Relieving stress at Milton Park

The impact stress can have on our everyday lives can often be really tough on ourselves and those close to us.

There are many ways in which we’re able to combat and alleviate stress, whether it’s through talking, helping others or undertaking regular exercise.

Coinciding with April being Stress Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Week on 9-15 May, we thought it would be useful to share a round-up of all the opportunities to exercise at the Park, which are also a great way to make new friends and connect with familiar faces at the same time.

Bootcamp and Pilates

Pilates is on Tuesdays at 1pm and Bootcamp is on Wednesdays, also at 1pm. Both take place at the Park Club gym. The sessions are FREE to those working at Milton Park and are provided by qualified instructors.

Christine has been a personal trainer for over 20 years and has been teaching Pilates since 2004, alongside other disciplines. Luke, who will be leading the Bootcamp sessions, has been working in fitness for over six years, and was inspired to help others after the way he was helped following his own heart surgery in 2014. For more information on how to sign-up, please follow this link.

Milton Park Running Club

For those in need of some #MondayMotivation, the Milton Park Running Club gives people on the Park a fun, friendly way to improve your health and wellbeing, socialise, explore the green areas and enjoy a change of scenery during the working day.

The club meet in the open car park area at the Park Club gym and follow a 5km route. The group is led by two personal trainers and will have different pacing groups – meaning that regardless of your ability or preferred pace, you’ll be able to enjoy a group workout.

Cycling

Have you tried cycling one of our bikes yet? We have 18 bikes and 12 e-bikes available to hire for FREE for people working at Milton Park. The bikes are housed in bike shelter ‘hubs’ across Milton Park and at Didcot Parkway railway station.

You can also sign-up to the popular Bike2Work breakfasts which take place on the first Wednesday of every month. If you cycle to work you will receive a free take away breakfast with a hot or cold drink from Café Metro, courtesy of Milton Park.

If you would like to take part, you will need to register your cycle journey and choose your food options at least two days in advance of the Bike2Work day.

Relax and unwind

Stress can often build up if you’re stuck at your desk all day – it’s important to take regular breaks. Enjoy a walk among our green spaces or use our benches to unwind, read a book and chat with colleagues. You may even bump into our resident geese at the Park!

Other amenities to enjoy at the Park

For those interested in doing more rigorous exercise, the outdoor gym on Park Drive is open for the whole community to use.

People can also sign-up to be members of the Park Club gym, Oxfordshire’s largest, best-equipped health club with three rowing machines, over 13 treadmills, more than 15 elliptical steppers and additional lifting equipment.

If you prefer to swim, the Park Club’s 20m four-lane swimming pool offers a pleasant environment complete with a sauna and steam room to relax in afterwards.
There are also lots of classes available, which you can find on their website.

Seeking advice

While exercise is a really good way of alleviating stress, there are other tips you can learn to help look after yourself. For more information, the NHS website has a useful guide on ways to help reduce stress levels.