NEW YEAR YOGA AND FITNESS TRENDS

NEW YEAR FITNESS

For some time, my friend has been trying to get me to join a women’s netball team. We played netball together at school and I used to love it, but since I’ve had a family and started working full-time, I’ve hardly exercised. Your article ‘Net gains’ (February issue) reminded me not only how much fun netball is, but what good exercise it is.

If you enjoyed netball at school, . why not take it up again?

Your article also highlighted the fact that those who are physically active, including those who play team sports, have a reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, depression and low-self esteem. It gets you out of the house and away from screens. Thank you for the nudge in the right direction – I’ve now enrolled and my teenage daughter is joining too.

NEW YEAR YOGA AND FITNESS TRENDS Photo Gallery

Gillian Hollands, Hertfordshire

FINDING REFUGE

What a brilliant and informative feature ‘Create your own Retreat’ was (February issue). It’s an irony of our modern lives that, while technology is supposed to save us time, we use that time to do more and more things, and so our lives are more fast-paced and hectic than ever.

But your article reminded me that it doesn’t have to be this way. I’m going to slow down to enjoy life. Many of us look forward to our weekend, but what do we actually do when it arrives and does it revitalise us? I can now have my own mini retreat if I follow your advice. It’s about chilling out, relaxing, creating a space in which I can experience a little bit of peace in what can be, for many of us, a stressful life; and nurturing myself, body and soul.

Hazel Byron, Merseyside

KITCHEN INSPO

I loved the My Life in a Day article about Ceri Jones, the Natural Chef (February issue). I like how she cooks with seasonal foods, choosing organic and local foods where possible. She puts vegetables at the centre of the meal, which is such an easy way of eating healthily. And her advice to eat in moderation is a noble goal. I admire Ceri immensely for what she has achieved in the kitchen and for inspiring others. Keep up the good work, Ceri.

Shona Lloyd, Rhewl, North Wales

CLARIFICATION

In our article, ‘So you want to be a PT?’ in our February issue, we advised you to look for a personal training course that’s accredited by CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity; cimspa.co.uk) to give you a recognised professional qualification, and stated that CIMSPA has taken over from REPS (Register of Exercise Professionals; exerciseregister.org). We’ve since been informed by REPS that this is not the case.

Look out for our update in a forthcoming issue.