Flowers, Fitness and Fun!

By Debbie Noad

Hi, my name is Debbie Noad. I am on the Heston West Big Local Board and also take part in voluntary and community activities in Heston West. This week I was walking past Cranford Community College and I noticed the tulips were up in the front of the school, the Memorial Garden was glistening in the sun. We had pledged to open up the front area of the school and have the bushes cut back, so the lovely gardens could be seen by all. For those residents who don’t know the Memorial Gardens at the front of the school, it’s a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by.

​As summer approaches it’s a great time to think about your health and getting fit, so I wanted to talk about some of my favourite Big Local activities open to residents of Heston West to help you have a healthier and happier life. Our Boxing class is something that becomes very infectious, taking place at Cranford on Thursdays 6.30 pm. It’s an hour that flies by and extremely popular. Running for the past year, our coach (Ahmet Canbakis) has taught us the value of warming up and warming down, we also have the opportunity to lead warm-ups. The class is mixed with the youngest being around 7 and all the family can join in. It’s certainly lots of fun. We’ve been taught to box on the punch bags, skip, and defend punches. It’s a fantastic way to spend an hour. In a year I have seen so many people improve their co-ordination, fitness, and confidence. I just love the buzz you get at the end of the session.

On Fridays our Family Fun Fitness kicks off at 6.30 pm at Cranford. It’s run by fitness instructor Toby Guyett, once again open to all the family. These sessions are also open to all whatever your fitness level. A full hour of getting your heart rate up, sometimes to music, circuits and ending with our favourite game of Dodgeball! This is certainly a great way to meet new people in the community and get fit. Best of all, both of these activities is free for residents, if you don’t want your kids, or yourself, sitting in front of the telly then come and do something you have never done before, that’s how I got started.

​As the summer approaches get moving/get volunteering and challenge yourself. Don’t forget to change your clocks this weekend, giving you brighter, longer evenings, there’s no excuse to hide, so come and join us, trust me you won’t regret it and you may even enjoy it!

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