Volleyball
There's plenty of reasons to get fit in the New Year, but what about carrying on your fitness level for the rest of your life?
You're going to have to enjoy the exercise your partaking in, which will encourage you to carry on with it. If you don't like it you won't keep on doing it, no matter how beneficial it is to your health.
If joining the gym doesn’t appeal then there are plenty of sport and fitness classes out there which are fun, sociable and a great way to keep you fit during the cold winter months.
We take a look at the different sports that you could try out and find yourself really enjoying:
Volleyball
The beach volleyball at Horse Guard’s Parade was a popular sport to watch during the London 2012 Games. However, volleyball isn’t just a summer sport. There are plenty of free indoor volleyball taster sessions taking place across the country, just visit www.gospike.net to find out what’s going on in your local area.
Fitness benefits: Playing just one hour of volleyball can burn over 470 calories and it’s an excellent way to get fit and tone the arms, bums, thighs and stomach.
Hockey
If you haven’t played hockey since school, it’s never too late to get back into it. England Hockey’s Back to Hockey programme offers a six to eight week programme which focuses on refreshing your skills and getting fit while socialising with friends. To find out how you can play hockey in your local area visit www.hockeynation.info
Fitness benefits: Playing hockey not only strengthens your upper body and rids the dreaded bingo-wings, but also helps to tone your bottom and legs. Hand eye co-ordination and reflexes are also tested throughout the game.
Climbing
The Westway Sports Centre in West London boasts one of the largest climbing walls in the UK. Why not scale the heights of this 11m wall and challenge yourself to both a physical and mental workout? To find out more visit www.westwaysportscentre.org.uk
Fitness benefits: Climbing is fantastic for developing core strength, hand-eye co-ordination and balance. Physically, it can help combat injury by developing and strengthening muscles, particularly the back. You’ll also be tested mentally as climbing requires lots of problem solving and patience. What’s more, it’s fun, very sociable and is great for developing self-confidence.
Rowing
Following the outstanding successes of our Rowers at 2012, you too can give rowing a try! Explore Rowing sessions take place at 550 affiliated Rowing Clubs nationwide and details can be found at: www.explorerowing.org. It’s a great way to meet new people, get fit, and enjoy rowing on Britain’s lovely lakes, rivers, canals and coastline.
Fitness benefits: Rowing is a great total-body workout, and engages muscles in your upper legs, upper back, shoulders and arms with fantastic cardio benefits. In one hour of rowing you can burn up to 1,200 calories!
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