That said, an article on the Oxfordshire Council website discusses how our fitness and leisure centres in Oxford are encouraging people to avoid that expanding waist-line by keeping trim in the run up to Xmas and New Year.

I must admit that the button on my jeans fails to do up after the Xmas season every year, so being careful and burning some extra calories before the big day feast might not be such a bad idea. I suppose it happens to everyone, but it’s better to try and catch these things before they become a problem.

Apparently we can put away 6,000 calories on Christmas day- no wonder we put on weight.

Health centres in the city are appealing for people to take care of their bodies and professionals are providing information and tips to keep fit, even if you can’t afford to join a club, including dance school in Oxford, ice-skating and ‘spin’, a class provided at many gyms for a small fee.

Every year Oxford gyms see a boom in memberships throughout January, but December is fairly quiet. This is clearly due to the rush for gifts, putting up the tree and generally being busy around this time, but would it really hurt us to take 30 minutes out for a bit of exercise, or are we just a bit lazy? I know that I am!

“A cyclist became so fed up with theft in the city he used boltcutters to steal his own bike to see if anyone would notice. And nobody stopped him. Nine times”.

I’ve been lucky to never have my bike stolen but I know plenty of people who have cursed the thieves. I recognise this post opens up a whole can of worms when it comes to the best thing to do if you see a crime being committed, but apparently police figures showed 1,380 bicycles were stolen since April 1 last year, the equivalent of more than five a day.

Please don’t let this put you off though – and make it as difficult as you can for people to walk off with your bike. It is still by far the best (and more environmentally friendly) way to get around the City. You can find out more about bike shops and cycling in Oxford here, especially when it comes to buying those heavy duty locks.

I used to live in Derbyshire, and although the scenery is beautiful, I can’t tell you how difficult it was being a cyclust there. Everything is on a hill! I love cycling in Oxford because you can arrive somewhere without needing to have a lie down due to all of the exhaustion. Cycling is not only a great form of exercise, it is also such an easy way to travel. The best thing I ever did was invest in a bike!

We’re also helped, no doubt, by the parks and waterways, and you just had to look at the number of people punting in Oxford recently to know that we’re not averse to a little exercise. And boy that’s hard work!

People are very sceptical that the good weather will continue, but don’t give up if the rain appears – check out the health clubs or gyms in Oxford so you don’t lose that momentum…

Health is so important and I think that these days we all do all that we can to keep in the best shape possible, well, at least we try to! I have recently taken up spinning classes at my local gym, and they are so difficult, but  am already seeing the results that I wanted. The class consists of cycling at different speeds and intenities for over an hour. When I went to my first lesson I thought that I was going to collapse! I have to be honest, the next day I did ache, but I felt very proud of myself for going through all of that physical exertion.

I have gotten so into it now that I go twice a week. I already feel fitter, and I definitely am planning to continue. It’s great when you find somthing that you enjoy, especially something that is so good for you.

Of course some people just won’t be interested, but I bet even they can’t help watching it out of the corner of their eye if it’s on.

Doubled with the sense of awe you have to have that these people have spent hours and hours preparing for this 20 minute race, you know that a real sense of pride is at stake.

I just don’t think I’d ever have the energy and rowing always strikes me as being particularly hard! They do however, pack in as much food as possible and then burn it off in gruelling exercise regimes and 5am starts, so it might be a good option for losing weight in Oxford, whether that’s through gym sessions or swimming away from the boat as you make it capsize….

Anyway, some facts and figures you may be interested in (from the Boat Race website) which you could use to impress someone with on the day;

- A foot is the smallest winning margin on record, which was in 2003 (Oxford)

- The fastest recorded finish is 16 minutes and 19 seconds, which was in 1998 (Cambridge)

- Of the 12 British oarsmen who won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, 5 rowed in the Boat Race that year. [Not bad preparation.]

- In 2003, there were two sets of brothers rowing in opposing boats. [Not sure who the parents were supporting but I bet they were oozing with pride.]

The Boat Race is on Sat 3 April at 4.30pm. Exciting stuff – come on you dark blues!

If not, and your trips to the gym have fallen by the wayside already, you can always add a little extra motivation to your training by signing up for the OX5 Run.

It’s a five mile run around Blenheim Palace grounds for the Oxford Children’s Hospital, with the organisers hoping to raise £65,000 for new equipment. If you need incentivising further, why not team up with a personal trainer in Oxford to really get your heart racing?

The OX5 Run takes place on Sunday April 18 2010 and you can find out more here

Everytime I try to get fit, I always end up getting bored and distracted and I stop. This time I have decided that I’m going to stick to it so that I can make a real differnce to my health and fitness. I love the feeling after I have been to the gym, but I always need to try and remember that and make sure that I keep going. I signed up for some personal training sessions and they really made a differnce becasue I was douing things that  had never done before and learning new techniques along the way.

The variety of exercise has really helped me keep on track, and I’m really trying to keep up with it this time.

I’ve never personally felt confident enough to strut my stuff, other than in one or two nightclubs in Oxford of course… but it may be something to inspire you if the gyms in Oxford are proving too overcrowded, or if you are just really bored of going by now. You can find anything from modern jive to salsa classes in the local area.

Or perhaps you’re more of an armchair dancer, in which case, keep an eye on Dancin’ Oxford 2010 (Tues 16 Feb – Mon 12 Apr), which will have numerous dance events and shows.

And if you did want to stretch your legs, there are of course plenty of workshops and taster sessions. You can find out more here. I have always been keen on trying new styles, even though I am not the most co-ordinated person in the world. I always think that it’s about having fun rather than looking like a professional. My daughter thinks that I have two left feet, and that I’m a bit of an embarrassing dancer, so she won’t come to dance classes with me anymore! I don’t mind, I still go on my own, and have a great time.

The last style that I tried was tap. It was very difficult but so much fun. Our teacher was so talented, and it was fantastic just to watch him in awe.

The rink in Oxpens Road (the building that I only know as the “ship”, thanks to those 30 metre masts) is celebrating its 25^th anniversary on the weekend of 5^th December.

Home to a number of clubs and organisations (including the OXIST Ice Skating Club, Oxford Stars Ice Hockey team and a Junior Figure Skating Club to name the ones I know), it also offers lessons in figure skating and ice dance.

I went absolutely ages ago and remember being rubbish but enjoyed watching everyone else whizz round. It is a bit daunting with all of these amazing skaters and me clinging to the sides! It’s still great fun though, and I remember laughing so much that I had to sit down and calm down! I think that it is definitely something that you have to do in a big group, so that we can all laugh at how rubbish we all are! I think I’m definitely going to arrange a night where all of my friends will come along and we’ll have a go. 

So anyway, it’s hosting a gala weekend to celebrate the anniversary, where you can watch World Professional Champions do their own twisting and twirling. More info can be found here. I can’t wait to see the professional skaters, I’m sure that they’ll put us all to shame. You never know though, this time I might start off and find that I have become this generation’s Jane Torville!

In fact, according to our latest figures, searches for cricket sports equipment and sportswear in Oxford, along with local cricket clubs, have surged dramatically since the start of the Ashes. I wonder if any budding young cricket players in this area will end up helping lift that little urn at some point in the future?

My little boy has always been crazy about football, that was until England won the Ashes! Now he has decided that he would rather be a cricketer than a footballer. He has started going to the local cricket club and he is really enjoying it. He looks so adorable in his pristine whites, but I am biased and think that he looks adorable in everything!

His Dad loves cricket too, so my house has gone a bit cricket crazy at the moment. Instead of them screami9ng and yelling at the football, I get them screaming and yelling at the football AND the cricket!

I have decided that for my husband’s birthday I will try and get him tickets to a big cricket match at Twickenham. I know that he will absolutely love it, maybe he’ll even take my cricket crazy son along with him too. Maybe I shouldn’t encourage them, but at least I’d have a day of peace without people screaming at the TV!

What started as a simple challenge from one university to another has turned into a major international sporting event that draws in millions of spectators.

Saying that, these boys are used to the pressure. You look at their profiles on the website and most have seen substantial international action.

Still, I can’t even begin to imagine the schedules, effort and training agony they must have been through. I never took to the rowing scene at university but I heard and saw enough of it to know my nice warm bed at 5am was preferable.

According to their facts and figures page;

“Every member of The Boat Race crews trains for approximately two hours for every stroke in The Race. It takes about 600 strokes to complete the course.”

Ouch. After all that training, the current Course Record of 16 mins and 19 seconds is at stake. And pride of course. To be fair, I get the impression it’s the winning, rather than the taking part, that counts.

Cambridge currently lead the series since 1829 by 79-74, so whether you’re at The Mile Post, Hammersmith Bridge, Chiswick Steps, Barnes Bridge or The Finish, enjoy the day and take a moment to think about all that effort. It’s exhausting just to watch it.

The 155^th Boat Race starts at 3.40pm on Sunday 29^th March 2009. Feeling inspired by all the activity? Get yourself down to a gym in Oxford and at least have a go at rowing to see what it could be like