GET DOWN TO THE BEACH

24 COMPASSMAGAZINE.CO.UK
HE ALTH MAT TERS
ABOVE: The beach can make your yoga all the more relaxing
G E T D OWN TO
T H E B E AC H
With the sun coming out it’s time to exercise outdoors — and what better place
than on the beach asks our health expert, Abi Butcher
B
ABOVE: Head for the great outdoors this spring
ournemouth’s sandy beach,
seven miles long, is a haven
for fitness and bootcamps,
which are running
throughout the summer.
“Working out on the beach, in such
beautiful surroundings, is always motivating
— even when it rains it is exhilarating,” says
Kate Bennett, who runs Women’s Beach
Fitness with Natalie Danvers.
“Training on the sand is really good for
the body — it’s much harder and you’re
working muscles you wouldn’t
normally use.”
Women’s Beach Fitness (facebook.com/
womensbeachfitness) runs classes early in
the morning and after work at on Alum
Chine and at Southbourne from
Wednesdays to Saturdays, covering a huge
range of exercises from boxing to circuits to
hill sprints.
The nationwide British Military Fitness
(britmilfit.com) runs classes on the beach on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, at the
HEALTH
EXERCISE OF THE MONTH by julietmccarthypilates.com
BUTT BURNER (SINGLE/DOUBLE LEG LIFT)
WHY - Because the glutes (buttock muscles) get very lazy and weak and no one wants a saggy bum! A little known fact is
that an enormous percentage of back problems can be linked to weak, inactive glutes.
HOW - Lying face down, start with your knees apart and at hip width. Start by lifting one leg at a time, taking your thigh off
the floor as if you are going to put a footprint on the ceiling. Squeeze the buttock of the lifting leg, breathing out to lift and
in to lower.
INCREASE THE CHALLENGE - Progress to taking knees wide and feet together (shown below) into a frog squat and try to lift
both thighs off the floor at the same time. Watch that both hip bones stay on the ground so you don’t rock from side to side.
Keep your abdominals and glutes engaged to protect your lower back. Try to keep shoulders relaxed and down.
WHEN - daily to really get to work on those buttocks.
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HEALTH
SHORTS
TRAINING HARD AND NOT
YET OVER THE HILL?
A range of sports nutrition has been
launched specifically designed to
deliver a “performance edge” to
endurance athletes aged 35 and over.
The range, which includes prepare,
endure and recover drinks to be taken
before, during and after training, is
made of a variety of blended
carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and
minerals tailored specifically for
older athletes.
Available in 900g tubs and single serve
dilute-to-taste sachets, the drinks
contain a more complex blend of
carbohydrates for sustained energy
release than generalised sports drinks,
and they contain more protein to ensure
effective recovery. Elivar.com
BOURNEMOUTH PIER TO PIER SWIM
Entries are now open for the biggest
charity swim in Europe. The 1.4-mile
annual swim from Bournemouth to
Boscombe Piers in aid of the British
Heart Foundation, will take place on
Sunday 13 July. Registration costs £20
for adults and £10 for children aged
14 to 16 years, and includes
fundraising support, extensive training
guidance, swim hat and wristband and a
medal for all finishers!
To enter, and for more information,
visit bhf.org.uk
SUN AWARENESS WEEK STARTS
ON MAY 5
bottom of the East Cliff zig-zag path, 300m
east of Bournemouth Pier.
In Southbourne, Body in Motion is
running weekly beach boot camp circuitstyle training from Cafe Riva at 6.30-7.30pm
every Wednesday. The group may add a
second class from 7.30pm-8.30pm during
the summer depending on demand.
If you’re looking for something more
calming, there’s also yoga. Classes take place
near Boscombe Pier with Frank Markham
(holisticbodytraining.co.uk), every Tuesday
and Wednesday evening (6-7pm) and Friday
mornings from 7-8am.
“The beach is the ideal place to practice
yoga,” says Frank. “The fresh clean air,
gathering energy from the sea as you stretch
and revitalize the body, listening to the birds
in the background and the gentle lapping of
the waves on the shore, help you start the day
relaxed, calm and with a smile.”
He adds: “Yoga on the beach is suited to
all - beginners and experienced alike, and
you are never to old to start.”
Organised by the British Association of
Dermatologists (BAD), the week aims to
raise awareness of skin cancer and
exposure to the sun, focussing on the
importance of regularly self-examining
yourself to check for skin cancer and
teaching people about the dangers of
sunburn and excessive tanning —
particularly on sunbeds.
The BAD has created a World UV app in
partnership with the Met Office to
provide free daily UV forecasts for more
than 10,000 locations. The free app is
available for iPhone and smart phones,
allowing users to see what the peak UV
is virtually anywhere in the world, and to
give handy advice (according to your
skin type), on the type of sun protection
needed. It will also help users to better
understand what type of skin they have
and how well it copes with the sun.