Monthly health and fitness news from Surrey Life by former athlete and Gladiator, and now all-round health and fitness guru, Kate Staples

Originally published in Surrey Life magazine March 2010

Monthly health and fitness news from Surrey Life by former athlete and Gladiator, and now all-round health and fitness guru, Kate Staples

5 fun things to do outdoors in Surrey this month

Take a view from the treetops Can you handle three hours of high-wire adventure? Rope ladders and bridges, zip wires and tunnels are all waiting to challenge you at Go Ape! High Wire Forest Adventure near Farnham. For details, see www.goape.co.uk

Walk the Greensand WayRamble the Surrey Hills across to the Kent Downs (or perhaps just the Surrey part of it) from the Devil’s Punch Bowl across to Hascombe, Holmbury and Leith Hills. For a full guide to the walk, see www.surreyhills.org

Spring into floral lifeTake a stroll through the National Trust’s Winkworth Arboretum as the spring flowers start to show their faces. More information can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Woodland Management with SWT Help look after England’s most wooded county and learn the art of woodland management from the experts at Surrey Wildlife Trust. See www.surreywildlifetrust.co.uk

Get on the trail Head over to Foxhills resort and health spa and try out their great outdoor trim trails (2.5km and 5km) before treating yourself in the spa. Days start at �59 (including lunch) and Surrey Life readers can claim a treatment upgrade on the Muddy Marvellous Spa Experience. For more details, see www.foxhills.co.uk

Stop press!

Following our article on the hot new Latin American dance exercise craze, zumba, several more classes have started up. See www.zumbafitness.co.uk

Bite-sized snippet!

It’s so true what they say – breakfast is the most important meal of the day and will set you up for whatever lies ahead (especially if combined with a morning boot camp!). Try these recipes for a delicious and nutritious kick-start:

Anti-ageing oatmeal For a really nourishing start to the day, get a quarter of a cup of oatmeal and add 4ozs semi-skimmed milk, 1tbsp ground flaxseed, a pinch of cinnamon and a handful of fresh blackberries (or berries of your choice). Mmm!

Poached eggs & spinachAnd my own particular favourite... Top lightly cooked spinach with a poached egg, add a slice of wholemeal toast, a twist of black pepper and squeeze of lemon.

Top Surrey tip

A hike up Box Hill is fabulously rewarding on all sorts of fronts. It’s a great workout for the legs and lungs, and the views from the top are superb. It’s open all year round (charge for car parking) but do join our team on Saturday March 13 (meet in the car park at 2pm) when we’ll be putting our best foot forward. Children and dogs are welcome, and there is a suggested donation of �1 per person that will go to a local children’s charity.

Kate’s motivational quote of the month

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are"Ancient Chinese proverb

Kate Staples is owner and director of Adventure Bootcamp UK. Tel: 01932 863240 / www.fitnesscamp.co.uk