Find Your Fit - The Great Outdoors
Health & Fitness Expert Clare Stobart
There’s nothing better than working out outdoors when the weather plays ball. The combination of sunshine, fresh air and open spaces are the ultimate motivation boost. Your energy levels rise, your mood lifts and every workout just feels better. This month, it’s all about taking your fitness outside and letting nature be your gym. Here are some of my favourite outdoor rituals in Cheshire.
Hit the Country Roads
Nothing beats the freedom of running through quiet lanes surrounded by countryside. I’ve signed up for the Colshaw Hall 10K this June, taking place in the stunning village of Over Peover. Setting yourself a challenge is a brilliant motivator and really does make you put the training in.
To prepare, I follow a 6 week plan to ensure that I am at the top of my game:
Monday: A comfortable and moderate pace of 5K with a target time. I aim for 25 minutes.
Wednesday: Intervals: 5 x 1km fast runs with 3-min recovery walks or 3 x 1 mile (1.6km) fast runs with 5 min recovery walks.
Friday: A steady run with my friend, building up from 6km to 9km.
Track Sprints That Fire You Up
There’s something powerful about sprinting on a proper track.
My go-to session starts with a 400m jog, followed by mobility drills like side steps, high knees, kicks and hurdle walks. Then I put my spikes on to get my heart pumping and complete:
4 x 200m
6 x 100m
8 x 50m sprints
This session not only burns fat and boosts your metabolism but also improves your 10K pace. I find it also increases my speed for Padel and it is my secret weapon for defining abs.
Stretch it Out
Don’t underestimate the power of an outdoor stretch session. Post-run or sprint, I love cooling down with a full body stretch, especially focusing on tight glutes, hip flexors and hamstrings. Breathing in the fresh air while you stretch makes it feel less like a chore and more like a reset.
Bootcamp Fun in the Garden
Turn your garden into a fitness playground! Use ropes, tyres, dumbbells, sandbags, slam balls – anything you’ve got. Pick 5 killer moves, think farmers walks, kettlebell swings, burpee broad jumps, tyre flips, weighted walking lunges, alternating waves with battle ropes, squat jumps, standing overhead slam and go for 4 or 5 rounds, every minute on the minute. It’s only 20-30 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) which will leave you feeling unstoppable and it’s seriously fun.
Cycle Cheshire
We’re so lucky and spoilt for choice when it comes to scenic cycle routes around Cheshire. Whether you’re cruising country lanes or pushing for hills, cycling is a perfect low-impact, high reward workout. It builds strong legs, burns fat and you can go at your own pace. Whether it’s 30 minutes or 3 hours, it’s an exhilarating way to enjoy the outdoors.
Power Walking
Don’t knock a good outdoor power walk. Get your steps in; it’s the ultimate fat-burner that won’t eat into your lean muscle. Add some pace, throw in some hills, and you’ve got yourself a solid session that’s easy on the joints but big on the benefits. This is a great recovery exercise and can be completed on your rest day!
A few other outdoor activities I love to take part in over the summer are Rounders, Shooting and of course my passion, Padel.
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