24 New Year New You • Health, Fitness & Nutrition Achieving personal goals in a sociable setting


Most of Large Outdoors’ guests are there precisely because they want to be sociable, and the company’s hosts are on hand to facilitate this


facilitate this — not that there’s ever much ice- breaking needed when everyone sits down to the evening meal on the first night. With the guides doing the route preparation


and organising the day’s logistics, guests can focus on enjoying the moment, the surroundings and their own achievements. In fact, emboldened by their first mini-adven-


ture, many guests return with friends they met on that initial trip, radiating a new confidence in their own abilities and a keenness to try out longer, tougher walking routes or new activities. With that in mind, Large Outdoors is continu-


ally expanding its range of breaks — at some of the most breathtaking spots in the British Isles — to suit all levels of fitness and ability. This year, for instance, you can choose from


How do you stick to those life-changing pledges you make for yourself at this time of year?


W


hether it’s expanding your social circle, getting fitter or challenging yourself more, everyone has made those reso-


lutions and then seen them fall quickly by the wayside as normal life intervenes. Then, many of us look back with dismay at the end of another year and wonder what went wrong. One of the problems with goal-setting around


New Year is that the goals themselves seem like a punishment rather than a catalyst for getting more fun and enjoyment out of life. Since Large Outdoors began running its


group guided walking and activity breaks back in 2008, the company has hosted a huge number of guests. Some come along with a definite goal in mind, such as hiking to the top of Ben Nevis, while others join for more general reasons, such as meeting new people or simply wanting to build up their fitness. By providing a sociable atmosphere where the


camaraderie within the group naturally shines through, most of Large Outdoors’ new guests find they take the first steps towards their goal without even giving it a second thought.


Whether it’s the easy-going chatter and


laughter that permeates through the group, the beautiful landscape that puts a spring in peoples’ steps when they’re out walking or simply that age-old spirit of not wanting to let the team down, Large Outdoors finds that most people tend to exceed their own expectations as to how much they can achieve. The team at Large Outdoors have lost count of


how many times people have been surprised at the distance they’ve walked. Many have started out on their first trip unsure as to whether they’d be able to keep up with the rest of the group or worried their fitness might hold them back. Similarly, there are those who arrive at the


start of a weekend’s trip nervous about the pros- pect of meeting new people — yet within the first few hours of sitting down with a cup of tea (or something stronger) they’ve all but forgotten those first-time nerves as they happily chat away with the others. The thing is, most of Large Outdoors’ guests are there precisely because they want sociable, and the company’s hosts are on hand to


to be


Get £50 off your first weekend away with Large Outdoors by using code ‘dc-gdn- 50’ (discount valid on bookings over £125, expires 28 February 2018).


T: 01653 740 400 E: hello@largeoutdoors.com largeoutdoors.com


a Snowdonia Body and Soul weekend, where the range of activities includes not just walking but also yoga, meditation and paddleboarding, while those looking for a major challenge can go on the Summit Carrauntoohil trip, which includes tackling Ireland’s highest peak. Large Outdoors’ long-held belief is that many


personal goals are more likely to be achieved when in the company of like-minded people, which is why many of its guests keep returning, deter- mined to push that envelope just a little more.


Saturday 6th January 2018


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