Spring

Spring

Rite of Spring?

How London can help you stay healthy

There’s something a bit wild about this time of year. The first crocus sprouted long ago, and a fresh start beckons – whether you’re ready or not. Some of us have to be dragged out of hibernation; others, like the squirrels, are fretfully active, trying to remember where they hid the nuts last Fall; and some of us resemble Fantastic Mr Fox, chasing every new adventure. 

But whether you’re a cautious little doggie, or a vulpes vulpes, you’d be wise to nurture your stamina for the path ahead.

What can London offer this Spring that will get you match fit? There are lots of things to do in London, and walking is a big, endorphin–fuelled option. Along with the landmarks and museums still available to the intrepid tourist, our London hotels make an excellent base for this kind of adventure.

The Lost Churches Project

A website that encourages you to explore the ancient parishes of the City, with free downloadable guided walks around ancient church buildings and parishes in the City of London. Also collectable cards, books, maps and explorers’ walks. Although half the churches in the City of London have been lost to fire (1666) and war (1940), there are still 40 left.

The Royal Parks Guided Tours

On the other side of London there are some wonderful historic and nature–inspired guided walks and activities: the story of St James’s Park; the hidden history of Hyde Park; bat tracking in Kensington Gardens; the stories of independent women now resting in Brompton Cemetery (£12). Take in the sights of Westminster, St James’s and Buckingham Palace; or Kensington Gardens and Peter Pan’s Statue, the Serpentine Gallery and Hyde Park. Walk for free across acres of greenery; follow the Serpentine and beyond. Self–guided or structured, it’s a delight. 

Footprints of London

Michael Duncan is a well-known Westminster Guide. His walking tours take in the select delights of St James’s; 300 years of Soho history and the women who helped shape this bohemian quarter; a “suits and boots” tour of Savile Row. Follow the link and look for more. (£12)

Sculpture in the City

Until 22nd April

Another way to get out and catch up on lost Vitamin D is to track 19 artworks in the City of London’s financial district. Sculpture in the City is an annual urban sculpture park that uses the streets and public spaces as a rotating gallery. A self-guided, fascinating display of contemporary art, some very discreet and thoughtful, others eye–catching enough to rival the outsized surroundings, yet others (like Harlequin Four by Mark Handforth) complementing and questioning the mix of contemporary and historic buildings nearby. Look out for Cosmos (Eva Rothschild), Latent Space (Jake Elwes), Bloom Paradise (Jun T. Lai), Symbols (Guillaume Vandame) and Murmurs of the Deep (Laura Arminda Kingsley). See for yourself.

 But whether your focus is with the City of London or the Royal Parks near Buckingham Palace, Blue Orchid Hotels can provide the perfect base from which to explore. Choose from Tower Suites to the East, with views of Tower Bridge and the Tower itself, or Westminster’s Wellington and Rochester Hotels, both on leafy Vincent Square SW1. Meantime, here are a few more ways to turn over a new leaf.

Another theme this March seems to be healthy living. World Sleep Day (18th March) suggests that we need to pay more attention to the Land of Nod, while the mere fact that we have an International Day of Happiness (20th March) says a lot about our collective state of mind.

One way to help both mind and body is to make sure we eat well. But if the pace of life doesn’t fit in with your needs, here are some speedy eats that don’t corrode the insides:

Simply Fresh To Go

100 Minories, EC3

If you happen to be looking for lost churches or state of the art sculpture in the City, then Simply Fresh To Go serves up healthy eating for the foot soldier. It’s food that’s made not to just look and taste good, but to provide you with healthy energy (beyond the sugar spike or carb fix).

Grain Kitchen (Aldgate)

13 Harrow Place, E1

Only a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station, this is an independent casual restaurant that (like the title suggests) focuses on whole grains. Globally inspired, colourful, nourishing bowls of food with tasty condiments and seasonal vegetables. Veg, meat and vegan options. Not to mention a penchant for pickles, preserves and marinades. Warm meals or cold takeaway box on offer.

Natural Kitchen

Various locations

Natural Kitchen is an all-day eatery offering food to go from its Deli menu, plus seasonal dishes for breakfast, lunch or supper (a la carte) and even cocktails (as well as a juice and smoothie bar). Healthy food from this restaurant/bar/takeaway. So whether you’re after tourist tucker or after–work drinks, Natural Kitchen has it covered. Outlets in St Katherine’s Docks, Aldersgate, Angel Court, Trinity Square, Baker Street, Waterloo Station and more.

 

The other way to improve your overall health is to take exercise. Human beings were designed to walk a lot more in a day than most of us ever manage. Some people jog. And there are gentle, proven ways of working with your body, even in a small space (yoga or tai chi comes to mind). But if you find that all that mindfulness and yoga still leaves you wanting to slap somebody, then welcome to the realms of warrior fitness and warrior role-play.

1REBEL

1rebel has a world of resentful workouts, in-your-face personal training and endorphin-fuelled exercise to satisfy the most determined, unashamedly energetic among us. With outlets across London, there must be barely a square metre of York stone left unpounded. Love it.

Operation Black Door

10th – 12th March

Churchill War Rooms, King Charles St, SW1

WWII interactive theatre that takes place in the actual tunnels of the Churchill War Rooms. Organised by the Imperial War Museum. Pick a role for yourself, from gathering intel to running an op. “Immerse yourself in a time when every second mattered, every decision was crucial.” Get under someone else’s skin for a night. See the link and take a peek at the characters/roles available.

Pamper Yourself

After so much refreshingly yang activity, it’s time to indulge your yearning for the yin inside us. Oxford Street has gathered together all our pampered desires (his and hers) to offer up beauty products, gadgets galore, eco fashion, food and drink, places to rest and relax. Dive into the link and take a look.

International Day of Happiness

20th March

Finally we come to International Day of Happiness. Of course it is everybody’s inalienable right to complain, but hopefully not just in the sedentary, Gogglebox way we have grown to love.

So what does it take to be happy? With the proviso that you have enough to eat and a stable roof over your head, what do the experts say? Researchers at Harvard and Martin Seligman (Positive Psychology) say that relationships are key. Not just family, but friends too.

But the man who has explored this sort of territory with humour and pragmatism is Michael Yapko. He has a lot to say about happiness, and its opposite.

The big no–no for Yapko is “global thinking.” This is over-generalised thinking, which he describes thus: someone comes to him and says:

“All I want is a good relationship.”

“What does it take to make a good relationship?” asks Yapko.

“Chemistry!” is the reply.

That’s global thinking. This person cannot be an effective problem solver, he says. Global thinking leads to goals without steps. And goals without steps is just a wish. It’s like telling someone learning to drive to “Be one with the car.” It’s what leaves people feeling overwhelmed and paralysed into inaction. When someone comes to Yapko and says: “All I want is to be happy” that’s global thinking, he concludes.

His point is that every part of life, personal and public, involves problem solving skills, decision making skills, flexibility and resilience. But Yapko has one final message for those of us brought up on a diet of superheroes.

In plain English: “Changing what you do changes your brain and your DNA.”