On this episode of Creating Active Lives, I am chatting with Rachael Warne Roberts about outdoor activity, and I want to call this episode Think Outside, Forget the Box, because I want more and more people thinking about getting outside for their activity, whether it’s a stroll, a walk or whatever.
So Rachel’s very lucky in that she lives in Gwynedd so has access to mountains, hills, the sea, fields, forests, woods, and every possible aspect of nature that you can think of. Rachael is also a fitness professional who works with people who’ve been referred for exercise for their health and is one of the founder instructors on the Welsh National Exercise Referral Scheme, Over the last twenty years she has worked with well over a thousand clients with sedentary lifestyles who have conditions ranging from mobility issues to diabetes to cancer and more, and like me, she’s passionate like me about getting people fit enough so they can get outside more.
Rachael tells me that in her case, outdoor activity has been part of her life since she was a very young child and she feels that she had a privileged upbringing in the sense that she lived in an area where she had access to the sea, the mountains, the fields as well as having active parents. They would just say, come on, we’re going out on our bikes / we’re going for a walk. But it wasn’t thought of as exercise, it was just a way to be together outside and do something that we loved.
Like a lot of mums back then it was ‘go out on your bikes and play’ which was such a big part of childhood before the advent of technology – we made our own games and assault courses in the sand dunes or the woods or fields – probably a health and safety nightmare now but heck, back then it was just fun!
Like many active people, Rachael met and married someone who was also active, in her husband’s case it was surfing, snowboarding, hill walking and mountain biking and the lifestyle (as well as the man) appealed to Rachael. Again, it wasn’t exercise but their lifestyle. And then 12 years ago, a slight hitch (a good one) came along in the form of their daughter. That was a bit of a shock to the system and Rachael knows that her mental health suffered not just because she wasn’t as active, but also because she wasn’t outside as much. Luckily she was part of a group of mothers who would go out walking with our children in buggies and who set up an adventure group for toddlers called Toddler Adventure – Rachael had read a blog by a lady from Alaska talking about all these things that she would do with her toddler through the winter and thought ‘if they can survive a winter in Alaska with a toddler, I can do it in Wales. This led to the opportunity to swim in the estuary, in the Dovey Estuary with some of the group and that is how her love of outdoor swimming started.
Rachael mentioned that her mental health dipped after having her daughter and there was definitely an element of missing out on not being able to do the activities she loved – that were part of her. It was especially hard that others were still out there surfing, biking etc. She admits that not being active can make her a little hard to live with – and I’m sure most of us can relate to feeling grumpy if we are deprived of our favourite activity!
One important thing to mention, which we chat about in the podcast, is the weather factor: Yes, outdoor activity can be seasonal due to different weather, but really with the right attitude and the right clothes there is no excuse! That connection with nature is so vital for our mental health, our growth and our feelings so being outside in all seasons is important – regardless of the weather. And when we are active outside, we naturally fall into the rhythm of the seasons whether we realise it or not. The more we do this over the years, the more we will connect with the energy of the season and use it in our everyday lives.
Rachael and I both agree that while we are more active in spring and summer, we grab a jumper or raincoat in the autumn and winter and still get out there. We may not spend as long in the water hiking but the promise of a hot drink or a slice of cake afterwards is a good motivator! Sarah in particular loves the spring and autumn as there is more chance of being out early with the sunrise and that sets the day up perfectly with the bonus of your activity being ticked off early.
We are reminded that boing outdoors isn’t just about the activity – we can connect and be more in tune with nature just sitting in a field, by a lake or river or the sea, strolling along aimlessly – any time outside is so important and beneficial and it helps our physical and mental health so much. Who among us hasn’t ever said “I need to go for a walk to clear my head”
And it is accessible for the vast majority of people, Rachael works with an amputee who swims with her group, there’s a lake nearest to a hotel and it has a ramp down to it. So she arrives on her own earlier than others, gets herself changed into a wetsuit, takes her chair to the ramp and then bum-shuffles down the ramp then she just plunges in.
We know that indoor activity, the gym, classes etc. have their place, but being active outside is so important so let’s get more of us out there whether it’s a hike, a stroll, surfing, swimming, dog walking or walking the kids to school or whatever, let’s just give it a go! If you think you haven’t got the time then just take your coffee outside for ten minutes or sit on a bench and breathe – we all need to start where we are and start with something we like to do or that doesn’t feel like a chore. Most of us spend at least 4 hours a day on our phones so swap ten minutes of scrolling for ten minutes of nature and see how it makes you feel!
In conclusion, outdoor activities, even in small doses, have significant benefits for our physical and mental health and well-being, so explore the outdoors in your way and let’s get out of the box!
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