Back to Sport
In the year prior to the pandemic, Sport England reported in their annual Active Lives Adult survey that activity levels amongst adults were on the rise, with figures showing that 28.6 million adults were active (doing at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week) – an increase of around 400,000 from the year before. Although the pandemic closed down gyms, sports halls, tennis clubs and football pitches, as the summer arrives and facilities open up again, it’s time to think about new ways to get exercise into your routine.
The gym isn’t for everyone and can be quite intimidating for those who’ve never been before, but there are plenty of other types of exercise that you can do to keep you engaged. Most sports offer taster sessions so that you and other people who want to see if it’s for them can try it out before committing. There’s a sport out there for everyone so don’t think that just because you can’t stomach hours on the elliptical, exercise isn’t for you.
Team Sports
Team sports are a great way to exercise in a social environment that can often distract you from the exercise itself. In recent years, lots of adults have gone back to playing sports they loved at school, like football, netball, cricket, and volleyball, through companies such as Go Mammoth who set up leagues that you can join either on your own or as a team. Levels range from complete beginners, which includes some training time at the start with a short game, up to intermediate level for people who are already quite confident with their skills and want a full match. If you’re less mobile, there are walking football or walking netball leagues that you can get started with. If you’re not too confident, team sports are a great way to try something out with a friend.
Exercise Classes Class based exercise is a good option if you find it difficult to motivate yourself in the gym. Most gyms offer classes of some sort now, even those run by local councils. Spin classes remain popular, but dance and weights classes are easy to find. The best part about classes is that if you’re nervous you can stay at the back until you’re more confident, but instructors are always welcoming and will check if there are any new people at the start of each class to make sure you’re comfortable and you’re happy that you know what you’re doing. If you don’t want to commit to one studio, ClassPass is a great pay as you go option.
Indoor Climbing
Climbing and bouldering are a great workout for your whole body and mind, and has garnered a particularly strong following amongst millennials, but don’t let that put you off and lead you to think it’s only for young, strong people. With centres around the country, bouldering is a great activity to do if you’ve got children as you can get going on it without any training with the walls remaining quite low, surrounded by crash mats. You’ll quickly build strength but it’ll also challenge your brain to work out the best routes to get you to the top.
Swimming
If you’ve got a history of joint issues and want something really low impact that’s still going to get your heart pumping, swimming is a great choice. The latest statistics from Swim England suggest that a third of adults aren’t able to swim the length of the pool, so swimming is a really important life skill, especially if you’re keen to get back to those beach holidays when international travel is back on the cards. If you’re feeling really brave and want an extra circulation boost, you could try wild swimming, with plenty of locations around the UK for a fresh dip.