Extreme fitness: are you tough enough?

Forget spinning and Zumba, gyms are now filled with chains, hammers and tyres. When did work-outs get so hardcore? Stuart Heritage joins the men and women going primal

Is it worth it? Rebounding

‘While springing around is a ridiculous amount of fun, I’ve been told that from the floor below it sounds like I’m trying to shake the fittings loose’

Exercise brings me friends, happiness and health. It’s not about losing weight

Doctors now say diet, rather than working out, promotes weight loss. But after gruelling boxing or calming yoga, the last thing I want is to stuff a burger into my face

I run this body: how I battled meningitis and won

At 18, Kim Lo ran for her school. Then meningitis nearly killed her and left her with no toes. The consultant said she would never win another race. Could she prove him wrong?

Fitspo: how strong became the new skinny

Health has become fetishised on social media by ‘fitspiration’ devotees posting pictures of ‘clean’ food and gym-tight abs. But does the trend inspire better living – or is it promoting a new form of body fascism?

Is it worth it? Power Plate

‘I’d assumed that these machines were simply an updated version of those dangerous-looking 1970s fat-belt machines. I was proved wrong’

Fitness trackers are popular among insurers and employers – but is your data safe?

Wearables can be a helpful tool, but some warn that the privacy of the data they compile might be compromised. How worried should you be?

Are fitness trackers bad for your health?

Gadgets that monitor fitness are untested, unscientific and can induce extreme anxiety in some people, according to a GP writing in the BMJ

My 50th-birthday challenge: week six

It is the penultimate week of the 50 swims challenge, and life is tiring and chaotic – but has moments of perfection

Parents – turn off those screens and get running with your kids

Do your children sit for hours in front of video games and TV? Here’s one way of getting your little couch potatoes out for some exercise

If you do one thing this month … try trapeze fitness

Trapfit is the latest craze from California, but aerial fitness and circus skills classes are already held all over the UK

Is it worth it? Squash

‘Even at beginner level – which, after 10 years of on-off practice, I’ve never really progressed beyond – squash is a fast game’

Is it worth it? Kettlebells

‘A Turkish get-up, where you lie on the floor and repeatedly stand up with the kettlebell above your head at all times, stopped being fun incredibly quickly’

My marathon research to get to the bottom of cramp

Most runners will have experienced cramp, either during or after a race. But with three marathons over three weekends to train for, Chris Wright was determined to find the cause of his pain

Being a desk jockey may be unhealthy, but at least it makes us feel safer

An employee’s desk is an oasis of calm in the horrendous office environment. No wonder we like to stay put