Fitness:

How To Use Your Love Language To Crush Your Fitness Goals

With the 14th of February approaching, we thought there was no better time to ask the question: how can the principles of love and ‘love languages’ be used to fuel your fitness journey?

Fitness

From Couch to 21.1k: How to Train For A Half Marathon As a Beginner

We’ve included our complete guide to the half marathon for those who are completely new to the distance, and event, or even to running itself. What’s more, our training plan details just how you can build up your fitness levels as a beginner from zero to race day ready.

Health

Breaking the Plateau: Strategies for Overcoming a Workout Rut and Reaching New Goals

View our complete guide to the fitness rut phenomenon – what it is, what can cause it, and how to get out or outright avoid the plateau.

Fitness

The Power of Positive Reinforcement: How Encouragement Can Benefit Your Fitness Journey

Positive reinforcement is an often overlooked yet powerful tool at your disposal to provide motivation and help you crush your workouts. The benefits are both mental ad physical, and it's easy to enjoy them! We explore in more depth here.

Health

Fun Workout Activities for Couples: Strengthen Your Bond While Getting Fit Together!

It's official: couples that train together really do stay together. So why not check out our top fitness activities to try together with your other half today?

Health

7 Expert Gym Tips to See Faster Results at the Gym

Are you pushed for time in your daily life? Take a look at out top 7 tips to supercharge your gym results in less time!

Health

From the Bedroom to the Gym: Is Your Sex Life Affecting Your Workout Performance?

The relationship between sex and workout performance is one that’s long been debated by scientists and fitness fanatics alike. It’s complicated and multifaceted, so answering the question of whether your sex life is affecting your training is difficult. That said, today we’re going to take a look at a variety of evidence, both academic and anecdotal, as well as several different scenarios and at least try to reduce some of the mystery around the subject. First, it helps to understand what’s actually happening to the body, both physically and psychologically, during both activities. The Effects of Sex on the Body Sexual activity causes several changes to occur in the body: Physical Changes That Occur During Sex During sexual activity and the lead up to it, the human body undergoes a process known as the sexual response cycle. This is the case for both males and females, though the cycle can be highly individual and may not be the same each time for each person. Describing the full sexual response cycle is beyond the scope of this article, however it consists of 4 phases: Desire Arousal Orgasm Resolution Factors such as elevated heart rate, increased blood flow and pressure and heightened muscle tension all come into play. If you’d like to read about the sexual response cycle in more detail, check out this great article from Cleveland Clinic. Psychological Changes That Occur During Sex Several psychological changes occur both during and after sex. Most notable are the release of endorphins and oxytocin, which are associated with improved mood and a better sense of wellbeing. These are also responsible for reduced stress levels, which brings a multitude of additional benefits that are of particular interest to those of us participating in regular training and exercise. Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress, is catabolic in high levels, meaning it can cause the breakdown of lean tissue. So, whilst it is unclear whether sex itself affects workout performance, the reduction in stress levels it may bring is definitely beneficial for preserving our results! The Effects of Exercise and Training on the Body Exercise and training also cause the body to undergo a number of changes. These occur both during and after the physical activity. There are in fact a number of similarities in changes that happen during exercise and sex: Physical Changes That Occur During Exercise The physical changes that happen in the body vary based on the type of exercise being undertaken, however, there are some that are common to exercise in general: Increased heart rate Increased blood flow, especially to the muscles Faster, deeper breathing due to additional oxygen needs Heightened activity within the circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems A full summary of the changes that occur within these systems can be found here. More aerobically demanding exercise will, of course, place greater emphasis on the circulatory and respiratory systems as well as causing fat to be metabolised as an energy source. Resistance training, which often relies more heavily on the lactate and creatine phosphate energy systems, instead promotes greater muscular and endocrine (hormone) activity. Note the common physical changes between sex and exercise here, as they do crossover! Psychological Changes That Occur During Exercise The psychological changes that occur during exercise are similar to those experienced during sexual activity and are mostly related to the release of endorphins and other ‘feelgood’ hormones. These help to regulate mood, and it is common knowledge that frequent exercise and leading an active, healthy lifestyle promotes a feeling of wellbeing. Does Sex Affect Our Workouts? This is where things become complicated. Though extensive studies have been done on the subject, the results of these have varied massively. We must also take into account the experience of individuals, and this anecdotal evidence again has huge variance. Let’s look at both: Sex and Training: What the Science Says Scientific studies on the relationship between sex and training are contradictory at best. There’s no denying the positive benefits of both activities, particularly from a psychological perspective, but as for the effect of sex on actual performance in the gym the results are inconclusive. A study, published in April 2021, by Kirecci, Albayrak and co. examined the effects of sexual activity of 50 men in the 24 hours prior to training on lower body strength. The study measured effects by having the men perform 3 separate squat sessions, each at the same time of day. Each of these sessions occurred after participating in or abstaining from sexual activity the night before. The men performed 5 sets of 5 repetitions of their maximum squat weight during these sessions and the difference in weight lifted was observed. The study concluded that ‘sexual intercourse within 24 hours before exercise [has a] detrimental effect on lower extremity muscle force, which suggests that restricting sexual activity before a short-term activity may be necessary.’ Aside from this study, most others found either no notable relationship between sex and athletic performance. A meta-analysis of 9 crossover studies, conducted by Zavorsky and Brooks and published on 16 September 2022, confirms this. The analysis concluded that ‘The results demonstrate that sexual activity within 30 min to 24 h before exercise does not appear to affect aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal endurance, or strength/power.’ This is perhaps more notable, because these studies incorporated different types of exercise and were not restricted purely to a strength/power based activity like squats. Anecdotal Evidence: What About the Experiences of Real Gym Goers? The anecdotal evidence is, as expected, highly individualised. However, there tends to be a bias against the results of most studies, particularly in those participating in sports involving strength and aggression. For example, many fighters claim that they perform better when they abstain from sex in the days leading up to a contest. Similarly, bodybuilding forums are full of debate on this topic and many claim they note a significant decrease in motivation to train at maximum intensity after sexual activity. It has been hypothesised that this may be due to a downregulation in testosterone production after sex; during orgasm the mineral zinc is released in the body and this is also a precursor for natural testosterone production in the body and may, therefore, provide some reasoning as to the experience of many trainees. Key Takeaways The relationship between sex and workout performance will always be a complicated one. The effects of one on the other in terms of physical fitness and, in particular, mental wellbeing, are clear, but when it comes to actual performance this appears to be highly individual. We’d advise doing what feels best for you but not worrying too much about it. Instead, prioritise your nutrition and make sure you’re fuelling your workouts properly. While you’re here, why not take a look at the Innermost range? We’re proud to be completely transparent about the ingredients in our products and we always ensure they’re of the highest quality. Check us out, and be sure to get in touch if you have any questions!

Life

The Science of Post Workout Recovery: How to Maximise Muscle Growth and Repair

Training hard and challenging yourself during your workouts is key to progressing and building muscle, but did you know the true growth happens outside of the gym? To build new muscle effectively, it’s vital to optimise your recovery process, restoring energy and providing your body with the nutrients it needs to grow. Today, we’ll look into what happens to your body post workout and what you can do to maximise your results, leading to faster recovery and better gains.

Health

Strength Training 101 Webinar

You may have heard that we recently held a Strength Training 101 webinar. Within this webinar, we talked all things strength training, from its benefits to how to get started with weight training. One thing we touched heavily upon were some common strength training myths and why you should stop believing them. If you missed our webinar and would like to catch up, check out the video below. But if you're short of time, read on for a run down of some of the most common strength training misconceptions. What Is Strength Training? Strength training, also called resistance or weight training, is a type of exercise that aims to make your muscles stronger and improve endurance. It typically involves using weights or resistance to achieve this. The main purpose of strength training is to improve your muscles' ability to produce force. This leads to increased muscle mass, better tone, and improved overall fitness. When you use external resistance like weights or resistance bands, it causes tension in your muscle fibres and microscopic tears. During the recovery phase, your body starts repairing these tears by creating new proteins and muscle fibres, which is what makes your muscles stronger. 4 Common Strength Training Myths: The buzz around strength training doesn’t come without common misconceptions and myths, and I’m sure you have heard many reasons as to why it might hinder your health or just not be of benefit to you. 1. Strength training can make women bulky This myth is so prevalent within society but seems to be slowly decreasing. Actually, a balanced strength training program with a good diet gives you a lean and toned physique. Numerous studies have shown that genetic and hormonal differences between ourselves and our male counterparts, such as testosterone levels, make gaining large amounts of muscle a greater challenge for women. Studies have also shown that strength training in women tends to lead to an increase in lean body mass, which is associated with improved metabolism and fat loss and contributes to a toned and athletic appearance rather than bulkiness. 2. Cardio is better for fat loss Strength training actually plays a significant role in shedding fat by boosting metabolism and promoting lean muscle mass. A 2019 study by the Institute of Sports Sciences found that muscle is more active than fat - a pound of muscle can burn anywhere from 10 to 20 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns only 2 to 5 calories a day. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Sports Science also shows that your metabolic rate is increased for up to 72 hours after strength-training exercise. This means that you’re still burning additional calories hours and even days after your workout. Not to mention, combining strength training with cardio creates a more exciting and enjoyable fitness routine than just doing cardio alone. 3. Strength training isn't for older people: It's commonly believed that strength training can injure older people, but research suggests strength training is actually a great activity for older adults. Research shows that after the age of 30, adults can lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade, so strength training helps to combat this age-related muscle loss. It also helps to maintain bone density, improve joint health, and enhances overall functional fitness. So strength training could actually help prevent age-related injury and promote a higher quality of life as we age. 4. Strength training is time consuming: Lots of people think strength training takes up a lot of time but you can actually achieve effective strength training in short, focused workouts, even 30 to 45 minute workouts can yield significant results. In fact, according to the British Medical Journal, a period of between 30 to 60 minutes of strength training per week is all you need to reap the benefits of strength training. As cliché as it sounds, it's very much quality and consistency over quantity. In terms of needing a gym, strength training can be a very versatile practice that you can do anywhere, living room, local park, or even the garden. The main key is completing more bodyweight exercises, and adding things like resistance bands. Benefits of Strength Training Now that we've unpacked some truths about strength training, we want to turn our attention to the science behind the holistic benefits that strength training provides. 1.Mental health: Regarding our mental health, current research suggests regular strength training sessions reduce symptoms of both anxiety and depression regardless of age or health status. One way this occurs is through the release of hormones called endorphins which act as a natural mood enhancer and stress reliever, and are part of the reason why when you exercise you feel a little buzz. Our mood can also be improved by the feeling of accomplishment you get when you complete your strength-goals- like upping your squat by a few kg, holding a new yoga pose or just pushing yourself to do a few more reps.On top of this, a systematic review that studied 754 adults showed a significant link between strength training and positive body image, including body satisfaction, appearance, and social anxiety around how you look. 2. Cognitive benefits: A lesser known benefit of strength training is improved cognitive function and neuroprotective effects. Those who engage in strength training may have better brain health and protection against age-related cognitive decline. This is because strength training improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, and increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is basically what’s linked to memory and learning. Multiple studies have also pointed to other significant cognitive improvements after participating in strength training, like processing speed, memory, and executive function. Executive function is like the CEO of your brain—it's the boss that helps you plan, organise, manage your emotions and get stuff done. It's what makes sure you remember to grab your keys before leaving the house, helps you follow a recipe, and stick to a schedule without procrastinating or binge-watching TV. 3. Physical strength: It may seem like stating the obvious, but it’s an equally important benefit, and that’s your physical strength. As Shiv talked about earlier, as you progressively challenge your muscles with resistance, they get better at generating force by bringing in more muscle fibres after those microscopic tears. This allows you to lift heavier weights and perform more challenging exercises. This doesn't only mean the benefit is you can squat more or deadlift more, but also translates to completing more mundane tasks more easily like bringing the shopping in or climbing the stairs at work. Strength training improves posture and reduces lower back pain by enhancing the strength and endurance of core muscles. When the muscles supporting the spine and lower back are strengthened through exercises like squats and deadlifts, they provide better support and stability. This, in turn, helps maintain a more upright posture and reduces the strain on the lower back, which alleviates that pain and improves your spine health. 4. Metabolic and chronic diseases: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), strength training has been associated with a 20-30% reduction in the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and arthritis. This is because it’s been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, so your body is able to regulate your blood sugar levels more effectively. It’s been linked to improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also improves joint function and overall mobility. 5. Better sleep: Engaging in regular physical activity, including strength training, has been shown in research to improve sleep quality and duration. That research shows that 60% of people who weight train get an average of 7 hours or more of sleep per night. The exertion during workouts, coupled with the positive impact on stress levels, promotes more restful and rejuvenating sleep. In summary, there are numerous myths surrounding strength training and if you're ever confused about anything you hear about it, you should do some research before disregarding weight training entirely, or simply get in touch on our website for some quick advice. Beyond physical benefits, strength training has many benefits for your overall health, from improving cognitive function to reducing the risk of chronic diseases, strength training enhances overall well-being. Embrace the power of short, focused workouts and discover the joy of achieving strength goals. Strengthen your body, elevate your mood, and foster a healthier, more fulfilling life through the enduring practice of strength training.

Health

Insider Q&A | What Does It Mean to be Strong?

We spoke to our Innermost ambassadors about what strong means to them. In this exclusive Q&A, Dina, Chade and Hercules share their perspectives on strength, extending beyond physical strength to encompass mental resilience and self-belief.

Health

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PLAYLISTS

Adam Husler Workout Playlist

Adam is one of the leading yoga teachers in London. When we asked him to create a workout playlist, he came up with a deeply soulful mix of tracks that won't fail to get a smile...

Claire Fountain Workout Playlist

Claire knows yoga. Claire also knows music. Here's her selection of workout songs compiled just for Innermost.health

Bethany Duckworth Workout Playlist

Bethany knows a good track when she hears one. Buckle up and get this workout playlist into your ears pronto.

Dan Morgan Workout Playlist

Dan getting zen on the decks. Here's his playlist for your next yoga session or if you need to kick back and drift away.

Elisa Rossi Workout Playlist

Elisa's most comfortable creating works of art in the kitchen. Here are the songs that help her do just that.

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Amazing but always stock issues!

I love this product and used it for over a year but then it was constantly out of stock. I switched to willpowders due to this but recently switched back as I do think its better but once again it's out of stock, so my orders will just get cancelled. It's really frustrating as the product is great, especially for my nails that are suffering in peri-menopause

Thanks so much for coming back, Becci and for taking the time to leave this!
The Glow Blend has genuinely been one of our most in-demand products, and we know how frustrating it is when stock doesn't keep up. We're working hard behind the scenes to make sure that changes, especially for customers who've been with us as long as you have.
Really glad it's making a difference for your nails during peri-menopause — that's exactly what it's there for. 🙏

Finally a great protein powder!

I am so delighted to have discovered the Innermost brand two years ago now. I have been ordering their Health vanilla protein ever since and am really satisfied: it tastes good, has a good texture, and I no longer have stomach pains after taking it. In short, they are perfect, and I recommend them 100%!

Thanks, Léa! So great to hear you’ve been enjoying The Health Protein for the past two years. Really appreciate the kind words and the recommendation! 😊

Item not arrived - scam

Ill be going down the route to claim my money back. 2-3 days delivery apparently . Over a week later and it was out for delivery 4 days ago and its just stuck like that. God knows where it is

Hi Dion, we’re really sorry for the frustration with your first order — this is not the experience we want for our customers. We’re investigating the delivery with the courier to understand what happened.

As requested, we’re issuing a full refund for your order, and as a small gesture, here’s a 20% discount code for your next order: FORU-DION. We’ve also reached out to you via email with the same information. We hope your next experience with us is smooth and enjoyable.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The strong protein

I’m a big fan of the product. Easy to mix with extra collagen or a bit of cacao and a lot of protein in each serving. I have a subscription. I’m removing one star because the constant pop up on the website drives me crazy!

Thanks, Charlotte! Really glad you’re enjoying The Strong Protein and finding ways to mix it up with collagen and cacao. And thanks for sticking with the subscription. We hear you on the pop-up too — appreciate the feedback.

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Fitness:

How To Use Your Love Language To Crush Your Fitness Goals

From Couch to 21.1k: How to Train For A Half Marathon As a Beginner

Breaking the Plateau: Strategies for Overcoming a Workout Rut and Reaching New Goals

How Innermost Can Help You Conquer the Dubai Fitness Challenge

Striving For Peak Performance? Treatments To Give You An Athletic Edge

Mindful Movement: Incorporating Meditation into Your Training

The Power of Positive Reinforcement: How Encouragement Can Benefit Your Fitness Journey

Fun Workout Activities for Couples: Strengthen Your Bond While Getting Fit Together!

7 Expert Gym Tips to See Faster Results at the Gym

From the Bedroom to the Gym: Is Your Sex Life Affecting Your Workout Performance?

The Science of Post Workout Recovery: How to Maximise Muscle Growth and Repair

Strength Training 101 Webinar

Insider Q&A | What Does It Mean to be Strong?

PLAYLISTS

Adam Husler Workout Playlist

Claire Fountain Workout Playlist

Bethany Duckworth Workout Playlist

Dan Morgan Workout Playlist

Elisa Rossi Workout Playlist

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