Nidderdale adventure facility says head outdoors to improve mental health

How Stean Gorge is urging people to head outdoors in an effort to improve mental health.

The advice comes ahead of  World Mental Health Day, which takes place across the globe on Monday.

The Nidderdale visitor attraction, carved out over thousands of years by waterflow, features an 80ft-deep chasm and underground cave network.

Recently, it has welcomed yoga and wild swimming to its outdoor activities, which include rock climbing, canoeing, abseiling, caving and gorge scrambling.

Above the gorge it also boasts the only Via Ferrata – a series of high wire and zip wires– in Yorkshire; one of just three in the UK.

Tony Liddy, director of How Stean Gorge, in Lofthouse, said:

“It’s proven that children and adults who spend more time in nature are healthier, happier and more resilient. It may be clichéd but it’s proven that nature does have healing qualities, it is our Natural Health Service.”

Studies show being in nature helps to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.

Mr Liddy said:

“We’re becoming a bit of a hot spot for natural detoxing, offering a complete escape. Our upcoming Springtime Cleanse will include yoga, wild swimming and gorge walking, whilst our Flow Back to Nature Weekend Retreat offers yoga, Stand Up Paddleboarding and bushcraft. The perfect antidote to stressful, hectic lives.”

Some experts are urging cold water outdoor swimming to be adopted as a public health measure, as it’s proven to help reduce inflammation, which is linked to health issues ranging from heart disease to depression.

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Outdoor activities generally can advance motor skills, lower body mass index, improve muscle strength and generally boost overall health. Mentally, outdoor challenges can improve self-confidence, independence and self-esteem.

Mr Liddy said:

“Taking on physical challenges has huge mental health benefits. Our team of trained adventure instructors encourage visitors of all ages and skill-levels to take the opportunity to push themselves, mentally and physically. It boosts confidence, helps you overcome fears, and is a fantastic stress-buster. Ultimately, it’s about having fun.”

Other proven benefits include better resilience, being present in the moment, boosting creativity and problem solving.

The gorge has recently undergone a major face-lift, expanding its 20-pitch campsite and installing six new eco-friendly chalets with hot tubs and wood burning stoves.

Mr Liddy added:

“We’ve transformed the site with our ambitious expansion plans to cater to the huge demand for adventure tourism. We want to showcase nature’s stunning playground in this unique gorge that has existed for ten thousand years, since the last Ice Age.”

Graded as a triple Site of Special Scientific Interest, the gorge hosts geological formations, features bats hanging from its caves and fossils frozen in its limestone.

Home training, wearable tech and the great outdoors: Fitness trends for 2022

When it comes to fitness, it’s time to ditch those over-ambitious New Year’s resolutions, because at the end of the day it’s all about doing what you enjoy and staying consistent if you want to hit those goals.

However, there will always be fads – remember those trainers that claimed to give you Kim Kardashian glutes and those belts that gave you an electric shock?

But what have we got in store for 2022?

Two Harrogate personal trainers give their views on what fitness trends we will see in the New Year.

Lauren Randall 

PT Lauren Randall

Home training

You can see great results from callisthenic (body weight) training and using simple exercise kit at home. To see good results, you want to follow a plan that progressively overloads you. Doing random High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts will help your cardio to a certain level, but if your aim is long-term home training and progression, get yourself a structured plan.

3 Simple Home Kit Essentials:

Fitbit fanatic

Wearable fitness trackers have been huge for a while and they are great for getting people moving and increasing that daily step count. Incredible upgrades can now help track heart rates, split times, sleep, health markers and recovery like never before!

However, focusing on how many calories are burnt in a session is an ineffective method of progressing your strength and fitness. Not only can these trackers be inaccurate, exercise is about so much more than a number on a watch.

Mental and physical health, energy, confidence, performance and getting out of a chair at 99-years-old are all far more motivating long-term.

The great outdoors

Research shows that fresh air, sunlight and being surrounded by green nature has incredible benefits to our health such as lowered blood pressure, reduced stress, improved mood and healthier nervous systems. Working out in the fresh air leaves you feeling invigorated and energised. Yes even in the rain! Cold water exposure is extremely popular, with outdoor swimming and paddle boarding groups popping up in every town. Check out Wim Hof if you want to learn the crazy effects cold water can have on us.

Now more than ever people are conscious of their health and fitness. There is incredible access to all types of gyms, outdoor training centres, great home kit and technology that can help anyone, anywhere.

My top tip for anyone looking to improve their health this year: Do what you enjoy! It is the best way to remain consistent and have a good time while exercising – even if it is weighted hula hooping, which by the way won’t give you toned abs.

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Louise Roberts 

PT Louise Roberts

What does fitness have in store for us in 2022?

Much as I would love an aerobics revival (who didn’t love that in the 90s?!), I doubt that will happen any time soon.

2020 and 2021 were both equally bleak, yet innovative, years for the fitness industry.

I’ve lost clients to Peleton and other app-based classes and trainers, yet gained Zoom clients elsewhere in the country.

The best thing going forward is that people are now prioritising their health.

In my opinion fitness is not something you can churn out in an app like a sausage factory, people appreciate the personalised customised face-to-face approach.

I’m hoping for no more lockdowns or outdoor workouts. It’s too damned cold.

The main trend for 2022 should be finding the thing you love doing the most, as well as the person to train you that you trust and who motivates you. The stronger you can make yourself by training the right way, the better you can fight and recover from illness.

Training and wellbeing tips to keep you going through winter

Even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts can have a tough time in winter.

Cold days and long nights make it hard to get out of bed, let alone get the body moving, but there are some simple ways to stay motivated and train smart when the cold weather hits.

Personal trainer Liv Metcalfe is a coach at F45 Training Harrogate and is also assistant manager at the town’s Sweaty Betty branch.
She said:
“The goal is to remove as many obstacles as possible and make small changes that can make staying active easier until the warmer weather returns. At this time of year, exercise can also help to cope with seasonal depression.”

Here are Liv’s top training and wellbeing tips to keep you going in winter:

1. Layer up

When you train outside in cold weather, it’s really important to wear the correct clothing to stop you overheating or getting too cold.

We aren’t always great at dressing for the weather when it comes to training in this country. If you are too cold your muscles will seize up and you can injure yourself, but then if you get too warm that obviously isn’t great either.

So for example if you go running, I would recommend breaking it down to a fitted base-layer. Then you want a nice cosy mid-layer, which you want to be still quite fitted so it locks in the heat, but is still breathable. Then finally you want an outer-layer, which is water resistant but still light and breathable. You can then take it off if you are too hot and put it back on when you get cold. Layering is essential.

2. Stay safe

Wear reflective or bright coloured clothing when you train in the dark. Don’t wear black. Even just a hint of brightness would be better than a dark colour. For example wear a hat or headband that would stand out. Or gloves and trainers which are reflective.

3. Keep nourishing your body

It’s so easy in winter, with the dark, cold nights and mornings to just stuff your face with any old rubbish. But try nourish and fuel your body as much as possible. So for example go for something warming that will keep you full for longer, like porridge or overnight oats.

Also make sure you get your Vitamin D in, which we get from sunlight and obviously lack in this country in the winter months. So this could be in a supplement or from another source of food or drink. Also remember to stay hydrated, which can be easy to forget when the weather is colder.

4. Keep moving

In winter it’s so easy just to hibernate and think oh I’ll just wait for summer. But the best thing you can do for your health – both physically and mentally – is to keep on moving.

So when it’s cold, layer up, get yourself outside. Fresh air is always good for you no matter what the weather is like. Go for a run or a walk – even just 20 minutes will do you the world of good. You don’t have to exercise for hours, even if you just do 10 minutes of something, it’s better than just vegging out on the sofa in front of Netflix. It’s 10 minutes more than you would have done and once you have, I guarantee you will feel better as a result.

5. Make time for you

In winter it can feel harder to fit in training. It is often a busy time of year in the run-up to Christmas and life can get a bit crazy. Your exercise regime can soon end up being put to the back of the queue. When you get home after a busy day at work and it’s dark and cold, it’s difficult to motivate yourself. Equally it’s tougher getting out of bed on dark mornings.

But then we aren’t necessarily doing the things that make us feel good. So it’s about making sure you still make some time to prioritise yourself.

Don’t be afraid to take some time to step back from training if you need to, but use your time wisely.

Even if you don’t feel like training, rather than just getting home and binging on chocolate in front of the TV, get your coat on, get warm and go outside and see your friends for a hot chocolate instead. Make that time for you.

Liv’s top 3 Sweaty Betty winter picks for outdoor training

1. Glisten Seamless Long Sleeve Top

In winter it’s all about layers and I love this top. It keeps you warm but it’s still breathable. It’s made from natural bamboo and it has antibacterial properties so you don’t smell sweaty after you train.

2. Pathfinder Packable Gilet

I like it because it’s very lightweight but still warm – made with recycled feather down – and you can pack it away. It comes with a little bag, like a bumbag, so you can roll it up. You obviously can’t tie it around your waist if you get too hot while you’re out running, but you can put it in the little bag. Perfect for that layering!

3. Power Boost Reflective Workout Zip Through and Power High-Waisted Reflective Gym Leggings

They are breathable and have sweat-wicking, as well as being made with four-way stretch fabric. So they are fitted and still give you shape, but you can move really freely. What I really like about them is they are reflective. So there is that safety aspect for the darker nights.

 

WATCH: Harrogate gymnasts set up outdoor gym

Harrogate Gymnastics Club, led by head coach Chloe Carey, is “excited to be back” after over three months off.

Since closing the gym doors on March 18, the gymnasts have been taking part in online sessions and competitions via zoom. However, they are now able to train in small groups and have set up an ‘outdoor gym’ in order to keep practicing.

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The gymnasts videoed all compete at national level but have unfortunately missed out on this year’s competition due to coronavirus.

The gymnasts train in small groups and are socially distant at all times.

However, the girls are now determined than ever to get their training in as they wait for the go ahead on future competitions.