Okay I admit it, like many people at the start of the New Year I decided that it was time to get out and about more and become fitter. I’m sure many people go through the same process every single year; they look back at the previous 12 months and decide that there was something that they should have done more off during the year, and therefore start to formulate a series of New Year’s resolutions that typically won’t really last longer than the first two months of the year.
Perhaps I’m being cynical, maybe all of those people stick to their New Year’s resolutions and become fitter, healthier and more active people every year, but somehow I doubt it.
With that in mind and cautious about setting a New Year’s resolution that might prove hard to stick with I decided to short list a few activities that I’d heard about and fancied trying but for whatever reason never really got round to doing.
Top of the list was spending more time outdoors. Each day I tend to spend about seven hours in front of my computer and I’m acutely aware that this is no good for my health and well-being. It’s symptomatic of modern times and a necessary evil as part of the work that I do, having said that I’m also aware that it has left me decidedly removed from activities and places that I used to love.
Being based in the South-East of England there are several options available to me should I want to (and I really do) enjoy more of the outdoors. One place that’s always held a special place in my heart is the South Downs Way, a stunning series of hills that stretch for many miles through parts of Hampshire, Surrey, and the south-east to rectify do be sure. Each weekend the South Downs Way attracts a huge number of visiting tourists and locals who enjoy the sights and sounds, not to mention the stunning views across the South-East of England.
So last weekend I went for a lovely long walk with my partner along the South Downs Way, the serenity and tranquillity was awe-inspiring and reminded me of what I had been missing.
The next place on my list is the New Forest, one of the oldest forests in the UK it was where I grew up and I have incredibly fond memories of going for walks with my father in the forest. But rather than go for long walks I want to do something a little bit more active and have been looking for things to do in the New Forest for some time. Fortunately during my online searching I came across company that offered a whole host of outdoor activities in the New Forest, primarily based on the Beaulieu Estate (their name is New Forest Activities).
After a little searching around their website I decided that I would like to try laser paintball (I think they call it laser tag) and if I do I’ll be sure to post up a review on this site in due course. It looks like a really nice combination of adrenaline fuelled fun, but without the harm and mess associated with paintball, which sounds ideal.
Ultimately as I mentioned at the start of this blog post for me this year is all about getting outdoors and I fully intend to make use of the stunning countryside around me, and if you have a New Year’s resolution along the same lines I’d suggest you give the south-east of England a try.