Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor at Marie Claire
Ally covers mental health & health, sustainability, and relationships.
About me
In a nutshell: journalist, runner, and presenter
When I envisaged my career as a journalist, I couldn’t think of anything I'd like to do more than report on the latest peanut butters to try and so landed my first job at Women’s Health out of sheer PB-fuelled persistence.
Day-to-day, I'm the Health & Sustainability editor at Marie Claire, writing the latest news stories, e-commerce listicles and features. I've written for Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Glamour, Grazia, Good Housekeeping, and more over the years.
Health and fitness is my forte, but I've covered the lot in my time. As well as editorial, I advise on social and write commercial content.
Other need-to-knows? I dabble in presenting and food styling, like to run (a lot), and share my training journey on my Instagram, @allyyhead.
My career highlight? Winning Rude Health’s porridge championships two years in a row.
Expert On
Publications
- Marie Claire UK9 articles
- Marie Claire1 article
Writes Most On
8 Christmas workouts personal trainers swear are quick, effective, and most importantly, fun3 Dec 2024—Marie Claire UKDecember seems to have rolled around quicker than the speed of light, and with it, a whole month of festive fun, Secret Santas, and office parties. And while I'm very here for a joy-filled month (yes, I might have started playing Christmas tunes in mid-November...), I'm also acutely aware that this time of year can actually be pretty stressful for many. Enter: eight PT-approved Christmas workouts that are quick, effective, and most importantly, fun. While I'm definitely not suggesting you...
A landmark new Ozempic study claims the drug can "delay ageing" - but top experts warn it's not that simple8 Sep 2024—Marie Claire UKBy Ally Head published 8 September 2024 in Features It's hard to pick up a newspaper or scroll the news these days without seeing an article about the viral "wonder drug" Ozempic. And, in news this week, a new landmark study of nearly 18,000 people found that the drug could slow down the ageing process and has "far-reaching benefits beyond [those] initially imagined." Originally developed as a drug for those with diabetes to manage their symptoms, in recent years, Ozempic - otherwise known as...- I strength trained every other day for 20 minutes - and couldn't believe how much it boosted my fitness and mood12 Nov 2023—Marie Claire UKWhen I tell people that I'm the Senior Health Editor here at Marie Claire UK, they normally assume I've done every workout under the sun. And while I've certainly tried some interesting ones in my time - voga, pole fitness and aerial yoga, I'm looking at you - contrary to popular opinion, I'm not always working out. Just like everybody else, I sometimes lack exercise motivation, which is why I often set myself challenges to counter this. Enter stage right, this month's challenge: strength...
Is it ever safe to work out when you've got a cold? You might be surprised by what two experts have to say8 Nov 2023—Marie Claire UKIt's that time of year again: days are getting darker and temperatures colder, prompting thousands around the globe to Google, should you exercise with a cold? It's the age-old conundrum - of knowing what will make you feel better, and what'll ultimately make you feel a lot worse. Getting ill can be quite annoying, especially if you have a jam-packed schedule and limited time to fit your workouts in. That said, forcing your body through gruelling sessions when it's trying to ward off...
