Out & About April 2017

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

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: www.LiveFitNow.co.uk

S pring 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 www.parkrun.org.uk/newbury/ 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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