Sam Hopes

Sam Hopes

Fitness Editor and Coach

Sam Hopes is a level 3 qualified trainer, a level 2 Reiki practitioner and a fitness editor at Tom's Guide. She is also currently undertaking her Yoga For Athletes training course. Sam has written for various fitness brands and websites over the years and has experience across brands at Future, such as Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach, and T3.

Having worked with fitness studios like F45 and Virgin Active and trained both group and 1:1, Sam now primarily teaches outdoor bootcamps, bodyweight, and kettlebells. She also coaches mobility and flexibility classes several times a week and believes that true strength comes from a holistic approach to training your body.

Sam has completed two mixed doubles Hyrox competitions in London and the Netherlands and finished her first doubles attempt in 1:11.

In her spare time, she enjoys CrossFit, hot yoga, Pilates and running and can be found perfecting her handstand walks and handstand push-ups in the gym whenever she has the chance to be upside down. At work, she can be found testing the latest in fitness technology and wearables, anything yoga and CrossFit-related and has a keen interest in nutrition, mindfulness, sleep and recovery.

Latest articles by Sam Hopes

Woman smiling at camera with hands on hips showing abs in activewear
I struggle with dead bugs so I swapped them for knee tucks — and my deep core strength has never been better

By Sam Hopes Published

The knee tuck is a core-strengthening exercise that works your deep core muscles to build stability, and here's why I'm using it all the time.

Fitness
a photo of a woman with strong abs
Forget Russian twists — hit your abs and obliques with these 3 dumbbell moves that torch your core

By Sam Hopes Last updated

You just need these three moves and a set of dumbbells to build a stronger core and set of abs.

Workouts
woman running outside
Forget running — this 20-minute walking workout fires up your metabolism and builds functional strength

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Build strength and improve cardio without running using this effective 20-minute walking workout.

Workouts
woman doing cobra stretch pose
I'm a personal trainer, you can build 'liquid' mobility and stability after 50 with this 5-move, 15-minute routine

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Increase stability and mobility as you age with this five-move routine that only takes 15 minutes.

Workouts
a woman in gym kit lying on a yoga mat
Forget leg raises — a Pilates instructor swears by this classic exercise for boosting hip mobility and core strength

By Sam Hopes Published

Leg circles are a classic Pilates exercise for stronger hips and core muscles; here are the benefits.

Workouts
The best yoga mats in 2022: image shows pile of yoga mats
We test yoga mats for a living — these are the 5 we'd buy

By Sam Hopes Last updated

We've tried and tested the best yoga mats from Manduka, Lululemon, Yogi Bare, Liforme and more, to find the best quality and sustainable brands for your practice.

Fitness
Woman outside in a park on her yoga mat performing supported fish pose using a yoga block
I'm a personal trainer — if I could choose only one upper-body stretch for you to try, it would be this

By Sam Hopes Published

Supported fish is a yoga pose that opens your chest and shoulders and melts away spinal tension; here's how to do my variation of the move, and the benefits.

Workouts
Woman performing quad and hip flexor stretch with left leg
I swapped figure-4 for the 'sleeping pigeon' stretch — here's what happened to my tight glutes and hips

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Sleeping pigeon stretch releases tension in your hips and glutes, increasing lower-body flexibility; here's how to do it and the benefits.

Workouts
a woman bending into a forward fold on an exercise mat
The caterpillar walk is considered the 'gold standard' for lower body mobility and flexibility — here's how to do it

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Here's how to do the caterpillar walk for better mobility, and the benefits.

Workouts
A group of mature exercisers balancing outside during a workout
I'm a mobility coach: This 5-move 'barefoot' routine builds full-body balance and stability

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Add these five exercises to your routine, and you'll start to notice better stability and balance.

Workouts
Woman performing a push-up on yoga blocks during at home workout
You don't need heavy weights — here's a 5-move ab workout using a yoga block instead

By Sam Hopes Last updated

5 yoga block exercises that build functional strength and mobility while strengthening your core.

Workouts
Young woman outdoors with hands interlaced stretching her shoulders with arms extended in front of her
Child's pose is fine, but here are the 4 mobility exercises I use when my spine and shoulders get stiff from desk sitting

By Sam Hopes Published

Improve upper-body mobility and relieve tension with four mobility exercises.

Fitness
a photo of a woman wearing gym kit holding her back from sciatic nerve pain
I'm a personal trainer, and your posture needs this 3-second 'reset' hack to prevent lower back pain

By Sam Hopes Published

Prevent poor posture with this quick reset.

Fitness
Young sportsman warming up with spider lunge exercise outdoors on building rooftop floor
I'm a personal trainer and mobility coach: Trust me, this one move unsticks your hips better than stretching

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Better range of motion and looser hips start with the right mobility routine, and this is the one move I teach to beginners.

Workouts
Man holding kettlebell above head with right arm and kneeling on left knee with right leg bent during outdoor kettlebell workout
Yes, you can build strength and muscle with kettlebells — and this killer 3-move workout proves it

By Sam Hopes Last updated

I have been teaching with kettlebells for years, and this 3-move workout is a killer for your whole body.

Workouts
Athletic woman on yoga mat during home stretching routine in pigeon pose with left leg forward and bent and right leg stretched behind
I'm a personal trainer: Do you make this one mistake with your hip mobility? 3 moves that actually fix it

By Sam Hopes Last updated

There's a mistake that many people make with hip mobility, and this is how to fix it, plus three moves to try.

Fitness
Woman doing squad stretch in lunge position
Forget stretching — 3 moves that counteract the physical toll of using a laptop and phone for 8 hours a day

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Three moves that counteract the physical toll of using technology all day.

Fitness
a photo of a man with strong ab muscles
Forget ab wheel rollouts, try this Pilates exercise to strengthen your abs, obliques and shoulders

By Sam Hopes Last updated

The ab rollout Pilates exercise can be done without a wheel and still builds strong and stable core and shoulder muscles.

Workouts
a woman doing a hip mobility test
I teach mobility for a living: This 5-move 'flow' builds strength, stability and control all over

By Sam Hopes Published

Functional strength, balance and mobility can be built using this five-move flow routine from a coach.

Workouts
a woman's strong abs
Forget Russian twists: The 'German twist' Pilates exercise sculpts strong abs and obliques

By Sam Hopes Last updated

This is the Pilates exercise you should try to build strong and stable oblique muscles.

Workouts
Woman in a light studio wearing black activewear on her hands and knees with right leg lifted and bent at 90 degrees
Forget static stretching: I use these 4 dynamic moves to 'unlock' joints in minutes as a mobility coach

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Five mobility exercises to move you from clunky joints to liquid hip health.

Fitness
this woman holding a dumbbell workout
Forget push-ups — this dumbbell shoulder workout sculpts a strong upper body and core in 3 moves

By Sam Hopes Published

This upper-body workout chisels strong chest, shoulder and arm muscles without push-ups, using just three exercises.

Workouts
woman doing squat next to chair
I’m a personal trainer: These 3 essential 'supportive' squats for beginners build strength, stability and mobility

By Sam Hopes Last updated

Try these three squat variations to help build lower-body strength and mobility.

Workouts
a woman's abs
Forget sit-ups — this 'halfway sit' builds a strong and stable core without hurting your lower back

By Sam Hopes Published

Stop sit-ups: The 'halfway sit' fires up your core and protects your spine; a personal trainer recommends swapping them.

Workouts
a photo of a woman with strong shoulders holding dumbbells
I tried this 10-minute mobility routine and it’s a game changer for my stiff shoulders

By Sam Hopes Last updated

You can improve upper-body mobility and range of motion with this quick and easy mobility routine from a personal trainer.

Fitness
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