Around 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems, with depression and generalised anxiety disorder the most common. Could microdosing psychedelic drugs be the answer?

For many, the conventional treatments do the trick. Doctors prescribe drugs such as Citalopram (Celexa), Fluoxetine (Prozac) and Pregabalin (Lyrica), which in conjunction with therapy can often bring considerable improvement.

But for some these treatments don’t work, or in some cases can make the problem worse. Allergic reactions to medication, disastrous side effects, or even just a lack of efficacy all mean that sometimes conventional medicines just aren’t the right choice. So what then? Could microdosing mind-altering substances be the answer?

So what is microdosing?

Microdosing is about taking small (micro) amounts of psychedelic drugs on a regular, controlled basis. Advocates identify this as a practice that can make positive psychological changes in the brain, including generating increased productivity, improved focus and awareness, and sense of general happiness and wellbeing. The drugs most commonly taken in microdoses are LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms), and a growing number of people are endorsing their effects.

Lucy in the sky with diamonds

Hallucinogenic drugs have a long and storied history, and have been known and used by mankind for millennia. Undoubtedly, they are most commonly associated with their meteoric rise in recreational use from the late 1950s, and their association with counterculture groups like the hippies.

The late Steve Jobs described experimenting with LSD as “one of the most important things in my life.”

Psychedelics at high doses alter perception and cause vivid hallucinations. Their uses for creative and spiritual purposes are well documented, with famous musicians, entrepreneurs and philosophers endorsing the drug. The late Steve Jobs described experimenting with LSD as “a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life.”

It’s only in recent years that psychedelics have come to be appreciated for their effects in microdoses, usually somewhere around a tenth of the strength of a recreational amount. Ingesting the drugs in these small quantities has far less pronounced effects. Think warm and clear-headed instead of hallucinations and profound spiritual awakenings.

Research into psychedelics for the treatment of mental health disorders is limited, but seems to suggest that there is some merit to claims about their therapeutic properties. A study undertaken by Dr Robin Carhart-Harris of Imperial College London found that psilocybin (magic mushrooms) could be an effective treatment option, and that the stigma against psychedelic drugs is unfounded.

Jane’s story

As there has been little scientific inquiry into the effects of microdosing, much of the information on the subject is anecdotal. We spoke to Jane, who has been microdosing on and off for around six months, and feels that it’s made a positive impact on her recurring depression.

“As someone with depression I’ve done the rounds with traditional drugs like SSRIs and I’ve had a ton of therapy and counselling too, which does help. But isn’t great when I’m so depressed I can’t get off the sofa. And the drugs seem to work for a bit then stop and for years I’ve been going round and round in circles, having good periods and bad periods.

There’s this scene in Withnail and I where one of the characters says ‘Why trust one drug and not another?’ and I was thinking well here I am, taking all these antidepressants…

“A friend suggested microdosing. I’ve taken drugs recreationally a lot in the past and was really concerned that this wouldn’t be a good idea for me, particularly as I’ve had a bad experience on acid before. It sounded completely counter-intuitive for someone with a delicate mental balance. But I was intrigued enough to do some research and the more I read about it, the more it felt like something I could at least try.

“There’s this scene in Withnail and I where one of the characters says ‘Why trust one drug and not another?’ and I was thinking well here I am, taking all these antidepressants. Why exactly am I OK with that and not with something else? So I thought I’d give it a go.”

Where to start?

For most people, the biggest concern with microdosing is about getting the dose right, and for those trying acid as opposed to mushrooms, the key is finding a consistent source that is the same strength. Finding a reliable supplier and clean acid in a world where drugs are unregulated is no easy task and one that Jane was wary of.

“Acid is illegal, so I can’t say too much about this, just that I researched my source carefully and worked with someone who I felt was honest and had integrity in terms of the supply. And I started out really, really carefully with absolutely tiny doses! It was roughly a tenth of a trip. I cut them up into tiny squares wearing gloves. It was like a surgical operation!

“The first thing I had to do was make sure I was clear of other drugs. If you’ve taken anti-depressants before you know you can’t just stop them, so I went through the withdrawal process. I was a bit nervous but actually the drugs I’d been taking I don’t think were working any more so I didn’t feel any sense of loss. Mostly I was worried I’d have a huge downer after stopping but actually you get a period of grace afterwards anyway. So I waited two weeks and then tried my first micro dose.”

I didn’t have any clue what to expect with such a small dose. I didn’t even know if I’d feel it, but I did… the day seemed brighter

“As someone who only used to do things at full pelt I didn’t have any clue what to expect with such a small dose. I didn’t even know if I’d feel it, but I did. Not in a big trippy way, not hallucinating or anything like that. But the day seemed brighter. That’s about all I can describe it as. I felt clear-headed, and in that space where you remember all the right words for things, and like everything is flowing nicely. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s the best way I can put it into words.”

Getting the right amount

Without proper research into doseage and effect, it’s impossible to gauge what size dose and how often a patient should take something like LSD or mushrooms. We asked Jane how she decided to regulate her doseage.

“Because it was such a nice day the first time I was tempted to just take a microdose every day, but wasn’t sure what the cumulative effect would be. So I started off taking a dose (a tenth of a trip) every three days. I found that the brightness and slightly sparkly edges wore off within 24 hours of taking each dose, but that the clear-headed feeling and sense of positivity lasted longer, so this felt right for me.

I tried also not to take it reactively – so if I had something negative happen I didn’t reach for the acid to escape bad feelings. I wanted it to be a long term, measured solution, not a way to drown out the challenges of life. Plus also I feel like the antidepressants I’ve been taking for years do that – they knock the hard edges off everything and actually I want to feel stuff properly – good or bad.”

And how has this worked out longer term?

“I started this experiment about six months ago, and as each month passed I have reduced the dose by having longer gaps in between. So now I’m literally down to one tiny dose per week. I haven’t felt depressed since I started this, although overall I think I feel more ‘up’ than I would as a normal person and I’m concerned about that, because what goes up must come down. So I’m thinking of just stopping for a bit and seeing how that feels. Maybe it’s something to do in bursts rather than long term regular useage.

…it would take a lot to get me back to taking antidepressants again

“Other things I’ve noticed are a feeling of generally being more relaxed, less bothered by the small stuff. I sleep well but my dreams are pretty vivid although not upsetting, just super clear and quite detailed. I’d say so far it’s been a success although I am a bit nervous of what might happen when I stop taking it. One thing’s for sure – it would take a lot to get me back to taking antidepressants again. Not when I can do this and feel this way without all the side effects.”

The jury is still out on whether microdosing is an effective and more importantly safe way of treating mental health disorders. But with the focus increasingly on useage of other ‘recreational’ drugs like marijuana, it seems likely that psychedelics will come under the microscope soon too.

Ongoing research will no doubt shed some light onto the viability of microdosing for the majority of us – and excuse us for sounding cynical, but much of that is likely to depend on whether the large pharmaceutical companies are able to harness and sell the drugs legally. In the meantime we urge anyone trying this to be extremely careful – we don’t advocate, only highlight this treatment.

Disclaimer:

Drugs are illegal, risky, unpredictable etc
Silver doesn’t condone illegal drug useage, just to be clear. We don’t want to get into trouble so do this stuff at your own risk, OK?

See what Robin Carhart-Harris has to say

Find that lockdown has changed your alcohol habits?

Ellis Fergar

The post Could microdosing psychedelic drugs improve mental health? appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Last week I asked someone if he knew anyone who was due to retire, and he sighed and said, “Well yes, I do actually.  It’s rather the elephant in the room in our family.  My mother-in-law is due to retire and frankly we are all dreading it. She is going to be a nightmare.”

I could see the issue immediately. This guy’s mother-in-law has worked her way up in a corporate career, and work has been her life, her identity, her status.  What is she going to do or be without it?  I think the family fears that with nothing else to do she will start interfering in their lives. And this situation is not unusual.

So, what is the issue here?  And how can we fix it? These days – as Silver so brilliantly demonstrates – we can still be young in our 50s, 60s, 70s, even 80s…  Which means someone like this chap’s mother-in-law can still have bags of energy, masses of expertise and want – actually need – to feel useful and relevant.

This is what inspired us to start Next-Up. We found a growing number of people coming to us as they thought about what to do ‘next’, maybe after their corporate career, maybe as a change in direction. And it was clear from the get-go that this was something that offered huge opportunities – for us, and for them.

DREAMS START WITH LINKEDIN

Originally, people wanted help with LinkedIn – having hated it for years and dismissed it, they suddenly realised this is how people find candidates for non-executive director or consultancy roles – and LinkedIn listings are the first thing that comes up when you do a Google search on people’s names.  So pretty much whatever they wanted to do, they needed a profile, and they needed our help with it.

That led to my asking them what they wanted the profile to achieve (thinking about keyword searches) and then we ended up helping them to come up with ideas and plans.  So many people would email after a session and say ‘thanks for the therapy!’ And for many of them, it turned out that this was the first time they had opened up about their fears and dreams, and been able to discuss ideas and turn them into a plan.

We carried out research with 1,500 people aged 55+ to check if what we were seeing was a widespread issue. Our research covered a representation of the UK population, people from all walks of life – and we drilled down with a thousand of these people who had ‘retired’ or were planning to retire shortly.  The findings were interesting.

RETIREMENT? WHAT’S THAT?!

Two thirds of retirees said they want to ‘feel useful and relevant’ and retired over-55s are motivated by purpose, not status or money. Forty two per cent of retirees over 55 agree with Dame Judi Dench, 83, who famously said “Retire? What’s that word?” sharing her view that retirement is an outdated concept.

Like Dame Judi, almost a third (32%) want to continue to use their skills in retirement and 35% have apprehension or concerns around losing their identity.

But. The big issue is about what you do, and how you go about it. Though almost a third of those retired keep themselves busy with activities that use their skills, 45% would like to be doing more.

Helping charities as a trustee or with projects tops the list (13%) followed by volunteering (12%) and coaching or mentoring (10%).

Of these people though, a quarter have not been able to use their skills, either because they don’t know how, or have offered their skills and not had them taken up.

DON’T DISMISS US!

This last aspect resonates with the people we have worked with.  Lots of people write to organisations cold to offer their skills – and often don’t even get a reply.  One person said she wrote to her local council and asked if she could do anything to help local schools – she had run leadership programmes for one of the UK’s top business schools, so you would have thought they might snap her hand off with an offer of free help.  Perhaps she could coach a tired head teacher or run a leadership day for a group of schools in their area. But her offer went ignored.

Another man told me that he had written to one of the UK’s leading aid charities and offered free media training – he had worked in TV for 20 years and also volunteered as an adult, in West Africa.  Again, no reply.

What this tells me – apart from how short-sighted people can be – is that networks are one of your most valuable tools in ‘unretirement’.  Whatever you want to do, your success rate is going to be far higher if you go through people you know – to help you understand processes, make the case for using you and introduce you to the right people.

RETIREMENT INVOLVES GRIEVING

There are a few other themes that we have seen.  One is that the process of retiring can really knock people’s confidence – they can end up in quite a bad place mentally. Essentially, they are going through a bereavement process – they have lost a huge part of their life and their identity.  It will get better but not if you let things drift – you need to create a proper retirement plan and ensure it is on your terms.

If you want to spend two days a week with family, playing golf or gardening – put that in your plan. If you want to earn money, that is possible – have a plan for it. If you want to use your skills, lots of people are looking for you, you just need to know where to go and how to do it.

STRIVE FOR A NEW IDENTITY

My final observation is that you need a new identity for your new life – or put it another way, you need to update your ‘personal brand’. If you have been head of HR for the last ten years, you have to rethink how these skills are relevant to your future – you aren’t looking for another HR role so you need repackaging.

Going back to the poor mother-in-law, I hope her family do talk to her about retirement – time and again people say they can’t talk to family about their worries. This stage of life should be one of the most exciting times we have ever had – full of opportunities and making things work the way we want them to. But only if we plan and make those plans happen.

Victoria is chief executive of Next-Up, an online membership platform to help people shape their unretirement through coaching, workshops, events and tips from peers. A former director of EY and ceo of Northern Lights, she is an Honorary Teaching Fellow at Lancaster University.  She was named one of Yorkshire’s top entrepreneurs and is a BBC commentator on business and social media

Ellis Fergar

The post Refusing to go quietly. Meet the ‘unretirement’ pioneer appeared first on Silver Magazine.

We’ve all heard the stories of fraudsters targeting people with scams. Door-to-door imposters, the cold callers, the false investment schemes – some of them are the oldest tricks in the book. You know the ones we mean; the princes or princesses who just need a small donation to help them access their frozen fortune and, if you’re willing to help, you’ll be compensated with a large chunk of that wealth?

Most of us wouldn’t fall for that old cobblers, but they’re not always so clear-cut. Scammers make their money through trickery, and they wouldn’t exist if they weren’t turning a profit.

The fact of the matter is that many of us do fall for the misdirection and tricks carefully formulated to separate us from our hard-earned cash. Worryingly, the numbers of people affected is on the rise, thanks to the global growth of technology.

However, you’re far less likely to fall for one of these scams if you know what to look out for. They can get pretty crafty, so we’ve put together a list of the most common scams and how to avoid falling prey to them.

STOLEN IDENTITY

In the modern age of contactless payments, online banking and Apple Pay, it’s becoming easier and easier for fraudsters to get hold of your personal information. Once they have access to that sensitive material, it is extremely easy for them to set up credit cards, take loans out in your name, and more.

Top Tips

• Invest in a shredder and safely dispose of personal documents
• Report any unusual banking activities to the police and the bank itself
• Register to vote at your current address so a criminal can’t register elsewhere as proof of residency

JUNK MAIL PRIZES

From lottery jackpots to pyramid schemes, the lure of easy winnings can seem very appealing. But with more than £65 billion lost to date on ‘Nigerian’ scams (yes really), never forget that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Top Tips

• Report email accounts offering these prizes as spam
• Put suspicious letters straight in the bin
• Check the company’s credentials on Companies House

COLD CALLS

These can range from someone posing as an official company representative or charity requesting card and pin details, to a grandchild asking for money to help them out of a financial problem, such as overdue rent or car repairs.

Top Tips

• Never give your PIN or password information out over the phone
• Ask them for their full name first and put the pressure on the caller by asking your own questions
• Take the caller’s details and check with family members or the official company’s help desk before making a decision.
• NEVER call a number straight back, and always check that the previous caller is actually disconnected before ringing out.
  

COPYCAT WEBSITES

It’s so easy to make a website nowadays that anyone can do it, so be extra careful when looking to buy those concert tickets or purchasing the latest software online. There are many imposter websites looking to get hold of your personal details, and in some instances they can even take control of your computer — accessing bank details, passwords and other sensitive information.

Top Tips

• Check for reviews from past users by searching the website name
• Check for the correct URL, they should always start with https:// if they are secure
• Watch out for poor English such as typos and grammar mistakes – this is often a bit of a giveaway
  

DOOR-TO-DOOR IMPOSTERS

Doorstep salesmen can be persuasive at the best of times but when they’re pressuring you into buying something you don’t need, giving money to charity, ‘checking’ meters or services, or parting with money in any way you need to be extra careful. Fraudsters could also be looking to gain access to your home, so be wary of who you welcome inside.

Top Tips

• Keep the chain on the door at all times
• Demand to see their employee ID before talking to them
• If you’re suspicious of a seller in any way don’t be afraid to call 999

If you or a loved one has been the target of fraud, or for more information on avoiding scams, visit www.actionfraud.police.uk

Ellis Fergar

The post Scams – would you know what to look for? appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Feisty, fit and fashionable, stylish silvers are here to stay…

Sam wears…
Chi Chi London lace high neck mini dress in black, ASOS £75
White Edson Patent Court Shoes, Ravel £60
Cobweb tights, stylist’s own

Jan wears…
Sisley pussybow shirt in white, ASOS £40
ASOS DESIGN cotton midi skirt with tie belt and ruffle hem in terracotta, £25
Earrings stylist’s own

Dawn wears…
Vintage black pinstripe dress, from SOLD community charity shop Shoreham
Silver Oka Leather Casual Shoe, Ravel £85

Sam wears…
Vintage black velvet jacket, from SOLD community charity shop Shoreham
Model’s own trousers and shoes

Jan wears…
ASOS DESIGN Tall soft shirt in sheer, £35
All jewellery stylist’s own

Dawn wears…
Turquoise vintage Dorothy Perkins ruffle dress, from SOLD community charity shop Shoreham
White vintage furry shrug and pink sunglasses stylist’s own

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

A fuller version of this shoot is published in our forthcoming pilot print issue, including interviews with all three models. To sign up for the first copy free (no obligation, promise) click here and do your thing.

If you’d simply like to join our newsletter list…

SHOT ON LOCATION AT REGENCY TOWN HOUSE, HOVE www.rth.org.uk

Photographer: Erika Szostak, www.erikaszostak.com
Photographer’s assistant: Matt Ryan, T @threepinreset

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sam Harrington-Lowe, IG @samhl

MODELS
Sam Quinlan
Dawn Wilson
Jan Irvine

HAIR STYLIST
Ioanna Alexia Pitsillou-Kruizenga, IG @loveyohair 

MUA
Rachel Rae, IG @raemua96 

RUNNERS
Ellis Fergar
Sander Matulewicz

Ellis Fergar

The post Inspiring, unapologetic, iconic. A new dawn of fashion attitude is here appeared first on Silver Magazine.

The age of mass communications and the internet has changed the world as we know it, and lots of familiar things have gone the way of the dodo. Newspapers can’t keep up with online news, landlines aren’t as convenient as mobile phones, and the google can do everything short of looking after the kids  — when was the last time you reached for the encyclopaedia?

Life is definitely more convenient, but there’s a certain sadness to leaving it all behind. This sentiment resonates with a lot of us, and so perhaps that’s why we’re seeing a bit of a resurgence. From the ways we shop to our music and hobbies, there’s plenty of ways people are showing an appreciation for the good old days.

Vinyl Revival

Perhaps nobody except vinyl nerds saw it coming, but vinyl has made a massive comeback in recent years. With streaming services like Spotify massively reducing music sales, it’s a musical miracle to discover that millions of vinyl albums were sold in the UK last year. You only need to take a look at local events, record fairs, Facebook groups and so on to see that vinyl just isn’t for oldies any more. Everyone wants it.

The analogue format has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to its retro appeal and sound, with young and older people alike collecting vinyl again like it’s going out of fashion. Vinyl Factory reported that sales of records are at their highest level since 1991, according to the BPI, with 4.1 vinyl albums sold in the UK in 2017. Forbes cites this as a 260 per cent increase since 2009.

But even this happy accident for the vinyl industry brings its own problems. No one is really building presses any more, so finding parts for old machines is difficult, and finding new machines is nigh on impossible. Last year, San Francisco-based Pirates Press built a new press from scratch, the first in more than 30 years.

Those vinyl junkies who kept their lovingly-built collections are now sitting on a gold mine, but as one music loving self-confessed ‘dad-DJ’ put it, “Giving them up would be like cutting off my own arm.” We’re not expecting a drop in sales or prices any time soon.

Butcher, baker and candlestick maker

Supermarkets are a convenience that few people would want to give up, with all of the essentials available in one place — a godsend for the busy parents and commuters out there. Online orders have made it even easier, with shopping delivered right to our doors with the click of a button.

And yet, independent shops like butchers, grocers, bakeries and the like are still going strong. For decades businesses like these were in decline, unable to compete with massive chains like Tesco and Sainsburys. As of the first half of 2016 however, independent shops accounted for 65% of all retail and leisure shopfronts in Britain.

Desire for high-quality, local produce has driven demand for a more personal shopping experience — just like it used to be — and so our high streets still have some life in them yet. The fact of the matter is that supermarkets can’t provide the same shopping experience as local businesses.

Better customer service, availability of local and artisanal goods and a carefully tailored shopping experience keep up the demand for these time-tested retailers, and supermarkets can’t keep up. It’s convenience vs quality, and we’re glad to still have the choice.

Shooting film

There’s no more nostalgic feeling than going through old photo albums, each image taking you right back to the moment when he film was exposed. Somehow, looking through digital images just doesn’t have the same feel to it.

It should come as no surprise then that hobbyists and professionals alike are deciding to shoot with film. For the first time since the early 1990s film SLR cameras are being designed and produced to meet demand. Like vinyl, film is still nowhere near as popular as it was in it’s heyday, but production is on the rise with an increase in sales of around 5% each year.

Kodak recently reintroduced its Ektachrome film, at an expedition of cutting edge technology no less, emphasising their commitment to old-school methods in the modern day. The brand is also considering reintroducing Kodachrome, a type of colour reversal film famous for its saturated colours and unique aesthetic.

Shooting film is a much more deliberate process and can result in some fantastic images, and so it’s no surprise it’s gaining popularity. In the words of the photographer Aaron Siskind “What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything”. There’s a lot to be said for doing things the old-fashioned way.

Paper or bust

Print journalism may well be on the out, but books are doing better than ever, with sales up 5% last year — not to mention a 31% increase in hardback sales. Totalling a whopping £5.7 billion profit in 2017, it’s clear that the printed word is here to stay.

eBooks have certainly captured some of the market, the lower cost and convenience of an entire library in your palm enough to convert some readers. But there’s more to a regular old book than just the words inside: the weight, the smell, and the ability to read them in the bath without risking electrocution.

Second-hand sales are keeping the print dream alive too, with heaps of books to choose from in dedicated bookstores and charity shops at a fraction of the price of digital copies. There’s a certain appeal to reading a beat-up old classic and then lending it to a friend or giving it to a library for someone else to enjoy.

For a while it might have seemed like eBooks were going to take over, but that’s clearly not the case. You bookworms out there can stay safely nestled in the pages of your favourite texts — just be sure to pass it on once you’re done.

Fashion forward (or backwards?!)

Who would have guessed that shoulder pads we’re going to make a comeback? Certainly not us, and yet the late 2000s saw them return first to the runway and then to everyday fashion. Fashion is remarkably cyclical, with even the most obscure trends making a return eventually.

Jelly shoes, bum-bags, flares, platforms, you name it; almost everything seems to make its way to the streets or festivals at some point. Retro fashion is in vogue, and its influence extends to both haute couture and the everyday. Whether you’re Kate Moss or Joe Bloggs, chances are you’re wearing a bit of old-school cool.

The rapid growth of apps like Depop and Vinted shows just how much people are clamouring for the vintage stuff, with the former making around 22 thousand sales a day. People are going crazy for retro clothes and it shows; chances are those clothes that ended up in the charity shop are worth a pretty penny online.

Regardless of if you’d rather leave your house dressed to the nines or in your pyjamas — it’s impossible not to see that retro fashion is alive and well.

So, while the times may well be a-changin’, there’s still lots of us out there keeping the past alive. 

Ellis Fergar

The post Are we living in an age of retro revival? appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Summer is the time of year that has everyone questioning their health. Winter rolls into spring, spring to summer — and before you know it, it’s a scorching hot day and you’re regretting some past decisions.

But it isn’t too late, and with this cracking British summer comes many an opportunity to get healthy while having some fun. Sport is a great way to do just that, and this year’s Wimbledon has got everyone talking tennis…

Serve, volley and backhand your way to a longer life

A bit of time on the court can go a long way to fighting against some of the most common ailments for over-50s.

For women, the regular exercise tennis provides can strengthen not only your muscles but your bones too. That means reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, conditions that affect millions of women across the UK.

For both men and women, the mental health benefits of a good game of tennis are plentiful

Men are at a higher risk of carrying extra visceral fat that can lead to diabetes or heart disease. Getting active through tennis can help to shed some of that extra weight, lowering body fat for a happier and healthier lifestyle.

For both men and women, the mental health benefits of a good game of tennis are plentiful. Exercise increases the levels of serotonin the brain, which coupled with the social nature of the sport can have great results.

A new survey by Local Tennis Leagues (LTL) has shown just how effective tennis can be — 88% of participants over 50 claiming to feel fitter after joining a league, and 83% reporting improved mental health.

Sporting sociably with Local Tennis Leagues

Local Tennis Leagues is an organisation keen to get more people playing. With nearly 200 mixed-sex leagues across the country, people of any ability can come along and give it a go. Players are sorted into group based on ability, so don’t worry about getting matched up with Andy Murray.

The leagues build a sense of community, which can lead to some great friendships

Nigel Billen, one of the founders of LTL, says that it isn’t just the fitness and competition that keeps people playing. “It’s not just about tennis … the leagues build a sense of community, which can lead to some great friendships being formed”.

Last year over 8,000 people played 30,000 matches in the leagues, and the numbers of people getting involved is constantly growing. So, why not head along to a local league of your own and give it a go? There’s nothing to lose, apart from a set or two!

How can I get involved?

Local Tennis Leagues are open to men and women of all standards over the age of 18.  It costs £18 to enter a round, which runs for 8 weeks. To find out more, or to find a league near you, visit www.localtennisleagues.com

Tennis will only get you so far — here’s 5 other tips to get healthier this summer

1. Healthy Eating

Sounds obvious, right? But still an important thing to remember. With summer comes loads of seasonal fruit and veg, so it’s a great time to get some more nutrients into your diet. Strawberries (and cream!) anyone?

2. Supplements

Nutritional supplements, while not a replacement for good old-fashioned healthy eating, can be a great way to ensure you’re getting all the important vitamins and minerals your body needs. Fish oils are great for your joints, among many other benefits, so are a great choice for an aspiring tennis player.

3. Rest

We’ve been going on about the benefits of an active lifestyle, but rest is just as important. You’ll never recover from all those games without a good night’s sleep. Try and aim for eight hours so your body gets enough time to do its thing.

4. Massage

The different types of massage can be good for your health in various ways. It can aid your recovery, improve flexibility, and help to keep you in winning shape. Sports massage in particular might not be as relaxing as some alternatives, but it’s a great way to loosen up those muscles and joints. No pain no gain?!

5. Fun!

It’s important to manage your stress levels, as being too wound up can wreak havoc on your health. Having fun —through a game of tennis or something else entirely — is a great way to make sure you’re keeping stress in check. Take this with a pinch of salt though, going overboard can have the opposite effect.

Ellis Fergar

The post Anyone for tennis? appeared first on Silver Magazine.