This Girl Can

This Girl Can and #FitGotReal is a celebration of all the ways real women actually get active all over the country.

Getting active can feel like an impossibility. We don't have hours of time to dedicate to the gym, money to spend on the latest kit, or relentless energy! We may or may not have full time jobs and full time kids, but we all have full-on schedules.

However you can get active in clever ways that fit in to your busy life. It might be cycling to work, taking the dog for a run, or simply getting down and dirty on the kitchen floor...doing sit-ups!

Find what works you for!

Developed by Sport England, and promoted locally by us here at Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport, we want to help women to move a little more!

Find activities you enjoy

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, in fact, there are many, many ways to be active, including some that people may not realise actually count. Every woman is different, so try a few activities until you find the right thing for you which you enjoy.

Doing something you actually like means you're far more likely to keep doing it. Moving more with friends, family members, and others can also help make things more fun.

Running poster 'I jiggle, therefore I am'

Start slowly and build up

Don't expect to see big differences overnight. Even small changes can have an impact on your health.

For some people, aiming for ten minute bouts of activity can help them get started.

Why not join in our campaign and share your story:

Facebook: @ThisGirlCanLeicsandRut

Twitter: @ThisGirlCanUK

Hashtag: #ThisGirlCan / #FitGotReal

Instagram: @thisgirlcanuk

Hashtag: #ThisGirlCan

This Girl Can

Click to visit the national This Girl Can website.

Move This March Event 2021

Ladies, we hope you had fun moving this March with #ThisGirlCan, but the fun doesn't have to stop there!! Why not check out our activity recommendations or local instructor websites to carry on being a girl who CAN do what she puts her mind too.

The year may have looked very different but that didn't stop women from across LLR moving throughout March in a variety of ways, all on a virtual platform!

There were a variety of sessions that took place, including: Pilates, Yin Yoga, Soccercise, Nordic Walking, Weights Workout's, Bhangra sessions and so much more.

If you got involved with our month campaign and were inspired by one of the sessions you attended then why not click the links below to find out more information, or get in contact with the #ThisGirlCan instructors.

If you missed our event, have a read of some of the responses to the event and hopefully you may feel inspired to try something new and be a women who CAN do anything she puts her mind too.

The event was organised by Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport (LRS) in support of Hope Against Cancer, which is Leicestershire & Rutland's local cancer research charity. They partner with local universities and hospitals to make sure that Leicestershire is a hub of expertise in cancer research and treatment. Since their set up in 2003, they have funded over 60 research projects tackling cancer. We strive for a future where more people survive cancer.

Listen to our This Girl Can Ambassadors stories:

Instructor Sessions & Details:

Our Move This March event wouldn't have been possible without our local, female instructors who led each of the 51 sessions over the course of the month.

Below you can find further information about each instructor and sessions they continue to offer to inspire more women to get active, so click on the links below to find out more.

Yoga & Breathing Techniques for Beginners

Tash shares with us some of the main breathing techniques and movements used in Yoga practice which are great for our mental wellbeing.

With our This Girl Can Ambassador - Tash Mina

This Girl Can, have a Positive Pause!

We would never pretend that going through the menopause is easy – the hot flushes, the sleepless nights, the anxiety. However, our This Girl Can Positive Pause events are a chance for women to 'come together' (this year being virtually) to share experiences, gain some useful tips and information while having a giggle and strengthening their core at the same time.

Clare Shepherd, Nutritional Therapist has a talk on how the right nutrition and supplements can keep those hormones in check.

Workshops followed with an insightful session on how to strengthen your core with Jo Waller from One Fit Core, an engaging Pilates session from Emma Sylvester from Total Pilates and how to take time out for you with some great deep relaxation and visualisation techniques from Jackie Parsons (Occupational Therapist & Hypnotherapist).

Every woman is individual and will experience menopause differently. Here's some top tips from our experts:

Clare Shepherd (Nutritional Therapist) top tips:

1. Drink minimum 2L water/day

2. Eat more Omega 3 rich foods, e.g. salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna.

3. Include foods high in photo-oestrogens, e.g. beans, lentils, non GM soy, seeds, oats, rice

4. 70% of diet: choose fresh food and a rainbow of colour

5. Minimise caffeine, alcohol sugars & refined carbs

Jackie Parsons (Occupational Therapist & Hypnotherapist) top tips:

1. Stress can make the symptoms of menopause worse. If you feel tense and uptight, distract yourself briefly with perhaps a walk or puzzle

2. Relaxation reduces stress and tension, so learn to give yourself permission to take time out & care of your mind

3. Each time you have a tea break, sit down, lower your shoulders, breathe in gently through your nose, hold to the count of 3 or 4 and then breathe out through your mouth, mentally saying the word 'calm' as you do

4. Learn something new that you can fit into to your life as an antidote to stress

5. Exercising is excellent for stress

Jo Waller (One Fit Core) top tips:

1. Keep active - Do something every day! Even if it's just a gentle walk. Exercise can help relieve up to 80% of menopausal symptoms.

2. Try Weight Training - As bone density starts to reduce with age, osteoporosis is a real health risk for women, so weight training can help to reduce the degeneration.

3. Focus on pelvic floor - All muscles become weaker with age and your pelvic floor is no different. Try doing 10 long hold and 10 short hold every day for 6 weeks and you'll be amazed at the difference.

4. Work on your core and glute strength - Your pelvic floor is a small group of muscles that do a really big job. Squats are a brilliant way of building strength in the glutes and can be incorporated into your daily life.

5. Hips facing forward - The way you sit can have a big impact on your pelvic floor function. Hips tucked around to the side or pushed forward and under engages the pelvic floor. Focus on your posture, keep hips facing forward and loaded evenly to preserve strength in that muscle for when you need it most.

Why not take a look at our Get Active Search Engine below to find a local club, organisation or new activity sessions for you to try or visit our Active Lifestyles page for advice on being active wherever you are:

Additional Links:

JUST South Leicestershire

JUST South Leicestershire is a campaign to get more females taking part in more local sports and activity sessions. Here you will be able to find out the latest sessions and events for you to get involved in. New for 2021 they also have a JUST Health section, with each week providing a different focus to health
Make your own #ThisGirlCan online poster!

You will need to use a mobile phone or tablet for this app.
Women's SportsNet

WSNet is a self-funded, cooperative network of groups and individuals working independently to coordinate opportunities around Women's Sport & Fitness and to raise the profile of Women's Sport & Sports Women. They have an activity finder just for women as well.