As medical professionals, we know that exercise doesn’t just have physical health benefits; it can also have positive effects on your mental health and well-being. The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week and strength exercises on at least two days. We also know that it is difficult to find time to do exercise when you are exhausted from working on the busy wards. However it’s important not to let your own health and fitness fall by the wayside. The suggestions below are just some of the ways to keep active in Bristol and hopefully enable you to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of exercise.
Combine exercise with your work commute
Perhaps one of the most time efficient ways to exercise is to combine it with your commute. This may not be possible for some, but walking, cycling or running to work are great options to keep fit, save money and help reduce carbon emissions (very topical!). The changing room facilities at Southmead are excellent, with much needed post-workout showers and locker facilities. There is also a secure gated area where you can lock your bike up whilst on shift. You can gain access to the bike shed by asking at the security office near the first Costa in the main entrance.
Cycling
If you have never cycled on roads before or don’t feel confident riding a bike, you can organise a free accompanied cycle ride with an instructor with Better by Bike to help build confidence in road cycling (https://betterbybike.info/start-cycling/get-confidence). There are also a number of cycle paths in and around the city, usually marked by a sign with a white bike on a blue background.
When it comes to buying a bike, one option is to use the cycle to work scheme. Southmead Hospital has signed up to this initiative and you can pay for the bike over a few months via a salary sacrifice scheme (https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/). There are also a number of new and second-hand bike shops around the city if you want to purchase a bike upfront.
Running
Running is another great way to keep fit and Bristol is home to four parkruns: Ashton Court, Eastville Park, Pomphrey Hill and Somerdale Pavilion. These are sociable, free and timed five kilometre runs that are held every Saturday morning at 9am (https://www.parkrun.org.uk/). You can run at your own pace and people of all ages and abilities are supported to take part; some participants even run with dogs and prams! To build up to this 5K run, why not follow the NHS Couch to 5K programme (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/).
Of course, if you don’t fancy donning lycra, then Bristol is also a wonderful place for walks. Check out our blog post on ‘The Great Outdoors’.
Indoor gyms, classes and multi-venue memberships
If being outdoors isn't your thing, there are lots of gyms in and around Bristol. There are also a couple of multi-venue memberships that are worth looking into that include MoveGB (https://welcome.movegb.com/) and ClassPass (https://classpass.com/). These are memberships that enable you to have access to a variety of venues and classes around Bristol and throughout the UK. There are different price plans depending on your interests including gyms, pools, yoga and circus acrobatics or even the option of a massage! It is a great way to try out a few different activities in a more affordable way.
Bristol – a great place to make exercise easy and fun
Bristol has many more activities to offer such as climbing, paddle boarding, team sports, mountain biking and dancing. Whatever you decide, it is helpful to create an environment that makes doing activities easy, such as exercising as part of your commute, having weights in your front room or joining a gym just around the corner from your house.
‘Happiness expert’ Professor Paul Dolan says “it’s important to design an environment that makes happiness possible. Willpower won’t work. You need to make it easier to yourself”1. So perhaps by making exercise easier for ourselves we are more likely to do it, which will hopefully turn into those all-important physical and mental health benefits. Good luck!
References
1.Knapton, S. 2015. Five things you can do to be happier right now. The Telegraph, [online]. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/11640753/Five-things-you-can-do-to-be-happier-right-now.html. 31/5/2015 [Accessed on 10 May 2019] Rebecca Kingston
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