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
We ran 80 miles in the Brooks Ghost 16, and it’s the best version of the shoe in years
By Nick Harris-fry, Jessica Downey published
The Brooks Ghost 16 is the best version of the shoe in years thanks to the new midsole foam, which makes the shoe lighter and improves the ride.
You only need 5 moves and a pair of dumbbells to develop muscle in your back and biceps
By Jessica Downey published
You don't need much equipment to sculpt your back and biceps, in fact, you just need some dumbbells and these five exercises.
Forget the gym — you just need 1 resistance band and 20 minutes to develop full body strength
By Jessica Downey published
With just one workout band and 20 minutes you can develop strength and tone muscle all over. Here's how.
I ran 50 miles in the Saucony Guide 17 and it's now my staple running shoe
By Jessica Downey published
The Saucony Guide 17 is a comfortable and supportive running shoe for easy miles and has enough cushioning for longer runs too.
Is walking backward good for you? We asked an expert
By Jessica Downey published
Walking backward as a workout may sound a little silly but it turns out it has many benefits for your health and fitness. So we spoke to an expert for a full run-down on reverse walking.
Ditch the gym — you just need 20 minutes and 1 pair of dumbbells to define your core and develop full body strength
By Jessica Downey published
20 minutes of dumbbell exercise that targets muscles all over, torches the core and boosts your metabolism.
Forget push-ups — this 5 move dumbbell workout builds your chest and a strong upper body
By Jessica Downey last updated
You just need to pick up a pair of dumbbells and get ready to train your chest and upper body with these five exercises.
This 6 move workout strengthens the core, builds muscle and helps to lower hormonal stress
By Jessica Downey published
Work on your core strength, build muscle all over and manage hormonal stress with this six move barre workout.
You only need 8 moves to strengthen your core, build strength all over and boost your metabolism without weights
By Jessica Downey published
You don’t need any equipment for this workout, just yourself and eight exercises to build a stronger core, develop strength all over and increase your metabolism.
You don’t need the gym to build a stronger core — just 15 minutes and these 5 dumbbell exercises
By Jessica Downey published
Challenge your core, work on your balance and improve your posture with just one dumbbell and 15 minutes.
I ditched running for this low intensity 10-minute workout — here’s what happened to my mind and body
By Jessica Downey published
This no-equipment workout is a perfect way to work on your mobility, strengthen your core and relieve stress.
Strava's new Family Plan membership will launch this year — what does it include and is it worth it?
By Jessica Downey published
With Strava set to roll out a Family Plan subscription option later this year, is it worth upgrading your account? Here’s the pros and cons.
Forget sit-ups — this 4-move kettlebell workout builds a stronger core and increases full-body strength
By Jessica Downey published
Pick up your kettlebell and get ready to torch your core and develop strength all over.
You don't need the gym to build stronger back and biceps — use this 7-move dumbbell workout instead
By Jessica Downey last updated
Training your back and biceps will enhance your upper-body muscle and help improve your posture. Here's how to strengthen them with just a pair of dumbbells.
You don’t need weights to strengthen your triceps — use this 9-move resistance band workout instead
By Jessica Downey published
Forget the gym and fancy equipment and give this banded tricep workout a go for your next upper body session.
I tried this 6 move dumbbell-only workout to blast my upper body — here’s what happened
By Jessica Downey published
This dumbbell-only workout was the ideal way to train my upper body when all other equipment was in use at the gym
Ditch the sit-ups — this 4-move bodyweight workout builds your core and improves posture at the same time
By Jessica Downey published
This workout requires no equipment and just four moves to strengthen your core muscles and boost your balance.
Forget weights — this 20-minute bodyweight workout builds full-body strength and it’s a great mood booster
By Jessica Downey published
This 20 minute workout is a great way to give your metabolism a boost, build strength and it requires no equipment. Why not take it outside for a mood boosting bout of movement?
Garmin's energy gel reminders have changed the way I fuel for long runs — here's how to set them up
By Jessica Downey last updated
Avoid hitting the wall on your long runs by taking advantage of this nifty little Garmin watch setting. Here's how to set up gel alerts on your Garmin watch.
Forget pull-ups — build upper-body strength with a set of dumbbells and these 8 moves
By Jessica Downey last updated
This is a dumbbell only workout and is designed to strengthen and define your upper body muscles using just eight exercises.
I ditched my old water bottle for the Lululemon Back to Life Sport Bottle — here's why I'm not going back
By Jessica Downey last updated
I started using the Lululemon Back to Life Sport Bottle two months ago and now I don't go anywhere without it. Here's why it's taken over Chilly's water bottles for me now.
Use these 4 muscle-building exercises to improve your running and strengthen your glutes
By Jessica Downey last updated
Building stronger glutes is a great way to increase your running power. Use these four glute building moves to become a better runner
You don’t need sit-ups to build a stronger core — just use this 5 minute bodyweight workout instead
By Jessica Downey published
Spare five minutes and take on this short but challenging ab routine to strengthen and tone your core.
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