Welcome to Women’s Health

Iam competitive.

I’m also stubborn and bloody-minded. And while I can be sensitive, especially about how I look, I won’t let it hold me back – particularly when it comes to being the strongest, fittest, healthiest version of myself.

I’m telling you this because I read with interest about research published in the Harvard Business Review that found the average woman is less competitive than the average man. Countless studies have tried to account for this gender gap, but the plethora of reasons can be summed up in a single word: confidence, or lack of it.

Just as lack of self-belief holds women back professionally ( just 34% of board seats in the UK are occupied by women*) and personally, it’s also detrimental to your health. It starts young. Only 10% of girls aged 13 to 16 in the UK achieve the recommended levels of physical activity*. Why? Cited reasons include low self-worth and having a negative body image.

Believing in yourself can be hard. But one thing that I find useful when self-doubt creeps in is meeting those thoughts with tangible examples of things I’ve achieved; things that remind me of everything I have to feel proud of. It’s in this spirit that, this month, I’m asking you to tap into your competitive side.

Women’s Health has partnered with the National Fitness Games – and I want you on my team at the Fitfest event in Loughborough this September. It’s a competition for all levels that gives you the opportunity to test your fitness while pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

WH is fielding two teams of four, plus individual athletes. Laura Hoggins, director and PT at London’s The Foundry, will be getting us competition-ready, and I’ll be with you every step of the way, too, as a member of one of the teams. Head to page 59 to find out how you can enter to be considered to represent WH.

If you’re looking for another reason to lace up your trainers this month, turn to page 94, where you’ll find details of a campaign we’re launching with our sister title Runner’s World – Reclaim Your Run. When we surveyed more than 2,000 women, a staggering 25% of those who run regularly told us they’re routinely sexually harassed while doing so. Show your solidarity by running for 25 minutes and posting about it on Instagram using the hashtag #reclaimyourrun and tagging @womenshealthuk and @runnersworlduk. You can also add your name to the Crime Not Compliment campaign from Our Streets Now and Plan International UK, which aims to make public sexual harassment punishable by law. To find out more, visit plan-uk. org/crimenotcompliment.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue. Until next month...