March 2017

Fitness
Vertical Rush
This is one of the great events
on the London fitness calendar.
It is a sprint (or walk) up Tower
42, the third-tallest skyscraper
in the City of London, originally
called the NatWest Tower.
That’s 932 steps in 42 floors.
You can run or walk and in
2016, the average time was just
under ten minutes.
As well as raising money for a
good cause – housing charity
Shelter – it is a lung-busting,
leg-burning rush of exercise.
Training for it would be a great
base for a fitness drive.
This year’s event is on 9 March
and Shelter says there are likely
to be places available now and
on the day for those who are fit
and ready to go (you will need
to pay £30 to register, and raise
£160 in sponsorship in the six
weeks after the event).
Registration for 2018 opens on
the same day. Shelter also runs
Urban Rush on 1 October. It's
a 15-mile run from the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park to
Putney.
Search online for Vertical Rush
or Urban Rush and Shelter for
details.
Modified V-sit
A great abs exercise, this
requires good balance,
co-ordination and an ability
to make sure your abs fire
and don’t rely on the back
to take over, so it would be
a progression from easier
exercises.
You start by laying on your back
with your feet and head off the
Step up your regime
Roger Love, a local personal trainer,
continues our A-Z of fitness with... V
floor and your arms straight
by your side. You then sit-up,
drawing your knees into your
stomach. Keep your arms out
straight for balance as you sit
on your bum.
Then, lower yourself down. If it
is too hard, start with something
easier, such as a reach up.
To do this, lay on your back, with
your legs straight up in the air.
Hold your arms up straight too
and then squeeze through your
abs to reach up towards – not
necessarily touching – your
shoe laces. Tuck your chin in to
avoid using your neck to get up.
Roger Love is a personal trainer
based at Netil House, Westgate
Street, Hackney. hackneypt.com
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