Good Food
type: channel
link: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com
date: 2026-03-04T16:07:35.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: The best core exercises for strength, stability and a toned stomach
items: Beginners' total body workout plan for men
items: The 10 fitness trends to get into now
items: The only 7 movements your body needs to know – by a personal trainer
items: Can your birth sign really influence how you should work out?

The best core exercises for strength, stability and a toned stomach
type: item
date: 2026-03-04T14:52:24.000Z
creator: Dean Hodgkin - personal trainer
subject: Fitness
subject: Health
description: A strong, toned stomach is often a holy grail of fitness, yet more importantly, the core muscles are also essential for everyday movement. Discover seven exercises to help you build a stronger core
encoded: For many, a strong, toned stomach is the holy grail of fitness but it can often prove to be just as elusive as it is desirable. Beyond aesthetics, there are bigger forces at play as your superficial core muscles are essential for actions as basic as getting out of bed in the morning and the deeper core muscles support a wide spectrum of everyday movements, including every step you take. What is the core? There’s some confusion around this as it’s actually made up of two separate groups of muscles with two distinct roles. The mobilisers These comprise the rectus abdominis at the front, the external obliques to the side and the erector spinae found in the back. These are responsible for bending forwards, leaning to the side and arching the back, respectively. The stabilisers In contrast, they work to create intra-abdominal pressure, which supports alignment of the spine, protecting it from injury. Key muscles here are found a little deeper and consist of the transversus abdominis that wraps around your belly like a wide belt, the internal obliques in the waist and the multifidus at the rear. There’s also a special mention here for the contribution of the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. Benefits of core exercise Healthy spine According to the charity Backcare, formerly known as the National Back Pain Association, 80 per cent of us will suffer difficulty at some point in our lives but the good news is that, in a lot of cases, it’s preventable through developing strength and flexibility in your spine. Work and play An efficient core helps to maintain functional strength, enabling your body to cope with the mechanical stress of everyday activities without getting an injury. This could include gardening or playing with your kids or grandchildren. A sporting chance Most sports rely on the ability to generate power and/or speed in the arms and legs. Since your limbs move by pivoting around your centre then more stability will lead to greater efficiency in force transfer, lea…

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Beginners' total body workout plan for men
type: item
date: 2026-02-10T10:23:17.000Z
creator: Dean Hodgkin - personal trainer
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: Exercise
subject: goodhealth
subject: men's health
description: Burn fat, build muscle and boost your energy with our four-week home exercise routine
encoded: Starting your fitness journey can be a challenge when there is so much conflicting advice. Social media influencers will try to convince you they have the secret and new workout trends are constant. Often, the hardest part is not the working out, it’s just knowing where to begin. We’ve removed the guesswork by focusing on a simple but proven approach using effective movements that build strength and improve endurance. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle or just feel healthier, this programme provides the foundations for long-term success by helping you to train smart, stay consistent and be confident that every single session takes you another step closer to your goals. Read more about exercise, from what’s the best exercise for weight loss and the benefits of exercise on mental health to the benefits of walking. Your weekly schedule Monday: Upper body Tuesday: Lower body Wednesday: Cardio + core Thursday: Upper body Friday: Lower body Saturday: Cardio + core Sunday: Rest Choosing the right equipment You’ll need a pair of dumbbells (ideally adjustable) and an exercise mat. You should always start with a lighter weight until your strength improves and you’ve mastered your technique. The weight you choose should challenge your muscles without compromising your form and will depend on your current strength and fitness level. If you’re new to this you can find some help here. Training guidelines Complete three sets of each exercise, with a target of 12-15 repetitions each time. Rest for 30-60 seconds between each set. The aim is for your muscles to start to feel fatigue in that 12-15 window, but there is no need to try to go to total exhaustion. If you finish the set feeling like you could still knock out a few more reps, you can use a heavier weight next time. On the other hand, if you’re losing your form and becoming exhausted before you finish the set, you need to go for lighter weights. When you can easily complete the recommended number of sets and rep…

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The 10 fitness trends to get into now
type: item
date: 2026-01-12T11:25:54.000Z
creator: Dean Hodgkin - personal trainer
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: Exercise
subject: exercise tips
subject: fitness resolutions
subject: goodhealth
description: Already bored of routine exercise? These are the workouts that will be big this year
encoded: January traditionally sees a huge uptake in gym memberships as we vow to start the new year as better physical specimens than we finished the last one. In 2025, 66% of Brits who made resolutions chose to focus on physical health, and approximately 96 million people in the US stated their intention to improve their health and fitness. Last year saw a switch from the previously all-conquering high intensity interval training (HIIT) and wellness coaching towards strength training and functional exercise, primarily driven by interest amongst millennials and Gen Zs, who make up most of the gym membership base. Fitness apps also continued to penetrate as predicted with predominantly younger females accounting for around a billion downloads last year. So if you’ve decided 2026 is the year you finally get in shape, here are the hottest workouts to help you to get there. Discover our full range of health benefit guides and find out what to eat for a workout and the best fitness trackers for exercise lovers. Plus, browse our energy-boosting breakfast recipes and discover how to winter-proof your workout. 1. Reformer pilates Becoming known as the workout favoured by the likes of Kendall Jenner, David Beckham and Lady Gaga, reformer pilates has been around for a few years but is expected to continue its rise, with the global market predicted to grow to over $1 billion by 2032. Using a range of gentle, flowing exercises performed on what initially looks like a torture device (think of a movable frame with straps and springs attached), each session blends support and challenge to sculpt your muscles, strengthen your posture and deepen your mind-body connection, one repetition at a time. The good news is you work at your own level, selecting the resistance, speed and range of movement to suit your capability. 2. Japanese walking As the interest in joint-pounding, high-intensity workouts has abated, the shift towards more sustainable, low-impact exercise is now front and centre, wi…

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The only 7 movements your body needs to know – by a personal trainer
type: item
date: 2025-11-07T13:56:23.000Z
creator: Dean Hodgkin - personal trainer
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: easy workout
subject: Exercise
subject: home workout
description: Exercising just got a whole lot easier, thanks to this well-kept secret
encoded: Why do over a third of people in the UK and over half in the USA fail to achieve the recommended amount of activity per week? Getting into shape can be a complicated and confusing endeavour due to conflicting advice, information overload, snake-oil sellers and holier-than-thou influencers whose flat tummy and perfect diet could make you feel that fitness is beyond your reach. Wouldn’t it be great if the journey to a new you could be simplified to just a few steps? The mythical number As an adventurous traveller, you may well have sailed the 7 oceans, set foot on the 7 continents and stared in awe at the 7 wonders of the world. Those of you with an artistic leaning could have taken your inspiration from the 7 colours of the rainbow or perhaps expressed your deepest emotions through song, using the 7 notes in a musical scale. I strongly believe, therefore, that it’s no coincidence the human body is capable of performing precisely, you guessed it, 7 movements. Every physical task you perform, every single day, is either one of these movements or a combination thereof, hence them being referred to as the primal movement patterns. Just 7 moves The fundamental movements are: Push - away from your body Pull - towards toward body Squat - bending the knees to lower down Lunge - taking a long stride in various directions Hinge - bending at the hip Rotate - twisting your torso Gait - walking, jogging We first develop the ability to twist when still in the womb and as early as 3 months of age start to push and pull in trying to crawl. At around 6 months, in sitting up we begin to hinge, followed by the squat when first standing (usually somewhere between 9 and 12 months). Lunging comes next due to the necessity to stabilise when standing, naturally leading onto walking (gait). Fitness made simple Clearly, then, for the ultimate total body workout – ensuring aesthetic, functional and balanced results – you need to combine all 7 movements into a single exercise session. In fact, …

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Can your birth sign really influence how you should work out?
type: item
date: 2025-10-29T15:42:16.000Z
creator: Dean Hodgkin - personal trainer
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: Exercise
subject: goodhealth
description: Does being a Gemini mean you should exercise differently to Scorpios or Libras? Discover how it could influence your habits
encoded: Chances are, that even if you don’t follow astrology, you still know what your star sign is. Horoscopes still feature in many magazines and newspapers, and reports suggest that 20 per cent of Brits and 30 per cent of Americans consider star signs to be useful in understanding one’s personality. However, the science doesn’t support the concept of astrology. Even a study that brought together 30 of the top ranked (by their peers) American and European astrologers to test whether astrology could be used to accurately identify personality traits, resulted in only a one in three success rate (that’s no better than if you or I had taken a random guess). But where star signs could be useful is in how they influence believers’ own interpretations of their personality traits. There are a number of studies claiming that if someone believes in astrology, it could influence how they view their own personality, effectively leading to a form of self-stereotyping. Psychotherapy has proven that thoughts can change behaviour, so believing you are a particular zodiac sign could actually shape the person the outside world sees. It’s possible that if you think you’re a certain star sign, you might start to adapt behavioural characteristics that align with it. And this is how astrology could potentially prove a useful tool in helping you to identify the type of workout that will be your best fit. Followers who relate to their birth sign can use this to help find a workout that appeals to their personality or character traits. The more comfortable you feel with a fitness regime, the more likely you are to continue it. So, if your actions sit within the celestial definition, shaping up with the stars might actually work! Common traits for your birth sign You’ll often see the 12 zodiac signs divided into four groups: fire, earth, air and water. Fire signs are Aries (March 21 – April 19), Leo (July 23 – August 22) and Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) and are associated with being ene…

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