Barry McGuigan, Helen Glover, Ian Poulter and more top athletes share their fitness tips for 2026

Do you want to be your fittest and healthiest self in 2026?

We asked people who have been at the top of the sporting game about their top tips for getting fit in the new year.

Top athletes – including Great Britain rower Helen Glover, FA cup winning captain Joel Ward, retired sprint athlete Anyika Onuora, golfer Ian Poulter and many more – told us their secrets to keeping healthy.

Read more:

• Child hunger is a ‘damning indictment’ of Britain, says Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu
• Most girls drop out of sport by puberty. Teenage athlete Issey Kyson is on a race to change that
• Tottenham Hotspur legend Micky Hazard on losing his nephew to suicide: ‘We need people to listen’

Plus, there’s advice from an 80-year-old personal trainer!

These great athletes let Big Issue in on some of the everyday things we can all do to improve our health and fitness in 2026.

Helen Glover – rower for Great Britain and two-time Olympic champion 

What is your one health/fitness tip for 2026?  

Find the smallest version of consistency. You don’t need a perfect plan to make progress – just something you can do regularly. Whether it’s a 10-minute walk, a quick mobility routine or a short session on the rowing machine, the small things really do add up when life gets busy. 

What are your fitness goals this year? 

For me, it’s prioritising recovery as much as training. I’m brilliant at pushing myself, but often less good at slowing down. In 2026, I want to be intentional about sleep, stretching, and taking rest without guilt – because that’s when the real adaptation happens. 

Will you be making any new year’s resolutions? 

I believe in setting intentions, not ultimatums. A resolution that motivates you is great, but one that becomes a stick to beat yourself with usually backfires. I’ll be making a few gentle, positive intentions for the year – mainly around balance, rest, and having fun with movement. 

What is the best health/fitness advice you have ever been given? 

“Train for the life you want, not the life you think you should have.” 

This shifted my whole approach. When I became a mum, it helped me understand that fitness doesn’t have to look the same in every chapter. It just needs to support who you are and where you want to go. 

What have been your biggest health and fitness highs and lows of 2025? 

The high has been rediscovering how much I love training for different endurance events, not just for performance, but also for headspace, happiness and being a strong role model for my children. 

The low has been navigating the inevitable niggles and the moments where motivation dips – especially when you’re juggling family life and work. But those dips always remind me why resilience, patience, and flexibility are just as important as physical strength. 

 Barry McGuigan – former world boxing champion and promoter

1. Aerobic fitness Building and maintaining a strong aerobic fitness is vital to overall health and longevity. In boxing that is the basis of a fighter’s training programme. I believe depending on your age and ability you should be looking to do aerobic training daily, whether it’s a fast-paced walk to work or a run, cycle, swim or boxing training. Keeping variety in your training regime makes
   it fun and manageable.
2. Strength As we age, strength declines and although I’m not as strong as I once was I always try to maintain strength training. It maintains good bone density and healthy muscle tissue. Mastering your body weight with callisthenics like press-ups, pull-ups, lunges, squats or even jump squats are things you can do at home if you don’t have access to a gym. If you do have that luxury you can get a good strength training programme that incorporates full body strength training. I try to get at least three strength sessions in a week. I like to do short sessions (20 to 40 mins) multiple times a week.  
3. Hydration Increase your water intake to optimal levels. One litre per 25kg of body weight is a goal to try to aim for. For example, a 75kg person should drink three litres per day and a 100kg person should drink four litres per day. Staying hydrated will help with digestion, cognitive function and many other benefits. 
4. Nutrition Optimising body weight or performance from sport is all down to nutrition. Calories matter but so does the quality of food. Try to eliminate processed foods like cereals, sweets, chocolate, crisps. Incorporate foods high in protein like chicken, fish, meat and yoghurts. You should eat fruits and vegetables as they are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals to support immune health. Healthy carbohydrates are oats, rice, and potatoes and naturally occurring sugars like honey and fruits. Stick to these principles and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier 2026.

 Ian Poulter – English golfer for Majesticks Golf Club

What is your one health/fitness tip for 2026?

Find a gym buddy or a trainer and stay as regular as you possibly can. 

What are your fitness goals this year? 

To stay as regular to as many routines as I can so by the end of 2026 my fitness levels have maintained, if not increased. 

Will you be making any new year’s resolutions? 

No, because I think people end up breaking them too soon, so I just try and stay accountable. I try and stay away from my Cadbury’s chocolate, and the pantry that we have in our house. 

What have been your biggest health and fitness highs and lows of 2025? 

Starting 2025 I had probably the most muscle mass on me ever to date. The biggest low was tearing my ATFL in March of 2025 and then having to back off all of my regimented fitness
plans and go into limp mode which was devastating. Hopefully for 2026 we don’t injure ourselves and we can stay healthy.   

Barrie McDermott – former rugby league player and podcaster of Changing Rooms: Beyond the Scrum 

I always enjoy Christmas knowing I will make a few sacrifices in January and February. Starting small and staying consistent helps. You do not need dramatic changes. A short walk each day or a couple of brief strength sessions in the week is enough to build momentum.

I enjoy working out in my local gym with friends and sometimes with my grown up kids, who are all a lot fitter and faster than me. It reminds me how important it is to find something you actually enjoy and do it with like-minded mates. When fitness feels like a positive part of your day, rather than a chore, you keep going.

I set challenging goals but keep a realistic approach. There is no value in comparing yourself with anyone else. Choose goals that matter to you, whether that is feeling stronger, having more energy or improving your mood. Small wins make a big difference.

I try to push myself most days but if you’re at the point where you’re too tired and sore and you’ll stop enjoying it. Recovery matters just as much as the work you put in. Better sleep, stretching and staying hydrated all help you stay fresh enough to come back tomorrow.

Put all of this together and improving your fitness becomes far more manageable. Enjoy the moments that matter, do the activities you like, set goals that fit your life and train in a way that keeps you coming back. The most important thing to remember everyday is to have the right attitude. Good luck and embrace the challenge.

Eva Zu Beck – survival skills and fitness influencer 

What is your one health/ fitness tip for 2026?  

Stay wild: remember that in order to stay healthy and happy, we need to spend time outside, reconnecting to our wild side. So spend time outdoors and try to rewild yourself. It could be a bit of barefoot walking or hugging a tree. 

What are your fitness goals this year? 

I want to rewild my workouts. That means less time at the gym, and more time doing things like rucking (carrying heavy packs), crawling, and using natural spaces as obstacle courses. 

Will you be making any new year’s resolutions? 

Any excuse is a good excuse to create new goals or revise old ones! My goal for 2026 is to find a way to love running in cold, rainy weather.

What is the best health/ fitness advice you have ever been given? 

When you’re trying to stay consistent, motivation is fickle: it comes and goes. Instead, try to develop unshakable discipline. 

What is the worst piece of fitness advice you’ve ever been given? 

A physiotherapist told me running is unnatural for the body and that I should stop altogether. Obviously, with several ultramarathons now under my belt, I did not take her advice! 

Kieran Reilly– British BMX freestyler and Red Bull athlete

What is one health/ fitness tip you have for other people in 2026?

Consistency is key! It’s better to have good days of training frequently rather then great days every now and then!

What health/ fitness tip will you be taking on in 2026?

I’ll be training more with purpose, it’s easy to train too intensely everyday and hinder progression and this year I look to make each session purposeful.

Do you believe in health and fitness new year’s resolutions? Will you be making any?

Absolutely! For a lot of people a new year’s resolution is the motivation they need to start, if it gets you in the gym that’s great! Similar to my own tip my resolution is to hit each training session mindfully. 

What is the best piece of health/ fitness advice you have ever been given?

Best piece of advice I was ever given was patience, each session may not seem important but they add up to amazing progress.

What is the worst piece of health/ fitness advice you’ve ever been given?

Worst advice I believe is out there to a lot of people is to max out every session, over exert yourself as this will only hinder progress and your energy or motivation, there are sessions for intensity and sessions where you just need to get into the gym, they each have their own place!

What have been your biggest health and fitness highs and lows of 2025?

My biggest highs were getting a PB in my ‘ramp test’ an endurance test taken place on a bike with increasing watts and my lowest is for sure my foot injury in April, injuries are tough but being able to train other areas kept me in a positive mindset.

Kazaiah Sterling – professional footballer in Baller League

What is your one health/ fitness tip for 2026?  

In 2026, I’ll be trying keep my sleeping consistent as I’ve found myself at times this year not getting the correct hours of sleep.

What is the best fitness advice you have ever been given? 

Best advice I’ve been given was from Matt Allen when I was in the academy. He used to always say “food is fuel”. He used to say you wouldn’t put the wrong fuel in your car so don’t do that with you body.

What is the worst piece of fitness advice you’ve ever been given? 

When people say “train through pain”. I feel like our bodies tell us and give us signs when something is wrong and we shouldn’t ignore those signs.

If think it’s could to push your limits and and work through fatigue at times but recovery days are really important for you body as they give your body a chance to repair the damages it’s done to yourself.

I feel like our bodies of tell us and give us signs to when something is wrong and we shouldn’t ignore those signs it’s about finding the right balance when to know to push yourself and when to rest but I think that comes over time with the more experience you have exercising and understanding your body.

What have been your biggest health and fitness highs and lows of 2025?

My biggest fitness lows this year have definitely been the two times I was in hospital with rhabdomyolysis.

My biggest fitness highs is probably the recovery period after those times in hospital. I have had to work hard to get myself back to fitness after those episodes which was really hard mentally.

 Edward Diget – 80-year-old personal trainer and rehab consultant

You are never too old to begin looking after your health and fitness. Now at the age of 80, I have been fortunate, very early in my life, to have trained my body and still do even now three times a week. 

Why is it so important to consider doing something about it you may think? You might say: “I am very fit now for my age!” But getting fitter will aid your recovery when you get ill as the immune system does react quicker to most viruses and illness. 

As we get older, things we take for granted get harder – bending and picking objects up, lifting your child, taking the dog for a walk, shopping, going upstairs we get out of breath – silly little things as the body ages. Without any form of training it gets weaker. Muscle loss and thinning bones cause many problems in later life. 

Getting healthier doesn’t mean joining a gym. Invest in your fitness levels now to enjoy your later years by being healthier. The alternative is not being capable of doing anything that gives you pleasure because you now find it difficult to go for a walk, go upstairs or get out of a chair because your knees and back are painful. 

The longest journeys in life begin with the first step towards your goal. Live well and enjoy your life. Do not watch from the sidelines encouraging others – join in! 

Jake Dennis – Formula E driver 

I always try to get over 10,000 steps a day, even when the weather is not so good. It’s critical to get that low steady cardio. I’ll be taking this into 2026 myself. 

The best piece of fitness advice has to be to have rest days. I think you can be quite guilty of training every day and not letting your body recover. If you’re training five days a week at a hard, committed level, you should be having two rest days. 

We’ve all been injured before and trying to ignore it and not listen to your body only catches up with you especially as you get older. I’m 30 now so I have these little niggles in my shoulders and knees. It’s important to see physios and rehab to try and control them to the best of your ability. 

2025 was probably my fittest year. I trained the hardest I have done and I was in my best shape. I felt pretty good inside myself. But then I got injured. I couldn’t really train and had to have time off. I’m still managing that now and it is probably still a low point for me but something we have to work around. 

Anyika Onuora – retired sprint athlete and Olympian  

The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is to embrace failure. A lot of the success I had in my career was based on failure. I went from short sprint to longer sprint. I was in the sport for a very long time and I switched events. I became more successful over 400m and the 4x400m. I spent a lot of time, as most athletes do, feeling like a failure before you get to that gold – whatever gold may be, whatever joy. You go through a stage of failure first and I think it’s important to embrace that.

Becoming a parent and a working mum, I definitely have to enjoy and understand what this next phase of my life looks like. My new year’s resolution is to maintain that consistency with working out. I want to be able to enjoy working out again, whatever that looks like, whether it’s going to the gym or doing a home workout because I can’t get to the gym. It’s seeking support from those around you. It’s having that athlete mindset to maintain the consistency and just tell yourself, you’re going to do it. If you can’t do an hour, can you do 30 minutes? Can you do five minutes? Just do something to get the body moving.

My fitness journey has changed so much since I retired, but mostly over the last 18 months. It’s helped me to enjoy working out more. The other part of it is always finding ‘me time’. Being a working parent, I speak to other mums and there is this whole thing about mum guilt. You’re always on the go the whole time. But you have to remember that the child is fine. She has my husband who will always take care of her, and family and friends who will take care of her. If I want to go out and have brunch with my friends, she’ll be fine. If I want to get my nails done or go to a coffee shop and read a book for a couple of hours, it’s OK. I’m learning to do things. It’s not detaching yourself from your child but embracing this next stage of motherhood.

In 2026, we should continue to build our communities, whatever that looks like. Family. Friends. Enjoy having people around you that you rely on and that you can have fun with. Life is too short. Especially with the impact of Covid over the last couple of years, mental health is such a topic of conversation and it’s been detrimental to everyone. But being able to talk and have conversations and seek joy with those around you within your community is definitely something we should continue to do in 2026. I for one will be continuing to do that.

James Willstrop – former England squash player 

The thing that’s helped me as I’m not training as hard now, is just to dabble about a bit. One thing that helps if I’m struggling for time is to think about how exercise can be done in very little periods of time. Even if you can do 10 minutes of solid exercise, or just some movement or some dancing or some walking, whatever that thing is, that can be very valuable. Even though it doesn’t seem very much to you, it does mount up. 

I’m not telling anyone what they should do in 2026 – I haven’t got any idea myself! But I’ve found that really works for me. works for me. If I can just get 20 minutes in and I could do high intensity, or I could just do really good yoga work or something, it changes the way your mind feels. You feel a bit happier. You’ve done a bit of work. It’s really valuable.

Even if you have 10 minutes, just do it. It could be 10 minutes of standing one leg at the end of the day, or whatever little bit of exercise it might be – hopping or some squats. You can do five sets of squats in four minutes. It reduces the mental intensity and pressure you’re putting on yourself. I think you can almost do that sort of stuff without sweating. You don’t need a shower. You can literally quickly get it done without any space or equipment.

Joel Ward – FA cup winning captain for Crystal Palace

What is one health/ fitness tip you have for other people in 2026?

From my personal experience, I would say that consistency is absolutely key. This enables you to build a solid foundation for your overall fitness. Even if it is a little to begin with, you can gradually increase this over time. A little exercise regularly is better than nothing and more beneficial than dipping in and out, because you are likely to not see results and lose motivation.

What health/fitness tip will you be taking on in 2026?

As a professional footballer, I am in full time training which keeps my fitness at a high level. I also like to compliment that with staying active generally with other sports, for example I love playing padel, cycling and golf.

Do you believe in health and fitness new year’s resolutions? Will you be making any?

Goal setting is very important for many people, although I view it a little differently. Personally, I like to form long term habits rather than have resolutions from a specific date. It important to enjoy the process and if I want to start a new habit, I want to get going straight away, without wait until a particular day or time of year. However, everybody is different and for some people the new year is an opportunity to reset and start fresh. Overall, I feel that people should aim for a technique which suits them best.

What is the best piece of health/ fitness advice you have ever been given?

It is the work that is unseen that makes the difference. All of the tiny decisions including your food choices, sleeping schedule and a clean lifestyle add up to contribute to your overall health. Whether you are a professional athlete or not, the right choices enable improved performance in whatever you do.

What is the worst piece of health/ fitness advice you’ve ever been given?

I can think of two! “One drink wont hurt” and “You don’t have to watch what you eat, because you train so much!” It is very important to remain consistent with your diet and routine, because this can have a big impact on how you function day-to-day.

What have been your biggest health and fitness highs and lows of 2025?

I had a low level recurring calf injury that has been frustrating but with hard work, dedication and preserving I’ve managed to bounce back from it to full fitness, which I’m really pleased about. A high would have to have been winning the FA Cup with Crystal Palace and winning the my last game at Selhurst Park against Wolves. The true high was the birth of my daughter and although that’s not directly fitness related, having three children certainly keeps me busy! I love being outdoors with them and get a real high after family walks and cycles in the countryside.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life this winter.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – and always take the magazine. It’s how vendors earn with dignity and how we fund our work to end poverty.

You can also support online with a vendor support kit or a magazine subscription. Thank you for standing with Big Issue vendors.