A bumper night of GoodGymming for regulars and new GoodGymmers alike - six lovely people completing their forat ever task, welcome Rob, Wendie, Charlie, Emma, Kirsten and Marta who's no longer a mystery!

Almost half-and-half walkers and runners, 6 of us made the most of the transit time to walk and talk, the 8 runners making a quicker arrival and getting some introductions done in time for our arrival - thanks Vaguely Northern Darren for run leading and Dave G for backmarking having already helped with document checks. Jason was most excellent as a walking group back marker as we struggled more keeping six of us together walking through the city centre.

The delicate tram-moving proved way too anxiety inducing for me but the excellent TaskForce were much better at it, supported by the not-so-strong yet team whilst those already warmed up somehow shifted an incredibly heavy ex-House of Fraser cosmetic counter out of the way - apparently it felt like solid granite (though so did the blatantly perspex tram cover).

The transport zone was ready for a make-over with fabric being stripped from walls, shelves cleared and a low wall (astro-)turfed as the new location for the "Do not touch this" tram which we all made sure we touched, obviously.

Meanwhile, lots more wood and metal was shifted to clear space to a door which led to another room of wood and metal that all wanted shifting to another mystery room that already contained wood and metal - that's just our sort of job! Some of the wood was from theatre sets - Sparks is a creative space and they've developed contacts all over the city to make use of items which may otherwise be chopped up - this time is was mysterious black shapes and a couple of arrows, plus fluffy white boards just too long to be easily tipped or moved. our speciality.

Before we knew it, our time was up and it was "find somewhere for the final task photo", knowing that we're back to Sparks next week for a planned task - this had been an "eek, can you come along, we really neeeeeed you" request. So Chiristmas decorating it is for next week, what with it being November by then...

All of this was rounded off with a drink and more chat at Club Haus, pots of tea winning hands down again, Caroline, Marianne and Helen playing teapot tetris to get all the tea things back on a single tray whilst Ed supervised wearing a t-shirt that he'd received for completing an event instead of his usual volunteer wardrobe.

A great night, same time, same place next week?

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to say well done on dedicating that hour yesterday purely to yourselves through yoga—connecting to your body through breath and movement. In a world full of distractions, taking this time isn’t just a break; it’s a powerful practice for your health and well-being, both physically and mentally.

Science increasingly backs what yoga has known for centuries: regular, focused time for ourselves enhances mental clarity, reduces stress, and even strengthens our immune response. Studies show that practicing mindfulness through breathwork and poses can lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and increase the brain’s grey matter, which supports memory, emotional regulation, and resilience against stress.

It’s no small thing to give yourself this gift of presence, and it’s especially meaningful in today’s world. By simply being there, focusing on your breath, and staying connected to each movement, you’re cultivating a healthier mind and body.

Thank you for your energy and dedication! Let’s keep showing up for ourselves in this way.

Warmly, Paul

A few GoodGym people came together to do online yoga.

yoga talk

Yoga could reduce the risk of relapses among cancer patients, said scientists. A team of US researchers told the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago that taking two yoga classes a week for a month significantly cut inflammation and therefore “clinicians should consider prescribing yoga for survivors experiencing inflammation, which may lead to [. . .] increased risk of progression, recurrence and second cancer”. The research, at the University of Rochester, New York state, involved more than 500 patients, mainly women who had recovered from breast cancer

A few people came online to do yoga.

Yoga talk Listen to the podcast.. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001zdvw?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

When was the last time you moved your toaster? Did crumbs spill everywhere? Was it 7ft high? If the answer to all of those was yes how much marmite do you get through!!!!

Six goodgymers met at Sparks to move a toaster. Veterans of toaster moving might remember we had to empty it first before. Imagine our shock when the toaster was empty. All we had to do was move it across the floor to the other side. How hard can it be? After debating the best way to move it without scratching the floor we settled on sliding a cloth underneath…. and off we went at speed…. Scratttttttch… a quick adjustment and we were off again. We were soon across the shop floor and got it tucked up in the corner. All that was left was to arrange seats into a circle for the clown life drawing. Apparently the clowns are full clothed… which is probably for the best. And we were done. Well done everyone!

If anyone gets this far tell us your best clown joke or fact.