us can tighten certain muscles and weaken others. In turn, this can degrade posture, cause chronic pain and stiffness, and make us more susceptible to overuse injuries.

Quadruped thoracic rotations open up the chest, shoulders, and back in a transverse plane of motion. Sitting the hips back towards the heels stabilizes the often vulnerable lower back area, while the “rotation” increases mobility and flexibility throughout the thoracic spine.

Additionally, the “quadruped” formation engages deep core muscles like the transverse abdominis and internal obliques, which help to stabilize and support the pelvis and spinal column.

Done regularly, quadruped thoracic rotations can counteract the negative effects of sitting for long periods, promoting better range of motion in the spine and enhancing overall posture.

Common quadruped thoracic rotation form errors

Quadruped thoracic rotations aren’t hard to learn, but there are a few common mistakes that can make the exercise less effective.

Not setting the hips back towards the heels

While this may seem like a minor part of the movement, making sure you set your hips back is super important. This portion of the exercise stabilizes and protects the lower back as you rotate the torso.

If injury or mobility concerns prevent you from sitting back onto your heels, try seated thoracic rotations instead. Sit tall in a chair, engage your core muscles, cross your arms across your chest, and gently twist your torso to each side.

Moving too fast

I see it all the time: clients use quadruped thoracic rotations as a warm-up, then speed through the exercise so that they can get to the main part of their workout. But going too quickly can mean that you’re relying on momentum, not reaching the ends of your range of motion, and even setting yourself up for injury through uncontrolled movement.

Rotate through your spine slowly, and hold at the ends of your range for at least 2-3 seconds. Towards the end of each set, you can even challenge yourself to go a bit further or hold for an additional second.

Over rotating

You may not get a lot of rotational range at first, and often, beginners will try to compensate for that by shifting their hips instead of keeping them square to the mat. However, that twists the lower back, not the thoracic spine. If your lower back is tight or you’re dealing with disc issues, this can lead to pain or a worsening of your condition.

When performing quadruped thoracic rotations, focus less on the degree of rotation and more on the “stretch” you feel. Even if you’re not moving that much, if you feel the chest, shoulders, and back opening up, you’re getting the benefits of the exercise.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• I'm a weightlifting coach — 3 exercises I prefer over lunges for building strong, stable legs and knees over 40
• I tried a 7-day standing core routine. Here are the differences I noticed in my strength and posture

None of us enjoy repeating the same old routine on rinse-and-repeat, do we? Yes, you need consistency to achieve goals like building strength, growing muscle, losing fat, or getting faster at running, but some variety is also key. That could mean variations of exercises you love or adding in new moves to your program.

I've been getting bored with my program recently, so I decided to roll out one of the best yoga mats and add three new dumbbell abs exercises to my routine. Here's what happened when I swapped moves like sit-ups, bear planks and lateral shoot-throughs for something a little spicier.

If you plan to try the routine below, I recommend seeking advice from your trainer or physician first if you are working with an injury or illness, or you're pre- or postnatal.

Watch: Dumbbell abs routine

Here's the routine structure for you to follow from the gym or at home:

• 50s on/ 10s off: 2 rounds
• 45s on/ 15s off: 2 rounds
• 40s on/ 20s off: 2 rounds

I'd opt for a medium-heavy weight so that the last few reps of every exercise feel like a real push. If you're cruising through rather than achieving around 4-8 solid reps per side per move during your shorter working sets, I would recommend adding load. While they're not the most comfortable, if you don't have a few sets of weights to work with, I'd consider a set of the best adjustable dumbbells.

Here are the moves step-by-step:

• Marching dumbbell pass-under: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Brace your core, drawing your navel in while standing tall and tucking your pelvis slightly under. Lift your left knee as if marching, then pass the dumbbell under your raised leg to the opposite hand and return to standing. Raise your right knee, then pass the dumbbell under your leg again from left to right. Continue for as many reps as you can.
• Modified dumbbell windmill: Start half-kneeling with your left leg forward and your right knee resting on the mat. Sit tall through your spine and engage your core. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and press it overhead so that your weight is directly over your shoulder. Look up at the dumbbell, then slowly hinge forward at your hips and lower your right forearm to the ground, keeping the weight punched overhead. Pause, then drive upward. Remember to switch sides after a few reps to work both sides evenly.
• Inchworms with dumbbell plank pass-through: Place a dumbbell to the front left of your mat. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Slowly roll down your spine and walk your hands forward into a high plank, zipping your stomach in and pressing away with your hands. Grip the dumbbell in your right hand, then drag the weight over to the right, just behind your wrist. Repeat to the left, then walk yourself to the back of your mat and slowly roll up to stand. Repeat for max reps.

Tips for this routine

At all times move with full control over the weights; if your weights control you, it means your form could be harmed, so focus on lots of core engagement and smooth reps rather than hitting more reps. As always, quality over quantity.

Don't be afraid to go heavy with some of these moves, as you can always scale back if you need to. I would use the first round to count reps per side for each move (remember, the timings change!), then try to hit the same number on the second round. Aim to complete a few more reps on those longer rounds.

This workout hits your deep stabilizing core muscles that act as your body's natural corset to protect your spine and pelvis, but also the abs and obliques and other muscle groups like your hips, quads, shoulders and arms.

If you have tight hamstrings, bring more bend to your knees during the inchworms, but try not to rock from side to side; keep your hips square and stable and allow all the work to go through your core to draw the weight from side to side. You can always place your knees down if you prefer.

Here's what happened when I tried it for one week

I tacked this onto existing workouts for one week, gradually increasing my dumbbell weight, and man, I was humbled. These abs exercises don't look like much, but they are killer when you get your reps and load correct, which is why I recommend a practice round or two before you hit the workout for real, so you know how each move feels and what you're working with.

London is pretty hot right now, so I found I worked up a sweat even quicker than normal, but regardless, I felt this one in my core muscles for days. After a week, I was using slightly heavier weights and still loving it. However, my core didn't look any different, which I expected, of course, as core definition is pretty complicated.

If a toned midsection is your goal, there are factors like genetics, lifestyle, diet and overall energy expenditure, including how you train, to think about. Check out this handy guide on body recomposition if that's your goal. If it's not, this workout, over time, will get you a stronger, more stable core.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• No, not planks or sit-ups — here's the one abs exercise you need for elite core strength and stability without weights
• Child's pose is fine, but here are the 4 mobility exercises I use when my spine and shoulders get stiff from desk sitting
• I'm a 35-year-old personal trainer trying to build (and maintain) muscle and strength as I age: 3 essential moves I swear by

I've officially got World Cup fever, and I even bought my dog Mobie a little mini soccer ball to play with outdoors during the warmer weather in the UK. One evening recently, admittedly a little bored, I started playing with the ball and realized it's pretty similar to a Pilates ball.

Without hesitation, I rolled out one of the best yoga mats and got to work programming a quick 10-minute abs workout using just the ball for equipment. My core is still trembling now.

Get ready for a humbling core workout with very little equipment, and remember, if you experience any pain during this routine or you're unsure if you should be doing it, please seek advice first.

Watch: 10-minute abs routine

Before we get started, building a strong core means more than hitting your abs hard. For that reason, these moves target a range of muscles, including your obliques and deeper core muscles; the former support rotational and lateral movement, whereas the deeper muscles stabilize your torso and act as your body's natural corset.

You'll be performing these exercises from the side plank and bear plank position, but you can place a supporting knee down at any point if this puts too much strain on your upper body, as they all really fire up the shoulders.

Throughout, focus on pushing up and away with your shoulder and forearm or hand (whichever is supported on the mat) to help protect your shoulder joints and prevent dumping into the upper body. Think about lifting away from the mat, while actively engaging your core by bracing your stomach and drawing your navel in and up.

Move with control and focus, not speed, focusing on inhaling and exhaling as you move. Aim for 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest and 2 rounds; if you have time, add more rounds.

• Side plank crunch combo: Start in a side plank with your forearm resting on the mat and stacked beneath your shoulder. Hold the ball in your top hand. Brace your stomach, then lift your top leg into the air and touch the ball to your foot. Return to side plank, then extend your leg in front of you and reach with your hand to touch the ball to your foot. Return to center, then repeat.
• Bear plank knee squeeze: Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists. Tuck your toes and brace your stomach, then lift your knees to hover an inch or two off the mat. Step your right foot back slightly, then place the ball between your left forearm and knee. Hold it in position, keep your back flat, then squeeze and release the ball for reps. Switch sides.
• Bear plank kickbacks: Come back into your bear plank (as above) with the ball positioned between your left forearm and knee. Hold the position with your core braced, then draw your knee inward toward your nose as you push through your hands. Extend your right leg out behind you to hip level, then return to center and repeat. Remember to switch sides.
• Bear plank roll-ups: Come back to your bear plank (as above) and position the ball between your left forearm and knee. Keep your back flat and core strong as you press the ball into your forearm and roll it up and down with control. Switch sides.
• Standing warrior pulses: Stand with your left foot forward and right foot back, tucking the toes of your back foot. Lean your weight forward into your left leg. Your feet should be hip-width apart; think train tracks rather than a tightrope with your hips forward. Hinge at the hips while keeping your back flat and gaze forward. Position the ball between one hip and your stomach, then slightly lift and lower your torso to press into the ball and release. Switch sides.

What are the benefits?

I found this routine a lot more versatile and fun to explore than peddling out sit-ups and crunches. Sure, planks are nothing new, but adding the ball and some stability work into the mix tested my balance, fired up my abs and obliques and made me work even harder than usual.

The ball gives you something to focus on, as you'll need to control the action of it during every move, whether that means gripping it with one hand, pressing it into your thigh or forearm, or rolling it up and down your body. There's plenty to think about, which means you will also notice your muscles working to keep your form in check. That means plenty of core engagement and pressing through your hands to create space beneath you.

See if you can slow each of the five moves down and aim for the same number of reps per side, move and round. Really press into the ball to activate all those smaller, stabilizer muscles in the body, which will also help you to consciously contract more muscles.

I also felt this one in my shoulders and hip flexors, which can be a problem area for me as I sit behind a desk for multiple hours during the day. Strong hips and shoulders protect your posture and lower back, so I would try to include shoulder and hip work in any stretching or mobility routine you do.

Whether you enjoy running, weightlifting, Pilates, or something else entirely, a strong and stable core is crucial for helping you move safely, lift well and avoid injury, so taking the time to include exercises or routines like this will also provide longevity in the gym.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
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The benefits of chair workouts are that they allow you to train without putting too much pressure on your joints or worrying about your balance, which makes them an accessible option for seniors in particular.

These benefits do come with a downside, however, in that it can be hard to strengthen all areas of the body when training while seated.

It’s not impossible, though, as this 10-move chair workout from fitness trainer Lauren of SeniorShape Fitness shows. It’s a seated session that strengthens the whole body, and all you need is a set of light dumbbells and a chair.

Lauren is using 5lb dumbbells for the workout, but pick a weight that suits you, or you can use a couple of cans instead if you don’t have dumbbells to hand.

Whatever weights you end up using, if they feel too heavy during the session, feel free to pop them down and do the exercises without any weight.

Watch SeniorShape Fitness’ 10-move chair workout

In the video, Lauren guides you through a warm-up and cool-down as well as the workout itself, which takes around 15 minutes.

There are 10 exercises in the workout, and you do each for a minute, then rest for 15 seconds. Lauren demonstrates each upcoming move during the rest period as well, giving technique pointers throughout, so make sure you can see and hear your screen.

The session is designed to be accessible for all and is especially good if you’re trying to avoid too much impact on your joints during workouts, since you remain seated the whole time.

It’s also best done at a controlled pace — this isn’t one to rush through. Instead, focus on keeping moving throughout the working sets and engaging the right muscles with each move to challenge the target areas correctly.

To get the most out of short workouts like this, it's important to do them regularly. If you can do two or three short sessions a week, it will help you build and then maintain your strength and fitness.

Once you've spent a few weeks training with a chair, you might be able to move on to standing workouts. These are still low-impact and will help you to keep improving your strength and stability.

You can use your light dumbbell for this 10-minute workout if you are ready to try standing sessions. It's another accessible workout that helps to improve stability and balance, along with strengthening muscles all over the body.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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I’ll never be able to sing like Dua Lipa, but getting her abs has become a lifetime goal. The global star frequently posts about her workouts, and luckily for me, they are pretty easy to find, as Dua has co-founded a Pilates-based training platform named Frame Fitness, designed to make reformer Pilates more accessible.

“The one thing that keeps me grounded and keeps me fit is getting on the mat every single day,’ she told Vogue. "That’s doing Pilates, that’s doing yoga – the good thing about the Frame Reformer is that, even when I’m traveling, I can do the mat stuff.”

Taking a leaf out of Dua’s workout book, I unrolled my mat and gave this 20-minute mat Pilates class a go. Warning: it blasted my core in just six exercises. Read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re pregnant or postpartum, or you’re recovering from an injury, this might not be the workout for you. It’s always worth checking in with a qualified professional before trying something new.

What is the workout?

The workout is designed by Frame Fitness instructor Melissa Lynn. It’s a full-body workout that only takes 20 minutes to complete. You will need some extra equipment: a Pilates ball, a pair of ankle weights and a pair of wrist weights to add instability and intensity.

Here are some of the best deals on Pilates equipment to grab this Prime Day:

There are six different exercises in total. Do each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by a 20-second break. Doing a full set (including switching sides) should take you 10 minutes. Repeat the circuit for a bodyweight workout in 20 minutes.

Here are the exercises:

• Side plank and pulse on ball: Start in a side plank position, resting on your elbows with your knees stacked, and press your top hand into your Pilates ball. Lift your hips to form a straight line from your head to your knees. As you reach your hips toward the ceiling, press down into the ball, then lower with control. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
• Side plank and pulse on the ball with leg extension: This exercise follows the same sequence as above, but as you press into the ball and raise your hips, extend your top leg out diagonally towards the ceiling, then bend your knee and bring your legs back together. Lower down into your side plank and repeat.
• Ball ab crunch: Place the Pilates ball under your bra strap (or mid-back) and brace your core, curling your head, neck and shoulders up off the ball. Keep your arms in line with your shoulders extended out in front of you. Keep your abs braced throughout, sucking your belly button in towards your spine.
• Oblique crunch hold with leg lift: This exercise works the obliques. To do it, place the Pilates ball against one knee, and raise your head, neck and shoulders to use the opposite elbow to hold the ball in place. Extend the opposite leg away and repeatedly lift and lower your leg. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
• Oblique teaser: Start by resting on one side, and in one movement, lift your torso and legs into a side V-sit. Holding the Pilates ball in your top hand, extend it overhead and as you crunch, bring your top arm up so the ball meets your feet. Lower with control and repeat. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
• Reverse lunges: Place the Pilates ball under your front foot, and step the other back into a split stance. Lower into a lunge, making sure your front knee stays over your ankle. Drive through your front heel to return to your starting position. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.

What are the benefits?

This workout is no joke. With the additional instability of the Pilates ball, the deep stabilizer muscles in your core are working hard to stabilize your body as you crunch, lunge, lift and lower your legs.

As with all Pilates exercises, it’s important to move slowly and with complete control — I had to really think about keeping my core engaged throughout, squeezing my belly button into my spine and keeping my abs zipped up and in.

All of these exercises target the muscles in your core, including the deep lower abs, lower back stabilizers, glutes and pelvic floor. These deep muscles act as your body’s internal corset, protecting your spine and drastically improving your overall balance and stability.

Exercises like the reverse lunges and side planks can also help address and correct muscle imbalances, as you’ll be working one side of the body at a time. As a marathon runner who spends most of her day sitting behind a desk, my left side is much weaker than my right, and I could feel this straight away. Pilates places an immense focus on alignment, and workouts like this can help correct imbalances and improve your posture.

Of course, my abs looked the same after this 20-minute workout, but I really felt it in my core. To get Dua Lipa’s abs, you’d have to pair workouts like this with a balanced diet, enough water and a low-impact form of daily cardio like walking, as visible abs are down to your overall body fat percentage, not how many oblique teasers you can do.

Either way, this is a great workout, and one I’ll be repeating (while listening to Levitating, of course).

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• I'm a weightlifting coach — 3 exercises I prefer over lunges for building strong, stable legs and knees over 40
• I tried a 7-day standing core routine. Here are the differences I noticed in my strength and posture

While there are plenty of cooling sleep products that promise to help you fall asleep during heatwaves, the key to a cooler night's sleep could actually be on your plate. Certain foods are excellent at managing body heat — but others can trigger night sweats and overheating.

However, it can be hard to know which bedtime snacks can offer a hydration boost and which ones can lead to a stuffy, sleepless night. Even the size and timing of your evening meal can make or break your sleep.

That's why I've called on Helen Tieu, registered dietician and founder of Diet Redefined, to share the best and worst foods to sleep through heatwaves. Read on to find out which light snacks can keep you refreshed all night, plus what time you should stop eating to avoid sleeping hot.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Manage temperature by opting for water-rich foods and light, hydrating snacks such as yogurt, fruit, and protein smoothies.
• Steer clear of heavy, fried or high-fat foods close to bedtime, as they force your metabolism to work harder and generate intense internal body heat during a heatwave.
• Hydrate throughout the day and stop eating two to three hours before bed to prevent heavy digestion from raising your core body temperature.

The 2 best foods for sleeping well during heatwaves

1. Food rich in fiber and protein

The first bedtime snack that Tieu recommends is one that can top up fluid levels while ensuring your glucose levels remain consistent through the night, with studies showing a link between stable nocturnal glucose and better sleep quality.

"I would focus on lighter, cooler, hydrating snack that still include protein and fibre to help keep blood sugar stable throughout the night," the dietician recommends.

She highlights the following snacks as good options for keeping cool throughout the night:

• Greek yogurt with berries
• Protein fruit smoothie
• Fruit with cottage cheese
• Fruit with hard boiled eggs
• Salad with protein

For example, yogurt is an excellent choice as it's been shown to contain electrolytes, which assist hydration by managing fluid balance, and plenty of protein.

2. Water-rich foods

Water-rich foods, such as watermelons and celery, consist of 70% to 96% water, and Tieu says these hydration boosters can help your body manage its temperature overnight.

"Water-rich foods can help, including cucumbers, oranges, berries, tomatoes, zucchini, leafy greens, and soups served chilled," the diet expert advises.

The 3 worst foods for sleeping during heatwaves

1. Spicy and hot foods

If you're someone who likes there to be a real kick to your meals, you may want to think twice before reaching for the ultra-hot spices.

"Very spicy foods can trigger sweating or acid reflux for some people when consumed close to bedtime," warns Tieu.

The temperature of your food can also raise the temperature of your body, so make sure your meal has cooled down a little before you take a bite.

"Meals served in hot temperatures can make it harder to sleep as digestion itself produces heat, especially if the room is already warm," Tieu tells me.

2. Fried and fatty food

A lot of research has emphasized how fried, fatty food can contribute to poor sleep quality, but did you know that they can also cause hot sleeping and night sweats?

And it's all to do with a phenomenon that research calls thermogenesis, the metabolic heat generated as your body works to digest and process heavy fat.

"High-fat meals and fried foods can contribute to feeling overheated or less comfortable in bed," Tieu warns.

3. Heavy meals

Tieu warns that eating a large or heavy carbohydrate meal like spaghetti can lead to blood sugar spikes, which in turn cause night sweats.

"Not to mention heavy meals can lead to acid reflux, indigestion, or discomfort from going to bed on a full stomach," she tells me.

A dietician's top 3 rules for sleeping during a heatwave

1. Reduce fluid intake 3 hours before bed

Tieu points out the importance of drinking water throughout the day during hot weather, as it keeps you cool and hydrated. However, most of your fluid intake should be reserved for the daytime.

"It is ideal to hydrate more earlier in the day rather than drinking lots of water at night time or right before bed," the health expert advises.

While Tieu says you don't need to stop drinking in the evening completely, but it's best to avoid "chugging large amounts of fluid right before sleeping".

"I’d recommend reducing fluid intake 2 hours before bed if nighttime bathroom trips are an issue," she says.

2. Finish your dinner before 2-3 hours before bed

As mentioned above, digestion itself can raise body temperature, so Tieu advises following the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule and finishing your last meal of the day two to three hours before bedtime.

"This gives enough time for the body to digest before lying down, which can help to prevent reflux, discomfort, and feeling warm in bed," she explains.

However, while you should leave a few hours between dinner and bed, Tieu assures that it's fine to have a light bedtime snack.

"Just keep it simple with balanced whole foods, such as yogurt with berries, whole grain toast with peanut butter, cottage cheese with fruit, a protein shake, veggies and dip, or a small protein smoothie," she says.

3. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol can reduce REM sleep, but it can also exacerbate sleep issues during heatwaves, with studies finding that alcohol triggers sweating by widening blood vessels and increasing blood flow to the skin, which tricks your brain into feeling warm.

"It may initially lead to feeling more sleepy, but it can worsen sleep quality, worsen hydration and lead to worse temperature regulation overnight," warns Tieu.

More from Tom's Guide

• Experts reveal the bedroom window heatwave mistake making your sleep worse — and the 4-step cooling fix
• 4 sleep experts share how they fall asleep fast and skip waking up at 3 a.m. in hot weather — 4 steps to take tonight
• From the 'caveman method' to the 'frozen salt water fan trick' — 7 expert-approved ways to cool your bedroom and sleep well in a heatwave

We're all pretty time-poor these days, so saving a trip to the gym to roll out your mat at home is a great solution, but it's not always easy to find ab workouts you can depend on if you want to build a strong core with minimal equipment.

Before you turn to the pretty boring bank of sit-ups, crunches, or Russian twists, I strongly recommend giving my three-move core workout a try instead. You only need a dumbbell (the best adjustable dumbbells will give you more wiggle room) and roughly 15 minutes. It fits nicely onto the end of any leg or upper-body workout as a neat finisher to round off your hard work, plus it torches your abs and deep core.

Watch how to do this dumbbell abs workout step-by-step.

Watch: 3-move dumbbell workout for home

Complete two reps of each combination movement (there are three combos), then increase to four on the next round and so on. For beginners, aim to reach 10 reps per combo, then go back down the ladder again. For experienced exercisers, aim for 20.

Your core muscles help stabilize your trunk and pelvis, which means your body becomes better able to deal with balance, coordination, movement and injury. Always engage your core by drawing your navel up and in toward your spine while bracing down and directing your breath down and out. This encourages belly breathing, which engages the diaphragm, rather than reducing your breath to your chest, which is limiting.

During this workout, you'll focus on engaging and strengthening multiple core muscles, including your abs, obliques and other deeper stabilizing muscles like the transverse abdominis, as you hold, crunch and rotate your way through.

Your abs are commonly referred to as the six-pack muscles, which run along the front of your stomach and give people muscle definition. Typically they're targeted during exercises like sit-ups, but we don't want to limit the body to only targeting these muscles.

That's why we add twisting or lateral movement to focus on the lesser-known obliques — a group of superficial (external) and deeper (internal) muscles along the waist that aid rotation and lateral movement, plus the deeper stabilizing muscles responsible for protecting your spine and pelvis.

Why does this workout work?

If you constantly bang out 100s of sit-ups and crunches, you're really only strengthening a particular group of muscles, which means creating potential imbalances or weaknesses elsewhere.

I like to program workouts to work in all planes of motion, which means I have clients sitting, kneeling, standing, lying, rotating, crawling, holding, moving, not moving and everything in between.

That's how you target as many different muscle groups as possible to build true strength, endurance, posture and stability.

That said, growing muscle comes from stimulus and consistency, so remember to increase the intensity or volume of training as your body adapts. Either repeat this workout several times per week or mix the exercises into any existing routine that you follow.

Lastly, remember that control and range of motion are everything; try not to rush reps, even when it feels super spicy and challenging. Come back to your breath and focus on the quality of your reps over quantity. That might mean you even reduce your working sets or increase rest breaks at first, which is better than losing form and hurting yourself. Listen to your body, and stop if necessary.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Toms's Guide

• 5 best kettlebell exercises for beginners to build muscle and strength
• Stop doing 100s of sit-ups: I'm a personal trainer, and I use 'shoot-throughs' to build strong abs and obliques instead
• You don’t need the gym to build strength, try this 10-minute kettlebell workout instead

With homes in the UK acting like brick ovens and soaring energy bills leaving many in the US hesitant to blast the AC, the summer heatwaves are set to ruin your sleep. You need a way to cool down before bed so you don't spend the next few months sweaty, sticky and sleep deprived.

Your internal body clock relies several signals to fall asleep and one of them is temperature — your core needs to drop around 2°F / 1°C for you to drift off. But when your room is too warm, your body is unable to disperse heat efficiently. This leads to tossing and turning, which in turn causes cortisol levels to spike, leaving you vulnerable to 3 a.m. wake ups.

But a refreshing bedtime drink such as our Iced Summer Sleep Tea can help your body cool naturally, so you fall asleep fast even in a heatwave. Created by Claire Davies, Sleep Editor and Certified Sleep Science Coach, here we'll explain why this tea works, plus everything you need to make it.

How a bedtime iced tea helps you fall asleep fast in a heatwave

Our bedtime tea takes a three step approach to creating the perfect conditions to sleep in a heatwave.

First, it's cooling (both literally and mentally.) Served over ice, this tea cools the throat to provide immediate relief from the hot weather.

The menthol in the peppermint also makes you think you're cooler (without the shock of ice water.) By triggering the TRPM8 sensors in your mouth, menthol tells your nervous system that you're physically cold.

Second, it's hydrating. Slowly sipping a cooling drink replaces the fluids you've lost through sweating, keeping your body hydrated during the night. This helps you wake up energized and without the classic "heatwave headache" that comes from an under-hydrated system.

Third, it's full of sleep friendly ingredients. Chamomile is a source of sleep-inducing compound apigenin while the electrolytes from a splash of coconut water or a pinch of salt will help replenish the minerals you've lost through sweating. This in turn relaxes your muscles and calms a racing, overheated heart.

The ritual of the tea-drinking process can also help you relax before bed. But make sure to sip, rather than chug, to keep your bladder happy.

How to make an Iced Summer Sleep Tea

• Steep two chamomile tea bags and two peppermint tea bags in 500ml of boiling water for 8-10 minutes
• Remove the tea bags and add 60ml of coconut water and honey to taste
• Chill for 1-2 hours
• Serve over ice and sip roughly one hour before bed

Below are the detailed instructions to brew an Iced Summer Sleep Tea but don't worry, it's super simple. And if you keep scrolling, you'll find everything you need to make it.

Brew the tea (10 mins prep)
Place two chamomile tea bags and two peppermint tea bags into a heat proof pitcher. Pour over 500 ml of boiling water. Leave to steep for 8 to 10 minutes to extract the maximum amount of apigenin (a sleep-inducing antioxidant) and menthol.

Add a mineral boost (1 min prep)
Remove the tea bags and, while the tea is still warm, add 60ml of pure coconut water as a mineral boost to supercharge the tea with sleep-supporting electrolytes like potassium and magnesium. Alternatively, add 60ml of soda water and a pinch of natural sea salt.

Add honey (1 min prep)
Stir in one tablespoon of raw honey (or sweeten to your personal taste) until completely dissolved. Science tell us that natural sugars slightly raise insulin levels, making it easier for the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan to enter the brain.

Let it chill (2 to 3 hours)
Allow the pitcher to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to chill completely for roughly two to three hours before you drink it.

Start drinking around 90 minutes before bed
Pour the chilled tea into a tall glass over large ice cubes. Sip it slowly over a period of 30 minutes, and around 90 minutes before when you want to sleep.

This allows the sleepy compounds to get to work while ensuring the liquid has passed through your system before bed, so you won't be woken up in the night because you need the bathroom.

What you'll need to make an Iced Summer Sleep Tea

For the highest concentration of apigenin to quiet the nervous system, we recommend using teas made with intact chamomile heads, rather than chamomile dust (but you might need your own tea filters.)

And opt for pure peppermint tea for the biggest cooling pay off. Whole leaves such as the Teapigs Peppermint Leaves are best, as they contain more menthol oil for that tingly fresh sensation.

For electrolytes and minerals, we suggest pure coconut water — a potassium boost with a touch of sweetness. Alternatively, use a pinch of natural saa salt for minerals without an unwelcome bite of sodium (Those on low sodium diets should opt for coconut water or skip this step.) And don't forget a spoonful of honey.

The equipment is simple but a heatproof glass pitcher is a must, so you can pour boiling water straight in without worrying about cracking (thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass is best.) We also recommend big ice molds which melt slower, keeping your drink crisp without watering it down. And for the final touches; insulated glasses and stirring sticks.

US shopping list

UK shopping list

Summary

If your usual mug of steaming chamomile tea looks less than appealing in the heat, our cooling alternative offers the same benefits without leaving you hot and bothered.

It also gives you what's likely to be a much needed hydration boost before bed. Alternatively, try TikTok favorite the sleepy girl mocktail, which uses tart cherry juice for a sleep-boost.

While the sun sets and your tea brews, cool your house by throwing open the windows and doors to create a cross breeze (but close your windows in the morning, to lock in any cool air.)

Put your lotions in the fridge while you take a lukewarm shower — your post-wash routine will feel like bliss on your skin. And if you want a snack with your drink, try a kiwi for a boost of serotonin.

When you think about ab workouts, chances are your brain will immediately think of endless sit-ups and crunches, lying prone on your exercise mat. While both exercises do a great job of working the six-pack muscles along the front of your core, they aren’t the best at building functional fitness, as you probably don’t find yourself lying on your back and crunching much in your day-to-day life.

This is why strength and run coach Melissa Kendter wants you to swap the exercise for the bear plank pull-through. “Reminding women this exercise is 100x more effective than crunches,” she writes on Instagram.

“Crunches train your abs in isolation. Bear plank pull-throughs train your core the way we actually use it,” she adds. As a female runner myself, I added this powerhouse ab exercise to my strength training routine for a month — read on to find out what happened next.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re recovering from an injury, or you’re pregnant or postpartum, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.

How to do a bear plank pull-through

All you’ll need for this exercise is a weight of some kind. You can check out the best adjustable dumbbells for your home workouts here, or you can use anything heavy, like a book or a milk carton.

In her video demonstration, Kendter is using a kettlebell. Remember, the right weight for you will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps.

Here’s how to do the bear plank pull-through with good form:

• Place a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell to one side of you, and start on all fours. Make sure your wrists are stacked underneath your shoulders, and your knees are in line with your hips.
• Squeeze your core, thinking about sucking your belly button into your spine, and push through your hands to raise into a bear plank, hovering your knees a few inches from the floor.
• Check your form: your hips should be completely still, and your back should be straight. Imagine you have a drink balanced on the small of your back — it shouldn’t spill.
• Reach under and across your body with the opposite hand to grab the weight and drag it underneath your body while staying lifted in the bear plank. Repeat on the opposite side.
• Keep switching sides until you have completed the same number of reps on each side.

What are the benefits?

You’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with this move. “As a runner (and honestly for women in general), this move is 100x more functional because it builds deep core stability, hip and shoulder strength, anti-rotation control, balance and coordination, better posture when fatigued, and pelvic/core connection without endless crunches,” says Kendter.

If you think about your posture as you run and walk, you aren’t in a crunch. Instead, your core has to work to stabilize your pelvis and resist rotation as you move, helping you stay balanced and run more efficiently.

This is an elite anti-rotation exercise that challenges your core by firing up your obliques and deep transverse abdominis to keep your body stable as you move. You’ll also be challenging your glutes and shoulders, as well as your quads, to keep you stable in the isometric hold.

I added this move to my routine for a month, and was humbled

I was humbled by this exercise. I’ve run six marathons, and I do Pilates a few times a week, so I thought this move would be easy. I was wrong. I had to really focus on keeping my hips steady as I dragged my dumbbell underneath my torso while holding the bear plank. I found I had to do five reps on each side before stopping to drop my knees down to the floor and reset to ensure I was moving with good form.

I spend a lot of time sitting down behind my desk, and have sciatica, so a tight lower back is a common occurrence. I often struggle to keep my hips level in traditional planks, but the bent-knee setup of the bear plank made it easier for me to ensure my back was flat.

Over the course of this challenge, the deep core shake I got throughout this exercise didn’t subside, although I definitely improved my form. Of course, my abs look the same — visible abs are the result of a low body fat percentage, not endless bear planks, but my deep core feels stronger, and I found I could really think about engaging my abs on the run. Give this one a go. You won’t regret it.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• I'm a weightlifting coach — 3 exercises I prefer over lunges for building strong, stable legs and knees over 40
• I tried a 7-day standing core routine. Here are the differences I noticed in my strength and posture

Recently, I had a random thought: what if I swapped dumbbells for my dog during workouts? So, ever curious to try new things with my training, I gave it a try.

I didn't think Mobie (that's my dog) would appreciate anything high-intensity, but a three-move mobility routine felt like a great place to start, as mobility combines strength and control (with or without load) to improve balance, stability, and range of motion in the body.

Mobie weighs 5kg (roughly 11lbs), so I knew I'd be able to perform some of the best mobility exercises I know using her safely. I like to perform mobility routines at least twice per week, as this helps me not only build but maintain results, so I repeated this several times, keeping the sets and reps consistent each time.

If you're keen to find out what happened, I documented it below and show you how to try it for yourself.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, or you're currently pregnant or postnatal, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

Watch: 3-move mobility routine

The goal with any mobility routine is to protect the body against injury and the natural decline in strength, balance, and stability that comes with aging. Call it a longevity routine, if you will.

This is also important for maintaining healthy fascia, a web of connective tissue that helps hold everything together, like your bones, muscles, and organs. Tight fascia increases friction, and mobility work helps reduce this using movement.

The routine: You'll need one of the best yoga mats and time to complete 3-4 sets and 8-10 reps.

• Wide-leg lifts: Sit upright with your legs wide apart until you feel a stretch down the inner thighs. Sit tall with your spine long and core braced, shoulders relaxed. Place something (or someone!) inside of your right foot at a challenging height setting. With control, lift your foot up and over to the other side, then back again. Complete reps on one side, then swap to the other leg.
• Cossack squats: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and hold a weight to your chest. Take a big step to the right side with your right leg, toes pointed forward, and bend the knee to lower into a lunge. Keep your back straight and chest lifted, lowering as far as you can. Pause, then drive up through your legs and step to standing. Repeat on the other side.
• Windshield wiper hip extensions: Sit with your legs bent at 90 degrees, similar to a 90-90 stretch position, and hold a weight to your chest. Keep your spine long and core engaged. Sweep your knees over to the opposite side, then lift your hips and butt into the air and squeeze your glutes. Pause, then carefully lower to the ground and sweep your knees in the opposite direction. Continue alternating.

What are the benefits?

Each of these exercises is beneficial for lower-body mobility, core stability and healthy hips.

Wide-leg lifts: This is an effective hip flexor strengthener, as you must lift and lower your leg with control. You don't need to place anything there to begin with, but using a dumbbell, yoga block, or similar as a target is useful to ensure you lift far enough each time and creates a challenge as you progress.

Cossack squats: These are killer for the legs, glutes, hips, core and even the upper body, as you sit your butt low while lifting your chest, balancing and stretching the inner thighs. Your entire lower body will feel this one, and not only does it increase mobility, but also strength and power in the legs, especially when loading the move.

Windshield hip extensions: Building space and strength around your hips is crucial for proper movement mechanics, and the 90-degree position of your legs does this while also activating the gluteal muscles. The added benefit is that you'll lift your hips and squeeze your glutes at the top, adding hip extension and further glute work to the movement.

Give yourself enough time to really work through and control these movements, rather than rushing.

Combined into one routine, you'll build stronger hips, groin, adductors and glutes while challenging your range of motion and ability to control strength-based movements.

Adjust the reps and sets as necessary, and play around as I did, with weights and equipment. You can stick to using your bodyweight, but if the moves feel too easy, adjust, even if that means testing a few out with your pooch.

It's important to keep your core active and spine long throughout, so try to avoid any hunching over, especially in seated positions, where posture is lost very quickly.

I had great fun getting Mobie involved in this one, and she offered the perfect amount of weight (and cuddles) to make these already challenging moves more so. Not only did I focus on controlling the exercises and moving slowly, but I also contended with keeping her safely steady at my chest, meaning I was actually really focusing on these moves.

Besides, any excuse to give my dog an extra cuddle, right?

Give these a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• Stop doing 100s of sit-ups: I'm a personal trainer, and I use 'shoot-throughs' to build strong abs and obliques instead
• I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk

We're heading into the freezing cold weather season in most inhabited parts of Australia, and I'm about to dust off my fuzz-lined slippers to get some seriously good wear in over the next three months.

Aussie-made Ugg boots are the perfect shoes for any wintery occasion, no matter if you're chucking them on as a just-outside-the-front-door shoe or actively sporting them out and about.

That said, sometimes Uggs can come with a hefty price tag, as they're often made with Aussie sheepskin for the ultimate cosy bliss. However, I've found some stellar slipper deals from retailers and brands like Amazon, Ugg Express, Skechers and Crocs to hopefully help you (and your wallet) find your next pair of winter warmers for less.

To get your shoe-shopping on, I've gathered 15 toe-tapping deals worth grabbing right now.

Temperatures are soaring, the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting a "hotter-than-usual" summer for much of the US, and the UK is experiencing record-breaking heat. How are you meant to sleep with all that going on?

Here at Tom's Guide, we know a thing or two about struggling to sleep in the heat. In last year's heatwaves we were left restless, awake at 3 a.m. and trying every cooling sleep hack that drifted across our algorithm. This year, we're putting that pain to good use by curating the sleep tips that actually work and enjoying good rest even during the hottest nights of the year.

Below are the best of the best tips for sleeping in hot weather, tried, tested and approved by our sleep team. (Including hacks you can try out tonight, no purchase necessary.) So close your curtains, fill your ice cube maker, and enjoy sweet dreams of the Arctic Circle...

Key takeaways

• Use the caveman method: close the windows and curtains during the day to keep warm air out and open them up overnight to let cool air in.
• Feel cozy while sleeping cool: Dress your bed in a breathable top sheet to create a feeling of security without stuffiness.
• Go natural: Check the labels on your bedding and pajamas, then swap out synthetic fibers for natural fabrics such as cotton and bamboo.
• Harness any and all breezes: Place your fans facing an open window to create a cross breeze, or freeze a bottle of salt water and place it in the path of a desk fan to supercharge the cooling.
• Try the inverse hot water bottle hack: Half-fill your hot water bottle with water and freeze it. Place the frozen bottle by your feet for quick and effective cooling.

How to keep your bedroom cool in a heatwave: Expert tips

1. Try the 'caveman method'

"Having spent seven swelteringly hot summers in Sydney, my number one sleep tip is to close your bedroom window, blinds and doors during the day.," says Nicola Appleton, Sleep Editor.

This is known as the caveman method (because caves are cold and dark — get it?) and while it might seem counterintuitive, it's one of the best ways to cool your house during a heatwave.

On a hot, still day an open window simply lets more unwelcome warmth into the house. Closing your windows and your curtains keeps any lingering coolness from the night inside the house, for you to soak up, while blocking out sweltering air.

2. Open your windows and curtains at night

There's an important step two to the caveman method...

"When the outside temperatures drop lower than the indoor temperatures, open the window wide and allow the cool air to flow through," says Nicola. "And not just the window in your bedroom. Open windows on the opposite side of the house to create cross ventilation."

"I hate any light in my room when I'm sleeping but in a heatwave, I'll fling my curtains open at night to ensure lots of cool air can flow through," says Ruth Jones, Senior Sleep Writer. "I use an eye mask made of breathable materials to block out most of the light, so I get a comfortable balance of cool and dark."

Use your dual sash windows (if you have them)
“I used to live in a beautiful Victorian apartment with no AC but I did have dual-sash windows, and they were excellent for keeping my bedroom cool in summer," adds Claire Davies, Managing Editor of Sleep and Certified Sleep Science Coach.

“With these, you can open the window equally at the top and the bottom. Rising hot air gets sucked out the top of the window, and crisp, cooler air comes in the bottom, creating a natural convection current.”

3. The inverse hot water bottle rapid cooling hack

“I have a major issue with people putting their bed sheets in the freezer – mold on my mattress is just not worth it, thanks. But I do like the frozen hot water bottle trick when done correctly," says Claire.

“Here you fill a rubber hot water bottle with cold water to around halfway (if you fill it completely, the ice will expand and burst the hot water bottle), then lay it flat in the freezer for a few hours."

“Before heading up to bed, put the cold water bottle in a towel," she advises. "Place another thick towel at the foot of your mattress, where your feet will lie. Slide the bottle into its cover (or a thin pillowcase) just before you get into bed, then rest your feet on it once you’re in bed.

“This cools the blood in the vessels in your feet, helping to lower your body temperature so that you can fall asleep faster during the heatwave," she explains. For another way to cool your feet quickly, try keeping your socks in the freezer (put them in a bag first, to keep them away from your food.)

Freezing a hot water bottle can weaken the materials so avoid using it for hot water at a later date.

4. Turn your fan toward the window

No AC? A fan is the next best solution to quickly cool a room. But don't just point your fan at the bed. We've tried a better solution: direct your fan toward an open window. This pushes the hot air from your room out while helping cold air be drawn in.

For the most effective set up, try the two fan method. Open two windows: one in your bedroom and one on the opposite side of the house. Place one fan facing out towards an open window, and the other fan facing in towards the room by the second window. Turn both fans on to create cross ventilation and a consistent cooling breeze.

OR direct your fan at the wall or ceiling
If you don't have the windows (or fans) to make the above method work, try Frances's trick and turn your fan toward the ceiling or wall.

While having the fan facing your bed will give you the quickest stream of cool air, it also directs a blast of dust and other allergens directly at your face. This can lead to itchy eyes and sneezing.

By allowing the air to move around the room, you won't get the same concentration of allergens, for cooler sleep without the coughing.

5. Small fan? Try the ice water bottle trick

“One my mum taught me: freeze a few small bottles of water, and put a generous helping of salt inside each one before sealing them. Once the bottles are fully frozen, wrap them in a damp, thin cloth and stand them in front of your fan," says Claire.

“Salt lowers the freezing point of water, so these bottles will get significantly colder than ice cubes – and they will stay frozen for longer," she adds. "So you’ll feel the benefit of them for hours instead of minutes."

"I only have a small fan so unless it's point directly at my face, it can't keep me cool in the night," says Ruth. "Placing frozen bottles, or even a handful of ice cubes in a bowl, in front of it really ramps up the cooling power.

Why the damp cloth? "It catches condensation so you don't end up with a puddle on your nightstand come morning," explains Claire.

6. Ditch heavy bedding and sleep under a breathable top sheet

"Another tip I swear by is ditching the duvet and comforter in favor of a cooling and breathable flat sheet, like the DOZ Bamboo Flat Sheet," says Nicola.

"I don't really feel safe at night unless I have something covering me but a cooling sheet feels feather-light against my skin, allowing me to drop off quickly," she explains.

7. Upgrade your bedding to natural materials

"Check the material composition of your bedding, including bed sheets, pillowcases, mattress protectors, and eye masks," advises Frances Daniels, Senior Sleep Writer. "I used to use satin pillowcases and eye masks, plus polyester bed sheets and pjs, during heatwaves until I realized they were causing me to feel uncomfortably warm."

While you might be tempted to ditch the pajamas altogether, the fabric helps sweat dissipate so you cool down faster. When you're naked, sweat instead sits on the skin causing that uncomfortably clammy sensation.

"I now use natural materials like cotton, silk, linen, and bamboo-viscose," says Frances. "These have built-in breathability, allowing hot air to circulate and cool."

And this doesn't have to mean an expensive shopping trip: check the labels on the sheet sets and pajamas forgotten in the back of your cupboard.

Why is it so hard to sleep in a heatwave?

You're sweaty, you're frustrated, and your pillow feels like it's fresh out of the oven — no wonder it's so hard to sleep in a heatwave.

But hot weather impacts your sleep beyond discomfort. It's also a fly in the ointment of the internal processes that control our sleep-wake cycle.

In the evening, your body naturally starts to lower in temperature by roughly 2°F / 1°C. This mimics the natural temperature drop between day and night while indicating to your circadian rhythm (your internal body clock) that it's time to sleep.

During a heatwave, however, your body can't successfully lose that heat. An increased ambient temperature keeps you warm and disrupts your body clock's wind-down process.

High overnight temperatures have also shown a decrease in sleep efficiency. In other words, when you do fall asleep, you're more likely to wake up in the night.

As someone who lives in the UK, it’s true to say I don’t often have to worry that much about sunburn, at least when I’m not on holiday.

However, heatwaves do occur — the UK is currently melting thanks to 100+℉ temperatures, and as a keen runner I spend a lot of time outdoors all year round, so I do keep an eye out for risky conditions.

Recently I came across the free ConnectIQ SunAlert app, which gives very precise advice about your risk of sunburn at any time, based on the current UV index, the activity you have planned and the strength of sunscreen you’re using.

I downloaded it to my Garmin Forerunner 970 to use during the UK heatwave, and the SunAlert app is available on almost all of the best Garmin watches.

Helpful advice based on conditions and your skin type

The app is naturally only to be used for advice — it’s not definitive guidance and doesn't claim to be — but it does give a set amount of time you can spend in the sun before you risk burning.

This advice is based on the UV index, as reported by the weather forecast on your Garmin watch, as well as the skin type you have set in the SunAlert app, which is based on the six Fitzpatrick skin types.

The app shows how long it will take before you burn, along with an estimate of how long it will take before you start tanning, for those in the sun for that purpose.

If you’re outside for a certain activity, like swimming or snow sports, you can set this in the app, along with the SPF of your sunscreen from 15-100, and this will then adjust the estimated time to burn.

Once you’ve got everything set up, you can start your session in the sun and then get notified when you’ve hit the predicted time that you will start burning.

The app also logs how much vitamin D it thinks you have taken in while outside and gives a target to work towards each day, which will be a useful tool for the long UK winter.

Sunburn comes on faster than you think

Perhaps the most useful aspect of the app for me has been that it shows how little time you actually need to spend in the sun to risk burning, especially if you have a fairer skin type like mine.

If I’m only going out for a 45-minute run and it’s late morning, I’ll usually not bother with sunscreen, but the app shows that even with a moderate UV index of 5, I’d risk sunburn during that run if I was exposed the whole time.

Once the UV index gets into the high or very high range, even half an hour outdoors is risky without sunscreen, so the app has pushed me to be more diligent in applying it before all my runs.

I find it just helps to have the numbers so plainly laid out, even if they are estimates, and you can set the Sun Alert app up as a widget on your watch to get info on the risk of sunburn quickly.

It’s a completely free app and works with most Garmin watches — there are a couple of new models it’s not on yet, like the Garmin Forerunner 170 — so it’s definitely one I think is worth adding even just to survive the current UK heatwave, or to use all the time if you live in sunnier climates.

We're tracking all the best Prime Day smartwatch deals

If you're having trouble sleeping, there's no better resource than the experts. Board-certified sleep specialists can offer personalized and effective science-backed sleep guidance based on your unique health and lifestyle factors — if you can access a professional, that is.

However, many people are turning their backs on medical professionals for the convenience of AI. Research shows that 15% of the UK consult AI chatbots instead of a doctor, while a survey found that 49% of insured Americans have asked AI tools for medical advice. But can can a chatbot ever truly fix your insomnia?

To find out, I asked three of the most popular AI-generative assistants — Gemini, ChatGPT, and Copilot — the same request for sleep health advice. I then called on Mattress Firm's Dr Jade Wu, a board-certified sleep specialist, to evaluate and rate each response. Here's what she had to say and why AI's response might seem good at first but can't delve beneath the covers to provide long-lasting help.

My experience with Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT

To see whether AI chatbots can actually give sound sleep advice, I asked Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT the exact same question, prefaced with the prompt; "Act as a board-certified sleep doctor," to ensure each assistant knew I wanted it to replicate expert-level advice. Here's the full prompt:

"Act as a board-certified sleep doctor. I average 6 hours of sleep a night and have an erratic bedtime and wake-up schedule. In 3 actionable steps, advise me on how I can fall asleep fast, sleep through the night and increase my average sleep duration to 7 hours a night."

Each one delivered guidance in an instant and that split-second response set off alarm bells. But then I read the responses...

I frustratingly couldn't find any flaws. To me, each answer offered sound recommendations, with tips that seemed to come straight out of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) textbook (and, on reflection, quite probably did.)

"If you're awake in bed for roughly 20–30 minutes, get up and do something quiet in dim light until you feel sleepy again," said ChatGPT, bringing up the gold-standard sleep rule.

"Get 10–15 minutes of outdoor light within the first hour of waking — this accelerates melatonin shutoff and makes it easier to fall asleep at night," advised Copilot, displaying knowledge about our circadian rhythm and the morning sunlight rule (...that I already follow.)

"Waking up at the same time every day builds 'sleep drive' (the biological hunger for sleep) throughout the day," Gemini told me, promoting the sleep consistency that experts have always championed.

Still, some cracks started to show. For a start, I was being given advice I already followed, rather than being questioned on my routine.

Gemini was also the only AI that came with a flat-out disclaimer to remind me that it's not a doctor. (However, Copilot did mention that if experiencing persistent insomnia, loud snoring, or breathing pauses at night, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional — but this caveat wasn't as prominent as Gemini.)

"This is for informational purposes only", warned Gemini at the beginning of its answer. "For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional."

And when I showed all three responses to Dr Wu, she highlighted all the ways that disclaimer rang true.

A board-certified sleep doctor rates sleep advice from 3 AI assistants

Is ChatGPT sleep advice trustworthy?

When evaluating ChatGPT's advice, the first thing Dr Wu noticed was its lack of a disclaimer.

"Instead, it just launched right into advice with 'I' sentences spoken from the perspective of a medical professional," the board-certified doctor pointed out. "I don't love that."

While Dr Wu did say that ChatGPT's sleep guidance was "mostly evidence-based and sound", she tells me that the problem lies in its generalizing.

"It did not ask any follow up questions to try to figure out what exactly the sleep problem is, making its advice generic and not necessarily relevant — it may even backfire," she warned.

Dr Wu's ChatGPT rating: 2 out of 5

Is Copilot and Gemini's sleep advice trustworthy?

First of all, Dr Wu is pleased that both Copilot and Gemini did come with the caveat that it's always best to speak to a healthcare professional, but both still suffered from one-size-fits-all responses.

"They're better than ChatGPT's rating because at least there are disclaimers, but it's not 5 because, again, it did not do any assessment to see what the sleep problem actually is and what other contextual factors might be at play," she says.

Follow up questions the sleep expert herself would ask include "Are there any other symptoms, like signs of sleep apnea?" and " What have they already tried, and how well did it work?" She would also delve into daytime habits (such as whether the person naps) and work schedules, and why my question is fixated on getting 7 hours of sleep if I feel rested.

"Depending on the person's age, lifestyle, genetics, and many other factors, 6 hours might be enough, or perhaps even 7 is not enough," Dr Wu says.

"And we're just scratching the surface...I haven't even gotten to co-morbid health conditions, social factors and family history," she adds.

Dr Wu's Copilot and ChatGPT rating: 3 out of 5

Did any of the AI assistants provide good sleep advice?

While all AI assistants presented oversimplified advice without taking into account personal factors such as age, genetics, and lifestyle, Dr Wu didn't have any major concerns about the advice itself at a surface level.

"I like that all the models started with anchoring the wake up time and stabilizing sleep-wake schedule," she tells me. "The morning light exposure and evening wind-down period are also very good."

"All of them provide 'okay' advice in the sense that none of it is egregiously wrong, and there are some reasonably universal tips that would be good for almost everyone, such as stabilizing wake timing if possible," she continues.

That said, she admits that she can't look past the lack of questioning. Depending on what the sleep problem is, the advice could be "very different, or even opposite," she says.

"None of them even begin to try to understand what the real sleep problem might be," the sleep specialist says. "And all of them take the person's prompt question at face value, without pushing back at all or questioning the assumptions in the question itself. "

Dr Wu's 3 tips on how to ask AI for health advice

1. Be specific with your questions

According to Dr Wu, most flaws in the AI assistant's advice are a result of a vague or uninformed question you've asked. That might mean you're missing the real issue with your sleep or getting advice you already follow (see Copilot telling me to go outside in the morning.)

But without sleep advisor training, it's hard to identify these gaps in your knowledge.

"The main thing to remember is that you don't know what you don't know," she explains. "And that's not your fault! If you're not a Board-certified sleep clinician, why would you understand sleep neuroscience or clinical treatment at a deep level?"

2. Don't let faulty assumptions guide your questioning

There are lots of assumptions around what 'healthy sleep' looks like. But Dr. Wu points out that sometimes these assumptions are wrong, and she uses my 'fall asleep fast' prompt to illustrate this.

"Falling asleep fast is not necessarily a good thing," she explains. "In fact, it may indicate being sleep deprived, having sleep apnea, or having another problem."

So before you start grilling ChatGPT, remember that a healthy sleep onset latency is 15 to 30 minutes and falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow is likely a sign of sleep deprivation. Be clear, keep to the facts and share relevant details to get better advice.

3. Make the AI model push back or ask questions

As mentioned above, Dr Wu says that follow-up questions are a sign of a good sleep advisor.

"If the model doesn't push back on your assumptions or doesn't ask a lot of good follow up questions to figure out your holistic sleep situation, then you're not going to get good advice," she warns. "You may even get advice that backfires or delays you from getting real sleep diagnostics done."

While the AI chatbot can give you an overview of general sleep hygiene tips, without drilling into your exact circumstances, it's never going to get to the root of your sleep problems. For that, it's worth the effort of finding a specialist.

I was first introduced to sled pushes while training for my first HYROX. That strip of astroturf running through the middle of the gym looked intimidating enough, but loading a sled up and pushing it back and forth? Even worse.

As part of my training, it had to be done. I did it, survived it, and happily walked away thinking I'd never have to touch a sled again. It wasn’t until I spoke to Hollywood trainer Ramona Braganza, whose clients include Zac Efron, Jessica Alba, Kate Beckinsale and Bradley Cooper, about how she trains her A-list clients that she recommended switching my routine.

Her advice? Add sled pushes back into my routine for 30 days. I wasn't exactly thrilled.

But, like anything, there was a method to her madness as she explained that, at 43, sled pushes offer something many of us need more of: lower-body strength, power and cardiovascular fitness, all without placing excessive stress on the joints.

And she treats her clients, including Zac, the same. As we reach our 40s, constantly pounding the pavement or chasing heavier and heavier squats isn't always the smartest option. "Maintaining lower-body strength is one of the most important things we can do for longevity, mobility, balance and everyday function," says Braganza.

30 days later, I was surprised by what happened.

How to do a sled push

"A sled push will torch calories while targeting the glutes, legs, core and back in a highly functional way. Think of it as the gym version of pushing a heavy piece of furniture across the room," says Braganza.

Here's how:

• Place your forearms on the upper third of the sled poles, with your fingers facing down and your hands wrapped around the poles.
• Lean into the sled, pushing your shoulders through so your head and shoulders are positioned over the middle of it. Put as much of your bodyweight over the sled as possible and, as Braganza advises, "keep your chest lifted and your core engaged."
• Keeping a neutral spine, "drive through the balls of your feet and press into the sled poles to move the sled," explains Braganza.
• Focus on pushing with controlled power rather than trying to sprint from the start. Continue taking small, controlled steps until the sled is entirely beyond the 12.5m mark. "Don't rush the movement," she says. "The goal is to stay strong and controlled throughout."
• Once you've reached the end, step away from the sled and walk around to the other side. Then repeat the same steps, pushing the sled back in the opposite direction.

What did I notice after 30 days?

At first, I hated the attention that came with pushing a sled up and down the middle of the gym floor. Or at least, I thought people were paying attention.

Very quickly, though, I remembered that everyone has their own agenda in the gym and they certainly aren't watching me.

Once I'd got over my self-consciousness and embraced the fact that I could disappear into my own little bubble of intensity for a few minutes, I actually started to enjoy it.

So, after 30 days of sled pushes, here are the five things I've noticed.

1. My legs got stronger without heavy squats

Sled pushes seriously hit my quads, glutes and hamstrings without loading my spine. They require pure leg power, yet place very little stress on the joints.

"They also support knee and hip stability whilst really getting your heart rate up," explains Braganza.

After four rounds of a 30-metre push with just one minute's rest between efforts, my legs were on fire, especially my quads and glutes. My calves took a pretty big hit, too.

The good news? I quickly felt my lower-body strength improving and, by week two, I was comfortably completing six rounds instead of four.

As someone who loves running outside the gym, I found that reassuring. Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that sled pushing can improve lower-body power and sprint performance in trained athletes, which helps explain why it has become such a staple in athletic training programmes.

2. My conditioning skyrocketed

I expected sled pushes to strengthen my legs. What I didn't expect was how breathless they would leave me.

Within seconds, my heart rate was through the roof, and by the end of each round, I was gasping for air. After just a few weeks, though, I noticed I was recovering faster between efforts and feeling less winded during other workouts.

Sled pushes are a bit of a cheat code because they combine strength and cardio into one brutally effective exercise.

"The intensity of sled pushes elevates heart rate and metabolic rate, working your anaerobic systems and improving VO2 max," explains Braganza. "This not only makes you more efficient at aerobic activities, but also makes sled pushes an effective component of fat loss programmes."

Expect to work your entire body, too. "The movement challenges the glutes, hip flexors, shoulders, chest, quads, hamstrings and abs simultaneously, whilst burning a ton of calories," she adds.

3. My core got stronger without sit-ups or crunches

When most people think about core training, they probably picture planks, sit-ups, or endless crunches. Sled pushes, however, made sure my abs were working overtime without a single sit-up.

Every push demands full-body tension and anti-rotation strength, meaning your core has to work hard to keep your body stable and moving in the right direction. I could feel it not just in my abs, but in my obliques and lower back too.

According to Braganza, this type of training can help improve balance, posture and power.

"Pushing a sled mimics real-life movements such as pushing a heavy object or accelerating from a stationary position," she explains. "By reinforcing these movement patterns, sled pushes help improve coordination, balance and overall functional fitness in everyday life."

4. My calorie burn increased, too

Think HIIT meets strength training. Sled pushes are brutally effective for raising your heart rate while simultaneously challenging your muscles, making them a powerful tool for anyone looking to improve fitness and increase energy expenditure.

I was dripping in sweat within minutes, particularly when Braganza paired sled pushes with resistance exercises. "Perform squats for 60 seconds, then push the sled for 20 meters," she told me. "Rest for 60 seconds and repeat for three rounds."

The beauty of sled training is its versatility. You can pair sled pushes with upper-body exercises such as push-ups or rows, allowing your legs some recovery while keeping your heart rate elevated.

This approach is known as Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) training, where upper and lower-body exercises are performed back-to-back. "PHA training forces the cardiovascular system to work harder by continually pumping blood between the upper and lower body," explains Braganza. The result is a demanding workout that builds strength, improves conditioning and burns plenty of calories in a relatively short time.

5. My knees didn't moan

I do more than enough running outside of the gym, so sled pushes felt like a refreshing change. They delivered all the legwork I needed without the pounding that often comes with logging miles on the road.

The best part? Despite the intensity, my knees and joints never complained.

"The low-impact nature of the sled teaches strength, control and athleticism without risking injury or exacerbating existing joint problems," says Braganza.

"Despite its intensity, it's a low-impact exercise that's gentle on the joints, making it an excellent option for those over 40 who want to build strength, speed and explosive power without overloading their bodies."

What I learned over 30 days

What I learnt after 30 days is that the sled push is one of those love/hate total-body exercises, yet it quickly became one of my favorite ways to build whole-body strength without placing excessive stress on the joints.

Unlike many traditional gym exercises, sled work requires you to support and move your body under load while generating force through the feet, legs, hips and core. Every stride places meaningful stress through the lower body, while your cardiovascular system has to work hard to drive the sled from one end of the track to the other.

It was hard graft, but it was also a game-changer for my running form, fitness and confidence.

"So this weekend, go find that sled hiding somewhere in your gym and give it a push."

The sled push might look simple, but done properly, it's one of the most effective full-body exercises for building strength and conditioning. Don't be shy! Get out of your comfort zone and give it a go.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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The mercury is rising over here in the UK, with temperatures predicted to spill over 100F this week, so I decided to get ahead by buying the accessory I've seen people all over town wearing: a wearable fan. It's already helping me keep my cool — and can do the same for you this summer.

I've worn my JISULIFE Portable Neck Fan while working from home (where I don't have A/C), at the park, on a sunny day out in the city after over 5 miles of walking while pushing my toddler in the stroller, and even while riding a steam train.

At the end of my walk up a steep street home (for context, I live near one of Europe's steepest residential streets, which has a 25% incline), my neighbor complimented me on my "cool headphones" before being even more impressed that it was actually a slick, bladeless neck fan.

What I like most about this fan is the fact that it cools me around my neck. This sounds like an obvious point, but it's the key to its success in my book. For years, when I've got home feeling hot and sweating, I've found the most relief by splashing cool water on my pulse points — particularly my wrists, back of my neck, face and chest. This fan hits them all.

You feel most of the breeze on your face, especially if you have longer hair worn down, and my only complaint is that there's not a larger vent at the back for an extra-big blast at that pulse point — but I've got a hack for that.

When walking up a particularly steep street in the sun yesterday, I had my fan on full blast but really craved a back-of-the-neck chill, so I simply adjusted the fan by 90 degrees to angle the larger fans to the back of my neck and under my chin. It worked like a charm, and stayed on while I used both hands to haul the stroller and sleeping toddler over uneven sidewalks. Its hands-free operation and nicely balanced weight really came into their own.

In addition to offering great cooling tech, it's easy to operate. You simply press the power button once to switch it on to its lowest setting, then again to increase the power. It has five speeds that you can cycle through before switching it off. Its rechargeable battery lasts all day on the low-medium setting, and it comes with a USB-C charger (though I've been using one of my existing chargers for ease). For the low price point, you can't go wrong.

I've also bought one for my mom, who loves it. And I've (reluctantly) lent it to my five-year-old and two-year-old to cool down after school, and found them infinitely more pleasant to parent!

Shop more portable fans

These other portable fans feature different designs if you're not sold on the around-the-neck idea.

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Let's face it, trying to sleep during heatwaves can be excruciating. You're frustrated, sweaty, and wide awake at 3 a.m. trying to calculate how many hours of sleep you could still salvage before you need to get up.

As a sleep writer who lives in a building without air con, I've tried practically every TikTok sleep hack that promises a cooler night's sleep, only to be left largely disappointed. But how do sleep experts mange to fall asleep during heatwaves? And what cooling sleep hacks do they use that actually work?

To find out, I've got in touch with four leading sleep experts who've shared the five hacks that help them swerve insomnia and night sweats during heatwaves. Plus, they reveal the three things you should avoid at all costs...

Key takeaways

• Ensure windows are closed and blackout curtains are shut during the day to trap cool night air in your bedroom
• Cooling hacks include switching to lightweight, breathable bedding, and taking a lukewarm shower to trigger your body's natural cooling process
• Avoid heavy or spicy meals and vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as both significantly raise your core body temperature.
• If sharing a bed with a partner generates too much heat, try sleeping separately temporarily or adopting the Scandinavian sleep method of using two individual duvets.
• If you are struggling to sleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed to rest in a cooler room and only return when you are genuinely tired.

5 things sleep experts do to fall asleep during heatwaves

1. The 'Caveman Method' for bedroom windows

This may be an obvious one, but the first thing you should do is try to cool down your room as much as possible. However, what isn't as obvious is how to keep your bedroom (especially when you have no air conditioning).

"Many people open their windows when it’s hot outside, but if the outside air is warmer than inside, you’re actually letting this heat in to the room," says Dr. Lindsay Browning, a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist at TroubleSleeping.

To avoid hot air streaming into your home, it's best to go full-on caveman method, and turn your room into a cool cave.

"I recommend keeping your blinds, curtains and windows closed during the day to stop the sun heating the room, then later in the evening once the outside air has cooled down you can open the windows to let the cooler evening air in," advises Browning.

2. The lukewarm shower trick

Dr. Saema Tahir, a quadruple board certified sleep and pulmonary specialist, swears by a warm shower 90 minutes before bed.

"It pulls blood to the skin surface and accelerates heat loss, triggering the core temperature drop that sleep requires," she explains.

“Not cold — lukewarm," agrees Sammy Margo, a sleep physiotherapist at Dreams.

"While it might seem obvious to take a cold shower to cool down before bed, stepping out of a lukewarm shower triggers your body’s natural cooling process and promoting relaxation, which in turn may make it easier to fall asleep comfortably,” elaborates Margo.

If you want to try this hack, aim for a water temperature between 104 °F and 108 °F (40°C and 42.5°C), which has been shown to be optimal for sleep.

3. The lightweight bedding switch

If you're using the same thick duvet or comforter that kept you warm in winter, then it'll likely make you sleep even hotter during summer.

"It still baffles me that people are still using the same duvet throughout the seasons," says researcher Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep at MattressOnline. "We need to be swapping out those thick duvets for a much thinner, lower tog duvet."

Even if you feel you're bedding is still lightweight, even the material may be trapping heat.

"Synthetic bedding, like polyester, traps humidity against the skin, preventing sweat from evaporating," says Dr. Tahir. "Loose-weave linen or cotton makes a significant difference, especially on humid nights."

"Natural fibres like cotton or linen are fantastic because they allow air to circulate and wick away moisture from your body, which may help you to keep fresh and cool throughout the night," agrees Margo.

"My favourite choice is lightweight, percale weave cotton sheets with a thread count between 200-400 as they provide optimal comfort,“ she adds.

4. The wet towel fan hack

No, we're not talking the Egyptian sleep method (which involves sleeping under cool, damp towels). We're talking about two fixes where you can use a wet towel to evaporate heat for a cooler bedroom.

The first one is a fan hack recommend by Dr. Tahir. "I point the fan across a wet towel rather than circulating hot air; it's basic evaporative cooling that can drop perceived temperature by a few degrees," says the board-certified physician.

The second tip is brought to you by sleep expert Shore, who often keeps a cold, damp towel on her nightstand in case of 3 a.m. wake ups.

"When I wake throughout the night, I can then apply this to my wrists and the back of my neck to help cool me down further," explains Shore. "Pick points on the body where the blood is closer to the surface, like your wrists, as this helps to cool your body internally as well as externally."

5. They get a (temporary) sleep divorce

This hack might be a little controversial, but it may be worth a shot if you share a bed with your partner, as Margo points out that “sharing a bed can double the body heat, making it harder to stay cool during warmer nights."

"If possible, you may wish to temporarily sleep in separate beds from your partner during a heatwave," advises Dr Browning.

If a sleep divorce seems too extreme, then you can try another sleep hack that gives you your own space while still sharing a bed.

"One simple but effective solution is the Scandinavian sleep method, using two separate duvets, which allows each person to regulate their own temperature and reduce overheating," says Margo.

3 heatwave mistakes sleep experts avoid

1. They avoid eating too late

Meal ingestion has been shown to increase body temperature, which is why you shout eat dinner earlier during heatwaves.

"Try to avoid doing things in the evening that can raise your core temperature, so leave a couple of hours between eating large meals," warns Shore.

"I also avoid heavy or spicy meals late in the evening, as these can make you feel warmer and more uncomfortable at bedtime," says Dr. Browning.

2. They avoid evening workouts

A 2025 study found that vigorous exercise within a four-hour window before bedtime can disrupt sleep. That's because the maintenance of a healthy sleep function is characterized by a decline in core body temperature.

Exercise, says Dr Browning, increases core body temperature and makes you feel even hotter during heatwave.

"Even though I am naturally an evening person and enjoy exercise in the late afternoon and evening, during a heatwave I specifically avoid vigorous exercise too close to bedtime," says Dr. Browning.

3. Clock watching

Still cant sleep in the heat? Just remember the one thing you should avoid: worrying.

"Most heatwaves are relatively short-lived," assures Dr Browning. "People are remarkably resilient at coping with short periods of poor sleep, and one bad night, or even a few disrupted nights during a heatwave, is unlikely to cause any lasting harm."

Shore says that clock-watching and counting the hours will produce "wake-promoting hormones, leading to further struggles", so the best thing to do is distract yourself.

"If you are struggling to sleep, don’t be afraid to get up, cool down elsewhere, do something to take your mind off things, such as reading or listening to a podcast, then head back to bed when you're tired," advises Shore.

"If you've been lying awake 20 minutes, get up, move somewhere cooler, and return only when sleepy,"agrees Dr. Tahir. "That's stimulus control therapy, the core of CBT for insomnia."

Shoot-throughs have been around for a while, but I actually don't see them programmed much. It's a shame because this core exercise doesn't just whip up your heart rate for a cardio blast, it also works your core hard and improves balance, coordination and stability.

You don't need any equipment to do this move, but there will be some weight-bearing on your wrists, so if you find this difficult, try elevating your hands on blocks or gripping dumbbells.

One of the best core exercises that really blasts my core muscles is the lateral shoot-through, which is a twisty move that requires you to shift your weight between opposite arms and legs while rotating from side to side, which is a super effective way to strengthen your waist, hips, wrists and shoulders, too.

Here's exactly how it's done, plus some benefits.

As a reminder, this exercise is beginner-friendly, but what works for my body might not be right for you. If you’re a beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or you’re dealing with an injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from an expert.

What are lateral shoot-throughs?

Rather than peddling out endless sit-ups, why not try the lateral shoot-through? It's a multi-layered move because you start in a bear plank, which is great for targeting your hips, thighs, arms, shoulders and deeper core muscles; then, you'll transfer your weight to one side and arm while you kick your leg under your body and twist.

Don't worry, it's hard to visualize, so if you're lost, I demonstrate how to do lateral shoot-throughs below.

Although you can speed up the movement to increase cardio, I encourage you to move slowly at first to control the exercise and try to hold for at least a few seconds each side while breathing expansively through your core as you brace.

Yes, your legs are working, but your hips shouldn't take over this exercise. If they do, bend your raised knee. If you're unsure what "bracing" means, I teach you how to engage your core properly with a 5-minute bracing routine.

• Start in a tabletop position with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees
• Zip your navel in and brace your stomach, then lift your knees to hover just above your mat, keeping your toes tucked
• Lift your left hand away from the mat and begin twisting your body to the left, pressing through your right hand and shoulder for balance while raising your left arm into the air overhead
• As you do this, lift your right foot away from the mat and send it under your body over to the left. Extend the leg if you can
• Pause for a moment, then rotate and return to center and, without dropping your knees, repeat on the other side
• Continue for 8-12 reps per side and 3-4 sets, or 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for 6-8 rounds.

Are shoot-throughs good for your back?

Like all exercises, people respond differently to different stimuli. For some people, gentle rotation of the spine helps relieve back pain, especially from supported positions like a supine twist, where you lie on your back and twist your knees to one side. For others, rotation can aggravate back pain, so really, it's best to seek advice from a physical therapist or your physician if you're unsure.

Here’s what shoot-throughs can do for your body:

Strengthen your core

Many people I've taught as a trainer find this movement easier on the back than Russian twists or standing twists, as the range of motion is pretty gentle. This move also teaches you to control your body in space while coordinating your left and right sides, which is great for balance and stability. What's more, rotational motion hits your obliques, the muscles that run down your waist.

Increase cardio

The beauty of the shoot-through is its versatility; we can slow it right down to focus on core control or speed it up for a cardio blast, meaning it fits into many workout styles.

Improve functional movement

While I don't anticipate you're doing this exact type of movement daily, you will be rotating your torso without even thinking about it, and your internal and external obliques help facilitate this movement, along with side bending, so it's good to keep them strong and active.

Besides, the more you practice twisting, lifting your legs and moving around on the floor in fun, playful ways, the more you move in different planes of motion, using more joints and muscles. This, I believe, is also good for the soul, as it's a little bit of fun!

Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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Nighttime anxiety has me in a chokehold, jolting me awake at 3 a.m. most mornings with my heart hammering in my chest. While I fantasise about a relaxing spa break where I can finally decompress, I’ve found the next best thing: an ‘invisible day.’ What is it? A 24-hour digital detox that allows my nervous system to re-set before bedtime — and sleep experts approve.

“Taking an invisible day, especially when done consistently, can be a powerful method of reducing stress and anxiety from an overstimulated brain, which can help with the 3 a.m. wakings,” explains Dr. Eric Zhou, associate professor in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

As a busy working parent, my smartphone is my lifeline. But every ping of a notification is also another demand on my time and attention. Instead, turning my phone off — even just for a day — helps me relax without being in a state of constant alert. Here’s why it's helping me to fight back against all those 3 a.m. wake-ups…

• Read more: 4 sleep experts share how they fall asleep fast and skip waking up at 3 a.m. in hot weather — 4 steps to take tonight

Key takeaways: At a glance

• An ‘ invisible day’ is a 24 hour digital detox during which you either turn your phone off or place it on airplane mode
• Experts believe that silencing the demand for our attention allows our nervous system to decompress before bedtime
• A higher than normal baseline level of cortisol is why many people with anxiety wake at 3 a.m.
• Reducing daytime stress helps lower the baseline level of cortisol, helping you to stay asleep all night

What is an invisible day and how can it help with your sleep?

It’s up to you exactly how you conduct your own 'invisible day'. However, the crux of it is that you are essentially invisible to the aspect of your life that is causing you the most angst. That might be caregiving or household chores.

It’s a pause in your busy, daily life.

For me, I initially chose a day to be invisible to my online world — where group WhatsApp messages demanding my attention were rolling in thick and fast — so that I could spend time with my family without distraction. During my 'invisible day' I felt present, calm and, crucially, I slept peacefully and didn't wake up at 3 a.m.

“It makes complete sense to me that you've found it helpful,” says Dr. Jessica Meers, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Rhythm Wellness.

“The 3 a.m. waking pattern is one of the most common sleep issues I see, and it often comes back to a nervous system that never fully unwound during the day.”

I spend most days with my phone glued to my hand so that I can promptly respond to every email, call, Whatsapp or notification. Sound familiar? This constant input takes its toll on your nervous system and makes it hard to switch off at night, Dr. Meers explains.

“An ‘invisible day’ interrupts that cycle and gives your nervous system a chance to decompress before bedtime, which can absolutely improve sleep,” says Dr. Meers, a board-certified sleep behavioral specialist.

How an 'invisible day' curbed my anxiety and reduced 3 a.m. wake-ups

I took my first invisible day a couple of months ago during a period of feeling overwhelmed and suffering from poor sleep.

At first, I just wanted to turn off the constant background chatter that I was allowing to infiltrate every part of my life. However, I soon realised that it was helpful for combating my 3 a.m. wake-ups too.

Here’s the science behind why…

1. It reduces cortisol levels

“Waking at 3 a.m. can be the hallmark of sleep maintenance insomnia, driven by an overactive nervous system; a stress-response system that can't sustain consolidated sleep,” explains Dr. Ranji Varghese, a Board-Certified Sleep Medicine and Psychiatry Specialist.

“For most people, cortisol (the body's primary stress hormone) naturally bottoms out around midnight and rises around 3 a.m,” says Dr. Varghese, noting that, in chronic insomnia, cortisol levels remain high.
However, studies point to a reduction in cortisol levels following a digital detox. By lowering your baseline level of cortisol, you’re then less likely to be woken when levels naturally begin to rise around 3 and 4 a.m., says Dr. Varghese, Medical Director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center at Hennepin County Medical Center.

2. It eliminates constant brain arousal

Scrolling on your phone might look like rest, but what’s really happening is that your brain is suspended in a heightened state of alert. Rarely giving our brains the opportunity to relax or switch off results in a tired and wired feeling that’s difficult to shake off come bedtime.

“Every single tap, swipe, and scroll triggers your brain's reward pathways,” explains Dr. Zhou, a sleep researcher. “This is because every app you use, every video you watch is all designed to keep you engaged. As a result, you are in a constant state of heightened arousal.”

3. It enables me to wind down without distraction

If we’re honest, most of our bedtime routines involve scrolling on our phones until the wave of exhaustion eventually pulls us into sleep.

As well as being able to decompress during the day, I found that, without the lure of my smartphone during my invisible day, I was better able to relax before bedtime, too.

“I've seen that when people disconnect from devices for an extended period, their nervous system begins to relax in a different way,” says Dr. Meers.

“The constant anticipation of the next message, notification, or piece of news starts to fade. Many people describe feeling calmer, more present, and less mentally ‘on.’”

How to take an 'invisible day' for better sleep

If taking an invisible day is unrealistic, Dr. Zhou suggests instead taking an "invisible hour" every night before bed.

"During this time, promise yourself that you won't turn on your work laptop, or see what your friends have posted on Tik Tok," he advises. "Instead, use this time to participate in something that you genuinely enjoy."

If you are able to take an invisible day, here's how to do it...

• Pick the date: Choose a low demand day when you’re unlikely to be needed
• Put your OOO on: Let those around you that you will be uncontactable during this time
• Establish an emergency contact method: If turning your phone off, set up an emergency contact method. This could be your partner or neighbor.
• Engage in mindful activities: Whether it’s puzzling with your kids or walking the dog, engage in activities you find relaxing

A strong core is essential for healthy aging. It helps you stand up from a chair, climb stairs, carry groceries, maintain good posture, and keep your balance as you move through daily life.

However, most classic core exercises become less accessible as you get older. Getting down on the floor for planks, crunches, and leg raises isn’t all that comfortable, especially if you have stiff joints or limited mobility.

The good news? You can do chair Pilates instead. Chair Pilates uses slow, controlled movements to strengthen the deep muscles that support your spine and pelvis while providing the stability of a chair.

“Chair Pilates is an excellent way for adults over 60 to build core strength because it provides support and stability while still challenging the muscles that help maintain posture, balance, and functional movement,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, a personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews.

The routine below takes about 10 minutes to complete and can be done at home with nothing more than a sturdy chair. Complete one to two sets of each exercise, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets and two to three minutes between rounds. For most adults over 60, Capritto recommends performing chair Pilates two to three times per week. Let’s get started.

1. Seated Pelvic Tilts

Research shows that many people spend years sitting with limited movement through the pelvis. Fortunately, pelvic tilts can help restore that mobility while activating your lower abs and deep stabilizing core muscles.

How to do it:

• Sit near the front edge of a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor.
• Sit tall with your shoulders relaxed and your core engaged.
• Tuck your pelvis underneath you, allowing your lower back to round slightly.
• Pause for one to two seconds and feel your ab muscles engage.
• Slowly tilt your pelvis forward to create a small natural arch in your lower back.
• Move back and forth between positions in a slow, controlled manner.
• Complete 10 to 12 reps.

2. Seated Marches

Seated marches challenge your core stability while introducing movement through your hips. Because you’re lifting one leg at a time without leaning backwards, your deep core muscles are forced to work to stabilize your torso throughout the exercise.

How to do it:

• Sit tall with both feet flat on the floor.
• Grip the sides of the chair lightly.
• Engage your core and maintain an upright posture.
• Lift your right knee toward your chest as high as comfortably possible.
• Lower your foot back to the floor with control.
• Repeat on the left side without leaning backwards.
• Continue alternating sides in a slow marching pattern.
• Complete 10-12 marches per leg.

3. Seated Knee Extensions

According to studies, strong quads are essential for standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, and walking safely. This exercise strengthens the front of your thighs while requiring your core to stabilize your body during the movement.

How to do it:

• Sit upright in a chair with both feet planted firmly on the floor.
• Flex your core and keep your chest lifted.
• Slowly extend your right leg until it’s straight.
• Flex your foot slightly and pause for one to two seconds.
• Avoid leaning backwards or slouching.
• Lower your leg slowly back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the opposite side.
• Complete 10 reps per leg.

4. Seated Spine Twist

Your rotational mobility tends to decline with age, especially for those who spend long periods sitting. The good news is that the seated spine twist can help improve mobility through the thoracic spine while strengthening your obliques (side abs) and deep stabilizing core muscles that improve posture.

How to do it:

• Sit tall near the front edge of your chair.
• Cross your arms over your chest.
• Engage your ab muscles and sit as upright as possible.
• Slowly rotate your torso to the right.
• Pause for one to two seconds at the end of your range of motion.
• Return to the center position with control.
• Repeat on the left side.
• Complete 8 to 10 rotations per side.

5. Seated Toe Taps

The slight backward lean involved during seated toe taps shifts more work onto your lower abs and deep core stabilizers, helping to improve endurance and control. Many older adults find that exercises like this improve awareness of posture and core engagement during daily activities.

How to do it:

• Sit tall with your feet flat on the floor.
• Lean back slightly while keeping good posture.
• Engage your core and avoid rounding your shoulders.
• Lift your right foot a few inches off the floor.
• Tap your toes back to the ground.
• Lift your foot again and continue the movement slowly.
• Alternate sides while maintaining control.
• Complete 10 to 12 taps per leg.

6. Seated Side Bends

Seated side bends strengthen your obliques while improving mobility throughout your torso. This movement also helps develop awareness of side-to-side control, which helps improve balance and coordination.

How to do it:

• Sit upright with both feet planted on the floor.
• Place your right hand behind your head.
• Keep your chest lifted and your core flexed.
• Slowly bend your torso to the left.
• Pause for one to two seconds at the bottom of the movement.
• Return to the starting position with control.
• Complete all reps before switching sides.
• Perform 8 to 10 reps per side.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• Not sit-ups or lunges — I use this simple Pilates exercise to sculpt strong obliques, inner thighs and hip stabilizers
• 'I’m a Pilates instructor, and I recommend these 5 core exercises to help older clients build strength and improve posture'

When we talk about building a strong core, we’re referring to a lot more than six-pack abs. Your core is a collection of muscles that make up your midsection, acting as your body’s corset, as well as protecting your spine from injury. Yet when we think of core exercises, we typically picture sit-ups and crunches performed on an exercise mat.

Standing ab exercises are not only more accessible to a lot of people, but they’ll often work your core harder than you would lying down, as your deep stabilizer muscles have to fire to work against gravity and keep you upright. According to one personal trainer, the dumbbell overhead march is the best deep-core exercise for building functional fitness and addressing muscle imbalances in the body. Read on to find out how to do it, and what happened when I swapped my regular core exercises with this one for a week.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner or you’re currently dealing with an injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice before trying something new. This exercise is safe for pregnant and postpartum women, but please seek advice from your doctor or midwife before working out.

What is the exercise?

All you’ll need for this exercise is a set of dumbbells (check out the best adjustable dumbbells for working out at home here).

As a reminder, the right weight will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If at any time you feel like holding the weights above your head is making you arch your back or hunch, the weight is too heavy. It’s better to use a lighter weight and move with good form than put yourself at risk of injury.

Here’s how to do a dumbbell overhead march with good form:

• Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Engage your core, thinking about squeezing your belly button into your spine and zipping your abs up and in, and raise both dumbbells above your head. Keep your arms reaching to the ceiling.
• Keeping your upper body still, bend one knee and bring it up towards your torso. Pause at the top, before lowering it back to your starting position.
• Repeat on the opposite leg, moving slowly and with control.
• Keep switching sides, ensuring you complete the same number of reps on each leg.

It’s important to really think about your abs during this move — keep your torso braced throughout. Don’t let the dumbbells creep down towards your shoulders too. Keep your elbows locked, thinking about pushing the dumbbells up towards the ceiling.

What are the benefits?

Compared to sit-ups and crunches, this exercise helps you build functional fitness in your deep core. By this, we mean the kind of fitness you need to carry a heavy bag of groceries or lift something down from a shelf. All of the core muscles will be firing throughout this move to stabilize your torso as you keep the weights lifted and march your legs.

Standing ab exercises are also fantastic for anyone who finds it tricky to lie down on an exercise mat, whether that be because of mobility issues, injuries, or pregnancy. You’ll probably burn more calories during standing ab exercises like this one, as you’ll also be working your upper and lower body at the same time.

I swapped my dead bugs and crunches for this exercise as my abdominal finisher for a week, and really felt this exercise working my core, but also my shoulders and hip flexors. As a runner and a fitness editor who spends most of her day sitting down behind a desk, if my hip flexors weren’t tight, I’d be superhuman. I had to really think about slowing this move down and pausing at the top of the exercise with one leg lifted to my torso, balancing on one leg. As a runner, single-leg exercises like this are essential for addressing any imbalances in my body, helping avoid injuries, so this is a move I’ll be keeping in my routine for the foreseeable.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• Not sit-ups or lunges — I use this simple Pilates exercise to sculpt strong obliques, inner thighs and hip stabilizers
• 'I’m a Pilates instructor, and I recommend these 5 core exercises to help older clients build strength and improve posture'

Don't get me wrong, I love walking. I have a little rescue pup who loves nothing more than taking me for a walk, whether it's 6 am or 11 pm, so I spend a lot of time on my feet.

The benefits of walking are well-documented, too: stronger bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles (especially if you enjoy increasing your pace or intensity through power walking, hiking, or rucking); a higher resting metabolism, decreased sedentary time, and a little boost in mobility. It's also a great form of aerobic exercise for building a stronger heart and lungs.

Although walking can contribute to anti-aging by working the muscles you use for balance and stability, a consistent mobility routine coupled with your daily walks is where the real magic lies.

Below, I show you how to do three of the best low-impact mobility exercises for functional strength, stability and balance. You can use a set of weights or stick to using your bodyweight. Regardless, one of the best yoga mats is useful to have.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, or you're currently pregnant or postnatal, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

Watch: 3 low-impact moves to try anywhere

Improving mobility isn't about stretching; it's about being dynamic and moving the joints through a range of movement alongside strengthening exercises that load the muscles to work through resistance. The result? Strong muscles and joints.

This is also important for your fascia, which is like a web of connective tissue responsible for holding everything in place, like your bones, muscles and organs. Tight fascia increases friction, which is why plenty of stretching, movement, foam rolling and mobility work is important for improving the overall quality of your movements.

It also responds brilliantly to low-impact and gentle movement, so a consistent mobility routine is certainly helpful.

The routine: 3-4 sets, 8-10 reps for the first and third exercises, and a 45-50-second effort for monster walks.

• Stiletto squat x heel raises: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then rise onto your tiptoes and squeeze your core muscles for balance. Bend your knees and send your hips backward to lower into a squat, keeping your back straight and chest proud. Focus on something unmoving. At the bottom of the squat, lower your heels, then press upward through both feet to stand. Reverse this by lowering into a standard squat first, then transfer the weight to your tiptoes and press upward to stand, resting your heels down.
• Monster walks: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width, toes pointed out slightly. Sit back into a squat so that your thighs are almost parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight, chest proud and core engaged. Place your hands lightly behind your head and pull your elbows back, knitting both shoulder blades together. Take a few steps forward and outward, then backward, sitting the weight back toward your heels.
• Warrior III: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight into your left leg and place your hands either in prayer or on your hips. Engage your core. Place a soft bend in your left knee, then hinge forward at the hips and raise your right leg behind you as you lower your chest parallel to the ground. Keep your hips square to the mat and gaze slightly forward to the top of your mat. Keep your hands where they are, or try to extend them in front of you. With control, slowly transition back to standing, then switch sides.

What are the benefits?

Each of these exercises brings something slightly different to the table.

Stiletto squat x heel raises: Your ankles and calves are crucial for climbing, walking and running, especially when moving one leg at a time and transferring balance and weight between the left and right sides of the body.

Stiletto squats are effective for increasing mobility and balance as you squat from your tiptoes, then transfer the weight to your heels and push upward from the squat. You can then reverse this to lower into a squat first, transfer the weight to the balls of your feet, then rise to stand. Notice how your ankles, calves, legs, glutes and core work to keep you balanced and drive movement. You can hold a weight in both hands to add load or hold onto something for extra support.

Monster walks: These are killer on the legs, glutes, core and thoracic spine, as you place your hands lightly behind your head and walk forward and backward from a low squat position, knees bent. You can add a band around your thighs or hold a weight plate behind your head for extra load, or place your hands on your hips for a more beginner-friendly option.

Warrior III: This is a famous yoga pose used to test lower-body strength and balance. Your core will work to stabilize your torso and prevent rotation, while your hip flexors receive a stretch, too. Embrace all the wobbles and don't be afraid to fall out of the posture, as you're still strengthening all the muscles around your feet, ankles, knees and hips. Essentially, you're enhancing your ability to stand on one leg, which is a transferable skill.

Hopefully, you have enough time to really control these movements and make the most of them, rather than rushing. After all, you can't truly rush a balancing exercise.

Adjust the reps and sets as necessary, and play around by adding weights or equipment. I usually add dumbbells and/or a band above my knees, but if this damages the quality of your reps, stick to using your bodyweight.

Focus on finding length through your spine rather than hunching, and keeping your chest proud. Any time your hands are behind your head, knit both shoulder blades together to help open your chest and activate the mid and upper back.

Give these a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I’m a personal trainer who works with clients aged 65+ daily. Here are the 2 exercises I always recommend when it comes to building mobility and balance
• A Pilates instructor shares a 6-move routine for over-60s to build balance, mobility and functional core strength

Pilates is one of those forms of exercise that divides crowds: as we Brits say, "It's like marmite, you either love it or hate it," and the same goes for reformer and mat Pilates.

But I think you just need a great routine to help you get started, and some patience, as I've learned over the years. If you can persevere, there are some serious health benefits of Pilates, including building strength, balance, posture, control and stability. My core has gone from pretty strong to pretty darn solid, too (but alas, I do not own a six-pack).

"Over the years, I've taught thousands of reformer Pilates classes, developed instructor training programs and worked alongside engineers to design reformers that support people at every stage of their fitness journey," says Yvette McGaffin, director of iFIT Pilates and founder of Reform RX.

"Here's the five-move reformer Pilates sequence I recommend to almost everyone."

As always, seek advice from a physical therapist, Pilates instructor, or relevant medical professional if you're unsure about an injury, health condition, or similar.

What are the Pilates exercises?

"One thing I've learned is that the most effective workouts aren't necessarily the most complicated," explains McGaffin. "They're the ones that combine strength, mobility, stability and body awareness in a way that feels purposeful and sustainable.

One of the reasons reformer Pilates has become so popular is that it delivers all of those benefits simultaneously. The reformer provides both support and resistance, allowing people to build strength while improving how they move."

McGaffin tells us that if she were introducing someone to reformer training or creating a short session that delivers maximum return, these are the five exercises she'd choose every time.

Ice breaker

"The Ice Breaker is one of my favorite reformer exercises because it teaches people how to connect their core, shoulders and hips while improving spinal mobility. It's the perfect way to prepare the body for movement," she says.

"Think about keeping the torso still and moving from the knees and hips. The goal is control, not range."

• Kneel facing the footbar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Glide the carriage away while maintaining a long spine and stable upper body.
• At full extension, gently drive the hips forward and squeeze the glutes, then draw the carriage back underneath you with control.

Platform lunge

"This movement develops strength through the glutes and legs while challenging balance and stability. It's one of the most functional movements on the reformer because it closely mirrors how we move in everyday life.

One of the features I love about the NordicTrack Ultra 1 is the split footbar design...One side of the footbar can be used as a support handle, helping newer users build confidence and stability while learning the movement before progressing independently."

• Stand with one foot on the platform and the other on the carriage.
• Lower into a controlled lunge while keeping most of your weight in the front leg, then press through the heel to return to standing.
• Remember to switch sides.

Wheelbarrow

"Wheelbarrow challenges the entire front body. It strengthens the chest, shoulders and deep core muscles while teaching the body to stabilize under load," says McGaffin.

"Keep a slight lift through the hips and imagine drawing your belly button toward your spine throughout the movement."

• Begin in a supported plank position with your hands on the platform.
• Keeping the body in one long line, glide the carriage away, then pull it back underneath you without changing the shape of the body.

Pendulum sweep

"The glute muscles are some of the most important muscles in the body for strength, stability and healthy movement patterns. The Pendulum Sweep is one of my favorite ways to target them because it isolates the hip while challenging control and alignment.

Focus on keeping the movement smooth and controlled rather than lifting the leg higher. The goal is to feel the work coming from the glute rather than the lower back."

• Lie on your side with the lower shoulder supported and the top foot placed into the strap.
• Keeping your leg long and slightly in front of the body, lift and lower the leg in a controlled arc while maintaining a stable pelvis and strong core connection.

Feet in straps

"I often finish sessions with Feet in Straps because it combines mobility, flexibility and control. After the body has worked hard, it provides an opportunity to mobilize the hips, lengthen the legs and down-regulate the nervous system.

Move slowly and focus on quality rather than range. The combination of controlled movement and breathing is where many of the benefits come from."

• Place both feet into the straps and perform controlled push-downs and circle variations while maintaining a neutral pelvis and steady breathing.

Why these 5 exercises work so well together

"This sequence reflects how I think great Pilates programming should work, explains McGaffin.

"We start by connecting to the core and spine, build strength through the legs and upper body, challenge stability and control, then finish by restoring mobility and creating a sense of ease in the body.

Most forms of exercise improve one thing well: strength, endurance, or cardiovascular fitness. What I love about reformer Pilates is that it brings all those elements together while helping you move better."

McGaffin tells us that the final move is one of her top ways to finish a session, as it allows people to slow down, gently mobilize the hips, improve flexibility and move toward recovery.

"When we designed the Ultra 1 Reformer (featured), I spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted people to feel when they trained. Not just stronger, but more capable. More confident in their bodies. More connected to the way they move," she adds.

A reformer routine worth its salt won't ask you to choose between strength, mobility, stability, or flexibility. "Done well, it develops all of them together. These are the five exercises I'd choose to deliver exactly that."

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I'm training like an elite soccer player using these 4 strength and recovery tips from Man City W.F.C.

As a keen marathoner who’s always looking for ways to improve my PR, I take great interest in what the best runners in the world use when tackling the event, and one product has taken all the attention in recent years as world records have tumbled.

The best carbon plate running shoes are used by all elite runners and most keen amateurs these days, with their lightweight, springy designs helping to improve running efficiency.

These so-called super-shoes have been controversial because their impact on the sport has been so dramatic, but they’re not the only recent innovation that has helped elites and amateurs smash world records and PRs.

Swedish sports nutrition brand Maurten’s energy gels and drinks have been used by every World Marathon Major winner since 2017, and to set every new marathon world record since 2018.

Sebastian Sawe used them when he ran the first sub-two hour marathon at the London Marathon in April, consuming an astonishing 115g of carbs per hour during his run.

There are a lot of energy products available so Maurten’s dominance among elites is remarkable. In contrast, carbon racers from a wide variety of brands have been used to win races and set records.

To find out more about how and why pros use its hydrogel drinks and gels, I spoke to Joshua Rowe, head of sports tech at Maurten.

How do Maurten’s hydrogel products work?

The difference between Maurten’s gels and drinks and other brands’ products is the hydrogel technology used by Maurten, which changes how the carbs enter your body, putting less stress on the stomach.

“Hydrogel technology is not new technology in the sense that it came from the medical industry,” says Rowe. “It’s classed as a drug delivery system.

“The stomach is really acidic. It's designed to kill bacteria. The problem with that is if you end up ingesting a really acidic drink, which tends to be the case in the nutrition industry, it enters an acidic environment and it creates a bit of a boiling pot. That’s where athletes get GI issues. They feel sick, they bloat."

By forming a hydrogel Maurten's gels and drinks bypass the stomach entirely and enter the small intestine at a faster rate. At that point the hydrogel degrades and the carbohydrates are released to be absorbed.

“The Kenyans put it the best way," says Rowe. "They say it's the ‘disappearing drink’.”

How many carbohydrates are elite runners using in races?

“I would say nowadays they’re all having an aggressive intake, getting close to 90g per hour,” says Rowe. “If we look at like Sabastian [Sawe], there's some that are getting close to 115g to 120g.”

Are there downsides to consuming so many carbs in races?

Compared to cyclists in particular, runners tend to take on a lot less fuel during long activities, and one of the reasons for that is simply that it’s harder to consume carbs during runs than bike rides.

“The biggest difference runners have compared to cyclists is that because there's more muscle movement and more muscle recruitment when you're running, more blood flow is diverted away from your stomach,” said Rowe. “That's why a lot of runners have stomach issues.

As Rowe explains it, the blood flow is going into the muscles, plus blood needs to go to the skin to help expel heat. That means any internal organs that don't really need the blood almost go into a hibernation state, and that's what happens with the stomach.

So when you consume a large amount of carbs, your stomach can struggle to process them because it's in this slowed-down state. The hydrogel helps with this, as it delivers the carbohydrates effectively even when there's not much blood flow going to the stomach.

Should amateurs try to copy this high-carb strategy?

High-carb running is all the rage right now, but amateurs might not get as much from the strategy and simply copying the likes of Sawe it isn’t necessarily the smart approach.

“Just because the elites have this much it doesn’t mean that if you go to have that much you're going to get the same performance benefits,” says Rowe.

“A really high powered car, when it's pushed at max, will drain all of its fuel really quickly. Say a Formula 1 car is fully optimised to be able to burn fuel very quickly and very fast.”

That’s the elites, and we mere mortals are usually not quite as well optimized, which means even if we consume 100g of carbs we might not be able to process and use that amount.

How do you train your gut to handle high amounts of carbohydrates during runs?

If you are keen to optimize your fuelling and increase your carb intake, you need to train your guy to handle it.

“If you practise consuming carbohydrates frequently during the build up to the marathon you will optimize your uptake and you'll get more comfortable ingesting like the intake you need to have,” Rowe said.

“Where a lot of people go wrong is they just do a couple of long, easy runs and test a couple of gels, but the problem is with that is that intensity is a really important factor, and so is frequency."

Lots of runner practice their fueling strategy on easy runs, which is useful, but those runs are not as intense as race day when it can feel harder to take a lot of gels or energy drinks because you're pushing so hard.

To counter this Rowe makes his athletes practice feuling at race intensity, and also at the same frequency as they will be consuming carbs on race day.

“If you plan to have a gel every 5km or 7km, in training that might mean you might take it every 30 or 35 minutes," Rowe said. "But then on race day, it might be every 20 or 25 minutes. So it feels like quite a lot. People need to practise the frequency as well.”

You should treat your gut training like your regular training, building up over time to ensure you can handle the carbs you plan to consume on race day.

Carbon shoes vs carbs; which is more important?

Carbon plate running shoes have been seen as the driving force behind elites and amateurs getting faster in recent years, especially with regards to the marathon, but could high-carb strategies be just as important?

Shoes will always steal the focus with the general public; indeed when Sawe ran his record at the London Marathon it was in the brand-new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, the first carbon super-shoe to weight under 3.5oz.

However, Rowe suggests elite athletes rate the importance of advances in nutritional just as highly, and that importance is borne out by the science.

“If you're doing a lot of good training and using nutritional products in your training, it's the same effect as the carbon shoes," Rowe said. "It helps with recovery. It helps you run quicker. It makes you feel better.

“Then we get to race day and there is some research being published that if you compare a 60g carbohydrate intake to 100g or 120g, it equates to a 3% improvement in running economy.

“We talk about shoes having a 3-4% increase in running economy. It's the same as having a good carbohydrate intake."

If you're fuelling well during long events, it can also help you avoid the dreaded 'wall', which used to be the most common factor in derailing runners late in marathons.

“What hitting the wall really means is when your body transitions from using carbohydrates as a fuel source to utilising fats as a fuel source," said Rowe. "That's because your body needs to work harder to break down fats than carbohydrates.

“Now athletes are able to ingest so many carbohydrates, it’s almost that the wall's not really a thing anymore. So it’s a combination. The shoes can help, but your body needs to be able to be fully primed and utilizing carbohydrates to allow you to do that.”

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The one major downside of a screenless fitness tracker is that you don’t get live feedback during your workout. Oura has set out to change this, with its new Live Workout Tracking feature. Until now, the Oura ring has purely been a retrospective tracker, allowing you to see your stats once you’ve finished a run or bike ride, but now, the ring allows you to see real-life stats on your outdoor activities.

To find out more, I used my Oura Ring 5 and Garmin Forerunner 170 on an outdoor run around sunny Hyde Park in London. Read on to find out more about Oura’s latest feature.

You’ll need your phone with you

The Oura Ring doesn’t have built-in GPS, so it uses your phone’s location for the Live Workout Tracking. This means you’ll need to carry your phone with you on the run, but if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to see the live information from your Oura ring anyway!

When using Live Workout Tracking, the Oura app uses your phone’s internal GPS to track your route, altitude, and velocity. If you’re wearing another device that’ll track your heart rate, such as one of the best Garmin watches, or the Apple AirPods Pro 3, you can also see live heart rate stats. These will sit on a widget on your lock screen, so you can look at your phone at any point to see your live data.

You won’t get your live heart rate without a connected device

Your Oura ring is recording your heart rate all of the time and, during a workout, the optical sensors of the ring turn on permanently, streaming your heart rate second-by-second, instead of every few minutes. That said, you won’t see your heart rate in the Live Workout Tracking unless you have a third-party heart rate monitor connected.

If you don’t, you can still look at your heart rate once you’ve finished your workout. However, if you’re using your heart rate during the session, perhaps for a run where you’re trying to stay in Zone 2, you’ll need to connect another device. The list includes Garmin, Polar, AirPods Pro 3, and the Powerbeats Pro 2.

It’s definitely a useful upgrade

So, how did it perform on the run? For this test, I used my Oura Ring 5 connected to my iPhone 17, and my Garmin Forerunner 170, which has its own multi-band GPS and wasn’t connected to my phone. I found the Oura Ring 5 to be pretty much spot-on when comparing it to the stats on my Garmin over the easy 5K recovery run around Hyde Park.

When I synced both runs to my phone afterwards, there was a slight difference in pace; this is purely down to the auto-pause feature on my Garmin watch. The Oura Ring didn’t autopause at stop lights (and trust me, there are a lot of them in central London), so it recorded my average pace as 9:02 minutes/mile, whereas my Garmin recorded the run as an average pace of 8:32 minutes/mile.

When I look at the heart rate zones, the Oura Ring recorded my average heart rate for the run was 145 beats per minute, whereas the Garmin Forerunner 170 recorded 151 beats per minute, so both put this run in zone 4, telling me that I was pushing too hard for a recovery run, or was struggling running on such a warm day.

I’m currently training for my seventh marathon, so I’d personally only use this feature for really easy runs, where I was running to feel and didn’t need to follow a structured plan. That said, if you don’t own a running watch or you prefer to run without distractions, this little tweak really makes a huge difference and is a welcome addition to the Oura line-up. Live Tracking is available on Oura Ring Gen 3, Oura Ring 4, and Oura Ring 5.

More from Tom's Guide

• I wore an Oura Ring for an entire year — what I like and don't like
• I ditched my Apple Watch for an Oura Ring for a month
• Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4: What's changed for the 'world's smallest smart ring'?

If you’re looking to build balance, power, and definition from home, grabbing a set of the best adjustable dumbbells is a great place to start. Compared to heavy barbells or guided gym machines, dumbbells are amazing at building functional strength and addressing imbalances in the body.

Dumbbells force unilateral training, meaning each side of your body is working independently. This forces you to address weaknesses or imbalances in the body, and can help improve your overall balance and stability, as well as helping reduce your risk of injuries.

Yet if you’re a beginner or you’re returning to workouts following an extended break, it can be tricky to know where to start. Luckily you’ve landed in the right place. Read on to find a quick 30-minute workout that you can do using just six exercises and a set of weights. As a reminder, if you’re pregnant or postpartum, or recovering from a specific injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice before trying something new.

What is the workout?

The workout is designed by certified personal trainer Camilla Cresswell, who specializes in training women aged 40 plus. You’ll need a set of weights for all of the exercises — remember that the right weight for you will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If at any time you feel like the weight is compromising your form, it’s too heavy.

You’ll do the following six exercises three times. Take a short break between sets if you need to. Do 12-15 reps of each exercise, and when this feels easy, increase the weight you’re lifting. The workout should take around 30 minutes in total, but remember it’s important to do fewer reps with good form, so don’t rush.

Here’s the exercises:

• Dumbbell squats: For this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand and lift your hands to shoulder height. Keeping your feet hip-width apart, engage your core, thinking about sucking your belly button into your spine, and lower into a squat, sending your glutes back as if you were sitting in a chair. Pause at the bottom of the movement, before pushing through your feet to stand back up to your starting position.
• Deadlift to row: Starting with your feet hip-width apart and the dumbbells on the floor in front of you, hinge at your hips to bend down, keeping a slight bend in your knee. Grab both dumbbells and lift them as you stand up — you should feel this down the back of your legs. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs. Once you’re standing, take your elbows out to the side, and row both dumbbells up to chest height, before reversing the movement and taking the dumbbells back down to the floor to complete your next deadlift.
• Squat to press: For this exercise, you’ll complete the same dumbbell squat as you did in the first exercise, but this time, as you rise back to your starting position, you’ll extend your arms to lift both dumbbells over your head. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement, before bringing the dumbbells back to your shoulders slowly, and with complete control.
• Single-leg around the world: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then lift one leg off the ground, keeping a 90-degree bend in your knee if you can. Balance here, engaging your core, then take both arms out in front of you, before bringing them back to your starting position. Then circle both dumbbells out to the side of your body and overhead, before reversing this movement. Do all of your reps on one leg, then complete the same number on the other leg.
• Single-leg bicep curls: Adopt the same stance as the previous exercise, balancing on one leg, squeezing your core and keeping your pelvis level. This time, curl both dumbbells up towards your torso, thinking about squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement. Again, complete all your reps on one leg before switching to the other.
• Tricep kickback: For this exercise, start with your feet hip-width apart, engage your core, and hinge at your hips. From here, take both dumbbells back behind you, squeezing your triceps as your arms extend, before bending your elbows and bringing them both back to your torso to your starting position.

What are the benefits?

This workout targets all of the major muscle groups in your body while working on each side of the body individually. It’s extremely common to have one weaker side, and addressing these imbalances is the best way to avoid injuries and improve your overall stability.

You’ll also be working your core hard during this sequence, without having to lie down on your mat and do a single sit-up. Working with dumbbells requires your body to recruit dozens of tiny stabilizer muscles, and your core muscles to fire up to keep your torso balanced.

Finally, dumbbell workouts like this one can help you tone up and get in shape. If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll want to pair workouts like this one with a healthy, balanced diet, and cardio workouts, as well as focusing on being in a calorie deficit, burning more calories than you consume. One of the best ways to keep track of your calorie expenditure is to strap one of best fitness trackers to your wrist.

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When you know players like Virgil Van Dijk swear by recovery tech, you tend to take note, so when I heard he uses the Hyperice x Nike Hyperboot as part of his warm-up and recovery routine before and after games, I wanted to test these sought-after recovery boots for myself.

Of course, it's a Hyperice and Nike collab, so the boots look darn good. But are they really as great as I've been told? I wanted to find out.

Recently, I've been exploring the best massage guns and alternative recovery tools in a bid to ramp up my recovery routine after weightlifting, Pilates, and yoga. I just couldn't say no to this opportunity, and I've already clocked a few things I like and dislike along the way.

Here are three reasons I'm hooked, and two areas I think could use improvement.

What are the Hyperice x Nike Hyperboots?

Like the famous Hyperice Normatec sleeves, the recovery Hyperboots combine heat and compression to boost recovery and reduce soreness; Liverpool FC and Netherlands player Virgil Van Dijk is a huge fan and ambassador.

Using a boot design, the recovery tech can effectively target the ankles, feet and Achilles tendons, helping to improve range of motion, warm the joints and muscles before exercise and aid soreness and recovery post-game or training session.

The Nike x Hyperice Hyperboot is available globally and retails for $799/ £699, including a USB charging cable.

I did a little digging into research on heat application for recovery, as the surge in recovery trends like saunas, contrast therapy, infrared sauna blankets and heat pads continues to gain traction for exercise recovery and boosting athletic performance.

Multiple studies, like this one on local heat therapy, show that heat application can improve blood flow to the area, increasing vasodilation and reducing the onset of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS, and stiffness.

There's also research showing the benefits of compression, which can mitigate both muscle strength and power decline following exercise-induced muscle fatigue. This can be the case for trained and untrained people; in this piece of research, trained individuals benefited most, making it a promising tool for recovery, particularly when paired with heat therapy.

And what's more, these tools are becoming more accessible for at-home use, although it'll cost you. Here's what I think so far after testing the Nike x Hyperice Hyperboots.

Like 1: They're powerful

These Hyperboots don't mess around. There are three settings to choose from on the sides of the boots, allowing you to tailor the heat and compression to your personal preferences. All you have to do is hit play once you've chosen your settings.

On full whack, I had to reduce the heat because it was so strong, which isn't a bad thing, as I find some heat therapy devices can be tepid, but be warned that they come in hot. I recommend starting on just one bar, then moving up from there.

The compression was also great, covering my feet, ankles and lower leg up to roughly half of my shins and calves. I'm impressed by the coverage and the bang for your buck.

Like 2: They look good and they're easy to use

I had no doubts that any Nike and Hyperice collab would produce a good-looking product, and the Hyperice x Nike Hyperboots don't disappoint. They look a bit like moon boots, but they're super easy to put on and secure, and I personally love the design: chic, understated and a little bit soccer-boot-esque.

I also loved that I could walk about if I needed to, unlike compression leg sleeves, where you're rooted to one spot for the duration of the compression therapy. They're also quite flexible and attach with a wraparound Velcro strap, so you can get in and out easily enough with very little fuss.

Like 3: I can feel them working in real time

Not only is it a relaxing form of recovery, but my ankles feel less stiff after running and the heat is definitely improving the overall range of motion. Plus, it's super relaxing and my ankles and feet feel better prepped for yoga sessions and weightlifting.

I like the versatility of the boots as well, as I can slip them on before or after training, or even as a relaxing bedtime routine at night while I'm winding down (and not scrolling on my phone, promise).

On cooler days, I can see the attraction of getting heat delivered directly to your joints and muscles, helping speed up the warm-up and recovery processes. After all, we never want to approach exercise without warming the joints and muscles first.

Whether or not I will notice any long-term improvements is yet to be seen, and I'll update you once I've been testing for longer. But for short-term effectiveness, I'm loving the Hyperboots so far and the benefits are immediate.

Dislike 1: Heat strength

It's not exactly a dislike, but I found the highest heat setting to be incredibly intense and I didn't have much warning that the Hyperboot heat could be so powerful. I'd rather be looking at too much heat so I can reduce it than not enough, but I just encourage anyone trying them for the first time to be mindful of the setting options, as, combined with the compression, that heat is pressing directly into your lower limbs.

Dislike 2: Sizing

I'm a UK size 3 foot and found the boots hard to secure close to my feet. That said, the compression was still strong enough for me on the highest setting, so it didn't matter too much.

I suggest taking note of the sizing options, which range from S (UK size 5) to XXL (UK size 15). I could have done with a little extra compression around the mid and forefoot, as I'm a fan of intense sports massages and love nothing more than feeling the pressure release along my arches, but this is a minor gripe for an otherwise pretty powerful recovery product, making it well worth the price tag, in my opinion.

Verdict

All in all, I'm so impressed by the Hyperboots and I can see why even the most elite soccer players are using them. Powerful compression, even more powerful heat therapy, and you've got yourself a wonder boot that is quick, easy and effective, whether you're on the go, competing at a high level, or just sitting at home (like me) needing some TLC.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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I was a sleep tracker skeptic until I got my Withings Sleep Analyzer and now I check my metrics every morning. For a long time my sleep score has hovered around the low-70s, but recently I noticed my sleep score tracking upwards. The other day, I finally cracked 90. And it's all thanks to the 7:1 sleep method.

This simple rule, backed by a huge new study, prioritizes consistency over hacks and it's given my sleep the boost it needs. The best sleep trackers take in a range of metrics before giving your final score and with the 7:1 sleep rule, I'm pleasing all those data points.

It's not just my sleep tracker that's noticing the results. I'm experiencing fewer 3 a.m. wake ups, I'm getting up before my alarm and I feel fresher during the day. Here's why the 7:1 sleep rule is the sleep hack you (and your sleep tracker) will love — and how to follow it yourself.

Key takeaways

• The 7:1 sleep rule encourages you to get seven hours sleep a night, falling asleep within a consistent one hour time frame, and doing so at least five nights a week.
• This consistent sleep schedule helps regulate your circadian rhythms, so you fall asleep faster, experience less late night wake ups, and wake up fresher.
• If you're tracking your sleep, following the 7:1 rule can boost your metrics to achieve a higher sleep score.

What is the 7:1 sleep rule?

The 7:1 sleep rule was coined following a white paper created by Vitality and The London School of Economics, which found those who followed simple sleep hygiene rules could potentially increase their lifespan by four years.

The rule has several key principals: at least seven hours sleep a night, falling asleep within a consistent one hour time frame, five nights a week.

While many think of 'eight hours' as the gold-standard for good sleep, after analyzing the data of over 100,000 individuals the researchers found the time you go to bed has as big an impact on your health and wellbeing as clocking up enough hours.

"Our bodies run on an internal 24-hour clock known as the circadian rhythm," explains Dr. Betsy Greenleaf, health and longevity expert at International Pause Institute. "Think of it as your master body clock that regulates everything from hormone production and metabolism to immune function, body temperature, digestion and brain performance."

"Many people focus on getting a certain number of hours of sleep, but the timing of that sleep could be just as important," she says.

How the 7:1 sleep rule is boosting my sleep scores

I started using the 7:1 sleep rule almost by accident when my bedtimes happened to align across a week.

I stuck with the 7:1 sleep rule when I noticed I was sleeping better — and my sleep scores had skyrocketed. And not just my overall sleep score; on the whole my metrics had a boost.

"Sleep consistency is one of the most overlooked tools we have for improving our total health," explains Dr. Greenleaf.

"Sleep consistency has huge downstream effects from a hormonal standpoint," she says, noting that your sleep schedule impacts stress, blood sugar, and even the growth hormones necessary for repairing tissue.

Here are the benefits of the 7:1 sleep rule my sleep tracker has picked up on...

1. I'm falling asleep faster

Sleep latency is the time it takes you to drift off from the moment your head hits the pillow. A healthy sleep latency is around 10 to 20 minutes and the 7:1 sleep rule can help you achieve it by teaching your body the time to sleep.

"When your body knows when to expect sleep, it starts getting ready in advance," explains Dr. Greenleaf. "Melatonin [the sleepy hormone] is more predictable, cortisol [the awake hormone] rises properly in the morning, and falling asleep is easier and more efficient."

Sleep latency is something I've often struggled with but since following the 7:1 sleep rule, I'm falling asleep faster night after night. That's less time spent tossing and turning, more time spent in high quality sleep.

2. I'm waking up less at night

It's normal to wake up a few times during the night as you transition through cycles of light, deep and REM sleep. However, these fleeting disruptions can turn into longer 3 a.m. wake ups when your sleep schedule is irregular.

"One big advantage of a consistent sleep and wake schedule is that people tend to sleep more without even knowing it," explains Dr. Greenleaf. "Consistency will help you sleep better. Eight hours of broken bad sleep is not equal to eight hours of restorative sleep."

The 7:1 method regulates your circadian rhythms, which means your body and your hormones are all primed to sleep during the night. This helps you ease between the delicate sleep stages without waking you up.

3. I'm waking up fresher

I used to consider my alarm to be enemy number one as it rudely interrupted my slumber. We're on better terms lately, because my regular sleep schedule means I'm ready to go by the time my alarm chimes.

Waking up is another part of the hormone cycle your circadian rhythm regulates. When you have a consist routine, your body will start releasing the chemicals it needs to feel alert during the early hours of the morning. Think of it like a cup of coffee in your sleep.

And because you've slept with fewer interruptions, you've not only cleared away the sleep pressure that builds up during the day, you've also enjoyed the vital restoration of deep sleep.

"We often think of sleep as something that happens at night, but the truth is that good sleep starts the moment we wake up each morning and is built from the habits we repeat every day," says Dr. Greenleaf.

More ways to boost your sleep score

Your sleep score isn't the be all and end all of sleep but it's a good way to determine the quality of your rest and find areas for improvement. And it's nice to see your score tick up — who doesn't like getting a good grade in sleep?

Alongside the 7:1 sleep method, here are some other hacks you can use to boost your sleep:

• Keep to a set wake up time (even on weekends): A regular wake up time reinforces your body clock and can help you keep to the 7:1 sleep rule (waking up at the same time, gets you tired at the same time.)
• Get sunlight in the first hour after waking up: Sunlight tells your circadian rhythm it's time to be awake, so try drinking your coffee outside.
• Lower the lights before bed: Bright white lights remind your body of daytime, so opt for dim amber bulbs in the evening.
• Stop drinking coffee in the afternoon: Caffeine has a half life of around five hours, which means your 3 p.m. latte can still be in your system at bedtime.
• Stay active: Exercise creates adenosine, the hormone responsible for sleep pressure, so keeping active makes it easier to fall asleep (and bonus, it'll please your fitness tracker as well.)

Our favorite sleep tech

The Asics Novablast has quickly cemented itself as one of the most popular running shoes on the market, beating out long-running favorites like the Nike Pegasus and Hoka Clifton to be the most tagged shoe on Strava in 2025.

Given the Asics Novablast 5 is so popular, Asics might have hesitated to make big changes to the Novablast 6 for fear of offending existing fans of the shoe, but instead the brand pushed ahead and made some telling improvements.

The result is that the Asics Novablast 6 is one of the best running shoes I’ve tested this year, and it's an easy one to recommend to all kinds of runners thanks to its comfortable, versatile design.

Asics Novablast 6 review: price and availability

The Asics Novablast 6 was unveiled in May 2026 and goes on sale globally on 1 July, costing $155 in the U.S. and £140 in the U.K., a $5 price rise on the Novablast 5.

It enters a very crowded area of the market where it competes with classic daily trainers like the Nike Pegasus 42 and Hoka Clifton 10, as well as popular new shoes like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL and Saucony Endorphin Azura.

Asics Novablast 6 review: design and fit

The Novablast 6 will launch in 11 colors, including the Rose Dust design I tested. It fits me well in my normal running shoe size, the same size I’ve used for all past Novablast models.

It’s a high stack shoe, standing 41.5mm tall at the heel and 33.5mm at the forefoot for an 8mm drop, but it weighs just 9.2oz in my US men’s size 10, which is impressively light for such a cushioned shoe.

Upper

The Novablast 6 has a comfortable woven upper with a lot of padding around the collar and a stiff internal heel counter to add stability at the back of the shoe.

I had no problems with the fit or feel of the upper during my runs. It held my foot securely and comfortably throughout testing, including long runs and workouts.

Midsole

The biggest update to the Novablast 6 is found in the midsole, which now features a ‘puck’ of Asics’ FF Turbo Squared foam under the forefoot, with the rest of the midsole being made from the FF Blast Max.

FF Turbo Squared is the energetic foam used on the Asics Megablast, and its addition makes the Novablast 6 lighter and livelier than its predecessor, and better at faster paces in particular.

Outsole

Unreliable grip in wet conditions has been a minor but persistent weakness with past Novablast models, so it’s good to see that Asics has addressed it with the Novablast 6, which uses ASICSGRIP rubber in the forefoot to improve the traction of the shoe, alongside durable AHAR LO rubber at the heel.

I had no trouble with grip during my testing of the Novablast 6, and both types of rubber are holding up well, with no signs of wear after 40 miles of running.

Asics Novablast 6 review: running performance

As a big fan of the Asics Megablast, I was excited to see that the foam from its midsole had been added to the Novablast 6, which is a much cheaper and more accessible shoe.

While there’s only a small chunk of FF Turbo Squared in the Novablast 6, it makes a big change to the ride of the shoe, which is more energetic than the Novablast 5 and performs better during fast runs in particular.

I liked the Novablast 5 a lot, but it was a shoe that I only really used for easy and steady runs, whereas the Novablast 6 retains the same comfort at the heel while increasing the energy return in the forefoot to make it a shoe that’s great for tempo and threshold runs alongside easy efforts.

During my testing, I used the Novablast 6 for a wide variety of runs and enjoyed it for almost everything — it’s not ideal for all-out intervals or races, but can handle all your other training runs.

I even did a short run wearing the Novablast 5 on one foot and the Novablast 6 on the other to check the difference, and there’s notably more punch from the forefoot on the new shoe.

It’s still not as impressive an all-rounder as the Megablast, but it’s $70 cheaper and a more stable and comfortable shoe. I’d recommend the Novablast as a great option for new and experienced runners alike, whereas the Megablast is harder to suggest buying, given the high price.

Should you buy the Asics Novablast 6?

The Asics Novablast 6 is definitely a shoe worth considering, whether you need a daily trainer to use for all your runs or a cushioned sneaker to pair with faster shoes in your running shoe rotation.

I like it more than long-running rivals like the Nike Pegasus 42 and Brooks Ghost 18, which are less cushioned, heavier, and have duller foams in the midsole.

If you don’t mind the extra cost, then the Asics Megablast is even lighter and more versatile, and if you prefer lower-stack running shoes, the Adidas Adizero Evo SL is a great daily trainer around the same price as the Novablast 6, though less stable.

Other strong alternatives include the Hoka Mach 7 and Kiprun Kipstorm Tempo, which are great daily trainers that lean more towards speed than the Novablast 6, and so are a little less comfortable.

The Novablast 6 excels on many fronts and is up there with my favorite new shoes of the year so far. It’s comfortable, versatile, and even looks pretty good with jeans, depending on how you feel about the angular midsole design.

I flew all the way from Seattle, Washington, to Stockholm, Sweden, to watch bike helmets get smashed into heavy metal anvils over and over again, all for science.

I was invited on behalf of MIPS, which stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. MIPS isn’t a helmet manufacturer, but there’s a good chance your bike, ski, snowboard, motorcycle, or equine helmet contains MIPS technology.

MIPS-equipped helmets — which all carry a small yellow circular logo near the rear — are widely regarded as the safest and the best helmets in the biz. As an avid outdoor enthusiast and gear tester, nearly all of the helmets I own carry the yellow dot. But why exactly makes MIPS helmets so superior to the competition? I had to find out. So, I packed my bags and split for Scandinavia.

There, I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the MIPS helmet test lab, where I saw helmet testing first hand (it’s more violent than I expected!). I also got to ask tons of questions and document the whole process.

With no shortage of cranium-defending insights to share with you, below are the three biggest things I learned from my time with MIPS.

1. MIPS helmet tech mimics how your skull protects your brain

MIPS helmets reduce the risk of brain injury by minimizing rotational force when you hit your noggin. Researchers have known that rotational force is bad for the brain since the 1940s, but it wasn’t until MIPS debuted over a decade ago that the helmet industry seriously attempted to reduce it.

Similar to how your skull protects your brain, upon impact, MIPS creates relative motion between the inside of the helmet and your head by 10 to 15mm on average. The result is a notable reduction in the severity of brain-related injuries compared to non-MIPS helmets. More simply put, MIPS lets your helmet slide slightly when you fall, and that absorbs quite a lot of energy.

It’s worth noting that MIPS is an “ingredient” brand with 12 versions of the system for all sorts of different helmet styles and types. MIPS also works with over 150 different helmet brands, licensing their technology and performing testing to ensure the addition of MIPS measurably improves the performance of each and every helmet by a repeatable margin.

2. They smash a whole lot of helmets into anvils at the MIPS test lab

A lot of helmets get smashed in the MIPS test lab on a daily basis. As noted above, every single helmet that carries the MIPS yellow dot is extensively tested in the lab against an identical model without MIPS. Not only that, MIPS tests every size variation as well.

To test a helmet, it gets attached to a size and weight-accurate dummy head with nine accelerometers inside. That head then gets lifted in the air on a rig to a predetermined height before it’s dropped onto an angled 45-degree metal anvil, simulating a fall.

Each helmet receives four impact tests, including the front and rear, as well as a lateral and pitched impact. Between the accelerometers and several super-high-speed video cameras recording the commotion, the MIPS team learns a lot about how a helmet performs from these tests.

According to Marcus Seyffarth, the head of MIPS testing, the lab assesses roughly 1,000 helmets a month for performance. In my time there, I saw no fewer than three helmets get smashed. They even have a giant numeric tally board to keep track of the total helmets tested since MIPS founding.

3. Helmet testing also involves advanced digital models and even cadavers

Lab testing isn’t the only way MIPS assesses helmet performance. The MIPS Virtual Test Lab seeks to bring computerized helmet testing up to speed with the car industry, which has largely moved on from traditional crash tests.

Using the Finite Element Method, the virtual lab breaks down the different parts of a helmet into a matrix of components based on their material-specific properties. They then test and record how each component performs under stress. Those results get added to a database, which is referenced during virtual testing. This lets researchers simulate how a MIPS-equipped helmet will perform, without ever smashing a thing, with impressive accuracy.

Other forms of helmet testing involve reviewing real-world crashes where a MIPS helmet was involved. This includes analyzing camera footage of the crash from different angles, if available, as well as medical images of any resulting injuries, and of course, the helmet itself. Once all the data is collected, MIPS generates a computer model to mirror the accident.

Finally, a portion of the helmet testing performed by MIPS involves dropping actual cadavers. Researchers insert small markers into various areas of the brain tissue to monitor the severity of an impact. It’s worth noting that this testing doesn’t occur at the MIPS facility, but rather at the Technical University of Stockholm in conjunction with MIPS.

Ultimately, I’d never given much thought to all the testing and technology involved in designing a solid-performing helmet. However, now that I’ve seen it first-hand, I'll never look at the humble brain bucket the same again.

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London Marathon Events (LME) announced on Friday, June 19, that the TCS London Marathon 2027 will expand into a two-day event. Taking place on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2027, this one-off format will allow 100,000 runners to cross the iconic finish line on The Mall over the course of the weekend.

London Marathon Events has said this is a “one-off format change.” Runners on both days will take on the same 26.2-mile route from Greenwich to Westminster. The double event allows more runners than ever to take part, helping meet the demand for places after 1.33 million people entered the ballot for the 2027 race.

The results of the ballot will be announced in July, with successful runners randomly assigned to either the Saturday or the Sunday race. Participants will not be allowed to take part in the in-person event on both days.

The elite women, elite female wheelchair athletes, championship, and 'good for age' women will lead the mass event one day, with the elite men, elite male wheelchair athletes, championship, and 'good for age' men leading the mass event on the other.

The TCS London Marathon 2026 proved to be one of the most historic editions in the race's history, with Kenya's Sabastian Sawe becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race, crossing the line in 1:59:30. Even more astounding was the fact that he wasn't alone in this victory, with Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha finishing second in 1:59:41.

History was also made in the women's race, with the elite course record being broken by Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei, who crossed the finish line in 2:15:37.

The 2026 event was also the largest London Marathon recorded, with 55,000+ runners crossing the finish line.

Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: “The 2027 TCS London Marathon Double is our most ambitious evolution to date – a once-in-a-generation one-time-only reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be.

“By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon. We believe that more than £150m can be raised for good causes and the UK economy will have a £400m social and economic benefit."

I've run the London Marathon 5 times: Here's why this news matters

Being successful in the London Marathon ballot 11 years ago changed the course of my life forever. Training for and running my first marathon helped me overcome an eating disorder that had plagued my teens. Running has transformed my mental health, and has been a constant in my life ever since. It also ignited a life-changing love for running, which has led me to my current role as Fitness Editor at Tom's Guide, but also pushed me to cross the finish line of five more races.

Kathrine Switzer famously stated, "If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon" and she wasn't wrong. Every time I run 26.2 miles, it changes me, and allowing more runners to experience the magic of London on marathon day is, without a doubt, fantastic news.

Whether other Marathon Majors will follow suit remains to be seen, but I imagine they will, making marathon doubles a common occurrence in the racing calendar. Hopefully see you on the start line next April!

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The new Fitbit Air may be the talk of the town, but the Fitbit Charge 6 is actually a more competent health and fitness tracker thanks to onboard GPS and support for ECG readings. Better yet, it’s currently selling for the same price as the Fitbit Air.

The Fitbit Charge 6 is roughly the same size as the Fitbit Air but features a small AMOLED touchscreen. Normally priced at $159, you can score the Fitbit Charge 6 for just $99 via Amazon right now. That’s nearly 40% off retail and one of my favorite early Prime Day deals.

Epic Fitbit Charge 6 deal

One of the best Fitness trackers I've tested

The Fitbit Charge 6 may have arrived in late 2023, but it remains one of the best fitness trackers you can buy in 2026.

I frequently recommend it because it’s lightweight and comfortable, offers accurate health and fitness tracking insights, lasts nearly a week on a single charge, and has just the right amount of non-holistic smart features. These include support for Google Maps, Google Wallet, and mirrored smartphone notifications.

Plus, onboard GPS means you don’t need to carry a paired smartphone for location-based data when logging an outdoor workout.

How accurate is the Fitbit Charge 6’s fitness tracking performance? When I tested it versus the Apple Watch 10, a much pricier wearable, it proved nearly as precise. And versus the Pixel Watch 3, the Charge 6 bested its Google-built sibling. So, yeah, I’d say it’s pretty darn accurate.

The Fitbit Air and Fitbit Charge 6 are two of the best fitness trackers in 2026. But is one better than the other? That truly depends on your budget, the number of smart features, and the type of user experience you desire.

To help you better understand the differences between 2023's Fitbit Charge 6 and 2026's Fitbit Air, I've compared the two across five categories, including cost, design, health and fitness tracking features, smart features, and battery life.

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Charge 6: Specs compared

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Charge 6: Cost

The newer Fitbit Air is $99, while 2023's Fitbit Charge 6 is $159. However, the latter goes on sale frequently. For example, you can pick up the Charge 6 right now for just $99 via Amazon. That said, the Fitbit Air is consistently cheaper than the Charge 6, so it wins this category.

Winner: Fitbit Air

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Charge 6: design

Both fitness trackers are lightweight, comfortable wearables with modest footprints. While the Fitbit Air is screen-free and button-free, providing a no-distractions health and fitness tracking experience, the Charge 6 offers a small 1.04-inch AMOLED touchscreen and haptic side buttons.

Does this make the Charge 6 a better tracker than the Air? That depends on whether you prefer a more-connected device capable of mirroring phone notifications and displaying stats, or one designed with a set-it-and-forget-it mentality.

Either way, the Charge 6 and Air each proved to be well-built in our testing, with respectable water resistance ratings of 50 meters. The Air is, of course, a bit more understated due to the lack of a screen; it's also a bit smaller. These factors don't necessarily make it a better-designed device, though.

Winner: draw

Fitbit Air vs Charge 6: Health and fitness tracking

The Fitbit Air proved to be a competent fitness tracker when pitted head-to-head against other popular wearables, like versus the Fitbit Inspire 3. However, it lacks onboard GPS, so you need to carry your paired phone to ensure metrics like distance, pace, and elevation gain are recorded accurately.

Not a fan of jogging with a bulky smartphone in your pocket? I feel you. In that case, the GPS-sporting Fitbit Charge 6 is going to be the better tracker for you.

The Charge 6 has other advantages over the Fitbit Air, most notably, the ability to record ECGs. When it comes to tracking workouts, both devices support over 40 modes with automatic detection and tracking for basic workouts like walks, runs, and bike rides.

Of course, thanks to its screen, users can manually start a workout on the Charge 6 with just a few taps, while Fitbit Air users will need to make a trip to the Google Health app on their paired phone.

Winner: Fitbit Charge 6

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Charge 6: Smart features

This one isn't even close. When it comes to support for smart features, the Fitbit Charge 6 blows the Fitbit Air out of the water. However, the Charge 6 doesn't offer anywhere near the level of smarts you'll get from the best smartwatch models in 2026, like the Apple Watch Series 11 or Google Pixel Watch 4.

Still, the Charge 6 has NFC, so you can tap-to-pay using Google Wallet. It also supports a small selection of handy Google apps, like Google Maps and YouTube Music. There's no onboard music storage, but you can control media playback from your paired device.

The Charge 6 additionally mirrors smartphone notifications for both Android and iOS users.

Winner: Fitbit Charge 6

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Charge 6: Battery life

The Fitbit Charge 6 is rated to last up to six days per charge on average, while the Fitbit Air is billed for up to seven days per charge. In my testing, both ratings proved accurate, making the Fitbit Air the winner of this category.

Winner: Fitbit Air

Verdict

When choosing between the Fitbit Air and the Fitbit Charge 6, the ultimate question to ask yourself is, "Do I want a screen-free and distraction-free fitness tracker or a more connected device?"

Put another way, the Fitbit Air is a wearable that you simply, well, wear and let it do its thing; the Charge 6 is one you interact with via a small touchscreen and haptic buttons.

Both are reliable, comfortable, and long-lasting. Of course, the Charge 6 has the advantage of onboard GPS, which is why I ultimately prefer it to the Air, along with NFC. But if you're not big on outdoor workouts or using tap-to-pay from this wrist, this may not matter much to you.

Overall winner: Draw

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• Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3 — which $99 fitness tracker wins?
• I tested all 3 Fitbit Air accessory bands — and there’s a clear winner
• I've been using the Fitbit Air for over a week, and my favorite feature has completely changed the way I wake up

I'm a big fan of efficiency, so I've been wanting to try a weighted vest for a while now. Exactly as they sound, these fabric vests can be loaded with custom metal plates to make you instantly heavier. Once you strap one on, your typical hikes become more like strength workouts, and you'll — hopefully — find your strength and endurance improving over time.

There are several different weighted vests to choose from, but I was fortunate enough to be sent one by GORUCK, the Florida-based company that started out making backpacks for rucking. Cost is something of a factor with weighted vests (we'll get to that later), but the design is durable and utilitarian. The GORUCK Rucking Weight Vest recently got the nod in our Tom's Guide Fitness Awards and, as you'd expect for a company with military ties, looks like a tactical accessory you'd see on a SWAT officer.

I sit pretty comfortably around 70kg (154lbs), and the GORUCK Rucking Weight Vest added a total of 8.4kg (18.5lbs) to that. It does this through two curved weight plates, each weighing 4.2kg (9.25lbs), that sit in slots on the front and back of the vest. The plates aren't solid — they're effectively cut-outs with a hole in the middle, so your diaphragm isn't restricted while you're wearing the vest. What's great is that, unlike a backpack, the weight is evenly distributed across your torso. If you want to, you can go right up to 27kg (60lbs) to really dial up the intensity. Talk about heavy metal.

The vest I wore comes with adjustable straps to fit different torso sizes and a wide stretchable waistband that cinches nicely thanks to some tough Velcro. GORUCK has put padding under the straps so — despite the weight — it's pretty comfortable to wear for long periods.

How I used it

I took the GORUCK Rucking Weight Vest out for an hour-long hike on the weekend with the family and a dog. We covered less than a couple of miles, and the pace was much slower than if I had been out on my own. But having the added weight strapped on made each step feel just that little bit more challenging. And having both hands free to be able to help the kids or the dog was a total game changer.

Over the course of the hike, the vest sat comfortably and securely on my torso but didn't impact my breathing at all. It felt like someone was giving me a tight hug the entire way around. The weight (or the pace) wasn't enough for me to break a sweat on this particular hike, but I certainly felt the additional kilos sitting on my shoulders by the end. And I do think that a vest is a better option because loading up a backpack would put more pressure on my back, particularly the upper trapezius muscles along either side of the neck.

I plan to add more weight (and increase the pace), as well as use one of the best activity trackers to record calories burned with and without the vest, on a future hike. Similarly, I want to find a route with more hills so I can challenge my legs with the additional weight, bracing my stomach to prevent my lower back from taking the strain.

While you can use it to make your daily dog walks more challenging, I also used the Rucking Weight Vest in a resistance workout. Because the weight sits across your body, it doesn't destabilize you and wreck your balance when squatting or deadlifting. It's also a great way to dial up the intensity with push-ups, tricep dips, and pull-ups. In fact, the only thing I'd say it's not ideal for are lying-down exercises like chest presses. The vest creates a protruding platform across your back that's not particularly helpful when you're balancing your body through your back during time under tension.

I'm currently getting back into running after an injury, so I'm particularly focusing on leg-based workouts comprising weighted squats, calf raises, step-ups, and reverse lunges. These sorts of things work perfectly with a weighted vest because it doesn't encumber your movement, but adds weight. After a 45-minute lower-body workout, I was dripping sweat.

Whether out on a hike or lifting weights, the Rucking Weight Vest never came loose, it never became uncomfortable, and it kept my hands free at all times to grab my phone or water bottle if I needed. Speaking of your phone, there's even a pocket on the front for storing your device if you need it. Which is helpful.

I plan to use the Rucking Weight Vest a lot more in the future to try to get efficient with my hikes, my workouts, and even my daily activity. I'm not sure I'll ever leave the house without it — although I may want to invest in some heavier plates. Which brings me to the question of cost.

Worth the investment?

Buying weights is expensive, and that holds true for weighted vests as much as for barbell plates. The Rucking Weight Vest starts at $155 on Amazon, and then you'll need to pay another $65 for the cheapest plates (6.25lbs) up to $95 for the most expensive (14.25lbs), which starts to add up quickly. That's on par with the Rogue Echo Weight Vest at $145, but the 10lb Omorpho G Vest Icon starts at a much steeper $319.

Is it better to spend that kind of money on a weighted vest or invest it in a good pair of adjustable dumbbells, kettlebells or other weights?

If your fitness routine consists solely of resistance training at home or in the gym, I'd say go for the latter. But if, like me, you like a combination of weight and cardio that has you out hiking or running as much as you are lifting, then adding a weighted vest is a no-brainer. It's a very efficient way to build more strength and stamina during those everyday activities.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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My favorite place to read is in bed: it's cozy, comfortable, and people can't distract me when I'm getting to the good bit. I'm happy to spend the evening tucked up with a book but recently I've found that when I close the page and turn the light off, it's taking me a long time to fall asleep.

So I turned to the experts. Dr. Jessica Weatherford, psychologist, explained my pre-bed reading marathons aren't the soothing habit I thought they were. Instead, I'm breaking one of the "most important factors in consistently healthy sleep" by teaching my brain the bed isn't just for dozing off.

"Maintaining a strong bed-sleep association is a major contributor to healthy sleep and can help reduce the risk of insomnia symptoms," says Dr. Weatherford. And it's not the only seemingly innocuous habit that might be causing your sleep woes, as she explained. Here's what you need to know.

• Read more: I tried the 7:1 sleep rule and finally hit 90 on my sleep tracker — here's all the ways it's boosting my metrics

Key takeaways

• When you consistently use your bed for sleep only, you teach your brain that climbing into bed is a cue to drift off
• Doing other things in bed, such as reading or watching TV, weakens this association between bed and sleep. This makes it harder to fall asleep and can leave you lying awake when your sleep is disrupted
• If you do want to read in bed, keep it short, dim the lights and don't read anything too stimulating

Why reading in bed can stop you from falling asleep

If you're sleeping on one of the best mattresses for your sleep style, it's far too easy to treat this comfy retreat as a second couch. However, using your bed for reading, scrolling, worrying, online shopping... almost anything other than sleeping, can confuse your brain about the purpose of the bed.

"When bed is used mostly for sleep, getting into bed becomes a cue for the brain and body to transition toward sleep," says Dr. Weatherford, an insomnia expert at Catalyst Psychology.

However, she explains that when you take other activities to bed (say, hours and hours of reading), you tell your brain that there are many reasons why you might be climbing into bed — so you don't have to sleep just yet.

"I often help my clients protect this association by limiting bed for sleep, sex and a bit of wind-down reading," says Dr. Weatherford. This way, your brain will recognize climbing into bed as the final part of your wind-down routine and a key indicator that it's time to sleep.

"Spending lots of time scrolling, worrying, watching TV or trying to force sleep can train the brain to stay awake in bed, and which may contribute to sleep problems down the road," she adds.

But bookworms, you don't have to ditch the novel entirely. "A bit of reading with a dim lamp before bed is absolutely fine," says Dr. Weatherford.

Boring books to read before bed

3 things you're doing before bed that are causing our 3 a.m. wake ups

Reading in bed isn't the only habit you think is fine but might actually be bad for your sleep. Watch out for these unexpected disruptors as well...

1. You're drinking sleepy-time tea right before bed

A steaming mug of chamomile tea or a glass of tart cherry juice are often cited as natural sleep aids and these soothing sips can contribute to a healthy wind-down routine.

However, if you get the timing wrong, your pre-bed drink can contribute to a bout of nocturia. In other words, waking up to use the toilet.

We recommend incorporating sleepy drinks into your evening routine but to finish drinking around one to two hours before bed. This gives the liquid enough time to pass through your system so it won't wake you up.

2. You're brushing your teeth too late

First, we very much do advise brushing your teeth before bed to protect your oral hygiene.

However, waiting until the minutes before you climb into bed for a dental brush-up can inadvertently destroy your sleep pressure. From the bright lights to the minty toothpaste, it's all a rush of stimulation.

So once you've finished the last sip of your chamomile tea, brush your teeth and then settle into your nighttime routine, giving you plenty of time to regain that sleepy feeling.

3. You're going to bed when you aren't tired

Keeping a consistent bedtime is one of the best ways to create a healthy sleep schedule. But forcing yourself to call it a night when you aren't actually tired can create it's own problem, as you're more likely to lie awake.

If you often find yourself wide awake at bedtime, there are ways to increase sleep pressure (that's the urge you feel to sleep.) Try some gentle exercise, pick up a boring book, or relax with some sleep meditation.

When you find yourself dropping off, it's time to get into bed.

"Going to bed when sleepiness signals are strong, such as yawning, heavy eyes or lower energy, helps support that [bed-sleep] connection," explains Dr. Weatherford.

Why too much time in bed causes 3 a.m. wake ups

It's normal to experience brief awakenings in the night, as your body cycles through sleep stages. During light and REM stages of sleep you're particularly susceptible to disruption, which causes these micro awakenings.

However, when your brain doesn't recognize being in bed as a cue to sleep, these wake ups can drag on.

"The brain learns through repetition," explains Dr. Weatherford. And when you're repeatedly lying in bed not sleeping, your brain doesn't feel the same pressure to fall asleep... even at 3 a.m.

If you do wake up at 3 a.m. and can't fall back to sleep, the best thing to do is get out of bed and relax in another room until you feel tired again. This helps support that link between being in bed and being asleep.

"The more consistent someone is with protecting the bed-sleep connection, the more likely they are to have healthier, more consistent sleep," adds Dr. Weatherford.

Products we've tested to help you fall asleep fast

When we talk about deep abdominal strength, we’re not referring to six-pack abs. A strong core encompasses your deep abs, obliques, pelvic floor, and glutes to stabilize your spine, act as your body’s corset, and protect your overall posture and balance.

Whether you’re looking for a quick ab blast to add to the end of your next strength session or you’re coming back to core workouts and looking for some inspiration, you’ve landed in the right place. These six moves hit your abs from every angle, and the entire workout will take you less than 30 minutes. Read on to find out more!

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re recovering from an injury, or you’re pregnant or postpartum, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.

What is the workout?

This workout is designed by certified personal trainer Adirene Duarte, who specializes in training women over 40. All you’ll need for the workout is a dumbbell (check out the best adjustable dumbbells for working out at home). Remember, the right weight for you will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If you feel like the weight is compromising your form, it’s too heavy.

Remember to keep your abs engaged throughout. To do this, think about squeezing your belly button into your spine, and zipping your abs up and in so you’re engaging your pelvic floor muscles too.

Duarte recommends doing 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise.

• Half crunch: For this exercise, hold your dumbbell in both hands, and use your core to crunch your head, neck, and shoulders off your exercise mat. Think about really squeezing your core at the top of the movement.
• Marching glute bridge: Keeping your dumbbell lifted to the ceiling and your hips raised into a glute bridge, bring one knee towards your torso, keeping a 90-degree bend in the leg, then the other. Keep alternating legs, and complete 15 reps on each side.
• Double crunch: For this exercise, inhale at the bottom of the movement, where your arms and legs are extended away from your body. Exhale as you crunch in, taking the dumbbell to your shins and really squeezing your core.
• Sit-up: For this dumbbell sit-up, move from your core and remember to extend the dumbbell up towards the ceiling as you finish the sit-up. Try to move from your core, without using the momentum of your arms to lift off the mat.
• Incline dumbbell pass under: For this exercise, hinge your torso back until you feel your abs engage. Pause here, then lift one leg, passing the dumbbell under your lifted leg to the opposite hand. Lower your leg back to the mat, and repeat on the opposite side. Keep switching legs, and complete 15 reps on each leg. Hold your abs in and keep your torso as still as possible.
• Incline Russian twist: For this exercise, hinge back and hover your legs off the floor. Holding the dumbbell in both hands, rotate your torso to tap the dumbbell to one side of your body, then the other, and keep switching sides.

What are the benefits?

This workout is short but sweet and will blast your core. The added resistance of the dumbbell increases the intensity of the workout and forces the core to work harder against the extra weight.

As mentioned above, building a strong core isn’t just an aesthetic goal. Lower back pain is one of the most common complaints worldwide, and it is frequently caused by a weak abdominal wall. If your core is weak, your pelvis tilts incorrectly, and your spine absorbs the shock of your body weight. A strong core keeps your pelvis in a neutral position and shields your lower back from injury.

Strengthening your core can also improve your posture and balance and enhance your athletic performance, whatever you’re training for. This workout targets all of the major muscles in the core, helping you build strength and protect your knees, hips, and back from injury. Of course, your torso will still look the same, but over time, when paired with a healthy diet and good cardiovascular fitness, workouts like this can help you tone up and get in shape.

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As you may already be aware, it's EOFY sales season, meaning there are discounts aplenty across almost everything. I'm talking tech products, appliances, beauty buys and of course, activewear.

One of my favourite athleisure brands, Gymshark, has launched its "The Gymshark Sale" last night, kicking off at 6pm AEST, with 30% off discounts splattered across the site. There's an even sweeter deal in its Last Chance section, with an extra 50% off slapped on clearance items, totalling up to a mega 80% discount.

There are slashed prices on popular products, including Gymshark's beloved Whitney leggings, flare leggings, and Adapt sports bras. And there are price drops on the men's Arrival shorts, as well as oversized hoodies and gym accessories. As a doll-obsessed Zilliennial, I'm keeping a keen eye out for the hopeful restocking of the new Gymshark x Bratz collab.

I'll be updating this page with new deals as I find them, but for now, I've selected 30 of the best Gymshark deals available. Happy shopping!

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The Merrell Moab 3 are, without a doubt, some of the best hiking shoes I’ve ever tested. The super-grippy soles with 5mm lugs meant I never slipped, even on a slimy rock path, and the arch support helped my feet feel rejuvenated even on longer hikes. On top of that, the shoes are gorgeous, aren’t they?

I knocked off half a star because the ankle cushioning is a little too cushioned (to the point of making me feel more unsupported), but if you need serious ankle support, you’d be buying the boot version anyway, right? I personally am not overly fussed about ankle support — I wear my boots if I’m feeling unsteady.

So how do the Merrell Moab 3 hold up across hills, dusty paths, grassy knolls, wet slops, and everything in between? Let’s get into it — keep reading to find out the full story in this Merrell Moab 3 review.

Merrell Moab 3 review: Specs

Merrell Moab 3 review: Price & availability

The Merrell Moab 3 come in two different styles (shoe and boot) and two waterproof levels: waterproof and non-waterproof. You can see from the images that I tested the non-waterproof shoe style.

The waterproof Moab 3 shoe will set you back $160 from REI. The non-waterproof shoe is $140 from REI.

If you are looking for the boot version, you’ll find the waterproof boot for $170 from REI, versus the non-waterproof boot’s $150 price tag.

In the U.K., you’ll find the non-GTX for £115 from Cotswolds Outdoor, and the GTX version is £145.

This is a standard price for hiking shoes these days. The Keen Targhee IV shoes (which we love) are $170, the Salomon XT-6 are $185, and my personal favorite, the Keen Jasper Zionic, are $150-$170 depending on color.

Merrell Moab 3 review: Design

The Merrell Moab 3 strike the perfect balance between form and function. As you can see from the images, I tested the yellow/beige color, which, granted, got pretty dirty after a couple of wears, but I didn’t mind this. The whole point of hiking shoes is to go outside and enjoy nature — and mud is just another facet of that. Hiking shoes would look weird if they were kept pristine; they’re not Nike Jordans.

I’ll discuss this more in the ‘Maintenance’ section below, but the Moab 3s are pretty easy to clean, regardless.

The upper is constructed from pigskin leather or suede depending on the colorway — mine use suede. I do wish Merrell offered a vegan version, like the Merrell Accentor hiking boots (my personal hiking boots I bought 4 years ago, when I was vegan).

Leather lamentation aside, the shoes use recycled laces and webbing, which is still better than nothing, but not as good as Icebug’s commitment to using biodegradable materials like a corn-based midsole and FSC rubber. I’d like to see Merrell — arguably the biggest outdoor shoe brand — adopt some of these practices.

As the shoes have a custom-made Vibram TC5+ sole, they’re incredibly sturdy and supportive yet also surprisingly responsive. I usually wear my Keen Jasper Zionics on hikes, so when I first put on the Moab 3, I was a little put off by the thick sole. However, the sole was super comfortable even on long walks, with fantastic shock absorption even on rocky paths.

I will say that my left arch started aching after around four hours, but this is something that happens with 90% of my footwear — my Keen Jasper Zionics are the only shoes I don’t experience this with.

Something I love about the Moab 3 is the bellows tongue. This seals the tongue to the upper and prevents debris from entering the shoe — at first, I was apprehensive, but it seriously works. I never had dust-covered socks, even after hikes during a heatwave.

The only drawback is that the shoe version has zero ankle support. Obviously this is not the case for the boot version, but be warned if you have weak ankles. The collar is cushioned and comfy, but it’s quite loose. I was able to get the shoes on and off without even untying the laces, resulting in an unsupported ankle during long walks. Ideally, I’d like to tighten the collar to provide a sturdier base.

Overall, I have very few complaints about the design of the Moab 3. I wish they were more supportive around the ankle, but other than that, I’m a fan. And if this is a dealbreaker for you, just buy the boot version instead.

Merrell Moab 3 review: Performance

To test the Merrell Moab 3, I wore them every day for over a month, racking up over 300,000 steps. I wore them on hikes and as everyday/hybrid shoes.

I wet them in my bathtub, and they took 24 hours to dry indoors at 68°F. Of course, if you have the GTX version, they won't let as much water in.

Hiking

When I wore the Moab 3 on hikes, my feet felt cushioned and supported. Even on rocky paths, I never felt unsteady. Going uphill was a breeze due to the 5mm, grippy lugs, even in muddy environments. The sole is fantastic at finding a hold and gluing you to it without any input from you.

After a spate of wet weather, I embarked on a downhill stony path-slash-slimy death trap, and I didn’t slip once. I’ve slipped on this path while wearing the Keen Seek, but never while wearing the Keen Jasper Zionic. I was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t slip with the Moab 3s.

As I mentioned in the ‘Design’ section, I noticed my left arch started aching after a few hours, but this is something I experience with all my shoes except the Jasper Zionic. My hiking boots, Merrell Accentor, also make my arch ache. I think it’s just a personal biological quirk.

Overall, I was really impressed with this performance. I can’t wait to get out again with these shoes.

Everyday

If you want a hybrid hiking shoe that can easily transform into an everyday shoe, I’m not convinced the Moab 3 is it. The shoe does look a little more… rugged… than others. I have no reservations about wearing my Jasper Zionic for hikes and everyday wear because they’re a little more subtle. The sole is smaller, and the upper isn’t as starkly “outdoor”-coded.

Of course, though, the Merrell 3 were mighty comfortable. When I was grocery shopping or gallivanting around the city, my feet were cushioned and secure. Would I buy these shoes as generic sneakers? No, of course not. They are, at their heart, hiking shoes, and that’s where they excel.

I live in Bath, U.K., a city with particularly uneven pavement (seeing as the majority of the roads were built before the U.S. was even a country), and the Moab 3 helped me balance more than Converse or Vans. But, again, I wouldn’t buy these shoes to use as sneakers. They do yearn for the wilderness.

Merrell Moab 3 review: Maintenance

Cleaning the Moab 3 is easy. I simply removed the laces and scrubbed (gently) with an old toothbrush. I personally like the lived-in look, so I didn’t want to clean too much.

Merrell sells leather lotion for $11 and extra laces for $8, which is surprisingly cheap. You could also get a leather brush or a suede brush to gently brush away dirt (but toothbrushes work similarly — just be sure to test in an inconspicuous spot first).

Whatever you do — do not machine wash!

With proper maintenance, Merrell shoes can last years and years. Personal anecdote incoming, but I’ve had Merrell Accentors for 4 years and they still look (almost) new, and I’ve inherited a pair of my nan’s leather walking boots from the days of yore and they are still incredibly durable. Proper care can do wonders!

If you have defective shoes, Merrell will replace them under its 1-year warranty.

Merrell Moab 3 review: Verdict

I love my Merrell Moab 3. These are hiking shoes that long for the wilderness. While my Keen Jasper Zionics look the part in both city excursions and outdoor adventures, the Moab 3 really excel in grass, mud, rocks, and everywhere in between. I want to go on extra hikes just to wear them more.

While I took off half a star for the lack of support around the ankle collar — the overly cushioned interior made me feel under-supported — I still recommend these shoes wholeheartedly. The sole is grippy and sturdy, and I didn’t slip once during my testing period, and I’m the clumsiest person in the world.

If you want a pair of rugged, stylish, and supremely functional shoes, you won’t be disappointed by the Moab 3. These shoes get a big thumbs up from me.

I’ve been practicing Pilates long enough to know you don't need lots of equipment or heavy weights to leave a Pilates workout feeling like you're trembling from head to toe. It's those high reps and endurance sets that strengthen and lengthen, not a heavy dumbbell set.

I can personally credit Pilates with transforming my core from the inside out, and one piece of equipment I really enjoy using is the Pilates ring. Recently, I turned to the expertise of Pilates instructor Georgia Weibel, the founder of Sync With Georgia. She put together a beginner-friendly home Pilates workout you can do with just a Pilates ring and an exercise mat.

Here's the routine, and my verdict after trying this Pilates workout for the first time.

Why use a Pilates ring?

"Also referred to as the 'Magic Circle.' It’s part of the classical mat repertoire," says Weibel.

"It is one of the simplest ways to increase intensity without increasing impact. It can help improve posture, core strength, stability, and muscle endurance while remaining suitable for beginners. It’s also incredibly portable, making it ideal for home workouts, travel, or adding variety to your existing routine."

Of course, lasting strength and stability come with time and practice, so you'll need to add these moves to a wider routine and progressively make them more challenging to notice results in the long term.

3-move Pilates ring workout to try from home

Weibel uses the Onyx Pilates ring, which uses signature pill-shaped handles to contour to the arms and legs for comfort and control.

Here are the Pilates exercises:

1. Kneeling lean back to overhead ring press

"This move challenges your core, improves posture, and strengthens the shoulders while encouraging stability through the entire body. Reduce the range of the lean back and keep the overhead press lower if needed."

• Start kneeling with your hips stacked over your knees, holding the Pilates ring at chest height.
• Lean back slightly while keeping your core engaged, then return upright and press the ring overhead.

2. Pilates ring teaser roll up

"This exercise strengthens the deep core muscles, improves coordination, and helps build spinal mobility and control. Bend the knees or roll up only part of the way until you build strength."

• Lie on your back holding the Pilates ring with both hands.
• Slowly roll up through the spine into a "teaser position," balancing on your sitting bones, then lower back down with control.

3. Shoulder bridge with ring squeeze

"This move targets the glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, and core while improving hip stability and coordination. Keep the feet flat on the floor and reduce the bridge height if required."

• Lie on your back with the Pilates ring placed between your thighs and your heels lifted.
• Squeeze the ring as you lift your hips into a bridge, raising your arms overhead as you reach the top of the movement.
• Slowly lower back down through your spine with control.

"The Pilates ring is lightweight, comfortable to hold, and versatile enough to add challenge to both upper and lower body exercises," says Weibel. "The padded handles provide a secure grip, while the resistance helps create deeper muscle engagement without adding heavy weights.

I particularly love using a Pilates ring because it encourages greater mind-muscle connection. Small adjustments and gentle resistance can make familiar Pilates exercises feel much more effective, helping you activate muscles that are often overlooked during bodyweight workouts."

My verdict

I love a Pilates workout that feels accessible, and this is just that. Three moves, performed slowly and with control for 45 seconds, with a 10-15 second transition, totaling 15 minutes of work.

Check out the video, which shows each move in action, demonstrated by instructor Georgia.

Remember, good form is essential. I highly recommend this quick five-minute bracing routine to help you learn how to engage your core properly if this is a problem for you. Think about breathing expansively throughout and avoid arching your back. Squeezing your glutes is also helpful, as this will help you protect your back and control the reps.

If you're new to Pilates workouts, I would seek advice from an instructor before starting, especially if you have an injury or health condition. You can also shorten your working sets to 20 or 30 seconds or extend your rest periods accordingly if you need less intensity.

Try to aim for a similar number of reps each round, exhaling as your muscles meet with the most tension. Let us know how you get on!

• Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not sit-ups, planks, or crunches: I do this simple Pilates exercise every single day to build a strong and stable core and work on my hip flexor mobility
• Not sit-ups or lunges — I use this simple Pilates exercise to sculpt strong obliques, inner thighs and hip stabilizers
• 'I’m a Pilates instructor, and I recommend these 5 core exercises to help older clients build strength and improve posture'

Which $99 Fitbit fitness tracker is more accurate, the Fitbit Inspire 3 or the newer, screen-free Fitbit Air? Both devices performed admirably in our review test process, but is one more reliable than the other? I decided to find out.

On a picture-perfect cerulean Seattle summer day, I took one for the team and walked 3,500 steps with the Fitbit Inspire 3 strapped to my left wrist and the Fitbit Air affixed to my right.

How do I know I walked exactly 3.5K steps? I counted each and every one, clicking my trusty manual tally counter to note every hundred, before starting the count over at one.

While my manual count was a control for steps, I used the Strava app on my iPhone 16 Plus as a control for distance, pace, and elevation gain. Ultimately, one of these top-performing fitness trackers proved more competent. Was it the Fitbit Air or the Fitbit Inspire 3? Read on for the results.

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3: key differences

I’ve already gone in-depth concerning the pros and cons of the Fitbit Air vs. the Fitbit Inspire 3. But as a quick refresher, both wearables are compact and record the basics, like sleep quality, workouts, women’s health, and overall well-being.

The most notable difference: The Fitbit Inspire 3 has a screen — albeit a tiny one — for mirrored smartphone notifications, starting workouts, and viewing stats. The Fitbit Air, meanwhile, is screen-free and distraction-free.

They each cost $99, though the Inspire 3 is frequently on sale for less (It's just $79 via Amazon as of publishing). When it comes to logging outdoor workouts, like walks, neither has an onboard GPS, so you’ll need to carry your smartphone along (as I did) for accurate location-based metrics.

Now, on to the results of my 3,500-step walk test with the Fitbit Air vs the Fitbit Inspire 3.

I walked 3,500 steps with the Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3

During my roughly 34-minute walk, I took exactly 3,500 steps. The Fitbit Air was more accurate, with a total that's off by just a single step. Strava, for what it's worth, noted a total of 3,510 steps.

The Fitbit Air recorded nearly the same total distance covered as Strava, while the Inspire 3 was off by nearly a third of a mile.

"The Fitbit Air's elevation tracking data has proven less than reliable in my testing, but at least the tracker provides the metric (unlike the Inspire 3)."

The Air's pace data is pretty darn close to Strava's. I didn't pause at any point during the walk, so I expected roughly the same pace from all three tracking methods. That may be the case for the Fitit Air, but not the Inspire 3.

Despite noting less distance covered, the Fitbit Inspire 3 recorded slightly higher heart rate data than the Air and more calories burned.

Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3: Winner

The Fitbit Air is the clear winner of this head-to-head fitness-tracking accuracy showdown against its older sibling, the Fitbit Inspire 3.

Ultimately, the Air has newer hardware and represents the latest in Google's holistic tech. The Fitbit Inspire 3 may record most of the same metrics, but the Fitbit Air does so with better overall accuracy.

Which fitness trackers or smartwatches should I test head-to-head next? Let me know in the comments below.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Fitbit Air is basically just a screen-less Fitbit Inspire 3 — and that’s a very good thing
• I tested all 3 Fitbit Air accessory bands — and there’s a clear winner
• We asked Tom's Guide readers if they prefer the Fitbit Air vs. the Garmin Forerunner 70 — and the results were overwhelming

As someone who doesn’t like to spend a lot of time doing strength training, I’ve always liked core workouts because it really doesn’t take long to challenge and strengthen your abs in particular.

Every time I tackle a core workout, I’m shocked by just how quickly my abs start to burn. Even if a session is just 10 minutes long, I know I’m going to spend a good eight or nine minutes of that time working hard, and that my abs will be aching the next day.

So if you’re pressed for time and just want a short, sharp and effective training session, core workouts are always a great option, and this 10-minute abs blaster from fitness trainer Oliver Sjostrom is particularly good.

That’s because it keeps things simple — you don’t need any equipment and do all five moves in the session from a similar position — and it’s still effective in working the upper and lower abs hard in a short amount of time.

Watch Oliver Sjostrom’s 10-minute abs workout

You do two rounds of five exercises in the session, working for 45 seconds and then resting for 15 seconds in between moves. While you don’t need any equipment for it, if you’re working on a hard floor, using one of the best yoga mats will make things more comfortable.

Sjostrom does the workout with you, and during the rest periods the next exercise is displayed on screen, so you know what’s coming up.

Since you’re working to time rather than reps, the aim is to keep moving at a steady pace throughout each 45-second set — try to match the rhythm Sjostrom is working at if you can, but focus on maintaining good form and engaging your core correctly above all.

The work periods are pretty long and the session will have your abs burning from halfway through the first minute of action, so if you need to take extra breaks at times, then do so — just try to get back into it as quickly as you can to maximize the benefits of this short workout.

While the session doesn’t have any twisting or side-focused moves to target the obliques, the five moves you’ll be doing do work both the upper and lower abs, along with the deeper core muscles.

This is a very targeted abs workout, and while it will certainly tick off your core session for the week, it’s not doing a lot for the rest of your body or your cardiovascular fitness. That means it’s worth doing it in turn with a full-body strength session, or even as a finisher for another workout if you have time.

If you want to stick with the 10-minute, no-equipment theme, then this short full-body workout is a good option to rotate with this core session in your routine. If you can train three times a week consistently, even working for just 10 minutes at a time can yield impressive results.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• I’m a physical therapist who works with seniors: Here are the 5 bodyweight exercises I recommend
• No, not planks! I'm a personal trainer for seniors, and these are the 4 best exercises you can do for core stability at every age
• Over 60? I’m a personal trainer, and these 3 floor exercises will show you how strong your core is

It's the end-of-financial-year sales season here in Australia, and there's no better time to shop the best discounts across a range of items. As a deals writer who also loves her daily skincare routine, I always find the best beauty deals pop up in June, with prices slashed on skincare, makeup and fragrances.

Notably, some of the best K-Beauty and local brands typically go on sale around this time, making it an ideal time to stock up, as good skincare products often cost a pretty penny.

One of my holy grail products comes from an Aussie-based brand, which has been taking over my socials as of late. I took the plunge and snapped up Quick Flick's Quick Screen whipped aftersun moisturiser at full price earlier this year, and boy, has it changed my skincare routine for the better.

That said, I wish I held off a moment longer, as it's now discounted by 30% to just AU$17.50 during Adore Beauty's End of Season sale. At this price, I will definitely be picking up two (maybe three) to sustain my soft skin obsession.

As someone who hates the feeling of dry skin and hates getting sunburnt, I swear by this whipped moisturiser, especially after a dip in the pool or a trip to the beach. While it's the perfect post-sun companion, I have gotten plenty of use out of it in the colder months, liberally applying it to help my wintery-dry skin at any given chance.

In any case, the Quick Screen moisturiser has only fuelled my newfound love for the brand, and I'm particularly keen to get my hands on some of its other well-known products, like the Quick Screen Sunscreen Mousse.

Other great EOFY beauty buys

If you're looking for some other great products, I've scoured two of my favourite retailers for budget beauty buys — Amazon and Adore Beauty — and rounded up 6 of the best EOFY skincare deals on offer. These items include moisturisers, serums and face masks, all of which come with thousands of 4+ star ratings.

Some of these recommendations come from my own personal skincare collection, as well as some of my most-wished for items. Keep scrolling to find the best EOFY beauty buys I've found so far. If these picks don't quite satisfy your skincare needs, check out Amazon and Adore Beauty's sale pages for a complete list of discounted products.

More from Tom's Guide

• EOFY sales 2026: Australia's end of financial year sales are now on

The wait is over as Android 17 officially rolls out today, hitting Pixel phones first with additional features that weren’t previously revealed at Google I/O 2026 or The Android Show: I/O Edition. Eligible Pixel devices will be the first to experience the upgrade, followed by a broader rollout to other compatible devices throughout the year.

Gemini Intelligence was one of the biggest reveals, though users will have to wait a smidge longer to access it, with a rollout slated for later this summer. Even without it, the Android 17 update is packed with plenty of new features to tide people over. Pixel owners are also getting a double dose of updates today, courtesy of the June 2026 Pixel Drop and new optimizations landing on Wear OS 7.

Here's everything you need to know about Google’s latest ecosystem upgrades.

More new features with Android 17

Android 17 is officially rolling out to Pixel devices first, with this update introducing massive productivity, gaming, and security overhauls. Here's all the new Android 17 features you can expect to tap into after installing the update.

• Bubbles: If you're a power multitasker, then you'll love the Bubbles feature in Android 17 that allows you to turn any app into a compact, floating window. It's the alternative to simply closing an app and going back to it because Bubbles on larger screen devices will show up as at the bottom of the screen for easier access.
• Screen Reactions: This one's really helpful for users who love to record themselves because Screen Reactions revamps the screen-recording toolbar to let you capture your device's display and your selfie camera simultaneously.
• Foldable Gaming Mode: Gamers who prefer on-screen controls can now opt for a virtual, on-screen gamepad they can use with the new foldable gaming mode specifically for devices like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. When enabled you get a dedicated 50/50 layout with the game on top and controls on the bottom.
• Biometric "Mark as Lost": It's nerve wrecking when you lose your phone, but the new "Mark as Lost" feature with Android 17 can let you lock it using your biometrics via the Find Hub. Even if a thief knows your passcode, they can't access your data or disable tracking.
• Granular Privacy & Anti-Theft: You can now grant apps temporary access to your precise location or share specific contacts rather than your whole book. Additional options like PIN guess limits and longer wait times have been added to stop brute-force entry.

June 2026 Pixel feature drop

Google's known for frequently releasing Pixel Feature Drops throughout the year, and its June 2026 one is no exception. The latest update is packed with new AI features, creation tools, and global expansions for supported Pixel phones, tablets, and watches. Here's just some of the most popular features coming out.

• Gemini Omni: For Gemini Pro users, you can now type a text prompt into the Gemini app to generate a custom, high-quality video by just telling it what you want.
• Lyria 3: Create original tracks from scratch. Just prompt Gemini with text or images, customize the vocals, style, and tempo, and share the track.
• Conversational Editing: Pixel users in Germany, the U.K., France, Spain, and Italy can now execute complex, multi-step photo edits simply by talking to their phones.
• AirDrop expanded support: Android Quick Share expands its cross-platform capabilities, allowing Pixel 8a and 9a users to easily share files globally with AirDrop-enabled devices.
• Ecosystem Emergency Detection: Select Pixel watches (from Pixel Watch 2 to 4) now integrate Emergency Sharing directly into Car Crash, Fall, and Loss of Pulse detection, automatically alerting emergency services and custom contacts if a severe event happens.

Refreshes your wrist with Wear OS 7

Rounding out the massive wave of updates is Wear OS 7, which officially begins its rollout to eligible Pixel Watch devices today. This latest wearable platform update prioritizes seamless cross-device utility and smarter, real-time tracking directly on your wrist. There's also new personalized help features with Gemini Intelligence, which will be coming later.

• Live Updates: Never miss a moment like the score of a World Cup game or waiting on an Uber ride with Live Updates that give you glanceable, real time details directly from your watch face.
• Cross-Device Control: Manage media playback across headphones or home speakers with a new media output switcher. For example, you can preview photos taken on a pair of smart glasses right from your wrist.
• Battery Boost: Deep, system-level power optimizations will give users upgrading from Wear OS 6 up to a 10% bump in battery life.
• Gemini Intelligence: Later this year, select Wear OS 7 devices will get a massive upgrade courtesy of Gemini Intelligence, transforming your smartwatch into a deeply personalized AI assistant. You'll be able to use natural language to build custom dashboards through Create My Widget.

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• I tested the new AI photo Clean Up on iOS 27 vs iOS 26 — and it's shockingly better
• iOS 27 beta has new and improved dictation software — I tested it by writing this whole article with my voice
• iPhone Ultra and MacBook Ultra teased in iOS 27 and macOS 27 — here's what we know so far

When I first started testing the best running watches over a decade ago, the cheapest models on the market were pretty basic. They offered simple tracking with mixed levels of accuracy, and pretty much no training analysis or extra features.

These days, entry-level watches like the Garmin Forerunner 70 and Coros Pace 4 are absolutely packed with features and easily good enough to cover the essentials for runners of all levels, not just beginners.

I’ve been testing the Coros Pace 4 for over six months now, having used it for the London Marathon, and I’ve been comparing it directly to the Garmin Forerunner 70 since it launched recently, including using both for a 10K race.

Both are outstanding options for runners at a great price, but the Pace 4 offers more to triathletes and has some extras like multi-band GPS and a barometer; the Forerunner 70 offers better training analysis and a more polished design and user interface.

I’ve outlined what I consider the key differences between the two watches below, and there’s more detail on each in our full Coros Pace 4 review and Garmin Forerunner 70 review.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Price and availability

The Coros Pace 4 launched in November 2025 and costs $249 / £229 for the standard version of the watch, and $279 / £249 for the aluminium model, which has a metal bezel.

Garmin launched the Forerunner 70 alongside the Garmin Forerunner 170 in May 2026. The Forerunner 70 costs $249 / £219 and sits below the Forerunner 170 (from $299 / £259) in the Garmin line-up, lacking some of the smart features and extra sensors that are on the Forerunner 170.

The Pace 4 and Forerunner 70 both sit at the bottom of their respective brand’s line-ups, but are still packed with useful sports tracking features and are among the best value sports watches you can get right now.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Specs

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Design and display

The Coros Pace 4 and Garmin Forerunner 70 are both small, lightweight watches with plastic designs (aside from the aluminum bezel on the more expensive Pace 4 model). I found both very comfortable to wear for long periods, and they fit well on slim wrists.

Despite the small designs, the 1.2” AMOLED displays are clear and easy to read on both in all conditions, even during runs where I usually show five or six stats at a time.

The Pace 4 has three buttons, one of which is a digital dial, whereas the Garmin has five buttons. I prefer the five-button design myself, as I find it more reliable than the dial on the Coros, which I often set off accidentally.

Both watches have optical heart rate monitors, but the Pace 4 has more sensors than the Forerunner 70, with a barometer, altimeter and compass. It also offers multi-band GPS tracking, whereas the most accurate is all-systems on the Forerunner 70.

The Coros Pace 4 can also connect to more sensors than the Forerunner 70, like cycling power meters, whereas the Forerunner 70 is much more focused on running.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Sports tracking and training analysis

The main difference with sports tracking is that the Pace 4 is a full multisport watch with a triathlon mode where you can transition between swimming, cycling and running.

This isn’t available on the Forerunner 70, and it also doesn’t have an open-water swimming mode, which the Pace 4 does.

You get a little more training analysis on the Forerunner 70, most notably Garmin’s Training Readiness stat, which gives a rating out of 100 based on factors like recent sleep, stress and workouts.

Both watches offer training load analysis along with race predictions and VO2 max estimates, with enough data to satisfy even very keen runners.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: GPS & heart rate accuracy

Both watches have proved reliably accurate for me with GPS throughout my testing, which has included races with both. The Coros Pace 4 even produced a pretty accurate track during the Canary Wharf section of the London Marathon, which is notably difficult for watches.

In theory, the multi-band GPS option on the Pace 4 should be more accurate than the all-systems mode on the Forerunner 70, but in practice, Garmin’s all-systems mode is so reliable I’ve not seen any differences between the two watches in my testing so far.

Both logged almost exactly 10.00km in the 10K race I did, and the GPS tracks were essentially identical, as they have been on other runs with both watches.

When it comes to heart rate accuracy, both have been good, but the Garmin has tended to be a little more reliable than the Coros, especially at the start of runs.

In the 10K race, along with other runs with both watches, the Forerunner 70 heart rate reading has been accurate throughout, whereas the Pace 4 often reads high for a few minutes before locking onto my heart rate correctly.

My main takeaway here, though, is that these are both very accurate watches overall and match up well with devices that cost twice their price or more.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Battery life

Battery life is always a strong area for Coros watches, and that’s the case in this comparison as well. The Pace 4 lasts up to 19 days on a charge, or six days with the always-on display, and offers 24 hours of multi-band GPS tracking.

The Garmin Forerunner 70 lasts up to 13 days in watch mode or five days with the screen on always-on mode, and offers 16 hours of all-systems GPS tracking.

In practice, I found that with the watches set to always-on running every day, I tend to get around 4.5 days out of the Forerunner 70 and just over five from the Pace 4. It’s not a major difference, but the Coros certainly lasts longer with normal use and also outstrips the Garmin for one ultra-long individual activity.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Smart features

Garmin kept its best smart features for the Forerunner 170, so the Forerunner 70 doesn’t offer NFC payments or music storage, though it does offer more customization than the Coros Pace 4 and has access to more apps and widgets through the Garmin Connect IQ app store.

The Coros Pace 4 doesn’t have NFC payments either, but does offer music storage for MP3 files, which you can drag and drop onto the watch. It doesn’t link with streaming services though, so if you really want smart features, the Forerunner 170 is worth considering.

Neither watch has offline maps, but both offer breadcrumb navigation with turn-by-turn directions and a back-to-start pointer, which I always find handy if I get myself lost.

Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Coros Pace 4: Verdict

Both of these watches are excellent and accurate options that have impressed me throughout testing, but the Coros Pace 4 has a few important extra features, especially if you’re a triathlete.

It has better battery life, more sensors and also music storage, though this feature isn’t useful unless you have a lot of MP3 files on hand.

The Garmin has a nicer design in my opinion, and the user interface is more customizable with more smart widgets, like sports scores and stocks. It also has better training analysis for me, including the handy Training Readiness.

I don’t think there’s a clear winner here if none of those features sound vital to you, but one factor that could swing it in the future is the fact that Garmin does usually reduce its watches in big sales periods, whereas Coros doesn’t, so the Forerunner 70 could end up being cheaper.

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• Forget pricey new running shoes — I would get these last-gen Hoka, Saucony and New Balance at a steep discount instead
• Coros Pace 4 vs Coros Pace 3 vs Coros Pace Pro: Which is the best Coros watch for you?
• Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Garmin Fenix 8 Pro: should you upgrade?

Just when I think I’ve got my sleep issues sorted, nighttime anxiety comes knocking — and usually at the inconvenient time of 3 a.m. Waking up at night is a recurrent sleep problem for me and I’ll never tire of trying to get to the root cause of the issue.

In my search for answers, I’ve spoken to Dr. Joshua Roland, a Board-Certified Sleep Medicine Physician, and Dr. Matthew Walker, a leading sleep scientist. According to Dr. Roland, a ‘temporary second wind of energy’ is causing my wake ups — and falling asleep in front of the TV is one of the biggest culprits.

Evidence suggests that ignoring sleep cues and staying up later than your body need triggers the production of hormones associated with wakefulness, which contributes to 3 a.m. wake-ups. Below, I dig into the sleep cues I’m missing plus the every day habits that are causing my 'middle insomnia'.

• Read more: 4 sleep experts share how they fall asleep fast and skip waking up at 3 a.m. in hot weather — 4 steps to take tonight

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Research suggests that ignoring your natural sleep cues and instead staying awake can contribute to 3 a.m. wake-ups
• Overriding our body’s sleep signals to stay awake for one last scroll / chapter / episode etc. triggers the production of 'wakeful' hormones, including cortisol
• Elevated cortisol before bed means that, when cortisol levels naturally rise in the early hours of the morning, you’re susceptible to waking up
• Experts say one of the key sleep cues we ignore is feeling sleepy as opposed to tired
• Habits that give a temporary ‘second wind’ of energy include working late into the evening and falling asleep in front of the TV, something 61% of us do

Why pushing past your bedtime causes a cortisol spike

The 3 a.m. club isn’t exclusive and no one wants to be in it. And yet, my sleep over the past decade has been blighted by instances where I’m white-knuckling my way through the early hours of the morning, heart hammering in my chest.

I've recently learnt that my habits in the lead up to bedtime (most crucially, staying awake later than I should) can influence how anxious I feel or how often I'm awoken. Without realizing it, daily habits like like drifting off in front of the television is sabotaging my sleep. And it’s all down to the the release of hormones associated with wakefulness.

"When we push past our natural bedtime, we create a tug-of-war inside the body. Sleep pressure has been building all day; natural melatonin is rising, and every signal is telling you it's time to rest," says Dr. Roland, medical director at Dreem Health.

"But if you stay awake anyway, the brain activates its alertness systems, releasing chemicals like norepinephrine, dopamine, and orexin to keep you functional. Cortisol can creep up, too, which is why you get that 'tired but wired' feeling: physically drained but mentally switched on."

Studies also suggest that when we ignore our natural sleep cues and stay up later than our bodies need, our brain assumes there must be an emergency preventing us from sleeping. And this triggers the production of cortisol, the get-up-and-go hormone required for our fight or flight response.

Once you've fallen asleep, this hormonal rollercoaster isn't over. Cortisol levels naturally begin to increase around 3-4 a.m, peaking shortly after you wake. That's called your Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). However, when your baseline level of cortisol is higher than it should be, this small rise in the middle of the night could be enough to wake you up.

Tired vs. Sleepy: How to identify true sleep pressure

We might use the terms interchangeably, but there's a difference between feeling tired and feeling sleepy. And being able to distinguish between the two can help stay attune to your natural sleep window.

"Adequate sleep pressure is usually signaled by increasing eyelid heaviness, yawning, reduced alertness, impaired sustained attention, and the repeated loss of focus while reading or watching something," explains Dr. Walker, neuroscientist and professor of neuroscience and bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Dr. Roland agrees, noting that as you becoming more accustomed to overriding your body's sleep signals, these cues are easily missed. "In general, signs of adequate sleep pressure include feeling sleepy rather than just tired, finding it harder to stay alert, and being less engaged with activities."

However, Dr. Roland adds that it's easy to push through these sleep cues with screen, work, bright lights or caffeine. I often find myself barely able to keep my eyes open earlier in the evening, only to feel wide awake in bed. And that's all down to the second wind of energy that comes from ignoring your sleep signals and staying awake anyway.

• Read more: I tried the 7:1 sleep rule and finally hit 90 on my sleep tracker — here's all the ways it's boosting my metrics

3 evening habits that cause middle insomnia

During bouts of waking up at 3 a.m., I often feel as though I'm running on fumes. And yet, when bedtime rolls around, there are habits that I'm unintentionally falling into that are giving me a temporary spike in energy. Not only does that make falling asleep a chore, it also means I'm more likely to wake up again at 3 a.m., which perpetuates the cycle.

1. Working late into the evening

Catching up on work when you should be winding down for sleep is, unsurprisingly, impacting your ability to later switch off.

"Evening light exposure, screens, and mental stimulation can override or obscure the biological drive for sleep," explains Dr. Walker.

At a time when melatonin levels should be peaking in order to prepare us for sleep, the blue light from our devices suppress its production. Add in mental stimulation, and we've created a perfect storm for pushing through our sleep window.

2. An afternoon caffeine fix

When you're not getting enough sleep, caffeine can feel like your friend; the late afternoon pick-me-up you need to get through the rest of your working day. However, Dr. Walker highlights how the 'energy' it provides is just a trick.

"Caffeine does not create biological energy; it primarily blocks adenosine receptors, masking the brain’s perception of accumulating sleep pressure," explains the author of Why We Sleep. "Because caffeine has a long half-life, a coffee consumed in the early afternoon can still exert meaningful effects late into the evening."

3. Falling asleep in front of the TV

This is a question I've been asking myself for years. Why am I always fast asleep on the sofa but wide awake in bed? I'm not alone, an estimated 61% of us fall asleep in front of the TV every night.

But this quick doze can make it hard to fall asleep when you later get into bed. And it all comes down to your sleep pressure, also referred to as your sleep hunger or homeostatic sleep drive. It's essentially your urge for sleep.

Sleep pressure builds from the moment you wake and starts its decline when you fall asleep. However, if you briefly fall asleep before going to bed, your sleep pressure can fall enough to stop you feeling tired.

"[Another] mistake is the brief evening doze, often during television or reading," explains Dr. Walker. "Even twenty minutes of sleep in the evening can partially discharge sleep pressure and make it harder to initiate sleep later."

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Before going through pregnancy and childbirth, I never shied away from sit ups, crunches, and other abdominal exercises that involved spinal flexion. However, a lingering case of postpartum diastasis recti made all of those exercises off-limits, so I had to rethink the way I trained my core.

My pelvic floor physical therapist often assigned bear plank leg reaches during our appointments. As a certified personal trainer I was certainly familiar with the move, but regretfully I’d never incorporated them into my routine on a consistent basis. Trying them in her office left me shaking after a set and sore the next day, and that was all the evidence I needed to start doing them more regularly.

Bear plank leg reaches are incredibly effective at targeting the deepest muscles of our core, like the transverse abdominis and internal obliques. The more surface level muscles like the rectus abdominis and external obliques also kick into gear, so this one movement can train multiple abdominal muscles at the same time.

Below I’ll go over how to do bear plank leg reaches, their benefits, and ways to modify or progress the exercise. Grab a yoga mat and give them a try.

How to do bear plank leg reaches

Check in with your doctor before trying this exercise or any new activity. Bear plank leg reaches may look simple but they’re challenging to master. Consider meeting with a certified personal trainer for guidance on correct form, appropriate modifications for your fitness level, and proper progressions when you’re ready.

You’ll just need a yoga mat for this exercise. If you have sore knees, you may want to use a rolled up towel or pillow for additional cushioning.

Start with one set of 8 reps per side. After you’ve built up some strength and stability, increase to 10-12 reps on each side. You can also gradually increase the number of sets you do.

Bear plank leg reaches can be done on their own, as a part of your current core routine, or as a warm-up for lifting, running, or other workouts.

Here’s how to do them:

• Come to all fours on the mat.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Lift your knees about 1-2 inches off the mat.
• Extend your right leg behind you, keeping your hips square to the mat.
• Pause briefly.
• Bring your right leg back to the starting position.
• Extend your left leg behind you, keeping your hips square to the mat.
• Pause briefly.
• Bring your left leg back to the starting position.
• Continue alternating between your two sides for 8-12 reps per side.

What are the benefits of bear plank leg reaches?

Popular core exercises like crunches and sit ups are great for targeting the rectus abdominis (or “six pack”), but they aren’t as effective for strengthening the deeper muscles of your core like the transverse abdominis and internal obliques.

Bear plank leg reaches require effort from many different core muscles at once – the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, and pelvic floor muscles. Additionally, your shoulders, back, quads, and glutes have to work in tandem to keep proper form and body positioning.

Extending your leg in the “reach” portion of the exercise trains your core muscles to stabilize the pelvis and spine. This can translate to better balance, improved athletic performance, and a reduced chance of certain injuries.

How to modify bear plank leg reaches

Bear plank leg reaches are a progression from bear planks, so if the “reach” element seems too difficult, try performing the exercise in its standard form. Once you can hold the position for 30-45 seconds, try adding the leg reach back in.

You can also build up to performing bear plank leg reaches by practicing birddogs. This move targets a lot of the same muscles in a similar way, but with your knees on the mat.

How to progress bear plank leg reaches

When bear plank leg reaches start to feel easy, there are ways to make the move even more challenging.

The bear plank birddog is an advanced exercise that requires a high level of core strength and stability. In addition to extending your leg, you’ll simultaneously extend your opposite arm. Try this movement only after you’ve mastered bear plank leg reaches.

You can also add ankle weights when performing the exercise.

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We asked Tom’s Guide readers which new fitness tracker they prefer, the screen-free Fitbit Air or the running-focused Garmin Forerunner 70, and your response was overwhelming.

With more than 800 total votes — 821 to be exact — one wearable proved far more popular than the other, receiving nods from 67% of respondents. So, which of these top-performing fitness trackers came out on top, the Fitbit Air or the Garmin Forerunner 70? Read on.

67% of TG readers prefer the Fitbit Air, but why?

We ran our “Which 2026 fitness tracker do you prefer, the latest Garmin or the newest Fitbit?” poll for two weeks, and the results speak for themselves. With all votes tallied, 67% of Tom’s Guide readers prefer the Fitbit Air to the Garmin Forerunner 70. But why?

For starters, the Fitbit Air is just $99, and the Garmin Forerunner 70 is $249, but that’s just one likely factor in the former’s popularity.

An even bigger reason folks prefer the Fitbit might come down to the target audiences. While the Garmin Forerunner 70 is designed with running enthusiasts in mind, the Fitbit Air is geared toward, well, anyone who’s looking for health and fitness insights from a no-fuss wearable.

Ultimately, the Forerunner 70 is a more niche product, while the Fitbit Air has more mass appeal.

Fitbit Air vs Garmin Forerunner 70: Biggest differences

I’ve already covered the core differences between the Fitbit Air vs Garmin Forerunner 70 in the intro to my 3,000-step walk test between the two (Spoiler alert: both performed with remarkable accuracy). But to summarize, the Garmin boasts more training and recovery tools, running features, and onboard GPS. It’s light on smart features but does offer mirrored notifications and media control.

The Fitbit Air, meanwhile, offers a well-rounded mix of holistic and fitness features with no screen, buttons, or ability to mirror notifications. It also requires a paired smartphone for location data when working out.

Ultimately, both the Fitbit Air and Garmin Forerunner 70 impressed me during testing, with each proving reliable, long-lasting, durable, and comfortable.

Haven’t voted in our Fitbit Air vs Garmin Forerunner 70 poll yet? Make your voice heard now, below.

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• Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Forerunner 55: Here's how Garmin's new entry-level running watch stacks up against its predecessor
• I went for a run with the Fitbit Air and Garmin Forerunner 70 to see how the $99 tracker compared, and I’m impressed
• Fitbit Air vs Fitbit Inspire 3 — which $99 fitness tracker wins?

Summer temps got you down? Cool off with these fresh-as-heck Patagonia jacket deals. The thermometer may be heating up, but exceptional gorpware sales are currently ice cold (in a good way), baby!

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Last week, I asked a neuroscientist to share her gold-standard sleep routine, and her advice was chock full of science-backed sleep tips. However, if you've tried aromatherapy and herbal tea but still find it difficult to drift off, it's important to know that there are alternative sleep aids to try.

"Most people will tell you to meditate or do some breathing exercises for 30 minutes before you go to bed — but if they don't work for you then find something that does," says researcher Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep at MattressOnline.

I recently asked Shore to share her most surprising sleep tips to help you fall asleep fast, from revisiting your favorite TV show to keeping an unusual item on your nightstand. So if going to bed on time and ditching doom-scrolling still can't help you drift off, it's worth giving these tips a go...

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Binge-watching new shows will overstimulate you and keep you awake, but watching reruns of familiar, favorite TV shows stops racing thoughts and actually helps you to switch off, ready for sleep.
• Brush your teeth and wash your face at least one hour before bedtime, so that can just climb into bed as soon as your body is ready for sleep and not wake yourself up again in the bathroom.
• If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed to prevent your brain from forming a negative association between your bed and trouble sleeping.
• If your middle insomnia is caused by overheating in bed, keep a damp cloth on your nightstand and apply it to your neck and wrists to cool down fast and drift off quickly.

3 unusual tips a sleep expert shares to beat insomnia and fall asleep fast

1. Re-watch your favorite TV show

There's a common misconception that watching TV before bed is the ultimate nighttime don't, especially when considering the sleep-delaying effects of blue light.

However, sleep expert Shore says that this delay is a result of TV consumption habits (read: and binge-watching new shows) rather than watching TV itself. "Watching ‘just one more episode’ of a new TV programme means we lose hours and end up cutting our sleep short."

Instead, Shore watches familiar, light-hearted TV shows (including comedies "Friends" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine") instead of starting a new show, watching high-octane thrillers, or distressing news content.

"Watching reruns of your favourite TV shows provides the distraction your brain needs, stops the racing thoughts, and allows your brain to ‘switch off’ making it easier to fall asleep," she explains.

While it's been shown that the effects of blue light have been exaggerated, there is still evidence that suggest that some people can be more susceptible to them.

"Tech is everywhere and simply trying to ignore it can induce stress, but turning on eye comfort mode and swapping out the harsh blue light for more subtle yellow hues can negate this stimulating effect," Shore suggests.

2. Don't get ready for bed during bedtime

When you think of a nighttime routine, you may picture yourself getting into some cozy jammies and washing the day off your face — but these are actually common nighttime routine mistakes.

So, when should you start getting ready for bed? Turns out, not at bedtime.

In fact, even a simple trip to the bathroom right before bed can derail sleep, as harsh LED bathroom lighting means your brushing your teeth under light bulbs that have been found to suppress sleep-inducing melatonin.

Instead, Shore says evening tasks (like changing into your pajamas and brushing your teeth) should be performed before your nighttime routine to prevent you from having to do them when you're mind and body is ready to sleep.

"It sounds simple but before I do anything in my nighttime routine, I get fully ready for bed...that’s PJs on, face washed, and teeth brushed," she reveals.

"That way, when I get tired, it means I can get into bed straight away and fall asleep, without having to do all these things which wake my body up," she adds.

3. Get up in the middle of the night

While Shore says that waking up a few times throughout the night is normal (as as we cycle in and out of deeper and lighter sleep), being unable to fall back to sleep isn't so normal.

If you find yourself clock-watching and stressing about the number of hours you have left before you need to get up, Shore has some surprising advice for you: "Get back up and start the wind-down routine again."

Unexpected, but getting up when you can't sleep is actually a key tenant of CBTI (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia), as it stops you from creating a negative connection between your bed and not sleeping.

"You’ll find that it will help to clear your mind again, taking your focus off sleep, meaning we will fall asleep a little more easily," explains Shore.

4. Keep a damp washcloth on your nightstand

If overheating during summer nights is a key reason why you can't fall asleep, a damp cloth may help you sleep cooler.

Now if you've tried the Egyptian Sleep Method and instantly regretted it, don't panic — Shore's sleep tip is much less polarizing.

"Keep a slightly damp cloth next to your bed and apply it to key areas to help cool you down quicker, such as your wrists or the back of your neck,” the sleep scientist suggests.

This DIY cooling hack is backed by science, with research showing that applying cold water towels to the neck reduces skin temperature and improves thermal comfort and sensation.

3 things that will make it harder for you to fall asleep at night

1. Staying indoors all day

Shore warns that not going outside during the daylight can mean your body's circadian rhythm misses out on key sleep cues.

Extensive research shows that sunlight supresses sleep hormone melatonin, making your body feel more alert during the day.

"This will make the contrast to darker, duller evening light more prominent, making it easier to signal to your body that it is time for sleep — it starts producing the sleep hormones needed," the sleep researcher explains.

2. Reading a new book

It's been proven that reading a book not only improves sleep quality but sleep duration, too.

However, reading a new page-turner can have the same sleep-delaying effects of watching a new exciting drama.

Instead, Shore suggests re-reading your favorite book to avoid reading "just one more chapter of your new book".

3. Last-minute chores

"Often, we find ourselves falling asleep on the sofa yet staring at the ceiling wide awake when we go to bed, and this is because we go on a detour before getting in bed," Shore tells me.

This "detour" usually includes last-minute chores that we put off doing during the day, such as putting the last few things in the dishwasher or tidying up.

"By doing all of this before you get ready for bed and then completing your winddown routine, you are signaling to your body that it is time for rest and sleep, not wakefulness and chores," explains the sleep expert.

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