Last week, Thursday 20 September specifically, was National Fitness Day while this Friday, 29 September, is World Heart Day, giving us the perfect opportunity to talk health and physical wellbeing to our team and our customers.
2020-2021 figures collated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council as part of their Health and Wellbeing Strategy show that Mortality rates in Stoke-on-Trent for both circulatory and respiratory illnesses are significantly higher than the national average whilst adults over the age of 19 are less physically active than the national average.
In addition to eating a healthy diet, regular exercise is the ideal way to look after your heart and the rest of your body
With that in mind, we’re sharing the best ways to get active whatever your age and ability in Stoke-on-Trent:
Get out for a walk/run/cycle
We’ve got miles of green space, canal paths and parks here in our city, so whether you’re a peddler, a speed-walker, a runner or a rambler, there are loads of places for a walk. Take a friend, the whole family or the dog and enjoy the beauty whatever the season. Find the perfect space for you here
YouTube It
With the cooler weather due to arrive soon, you’d be forgiven for not wanting to leave the house – and we sympathise! But luckily, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can exercise from the comfort of your living room, bedroom or kitchen and enjoy the comforts of home as you do. YouTube has some fantastic free workouts from a range of content creators and for a range of abilities. There’s Yoga with Adriene, Joe Wicks, Fitness Blender, Silver Sneakers, Zumba and many, many more
Swimming
Swimming has some massive health benefits, including all-over body conditioning, cardio workout and rehabilitation. Swimming is good fun and great exercise, whatever your fitness or ability. Read more about the benefits of swimming here. Once again, we’ve got lots of options for swimming right here in the city: Fenton Manor and New Horizons both offer a square pool for swimming, while Dimensions has a beach entry pool, lazy river and slide for family fun. Check out opening times, costs and book online here.
Take a class
With everything from Aerobics to Yoga, HIIT to Age Specific, our leisure centres, church halls and community centres have got a huge variety of fun fitness classes for all ages and abilities for a relatively small cost. We love:
Chair-based Exercise at Dimensions (click here)
Aqua-fit at Fenton Manor (click here)
Spinning and Zumba Gold (click here)
Yoga at Spode (click here)
Join the Gym
This weekend (23rd and 24th September – check) sees open days at Fenton Manor, Dimensions and Wallace Centre for National Fitness Day. You can enjoy taster sessions, FREE access, challenges, competitions and more. If the idea of joining a gym is a little scary, these sessions are the ideal way to scope it out in advance.
