Healthy Explorer: Exercise to Take Your Breath Away- Exmoor

After a hectic few weeks a much needed getaway to North Devon was much overdue, of late I have been complaining to myself and others about the rat race of England and that I would love to move away to warmer climates. However this weekend gave me something to think about my opinions on beloved England, strolling or rather hiking at times through the vast country side of Exmoor, along the Lynmouth to Porlock coast line of North Devon, I was not sure what took my breath a away the most, the long hilly walk or the fanatstic views that I did not think existed in this country, were only less than a 2 hour drive from where I live.

A View of Lynmouth from the Beach

North Devon Coast Line, a view from Countisbury Hill.

We Started out at Lynmouth, before hand i invested in a pair of Wellington boots as i know from my childhood living on a farm that they are cheap, durable and great for walking across muddy terrain. Then the hike to Porlock Began, after the the first hill walk I was rewarded with a breath taking scene of the coast of North Devon. (Picture below)

Porlock Weir

In my profession I come across the question of "whats the best type of exercise?" I simply reply "the type you enjoy, and the exercise you enjoy will simply feel like you are not exercising at all as it is so exhilarating", this for me was undoubtedly one of those occasions . Hiking/hill walking is the type of exercise that almost anyone can do, costs little money and great stress relief. This type of exercise can be shared with many or enjoyed alone.

After around 6 miles hiking we ended up at Porlock weir, which is a small fishing harbor with some quaint cafes and restaurants.As much as we would have loved to have walked back as well, we decided to catch the bus back to the hotel as we had plans for more hiking the next day. This work out was a great cardiovascular workout along with targeting the thigh and bum, walking these hills will soon get you in shape because you have the advantage of slight altitude training when you reach the peaks of Exmoor.

Waters Meet

The next day we decided to do one more smaller but steeper hike before the weekend came to an end. There are some breath taking view and walks here where the East Lyn valley and Hoar Oak Valleys meet. The river offers many over activities such as Kayaking and if you like to do a more relaxing activity why not try a spot of Salmon or Trout fishing. What this weekend has shown me there is a different side to exercise than attending classes and hitting the gym. Sometimes we just need to open our eyes take a few steps away from the norm and experience something new. This weekend will inspire me to continue to search for ways of improving our lifestyles, fun ways, relaxing ways and much more. This has shown that healthy living is not all about strict diets and heavy exercise but rather we must look at our lifestyles in a more holistic manor to achieve good health, happiness and fulfillment.

A few more photos of Watersmeet and Lynmouth to inspire you to hike