1Life Blog

Whether you’ve just completed the London Marathon or another epic 24.2-mile race – well done.  What an achievement, we applaud you. Having spent months carefully building up your running distance and eating the right foods to fuel your body it is easy to forget about how you should appropriately recover from running a marathon.  Unfortunately, this is true of many runners but recovery after a gruelling marathon is just as important as the training itself and is often the most undervalued part.

Exercise in almost any form has been proven, time and time again, to be an effective stress-reliever.  Not only does being active boost your feel-good hormones, it also acts as a great distraction from day-to-day worries.  If life is getting a bit hectic and it’s leaving you feeling a bit frazzled why not get moving in a bid to manage stress.

With spring now in the air our thoughts often turn to the fact that summer is just around the corner; and if you’ve booked your summer holiday you might be feeling sheepish when it comes to dusting down the beachwear.  

Setting yourself a challenge can be a great way to motivate yourself, improve your performance in the pool and gain a sense of accomplishment while having fun along the way.

Whether you’ve just learnt to swim or are a competitive swimmer, everyone can benefit from setting themselves challenges which will push your boundaries both physically and mentally.

Get motivated

Sometimes, it’s hard to get into gear, or perhaps you’ve lost your way a bit with swimming, and you’ve fallen into the same old routine of swimming for half an hour or completing so many lengths each session. Do you leave the pool wondering if you could have given a little bit more or pushed yourself that bit harder? If this is you, then a challenge could be just what you need to shake up your watery workouts.  

Your body goes through major changes during and after pregnancy so it’s understandable that during this time you will need to make some changes to your current training programme.  

Swimming might seem like a low-tech sport. What more can you need apart from your swimwear and some goggles, right?  Wrong, there a whole host of gadgets and equipment that can make your pool time not only more effective but also more fun.

Here we’ve done a round-up of some of the must-have gadgets to elevate your workout in the water.  

In theory, running might seem simple enough, but it can be a tough new exercise form to crack, especially if you are an absolute beginner. Don’t let this put you off though, as there are endless benefits to running regularly, whether your goal is to get fit or lose weight.

These days, extreme fitness challenges are all the rage, taking us back to a more primitive form of exercise, as we run, leap, hurdle and sometimes swim our way through challenges set in the great outdoors. These offer true tests of strength, endurance and mind over body for people searching for that next big experience. From tackling a Tough Mudder, a gruelling 10-mile obstacle course, to conquering Race to the King, a double-marathon in the Sussex Downs, there is something for everyone to try.