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FOOTBALL Played competitively or just for fun, football keeps you fi t and brings you the health benefi ts of other aerobic activities as well as some strengthening work. It’s one of the country’s most enduringly popular sports with all ages – and the women’s game goes from strength to strength. It can be played in amateur or professional teams or casually in the park. • Visit thefa.com; kentfa.com


BOWLS Primarily


played by older people, bowls has numerous benefi ts both on physical and social levels. Not only does it improve fi tness,


coordination and the maintenance of key cognitive skills, it’s great for building confi dence and self-esteem, enhancing mental wellbeing and fostering feelings of community and support. • Visit bowlsengland.com; kentbowls.com


BADMINTON Some 850,000 over-16s play badminton once a year and 300,000 – of all ages – pick-up a racquet on a casual basis annually. Great for improving agility and refl exes, it’s inexpensive and highly sociable with several health benefi ts. If you fancy having a go but need some company, leagues run by local clubs are a great way to buddy-up. • Visit badmintonengland.co.uk; kentbadminton.co.uk


THE GYM For the uninitiated, gyms can be scary places full of sweat-dripping, Lycra- clad bodies pounding treadmills, grunting over the weights bench or performing perfectly honed moves. Don’t let that deter you – pick the right one with the right staff and philosophy and they can be fun, supportive and highly sociable. The golden rule is not to be afraid to


try different things on route to fi nding an activity you’ll actually look forward to doing. • Visit sencio.org.uk; tmactive.co.uk


EXERCISE Exercise can take myriad forms from walking to the current wave of exercise classes like Orange Theory (orangetheoryfi tness.com) that provide a high intensity workout in a group setting and in which you see your efforts displayed on a screen via the wearing of heart rate monitors. If this sounds a little excessive, then both yoga and Pilates, with their various blends of stretching, movement and relaxation, are consistently popular. Or how about dance… a great form of exercise known to get those happy hormones jumping? • Visit freedom-leisure.co.uk; sencio.org.uk; bwy.org.uk


SWIMMING There are few better all-round activities than swimming. It can be enjoyed by anyone of any age, it’s cheap and non- weight bearing so kind to joints – and it’s excellent for those using exercise as an aid to recovery from accident, injury or illness. If you’ve never learned to swim properly, most leisure centres offer adult lessons. • Visit swimming.org; kentswimming.org


GOLF In a time strapped world, golf is another sport that’s had to adapt as participation levels see a steady decline. England Golf is leading the way with schemes such as #WhyIGolf (a women and girls’ golf week) and Get Into Golf, which aims to quash stereotypes of middle-aged men in plaid trousers and reposition it as something for everyone of all ages – male or female, fi t or unfi t, style icon or casual dresser. • Visit englandgolf.org; englishgolf-courses.co.uk


TENNIS Tennis’ reputation of being elitist and expensive has undergone a radical image change in recent years, thanks largely to efforts by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to redefi ne accessibility through a range of initiative such as Park Tennis, seniors’ tennis and competitions for families as well as schemes offered in the county by Kent Tennis. • Visit lta.org.uk; kenttennis.org


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