I wrote this article for the Bring Back the Stats! Facebook group. To reach a wider audience, I would also like to share it via my Blog page.

Since reading the report of the meeting attended by Will Hartley, Mary Taylor and Alexander Smotrov, I've been mulling over the comments made by Paul Sinton-Hewitt (parkrun founder) and Russ Jeffreys (parkrun CEO), and come up with these thoughts, which I would like to share in this forum.

Until the removal of the stats, I felt that parkrun was very successful at being all things to all people.

Imagine being voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Well, if you’re Sir Lewis Hamilton or Sir Andy Murray, then that kind of thing happens to you, but if you run your local parkrun or go out on your bike for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning, then you probably won’t get that kind of nationwide recognition for all your effort.

Your running, cycling or whatever your chosen method of exercise is, just isn’t going to draw the mass attention required to win Sports Personality of the Year. But, from your point of view, you should regard your own exercise as being more important than that of all the elite performers.

You may, like me, be planning to vote for a top sportsperson this evening, someone who has achieved something phenomenal this year, but as impressed as I might be by their performance, it is far more important to me that I have been out there taking exercise at my own level throughout the year. After all, Sir Lewis and Sir Andy can’t do my push-ups for me, I have to move my own body if I want to use exercise as a means of protecting my own health.

I’ve had a few interesting conversations recently with people that have read Find Time for Exercise. When I’ve asked them for feedback, most of them have commented on how much they enjoyed the interviews with real-life people.

Reading stories from individuals they can relate to seems to have really hit the spot with my readers. This is great feedback because I wanted to include this middle section in the book when I started to write it but wasn’t sure if I could make it work. From what I’m hearing now, it has not only worked, but is proving to be very popular.

I’m deeply passionate about the subject of the book and spend a lot of time thinking about the issues and ideas that it raises. Having analysed why I think the section on “Other People and Their Challenges” has worked so well, I have come up with the conclusion that it appeals on three levels. It is a well-balanced mixture of being Emotional, Educational and Entertaining. The three E’s. That’s it.

I have often said that there is a line in the book, somewhere, that will leap out and grab any individual reading it. It will be a different line for every reader, but there is at least one line in there somewhere that will make you stop, think, mark the page and, hopefully, act upon it.

Ten Year Exercise Streak

12 Apr

Three Top Tips for Maintaining a Daily Exercise Challenge

On March 24th, my unbroken exercise streak reached the ten-year mark. That means I made an active journey of at least five kilometres, every single day, for ten years.

An active journey for me can be walking, running, cycling, canoeing, kayaking or skiing. Every single day, without fail, I manage to shift my body at least five kilometres by one of those modes of travel.

I am confident in my belief that these journeys are good for my physical and mental well-being.

The day before I reached the ten-year mark, I was asked what my secret was in terms of keeping the streak going. My response was that I have three key tips, and those tips are the subject of this blog article. So here goes:

When I started my exercise streak on 25th March 2013, I had no idea that it would still be going, unbroken, ten years later.

As well as enjoying the daily journeys and gaining a whole load of health benefits from them, I’ve learned a lot from taking all that exercise during those ten years and from the experience of writing a book that was inspired by my exercise streak. This article is about some of those lessons learned.

Although I’ve always been active, I had been stuck in a rut where I was being incredibly active on, typically, three days a week, but becoming increasingly sedentary on the other four. If I was training for some event or an expedition, I could increase the amount of exercise I was taking, but if there was nothing special to aim for, then I sometimes found myself drifting into the danger area of thinking, ‘I’ll go for a run in two days’ time’ and having one, two or even three consecutive days with no exercise at all. That wasn’t good, and it wasn’t the lifestyle I wanted.

Since starting out on this unbroken exercise streak, I’ve learned three main points that keep me going and leaving the house every single day for some much-needed physical exercise.

It’s late February and for many people, New Year’s Resolutions are probably just a distant memory by now.

Sadly, for many people, those good intentions on January 1st were lost in the chaos and reality of life by January 15th, let alone February 15th.

February 28th may seem like a strange date to raise this subject, but that’s because I believe that a date in spring, like March 1st, for example, is a much better time for setting a new course or making a new change in life.

First, though, I want to look at what I think are the three main reasons why new year resolutions fail, and I’m particularly interested in those resolutions that involved taking more exercise.

Imagine being voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Well, if you’re Sir Lewis Hamilton or Sir Andy Murray, then that kind of thing happens to you, but if you run your local parkrun or go out on your bike for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning, then you probably won’t get that kind of nationwide recognition for all your effort.

Your running, cycling or whatever your chosen method of exercise is, just isn’t going to draw the mass attention required to win Sports Personality of the Year. But, from your point of view, you should regard your own exercise as being more important than that of all the elite performers.

You may, like me, be planning to vote for a top athlete on Wednesday evening, someone who has achieved something phenomenal this year, but as impressed as I might be by their performance, it is far more important to me that I have been out there taking exercise at my own level throughout the year. After all, Sir Lewis and Sir Andy can’t do my push-ups for me, I have to move my own body if I want to use exercise as a means of protecting my own health.

With the clocks turned back and dark evenings stretching ahead for the next four months, here are three top tips that should help you in your quest to stay active through those cold, dark and often stormy months of November, December, January and February.

Taking exercise in the summer is relatively easy and relaxed. You can be busy all through the evening and still go out for a walk after 9.00 p.m. and arrive home in daylight. If cycling is your activity of choice, then you don’t need to worry about lights when it’s still light well into the evening. Just finish your work and family or household tasks, then pop out for a ride at 7.00, 8.00 or 9.00 p.m.

However, as soon as we hit the end of October and the clocks go back, it all becomes a very different ball game. For those who have been active, even if only moderately active, during the summer months, staying active over winter requires a bit more thought and determination. This article will hopefully help you with that thinking process and maybe motivate you to develop the necessary determination.

“GPs to prescribe cycling lessons for unfit.” That headline leapt out at me last week when I saw the front cover of the Yorkshire Post newspaper.

It was encouraging to read such a positive article announcing a new initiative aimed at improving active travel infrastructure and the promotion of social prescribing in our NHS.

The quote from Chris Boardman, commissioner of National Active Travel, was of particular interest and summed up the need for this kind of initiative:

“As a nation, we need healthier, cheaper and more pleasant ways to get around for everyday trips.

“Moving more will lead to a healthier nation, a reduced burden on the NHS, less cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as huge cost savings.

“This trial aims to build on existing evidence to show how bringing transport, active travel and health together can make a positive impact on communities across England.”

I would go along with every word that Chris says, and that is very much part of the message that I’ve tried to communicate in Find Time for Exercise.

The good news in this article was, sadly, somewhat diluted by two other parts of the paper on Monday August 22nd.

As we hurtle towards September, close our curtains a bit earlier each evening and take note of who is going to be appearing on Strictly, it is time to enjoy the latter part of summer and make a few plans for the autumn. After all, the autumn months are there to be enjoyed and they also provide a great opportunity to prepare ourselves for the inevitable onset of winter.

The point I’m wanting to raise in this article is that it is easier to start an exercise challenge in September or October, then keep it going, than it is to start in January. It’s not impossible to start in January, many people do, but it is easier to make that start when there is a bit more light and a bit more warmth in the air.

“Woman Saves Pigeon From Gull”

That was the headline on a newspaper hoarding outside my local newsagent on Sunday morning.

The thought that instantly crossed my mind was that we have climate change, plastic pollution, Covid, Russians destroying Ukraine, avian flu and the physical inactivity crisis, yet some news editor seems to think that a story about someone interfering in a battle between two birds is going to sell newspapers.

I felt disappointed and frustrated that serious issues like the dangers associated with sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity seem unable rise above the kind of non-stories that make it into our headlines.

But the human body is crying out for movement. When it comes to exercise, just let us move and cut out the taxes and regulations.

I just read two online articles that had contrasting messages. The information within these articles got me thinking and has led to me writing this blog post.

First of all, I read the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour Report 2017. A Line in the Foreword grabbed my attention, because it was a referring to an issue that I feel passionately about and which I highlight in Find Time for Exercise.

Here is that line: “Making physical activity easier and more accessible for all is of paramount importance if we are to reduce the burden of inactivity-related ill health and improve the future cardiovascular health of our population”.

After popping up on my Twitter feed, the second article I read was depressing and in stark contrast to that line from the BHF report. All parkrun events in France have been suspended due to the French authorities requiring everyone participating in sporting events to hold a medical certificate.

Are the kids having more fun than you?

If you’re not following their lead and walking the Daily Mile, then I would argue that the kids probably are ahead of you when it comes to having fun.

The introduction of the Daily Mile into the daily schedule of schools around the world has established a much-needed element of fun and movement into the lives of hundreds of thousands of pupils. This is providing a fantastic range of health benefits such as increased fitness levels and reduction in obesity.

The idea is simple, just walk (or run) a mile every day. I believe it is that simplicity that is leading to its huge impact. Indeed, there are now examples of workplaces and universities that are setting up their own adult versions of the Daily Mile.

The purpose of this article is to encourage readers to adopt their own challenge based on the Daily Mile. If walking a mile every day would lead to you taking more exercise than you do right now, then it is highly likely that the extra exercise will provide you with some level of health benefits.

6th April 2022. It’s World Physical Activity Day today.

You’re probably wondering what that is.

Pure and simple, it is an awareness raising day.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my sleep over the last few days. The two main reasons for this are, a series of recent nights where I had very poor sleep, followed by watching the BBC Horizon programme last Thursday evening with Dr Michael Mosely highlighting the importance of a good night’s sleep.

My book, Find Time for Exercise, focuses on the benefits of regular exercise, but in chapter 25 I emphasise my belief that a healthy lifestyle has five key elements that I remember with the mnemonic SHEDS.

SHEDS stands for Sleep – Hydration – Exercise – Diet – Stretching.

My unbroken exercise streak began on 25th March 2013, so today marks the completion of the ninth year of a personal challenge to make an active journey of at least five kilometres every single day. Tomorrow will be the start of my tenth lap of the calendar.

In recent weeks I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the benefits I’m gaining from the regular exercise I take and where there might be lessons for others, even for those that are far less active than I am, and for that matter, even for those that are far more active than me.

After months of darkness, the light is making a welcome return. Spring is here and it feels good.

As I build exercise into every single day, the return of daylight makes a big difference to my plans for getting outside for a run, walk or cycle ride. As we turn the corner into March each year, I look forward to all those outdoor journeys in natural light over the next eight months or so.

I am not retired, and I can assure you, it is nowhere near my radar.

That said, I keep seeing people who used to be in my year at school, whose Facebook profiles have their job title down as “Retired”.

It doesn’t seem the proverbial five minutes since I was playing football, basketball and cricket with some of them. I also fondly remember us all chasing round the local muddy fields in school cross country races. Those were the days.

Me: Do you want more bang for your buck when you go out for a walk?

Simon: Bang, buck, walk. How?

Me: Walk uphill.

I’m a keen supporter of walking for health. We should all be getting out to walk, doing it more often and walking further. Walking is great exercise.

But if we want to gain even more benefits from it, and pack those benefits into the limited time we sometimes have, then a great way of multiplying those positive impacts is to walk up a slope.

The biggest change the Covid pandemic has brought to the lives of many working people has been the need to work from home.

Working from home, or #WFH as it is often referred to on social media, is something that millions of people were thrown into through necessity. Yet, 22 months after first being told to set up a work desk in our own homes, lots of us are still doing it and look like doing it well into the future.