Severe reactive arthritis in my early 40s left me unable to walk properly for a couple of years. Now fully recovered, my love of long distance walking has transformed my body and my life. Imagine if I could no longer walk. How would I cope? That was the thought that ran through my head some […]
FITNESS
Finding My Body’s Way with Nia Dance
It’s a Saturday afternoon in East Dulwich. Outside it’s pouring with rain, but inside Push Studios, I’m with a group of women moving to music. I’m barefoot and sweating and feeling utterly free in my body. Most importantly, I’m having fun! My quest to be Fit by Fifty had brought me to a two hour […]
Fit by Fifty: A Litany of Injuries
Things are not going according to plan. My goal is to be Fit and Fab by Fifty but the more I try to get fit, the more I injure myself. Fit by Fifty: A Litany of Injuries In the last few months I have torn the rotator cuff in my right shoulder and put my […]
I Did It! I Walked the Cotswold Way
Last year my fitness challenge for 2012 was to walk the South Downs Way. It was an amazing experience and really affirmed for me just how much I love and value long distance walking in the English countryside. This year my 2013 fitness challenge was to walk the Cotswold Way and I’m pleased to say […]
Fitness Challenge 2013: Walking the Cotswold Way
I’ve a new pair of hiking boots in which I’ve chalked up a good few miles training and now I’m ready for my 2013 fitness challenge: walking the Cotswold Way. Last year my fitness challenge was walking the South Downs Way. Given the problems I’d had with walking and arthritis in the past it was […]
What’s all the Fuss about Yoga?
Yoga. For years I’ve wondered what all the fuss was about and deliberately avoided finding out. On the one occasion I did attend a class, over a decade ago, the experience was so difficult and painful that I gave up on the idea of yoga altogether. Instead I resigned myself to the fact that my […]
Walking is Better than Running
Brisk walking is as effective as running in protecting the body from heart disease. This encouraging news is the result of a new study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology which found that walkers lowered their risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as much as […]
Fit by Fifty: Groin Strain – What a Pain!
It’s a freezing February day and I’m sitting here with an ice-pack strapped to my groin. Now, before you make assumptions, let me make it clear that this is not something I picked up in Fifty Shades of Grey and is definitely not recommended as a means of beating the winter chill! Groin Strain – […]
The Joy of Walking the South Downs Way
I did it! I walked 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne along the South Downs Way. The walk took 9 days and is the greatest physical achievement of my life – so far. The South Downs Way is mostly on a chalk ridge with spectacular views and for much of the walk you can see […]
Fitness Challenge 2012: Walking the South Downs Way
It’s time to put on my walking boots and get fit. In September I’m going to be walking the South Downs Way with my partner and a couple of friends. It’s a 100 mile trail from Winchester in Hampshire all the way down to Eastbourne on the south coast and I can’t wait! Walking a […]