{"id":573385,"date":"2026-07-29T07:03:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/573385\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T07:03:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:03:13","slug":"its-not-a-stroll-at-42-sara-davies-has-turned-walking-into-a-tough-but-transformational-workout-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/573385\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Its not a stroll\u2019: At 42, Sara Davies has turned walking into a tough but transformational workout \u2013 here\u2019s how"},"content":{"rendered":"

Behind every successful woman, (as the saying doesn\u2019t, but should, go), is a long to-do list of uncompleted self-care goals. Take Sara Davies. The crafting guru, entrepreneur and Dragon\u2019s Den icon recently told Women\u2019s Health that, despite being told that gestational diabetes during both of her pregnancies left her at risk of developing pre-diabeties, she struggled to make the lifestyle changes her doctor advised. \u2018I thought going on national telly might be the kick up the bum that I needed to lose some weight,\u2019 she said, \u2018and I still didn’t.\u2019
<\/p>\n

Which is refreshingly relatable. Because you don\u2019t have to have an MBE and a business empire to know that \u2013 for women at least – when life gets busy, looking after yourself often comes last. At the end of last year, GH conducted a survey<\/a> exploring women\u2019s feelings about fitness. More than 1,000 of you responded and only half said they currently feel fit enough. A clear majority (58%) want to exercise more. So what\u2019s holding us back? Life. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s just\u2026 often, really very busy right? Or, as former team GB triple jumper turned life coach Michelle Griffith-Robinson<\/a> puts it: \u2018Why do women find it hard to invest in themselves? Because they don\u2019t see themselves as the most important thing.\u2019<\/p>\n

To stick to healthy habits, we need to remove all possible friction. Make them as simple as possible to work into our current commitments. For Sara, that means turning her regular walks with friends into something with a little more oomph.<\/p>\n

Several times a week, she goes power walking with different friends \u2013 \u2018not like a little stroll and a bit of chit-chat,\u2019 she clarified. \u2018We are out of here and power walking for an hour at 6am with our weighted vests on \u2013 we do around 6k in an hour.\u2019 There\u2019s a lot to unpack here. For a start\u2026<\/p>\n

Have an accountability group\"female<\/p>\n

OR Images\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to stick to fitness goals, it\u2019s a great idea to commit to a plan with someone else or a group of friends, says Michelle: \u2018I call this your accountability group. Pledge to keep each other going, never judge and always celebrate each other.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Make it something to look forward to<\/p>\n

\u2018Going to the gym three times a week, getting 10,000 steps in… it\u2019s not achievable for everyone,\u2019 says Michelle. \u2018So let\u2019s stop beating ourselves up. Find the movement that brings you joy.\u2019 If meeting up with your friends makes you look forward to exercise, instead of dreading it, then that\u2019s your magic formula. <\/p>\n

Consistency is key<\/p>\n

\u2018We need to be kind to ourselves but we also, crucially, need to be consistent,\u2019 says Michelle. \u2018Because when you make small, incremental, consistent changes, you get bigger results.\u2019<\/p>\n

Up the speed just a little<\/p>\n

Turning up the dial just a notch, from stroll to \u2018zone two\u2019, really does make a difference to the health and fitness benefits of your walk. <\/p>\n

Zone 2 walking is a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, where your heart rate sits at 60 to 70% of your maximum capacity. It is highly effective for improving metabolic health and burning fat. In fact, your body uses a greater proportion of fat for fuel while you\u2019re in Zone 2 than it will when you\u2019re exercising at higher intensities.<\/p>\n

How do you know if you\u2019re walking at a zone 2 pace? You should be able to speak in full sentences, but it takes a bit of effort and you need to take a breath between phrases. If you can sing you should speed up. If you\u2019re gasping for air, slow down. <\/p>\n

Weigh it down\"a<\/p>\n

O2O CREATIVE\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s health coach and fitness expert Kate Rowe Ham, loves her weighted vest walks and lists the following benefits for women in midlife and beyond:<\/p>\n

Stronger bones<\/p>\n

Muscle retention<\/p>\n

Trimmed belly fat<\/p>\n

Faster metabolism<\/p>\n

Better heart fitness<\/p>\n

Easier on joints than running<\/p>\n

Improves your posture<\/p>\n

And your balance<\/p>\n

Improves grip, walking speed, and leg power \u2014 the traits that predict a long, independent life<\/p>\n

Everyday ease: stairs, groceries, grandkids and suitcases all feel lighter<\/p>\n

\u2018Weight-bearing exercise is also linked to better memory and lower dementia risk,\u2019 she points out, and issues one warning for pelvic floors: \u2018the weight pushes down on you. If you leak, have prolapse, or feel weak down there, start very light and keep the vest snug and high on your chest.\u2019<\/p>\n

How to use weighted vests<\/p>\n

Kate has this advice:<\/p>\n

Start: 4\u20136 lbs (or about 3% of your body weight)<\/p>\n

Build up to: 8\u201310% of your body weight over 2\u20133 months<\/p>\n

How often: 20\u201340 minute walks, 3\u20135 days a week, plus 2 strength sessions<\/p>\n

Skip: running or jumping in the vest, and don’t go above 10% of your body weight<\/p>\n

Check with your doctor first if: you have osteoporosis, back problems, prolapse, or high blood pressure that isn’t controlled<\/p>\n

Do weighted vest walks really work?<\/p>\n

GH wellness editor Priyanka Joshi<\/a> wore a weighted vest on her daily walk for a month. \u2018Even adding just 2kg, my usual stroll around the local park \u2013 which, it’s worth noting, has a fair few hills \u2013 felt noticeably harder,\u2019 she says. \u2018I was slightly sweaty and huffing and puffing by the time I got home, but it was nice to feel as though I\u2019d pushed myself without needing to go further or faster.\u2019<\/p>\n

Over the next few weeks she gradually added weight to her vest. At 5kg she felt noticeably stronger, fitter and her posture improved. <\/p>\n

So was it worth it? \u2018Put simply, yes,\u2019 says Priyanka. \u2018If, like me, you\u2019re always on a time crunch, it\u2019s a small change that can add up to noticeable results over time \u2013 even if you just work it into your morning dog walk, a trip of the coffee shop or while pottering around the house.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Behind every successful woman, (as the saying doesn\u2019t, but should, go), is a long to-do list of uncompleted…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573386,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4959,241915,1107,499,103,61,60,184510,1135,241914,223989],"class_list":["post-573385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-252b1c3b-a325-4647-a481-413a7bb092a1","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-sara-davies-tough-but-transformative-walking-workout","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}