Our Sporting Life
Hiking, Adventure and Sports Magazine
Proud Sponsors of the Saddleworth 3Ds U9 Whites
We’re over the moon to sponsor the kit for an under 9s football team this season. The Saddleworth 3Ds U9s Whites are playing their football in the East Manchester Junior Football League!
Good luck, 3Ds!
Our Hiking Life – Hiking Blog
Hiking. From gentle flat trails to mountain ridges, getting out on foot can be the most relaxing or the most exhilarating way to experience the scenery around you. We love a good hike. And in our hiking blog, we share trails, reviews, hints and tips on all things hiking.
Ben A’an – The Little Hill with BIG Mountain Views
Ben A’an’s BIG Views I was on my way back from a longer hiking weekend when I took a little hike up Ban A’an, a
Health, Memory and Mood: How Hiking Helps Adults Over 50 Stay Active
Hiking offers proven mental and physical benefits for people over fifty. Explore how regular trails improve heart, joints and focus.
Cloud Inversions on Yr Wyddfa, Garnedd Ugain and Crib Goch
I hiked up Crib Goch and Garnedd Ugain in the hunt for cloud inversions last week. And I got rather lucky! This is one solo hike that will live long in the memory.
How to Prepare for a Long or Difficult Hiking Day
Preparation for a hiking day, particularly a longer or more strenuous one, starts some time before you boot up and hit the trail. Here’s how I prep for longer hiking days.
The Big Burn Walk – A Family Friendly Waterfall Walk in Golspie
A beautiful and short child/family friendly walk in the Scottish Highland featuring two stunning waterfalls, a beautiful gorge and lots of interesting bridges for little legs. This one is the Golspie Big Burn walk and I took it with my 3 sons in August 2025. Here’s the route and how we found it.
Moel Siabod Via the Daear Ddu Ridge – A Stunning Hiking Route with a Fun Scramble
On a sunny Friday afternoon in August, I headed over to Eryri to enjoy a hike and scramble up Moel Siabod via the glorious Daear Ddu ridge. Here’s the route and my review of what is, in my opinion, one of the finest mountains in Wales.
Is Inov-8 a Good Brand for Hiking Boots and Gear?
Inov-8 might be better known for its running kit than its hiking gear. But after buying a couple of hiking clothing items and, more notably, switching to Inov-8 for my hiking boots, here’s my take on whether or not Inov-8 also makes a decent hiking brand
The Writer’s Hike: Finding Essay Inspiration in Nature
Essay writing can sometimes feel like a daunting task. Staring at a blank page, searching for a compelling topic, or struggling to structure your thoughts
From Trails to Thesis: How Hiking Inspires Better Essay Writing
In today’s fast-paced academic environment, students are often looking for ways to enhance their focus, creativity, and overall writing performance. While traditional methods like brainstorming
The 10 Best Olympians in History
Which athletes have achieved the most during the Summer Olympic Games? Here are some of the greatest Olympians in history – our list considers their
Rest Day Ideas to Keep Sports Lovers Energised and Recharged
Rest days are essential for anyone who leads an active lifestyle. Whether you are a professional athlete or simply passionate about fitness, taking time to
What are the Highest Paying Jobs in Sport?
What are the highest paying jobs in sport? And we’re not just talking about being a pro athlete! Let’s take a look.
How to Stay Safe While Exploring Outdoor Adventure Sports
Outdoor adventure sports are exciting, but they also demand careful preparation. Activities like hiking, rafting, or climbing can be safe and rewarding when planned properly.
How to Choose and Use Your Ski Helmet for Optimal Safety on the Slopes
Every winter, thousands of skiers race down snowy slopes, carried away by the exhilaration of the ride. Yet behind that feeling of freedom lies an undeniable reality: the inherent risks of this mountain sport. While it’s impossible to eliminate danger completely, there are effective ways to protect yourself. At the top of that list stands the ski helmet—a piece of equipment capable of turning a potentially serious accident into nothing more than a scare. Gone are the days when wearing a helmet was a matter of personal style or preference. Today, it’s a universally recognized necessity, endorsed by mountain professionals everywhere. Thanks to major technological advances, helmets now combine enhanced protection with optimal comfort, finally putting to rest the old notion of the “heavy, cumbersome helmet.”
How a Weekend Hike Can Improve Your Essay Focus
In the digital age, where constant notifications and endless tasks compete for our attention, maintaining focus while writing essays can feel like an uphill battle.
Why Football Is The Perfect Mix of Competition and Camaraderie for Students
In schools and universities across the globe, football stands as more than just a popular sport—it represents a powerful educational tool that seamlessly blends competitive
First Time Skier: What You Should Know Before Hitting the Slopes
First time skiing this season? Get ready to hit the slopes with these tips for beginner skiers.
What Sports History Teaches us About Disciplined Risk
Explore iconic upsets, enduring dynasties, and data-driven strategy to learn how disciplined risk from sports history can guide smarter choices in business, school, and daily life.
Our Writers and Editors
It’s really important to us that our content is created by people who know and love their topics. So we source contributions from external experts as well as having our own in house writers who cover their own areas of expertise. If ever we’re offering up health or fitness advice, we want to know it’s coming from someone qualified to give it. So we work with doctors and personal trainers as well. Some of our writers and listed below.
Stacey MacNaught
Hiker & football lover
Stacey is a keen hiker and mountain ridge walker. She runs a women’s over 30s football team and recently took up rugby (with a questionable degree of skill).
Christopher Czermak
Tennis player & coach
Christopher is an enthusiastic tennis player and qualified coach. He’s been playing since the age of 6 and now shares his love of the sport with other aspiring players.
Dr Andres Maldonado
Doctor
Andres Maldonado is a a doctor currently located in Venezuela and working at the country’s International Unit of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. He writes for us on anything health related.
Melanie Gilder
personal trainer
Melanie Gilder is a qualified personal trainer and dance teacher who specialises in female fitness. She works with clients to achieve improved fitness as well as weight loss. She writes for us on fitness tips and advice
Football. From 6 year olds running around on a Sunday morning to the mighty England women’s team selling out stadiums, football has a special place in our hearts. Here’s where we share articles, features and news on football.
Our Statistics and Research
The Best Hiking Brands (After 5+ Years of Buying too Much Hiking Gear)
What are the best hiking brands available to buy in the UK? Well based on several years of hiking and spending thousands upon thousands on hiking kit (some good, some bad, some ugly), here’s my take on the best hiking gear brands you can get your hands on.
8 Scientifically Backed Benefits of Cold Water Therapy – With a Bit of Personal Experience Too
Three weeks ago I took the plunge (no pun intended) and started using a cold water dipping pod thing to take a cold water plunge every morning. I was driven by the science and here’s what I’ve found to be the biggest benefits so far.
Boxing Statistics UK – How Popular Is Boxing In 2024?
We polled 2,000 people in the UK to ask them about their participation in boxing! We rounded up this data and other data to pull together the most important boxing participation statistics for the UK in 2024! Let’s dive right in.
Golf Statistics: How Popular Is Golf In The UK In 2024?
How popular is golf in the UK in 2024? To find out, we polled 2,000 adults in the UK about their sporting preferences. We’ve crunched the numbers and here’s everything you need to know about how many people are playing and who are the most likely to engage in golf.
Running Statistics UK – How Popular Is Running In 2025?
How popular is running in the UK in 2025? We polled 2,000 people and collated some other facts and figures to find out.
Hiking and Walking Statistics UK: How Popular is hiking in the UK in 2024?
Hiking (or even just getting out for a quick walk) has a whole host of benefits for both mental and physical health. And for many of us, it’s also just fun. But how popular is hiking in the UK in 2024? And where are the most popular hiking spots in the country?
Women’s and Girl’s Football Statistics UK
The momentum behind women’s football is phenomenal. But how many women play football? How many played as children? And what are the audience sizes like? We take a look in our 2024 round up of women’s and girl’s football statistics.
21 Mind Blowing Stats and Facts About the Six Nations Rugby
It’s upon us again – the Six Nations Championship is one of the highlights of the rugby union calendar. England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy will battle it out in 2024. And to get set for the competition, here are 21 mind blowing statistics and facts about the 6 Nations.
Everything You Need to Know About Under 10s Football in England
There are specific rules, set out by the Football Association, that must be followed when playing football at under 10s level. “Mini Soccer” is played by all children up to the age of 10. All you need to know about the sport for children at this age is set out below – from how many players on a team to the size of the pitch, goals and even the size of the ball that is used.
Everything You Need to Know About Under 9s Football in England
Football at under 9s in England follows the laws of Mini Soccer. These laws entail the maximum playing time for children, how many players can play in a match and even the size of the ball that should be used. If you want to get your child involved in Football and they are in this age group, here is all you need to know.
Everything You Need to Know About Under 8s Football in England
Under 8s football adheres to the FA laws of “Mini Soccer,” which determine the age of players, time limits on games and other things too. Got a child going into under 8s football or considering it? Here’s everything you need to know about football at this level in England.
Everything You Need to Know About Under 7s Football in England
Under 7s football follows the laws of “Mini Soccer,” which determine the age of players, time limits on games and other things too. Find out everything you need to know about getting started with U7s football in England.
American Football Statistics: UK Popularity 2022
American Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, but exactly how popular is it over the pond in the UK?
Karate Statistics: How Popular Is Karate In The UK In 2022?
Karate is a Japanese martial art which is popular in many countries around the world. It is a popular martial art in the UK too
Skateboarding Statistics: How Popular Is Skateboarding In The UK In 2021?
Although many people may not think skateboarding is a sport, it was actually approved to be a sport in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This
Squash Statistics UK: How Popular is Squash in the UK in 2021?
Squash is a fast-paced racquet sport where players compete against each other by hitting the ball against the wall to rebound towards their opponent. These
Badminton Statistics: How Popular Is Badminton In The UK in 2021?
Commonly, badminton is played in singles or doubles while players hit the shuttlecock over the net. It’s played in the Summer Olympics and needs a
Gymnastics Statistics: How Popular Is Gymnastics In The UK In 2021?
Gymnastics is popular around the world. People perform the sport in many countries and events, such as the Olympic Games. But how popular is gymnastics
Skiing Statistics UK 2021: How Popular is Skiing in the UK?
Skiing is an exhilarating sport where people can travel at fast speeds down icy slopes. While the UK may not be well known for Skiing,
Swimming Statistics: How Popular is Swimming in the UK in 2021?
Swimming is one of the most popular methods to stay active in the UK, with large numbers of the population engaging in the sport. This