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Get fit on the canals


When it comes to making New Year’s Resolutions, getting more exercise must be high on many people’s lists. But why spend lots of money on a gym membership so that you can pound away on the same old treadmill week after week? Instead, try getting fit in the great outdoors at your local canal or river.

So, if you are determined that 2011 will be the year you start living a healthier lifestyle, here are our top five ways to work the waterways into your exercise regime.

1. Try a new walking route
Walking has to be one of the simplest and most accessible ways to get fit – you don’t need much in the way of specialist equipment, you can do it almost anywhere and you can start as gently as you need to suit your level of fitness.
Waterscape has lots of walking routes on the UK’s canals and rivers, and we have been updating our listings with new routes so you can get a change of scenery. Here are some of the most recent additions:
The marshes of the Medway, Kent
Little Marlow woods and water walk, Buckinghamshire
River crossings and the Thames Path, Oxfordshire
Carnforth to Bolton-le-Sands, Lancashire
Wild flowers and moors, Durham
Birmingham canals and culture, West Midlands

2. Join an organised walking event
Or, if you fancy a little company while you walk, why not check our events listings for an organised walk near you. It’s a great way to get some exercise, while also meeting new people. Plus, many walks have an expert guide, so you’ll get the chance to learn something along the way, too.
Here are some upcoming walking events to get you started:
Bird walk around Blithfield Reservior, Staffordshire
Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath walk, Greater Manchester
Winter wildfowl walk, Norfolk
Walk with a ranger around Ferry Meadows Country Park, Cambridgeshire
West India Docks guided walk, London

3. Cycle more
Not only is cycling fantastic exercise, it’s also an environmentally-friendly mode of transport. If you can start cycling to work, you should begin to feel the benefits in no time. However, not everyone has a commute that they can do on two wheels – some people prefer a bike ride in their leisure hours. Why not try one of Waterscape’s cycling routes by the canals and rivers?
Here are some of our most recently added routes:
Forest Park to Westport Lake, Staffordshire
Great Barr to Stafford Circular, West Midlands

4. Train for a running event
Going for a run along the towpath is a popular way to get fit, but if you are worried about losing motivation as you get further into the new year, why not give yourself something to aim for? Sign up for an event, such as the Lakeside canal run in Surrey, and you will have an extra incentive to keep training hard.

5. Take up canoeing
For something a little bit different, consider taking up canoeing – it’s great exercise, and it gives you the chance to see our canals and rivers from a whole new perspective. Find out more.

Last updated: 06/01/2011

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