I love keeping fit and active, but I'm as guilty as anyone of staying firmly inside my comfort zone the majority of the time.
Leaving buzzing London at the end of 2022 for rural Devon in south-west England meant waving goodbye to my netball team and workout classes with friends. Since then, all my exercise has been solo in the gym.
But while Devon may lack bougie boutique fitness studios and adults' netball leagues (near me, at least), with its dramatic coastline and rolling countryside, it beats London easily when it comes to the natural landscape.
So I decided it was time to take my workouts outside the gym, reap the mental health benefits of being outside, explore my new home, and challenge myself.
Earlier this month, my boyfriend and I visited Dartmoor National Park, a vast, protected moorland in Devon, characterized by forest, rivers, and tors (rock formations), to try scrambling and climbing. While rock climbing requires equipment and involves scaling vertical rock faces, scrambling is a middle ground between hiking and climbing, using both hands and feet to climb upwards but no equipment.
I booked a session with a guide who would, literally, show us the ropes, and we strapped in for a half-day's adventure.
Having lifted weights for six years and climbed indoor walls a few times, I was surprised by how challenging the rock climbing was. It was hard and humbling but also exhilarating and fun — not to mention a great day out.