Out & About July 2017

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Spring has sprung and it’s a great time
to have a lifestyle spring clean as well
as a household one, by making the
most of the longer, warmer days and
getting more active.
Sometimes we need to get a little inspiration to
try something new, so here are a few ideas that
you could try to get yourself more active – and
you may not even have considered them to be
exercise before.
Spring clean Literally. If you deep clean and
sort out your house, this is physical, strenu-
ous work and chances are you will raise your
heartrate for extended periods of time.
Not only that, you will be killing two birds with
one stone, being more active and sprucing up
your house at the same time.
If you have DIY to do, that will also challenge
you.
Gardening As Spring springs, we start to think
about spending more time outdoors and that
presents a great opportunity to get active.
Whether it be mowing the lawn, digging the
flower beds or cutting the hedges, time spent
gardening can be hard work and good for the
body.
Remember to maintain good posture while you
work though, as many people get quite achy
doing the gardening, especially in the lower
back, as they bend over too much.
Take a walk in a country park. If you make an
effort to travel somewhere, the chances are
you will adventure for longer.
There are many lovely local areas to walk in
and you don’t have to venture too far afield to
find something new.
Another way to make this more interesting is to
print out a route to follow. It’s a great way to ex-
plore the gorgeous West Berkshire countryside
and do exercise at the same time.
Outdoor games Rounders, croquet, netball,
football, lacrosse or hockey – the list goes on.
Find activities that you can do with friends and
family in your garden or at the park or join a
local team. There are many friendly sporting
organisations that can get you playing
something new or take up a sport from your
school days.
Park Run This is a fantastic free event held all
over the world on Saturday mornings. Our local
one is based at Greenham Common.
It is a marked and timed 5km run/jog/walk and
really is suitable for all, whatever your ability.
The atmosphere is fantastic, and will make
anyone, from a seasoned runner to a complete
novice, feel welcome.
Visit the website
to register, then turn up and run for free. You
don’t have to run the whole way so don’t be put
off if you’ve never tried to go that far. You will
find support every step of the way and some
new goals to achieve.
On your bike! Whether it is mountain, road or
hybrid you will get a great workout if you get
out and see how far you can go.
Track your ride and you can get routes to fol-
low. You could also join local cycling groups or
bike shop rides to learn some routes and find
some like-minded people to go out on rides
with, making it more fun and increasing the
likelihood of you getting out and riding.
Lift weights You can go to the gym or workout
at home.
Lifting weights correctly is a fantastic way to
change the way your body looks and feels.
You can gain strength, confidence and a more
defined body when you consistently lift weight
over a period of time – and you can do this
individually or with a friend.
As the days get longer, why not take the time
to increase your activity level by getting out and
trying something new or old.
You may just find yourself a new hobby that
gets you moving – after all, if you have fun
while doing something, it barely feels like work-
ing out at all.
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Personal trainer Vicki Brown is the founder
of LiveFitNow, based in Wash Common.
For a free consultation, more information
and links to online home fitness videos, visit:
As the days get longer and the weather – hopefully – improves, VICKI BROWN says it’s
easy to incorporate fitness into your daily routine
into action