LINDA:  Hello, Linda speaking.

MATT:   Oh hi, Linda. This is Matt Brooks. Alex White gave me your number. He said you’d be able to give me some advice about moving to Banford.

LINDA:  Yes, Alex did mention you. How can I help?

MATT:   Well, first of all – which area to live in?

LINDA:  Well, I live in Dalton (Example), which is a really nice suburb – not too expensive, and there’s a nice park.

MATT:   Sounds good. Do you know how much it would be to rent a two bedroom flat there?

LINDA:  Yeah, you should be able to get something reasonable for 850 (Q1) pounds per month. That’s what people typically pay. You certainly wouldn’t want to pay more than 900 pounds. That doesn’t include bills or anything.

MATT:   No. That sound alright. I’ll definitely have a look there. Are the transport links easy from where you live?

LINDA:  Well, I’m very lucky. I work in the city centre so I don’t have to use public transport. I go by bike. (Q2)

MATT:   Oh, I wish I could do that. Is it safe to cycle around the city?

LINDA:  Yes, it’s fine. And it keeps me fit. Anyway, driving to work in the city centre would be a nightmare because there’s hardly any parking (Q3). And the traffic during the rush hour can be bad.

MATT:   I’d be working from home but I’d have to go to London one or two days a week.

LINDA:  Oh, that’s perfect. Getting to London is no problem. There’s a fast train every 30 minutes (Q4) which only takes 45 minutes.

MATT:   That’s good.

LINDA:  Yeah, the train service isn’t bad during the week. And they run quite late at night. It’s weekends that are a problem (Q5). They’re always doing engineering work and you have to take a bus to Hadham and pick up the train there, which is really slow. But other than that, Banford’s a great place to live. I’ve never been happier.

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LINDA:  There are some nice restaurants in the city centre and a brand new cinema which has only been open a couple of months (Q6). There’s a good arts centre too.

MATT:   Sounds like Banford’s got it all.

LINDA:  Yes! We’re really lucky. There are lots of really good aspects to living here. The schools are good and the hospital here is one of the best in the country (Q7). Everyone I know who’s been there’s had a positive experience. Oh, I can give you the name of my dentist too in Bridge Street (Q8), if you’re interested. I’ve been going to him for years and I’ve never had any problems.

MATT:   Oh, OK. Thanks!

LINDA:  I’ll find his number and send it to you.

MATT:   Thanks, that would be really helpful.

LINDA:  Are you planning to visit Banford soon?

MATT:   Yes. My wife and I are both coming next week. We want to make some appointments with estate agents.

LINDA:  I could meet you if you like and show you around.

MATT:   Are you sure? We’d really appreciate that.

LINDA:  Either a Tuesday or Thursday is good for me, after 5.30. (Q9)

MATT:   Thursday’s preferable – Tuesday I need to get home before 6 pm.

LINDA:  Okay great. Let me know which train your catching and I’ll meet you in the cafe outside. You can’t miss it. It’s opposite the station and next to the museum. (Q10)

MATT:   Brilliant. I’ll text you next week then. Thanks so much for all the advice.

LINDA:  No problem. I’ll see you next week.

PART 2

So if you are one of those people who hasn’t found the perfect physical activity yet, here are some things to think about which might help you make the right decision for you. The first question to ask yourself is whether you would enjoy training in a gym. Many people are put off by the idea of having to fit a visit to the gym into their busy day. You often have to go very early or late as some gyms can get very crowded but with regular training you’ll see a big difference in a relatively short space of time. (Q11)

Running has become incredibly popular in recent years. That’s probably got a lot to do with the fact that it’s a very accessible form of exercise that anyone can run even if you could only run a few meters to begin with (Q12). But make sure you get the right shoes. It’s worth investing in a high quality pair and they don’t come cheap. Another great thing about running is that you can do it at any time of day or night. The only thing that may stop you is snow and ice.

Swimming is another really good way to build fitness. What attracts many people is that you can swim in an indoor pool at any time of year (Q13). On the other hand, it can be quite boring or solitary. It’s hard to chat to people while you’re swimming lengths.

Cycling has become almost as popular as running in recent years. That’s probably because as well as improving their fitness many people say being out in the fresh air in a park or in the countryside can be fun (Q14), provided the conditions are right of course. Only fanatics go out in the wind and rain.

Yoga is a good choice for those of you looking for exercise, which focuses on developing both a healthy mind and body. It’s a good way of building strength and with the right instructor there’s less chance of hurting yourself than with other more active sports. But don’t expect to find it easy. It can be surprisingly challenging, especially for people who aren’t very flexible. Getting a personal trainer is a good way to start your fitness program. Obviously there can be significant costs involved. But if you’ve got someone there to encourage you and help you achieve your goals, you’re less likely to give up. Make sure you get someone with a recognised qualification though. Or you could do yourself permanent damage. (Q15&Q16)

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Whatever you do, don’t join a gym and you’re sure you’ll make good use of it. So many people waste lots of money by signing up for membership and then hardly ever go. What happens to their good intentions? I don’t think people suddenly stop caring about improving their fitness or decide they have more important things to do. I think people lose interest when they don’t think they’re making enough progress. That’s when they give up hope and stop believing they’ll ever achieve their goals. Also, what people sometimes don’t realize when they start is that it takes a lot of determination and hard work to keep training week after week, and lots of people don’t have that kind of commitment (Q17&Q18). One thing you can do to help yourself is to set manageable goals (Q19), be realistic and don’t push yourself too far. Some people advise writing goes down but I think it’s better to have a flexible approach. Give yourself a really nice treat every time you reach one of your goals (Q20) and don’t get too upset if you experience setbacks. It’s a journey. There are bound to be difficulties along the way.