Get set, Go!
Wave embraces a summer of sport & urges you to find a keep-fit activity you enjoy too
This summer has us going crazy for sport. We kicked a ball around after watching Euro 2012; ping pong resurged as the game to play when the ‘Ping Festival’ descended on our city; Wimbledon saw us digging out our old tennis racquet, and finally the Summer Athletics has us… well, trying out anything and everything. Here in Brighton and Hove we are lucky to be able to choose any sporting activity right on our doorstep.
Head to the Downs for rambling, paragliding or horseriding; head to the beach for volleyball, kayaking, windsurfing or swimming; ride a bike or slip on your trainers and run… anywhere. It really is that easy to find a sport you enjoy and once you have fun, it will never feel like a laborious chore in your ‘keep fit’ quest.
If sport conjures up schooltime memories you’d rather forget, then it’s time to invest in a new pair of trainers and revisit the wonderful world of physical activity. If you do exercise regularly but need a change, take inspiration from the Games and try something new such as a gymnastics or an ice-skating class. Think back to when you were small and the sports you always wanted to play. Netball, stool ball, hockey… these can be enjoyed in your adult life too. The wellbeing benefits will be huge: as well as staying in shape and reducing the risk of high blood pressure and a heart attack, sport lets you take time out from the stresses of everyday life.
Joining a tennis club, cycling club, running club or similar is a great way to meet new friends. The social benefits aside, sport can be as competitive or as non competitive as you wish – but a little healthy competition never hurt anyone, especially if improved fitness is the result.
Remember that there is a sport for you. It may take a while to find the one you love but is it out there. Start with running or swimming, forms of exercise accessible to everyone, young and old. Swimming may also spur you on to try other water based sports like wind surfing or scuba diving (both extremely fun!). View the open water like an adventure; we need to take advantage of the area we live in whether it’s out in the water or up in the hills.
Team-based activities are great fun and buddying up will help keep you motivated and means you are less likely to skip a session.
So if the Games has you inspired, slip on your gym shorts or wetsuit and get out there. The choice is yours and we guarantee you will find a sport you can enjoy. Wave has put together a guide to the best sports facilities right here in the city from Lagoon Watersports, Alive Fitness and Brighton Sports Co. Use this as your starting point and who knows where you may end up – maybe at Rio in 2016.
