We recently asked coffee experts how they’d perfect barista-level cuppas at home, without any fancy equipment.

After all, the endless gadgets and machinery pros use can hog space and drain your bank account ― the same can be said for gym equipment.

Most of us can’t pack a treadmill, an elliptical, a stair master, a full rack of weights, and a Smith machine into our homes, after all.

So, we thought we’d ask Sam Quinn, a personal training lead at Nuffield Health Devonshire, which one piece of gym kit he can’t go without.

The fitness expert told HuffPost UK: “The Olympic barbell is the single most valuable piece of equipment for achieving athletic performance, fitness goals, and changing body composition.”

It’s suitable for beginners and pros alike, the personal trainer added, explaining that its versatility makes it a must-have.

“The 20KG 7ft long Olympic barbell is used for resistance and strength training, building muscle, powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting,” Sam advised.

“This enables the individual to have the ability to train whichever muscle group of the body they are looking to develop or improve all physical characteristics from strength, power or speed using only one piece of equipment.”

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how important resistance and strength training is, especially as we age.

Of course, everyone’s at different points in their strength training, and progressive overload is key for muscle growth.

So it’s a good thing “the bar is loaded with plates varying in weight for resistance training,” allowing each user to change the intensity according to their ability.

Though some machines dedicate themselves to one part of our anatomy, though, Sam told us that the barbell can be “used to develop all the various movement patterns of the body.”

“The Olympic bar is a versatile, robust and easy-to-use piece of equipment,” Sam told HuffPost UK.

“The exercises that can be performed with the Olympic barbell include clean and jerk, snatch, bench press, squat, deadlift, bent over row, overhead press, hip thrust, landmine presses, bicep curls and skull-crushers.”

That’s a lot of bulk for your buck…

TV personality Judith Chalmers has died at the age of 90.

Judith is best known for fronting the ITV travel series Wish You Were Here…?, which she did for almost 30 years between 1974 and 2003, as well as the Strictly Come Dancing predecessor Come Dancing.

On Friday morning, her family issued a statement disclosing that the presenter had died the previous day, surrounded by her loved ones, having been privately living with Alzheimer’s disease for a number of years.

They told ITV News: “After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless adventures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer’s for some years.

“We will miss her greatly but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories.”

Judith began broadcasting when she was still just 13 years old, after being chosen to present BBC North’s Children’s Hour segment.

As her presenting career continued, she went on to front Family Favourites and Woman’s Hour for the BBC in the 1960s, as well as appearing on Ken Dodd’s radio show, the comedy series The Clitheroe Kid, and Come Dancing, which she hosted for around four years.

In the following decade, she began presenting Wish You Were Here…? and the ITV daytime series Good Afternoon. Her later TV and radio appearances included coverage of Miss World and various other beauty pageants, Radio 2’s daily mid-morning show and, more recently, the Channel 5 travel show Celebrity Taste Of Italy.

Judith was awarded an OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 for her services to broadcasting.

She is survived by her husband of more than 60 years, the former sports commentator Neil Durden-Smith, as well as their two children and six grandchildren.

There isn’t an exact formula for a longer life yet, though researchers think they have some pretty good ideas.

Great genes, enough sleep, and a decent diet can go a long way if you want to reach 100, for instance. But some factors are less physical.

For instance, one paper found that people who had a positive view of ageing may be less likely to experience age-related decline.

And having a sense of purpose “appears to widely buffer against mortality risk across the adult years,” a 2015 paper found.

Yet another paper, this time looking at data from 22,000 participants, found that “personality nuances were associated with mortality risk ”.

This self-descriptor was most linked to a longer life in the 2025 paper (27% lower mortality risk).

Study author and psychologist Professor René Mõttus told The Guardian: “The word ‘active’ was the most striking.

“Participants who described themselves this way were significantly less likely to die during the study period – with a 21% lower risk, even when age, gender and medical conditions were taken into account.”

The trait, tied in this study to outgoingness, seemed to be another helpful self-description (12% lower risk) for those hoping to live longer.

“The extraversion items active and lively were related to a lower mortality risk,” the paper reads.

Separate 2017 research linked higher levels of extraversion to a 14% reduction in mortality.

The study also found that higher levels of conscientiousness, including describing yourself as organised, were linked to a longer life (14% lower mortality risk).

“Being ‘organised’ might help people stick to routines that improve health, but it may also reflect underlying psychological resilience or social habits that contribute to a longer life,” study author Professor Páraic O’Súilleabháin told The Guardian.

It’s not the only paper to link greater conscientiousness to a longer life, either.

Linked to a 12% lower risk of death in this paper, the term also falls in the “conscientiousness” bracket.

Those who saw themselves as industrious had a 15% lower risk of mortality, as did those who described themselves as “thorough”.

One 2016 paper found that those who worked even a year later than retirement age saw an up-to-11% lower risk of death in an 18-year follow-up period.

This personality trait, which fell into the broader category of “agreeableness”, has also been linked to a longer lifespan.

Another paper found that people who volunteered tended to live longer.

The government has released its first tranche of documents charting Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s previous appointment as a trade envoy.

It comes after the Liberal Democrats applied pressure in the Commons via a binding parliamentary procedure called a humble address.

They called for the government to publish sensitive documents around any vetting of the former prince and his appointment to the role.

The former prince was appointed as the UK’s trade envoy in 2001, and held the job until the UK’s special representative until 2011.

The significant title meant he had access to senior government and business contacts globally.

Andrew stepped down amid backlash over his ongoing friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after they were pictured together.

The former prince then had to give up his royal status and titles in more recent years amid growing scrutiny and the US Department of Justice’s release of the Epstein files.

Andrew has categorically denied any wrongdoing linked to Epstein’s crimes.

Here’s a look at the main takeaways in the first batch of documents around the ex-royal’s historic appointment.

Elizabeth II asked for her second son to receive the UK trade envoy role, according to letter from the chief executive of British Trade International.

Writing in 2000 to the UKs foreign and trade secretaries, David Wright said: “The Queen’s wish is that the Duke of Kent should be succeeded in this role by the Duke of York.

“The Duke of Kent is to relinquish his responsibilities around April next year. That would fit well with the end of the Duke of York’s active naval career.

“The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests.

“No other member of The Royal Family would be available to succeed the Duke of Kent. The Duke of York’s adoption of his role would seem a natural fit.”

The Duke of Kent, the Queen’s cousin, had often represented British trade interests overseas before Andrew.

The former royal’s private secretaries allegedly told diplomat Kathryn Colvin in January 2000 that he preferred some visits over others.

“I asked what were The Duke’s preferences for activity during his visits,” her letter said.

“Captain Blair [principal private secretary] said that The Duke of York was particularly good on high-tech matters, trade, youth (including primary schools and outward bound projects), cultural events, with a preference for ballet rather than theatre, the Commonwealth and military and foreign affairs.

“He tended to prefer the more sophisticated countries, particularly those in the lead on technology.”

Mountbatten-Windsor tried to avoid playing the sport when in other countries.

“The Duke of York should not be offered golfing functions abroad. This was a private activity and if he took his clubs with him he would not play in any public sense,” Colvin’s letter read.

A briefing note for the media announcement of Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment showed that no one else was approached for the job, even though he was not experienced.

One question asked: “Did we approach anyone else?”

The note says: “No – the importance of the Duke’s involvement lies in the high profile and commitment he is able to give this work as a Member of the Royal family. It is a continuation of the Royal Family’s involvement in the promotion of British trade and investment following HRH the Duke of Kent’s decision to relinquish his duties in April.”

The briefing confirms the ex-royal was unpaid.

A memo from David Wright, written in February 2000, suggested the royal might need more training before he took on the high-level lobbying job.

He wrote: “If the arrangement went ahead on this basis, we would want to do some induction work with The Duke of York from Spring 2001 onwards.

“He might even do some ‘shadowing’ of work in our offices and our activities both in the regions and overseas. It would be important for him to be aware of our general strategy and approach.”

Another batch of files on Mountbatten-Windsor’s job will come soon.

A No.10 spokeswoman told reporters: “We are complying with the humble address and we’re publishing those documents as quickly as possible.

“We’re also supporting the police investigation as you would expect.

“And we’ll provide the House with any other substantive documents we find in the course of that work.”

Asked if it was acceptable that no vetting was taken into Andrew prior to his appointment, she said: “We have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken, and there’s no evidence that this was considered.

“And this is due to the fact that the role was a continuation of the royal family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion work following the Duke of Kent’s decision to relinquish his duties as vice chairman of British Trade International.”

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

We’ll hold our hands up and admit we’ve been complaining about the lack of heat a little too aggressively over the past few months. So, of course, our karma is that the heat is coming at us full force this weekend.

In case you hadn’t heard, we’re heading for a heat wave. That’s right, 30 degree heat, out of pretty much nowhere.

And while we wouldn’t dare complain, things are about to get sweaty – with not much warning, might we add.

In that case, we’ll forgive you for feeling somewhat unprepared for the sweatiness that is to come.

It looks like there’s a long and hawt summer ahead of us, so to help you gird your loins, we’ve rounded up nine of the best fans to stay cool this summer.

There’s something for everyone, from air purifier combos, to budget options, and even a portable pill.

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll agree that having to change your sheets is probably the most arduous house task there is.

So, even though I hate not sleeping with the duvet on (that’s just a personal thing) I’ll do anything to make sure I don’t have to change my sheets every night as I sweat through the summer.

We all know the value of a good night’s sleep at this point, and while you might be spending more hours out of the comfort of your bed during summer than you do in winter, you still want to know your sleep setup won’t let you down at the end of the day.

To help you keep cool and collected during the warmer months, Sammy Margo, physiotherapist and in-house sleep expert at Dreams has shared her tips for upgrading your sleep setup.

All these years, I falsely assumed what goes on top of you matters more than what you’re on top of at night.

“Your mattress has a huge impact on how well you sleep in warmer weather,” advises Margo. Who knew? A mattress with a cooling layer will do a lot of heavy lifting to stop you feeling suffocated by your bed.

Not the kind you’re thinking of (but that too, obvs). “A mattress protector is often the unsung hero of a cooler night’s sleep,” Margo says.

“It’s a simple swap, but one that can make a real difference during a heatwave.”

The same goes for your duvet. “Lots of people still like the comfort of a duvet, even when it’s warm,” Margo says (glad I’m not the only one!).

Choosing a duvet that promotes airflow can sidestep the issue of a warm layer of heat, she adds.

“A cool pillow can be one of the quickest ways to feel more comfortable on a hot night,” Margo says.

It might seem like a given, but to not feel sticky at night, you’ll need to keep heat out during the day.

“Blackout curtains or blinds help keep bedrooms cooler and reduce heat build-up,” Margo adds.

“It’s also best to keep windows closed during the hottest parts of the day, only opening them later in the evening once temperatures begin to drop.”

While all you want to do after a long day of being in the sun is to clamber into a cold shower, that might have the opposite effect to what you intend to do before bedtime.

“It might sound strange, but a lukewarm shower can help gradually lower core body temperature and trigger the body’s natural cooling process, helping people relax and drift off more comfortably,” Margo explains.

Personally, I find ThisWorks’ body wash and a lukewarm shower is all I need to help me wind down for bed – it smells lush and it doesn’t dry my skin out even more than it already has been by the sun.

If you’re longing for something cool, freezing your bedding before you climb in can help keep you comfortable all night long.

“Placing pillowcases or bedsheets in the freezer for a few minutes before bed can provide temporary relief from the heat and make it easier to fall asleep,” Margo says. “For added comfort, pyjamas or eye masks can also be chilled beforehand.”