Keep fit in the Cotswolds

Want to keep fit on holiday? You can’t do better than outside in the beautiful Cotswold countryside, says top fitness trainer James Golden

Keeping in peak physical condition - without a gym membership - while enjoying a hard-earned break in the Cotswold countryside might feel challenging (especially if you’re used to city life, with every form of fitness-concept at your disposal).

Actually… not so! says top fitness trainer James Golden.

‘During my career, I always questioned why someone would choose to run on a treadmill, facing a wall in a gym, over going outside and pulling in that fresh air, surrounding yourself with greenery.’

And he would know. In 2017, he and his partner relocated from London to the Cotswolds for a slower-placed life, to bring up their young family. James is one of the most renowned performance coaches in the UK, having looked after professionals and high-profile clients in music and sport. Yet he’ll still often recommend a work-out in the natural world over a more formal fitness setting.

‘In my opinion, many gyms can be quite intimidating places to go,’ he says. ‘I have always challenged people to use the great outdoors for health and wellbeing, especially if they don’t like setting foot in a gym.’

So here are James’s five alternatives to achieving everything and more in the great Cotswold outdoors:

 

A walk in the country:

Sounds far too easy but a simple walk in the beautiful Cotswold countryside will naturally improve our mood in the short-term, and stimulate the body to produce endorphins and enkephalins, our natural feel-good hormones. Getting out in the countryside will always support good mood and help keep the serotonin levels up to ensure we are at our best.

Nature is very important to me and my family. Life is busy bringing up four children, and I want to ensure we are all performing at our best: being outside together in the Cotswold countryside is an important part of our healthy living. Some of our favourite walks as a family are in the village of Kingham, with its 2.5km public footpath to Daylesford Organic (one of my favourite spots to lunch). We also love the village of Great Tew, with an array of public-footpath walks of different lengths. 

Places to try:

• Village of Winchcombe
• Stratford Park, Stroud
• Pittville Park, Cheltenham

 

A HIIT session in the garden or out in nature can work a treat for that more challenging cardiovascular workout:

HIIT (high intensity interval training) involves pairing periods of intense high-energy exercise with low-effort rest intervals. Alternating exercise and recovery allows you to create an infinite number of interval training workouts. However, rest ratio should generally be designed to challenge specific energy systems of the body. Think 30-seconds-to-a-minute of sprinting, followed by a minute or two of walking or slow jogging. Repeat this cycle for a set duration of your choice and you’ll complete a HIIT workout. There aren’t set rules other than: work hard for a period of time, and break/rest before repeating.  Ultimately, you don’t need equipment, just space to carry this out. Why not use the Cotswold landscape, with stunning views, fresh air, surrounded by greenery to give yourself the ideal setting to carry this out.

Places to try:

• Painswick Beacon
• Abbey Grounds, Cirencester
• Tewkesbury Abbey Grounds

 

A TRX strength workout:

The TRX - also known as a suspension training system - is one of my personal favourites when it comes to strength training. The TRX is a set of straps that can be anchored around a strong fixture, like a large tree branch, using body weight exercises to develop strength, balance, flexibility and core stability simultaneously. The exercises leverage gravity and the user's body-weight to complete the movements to activate muscles.

Places to try:

• Woodchester Park, Stroud
• Cleeve Common, near Cheltenham
• Lower Slaughter River Trail

 

Resistance band workout

Resistance bands are such a versatile piece of fitness equipment to own.  Easy to transport and store, they offer a simple solution for strength training outdoors. A short workout could easily be delivered anywhere using the outdoors. Take the bands in your pocket and train in nature.

Places to try:

• Leckhampton Hill and Charles Kings Common, Cheltenham
• Broadway Tower Country Park
• Greystones Farm Nature Reserve, Bourton-on-the-Water

 

Cross training

Be creative and build into a cross training session, involving a short run followed by an exercise with the band like a crab walk. The format of short run followed by a strength exercise of choice (ie squat or lunges) can be delivered by just using body-weight-based exercises. This can be as easy or challenging as you like, and a really effective way to combine cardio and strength. Build this into training in the countryside amongst nature, and you have a highly effective session bursting with benefits!

Places to try:

• Cotswold Way Trail near Chipping Norton
• Chedworth Roman Villa trails
• Haresfield Beacon and Standish Woods, Stratton

 

So forget that treadmill at the gym - the Cotswolds provides the perfect setting for a challenging and satisfying fitness routine. With a variety of outdoor activities and stunning landscapes, you can take your workouts to the next level while enjoying the benefits of fresh air and nature.

Find out more about James at thefitnesspro.co.uk