Our relationship with nature – how much we notice, think about and appreciate our natural surroundings – is a critical factor in supporting good mental health and preventing distress.

Nature is an important need for many and vital in keeping us emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy. When it comes to mental health benefits, nature has a very wide definition. It can mean green spaces such as parks, woodland or forests as well as blue spaces like rivers, wetlands, beaches or canals. It also includes trees on an urban street, private gardens, verges and even indoor plants or window boxes.

So for this week's training group run, we focussed on taking advantage of our local green spaces and embrace simply moving!

With technology at our fingertips, It's all too easy to get wrapped up in PBs, exercise tracking and fitness goals, and to lose that simple feeling found in the pleasure of movement.

So, the GoodGym training session for this week was to strip it all back to nature.

Forget the Garmin Ignore the distance and pace Simply run (walk or cycle) for the pure enjoyment of moving. Any distance, any time.. Just take time to listen to your thoughts, appreciate the birds chirping and see how the trees sway. Just strip it all back and enjoy the surroundings.

This week, we ran together, apart!