PERSONAL trainer Russell Woollard has issued some top tips for people keen to boost their activity levels at the new fitness trail in Basildon’s Gloucester Park.

Russell runs Viking Person Training and is an expert when it comes to using the great outdoors to train his clients.

“Exercising outside is a great way to get fit and the fitness trail is a brilliant way for people to exercise for free. I was recently running through London and noticed an outside gym and decided to go and have a workout there.” said Russell.

“I would advise people to warm up with a jog around the park to get their heartrate up and then concentrate on rotation mobility in the joints by rotating the feet, opening up the legs and hips and rotating the arms.”

The trail consists of thirteen pieces of equipment, including monkey bars and a balance beam, Wall bars, hurdles, abs bench, multiple parallel bars, press up station, horizontal bars, jumping, leap ladder, springboard and the trim trail acts as a circuit around the footpath surrounding the central lake.

“By using all of the equipment you will get a full body workout. If you are looking to build strength then I would suggest keeping the reps low. If you are wanting to tone up then concentrate on high reps.

Read more >> Short walks around Southend to enjoy with a friend

Echo: Trying out the equipment

“With all the exercises start at 80 to 90 per cent of your fitness capacity and then go to your fitness limit for the remainder. With something like a pull up, which most people find difficult, I would say do an assisted pull up, jumping up to the bar and then slowly bring yourself down.”

He says people should finish with a cool down and a full body stretch, 20 to 25 seconds per stretch.

Russell launched his business in 2015 after a career as general manager at sports facilities including Garons in Southend.

He served in the military for four years including one year as a military physical training instructor.

All the pieces of equipment have a set of pictures attached to them to show how they should be used, and are suitable for those aged 14 and above and over 1.4m in height.

The equipment is compatible with a mobile app for Android and Apple devices called ‘Proludic Sport’.

Users can put in Gloucester Park as their location, which brings up a list of exercise options for each individual piece of equipment and technical help with how to complete each exercise.

Visit www.vikingpersonaltraining.co.uk for details.