'It's a miracle': at 53, Gabby Logan says this is 'the one piece of fitness equipment you need' - and it's only £5.99

She presents Match Of The Day, has two podcasts (The Sports Agents, with fellow broadcaster Mark Chapman, and her own, The Mid Point) and used to be an international gymnast. She’s also married to a rugby legend and mother to two promising athletes. So, it’s safe to say two things about Gabby Logan: 1) she’s extremely busy and 2) she knows a whole lot more than most about fitness.

So, what does she recommend as a realistic, sustainable form of exercise for busy women? ‘The other day, I was in Salford and I'd booked to do a class, but then I realised I’d forgotten my trainers,’ she says. ‘So, instead, I just got down on the floor in my hotel room and did a Pilates session, with nothing – not even a band. You can do a mat Pilates class on your bedroom floor with no equipment at all, and you can give yourself a proper ache and burn in your muscles.’

Logan, who is an ambassador for Menopace – a range of supplements designed to provide extra support during the menopause – points out that Pilates is particularly beneficial from perimenopause onwards.

‘For a start, it’s great for bone health,’ she says. Your body’s production of oestrogen slows as you enter the menopause. That’s a problem because the hormone helps to regulate bone remodelling by keeping bone-resorbing cells (osteoclasts) in check, while promoting the activity of bone-building cells (osteoblasts). As a result, women can lose up to 10% of bone density in the first five years. The good news is that the load-bearing resistance involved in Pilates exercises can help you maintain your bone strength.

Dropping oestrogen levels can also weaken the pelvic floor and make ligaments and tendons more vulnerable to injury. Pilates can counter these symptoms, too, as it targets your deep core and improves flexibility and balance.

As Gabby says, you don’t even need any equipment to practise it, but a Pilates resistance band can deepen the impact of your workouts, because, in forcing your muscles to work against the stretchy material, it helps you build even more strength, deepens your stretches and ultimately improves your core stability. ‘A band is the cheapest, easiest piece of equipment you could buy,’ she explains. ‘It takes up no space, either – you can literally roll it up and put it in your purse. So, that’s the one piece of equipment I’d say you should invest in.’

In fact, when the GHI tested resistance bands, one of their top picks cost just £5.99. ‘Pilates really is a bit of a miracle,’ says the GHI’s resident fitness expert Kim Hawley. ‘It's fundamentally a low-impact exercise system focused on strengthening the core, improving flexibility and enhancing overall body alignment, and it supports many of the foundations of healthy movement and ageing,’ she says. ‘Combined with regular strength training, cardiovascular exercise, quality sleep and a balanced diet, it can form part of a well-rounded approach to health.’

Here are three simple essential Pilates moves that Kim recommends to get started:

The hundred (simple version)

How to:

1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees, positioning them over your hips, rather than your ribcage.
2. Lift your head and shoulders slightly, keeping a nice long neck – you should be able to fit your fist under your chin
3. Stretch your arms out by your sides.
4. Pump your arms quickly up and down, while keeping your rib cage down and belly button drawn towards your spine.
5. Inhale for 5 pumps, exhale for 5 pumps.

Aim for 50 to 100 pumps total.

Glute bridges

How to:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
2. Press through your heels.
3. Squeezing your butt muscles, lift your hips slowly until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to knees.
4. Hold for 5 seconds.
5. Lower down with control.

Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Single leg stretches

How to:

1. Lie on your back and bring both knees into your chest.
2. Lift your head and shoulders slightly, pressing the ribs down and belly button in.
3. Extend the right leg out at a 45° angle whilst holding the left knee.
4. Switch legs smoothly, extending the left and holding the right, remembering to breathe and hold your core.

Repeat for 10 to 20 slow switches.