Top of the spots: Bristol’s best exercise sites

By Lexi Bothamley-Dakin, Second Year History

The emergence of Lockdown 3.0, and the closure of all gyms and sports facilities, has led to many of us struggling to find motivation. Exercising in your student house is hardly inviting and a lot of students have already exhausted their home workouts during the last lockdown. If you are wanting to make the most of it with running, cycling and home workouts, Epigram is here for you with a comprehensive list of all the best outdoor places to exercise in Bristol.

Outdoor Spaces

Many of us will be familiar with the Downs for exercising outdoors. However, if you feel like mixing it up and trying new spaces look no further.

· Brandon Hill - This is a great space for exercising outdoors. It even includes an outdoor gym! Perfect if you want to use your own bodyweight for resistance training. The hill is also a great place for those who want to challenge themselves with some incline sprints.

· Redland Green - A bit more convenient for those living in Redland. A little-known space, it is perfect for those wanting to do exercise in a quieter and more private environment. Try some shuttle runs or a HIIT circuit.

· Clifton Down park - so close to the river and those living in Clifton. This is a great space for interval training; have a go at some 30 second sprints followed by a 30 second jog. Repeat until you can’t go any longer! If interval training isn’t your forte, there is lots of room to take a brisk stroll around a beautiful green space.

For runs

· Queens square - For those of you who fancy yourselves as a bit of a Bolt, each side of the square is around 100m, giving you your own athletics track.

· Ashton court - This beautiful estate is a great place for those wanting to add some distance to their running. Covering 850 acres of woods and grasslands, this countryside mansion is a great escape from the city. If you are lucky, you may get a glimpse of the majestic deer!

· Harbourside - A classic route for running, his has its own running trail, with six accurately measured distances from 100m to one mile. Harbourside is a fairly flat and scenic route thanks to one of Bristol’s most well-known features, perfect for those wanting to do a shorter distance.

For Road Biking routes

· Bristol and Bath Railway Path - Covering a distance of 13 miles, this fantastic route connects both Bath and Bristol. Steeped in local heritage, it is a brilliant way to see more of the city. Like many a cycle path, this one was built on an old railway and has been open to the public for over 30 years.

· The Pill Path - Ashton Court Loop from SS Great Britain. A distance of 18.1 miles. This is a great route to avoid busy roads and traffic. However, some parts of the route may require you to push your bike.

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· Route from Clifton to Tyntesfield - Like quite a few of our routes, this route goes through the wonderful Ashton Court Estate all the way to the Tyntesfield Plantation. A distance of 14.79 miles, it is therefore a great route for those not wanting to venture to escape the city into the country.

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Epigram hope this gives you some ideas for your next workout. For those struggling for motivation, why not join the University of Bristol Sport Strava? This allows you to see where fellow students are exercising and may give you some more inspiration.