Welcome to active life at the University of Bristol
As winter fast approaches, James Rowntree, our Group Health and Fitness Manager, tells his 10 top tips on how to stay motivated when it’s cold and dark outside.
Why do we find it so much harder to keep our activity levels high in the winter months? There are some legitimate factors working against us:
This week’s blog is written by our Performance Sport Manager, Matt Paine! Taking place from 21 August – 15 September 2023, Matt describes why pre-season is so important to our student athletes.
Sunshine, unlimited chance to play your sport, conditioning in the gym and field, and access to the best experts in Performance you say? And, we have not even talked about the Burrito Bar yet! Well, that’s what took place for five weeks in August and September at the University of Bristol. (more…)
Christine O’Shea shares her experience from transitioning from a student at the University to becoming the new Sports Development Assistant in the Sport, Health and Exercise department.
Hi, I’m Christine and I recently graduated from the university with a Social Policy and Politics Degree. During my course, I became interested in public health which led me to jump at the opportunity of becoming the new Sports Development Assistant!
From the outset, I knew I would enjoy the position which includes helping the progression of the B:Active programme, as in my second year of university I was a regular participant at B:Active sessions. (more…)
By the end of the 2022-23 season we will have helped over 5,000 people play tennis at least once including over 1,000 University of Bristol (UOB) students (or about 1 in every 29 UOB students).
We have worked with a range of partners this season to increase the number of opportunities for people to play and we have tried our best to target people who may not have had the opportunity to play before. (more…)
For Diabetes Week (12 – 18 June 2023), staff member Mireia de la Nogal Buendia shares her experience of living with Type 1 Diabetes and how she manages the condition day-to-day.
In the UK and Bristol, we are surrounded by water. The docks and river Avon is a huge part of the history of the city but also carries its risks. An average of 312 UK and Irish Citizens lose their life in an accidental drowning each year. With the summer around the corner, I wanted to write about the importance of having respect for the water as well as highlighting water safety and what the role of a lifeguard brings to society.
On the 27th April, thirteen enthusiastic and dedicated Bristol Sports athletes travelled over to UWE to represent Bristol University at the FIRST EVER inclusive varsity. Athletes from both Volleyball and Spartans Basketball Club tried their hand at the Paralympic version of their sport.
In case you missed it, it’s Mental Health Awareness Week this week – this year the theme is: anxiety.
Anxiety is a very normal emotion and something we will all experience from time to time. There are many reasons why we may feel anxious; relationship worries, exam stress, financial hardship, social situations. However, anxiety can get out of control and lead to a more serious mental health problem, so it is important to be aware of our own anxiety triggers and learn strategies to help us cope with feelings of anxiety when they arise. (more…)
This blog comes from Paul, one of our Sports Massage Therapists. You can use sports massage to supplement your training and recovery from the Great Bristol Run next weekend!
I’m sure we all agree that having a massage feels great but in this article we will be discussing the physiological, psychological and educational benefits of sports massage whilst comparing the most useful times to receive a massage.
Here are some of the most common questions asked around sports massage and its affect on running performance and recovery.
The third and final installment of our Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series focuses on stretching and massage, and how it can benefit your training.
You must stretch and massage your muscles! All that ground and pound often comes at the expense of tight muscles and hips. A good stretching and massage programme is often neglected when it comes to training for a runners, this is a HUGE mistake! Training leg muscles for running power is effective only if you also maintain their flexibility. Tight hips, hamstrings and quadriceps result in reduced stride length, elasticity and movement efficiency.