Jessica Downey
Jessica has been a fitness writer at Tom’s Guide since 2023, bringing three years of experience writing about health, fitness, and the great outdoors. Her passion for exercise began during her childhood, where she spent weekends hiking and competing in local athletics club events. After earning a master’s degree in journalism from Cardiff University, Jessica found the perfect way to combine her love of storytelling and fitness into a career.
Jessica is passionate about testing fitness gear and tech, using her reviews to help readers make informed buying decisions. She ran her first marathon in April 2024, finishing it in 3 hours and 48 minutes. Through her training, she’s developed a deep understanding of what it takes to grow as a runner, from effective workouts and recovery techniques to selecting the right gear for every challenge.
When she’s not at her desk, Jessica enjoys spending time in the kitchen crafting new recipes, braving cold water swims and hiking.
Latest articles by Jessica Downey
Forget sit-ups — try this 5-move workout to sculpt your core
By Jessica Downey last updated
Tone, strengthen and challenge your core with this five-move no equipment workout.
You don't need the gym to build stronger shoulders, just a pair of light dumbbells and these 7 upper-body moves
By Jessica Downey published
Find some light dumbbells and get ready to sculpt and strengthen your upper body with seven Barre inspired exercises.
Forget weights — you only need 10 minutes and this 7-move workout to build full-body strength and muscle
By Jessica Downey published
This short strength-building workout targets the upper and lower body as well as the core muscles, helping to sculpt muscle all over.
Plank exercise: This is how long you should hold a plank for
By Jane McGuire last updated
How long do you need to hold a plank exercise to see results? It's not as long as you think.
Ditch the weights — this 8-move no jumping workout builds strength and boosts the metabolism without any equipment
By Jessica Downey published
No jumping, just eight bodyweight exercises to help you build strength and tone all over.
Strength coach shares a 6-move workout to sculpt your core — and all you need is 1 kettlebell
By Jessica Downey published
Sculpt your core muscle with a six-move kettlebell routine from strength coach, Teddy Savage.
Russian twist: how to do it, and the benefits for your core
By Jane McGuire, Sam Hopes last updated
How to do a Russian twist, the benefits of Russian twists, and the best modifications to try.
The comfiest Lululemon leggings I’ve ever tested are now less than $100 ahead of Prime Day
By Jessica Downey published
The popular Lululemon Align leggings are available to buy for just $84 in this early Amazon Prime Day deal.
Ditch sit-ups — you just need a resistance band and these 5 exercises to build a stronger core
By Jessica Downey published
Work your abs and core muscles, improve your posture and boost your stability with this five-move resistance band routine from fitness trainer Cindy Yu.
I tried this 10-minute stretching routine to boost my mobility and relieve tension — here's what happened
By Jessica Downey published
Just grab a mat and get moving into these 5 mobility-enhancing exercises.
Somatic exercise coach shares 3 stretches to boost your mind-body connection and release tension
By Jessica Downey published
We asked a somatic exercise coach to explain the mindful movement practice, the benefits of slower stretches, and how you can get started right now, no equipment required.
Forget sit-ups — this kettlebell workout sculpts your core in just 6 moves
By Jessica Downey last updated
The kettlebell is a great tool for strengthening the core muscles, and we've got a six-move kettlebell workout for you to try.
I tried the CAROL Bike's AI-powered workouts — here's what happened
By Jessica Downey published
10 minutes to boost your fitness, but at what cost?
7 essential running form tips you need to know, according to an expert run coach
By Jessica Downey published
Physiotherapist and Nike run coach Emmanuel Ovola shares 7 running form tips that will help prevent injury and increase your running efficiency.
I added this 5-minute hip mobility routine to the end of my workout— here’s what happened
By Jessica Downey last updated
I tried this five move mobility routine to loosen my hip joints and was surprised at how much better my body felt afterward. Here's what went down.
You don't need weights to build full-body muscle — just this 30-minute bodyweight workout
By Jessica Downey last updated
This workout relies solely on your body weight to strengthen muscle all over, engage the core and improve balance.
I tried the Daisy Keech hourglass workout with 10 million views — here's what happened
By Jane McGuire last updated
I tried the Daisy Keech hourglass workout, one of the most viewed YouTube ab workouts - here's what happened.
Forget planks — this dumbbell workout tones and strengthens core muscle in just 15 minutes
By Jessica Downey published
This dumbbell core workout will have your abs burning but it's only 15 minutes of exercise and a great way to build strength and definition in your midsection.
8 tips for running in the heat you need to know
By Jessica Downey published
The body has to work harder when you run in the heat — here's how to make hot weather running more enjoyable and safe.
Ditch the squat rack — this 4-move workout builds strength and sculpts lower body muscle with just a pair of dumbbells
By Jessica Downey published
This dumbbell only workout is an effective and efficient way to sculpt and build muscle in your lower body. Get ready to feel the burn in your quads, glutes and hammies.
I ditched weight training for a Reformer Pilates class — here's what happened
By Jessica Downey published
Our fitness writer wanted a break from the weights section of her gym. Here's what happened when she attended a reformer Pilates class instead.
Orbea Diem E-bike review: A robust urban e-bike packed with useful features
By Jessica Downey published
We tested the Orbea Diem 30 in Dusseldorf and London to see how it performs as an urban commuting e-bike. Here's our verdict.
Forget pull-ups — 6 dumbbell exercises to build a strong and muscular upper body like Bridgerton’s Colin Bridgerton
By Jessica Downey published
5 exercises to sculpt and shape upper body muscles like Colin Bridgerton using a set of dumbbells.
Forget running — this 15-minute walking workout is low-impact and will boost your metabolism
By Jessica Downey published
This is a 15-minute, low-impact, high-intensity routine designed to up your daily step count, improve your cardio fitness and boost your metabolism.
You only need 10 minutes to build a stronger core and improve your posture with this 5-move abs workout
By Jessica Downey last updated
Ab exercise will help to tone and tighten your midsection but it's also effective at building important core strength and improving posture. Here's a 10-minute workout to begin with.
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