{"id":616,"date":"2017-08-23T09:32:33","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T09:32:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/hwbstaffnews\/?p=616"},"modified":"2017-08-23T09:32:33","modified_gmt":"2017-08-23T09:32:33","slug":"expert-me-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/hwbstaffnews\/2017\/08\/23\/expert-me-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert comment: Exercise ‘me time’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hallam expert on the \u201cpositive contamination\u201d as more women in their 30s and 40s take up sport.\u00a0Dr Jeff Breckon, head of the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, was interviewed by The Guardian<\/a> for a piece on the surge in sports participation around the country which has seen many, particularly mothers in their 30s and 40s, get back into the team sports of their youth. Dr Breckon refers to the spread of \u201cpositive contamination\u201d, particularly in the workplace, with colleagues encouraging each other to take part in sport or joining each other in new activities in the piece, which was written by Lily Canter, part of Hallam’s journalism department.<\/p>\n

Back to school sports: the women returning to netball<\/h2>\n

A surge in sports participation around the country has seen many, particularly mothers in their 30s and 40s, get back into the team sports of their youth. More than 60,000 woman have taken part in Back to Netball since its launch in 2009.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n

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A<\/span><\/span>s a carefree teenager, my Saturday county netball games were motivated by my desire to compete and a simple, but steadfast, determination not to let the goal attack into the circle to shoot. More than two decades later and my life is filled with drop-offs, pickups, birthday parties, household chores, arguing with awkward children at home and managing even more awkward grownups at work.<\/p>\n

Yet at the back of my mind there has always been a longing to return to my favourite school sport, if only I had enough time. Post-children, this desire only grew stronger as I desperately sought \u201cme time\u201d and an activity where I did not have to think for three other people. In my mid-30s, I joined an informal netball group in Kibworth, Leicestershire, after spotting it listed in the local newspaper. Now 38, I am gearing up for my second competitive season in the Market Harborough netball league, which starts in September.<\/p>\n