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Not to be dramatic, but I’ve recently had the best sleep of my life – with thanks to the Simba Hybrid Duvet.

I’ve had my current duvet for quite some time, and am relatively attached to it, but when it came to keeping warm or cooling down – it never quite performed as well as I’d want.

After all, British summers are a bit like our public transport: unpredictable, occasionally unbearable, and guaranteed to leave you sweaty and confused. Thankfully, the Simba Summer Hybrid® Duvet, your new best friend for those sticky, sleepless nights – especially with another heat wave on the way.

Simba Hybrid Duvet

The Simba Hybrid Duvet combines a soft, down-like feel with breathable Simba Renew Bio™ fibres for lightweight warmth and year-round comfort. Its Stratos® Cool-Touch Technology and breathable cotton cover help regulate temperature, making it ideal for hot sleepers. The square-stitched design prevents clumping, and it’s machine washable for easy care. Plus, it comes with a free, reusable storage bag for added convenience.

Buy Now from £139

Now, I know what you’re thinking – ‘It’s just a duvet’, but oh no, this isn’t just any duvet.

This is a 10.5 Tog, Stratos® Cool-Touch Technology-infused, eco-conscious marvel that practically whispers ‘sweet dreams’ as I drift off.

Crafted with a breathable Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) approved cotton cover and filled with Simba Renew Bio™ fibres (made from recycled PET bottles, and engineered to biodegrade in just two years), this duvet is as kind to the planet as it is to your sleep schedule.

What I love most is it’s lightweight, machine washable, quick-drying, and stitched in neat squares to prevent that dreaded clumping – no one wants to wake up in the middle of the night tangled in a lumpy duvet that’s migrated to one…

As for the feel? Imagine sleeping under a cloud that’s been engineered by NASA and fluffed by angels. I’m not kidding you, it’s really that good. Whether you’re a hot sleeper, a duvet-kicker, or someone who just wants to feel like they’ve got their life together (even if it’s just in bed), this one’s for you.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so – over 16,000 people have rated and raved about the Simba Hybrid™ Duvet, and an average rating of 4.8/5 stars too.

Doreen B recently said: ‘The Simba duvet screams luxury. It makes my bed look so luxurious. It keeps me comfortable and cool in the warm weather and cosy in the cold. Very good quality and easy to flick when making the bed.’

Lynne M also mentioned: ‘Usually have a 15 tog and this is equivalent to a 10. 5 tog and we have felt the correct temperature every night. It feels rich and well made. Love it.’

‘No regrets,’ added Samantha M, who followed with: ‘Such a dream! It envelopes me like a weighted blanket and the temperature control is perfect! Warm and cosy!’

Another five star reviewer, Natasha T also typed: ‘I couldn’t be happier with this duvet! It’s incredibly soft, perfectly weighted, and keeps me at just the right temperature all night—warm and cozy without ever feeling too hot. The quality is exceptional, with a luxurious feel that rivals high-end hotel bedding. It fluffs up beautifully and fits perfectly in the cover without shifting around. I’ve never slept better.

If you’re looking to upgrade your sleep experience, this duvet is an absolute must-have. So, if you’re ready to stop tossing, turning, and sticking one leg out in a desperate bid for cool air, the Simba Hybrid Duvet might just be the best investment you make this summer.

One ticket to snooze-ville, please.

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Been looking to swap out your morning coffee for something a better for you but still designed to give you that kick you need?

So was I, which is why this product from Spacegoods didn’t just catch my eye, but secured a permanent spot in my morning routine, too.

So much more than an electrolyte drink, Spacegoods Hydro Dust is a premium, science-backed hydration supplement designed to help you feel more energised, focused, and resilient each day – and users are calling it their new ‘go-to’.

Intrigued? You can score 20% off your first Spacegoods order with code METRO20, making your next hydration boost even more affordable.

Spacegoods Hydro Dust – Starter Kit

Whether you’re upgrading your morning brew or after a tasty and effective pre-workout drink, Spacegoods Hydro Dust is the good-for-you, super ingredient-packed solution you need to try.

shop £31.20 (save £7.80)

Whether you’re upgrading your morning brew or after a tasty and effective pre-workout drink, Spacegoods Hydro Dust is the good-for-you, super ingredient-packed solution you need to try.

Fuelled by electrolytes, B vitamin complex and minerals, as well as ever-popular Reishi mushrooms, Hydro Dust works to reduce fatigue, support hydration and electrolyte balance, and boost muscle function and energy – making it the perfect morning drink or energy booster when you need a kick.

We’re thinking post-workout, we’re thinking pre-workout, we’re thinking mid-afternoon slump… the possibilities are endless.

‘I’ve been using Spacegoods Hydro Dust for a couple of weeks now and I’m genuinely impressed. I wanted something to help with hydration and energy without the usual sugar overload—and this ticks all the boxes.’ Raved one five-star reviewer.

‘If you’re after something to keep you sharp and hydrated without the crash, this is definitely worth trying. I’ll be grabbing another tub when this one runs out.’

Flavoured with tasty watermelon dust, the unique drink features Himalayan Pink Salt, Potassium, Chloride and Magnesium to help contribute to electrolyte balance while supporting hydration and preventing muscle cramps – just another reason why it’s an ideal choice for pre and post-workout.

Better still, Hydro Dust contains Vitamin C and Zinc to support immune function (great for keeping colds at bay), B1,3 and 6 to support energy metabolism and cognitive function and Reishi, which has been shown to support endurance, stress resilience and help protect against oxidative stress.

The result is a delicious drink that keeps your hydrated, switched on, energised and less stressed. And I can attest to that as I put Hydro Dust to the test myself.

Keen to reduce my caffeine intake, I’ve been on the hunt for things that’ll give me that same needed boost in the mornings and before my workouts without the stomach sensitivity and brain fog that often comes alongside my long black.

After trying Spacegood’s Rainbow Dust drink and loving it (the chocolate one is like a hug in a mug), I decided to give the Hydro Dust a go. Safe to say I wasn’t disappointed.

As simple as stirring a teaspoon of powder into a glass of water, Hydro Dust has helped me kick the caffeine without sacrificing on energy levels, and I’ve found myself feeling more focused and switched on after my daily watermelon drink, too.

While I love it for helping me stay focused at work (tired gals, unite), I appreciate it most as a pre-workout drink, giving me a boost of salt and hydration before a big sweat while giving me a new wind to tackle my workout, too.

Thanks to the inclusion of Reishi Mushroom, a buzzword adaptogen, Hydro Dust helps to support resilience, too, ideal for helping the body adapt to stress and support a calm, focused state. Even on my busiest days this has been a huge help.

In fact, I couldn’t put the benefits better than this five-star reviewer, who wrote: ‘It does seem to give a bit of a lift. Nothing jittery or intense, just a subtle feeling of being more switched on and energised.’

And for that boosted feeling alone, I have to rate Hydro Dust a 5/5.

Ready to try Spacegoods for yourself? Take 20 per cent off your first order with code METRO20. 

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A bride has shared the reason her marriage didn’t even last until the wedding reception as her new groom vanished after the vows in a shocking twist

Men and women are developing skin cancer on different parts of their bodies — and our clothing (or lack of it) is to blame. 

Blokes across the country might be tempted to ditch their tops at the first sign of sunshine, but 40% of melanomas in men are diagnosed on the torso, according to the latest data, equivalent to around 3,700 cases every year.

In women, the most common location is the lower limbs (from the hips to the feet), equating to around 3,200 cases every year (35% of all cases). The reason? Our love of skirts and shorts, without applying adequate sun cream.

The findings, from Cancer Research UK, come alongside projections that melanoma skin cancer will rise again this year to 21,300 cases across the UK – the highest on record.

Some 87% of melanoma cases – around 17,100 in the UK each year – are caused by over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which comes from the sun and using sunbeds.

The analysis looked at data from 2018 to 2021, and found the second most common place for men to develop skin cancer is head and neck (24%), arms and shoulders (20%), and lower limbs, including hips (13%).

For women, arms and shoulders come in second, accounting for 27% of cases, while the torso was 22% and head and neck 13%.

Alongside clothing, surface area could also be playing a role, because men’s torsos are typically bigger than women’s, while women’s legs take up a larger proportion of their body surface area.

Since the early 1990s, melanoma skin cancer incidence rates have increased by two-and-a-half times in the UK. Rates in women have around doubled, while they have tripled in men. By 2040, there could be around 26,500 new cases every year.

How to reduce your risk of skin cancer

‘Getting sunburnt just once every couple of years can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer, compared to never being burnt’, says Fiona Osgun, head of health information at Cancer Research UK.

To reduce your risk, you need to be sun safe all year round – not just on holiday or the occasional heatwave.

‘UV rays can be strong enough to cause skin damage between mid-March and mid-October in the UK, even when it’s cloudy or cool,’ Fiona adds.

‘Try to stick to the shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun is strongest, wear clothes that help cover up your skin, with a hat and sunglasses, and use a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 stars.

‘The key is to apply it generously – and remember to top it up regularly, especially if you’re sweating or in water.’

In March last year, 68-year-old Ronnie Haston was making plans to retire when he started feeling constipated.

The fit and active business owner had no underlying health conditions, so his GP ordered blood tests and prescribed laxatives to ease his digestion.

But when the symptoms didn’t let up – and he started experiencing muscle pain and fatigue – Ronnie’s wife, Anne, took him to A&E.

There, he was diagnosed with myeloma, a form of blood cancer affecting around 33,000 people across the UK.

And two weeks after being admitted to hospital, he was dead.

‘It was a complete shock to us all,’ said his devastated stepdaughter, Beth Hunt, 42. ‘He didn’t get to enjoy one day of retirement with my mum or do any of the future they had planned together.’

The nurse, from East Calder, recalled that in the weeks before his scheduled blood tests, Ronnie ‘just didn’t look right’.

When her mum insisted on a visit to A&E, tests showed his kidney function had plummeted to just 14%, and he had extremely high calcium levels.

Doctors drew up a treatment plan, telling Ronnie’s family he could be a good candidate for a stem cell transplant.

However, Beth said: ‘He ended up having two lots of chemo while very unwell with pneumonia and then two days later he died.

‘He pretty much went into multi-organ failure. It’s shocking, completely shocking.’

Although she doesn’t blame any of the medical professionals who treated Ronnie, she feels ‘the system’ – which caused long waits and a ‘catalogue of errors’ – is at fault for what happened to him.

‘We kept saying, “He needs a blood test”, but he couldn’t get a blood test for two weeks,’ she said. ‘In this day and age how is that acceptable? If somebody is unwell, you need the blood test now. Even in hospital, it was all too little too late.’

Beth believes GPs should receive additional education on the symptoms of myeloma, which can be ‘non-descript and not obvious.’

She explained: ‘You could put them down to muscle ache and being tired, but these should be red flags for a GP, especially in someone with no underlying conditions and having never been to a GP apart from with cellulitis from mosquito bites.

‘If Ronnie hadn’t been so unwell by the time he got into hospital, he would have been in a better position to fight it.”

On the night of her beloved stepfather’s funeral, the mum-of-two signed up to run the Edinburgh Marathon in his honour.

‘When I ran a 10-mile eight years ago, mum and Ronnie were my biggest supporters,’ said Beth. ‘They ran across Edinburgh to meet me at as many points as they could.’

While it’s her first ever marathon, she’s spurred on by thinking of Ronnie and her mum.

‘The last year without him has been awful for her,’ she added. ‘If she can wake up without him and can put one foot in front of the other, then I can take it one step at a time too.’

So far, she has raised over £2,900 for Myeloma UK, which she hopes will help prevent other families from going through what she did.

‘I’d had Ronnie in my life since I was 19,’ Beth said ‘You don’t realise the impact someone had until you lose them.’

She added: ‘He was a gentle man. He was always someone you could lean on. He’d never judge, he’d always support you and just show up.

‘Life will never be the same without him. It is so cliché, but the reality is, life is short and so precious.’

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Lip stains are having a real moment right now – from long lasting lip liner looks to kiss-proof tints that last all day. But when you think of the OG lip tint you can only think of Benefit.

The brand’s original, flagship product back in 1976, Benefit Benetint is a classic for a reason, with one sold every 11 seconds and three million sold in 2024 alone.

And now, social media’s favourite lip and cheek stain is officially available in two brand new shades: Dark Cherry and Raspberry, and like the original, they’re set to bring that perfect, natural-looking flush of colour that lasts.

Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain 6ml – Dark Cherry

Sheer and non-drying, the versatile tint easily swipes onto the lips to deliver a gorgeous flush of colour that lasts all day long – whether you opt for original Rose, juicy raspberry or sultry Dark Cherry.

shop £22.50

Bouncing from viral moment to viral moment, Benefit’s Benetint is the perfect purse-friendly beauty essential for achieving naturally flushed, pinched cheeks and lips with just a few dots.

Sheer and non-drying, the versatile tint easily swipes onto the lips to deliver a gorgeous flush of colour that lasts all day long – whether you opt for original Rose, juicy Raspberry or sultry Dark Cherry.

Totally transfer-proof and smudge-proof, the buildable formula leaves a sweet tint on the lips that can be intensified to your perfect hue with additional layers, helping you keep that perfect pout all day long without the need for lippy top-ups.

And its not just for the lips, either. By popping a few dots of Benetint onto the cheeks and quickly blending out with your fingers, you’ll have a stunning, just-pinched flush of blush that lasts all day, ideal for those minimal makeup looks.

For the classic Benetint look, original Rose is the shade you’ll want to opt for. Boasting a hearty, rosy pink hue, this shade is the brand’s best-selling stain for good reason, leaving a universally stunning flush you’re sure to love.

After something a pinker? New Raspberry is a juicy dark magenta hue that’s gorgeous on both the lips and the cheeks, perfect for an eye-catching look.

And if you’ve been loving the cherry-toned looks taking the beauty world by storm then you’ll love new Dark Cherry and its deep berry tones that’ll look stunning on any skin tone.

Shoppers, unsurprisingly, can’t stop raving about how much they love Benetint, calling it the ‘perfect’ lip product and raving of its easy-to-use formula.

‘I absolutely love this tint,’ raved one five-star reviewer. ‘It smells wonderful and you can blend it to your preference. Very good pigment. Looks great on lips and cheeks. Definitely would buy this when I run out.’

Another added: ‘I got the colour shade Raspberry and it’s amazing. The texture is more like water and light. It is easy to apply with the brush. It gives a nice colour to the lips without drying or making it oily.’

‘This shade is so beautiful, and I feel so confident with it on. It is extremely easy to apply, as the lip tint itself has a very watery consistency. The packaging is so cute and compact, and I love how much product there is.’ Wrote a third.

Ready to find your perfect tint? Shop the brand-new Benefit Benetint shades today and join the millions of shoppers who can’t get enough of it.

Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain 6ml – Raspberry

Raspberry is a juicy dark magenta hue that’s gorgeous on both the lips and the cheeks, perfect for an eye-catching look.

shop £22.50

Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain 6ml – Rose

For the classic Benetint look, original Rose is the shade you’ll want to opt for. Boasting a hearty, rosy pink hue, this shade is the brand’s best-selling stain for good reason, leaving a universally stunning flush you’re sure to love.

shop £22.50

Dark Cherry is our personal fav, just saying.

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I briefly woke up from a coma in the ICU and heard two nurses discussing something about the World Trade Centre and a plane.

Then everything went hazy and I passed out again.  

When I finally woke up, I was told I was at Central Middlesex Hospital and I’d missed one of the biggest moments in recent history – because I almost died. 

Nine days earlier, on September 2, 2001, I’d put on the first ever gig by British rock band The Darkness at the club night I used to run in Kings Cross. I’d organised it as I knew their guitarist Dan Hawkins – I was simply putting my mate’s new band on as a favour.

I was driving home to Staines in my 1968 Morris Minor when, at 4:44am, my mate James and I were hit head-on at 99mph by teen joyriders being chased by police.

I was in a coma for two weeks. 

Luckily for us, not only were the police already there, there was a fire station nearby and we were cut out of the car in four minutes. I was told by doctors that if they hadn’t been so quick, we would have died.

We were literally bleeding to death in a car that resembled a crushed bean can.

We were rushed to hospital and both put on life support. We had broken almost every bone and both had serious head injuries.

Initially, they thought they might have to amputate my right arm and right leg, but luckily I got to keep both. 

It’s a miracle we survived. In fact, my wife Helen was told to prepare for the worst – but James and I pulled through. 

We were both in hospital for six months and I had more than 80 hours of operations. The first to save my leg took eight hours.   

Even The Darkness came in and visited me in hospital but I can’t remember it – I wish I could, but I’ve got huge amounts of amnesia both before and after the crash. I do have a vivid memory of screaming in pain during my first physio though.

I don’t get any flashbacks. My brain saved me from PTSD by immediately erasing the crash, my rescue, and being in the ICU. 

My wife and brother went through it, not me. They still have nightmares to this day.

I was out of action for a year and was lucky not just to have support from family and friends, but The Musicians’ Union too. I was signed to Sony as a solo artist at the time, having created and written the songs for Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s band theaudience in 1996.  

As I was incapable of playing any instruments, I couldn’t earn a living and the Musician’s Union gave me essential financial support, since it took years for compensation from the accident to come through. 

But my career took a new turn. 

Once my injuries had healed enough, a friend of mine, BBC Radio London’s Gary Crowley, invited me to go onto his show to talk about the latest music releases. I’d done stuff like that before as a guest on shows and I really enjoyed it.  

Gary said I was a natural and encouraged me to do a post-grad degree in Broadcast Journalism, which I did in 2004 at the University of Westminster. After that, I got a job producing music programmes at the station. I’m now the station’s travel presenter and Brentford FC commentator and I love my job.

But I remain a musician at heart.  

So it was serendipitous that during a clear-out in the Covid lockdowns, my family found The Box – a gruesome keepsake of the night of the crash, containing photos, police statements, and court reports – and asked if I’d like to see it.  

It was the first time I cried over the whole event.  

I’ve still not seen the photos of my beautiful car, crumpled to nothing, and I don’t want to – everything else inside the box was bad enough. But among the paperwork, there were two blood-splattered mini-discs that had been in the car.    

One wouldn’t play, but the other was full of demo songs with me singing. I had no idea where I’d recorded or what they were about, bar vaguely being about love and capitalism.  

Then last year, my old friend Nigel Butler, who’s now a top record producer, agreed to work on them. I was chuffed since he’s worked with everyone, from One Direction to Aerosmith.

He isolated my vocals and turned it into a solo album called ‘When Lord God Almighty Reads The News’, which is out on green vinyl on June 6, the day before my 60th birthday. 

I’m in esteemed company. Scottish indie label Last Night From Glasgow, who just released an LP by Peter Capaldi, are putting it out. 

So far, the singles have had lots of play on BBC 6 Music but it’s strange to hear yourself, from the past, singing songs you don’t remember writing. People are often filling in the gaps for me before and after the crash, as I don’t remember much of 2001 at all.  

After all, memory is a shared experience and songwriting is a precious part of that – these songs are almost a time capsule from that year.   

But I’m so proud of this record.  

It’s proof good things can come out of the worst situations and that you’ve got to cherish life.  

These songs and I both survived that crash – I know I’m lucky to be alive. So I absolutely cherish every moment. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

A wedding coordinator has shared how changing your wedding date by a few days could knock thousands off the bill

Tesco has become the latest supermarket to install cameras on self-service checkouts, with one major difference, you can watch yourself back. 

The new VAR-style tills record shoppers as they scan their items, then playback video clips where you’ve failed to scan an item properly. 

Any shoppers trying to sneak past products or even a 25p bag at the tills will receive a warning, stating: ‘It looks like that last item didn’t scan. Please check you scanned it correctly before continuing.’

Tesco has not confirmed when the feature was added to the tills, but it joins a number of supermarkets cracking down on shoplifters, including Sainsbury’s, who introduced the technology to its stores earlier this month. 

Supermarket bosses believe thieves who can see their illegal actions have been caught are far more likely to pay for them, but customers haven’t taken to them so easily. 

What do customers think of VAR checkouts?

Tesco confirmed to Metro that the technology has been introduced, but not across all of its stores. They did not confirm when the feature was introduced, or how many shops it has been rolled out in so far. 

A spokesperson said: ‘We are always looking at technology to make life easier for our customers.

‘We have recently installed a new system at some stores which helps customers using self-service checkouts identify if an item has not been scanned properly, making the checkout process quicker and easier.’

After Sainsbury’s introduced the self-service checkout change, one disgruntled shopper took to social media, declaring the move ‘more big brother tactics with more surveillance’. 

Others called for a boycott and urged supermarkets to lower the price of their products. 

Author and social commentator Carl Vernon recently posted a YouTube video about the new Sainsbury’s checkouts to his 51,000 subscribers.

One viewer, @TheRailwayTourManager, accused the supermarket of punishing ‘law-abiding members of the public’.

‘It’s like a bad manager at work, who, because ONE person has done something they shouldn’t, everyone gets tarred with the same brush and has some sort of restriction or sanction imposed on them,’ he said.

User @_indrid_cold_ added: ‘I would never dream of stealing, but I detest and deeply resent what’s happening now in supermarkets.

‘I just wish that the public could be a bit more organised and properly boycott them until they get the message and take their intrusive spyware away.’

Sainsbury’s did not directly respond to criticism of the new tills, but a spokesperson previously told Metro: ‘We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience.’

Why are supermarkets cracking down on theft?

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of shoplifting offences in England and Wales rose by 20% last year.

A total of 516,971 offences were recorded, compared to 429,873 in 2023. In London alone, offences rose from 58,000 to nearly 90,000 in 2024.

The rising cost of living will explain some incidences, but Metro recently spoke to ‘casual kleptos’ who can afford food, and steal from big businesses, such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s, regardless.

‘I can definitely afford my food shop without shoplifting,’ 25-year-old Matilda said. ‘But prices have gone crazy. I just feel like, why should I have to pay that price when big supermarkets are making the profits?’

‘I’ll take things that are quite small and will go in my bag. Like cheese or halloumi or toothpaste. Just things that are quite small but kind of expensive,’ she says.

‘I like to give myself three for two deals. I’ll pay for two things and steal one.’

Imogen, a 25-year-old therapist, also targets big shops like Asda Tesco and Sainsbury’s. 

‘I’ve stolen haircare products like oils because they’re stupidly expensive and I want them. It’s the sort of thing I wouldn’t get otherwise,’ she says.

‘Like this is a luxury item that I’m not going to be able to justify buying myself, but I can take it.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

First we had Hot Girl walks, then London’s ‘mega walks’ took over. Now, there’s a new walking routine getting the girlies talking – and it hails all the way from Japan.

Japanese Interval Walking is relatively easy to master, as all you need to do is walk at a quick pace for three minutes, then slow down for three.

The fast pace should be enough to get your heart rate up considerably (if you have an exercise watch, it should be between 70 and 85% of your maximum, which you can calculate by subtracting your age from 220).

During the slow pace, you can take it easy again and whack it down a notch. For this little break, you should be strolling – and letting your heart rate come down to between 40 to 50% of your maximum measure.

Got the gist? You just need to repeat five times for a 30-minute period. And the best bit? All you’ll need is your trainers and something to time yourself with – even if it’s just your phone, or even a good old-fashioned watch.

Naturally, it’s taken the internet by storm.

Over on TikTok, @paigepaxtonsnyder tried it as a ‘fun way’ to get her steps in. In her view, it kept exercise ‘interesting’ – and she levelled it up by wearing a weighted vest, all while staying in Zone 2.

@organicpilates is also a convert, and particularly enjoys doing it on a ‘sunny day’ to ‘increase happiness.’ We could all do with topping up our dopamine levels, that’s for sure.

What are the benefits of Japanese Interval Walking?

The benefits of interval walking are myriad, too – with one study published in UC Davis concluding that it typically helps you to burn more fat and muscle, if that’s something you’re looking to do.

Plus, HIIT exercises can lower both blood pressure and heart rate – both things that can help you live longer – but you’ll need to make sure you come prepared, as if you go too hard too soon, then you risk being left with injuries to either your muscles or joints.

We tried the trend

Metro’s Lifestyle Editor, Rachel Moss, tried Japanese Interval Walking on her lunchbreak. Here’s how she got on:

‘Call me old before my time, but I’m obsessively into walking. I put up with a 90-minute commute into London for easy access to the Chilterns at weekends, I holiday in the Lake District, and I’m currently nerding out with Kerri Andrews’s book, Wanderers: A History of Women Walking. 

‘But Japanese Interval Walking? Never again.

‘It’s somehow the worst of both worlds. Not quite the calm joy of a walk, not nearly the endorphin-pumping release of a run. Instead, it feels like I’m perpetually late for a train I never catch. 

‘Just as I start to enjoy the slow pace and notice my surroundings or, I don’t know, breathe, my phone buzzes and its sprint-ish mode again.

‘Speaking of phones, you’re glued to it the whole time. Never mind being good for your blood pressure, interval walking is so annoying, I can feel mine rising through sheer frustration. 

‘The one benefit, I suppose, is that I’ve squeezed some exercise into a day that I wouldn’t have done otherwise. But the hyper-scheduled trend destroys everything I love about walking – the mindfulness, the freedom, the quietly revolutionary rhythm – so for me, it’s a no.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.