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Last week we discussed the many health benefits of walking. So this week we thought we’d share some great walking routes in and around the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne to get you feeling inspired to explore the great outdoors!
Ranging from easy to medium difficulty, and covering areas from Jesmond Dene to High Heaton, we’re sure there’s a walk in here to suit everyone’s taste. Enjoy!
Length: 2.13 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 3.14 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 6.88 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 7.72 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 4.3 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Of course, when you’re out on a walk (especially when it’s hot) it’s always important to talk something to drink. For all the reasons why, take a look at our post on the importance of hydration.
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Yoga offers the best of many worlds, providing a little bit of something for everyone. It’s a mindful, stress-relieving, flexibility-enhancing, strength-building workout that anyone can participate in.
But why should you be doing it? Well, if you don’t already know your down dog from your cobra, here are 8 reasons to consider yoga for your next exercise pursuit!
1 – Yoga can decrease stress
All forms of physical exercise can help to lower stress levels. But yoga is particularly effective. Its combination of physical exertion, concentration, and focus on deep rhythmic breathing gives it myriad stress-busting properties.
The mental effort that goes into holding and perfecting each yoga pose also helps clear the mind. It’s a mindful activity which requires an active awareness of body and breath. And the focus you’ll put into maintaining this awareness can help to eliminate all other thoughts from your mind.
2 – It can also relieve anxiety
Studies have shown that yoga may contribute to relieving symptoms of anxiety. One particular study which focussed on woman suffering from anxiety revealed that those who participated in yoga classes showed a “significant decrease” in state anxiety and trait anxiety. The study’s conclusion suggested that “yoga can be considered as a complementary therapy or an alternative method for medical therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders”.
3 – Improves flexibility
Age, inactivity, and extended periods of sitting all contribute to poor flexibility. As we get older, our bodies naturally become less supple. And in day-to-day life we’re rarely required to perform feats of extreme flexibility. So, over time, our joints become stiff and rigid.
Yoga, however, exposes us to movements that work underused areas of our bodies. This, in the long term, will help to loosen our joints, elongate our spines, make us more mobile, and increase our overall flexibility.
4 – Builds strength
Yoga is an amazing tool for building core strength. And core strength is important because it’s functional. Not only does it improve balance, but it helps us in performing daily tasks. From walking stairs to lifting boxes.
During yoga practise, many of the poses are held for extended periods of time. So we’re essentially performing a bodyweight exercise and an endurance exercise at the same time. In this way, practising yoga on a regular basis can help to improve our core strength.
5 – Corrects posture
Poor posture can cause many physical problems, from back and neck pains, joint issues and headaches, to poor digestion and improper breathing.
Because yoga elongates the spine, a natural side-effect is that it also improves posture. This is understandable considering that our spine is what keeps us upright. So fixing the spine = fixing posture.
In this way, yoga could be especially beneficial for office workers, or anyone who sits down for extended periods of time. This is because it can help to reverse the effects of slouching and sitting, and as a result relieve back and neck pains.
6 – Teaches better breathing
Proper breathing is such an important, yet often overlooked, component of good health and wellbeing. The problem is that many of us develop poor breathing patterns as a result of being stressed and overworked. When negative emotions abound, our breathing can become shallow and constricted. And if we experience lots of stress, all the time, our bodies will become accustomed to that kind of breathing.
Yoga, thankfully, encourages us to focus on our breath. And by focussing on the breath we can become more aware of bad habits and restrictive breathing patterns.
Yoga teaches us to take deep breaths and synchronise our inhalations and exhalations with our body movements. The benefits of proper breathing are manifold, and include pain relief, increased immunity, and detoxification. And regular yoga practise has been linked to improved lung function.
By learning to breathe properly, we can become more relaxed, healthier, and happier in our day-to-day lives.
You can take a look at some yogic breathing techniques here.
7 – Can improve quality of life
Yoga is also believed to improve overall life quality in those who practise it regularly. This could be particularly noticeable in senior citizens.
One study assigned 135 generally healthy seniors to one of three groups. One group participated in 6 months of yoga, one did 6 months of walking exercise, and one was a control group. The quality-of-life measures that the study focussed on related to sense of well-being, energy, and fatigue. And it concluded that the seniors “in the yoga group showed significant improvement in quality-of-life and physical measures compared to exercise and wait-list control groups”.
8 – Encourages better sleep
Yoga can offer an excellent path to better sleep. There are, of course, particular types of yoga that might be more suited to an evening routine (such as yin). But as a general practise, yoga is widely believed to promote healthier sleep.
When done with the specific intention of preparing for sleep, yoga can help us to slow down, focus on our breath, and enter a state of deep relaxation.
There are also some quick-fix bedtime yoga poses for those who may not have time for a longer pre-sleep class. Three go-to evening postures to try are: legs up the wall (if you have a spare 15 minutes you could also this excellent qi gong routine for better sleep, which features a ten-minute legs up the wall section), lying butterfly pose, and corpse pose.
Where’s the yoga, please?
So, is it time to get into the studio and onto the mat? Why not come along to Jesmond Pool, where we offer 2 classes a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information, visit our yoga class page.
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We all want to live happier and healthier lives. That’s why we join gyms, swim, run, and watch what we eat. But aside from the more popular activities that help to keep us active and youthful, there are some that can easily fall under the radar (but which are just as effective). Tai chi, though incredibly popular in the East, is one such activity.
Developed in 13th Century China as a martial art, it offers a gentle route to physical balance and health.
And here’s a secret: practising tai chi on a regular basis can not only improve your physical health but your psychological wellbeing too.
So here’s a brief overview of some of the reasons to consider adopting this wonderful exercise into your lifestyle.
Tai chi: the martial art for everyone
Due to its incredibly low-impact nature, tai chi is suitable for almost anyone. Young or old, active or inactive. Its movements are slow and subtle, and its focus is more on balance, flexibility, and wellbeing rather than aerobic fitness or strength.
That said, tai chi could be perfect for older exercisers. Especially those who haven’t engaged in any physical activity for a long time. It could also be great for anyone who wishes to become more active but, for whatever reason, is unable to participate in more strenuous activities.
As an exercise, it’s easy-going on the joints, and very laid back in terms of physical output.
Balance
Another fantastic benefit of tai chi is its ability to improve physical balance. The slow, controlled movements performed in this activity promote stability in the core. Also, the combination of leg and arm movements help to develop and improve coordination.
One major advantage to developing better balance is the reduced risk of falling that comes with it. As a result, it can also serve to build confidence, especially in elderly participants who may be more likely to suffer from trips and falls.
Posture
As a species, we do a lot of sitting. We sit down to eat our breakfast. We sit down to drive to work. Many of us sit at desks for 8 or more hours a day. Then we come home and sit down to eat dinner and watch TV. But research is now revealing the alarming and potentially catastrophic health risks associated with prolonged sitting.
Of the many negative side effects, one is bad posture. And a remedy for bad posture is tai chi.
Tai chi is heavily focussed on stance and movement. And in order to perform the movements correctly, you must first adopt the proper stance and hold the correct posture. So over time, practising tai chi may not only help to combat the negative effects of sitting, but may also improve your general posture. Also, tai chi can have you up and moving for an hour or two when you might otherwise have been at home sitting down.
Stress
Stress is a major issue in the modern world. And though it affects people throughout the world, it’s estimated that nearly half of British people suffer from long-term stress. We live faster, busier, more hectic lives today than ever before. And engaging in exercise to reduce stress and promote physiological harmony should be a top priority for all of us.
A popular reason for practising tai chi is its inherent stress-reducing qualities. Its mellow nature, along with the required deep breathing and rhythmic movements, can induce feelings of relaxation and wellbeing. In some ways, it can be seen as a moving form of meditation.
This makes tai chi a perfect candidate for a post-work de-stressing ritual. It provides a drastic shift in pace, encouraging us to go slow and be mindful of ourselves.
Strength
In an article from Harvard Medical School, tai chi can improve both lower- and upper-body strength. And if practised on a regular basis, “tai chi can be comparable to resistance training and brisk walking”.
The unsupported arm movements involved in tai chi postures help to strengthen the arms, and the forms in general can build core and lower-body strength.
Arthritis
According to a study by researchers at the Tufts School of Medicine, tai chi can produce the same benefits as physical therapy for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis. The average participant was 60 years old, and many were obese. The patients were randomly assigned to two different groups. One group would practise tai chi twice a week for twelve weeks; and the other would undergo physical therapy twice a week for six weeks, and then do six weeks of exercise at home. At the end of the 12 weeks both groups reported “equal improvement in pain and related health outcomes”.
Get practising!
So, if it sounds like your kind of activity, or if you’re just curious to learn more, why not follow along with one of these 8 tai chi and qi gong routines with local Tai Chi instructor Sifu Paul Nathan.
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Let’s face it, it’s hard to stay motivated. Whether it’s working, cooking, or cleaning, motivation plays a huge role in our ability to persevere with, and succeed in, our day-to-day goals. But sometimes our will to work can falter, especially when it comes to exercise, and an evening on the sofa can all too easily win out over an hour at gym.
Fortunately we’re not alone in our struggles. As it turns out, in fact, some of the best thinkers in the world have turned their mighty minds to this problem. The result? A wide variety of perspectives and ideas that help to illuminate the mysteries of motivation, wellness, and commitment.
Here, then, are some of those ideas. Presented at various TED conferences, these endearing talks will help you stay motivated and inspired to stick at the gym!
Emily Balcetis: Why some people find exercise harder than others
In this informative talk, social psychologist Emily Balcetis discusses the idea that what we see (literally) can affect how we perceive diet and exercise.
Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days
For anyone who’s tried and failed to start up a new exercise regime, Matt Cutts offers a reassuring message. Simply put, just commit to try something new for 30 days. Whether it’s running, swimming, or boxing. It’s a small task in the grand scheme of things, but those 30 days might be all it takes to form a new habit and make it stick.
Carol Dweck: The power of believing you can improve
The “growth mindset” (Dweck’s area of research), is the idea that we can increase our brain’s capacity to learn and solve problems. Her talk is based around the two different attitudes we tend to take towards difficult tasks. The first is believing that we’re not smart enough to solve them, and the second is believing that we just don’t know how to solve them.
The idea is that, even in the wake of failure, our brains have the capacity to grow and overcome former obstacles. It’s a powerful message to carry with us when we exercise, especially if we engage in competitive sports.
Laura Vanderkam: How to gain control of your free time
A perceived lack of free time can play a huge part in our struggle to commit to a regular exercise routine. On top of our professional, social, and family commitments, many of us feel that we simply don’t have the time to go to the gym.
Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert, thinks we’ve got it all wrong. She believes that most of us overestimate our commitments, believing that we have far less free time than we actually do. The solution? Set ourselves non-negotiable priorities and commit to them.
Mick Cornett: How an obese town lost one million pounds
In this talk, Mick Cornett tells the story of how Oklahoma City, once one of the most obese towns in America, managed to lift itself by its bootstraps and lose a collective million pounds. And though it may be slightly higher than your personal weight loss goals, this feat of communal commitment to healthy living serves as a powerful motivator. After all, if an entire town can do it, anyone can!
Dean Ornish: You genes are not your fate
Just as the title of this talk suggests, Dean Ornish lays out an argument that our health and wellbeing isn’t necessarily dictated by our genes. On the contrary, he claims that by eating healthier, exercising more, and living better, we can actually alter ourselves right down at the genetic level.
Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run?
Running s a fitness phenomenon. Seemingly ingrained in our DNA, the urge to run is deep and old in humans. In this talk, Christopher McDougall shares stories of runners, and running cultures, from all around the world, exploring the mysterious heart of this long-enduring sport.
Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation
According to career analyst Dan Pink, the traditional reward system, contrary to popular belief, isn’t always an entirely effective motivator. Here he examines the bare bones of motivation. And though it may seem business-oriented, there are a lot of ideas here that can be applied to health, wellbeing, and fitness.
Diana Nyad: Never, ever give up
Diana Nyad swam 100 miles from Cuba to Florida. In the dark of the night. Enduring hallucinations and jellyfish stings. For pure marvel and motivation, this talk is a gem. And it teaches us that it’s never too late to follow our dreams.
Entertainment and inspiration
To keep up your motivation on the back of those talks, check out these 7 fantastic books on fitness and sports.
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It’s a new year, and that means resolutions. Those solemn vows we take in order to get fit, get healthy, and shed bad habits. But one of the problems with resolutions is our tendency to become overly self-critical as we work towards fulfilling them.
Most of us, when dieting or embarking on new fitness regimes, opt for the black-and-white approach of success vs failure. We create punishing routines, and any deviation from our proposed path of progress results in endless loops of self-criticism and disappointment.
But this approach isn’t really helpful, and it certainly isn’t optimal. According to Laurie Santos — Professor of Psychology at Yale University, and host of the Happiness Lab podcast — the best way to kick bad habits and make real progress on our goals is to simply be kind to ourselves.
Self-compassion
By using self-compassion instead of self-loathing, we can gently encourage ourselves back on track rather than ruminating on our perceived failures.
It’s not to say that self-criticism is bad. It’s no bad thing, for example, to feel guilty when we do something that’s objectively wrong, because guilt can help us learn from our mistakes. But it’s when we internalise the criticism, and direct it towards our actual being and personality, that it becomes a problem.
Believing you’re an inherently bad person because you ate a mince pie when you were supposed to be dieting isn’t going to do you any favours. Those kind of beliefs fill us with shame and can be severely demotivating. A better approach is to be understanding and forgiving, just as you would be towards a friend or family member. We’re all human, after all, and humans aren’t perfect.
The problem with the way most of us approach our goals, and especially our new year’s resolutions, is that we measure our progress based on self-esteem, which arises out of opinions and beliefs. But self-esteem is contingent on success. Which means that when we experience a failure or setback, our self-esteem crashes and we immediately feel bad about ourselves.
Self-compassion, on the other hand, isn’t contingent on anything. It doesn’t require success in order to function. It’s just about being kind to yourself, no matter what the result.
But that’s not the same as positive thinking. It’s not the unrelenting insistence that we’re amazing despite our shortcomings. It’s simply accepting our own humanness, and cultivating a feeling of kindness towards ourselves and our efforts.
And the reality may in fact be that when we treat ourselves with kindness, we’re more likely to achieve our goals.
Intentions
It’s also important to remember that when we set intentions and make resolutions it’s usually because we want to improve some aspect of our lives. And the desire to improve and better ourselves should be celebrated, not berated.
So this year, try practising more self-compassion. Don’t be angry at yourself if you fall short of your goals. Or if your progress is slower than you’d hoped. Be thankful to yourself for putting in the effort, and encourage yourself to keep going — just as you would encourage anyone else.
Mustering up the courage to workout in the winter months can be a real challenge. Cold weather and dark days make winter arguably the most difficult time of year for most of us to maintain our exercise regimes.
But if we can find the motivation to keep going, even when the weather turns on us, then we can really stand to benefit from it.
So to help spur you on throughout Christmas and beyond, here are 4 benefits of exercising in winter.
Burns excess calories
Let’s not lie to ourselves, winter’s never the easiest time to watch what we eat. It’s the season of comfort food, after all. Throw Christmas and New Year’s into the mix and all of a sudden we’re dealing with hibernation-levels of snack food and takeaway consumption.
But keeping a solid exercise routine throughout the colder months can help to burn off any excess calories we might be accumulating. Plus it helps us feel less guilty on those days when we might overindulge just a little…
Encourages creativity
When exercising during winter, safety is extra important. Going out in the dark, or on snowy days, can pose greater risks of injury. So in order to keep ourselves safe and happy, sometimes the only way forward is to get a little creative and do something slightly different.
If running’s your thing, for example, but you can’t get out due to icy roads, then maybe you’ll have to turn to an online yoga class or HIIT session instead.
Even snowy days can’t stop us. Building a snowman in the garden, having a snowball fight, pulling a sled, all these activities will get the body moving in a dynamic way and provide a gentle (or not so gentle, in some cases) workout!
Helps to build willpower
We can all struggle under the relentless power of excuses, especially during winter. They’re easy to make, after all, and don’t require much justification. Maybe it’s a bit cold outside, or too dark, or maybe it’s just that bit harder to pull ourselves out of bed on an icy morning.
Whatever the reason, excuses can play a huge role in dismantling our winter workout routines. But by overcoming them, and finding the will to exercise on even the dreariest of January mornings, we can seriously strengthen our willpower in long term.
Don’t forget, choosing exercise over a warm blanket and a film is not any easy choice to make, or follow through with. But it can really help to reinforce positive habits that will stick with us for the rest of the year (and, who knows, maybe even the rest of our lives).
Keeps you happy
According to research, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern, and is usually most severe in winter – affects 1 in 3 adults in the UK.
According to the NHS, SAD can be treated in part by regular exercise. So keeping active throughout winter is an excellent way to help treat and prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder.
But even for those who aren’t at risk from this particular disorder, regular exercise can still help to keep you happy and emotionally balanced.
Motivation is the key
As with many things fitness-related, motivation is one of the keys to long-term success. But if you ever struggle with getting yourself going, why not take a look at our post on how to motivate yourself to workout from home.
