21 Most Popular Health, Fitness & Lifestyle Articles of 2020
It’s fair to say 2020 has had its moments - Covid, Brexit and Trump have dominated airwaves, but it’d be remiss to think the year has been a total washout.
Lockdowns have allowed the environment to bounce back with pollution levels dropping across the board and wildlife habitats regenerating; the nation devoured online exercise classes and took up physical challenges; a footballer campaigned for free school meals and Captain Tom Moore, 99, walked laps of his garden to raise over £30 million for charity. Plus, some serious boffins managed to roll out a vaccine in record time.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We’re celebrating 2020 with a lookback to our 21 most popular health, fitness and lifestyle articles of the year. They range from training advice, fat burning tactics and mental health guidance to breakfast recipes, plant-based eating tips and Team 33Fuel’s podcast recommendations.
Have a fantastic New Year and here’s to a huge 2021.
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Training In Winter – 11 Schoolboy Mistakes To Avoid
When it comes to training in winter it doesn’t take much to get you out the door – after all, you love being out in the elements and you always feel great afterwards. But hold fire because every year I see athletes make the same small errors. Get a leap on your winter training by avoiding these 11 common mistakes
Avoid these common winter training mistakes
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10 Tips To Train Through Winter
A silver lining of coronavirus has been the increase in activity with more people than ever taking up running, online training or cycling. To keep these great habits strong as winter approaches here are ten tips to keep you training happy and healthy through winter
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Performance Strategies From Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington
We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome multiple Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington to the 33Fuel podcast. Chrissie needs little introduction – the way she utterly dominated the long-distance triathlon scheme makes her one of the world’s greatest. Hear her thoughts on being a role model, working with coaches and retirement and learn how she fuelled her training and racing. Finally, hear her top performance advice for anyone wanting to reach their best self, in life and sport
It was a pleasure chatting with Ironman World Champion and 33Fuel Ambassador Chrissie Wellington
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How To Lose Belly Fat After 40
An increase in belly fat is something we may face as we age. Some of the causes are biological and unavoidable, but others are very much within our control. If you find the middle-aged spread taking hold, this article will share how to lose belly fat after 40
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[RECIPE] Raw Banoffee Pie
This banoffee pie recipe ticks a lot of boxes: healthy, raw and downright delicious. Using whole ingredients, this dessert is a real winner with the kids and provides a lovely post-training treat
Oh yes. This bad boy is 100% tasty and uses 100% natural ingredients
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Run Massive Miles And Save The Planet With Damian Hall
33Fuel ambassador and Inov-8 athlete Damian Hall is a record breaking ultra runner with credits to his name including a Top 5 finish at UTMB and a smorgasbord of FKT records. He also has a deep passion for the environment and does everything he can to ensure he’s carbon negative. We’re delighted to chat with him in this episode of the 33Fuel podcast
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How To Build Muscle On A Plant Based Diet
Ever wondered where a vegetarian or vegan gets their protein? Despite common belief, there’s a load of plant-based protein sources to help you build muscle if you want to avoid animal products. This list isn’t exhaustive, but here’s our top 10 plant-based protein sources to get you started
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How To Prevent Age Related Muscle Loss
You might think age-related muscle loss isn’t something you need to worry about right now. But as you enter your late 30s and 40s, your strength will naturally decline. This is caused by loss of muscle mass but fear not for there’s we share tips on how to prevent age-related muscle loss so you can keep rocking peak performance into your later years
Lift weights to preserve muscle mass as you age
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Return To Training After Time Off
While lockdown has, for some, provided more time to train, it’s meant an opportunity to take the foot off the gas for others. Time off is beneficial, but at some point you’ll want to get back on the horse. It can seem daunting but it needn’t be – we hope this advice helps you make a seamless return to training
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How To Burn Fat During Exercise
There’s many factors which impact your ability to burn fat – from lifestyle and training to nutrition and sleep habits - and there’s clear signs to show you’re getting it right (or not). But we wanted to narrow the window and focus on how to burn more fat specifically during exercise
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Why Tarahumara Indians Fuel On Chia Seeds
Made famous by Chris McDougall’s Born to Run, the ultrarunning legends Tarahumara Indians of Mexico credit chia seeds as the fuel behind their epic endurance feats. But what are chia seeds and how do they boost performance?
The Tarahumara Indian ultrarunners fuel using chia seeds
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10 Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods
If you want better health, or you’re an athlete looking for more energy and faster recovery, then avoiding inflammatory foods is key. Inflammation is the root cause of a range of diseases and conditions, so add these 10 best anti-inflammatory foods to your shopping list
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7 Pro Athlete Breakfast Recipes
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this is particularly true for athletes. But with so much choice, what’s best? These seven athlete breakfast recipes will give you the nutrition you need to perform and recover like a champ
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Best Snacks For Endurance Athletes
Endurance athletes: do you know which snacks will best fuel training, boost recovery and improve health? Beware those which hinder performance and enjoy these ten best snacks for endurance (plus four to avoid at all costs)
You can’t beat fruit, oats and yoghurt for a tasty snack
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Top 14 Podcast Recommendations
This is the perfect time to indulge in the world of podcasts. And what a mighty big world it is. You'll find literally hundreds of podcasts on training, nutrition and personal development, of course, but also dozens about hair dressing, cat gymnastics and (probably) Himalayan basket weaving. We’re avid podcast listeners, so here’s our top 14 recommendations for a great lockdown listen
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19 Best Foods To Boost Immune Function
Whether you’re an athlete aspiring to consistent training or a parent keen to keep your kids healthy, everyone wants a robust immune system. Diet affects immunity, so here's 19 of the best foods to boost immune function
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6 Signs You’re Burning Fat
Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a sudden switch that occurs as you become more fat adapted. It’s a gradual process - these six signs will show you’re on the right fat-burning path
Once you know the signs, it’s much easier to shed fat
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What To Do If Your Event Is Cancelled
We live in uncertain times. The coronavirus pandemic is sweeping around the world with incomprehensible social, health and economic consequences. In the grand scheme of things, the cancellation of athletic events is really no cause for too many tears, but having spent months gearing up for the big day, it’s a hard pill to swallow
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11 Great Lockdown Reads
Alongside indulging in our favourite podcasts, we’re loving the extra time lockdown is giving us to get stuck into some great reads. From adventure and survival to entrepreneurship and self-development, we hope this compilation provides a handful to add to your list
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How To Exercise When You’re Feeling Low
Whether you’re depressed, suffering with S.A.D or temporarily lost your mojo, it’s normal to go through phases of not wanting to exercise. We hope these tips on how to exercise when you’re feeling low help you get the best from yourself when you’re not 100%
A cold shower doesn’t sound appealing, but trust me you’ll want to get involved once you know the benefits
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12 Shocking Cold Shower Benefits
A cold shower might sound unappealing, but we've 12 shocking benefits that will change your mind about giving them a go! I'm willing to bet you'll be a convert by the end of this article