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By Jill Brook
I'll be honest with you. There was a point last winter when my trainers hadn't left the cupboard under the stairs for three weeks, buried somewhere beneath a school bag, a broken umbrella and approximately fourteen plastic bags I keep meaning to recycle. Life, as ever, had got in the way. Work. The kids. The washing. The endless, thankless washing.
But something shifted in January. Call it a new year, call it a moment of clarity whilst scraping ice off the car at 7am, but I finally looked around and realised what a genuinely extraordinary county we live in when it comes to fitness. Leicestershire — and I mean all of it, from the deer-dotted hills of Charnwood to the waterways of Rutland — is one of the best-kept secrets in the country for getting fit, staying healthy, and finding a community of people who actually make it enjoyable.
So if you're a woman in this county — or a man, for that matter, though frankly it's women who've been sold short by the fitness industry for long enough — here's everything you need to know about getting active in 2026.
Why This Year Feels Different
The fitness world is changing, and for women especially, that change is long overdue. For decades, workout culture told us to shrink, to be smaller, to do endless cardio until we could barely stand. The science, thankfully, has finally caught up with what many of us instinctively knew.
In 2026, the dominant trend in women's fitness is what experts are calling "female-first fitness" — training programmes that are built around female physiology, hormonal cycles, and the specific demands of life in your 40s and beyond. Lucie Cowan, a master trainer at Third Space, puts it plainly: "For decades, women were encouraged to follow training plans that didn't consider their biology. The result? Plateaus, burnout, and unnecessary self-criticism."luxurylondon+1
We are done with the burnout, thank you very much.
Gyms and studios are beginning to offer training tracks designed around women's hormonal cycles — think "High-Energy HIIT Week" giving way to "Deload and Mobility Week" — alongside menopause-friendly strength and conditioning sessions that address joint stiffness, sleep disruption and hot flushes. Wearable technology is also playing its part, with more than 70 per cent of wearable users now applying data from their devices to inform their exercise and recovery strategies.[womensfitness.co]
This is not vanity. This is about health. Bone health, mental health, cardiovascular health. It's about being able to keep up with your teenagers, carry your own shopping, and feel strong in a body that works for you.
Step Outside: Leicestershire's Outstanding Natural Fitness Playground
Here's the thing about Leicestershire that often goes unnoticed: you don't need a gym membership to get fit here. This county is, quite genuinely, a spectacular outdoor fitness arena — and most of it is free.
Bradgate Park in Charnwood is the jewel in the crown. Over 830 acres of ancient parkland, rugged hillside, grazing deer and sweeping views across the county, it's a natural mood-booster that happens to also be excellent exercise. The Bradgate Park Trust now runs weekly Wellbeing Walks from the Newtown Linford car park, with two options: a 60-minute easy-access route along the carriageway suitable for all abilities, including wheelchair users, and a more challenging 90-minute walk that takes you off-road through the park's wilder, higher terrain. No booking, no fee. Turn up, lace up, go. The monthly first-Friday walk launched in early 2025 and has already become a firm favourite with locals in Charnwood.facebook+2
Walking, it bears repeating, is serious exercise. A brisk walk three to five times a week reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression. For women navigating perimenopause, low-impact activity like walking is enormously beneficial for bone density and mental clarity. Do not let anyone tell you walking is "not proper exercise."
For something with a little more pace, Victoria Park in Leicester hosts a free 5km parkrun every Saturday morning at 9am — a three-lap clockwise course that is welcoming whether you run it in 20 minutes or 40. Aylestone Recreation Ground hosts junior parkruns on Sunday mornings for children aged 4–14 at 9am. There is also excellent trail running to be had at Watermead Country Park, Knighton Park, Evington Park and along the Whistle Way, a former railway line between Enderby and Narborough that offers a flat, accessible route for walkers and runners alike. Rutland Water, just over the county border, is another firm favourite, with trail runs offering everything from gentle lakeside paths to proper off-road challenge.leicester+2
Gyms That Won't Break the Bank
If you prefer your fitness with a roof over your head — perfectly reasonable in a Leicestershire February — the county has excellent options at every price point.
PureGym Leicester in the city centre offers flexible, no-contract memberships with over 220 pieces of equipment in a spacious, well-maintained facility. The Gym Group at Highcross opens 24 hours with memberships from £15.99 a month and free parking, making it genuinely accessible for those working non-standard hours — something that disproportionately affects women in part-time and shift work. Everlast Gyms in the city centre offers a ladies-only area, a detail that still matters enormously to many women, particularly those new to weight training.thegymgroup+1
Beyond Leicester city, Harborough Leisure Centre, Ashby Leisure Centre and Lido, and Enderby Leisure Centre all make the top five in Leicestershire and offer community-focused fitness in a more accessible, less intimidating environment than some of the city's commercial gyms. For those in Loughborough, local leisure provision remains solid, and the town's strong student sports culture means class schedules tend to be full and varied year-round.[tripadvisor.co]
The Case for Picking Up Some Weights
Let me be direct about this: if you are a woman over 40 in Leicestershire and you are not doing some form of strength training, you are missing something genuinely important for your long-term health.
Women typically lose between 3 and 8 per cent of muscle mass per decade from their thirties onwards, with losses accelerating significantly after the menopause. Regular strength training not only counteracts that decline — it can actually reverse it. More muscle mass means a higher metabolism, better protection against falls as you age, and that "toned" appearance the fitness industry has always sold us whilst hiding the actual science behind it.[puregym]
The benefits don't stop there. Strength training twice a week has been shown to improve bone density in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. It supports mental health during hormonal transitions, reduces anxiety, and — perhaps most relevantly for those of us juggling jobs, children and everything else — it gives you back a profound sense of physical agency. Of control. Your body, doing extraordinary things.[bupa.co]
You do not need to join a powerlifting gym. A pair of dumbbells from a charity shop and a YouTube tutorial will do for starters. But do start.
The Power of Going Together
The finest development in Leicestershire fitness in recent years is not a new gym or a new piece of kit. It is community.
Leicester and the county have a huge and growing running scene. Walk Together, which runs free volunteer-led group walks at multiple locations including Bradgate Park and Bosworth, is part of a national network that makes active socialising easy and inclusive. The Active Together platform, backed by local authority support, lists dozens of activities across Leicestershire, many of them free or subsidised for people on lower incomes.reddit+2
This matters. The fitness industry has long been economically exclusive, selling us expensive memberships, overpriced kit and the idea that you need to spend a fortune to get healthy. The truth — that a free Saturday morning parkrun, a wellbeing walk in Bradgate Park, or a Couch to 5K group in a local park can genuinely transform your health — is far more democratic, and it's there for the taking right across this county.
Community also means accountability. The reason group fitness works is simple: you're less likely to bail when someone is expecting you. And in a county where community spirit remains genuinely strong, from market towns to multicultural Leicester, that support network is there if you look for it.
Where to Start This Weekend
Feeling overwhelmed? Don't be. Here is the simplest possible entry point:
Saturday morning: Head to Victoria Park in Leicester for the 9am parkrun — run, jog or walk the 5km course. It is free, timed, and full of people who were exactly where you are.[leicester.gov]
During the week: Download the Active Together app or visit their website and find a free activity near you — walking, swimming, yoga or group exercise.[active-together]
At home: Start with two short strength sessions per week. Squats, lunges, and press-ups using body weight are enough to begin building the muscle that will serve you for decades.[puregym]
On a clear weekend: Drive to Newtown Linford and walk Bradgate Park. Take in the deer, the ancient ruins of Lady Jane Grey's childhood home, and the kind of fresh air that puts everything back in perspective.[active-together]
Leicestershire, for all its quiet modesty, is an exceptional place to be a person who wants to move their body and feel better for it. The landscape is extraordinary, the community is warm, and in 2026 the science is finally, properly on our side.
The trainers are coming out of the cupboard. You might want to find yours too.
Jill Brook writes about health, life and modern living from Leicestershire.
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