Fitness Activities

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Speaker 1: When I left college, I got an office job and now I'm pretty much sitting at a desk all day. So I joined a local gym and began to feel much fitter, but I started to get bored of the routine. Then I heard about the free swimming society that encourages people to get back to the joy of swimming under an open sky, as they say. Well, I grew up in a village and as kids we used to swim in the local river so I decided to join. And now I'm a regular wild swimmer. Swimming is fantastic exercise, but the best thing is connecting with nature again. It makes you feel so energised and joyful.

Speaker 2: I've always been a sporty person, and I'm quite attracted to extreme sports. I'd done traditional parachute jumping, but I felt I wanted to push myself and try something that was potentially more risky. So, I decided to move on to skydiving. That's when you go into freefall before opening the parachute. The first time was probably the most nerve- wracking experience I've ever had. We went up to 10,000 feet before the instructor opened the plane door, but then it felt so good in freefall. I enjoyed it so much I started training for my license. It's expensive, but it's worth every penny for the sheer exhilaration. It's the ultimate high. Everyone should try it.

Speaker 3: When I was growing up girls weren't expected to play football but I used to kick a ball around with my brothers and I fell in love with the game. They inspired me to join the school team. Being a young female footballer was tough and I got lots of sarcastic comments from the boys. It was the 2012 Olympic Games in London that really altered people's preconceptions about women's football. Before I never told people I was a footballer. Now I love saying it. Playing football professionally involves sacrifice but you can't imagine how great you feel when you've played really well and you win. I'd encourage more girls to believe football is something for them to enjoy.

Speaker 4: I decided to take up running to get fit, and I enjoyed it, but if you're just running for the sake of it, it's easy to get discouraged and give up. I thought having a goal to work towards would help, so I decided I would run the London Marathon and fundraise for charity. I got a charity place for a children's organisation, and that encouraged me to continue my training, even when the weather was awful. On race day, you're part of a team, and there's a great sense of comradeship. What's truly rewarding when you run for charity is knowing you're helping real people and changing lives. Now, I'm training for my fourth marathon.

Speaker 5: When I was 16, I developed back problems, which meant I couldn't take part in sports or physical activities at school, and I started to feel quite depressed. The physiotherapist recommended taking up yoga classes to help strengthen my back muscles. With a good teacher, yoga is a safe way to increase physical activity, and doing it regularly helps you get in tune with your body and develop your physical strength. But it doesn't just boost your physical well-being. When I started, I just wanted to get stronger, but actually, it's helped me to learn more about myself and my feelings, and as a result, I've achieved a much more positive outlook on life. It changed my life.