
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

No, not pull-ups — this 7-move dumbbell routine builds your entire upper body
By Jessica Downey published
Pick up your dumbbells and learn these seven moves if you want to develop upper body muscle.

Huge Dick’s Sporting Goods sale — 17 Black Friday deals from Asics, The North Face and Crocs starting from $11
By Jessica Downey last updated
Dick's Sporting Goods has slashed the prices of various fitness and outwear apparel — some deals are more than half price off!

Nike Black Friday fitness deals — 25 deals on gym wear, running gear and more from just $13
By Jessica Downey last updated
The Nike Black Friday sale is here early and includes unmissable savings on gym wear, running kit, yoga apparel and more.

How to adjust your Strava privacy settings
By Jessica Downey published
Strava is one of the best apps out there for connecting runners — here's our advice on how to stay safe on the app.

Forget pull-ups — you only need 5 moves and a pair of dumbbells to build upper body strength and improve your posture
By Jessica Downey published
Here's a 5-move workout that'll build your upper body without a pull-up bar in sight.

Act fast! Get the Oura Ring 3 for $100 off in this early Black Friday deal
By Jessica Downey published
The Oura Ring 3 won’t be around for long with the new Oura Ring 4 now out, but it offers the same new features and has $100 off right now.

No, not planks! Use this 5-minute standing ab workout to build core strength and improve your posture instead
By Jessica Downey published
No planks, no weights, just you, your bodyweight and five minutes to build a stronger core.

What is the 6-12-25 method and is it good for building muscle?
By Jessica Downey last updated
What is the 6-12-25 method and how can you use it to boost your muscle growth? We spoke to a strength trainer at Nike for the answers.

You only need 2 dumbbells and 30 minutes to develop full-body muscle and build a stronger core
By Jessica Downey published
This half-hour routine targets major muscle groups all over the body, and will help to build and tone muscle.

Garmin Lily 2 Active review: a substantial update to Garmin’s most stylish smartwatch
By Jessica Downey published
The Garmin Lily 2 Active marks a substantial update to its predecessor now featuring built-in GPS, more sport tracking features, and new buttons.

Scrap the gym — this dumbbell only workout builds lower body strength with just 6 moves
By Jessica Downey published
Sculpt your glutes and strengthen your lower body with some dumbbells and Kayla Itsines' six move routine.

Forget planks — this 5-move workout sculpts your core in only 12 minutes
By Jessica Downey last updated
This plank workout will help build, tone and strengthen your core and abs without any equipment — here's how.

How to increase the battery life on your smartwatch
By Jessica Downey published
Your smartwatch is of no use to you when it’s on charge so here are 7 things you can do to preserve your smartwatch’s battery life better.

No, not pull-ups — you just need 2 dumbbells and 10 minutes to strengthen your shoulders
By Jessica Downey published
Spare 10 minutes, grab a set of dumbbells and start strengthening your shoulders with these seven moves.

You only need 2 dumbbells and 6 moves to build full-body muscle and boost your metabolism
By Jessica Downey published
This short routine is designed to work muscles all over your body, engage your core, and raise your heart rate to boost your metabolism with just a pair of weights.

No, not the gym — you can build core strength and sculpt your abs with just your bodyweight and these 4 moves
By Jessica Downey published
Follow trainer Lisa Lanceford's four move bodyweight routine to build s stronger core and sculpt your abs.

My Garmin watch alerted me to a heart issue I didn’t know I had — here’s how
By Jessica Downey published
I found out I had an irregular heart beat thanks to my Garmin watch — here’s what happened.

I ran a marathon with the Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction headphones — and they're 31% off right now for Prime Day
By Jessica Downey published
I couldn't have picked a better pair of headphones to wear for my marathon this year and right now they are $55 in the Amazon Prime sale event!

These are the 7 yoga mats and accessories I recommend for beginners this Prime Day
By Jessica Downey published
We've rounded up the yoga equipment you'll need to take up yoga and thanks to Prime Day you can shop some for less!

Amazon October Prime Day Croc deals — 15 deals you can get right now from $17
By Jessica Downey last updated
Prime Day ends today but you still have time to pick up a new pair of comfortable, customizable shoes with the Prime Day Crocs deals.

Run, don’t walk! One of our favorite carbon fiber running shoes is 47% off for October Prime Day
By Jessica Downey published
The Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 running shoe is marked down to $120 in the October Prime Day deals. Here's how you can scoop up this deal before it's too late!

We ran 55 miles in the Brooks Glycerin Max and it’s a shoe that delivers both comfort and energy return
By Jessica Downey, Nick Harris-fry published
The Brooks Glycerin Max features Brooks's highest stack height to date. Here’s what happened when we put the Glycerin Max to the test.

You don’t need the gym to build muscle all over and strengthen your core — try this 30-minute full-body dumbbell workout instead
By Jessica Downey published
Build and sculpt muscle across your entire body and tighten your core with this 30-minute trainer led dumbbell routine.
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