Not only will it help beat the winter blues away, but it is a ridiculously good workout for your entire body, especially your core and lower body. It’s a sport that requires a ton of balance and overall body strength to stay upright and prevent injury during steep drops and sharp turns.

The skiing itself is a great workout, but it’s only available for a few months of the year and therefore requires some off-season training to stay in shape for most of us. 

Learn what kinds of cardio and strength training will suit you best so that when the time comes to hit the slopes, you’re fully prepared to take on what the mountain throws at you. 

Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise is vital for your health generally – it keeps your heart healthy, lowers risks of almost every type of disease, and keeps your fitness levels reasonably high. 

Skiing requires quite a bit of cardiovascular energy, so you should be performing medium-high intensity cardiovascular activity throughout the off-season to stay in shape. 

Perform one or a combination of these cardio exercises 2-3 times per week to reap the benefits you’ll need come ski season. As your cardio improves and you grow ever nearer to ski season, amp up the cardio sessions to 3-5 times per week.

Running

Running is one of the most intense cardio forms and requires no extra equipment to perform, besides a decent pair of running shoes. 

Your best bet for great results is to stick with interval training, which means cycling between your maximum effort and a more manageable recovery period at approximately a 1:2 ratio. The time can vary, but this means that for every 1 minute of maximum action, you recover for 2 minutes at a pace that is relatively easy to sustain.

Studies on interval training show that it is better at increasing “stroke volume” (blood pumping), increasing the mitochondria levels in muscle, and can have the same results of steady-state cardio in shorter periods. 

You’ll only need to run for 20-30 minutes in each session if you’re using interval training wisely to reap its benefits.

Stair-climbing

The stair-climber is a star when it comes to ski training. Why? It combines lower body strengthening with cardiovascular exercise. If you don’t have access to a stairmaster for skiing training, get outside and find a big set of steps you can use instead.

The stair-climber impact helps keep your bone density at a healthy, high level, and improves the climber’s V02 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. It is also a good way to strengthen your thigh muscles which are key to long days on the slopes.  These will all go along way when it comes time to dust off your skis.

Elliptical Training

We’ve already discussed how to do some interval training, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore steady-state cardio altogether. It’s still an essential part of training, specifically for recovery.

You don’t want to go hard all of the time and risk over-training and injury. On a day when you want to get in some cardio and get your blood pumping, but your body is sore and tired, do some steady-state exercise on the elliptical for 30-60 minutes. 

This low-impact exercise will aid recovery, keep you moving, and get the blood flowing until you’re ready to push hard on your next workout.

Weight Training

Now that you have a cardio plan let’s talk about weight training.

Skiing requires a lot of balance. The best ways to improve balance are practising and building an overall healthier body composition, focusing on the core. 

For this, you will want to get into resistance training. Instead of traditional weight-lifting using dumbbells and barbells, use resistance bands (like these https://victoremgear.com/products/booty-bands). 

Resistance bands are not only a smaller, more inexpensive option, but they build core strength no matter what exercise you do. Unlike weights, the band creates even tension on your muscles throughout the exercise and works your core to provide stability while you perform the move.

Perform a combination of these resistance band exercises 2-3 times a week with at least 48 hours of rest in between. 

Best Upper Body Moves 

• shoulder presses
• bicep curls
• tricep kickbacks
• resisted push-ups
• assisted pull-ups

Best Core Moves

• planks
• bicycle crunches
• v-sits
• side planks
• oblique crunches

Best Lower-Body Moves

• squats
• one-legged deadlifts
• lunges
• monster walks
• clamshells
• donkey kicks

Final Word

By adding the right combination of full-body strength training using resistance bands and interval/steady-state cardio into your off-season training routine, you will see significant gains by the time ski season rolls around again. 

5 affordable luxury ski deals

The post Best Types of Workouts for Skiers appeared first on Active Outdoors.

1. Give Up or Quit

   Smoking, drinking and chocolate are bad for you. Stop now! Well, perhaps you want to give up something that you think is bad for you. This will hopefully make you feel better about yourself. Giving up smoking or binge drinking is definitely a good New Year Resolution to make, but get all the support you can if you want to succeed. Get yourself a buddy who can share the experience of giving up with you. You can give each other support and talk about how it is going.

   Buy Nicorette pathces and inhalers from Amazon

2. Fitness

   Stop spending so much time on your backside and improve your fitness. There are many who choose to join a gym. This is a costly business, and by the end of February, you may well have given up as it is becoming a chore. What you need is to use the outdoor gym. If you love being social, outdoor bootcamps will provide you with friends, fun and fitness. Go for a walk outdoors for half an hour every day. Start going for a run, slowly at first, and then build up. Go cycling. It is free, and being outside will lift your mood. The changing scenery will also keep your interest. There are also more and more outdoor gyms appearing in parks across the country.

   Buy Bestselling Fitness Gear from Amazon

3. Diets and Losing Weight

   Food glorious food. After the festive food feast, you may think it is time to shift some weight. Don’t just starve yourself. Find out about a balanced diet, and get your metabolism going. Begin to do more exercise to use up more of the calories you take in.

   Bestselling Diet Books from Amazon

4. Do something unforgettable

   This is the year that you should go out and do something that makes you feel great about yourself. Have a go at one of the amazing activities that the outdoors has to offer, from high speed driving, skydiving, or experiencing the rush of white water rafting.
   Awesome Outdoor Adventures

5. Complete a personal Challenge

   Set yourself a personal challenge for your New Year’s Resolution. It could be to run a marathon, get that promotion, or even do something you have been thinking about for a while.

   Great Challenge Ideas

6. Learn how to do something new

   There are always new things to learn, and you should learn how to do something new or different as one of your New Year’s Resolutions. Get inspiration on taking up a new hobby.

7. Travel and Visit Somewhere Amazing

   Why not travel and visit somewhere new for your New Year resolution? Travel companies are desperate to get you off travelling around the world, and January is one of the best times of the year to grab a bargain. There is an adventure out there waiting for you. These are the top 40 dream adventure trips everyone else has done.

8. Be social

   Make this year the year that you go out and make new friends. Don’t just use Twitter or Facebook, join a club, or get in touch with old friends. Spend more time with your family, or get to know people in your neighbourhood.

9. Charity and Community

   Think about others as well as yourself. You have a lot to offer others who would really appreciate your time and effort. There are lots of charities that are always seeking help, and community projects that you will get to see the results of.

10. Earn More Money

    This year is going to be a year of opportunity, so look for ways to get your cash flow into a more positive position. Get yourself out of debt and into financial stability by getting that promotion, or getting a new job. If you don’t like the desk job, there are plenty of outdoor jobs that pay well.

Good Luck With your New Year Resolutions

Whatever you endeavour to achieve this year, get all the support you can and stick at it. Things may be easy or they may be tough, but keep going. It will be worth it.

The post 10 Top New Year’s Resolutions appeared first on Active Outdoors.

To try and give myself a bit support for the year ahead, I am going to be starting some projects that will help me to boost those areas that need a bit more attention.

Deciding Where to Focus Your Efforts When You are Stuck

If you are stuck trying to work out what you should do to make life more fulfilling, I have found that focussing on the key factors that need most attention to be most effective.  There is a notion that if you improve one area, then other areas will improve as well.  Trying to sort out everything at once is overwhelming and you quickly give up because the task seems insurmountable.  What you have to do is to seek incremental gains in a few focussed areas.  Any step in the right direction, however small, is a good step.

Reading a variety of self help books, there are 10 common areas to look at:

1. Physical Health
2. Love and Relationships
3. Career and Meaningful Work
4. Financial Security and Income
5. Family
6. Friends, Social and Community
7. Creativity
8. Mental Health, Personal Development, Learning, Skills and Knowledge
9. Fun and Adventure
10. Your environment

Rate each of the areas on a scale of 1 to 10 in regard to how happy you are with that aspect of your life.  Don’t compare yourself with others, just honestly consider how happy you are.  Then look at the three areas that have scored lowest.  By creating a goal for each of these areas, you will have three topics you can use for projects to focus on for the year ahead.  Your aim is to improve your score by at least one point.  Remember, any gain is beneficial, however small.  Once you have taken the first step, it is easier to take another.

Setting SMART Goals

To know how you are doing, you should set yourself some SMART goals.  SMART is an acronym that means:

1. S – Specific – State exactly what it is you want to achieve
2. M – Measurable – How will you know you have improved?  and by how much?  What is acceptable?
3. A – Achievable – Don’t set huge steps to accomplish otherwise you are setting yourself up for failure.  The first goal should be something you know you can do.  If you want to run 5K, then make your first goal to put on your running shoes every morning for a week and step outside the back door.  You will find that once you have put your trainers on, you feel that you may as well go out.  Then you can define your next goal.
4. R – Relevant – Make sure the goal you set is relevant to the task at hand.
5. T – Time Bound – Set a time limit when you have to complete your goal by.  Without this, you will keep procrastinating and never get it done.  The timescale you set should be realistic.  You have to balance giving yourself enough time to get things done without stressing over it, but also give yourself a bit of a challenge to motivate yourself.

Physical Health

How are you feeling?  If you have any particular ailments, you should seek medical help.  If you are seeking to improve your general health and fitness, then there are plenty of things you can do. Once again, any improvement is better than none.  Getting up off the sofa and going for a ten minute walk is better than doing nothing.  You need to develop habits that will stand you in good stead for the long term.  If you want to have quality of life in your later years, do something about it now.  There is a saying to “Dig your well before you need it.”   All too often we put things off because they are not an imminent problem, just like pension plans.  By the time the problem begins to appear, it is much more challenging to resolve things that could have been avoided by a little ongoing maintenance.

Factors that will help you in the long run are:

1. Balance
2. Flexibility
3. Strength – Exercises using your own bodyweight are exceedingly powerful
4. Aerobic exercise

For an overview on approaches to improving your general health and immunity, read my blog post on Boosting your wellbeing and immunity.

Love and Relationships

One way to improve on relationships with others is to share an experience together.  Find an outdoor activity that you both will like and ideally find exciting.  The shared experience will bring you closer together and strengthen your relationship.  Approach it with an open mind though, and be supportive of the other person.

Outdoor shared experiences for couples

Relationships also relates to animals and plants as well as people.  Basically, caring for others.

Career and Meaningful Work

Are you truly happy with your job?  Do you still have a job after the really crap year that 2020 was?  Doing meaningful work is one of the key routes to happiness.  You may not be able to work out what your life’s purpose is, but you should be able to find a job that has some meaning.  To get home at the end of the day knowing you have made a difference in the world is a truly wonderful feeling.  That sense of accomplishment and achievement.

It can be challenging finding a well paid outdoor job, but consider the tradeoffs and benefits you may get for your health and wellbeing from working outdoors in the natural environment.

Outdoor jobs guide

Keep on Taking Small Steps

You get the general gist by now.  Just look around you and notice what you can improve.  Then take small steps, even really small steps to begin to improve things bit by bit.  Over time things will get better in more ways than you can imagine.

I’ll leave you with the approach that I use daily – Leave everyone you meet better than you found them.  What can you do for others that will improve their day?  Even if it’s to put a smile on the face of a stranger.

The post Starting A New Project for a New Year appeared first on Active Outdoors.

“I have been asked to write a small piece on outdoor bootcamps and being active outdoors and how this differs from training within a Gym environment.

I am a Personal Trainer, Master Kettlebell Instructor, an Advanced Bootcamp Instructor and Nutrition and Weight Loss Advisor.

I haven’t always done this. I was extremely sporty throughout my childhood and at 17 years of age joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service. This is where I discovered the joys and the side effects of alcohol and I also discovered that disgusting nicotine addiction which stayed with me until I was in my 40s. I did however represent the WRNS in athletics and RMSM Deal in cross country and my quirky style of dancing at the local bops was rather energetic to say the least so my fitness levels remained quite high.

I then left the Navy and became a civilian for a few years before joining Kent Police at the grand old age of 26. Was I fit? Nope!! Did I need to get fit? Oh yes!! I headed off to the local gym, had a look around and promptly walked out. I then joined a group circuit class and before I knew it, I was being handed my truncheon that was just the right size to fit into my Police Issue handbag, a set of handcuffs and an ill-fitting uniform.

I was sent off to training school where fitness wasn’t a choice. We were heading into a job where chasing baddies on foot was going to happen whether we liked it or not and there is nothing worse than seeing a copper catch someone and proceed to puke over the ne’er do well or even worse, being out run by a shoplifter laden down with a whole weeks worth of goodies. Oh and not to mention the shift work diet of curry at 3am, or grabbing a chocolate bar when nothing else was available, the stress levels through the roof, the night shifts, the out of sync body clock, the unsociable hours to name but a few. The only thing that did keep me going was my fitness and love of training.

Becoming a Personal Trainer

In 2007 I hired a Personal trainer for the first time ever and that’s when I decided I wanted the knowledge and the skills to help others get fit and healthy too.

So here I am now, 9 years on. I have taken early retirement from the Police and I run my own business doing outdoor Bootcamps and Personal Training.

When I first entered the Personal training arena, the emphasis was on getting fit in a gym environment using machines and weights to build and tone muscle and cardio machines to improve cardiovascular and aerobic stamina.

Using the Outdoor Environment for Fitness

To me, the body is already a machine and therefore does not necessarily need more machines to make it work better or more efficiently. Did our cave man ancestors have machines to help them chase after their food? So, I removed myself from the gym environment and started experimenting with training outdoors using anything I could find to help me in my quest to get fit and lean.

If I saw a bench (preferably with no one sitting on it), I would do some step ups or tricep dips or elevated push ups. If I saw a set of steps, I would hop, jump or sprint up them. If I saw railings, I would throw out sets of inverted rows or close hand pullups. If I saw lamp posts, that would be my fartlek training done for the day. The great outdoors literally became my gym without having to listen to the grunts and screams of guys and girls doing their free-weight thing. I also didn’t have to wipe off someone else’s sweat from any apparatus I wanted to use and I certainly didn’t have to wait to use a bench or a weight whilst someone finished texting. – yes!! Mobile phones had been invented by then.

I became in tune with my body and its ability to balance itself, my motor skills were being utilised at all times, I wasn’t relying on a machine to fix my body into the correct position. It was my core, my posterior chain, the way I held myself.

My love of functional fitness was born.

In time, not only did I acquire an awesome tan, freckles and a truck load of natural Vitamin D, I acquired a lean and toned physique with a fitness and stamina level to die for. The greatest thing about it as well? It’s absolutely FREE!!

What do Outdoor Boot Camps Entail?

My bootcamps do exactly the same thing. I use bodyweight exercises ensuring a whole body approach is achieved. I concentrate on quality as opposed to quantity. Good form is vital as well as control, balance and co-ordination. The outdoor bootcamps consist of functional fitness training based on military style workouts using functional movements performed at high intensity. For example: Press-ups, burpees, squats, lunges, jumping, skipping, planks. The list is endless. I use tyres, boxing, kettlebells, sandbags, bands, medicine balls, slam balls, battle ropes, steps, running tracks and of course, everything nature has to offer fields, hills, the beach, muddy banks.

What can you expect to get out of one of my bootcamps? Well it does all depend on how hard you work and the effort you are willing to put in. At Functional Fitness Bootcamps, be prepared to experience fat loss, muscular growth and endurance, definition, stamina and speed.

Yes it is hard work but outdoor bootcamps are a lot of fun. You become part of a team, a group with the same goals, a great group who always encourage each other and motivate each other.

Gyms on the other hand can be solitary training environments where your motivation depends on your mindset or whether you have an awesome training partner to spot you and encourage you.

Don’t get me wrong, I love gyms but I know what I am doing and I know the importance of goal setting and a training plan. I see people enter gyms and not know where to start or they get so disheartened so quickly, or they are intimidated by the guys with the muscles in the free-weight section or they get given a programme by the in house PT and are expected to get on with it. I’ve returned to gyms after a year of only doing outdoor training to see the same people doing the same workout and their fitness or body shape hasn’t changed one iota.. How de-motivating is that!!

Luckily I found an awesome gym. A big shout out to www.doverweightsroom.co.uk . A gym where people are friendly, focused and always willing to help out if they see someone struggling. I’ve trained in there on my own, with a PT, with pals and even with total strangers.

Outdoor exercise will always be my preferred choice of training. It is so versatile. It is free. It is convenient. It changes every time. I always carry around a kettlebell in my car just in case I feel the need for a 20 minute training session. Everywhere I go, I eye up my surroundings and see the opportunity for a work out. Hey, even childrens playgrounds hold a multitude of training opportunities.. Remember monkey bars? (great for upper body) Remember see saws? (great for squatting). Just don’t start shoving children out of their playground because you get the urge to do leg raises and hang off the steps to the slide.

Get a timer app on your phone. I have a boxing app which allows me to do times rounds with rest periods in between. Plus I love the ding ding sound it makes when the round has been completed. I set myself up a little circuit of lunges, squats, press ups etc and set my timer to 30 seconds on each station with 10 seconds rest in between and do that about 4 times or however many times I feel like.

The world and your surroundings are literally your own gym.

Since my clients have started to train outdoors with me and have experienced outdoor bootcamps, none of them want to train indoors again.

So my outdoor activity readers. Put on your Under Armour sportswear, grab your personalised water bottle and join an outdoor boot camp. The choice is yours as to whether you choose a gym or an outdoor activity but always remember one thing:

***DO NOT FORGET TO GO OUTDOORS AND PLAY***

Find Out More About Personal Trainers and Functional Fitness

• Obstacle Course Races
• How social running groups improve fitness quicker than the gym
• Functional Fitness Personal Training

The post Outdoor Bootcamps and Training vs Gym Experience appeared first on Active Outdoors.

You may be thinking “Wouldn’t it be good if I could run a reasonable distance without being completely out of breath.” Well, thinking about it is the first stage. To actually get outdoors and go running needs a bit more effort.

Walking or running is a great benefit for your health. It helps your heart, lungs, muscles, and also ensures that your bones grow strong and healthy. The impact on your bones whilst running when you are a teenager has a lifelong benefit (so long as you don’t over do it). Just going for a walk for half an hour each day will keep your body ticking over to some extent.

Enough of the boring stuff, how should you get outdoors and improve your running skills? Before you go out and buy the best running shoes, you should begin by building up a bit of fitness first.

Courtesy of the British Orienteering Association

Running Outdoors

For those of you who go running on a treadmill in a gym, running outdoors is quite different. For one thing, it is much more stimulating in that the scenery changes. You also get outdoors into the fresh air. If you are fortunate enough to live in the countryside, you should appreciate the nature around you. Many people find that running outdoors is tougher than running on a running machine. Just stick with it and take it slowly. You will find that over time your stamina and pace will improve. Your body will get used to running up and down hills. Another advantage of running outdoors is that you can run away from the crowds. You don’t have to worry about how others think you look at the gym. If you are out running, you will soon pass by anyone who you think may be looking at you. At least you are doing something about caring for yourself.

Planning Your Running Route

To start running, you will probably want to work out a route. This should be fairly short to begin with, but have plenty of scope for getting longer. Your running route may start from your home or work. You may prefer to start your route from your local leisure centre where you can use the changing rooms and showers.

You can work out your route either on a map by distance, or by walking the route you want to take and see how long it takes you. I would start off with a route that will take you about 20 minutes. A very useful online running tool is the Online Pedometer. This allows you to draw a route on a map and it tells you the distance. You can work out different routes until you find one that is of a suitable distance.

Start Slowly

For those who are enthusiastic about getting your running shoes on and going running outdoors, start off slowly and build up. Too many people start running at a good pace and soon find their bodies rebelling against the sudden exercise. Cool Running have a running guide to going from doing nothing to running 5k in a gentle manner. It starts off with walking your route, and building up through jogging to running in about two months.

Keep Track of Your Running Progress

Be patient and don’t rush. You will soon find a nice gentle pace. Once you have begun, you will need to monitor your progress to see how you are improving. Work out the distance your route is, and time how long it takes you to complete your route each time. Keep a record of your running times. You can then start aiming to beat your times bit by bit. I find that it helps if you know how long it takes you to get to certain points on your running route. You can then increase your pace evenly over the whole route instead of getting in a panic to make up time towards the end because you have been going slowly at the start.

After your initial 20 minute running session, you can build up to three running sessions a week. Space these out evenly so that your body has time to recover. From there, you can work on improving your running times.

There are now lots of running apps for your phone such as Map My Run or the Under Armour app called Record has a fantastic app providing a 24/7 connected health and fitness system.

Avoiding Getting Stitches

One of the memorable things about school cross country events was getting a really painful stitch. These are usually caused by eating too close to going running, or by gulping down too much water at once. Try to leave about an hour between eating and going for a run.

Breathe Through Your Nose

Our bodies are designed for us to breathe through our noses. The nose keeps out all of the nasty stuff that floats around in the air such as germs, pollen and pollution. By breathing in and out through your nose when you go running will not only stop that nasty stuff getting in, but the effort of doing so will improve your lung strength. Some people buy a device to stick in their mouths whilst running that restricts the amount of air they can breathe in so that their lungs get stronger. Breathe through your nose and you will soon feel the benefits.

You may find that your nose runs more than you do! This is good for clearing out any lingering colds that you may have. Take water to drink when running to keep your fluids topped up, as your nose will need this to keep the lining of your nose moist.

If you suffer from hayfever, try going running in the morning or just after it has rained. There is much less pollen around

Further Information on Running

Running Magazines

• Runners World
• Running Fitness

Running tips

• Runners World training tips for beginners and racing
• 50 Best Beginner tips for running
• 100 beginner Running Tips
• Couch to 5k Running Plan

Choosing a Running Shoe

To dramatically improve your fitness and help with weight loss, try combining running with cycling. This exercises your muscles in different ways and will improve your all round fitness.

If you find that going running is having a positive effect on you, then you may decide you want to buy yourself some running shoes or trail running shoes. Don’t rush out and buy any old pair of running shoes or ones that look nice. Do some research and find a pair of running shoes that look cool and are also comfortable. There are different types of running shoes for different types of terrain, so read about How to choose the best trail running shoes

The post How to Start Running appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Kayak In Your Backyard – By Andrea Lauren

My kayak glides toward the gray and blue reflection of the white peaks of the towering Alaskan mountains, never cutting through the reflection, but moving through the glassy water as part of the landscape rather than as an intruder. Rising hundreds of feet on the side of Resurrection Bay, I see a hanging glacier nestled in the jagged rock, softened by mounds of snow. To my right, I spot a bald eagle in his nest high up in the tree. Quietly, we paddle along the shoreline to get a closer look, when we find another new friend – a sea otter — floating on her back. We stop paddling for a bit to chat, as our guide shares some hilarious vignettes about tourists trying to “rescue” a bald eagle who was just trying to protect his dinner. Technically, I am a tourist, too. I’m visiting Alaska as a birthday present to myself and romping around the state pretty much solo. But while I am a tourist, I’m also not. We are all inhabitants of this world, although many times getting out in nature, especially when we are so tied to technology, makes you feel like a tourist in your own backyard. Your backyard is a great place to start, though. It’s where I began splashing in the creek, exploring in the fields, and hiking the trails. For this trip, I made Alaska my backyard. I tend to do that – go places and decide they are my new “backyard.” Once you’re comfortable playing in your backyard, you try out new things and new places.

Kayaking is something I started in my “backyard” of graduate school by participating in a whitewater kayaking course. After the culminating run down the whitewater river rapids, I decided that a touring kayak was more my style. Taking a class on how to kayak is a great way to get started because you learn the basics and you get connected with others who are also interested in the activity. However, there are other ways to experience the sport besides taking a class. Several people on my Alaskan kayaking adventures had never kayaked before, but by signing up with an outfitter, like Kayak Adventures Worldwide (that’s the one I used), you get equipment, instruction, navigation, and supervision. If you decide you want to try whitewater kayaking, I strongly encourage you to take a course and/or seek out an experienced whitewater kayaker to help you. Besides attending a course or registering with an outfitter, often local outdoors stores will host an introductory class to kayaking. This is a great opportunity to get your feet wet (sorry, I’m a nerd and that pun had to be interjected somewhere). A lake is also a good place to try out kayaking with a friend.

As you prepare for your kayak experience, your outfitter can be a resource for questions and concerns. What you will pack and wear will often depend on both the weather and water temperature. Whether you are kayaking in Alaska or paddling in the tropics, there are some basics to kayaking. The first thing is this: you WILL get wet. Not that you will tip, because if it’s flatwater, and especially if you are in a double kayak, it is actually highly unlikely, but you will be on the water and water is wet. (If you’re now thinking, “Uh, I already know this.” Then you get it – that’s the point! You already DO know about this! There are just some other details to work out to get you on the water.) There are different types of kayaking, so there are different kinds of equipment as well.

What is Canoeing and Kayaking all about?

You may have seen a bit of sedate canoeing, or even had a go yourself, but there is a wide range of canoeing experiences to be had on a range of types of water.

Canoeing is where you paddle a canoe for the purpose of recreation, sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power.

There are a few differences between a canoe and a kayak. A canoe is an open topped craft that you paddle from a kneeling position with a single blade paddle. Canoeing is perfect for wilderness travel and river cruising. Kayaks are paddled from a sitting position using a double bladed paddle. Just some of the extensive environments for kayaking include sea, surf and white-water rafting. Kayaks are usually closed-decked boats with a spraydeck, while canoes are usually open boats. There are also open kayaks and closed canoes.

Internationally, the term canoeing is used as a generic term for both forms though the terms “paddle sports” or “canoe/kayak” are also used. In North America, however, ‘canoeing’ usually refers only to canoes, as opposed to both canoes and kayaks. Paddling a kayak is also referred to as kayaking.

In modern canoe sport, both canoes and kayaks may be closed-decked. Other than by the minimum competition specifications (typically length and width (beam) and seating arrangement it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes from the equivalent competition kayaks. The most common difference is that competition kayaks are always seated, and competition canoes are generally kneeling. Exceptions include Canoe Marathon (in both European and American competitive forms) and sprint (high kneeling position). The most traditional and early canoes did not have seats, the paddlers merely kneeled on the bottom of the boat. Recreational or ‘Canadian’ canoes employ seats and whitewater rodeo and surf variants increasingly employ the use of ‘saddles’ to give greater boat control under extreme conditions.

There are many types of disciplines within kayaking and canoeing. With so many different types of canoes and kayaks available, it is up to you whether you take a gentle paddle down stream or battle it out in the open ocean. Whitewater kayaking is extreme fun, whether on man made whitewater courses or on rivers.

Getting your kayak to the water can be done either using a trailer or a roof rack. If you don’t have the space, perhaps you might like to look at an inflatable kayak or canoe.

What Do I Need?

• Kayak
• Paddle
• Spray skirt: Many warmer climates with recreational kayaks for rent do not require you to wear a spray skirt, which you wear around your waist that seals around the opening of the boat when you are in the water. You may or may not need one, depending on where you are kayaking.
• Footwear: Water socks/shoes, but sneakers can sometimes work, too.
• Depending on the season and temperatures, you may end up wearing neoprene booties and gloves, or a wetsuit.
• Attire: When I kayak by my house in the summer, I wear shorts, a tank top, a hat, and some sun protection. Weather and temperature matter, so make sure you check that out before you hit the water.
• Personal Floatation Device: The one accessory that I always wear is a personal floatation device (PFD) – a life-vest. I tend to be part of the “Just-In-Case Club”, and this is a badge of honor with its members.

All Geared Up – What Next?

The Paddle:

First, take your paddle and put the shaft on your head so that the blades are equidistant from your head. Yes, I’m serious here. Now, you want your arms to make right angles. This is how you can tell where your hands need to be. If you are using an asymmetrical paddle, you want to hold it the correct way. Usually, the writing on the paddle is a dead give-away (as in, can you read the writing? If it’s upside down, so is your paddle). If there is no writing, know that the horizontal side is the bottom, the more curved edge is the top. You want the smooth concave side facing you. Now you know how to hold the paddle, so let’s get you in the boat – but not in the water . . . yet!

The Kayak:

You also want to fit your kayak before you start paddling. In order to fit your kayak, sit on the back lip of the open hole, with one foot on either side of the boat. Lift your feet up, slide them in, and put your bottom on the seat. Each foot should rest on a little pedal. Your heels should be in toward the bottom center of the boat and your toes out with your feet slightly flexed. Your knees will be bent and rest on the sides of the boat; this will help you balance the boat. Your bottom should be all the way back in the seat. If you need to, you can adjust the foot pedals by moving the lever inside the boat. If you have a spray skirt, you should be wearing that before you begin. Like I said, not all places use them and you may not need one. Once you are all set and in your kayak, you will take the skirt and tuck it under the back lip of the opening, moving forward until it’s all tucked under. Make sure the woven handle is NOT tucked under the skirt. You need this accessible just in case you do tip.
Now it’s time to get in the water! There are a couple of options for how to do this. I usually start right at the water’s edge, get in as described above, and scoot to the water, or have a friend push me in.

Time to Move:

Paddle strokes can be broken down into three steps. Think of yourself as propelling yourself forward, rather than pulling water toward you.

1. Put one blade in the water . Your torso will be turned in the direction of the blade that you have in the water.
2. Imagine pushing the boat forward instead of pulling the paddle back. You can do this by extending your opposite arm (paddle is not in the water) across your body. Imagine you are punching the air in front of you at about shoulder-height. The blade in this hand will be in the air. You blade-in-water arm will be bent, hand by your waist, blade in the water.
3. Rotate your torso as you bring your blade out of the water. Paddling is a continuous motion. Now this hand is going to the punching and the other arm is going to catch the water with the other blade. Your torso should now be facing in this direction.

TIP: Make sure you are extending your arms, otherwise you will look like you have dinosaur arms. (Are you pretending to do it now? See? Just like T-Rex!) Try to focus on pushing with your extended arm as you twist, rather than pulling with the arm with the blade in the water. You want your stroke to be smooth, and the grip on the paddle loose. If your knuckles are white, relax a little!

Will I Capsize?

The major concern I hear about kayaking has to do with capsizing, or tipping over. It CAN happen, but if you are on flatwater, it’s infrequent. Still, it’s always good to have a plan and know what to do in case it does. If you capsize, bang on the sides of the kayak three times loudly to signal to others that you have tipped. Then, put both hands on the edges of the opening on either side of you and run them along the oval until they meet at the front, which is where the handle will be of your spray skirt. Then, when you pull the handle, the skirt pops off, and you push with your feet to easily exit the boat and swim to the surface. Like I said earlier, if you are kayaking on flatwater (like a lake) you mostly likely won’t need to do this, but it’s good to know. There are other ways to right your boat back up, which are great to know if you become an avid kayaker and crucial if you decide to attempt whitewater kayaking.

Kayaking can give you chance to explore nature and see it through a different perspective. It is certainly a unique and fun way to experience the outdoors and the water! Now it’s about time for you to strap on your PFD, grab a paddle, and hop in kayak to explore your new backyard.

Find Out More About Canoeing and Kayaking

A good place to start with any sport is to learn the basics first. Hatt Adventures run kayaking and canoeing experiences that are perfect for getting a feel for splashing about in the boats for a few hours, playing some games and learning basic technique. From there you can progress up the on to the BCU (British Canoe Union) certifications. These are designed to improve upon your skills at each stage, awarding you with a recognised certificate at the end of each assessment.

For further information on the sports, check out the BCU website. Here a comprehensive list of clubs and centres can be found as well as further information on the awards and other resources.

If you want to explore harbours, coastlines, cliffs and caves, you can experience the sea from a different perspective by sea kayaking.

The post Canoeing and Kayaking appeared first on Active Outdoors.

I have been blessed with a generally good level of fitness, probably due to walking my dog several times a day, but have always wanted to up my game. The thing is, it takes motivation to actually do it. I found that when I try running by myself I soon falter at the first signs of fatigue, usually within the first 30 metres or so. I get out of breath or my legs ache and before you know it I have slowed to a walk with the intention of running again in just a moment. Honest. Oh well, maybe in a minute or so. Oh who cares about this running lark? It requires effort that I can’t be bothered with. I’ll just have a little rest here. Maybe tomorrow.

If only I knew someone who could keep me company to go running and give me a reason for going for a run.

So it was by good fortune that one of my dog walks took me by chance past a poster in my village for a local running group. Apparently, every week a group of like minded individuals of varying abilities gather by a gate and go running together. Sounded like it warranted some further investigation, so I sent an email to the address on the poster to see if I could join in one week.

The next week I put on my old pair of trainers and was warmly welcomed by a group of about ten at the starting point. The beginners running group was led by two Athletics England qualified running group leaders. The group consisted of men and women aged between 25 and 80. I was to be starting out in the beginner’s group, running 4.2k. Sounded like quite a long way to me for my first continuous run, but the group leader reassured me that the running pace was matched to the slowest person. Looking around the group I was fairly confident that wouldn’t be me, but the next forty minutes would let me know for sure.

We headed off along the roads around two of the Kent villages, running at a nice and easy pace. Everyone was very sociable and friendly, which was perfect for taking your mind off the fact that you were actually out running. At the first gentle hill the group began to spread out, but no one was left on their own. Everyone in the group watched out for each other and even slowed to walk with those who were struggling. For those who had the stamina to keep going, the group leader would keep running for 100 metres and then they would turn back to join up with those at the back. This was a really good way of keeping the group together whilst allowing people of different abilities to keep to a pace that suited them.

I successfully completed the run with only a couple of points where I slowed down to a walk. I blame those darned hills, and being noble by keeping company with some of the slower runners who I felt needed the support. At least that’s what I told them.

The group leader congratulated me on doing so well on my first session and encouraged me to come again. I walked home feeling quite chuffed with myself. That wasn’t so bad, and the company was good. These social workouts were a real mood booster. Would definitely be back.

Slowly Building up Running Fitness Before Going Too Far

I stuck with the beginners group for about 5 weeks so as not to overdo things. This allowed my body to get used to running that distance at a steady pace. Then I moved on to joining the intermediates running group. Some of those who ran with the beginners also ran in this group, effectively using it as a warm up and giving a total distance that evening of about 15km.

You guessed it; I was now up for running 7-10k. The first coup!e of months was tiring but achievable. The pace was nice and easy with everyone keeping together, and more importantly ensuring I didn’t get left behind. From the start of each run, everyone was very friendly and conversation flowed on a wide variety of topics. The beauty of social running groups is that you can move around the group and join different conversations depending on your mood. And if you don’t feel like talking much, that is fine too.

After a few months, the intermediates group regularly completed 10k running every week. The group run was one of the best ways for 10k run training.  Each week the 10k running plan incorporated a different element that built strength and stamina.  What’s more, it was done without you really realising how much benefit you were gaining.  Before I knew it this 10k run every week was becoming fairly straightforward.  Some weeks you did struggle if you were suffering from a cold or busy week, but the running group always catered to the ability of the entire group on that evening.  The perfect tailored 10k running plan for all abilities.

During the warmer months, we ran alot more off road across the gorgeous Kent countryside. Due to the enthusiasm of the group, they also began organising informal Sunday morning runs. Using WhatsApp, the group cold also spontaneously go for small group runs by putting out a call to see if someone wanted to go for a quick 5k that evening, or perhaps a nice little 10 miler a bit further afield. I was quite content with my weekly session.

Now after regularly running for about a year now, I feel up for seeing how I fare in running a bit faster over 10k. There is a local annual event that was just begging to be entered (along with much encouragement from my fellow runners). So, we shall see how I get on in the Darent Valley 10K in May.

How Group Running Helps Fitness and Wellbeing

The biggest motivating factor in group running is the supportive social aspect. If I hadn’t found out about the local running group I doubt that I would be as fit as I am today. We humans need that reward feedback in order to do things; those biological and chemical signals telling us that what we have just done was good and we should do more of it. If you are starting out in running, you need to get that positive feeback in anyway you can to motivate you to do it again. If the physical effort is a huge barrier for you, then the social aspect, friendship and having a good laugh together really does help to make you want to go out again. After a while, you become used to the physical effort and seek to achieve more. More distance and more speed.

The variety of running routes also helped keep things interesting.

Although the beginners group used the same route so you could sense how you were improving week on week, the intermediates group always ran a different route each week. Occasionally there would be a track session to run at different paces on the flat, or hill sessions to help improve stamina (or completely exhaust you).

How to Find a Running Group Near Me

You can search for local running clubs near you on the Run Together website. It lists all of the running groups and clubs across the UK, when they go running and what routes they take. Most of the sessions are free, but some running courses that offer a 10 week couch to 5k training routine may cost.

Another great way to go running regularly with lots of like minded people of varying abilities is to go to a parkrun. Parkruns are held at locations all over the world. It is a free 5k running session at local parks at 9am on Saturdays. You get timed, and you can compare your results with people worldwide. A great way to start your Saturday outdoors with family or friends.

I can’t recommend group running enough. It made a huge difference to my sense of wellbeing and fitness, and I look forward to my weekly running sessions; followed by the post run session in the local pub.

More about getting into running:

• Getting into running
• Orienteering
• Trail running
• Adventure races and ultra Marathons
• Obstacle course Races and Tough Mudder

The post How a Social Running Group Motivated me to go from Couch to 10K appeared first on Active Outdoors.

MedjetAssist®

MedjetAssist® is the premier air medical transport membership program for travelers. If you are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, Medjet will arrange air medical transport all the way back to your hospital of choice in your home country — regardless of medical necessity. Most travel insurances and platinum card benefits programs will get you to the “nearest acceptable facility”, Medjet gets you all the way home.

Collegiate Memberships

These special Collegiate International memberships are annual, and were developed for students and academic faculty up to age 75, who are attending or teaching at a university or other accredited educational programs outside of their home country for up to 20 weeks at a time. Those planning to study or teach abroad for longer than 20 consecutive weeks will need an Expat180 or Expat365 Membership.

MedjetHorizon

3 out of 4 travelers say they worry about safety and security when they travel. That’s why we created MedjetHorizon®, an added layer of protection to any MedjetAssist Membership.

MedjetHorizon members have all the air medical transport benefits of MedjetAssist, plus added travel security and crisis response services benefits powered by corporate security experts FocusPoint International. And unlike other global transport and travel security membership programs, MedjetHorizon does not depend on hard triggers, like government-issued evacuation mandates, to act on behalf of our members. It’s the most comprehensive Medjet travel protection membership for travelers.

Medjet Goes Global with COVID-19 Air Medical Transport Benefits

Medjet Members hospitalized with active COVID-19 infections are now eligible for air medical transport to a hospital at home from worldwide destinations.
Medjet Covid Cover

Where will your next adventure take you?

So now that you are considering getting travel insurance, where will your next adventure be?
To get a few ideas of what you would love to do, you might want to explore the top 40 dream adventure vacation ideas. To give you that warm fuzzy feeling of reassurance, the Active Outdoors guide for solo women travellers will also help get you started.

The post Medjet Insurance Flies You Home Even With Covid appeared first on Active Outdoors.

My aim was to become more physically and mentally resilient so that I can be there for my wife and children as long as possible and live my later years with a good quality of life.  Just like the advice to take out a pension plan early on in life, most of us leave it until things become a problem.

Always take medical advice from your doctor before embarking on any changes that may impact your health.

It is never too late to make a difference in your life.  Doing something is better than doing nothing.  You have to look after yourself because when it comes down to it, no one else will.

Chronic Lyme Disease, ME and Long Covid all seem to have a common set of symptoms;

• pain,
• exhaustion,
• headaches
• heart palpitations when at rest,
• food intolerance
• anxiety, and a sense of unease or agitation
• brain fog, memory problems, difficulty to focus,
• extreme physical tension.

I think that one of the key differences though may be in relation to respiratory problems from Covid.  The UK government is funding research to find out how Long Covid can be addressed.

This year more and more people who have long Covid are saying that they have discovered the techniques detailed below to relieve their symptoms.  My belief is that the situation is initially caused by an immune system response that is lingering and perpetually exhausting the patient.  On top of that, uncertainty about their condition  causes anxiety, which leads to unconscious learned physical responses to the mental and physical stress their bodies are suffering.  There is a way to break this cycle though.  I hope it works for you as it has for many others.

Here is what I have learned.

1. REST!  SLEEP!

You are feeling absolutely exhausted, but not necessarily every day.  Some days you will feel fine, but others feel really crap.  You need to be kind to yourself.  Treat yourself as your best friend.

One of the best pieces of advice I came across was to treat each day as you feel.  If you are feeling exhausted, then take it easy.  If you are feeling OK, do a bit more, but be gentle!  You have to very gradually build up to things.  It is so easy to over do it.

Getting good quality rest and sleep is vital.  If you aren’t feeling refreshed after sleeping at night, try to avoid some of the daytime naps so that you do most of your sleeping at night.  But, if you need to nap in the day, then do so.

As you settle yourself down to sleep, think about how you would like to feel.  Imagine that what it would be like if it were possible.  You will get negative thoughts about not ever feeling well again, and that is to be expected, but you need to give yourself permission to relax and visualise the feelings associated with feeling great.  What would you love to be able to do?  Where would you like to go?  What new experience or skill would you like to have?

The key message is to take things gently.  Now is not a time to be competitive.  If you don’t do well today, that is just today.  Tomorrow is another unique day that may well be a good one for you.  Imagine good fortune finding you and following you wherever you go.  Every thing you do, however small is another little step in the right direction, as long as you keep focused on your intention of being kind to yourself.

2. Distract Your Mind from Destructive Thoughts

The most important thing I found was that however mentally strong you think you are, your mind will identify what you focus on wherever you go.  If you are not feeling 100% and that is a concern for you, your mind will just keep dwelling on it over and over and over.  Although you should seek medical advice for any ailment you think you may have, I found that giving your mind a break and stopping the perpetual destructive cycle of going over and over your problems is a hugely powerful thing.

I was advised that mindfulness is brilliant for getting away from the day to day stresses and relaxing.  Oh boy does it cause problems if you are one of those people whose minds are always going full tilt.  Sitting still and being aware of how I felt and what was happening around me was a hugely stressful experience.   Not relaxing at all.  In fact, more and more research is showing that mindfulness causes anxiety and can be detrimental to some people’s mental health.

What you need is a way to distract your mind.

Counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help with the process of getting you head in the right space. Make sure any therapy is right for you though.  Ask lots of questions.

Mindful Movement

What I eventually worked out after trying meditation and other relaxation techniques was that mindful movement worked wonders in disengaging the mind from negative thoughts and stress.  Any activity that forces you to physically interact with the real world in a focussed manner stops the negative mental cycle of thoughts.  This is because the activity requires your full attention.

Going for a walk does not help.  However, walking in a particular way does, such as walking barefoot and paying attention to everything your feet feel.  The textures of the ground, the difference in temperature of grass as you walk from sunshine into the shade, or even lovely warm sand beneath your feet.

Mountain biking is another brilliant activity for mindful movement.  Going downhill on a rooty and uneven trail forces you to focus on what you are doing or risk falling off.  Your mind doesn’t have the opportunity to dwell on any of your worries.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding is also great for focussing on reality.  It also is a great way to develop your sense of balance in the great outdoors.

Another activity that people are finding works wonders is Chi Kung; in particular the Ba Duan Jin exercises.  These exercises help your mind and body, calming the mind, stretching and relaxing the body, and helping with the circulation of you blood and lymphatic system.

3. Balance

In your later years, balance becomes a vital skill to have to prevent trips and falls.  Developing your sense of balance while you are young and maintaining it is absolutely essential for later life.  There are plenty of ways you can have fun becoming more balanced.

• Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Learn to ride a Unicycle
• Slacklines
• Skateboarding, snowboarding or surfing
• Balance boards
• Hover Boards
• Tai Chi

4. Stretching

Most of us find ourselves sitting still for a long time, either at work or watching TV.  Research has recently proven that dynamic sitting is a great way to avoid heart disease and other diseases of the more industrialised world.

Stretching is a must for getting rid of those knotted and stiff muscles, tendons and joints.

Have you lost your flexibility? When you are young you think it will last forever, but slowly and surely your flexibility and mobility creep away right under your nose.  It is all too easy when you feel stiff to decide to give the gym a miss because that would just aggravate the problem.  Perhaps you just need to sit down put on Netflix and rest up.

Like so many of us, we tend not to stretch regularly or don’t know how to stretch in a way that will maintain or improve key movement.

Do not worry though; it is not gone forever, but you need to go about stretching properly.  Too many stretches are assumed to work when they are in fact straining your muscles or making your flexibility worse.

Proper physiotherapist designed stretches that target the problem area can more than double the effectiveness of a stretch when you know how.  If you don’t have access to a physiotherapist who can advise you, I highly recommend Milo Kemp’s book Use it or Lose It.

This was an awesome and comprehensive read, with fantastic images illustrating the stretches and clear, concise descriptions on how to do them properly. It makes the case for how important it is for people to keep their mobility and flexibility, especially as you get older.  It covers:

• Stretches to manage mobility limiting diseases such as arthritis
• A routine to make the most musclebound gym-goer as flexible as a gymnast
• You will discover the reasons stretching is important you may not have known
• How to unlock your mind-body balance and the inner peace that provides
• Discover how to build on newfound mobility to live a healthier happier life.

5. Gradually Building Up Aerobic Exercises

Building up your heart and lung capacity for exercise is a good long term investment, but you must do this gradually.  Always consult your doctor before embarking on any new significant exercise regime.

The lymphatic system is part of your immune system that gets rid of the waste.  Unlike your blood, it doesn’t have anything to pump it around the body.  This is done whenever you physically move.  So you need to move enough to make sure your lymphatic system works well.

Running, Cycling, Swimming and Outdoor Bootcamps are all great for being accessible ways to improve your aerobic fitness.  I know how hard it is to motivate yourself to go running on your own and found that joining a running club really helps.  I love the social aspect of my running club.  Everyone is friendly and will chat or leave you be as you wish.  Choose a club that suits your running ability.  There are many clubs that help you to go from Couch to 5K.  At 5 kilometres you will be able to complete a Parkrun.

It is VERY important that you very gradually build up your physical ability.  It took me 3 months as a reasonably fit person who sat at a desk all day and never exercised to go from couch to 5K.  I felt I could do it quicker, but knew that I would regret progressing too quickly.  Run how you feel on the day.  Don’t run to keep up with your goals.  It is good to have something to aim for, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get there just yet.  You will eventually with determination.

Exercising with someone is great for distracting your mind from the physical challenge.  Having a chat on a parkrun always gives me better times.  I am not an elite athlete, but I am investing in my long term health.  That is what is important.

Hill Sprints are the next level up, and are perfect for building up your VO2 Max.  This is where you find a short suitable hill and spend 5 minutes sprinting up it and jogging down it.  You should run so that you are just beginning to get out of breath.  If you find you are hauling your lungs trying to breath you need to stop and get your breath back.  Workout with how you are feeling on the day.  Some days you will be awesome, others you will be disappointed.  It doesn’t matter as long as you do something.

You can find out the science behind hill sprints and the 5 minute high intensity training approach in the BBC documentary Michael Moseley The Truth About Getting Fit

The Royal Canadian Airforce 5BX and XBX exercises are another way of improving your fitness in a controlled manner.  To ensure that their aircrews were fit, they asked doctors to devise a series of exercises that could be done daily to maintain physical fitness and health.  In 12 minutes per day, you can improve your general wellbeing without any equipment.

Aerobic exercise has been shown to support T cell response, which is a key part of the immune system.  T cells are generated in the Thymus.  Research shows that physical exercise induces a substantial re-distribution of T-cells within lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs,  which has a positive effect on lymphocyte trafficking and enhances your body’s immune surveillance and vigilance.

6. Strength Exercises

Strength exercises that use your body weight are all you need to keep yourself in pretty good shape.  Lifting irregular objects helps your mind and body by having to adjust each time to work out how to use your muscles to lift.  Gym weights are too repetitive and don’t allow your body to cope with unusual or unexpectedly unbalanced objects.

You don’t need to use weights for strength exercises.  Press ups, sit ups, chin ups and hand stands are pretty effective.  Hand stands also help with developing balance.  For hardcore strength, see if you can build up to the ultimate inverted handstand pressup!

The only equipment you really need is a yoga mat and some resistance bands.

Once again, the 5BX and XBX exercises can be used for developing functional fitness and strength.

7. Cold Water Showers or Swimming

Wild swimming is the age old practise of swimming in natural waters.

The effects of cold water on improving the immune system have been studied widely. Cold water helps to boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating the immune system defences.  Cold water swimming activates endorphins, which is the chemical that the brain produces to make us feel good during activities.  When endorphins are released when we’re in pain, it helps us to cope with it.

Cold water immersion (yes you can also do it by having a cold shower) causes a stress response.  If you do it on a regular basis, over time you learn to calm yourself and your breathing to cope with being in the cold water.  This has a natural effect of also triggering your responses to anxiety and stress by your mind and body being able to calm itself more readily.  Cold water immersion has also been shown to help cope with peripheral neuropathy and pain that medicines can’t always treat.

This has been experimentally proven on the BBC health series by the Van Tulleken doctor twins.  In the TV series “The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs” they tried to get people with chronic pain to reduce the amount of prescription drugs they were on by using some lifestyle changes.  The most successful techniques were from cold water swimming with a friend (on your own didn’t distract the mind enough) or tai chi type exercises.

You can find out lots more about how it all works from the book Way of the Iceman by Wim Hof .

Science has now proved that the legendary Wim Hof Method of breath control and cold-training can dramatically enhance energy levels, improve circulation, reduce stress, boost the immune system, strengthen the body and successfully combat many diseases. While Wim Hof himself has run marathons in -30oC in shorts, swum hundreds of meters under the ice, sat in a tank of ice for 90 minutes without his core temperature changing and boosted his metabolism by over 300%, this book documents how anyone can use Wim’s methods to transform their health and strength, quickly and safely.

8. Nutrition and Fasting

Long Covid and Chronic Lyme Diesease both cause food intolerance.  Histamine is apparently involved.  Once you have got over the initial infection you find that after certain meals you feel really crap.  It took me ages to work out that I needed to limit cheese, potatoes, sugar, chocolate and yeast.  A food diary will help you log what you eat and how you feel in the next 24 hours afterwards.  You soon see the pattern.  After a month or so, I was able to reintroduce them into my diet.

Eating the right nutrition for you can be a challenge at times.  Mood, money and health can impact on what you choose to eat.  Your gut is astonishingly clever. It contains millions of neurons – as many as you would find in the head of a cat. By eating the right combination of food and feeding the trillions of microbes in your microbiome, you can influence our mood, weight and immune system via the vagus nerve.

The growing consensus from research into what diet maximises longevity, the verdict seems to be a vegan core, with fish.  If you don’t want to go all in straightaway, minimise red meat, and increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables.  You should make the food on your plate as varied in colour as possible.  Dark green leafy veg is high in iron.  Purple fruits and vegetables are rich in anthocyanins, which are natural plant pigments that provide foods with their unique colour.  Studies have shown that anthocyanins may benefit brain health, help to lower inflammation, and fight cancer and heart disease.

Gradually increase the right foods rather than focusing on cutting out the wrong foods.  Over time you will begin to want to eat more of the right things and reduce your indulgent intake.

There is growing evidence that intermittent fasting extends life span and ameliorates aging-related diseases.  This is because it switches your genes from reproduction mode into repair/survival mode.  There are several ways to do this from only eating between 10 am and 8pm, or limiting calorie intake on one day of the week.  Take medical advice before undertaking any form of dramatic change in dietary intake.

9. Experience Awesome Beauty

Being outdoors somewhere with a spectacular view is really good for the mind, body and soul.  During the year of Covid-19, more people have been getting out to explore the countryside.  Some though don’t seem to get the idea of being outdoors just for the pleasure of it.  Fights have broken out queuing to get to the top of Snowdon in Wales as people just want to tick it off with a selfie.

Part of the pleasure and restorative quality of nature is that you can take on that physical challenge to get to the top of a summit, and then just sit there and enjoy the view.  Find your own summit rather than go for the popular ones.  Even the view of London from Greenwich Park is most satisfying to just sit and look at.

Get Out More for Your Vitamin D

We need vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet. These minerals are important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles.  Research shows that more Vitamin D supports T Cell production, which is a key part of your immune system.

Our body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin when we’re outdoors. From about late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight.

We also get some vitamin D from a small number of foods, including oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines, as well as red meat and eggs.  Since the winter months tend not to provide enough sunlight to produce the amount of Vitamin D we need, sounds like a good excuse to spend the evenings indoors somewhere nice and cosy with some great food to share with friends and family.

10. Shared Social Experiences

Science has shown that those who have a healthy social life live longer.  That social connection helps your mind to stop dwelling on your own issues.  One of the best ways to improve any social relationship is to share an experience together.  Doing an outdoor activity with your partner will bring you closer together and strengthen your love.

Learning something new together is a great way to get to know other people better.  A great outdoor activity for teams is sailing.

11. Learn a new Skill

Learning a new skill has been shown to rewire your brain and improve your mental abilities.  If that skill involves some form of physical activity, then you are developing your entire mind and body connection.  This pays dividends in the long run.

Top outdoor skills to learn include:

1. Bushcraft
2. Navigation
3. Board sports
4. Sailing
5. Target sports such as archery, golf or shooting
6. Flying
7. Circus skills
8. Slacklining
9. Scuba diving
10. Outdoor arts and crafts

12. Gratitude

There are a variety of things that can conjure positive feelings of appreciation or gratitude that may guide you towards meaning and better health.

The Harvard Medical School provides more detail, writing that gratitude is:

“a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals–whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.”

You will come across lots of websites saying that gratitude journals are great for improving your mental health and attracting more positive things into your life.  As an engineer, I queried how that might work.  I couldn’t get used to saying “thankyou for X that happened today.”  Who or what was I saying thankyou to?  What I did find that worked was to rephrase it by saying it as ” I am glad that X happened today.” Using this framing allowed me to connect with the sentiment and led me to being able to focus on all of the positive experiences I was having.  Over time, I could see more and more of the great things that I experienced.  What a mood booster.

If you want some inspiration on things to do outdoors that will help you on your journey, the complete outdoor activities list is the best place to start.  May good fortune find you and follow you wherever you go, whatever you do.

The post Ways to Recover From Long Covid And Chronic Lyme Disease appeared first on Active Outdoors.

• 30% have taken up a new outdoor activity during lockdown
• 48% have purchased some outdoor gear since lockdown started in March
• 79% planning on purchasing new hiking, running or cycling gear in the near future
• 55% said they had been inspired to go on more walking holidays in future (23% saying they are more likely to book a cycling holiday and 25% more likely to choose a camping holiday than before)
• 22% say they are more likely to walk or cycle to work in future

The lockdown rules across Great Britain always allowed for daily exercise, unlike several other European countries and a recent survey has suggested this has had a major impact on the habits of British people across all regions and age groups.

A very significant 30% of the people surveyed say have taken up a new outdoor activity during lockdown. Walking/hiking was the most popular with cycling and running also seeing a good percentage of new participants.

These numbers are backed up by people’s purchases with 48% of all respondents having bought some outdoor gear since lockdown started in March and 79% planning on purchasing new hiking, running or cycling gear in the near future.

>From a travel perspective, things look very positive, particularly for the outdoor/active travel sector.

55% said they had been inspired to go on more walking holidays in future with 23% saying they are more likely to book a cycling holiday, and 25% more likely to go camping this year. These figures will give heart to tour operators and destinations that provide holidays for people looking to focus on outdoor activities.

22% of all respondents say they are more likely to walk or cycle to work in future. When you take into account that 70% of respondents said their commute was too long or the question didn’t apply to them, this number is hugely significant from an environmental point of view, as well as those from our industry who sell cycling and walking gear and accessories.

Stefan Taft, Marketing Director of Maier Sports, said: “We are delighted to see this renewed interest in getting outdoors, something we have seen reported in other European countries too. These results back up what we were already hearing anecdotally – that getting outdoors is becoming a habit again for many. It is good news for the industry but more importantly both the physical and mental health benefits are something we passionately believe in”.

www.maier-sports.com/gb-en

The post Lockdown Encourages British Public to Get Active Outdoors More Often appeared first on Active Outdoors.