IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS MONTH...

Not all clichés are true. Opposites don’t always attract (just ask Millie Mackintosh and Pro Green), laughter isn’t always the best medicine (washing down a Valium with a G&T is infinitely more effective) and not everything happens for a reason (you missed the train this morning just because; there was no Gwynnie-sliding-doors-type higher meaning). But one hackneyed saying that’s been proven to be almost too good to be true (another cliché) is that slow and steady wins the race. Scientists at São Paulo University found that participants who trained with free weights at a leisurely pace increased their muscle strength more than those who went hard and fast. Turns out the longer the time spent actually working your muscles during a move, the more tension builds within them. So instead of holding for just one second, stay in position for four seconds before reversing. At the end of the day (sorry), it just makes sense.