Helen Skelton’s fitness routine at 42 – why her ‘do what you can’ approach makes sense at any age – Women’s Health

Have you ever thought about changing your relationship to exercise so it actually fits the life you have, not the life you think you should have?

You can take one sentence — Helen Skelton’s “do what you can” — and let it unclench something in you. It’s not a permission slip to be lazy; it’s an invitation to be honest, strategic, and steady. In this article you’ll get a clear sense of what her routine looks like, why that attitude matters more than ever, and how to make a version of it work for your body, your time, and your history. You’ll also find practical plans, example sessions, and ways to adapt intensity across decades of life.

Who is Helen Skelton?

You probably know Helen Skelton as a British television presenter, former Blue Peter host, adventurer and mum, but that biography only tells the surface. She’s a public figure who has used endurance challenges and outdoor work to shape a fitness identity that’s fierce and pragmatic. When she talks about training, she’s not peddling perfection — she’s describing practical movement that fits into a life with kids, work, and occasional chaos.

If you pay attention to what she actually does, rather than the media framing of “celebrity fitness,” you’ll notice themes: consistency over intensity, variety over monotony, and the steady inclusion of movement that’s usable for daily life.

What “Do What You Can” Really Means

This phrase reduces the pressure and reframes exercise as a tool, not a punishment. When you do what you can, you accept several truths: your energy fluctuates, obligations will elbow the calendar, and long-term gains are often the result of sustainable choices, not short-lived epics.

You’re not being told to accept mediocrity. You’re being asked to define limits honestly and then expand them patiently. That’s part pragmatism, part rebellion against a fitness culture that shames you for missing a workout.

The Components of Helen Skelton’s Routine

Helen’s routine is less a rigid template and more a palette of activities. You’ll find strength work, cardiovascular training, outdoor sessions, mobility, and recovery all mixed together. The idea is balance — enough challenge to progress, enough variety to keep interest and function, and enough rest to recover.

Below you’ll find each component broken down, what it delivers, and examples you can use.

Strength Training

Strength is the backbone of her approach. You’ll see compound moves and functional lifts that build the kind of robustness that matters in daily life — lifting children, carrying groceries, getting in and out of kayaks, or simply feeling stable on stairs.

Strength sessions typically include squats, deadlifts or hinge variations, pressing motions, pulling (rows), and core or anti-rotation work. You can do bodyweight-only sessions or add resistance with dumbbells, bands, or barbells depending on your access and experience.

Table: Example Strength Session

You can scale reps and sets up or down. Do what you can, but prioritize progressive overload — even small increases in weight or reps matter.

Cardio & Endurance

Helen mixes running, cycling, and outdoor high-intensity bursts. Cardio is not merely for caloric burn; it builds cardiovascular health, mental resilience, and stamina. But it’s chosen to be sustainable — not every session is a hard interval.

You’ll typically find three types of cardio in her approach: steady-state longer efforts, short high-intensity intervals, and low-intensity daily movement (walking, playing with kids). Alternating intensity helps you recover and prevents burnout.

Sample Cardio Sessions

• Steady run: 30–45 minutes at conversational pace.
• Intervals: 6 x 2 minutes hard with 2-minute easy jog recovery.
• Low-intensity day: 30–60 minutes brisk walk or cycle.

Flexibility & Mobility

Flexibility and mobility are treated as preventative medicine. You don’t dismiss stretching as optional; you fold it into your week. Mobility work helps you move efficiently, reduces injury risk, and makes strength and cardio sessions more accessible.

Short mobility sessions (10–15 minutes) can be done after workouts or on rest days. Emphasize thoracic rotation, hip hinge patterning, ankle mobility, and shoulder stability.

Examples: Spiderman stretch (mobility + thoracic rotation), couch stretch (hip flexor length), cat-cow and child’s pose (spine mobility).

Recovery & Sleep

You’ll see recovery prioritized as part of fitness, not an afterthought. Sleep, hydration, foam rolling, contrast showers, or gentle walks are practical elements that you can and should make non-negotiable.

If you’re taking a rigorous class or a long run, plan an easier next day. If your life is chronically busy, your workouts should reflect that with more frequent low-intensity days and fewer maximal efforts.

Nutrition & Lifestyle

Helen doesn’t sell a restrictive miracle diet in public; she talks about fuelling for performance and life. You should think of nutrition as a support system for your training: protein to build and protect muscle, complex carbs for endurance, fats for hormonal health, and vegetables for micronutrients.

Simple rules you can use: aim for protein at each main meal, prioritize whole foods, hydrate, and allow room for meals that nourish you emotionally too. The “do what you can” mentality applies here — you won’t be perfect, but consistent good choices add up.

Why This Approach Makes Sense at Any Age

Aging doesn’t demand a retreat from movement; it demands smarter movement. Your priorities shift as you age — longevity, bone density, balance, and maintaining functional independence become more central than a particular aesthetic or PR.

The “do what you can” approach respects biological realities: recovery times lengthen, hormonal milieu changes, and life roles (work, caregiving) compete for energy. When you train within your capacity and gradually push, you preserve muscle, bone, and function without the unnecessary wear and tear of reckless programming.

Physiology simplified: strength training preserves muscle mass and bone density; aerobic training preserves cardiovascular health; mobility maintains range of motion. You don’t need to be elite to benefit. You need consistency and progression.

How Recovery Changes with Age

As you get older, recovery from high-volume or high-intensity sessions becomes more important. This is not a weakness; it’s a physiological shift that asks you to be cunning with programming.

You can respond by:

• Increasing sleep quality and duration.
• Prioritizing protein and nutrient timing.
• Spreading training load across the week rather than stacking too many hard sessions consecutively.

Adapting Helen’s Routine for Your Body

You are unique. Your injury history, workload, equipment access, and preferences dictate how you adapt these principles. Helen’s method is modular — you pick and choose activities — so you can adapt safely.

Ask yourself these baseline questions before you program:

• What is my current baseline (can you walk 30 minutes without pain, can you do 10 bodyweight squats)?
• What are my goals (strength, endurance, weight maintenance, stress relief)?
• What constraints do I have (time, equipment, recent injuries)?

Once you answer those, you can scale. If you have knee pain, swap heavy squats for hip hinges and step-ups. If you’re time-poor, prioritize short strength sessions and quick intervals.

Table: Scaling Intensity and Volume By Goal/Condition

Modifications for Common Issues

• Knee pain: reduce load, increase assistance (split squats to box squats), strengthen hips.
• Lower back pain: check hinge patterning, reduce loaded flexion, increase posterior chain work, add mobility.
• Shoulder pain: limit overhead pressing initially, prioritize scapular stability and rows.

A Four-Week Sample Plan Inspired by Helen Skelton

You want an approachable plan that respects variable weeks. This four-week plan uses progressive but modest increases that fit into a busy life. It’s not rigid; adapt days as necessary.

Table: Week-by-Week Overview

Example Strength Sessions (A & B)

• Strength A (Focus: Lower + Core)

  • Goblet squat 3×8–12
  • Romanian deadlift 3×8–10
  • Split squat 2×8 each leg
  • Plank variations 3×30–60s

• Strength B (Focus: Upper + Posterior)

  • Push-up or incline press 3×8–12
  • Bent-over row 3×8–12
  • Single-arm dumbbell press 2×8–10
  • Glute bridge 3×10–15

The plan moves you forward gently. The idea is that week three nudges intensity up; week four acts partly as a recovery week to consolidate gains. You can repeat this cycle, increasing weights or intervals over months.

Practical Sessions You Can Do When Time Is Short

You can make meaningful progress in 20 minutes. The key is purpose: pick either strength or cardio and a clear target.

20-Minute Strength Circuit (full body)

• 45s work / 15s rest for 4 rounds:
  • Kettlebell or dumbbell swing (or Romanian deadlift)
  • Push-ups
  • Walking lunges
  • Bent-over rows (band or dumbbell)
  • Plank hold or dead bug

20-Minute High-Intensity Interval Cardio

• Warm up 3 minutes
• 6 rounds: 30s hard / 1:30 easy
• Cool down 3–4 minutes

When you do short sessions, you’re not doing less; you’re being efficient. You can also stack two short sessions separated by a few hours — a walk in the morning and quick strength in the evening — and still call it a win.

Common Mistakes People Make and How to Avoid Them

You’ll want to be against extremes. Here are the mistakes you can guard against.

• Mistake: Using comparison as a program. Fix: Track your own progress in small metrics — reps, load, energy.
• Mistake: All cardio, no strength. Fix: Prioritize strength twice a week to protect muscle and bone.
• Mistake: Missing recovery. Fix: Schedule rest days and treat sleep like training.
• Mistake: Chasing perfection. Fix: Use the “do what you can” principle with boundaries — if you miss a session, move the goalpost without shame.

Mental Framing: Why This Approach Helps Your Mind

Training is political in a small way: it’s about how you value your time and body. When you approach fitness with permission and flexibility, you reduce shame and build a relationship with movement that lasts. You’ll be less likely to quit when life gets real.

You should notice mood improvements and a steadier baseline of confidence when training is sustainable. That’s not fluff; it’s the psychological architecture that enables long-term adherence.

Monitoring Progress Without Becoming Obsessive

If you’re modern, temptation to measure everything is constant. It’s useful to track, but not at the cost of your sanity.

Non-scale metrics you can use:

• Consistency: How many sessions per week?
• Strength gains: Can you lift more weight or do more reps in the same timeframe?
• Energy: How often do you feel more energetic across days?
• Functional test: Can you climb stairs more easily, lift grocery bags without strain?
• Clothes fit or how you carry yourself.

Pick two or three metrics and revisit them monthly. The body is slow; progress is not linear. You’ll benefit from being patient and consistent.

When to Seek Professional Help

You should consult a pro when:

• You have pain that doesn’t improve with modest adjustments.
• You’re rehabbing an injury.
• You have a chronic condition (e.g., heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension), and you need tailored programming.
• You feel stuck and need technical coaching for lifts or running form.

A qualified physiotherapist, certified strength coach, or registered dietitian can give targeted advice that accelerates safe progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often should you train strength?
A: Two to three times per week is realistic and effective for most people. You’ll preserve muscle and can still improve strength with sensible progression.

Q: Is cardio necessary every day?
A: No. Aim for a mix — 2–4 cardio sessions per week depending on your goals, plus daily low-intensity movement like walking.

Q: What about equipment?
A: Use what you have. Bodyweight, bands, one set of dumbbells, or a kettlebell can deliver serious results. Gym access is optional.

Q: Will training slow you down if you’re older?
A: The opposite: appropriate training reduces decline. Strength training in particular is one of the best interventions for aging well.

Q: How do you avoid burnout?
A: Rotate intensity, sleep more, eat to support training, and schedule recovery weeks. Listen to your body.

Tools and Equipment You Might Want

Not essential, but helpful:

• Pair of adjustable dumbbells or kettlebell
• Resistance bands
• Foam roller or massage ball
• Comfortable trainers for running/walking
• Yoga mat for mobility sessions

Here’s a quick table to prioritize purchases by budget.

Real-Life Examples of “Do What You Can”

• If you have a baby and can only manage 15–20 minutes, do short strength circuits during naps.
• If you travel for work, prioritize bodyweight circuits in a hotel room and brisk walking after meetings.
• If you have chronic fatigue some weeks, prioritize mobility, short walks, and one quality strength session.

The point is to remain active, not to perform perfectly.

Final Notes on Body Image and Pressure

You will be told by many sources that your worthiness is linked to a number on the scale, an image on a screen, or a certain physique. That’s a lie dressed in fitness clothes. When you train because you want to move better, feel stronger, and live longer, you’re working from a place of respect for your body. That clarity changes the relationship with movement — it becomes less about proving something and more about stewardship.

If you’re a woman in midlife — 42 like Helen — the cultural messaging gets louder: be smaller, be younger, be more. The best response is to get pragmatic and stubbornly kind to yourself. Train to feel strong. Sleep. Eat to support function. Let your program be flexible. Let it be boring sometimes; boring consistency beats dramatic bursts.

Closing Thoughts

You don’t need a dramatic overhaul to gain durable benefits. Helen Skelton’s “do what you can” is a philosophy that respects complexity: of bodies, of time, of obligations. It’s quiet rebellion against a fitness culture that equates intensity with virtue. If you adopt it, you’ll become steadier not only physically but mentally. You’ll learn to keep showing up, even when life is noisy.

Take something small from this: pick two strength moves, a cardio session you can repeat, and a mobility habit you can perform three times a week. Start there. After a month, you’ll be surprised at how far “what you can” takes you.

Source: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxOanJKTlFTcU5Ea0UyNUo3aDBkX29ZUnVlNFNQUEEyQW9jbTVjUWUwZjJIbTZwTlpKRlQ2OWNLNFFvaWxrNEFPVnpBbmlkNU43a3MzTmFvWk84VDg4M2prNk9mQXNpdF80YXlqa3RwSnZXSm9qYldTeTA4azQ2UGJuM2oxcnUxX0JCb1Jv?oc=5