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Health & Fitness

Keeping active this Summer

By iZine | 20 July 2009

Summer is here… the season of BBQs, beer and blatant disregard for New Year’s resolutions. By all accounts it may well be a fair-weather summer (let’s face it, it can’t be much worse than the last two years), but what will you be doing to keep active and in shape?

There are plenty of ways to take advantage of summer sun besides sun bathing. The long days and feel good factor of rare hot British weather make it an ideal time to get into the routine of an active lifestyle. A jog in the park, a morning cycle ride, a few lengths at the swimming pool; all cheap, easy and refreshing ways to keep fit.
If self-motivation is a difficulty and the challenge of competing is more up your street, why not join one of the many sports clubs in Bristol? If cricket is your game, the city and outskirts is teething with clubs, big and small, expert and amateur. To find your nearest or most suitable club, click on to the national-run site, www.play-cricket.com and search away!

If the individual sporting activities are your thing, there are plenty of ways to get involved with scores of different clubs and societies in and around Bristol. For badminton and squash there are facilities in several sports clubs and leisure centres. If the Wimbledon fever hits you early then there are many tennis clubs within a few short miles of the city centre.

For football fans, the lack of an international summer tourney to get your teeth into could give you some time to get a few mates together, hide the TV remote for a few hours and book yourself some 5-a-side football, or even enter a league.

For the people with an inner instinct to run, the ever-expanding Bristol Half Marathon is a great way to keep motivated and build up to a big event and great sense of achievement upon completion. With up to 20,000 competitors this year, the race, on 6th September, is one of the largest road races in Britain. Log onto the event website, www.bristolhalfmarathon.com for more information, training plans and general advice on running.

If even all of this sounds too much of a lifestyle shift for those couch huggers amongst you, the smallest of changes can help build a healthier you. Cycling to work instead of driving, even walking the short distances instead of taking the car can make a difference – it all helps!

Being active doesn’t have to be boring either – why not gather a group of mates from work and book a paintballing session. There’s nothing better to get the blood pumping than running away from a potential bullet to the arse!
The power of t’internet is massive. So search, contact and get involved! Or just simply use the fine British summer to be out and about and active!

Then at least when you sit down with a beer amongst friends, socialising long into the night, you know you’ll have earned it.

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