Need to exercise but hate gyms? Then go green!
26/04/2007
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Most of us are aware of the health benefits of regular exercise, especially in our sedentary modern society. And for those over 50, exercise is even more important in avoiding all kinds of health problems - especially high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stokes. The problem is: how can you find an enjoyable
exercise routine that doesn't involve going to a gym? Well, you can, by joining a local "Green Gym" - physical activity through gardening and local environment improvement.
Endorsed by local health services, including doctors and nurses who recommend people to take part in a Green Gym, participants plant trees, grow food on allotments and create nature areas. Currently there are over 80 Green Gyms in the UK run entirely by volunteers, and you can join in for a minimum of three hours a week throughout the year.
And the benefits of joining Green Gym are not just physical. According to a National Evaluation began in 2003, Green Gyms are good for emotional and mental well-being, and offer a great deal of help for traditionally excluded groups, such as the unemployed, the disabled,
the elderly and the isolated.
In the words of one Green Gym participant: “Since becoming disabled I have been looking for a way to contribute toward the community, with the Green Gym I have been able to do this and help the environment as well - two for the price of one”
Green Gyms were developed by a Dr. William Bird in 1997 as part of the British Trust of Conservation Volunteers - now known simply as BCTV - a charity established in 1959, with a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout the UK and around the world. Each Green Gym project is established by a local partnership involving BTCV, the local authority (local council), local health service and other community and voluntary organisations.
Most are initially organised and managed by a BTCV ‘Project Officer', whose role is to facilitate local community involvement and provide training, support and guidance to community members, with the expectation that after 2 years the group will be self-directed by local volunteers. BTCV has just launched a ‘School Green Gym’, where children who don’t take enough exercise, including overweight children, can take part in the Gym as an after-school club or physical education lesson.
To find out more information write to BTCV, Sedum House, Mallard Way, Potteric Carr, Doncaster, DN4 8DB,Tel: 01302 388 888, or visit the website linked below.