A green approach to life can help the environment - and take inches off your waistline, according to Rebecca Eastment. She tells KATE THOMPSON how the city's first Green Gym has taken off...

EVERYONE knows that doing a spot of gardening can get to the muscles that other exercise routines just cannot reach.How many times after an afternoon of digging, pruning and mowing have you woken up the next day feeling like you've done ten rounds with Chris Eubank?

Those achy muscles mean just one thing - that you have exerted yourself - and now a new Southampton based project is putting that to the test.

The city's first Green Gym has been launched as part of the Outer Shirley regeneration programme - and now regulars are getting fit and tidying up their local environment as part of the groundbreaking new initiative.

Rebecca Eastment, 28, is in charge of the project and keen to extol the virtues of the environmentally friendly fitness scheme.

"The Green Gym is a way of getting fitter outdoors doing practical conservation work," she explained.

"It means you are getting lots of fresh air, meeting like-minded people, helping to improve your local environment and getting fit at the same time."

Each Green Gym session lasts three hours - and there is a warm-up and cool down for all participants.

Rebecca compared the exertion level to a long walk - it is not particularly strenuous and you can work to your own level.

Weeding and planting for 20 minutes is equivalent to 45 minutes of household dusting - and according to experts, raking for 20 minutes is the same as sweeping the driveway for 45 minutes.

"When I've done the session I feel very warm but I don't end up breathing heavily or sweating.

"I always feel hungry after a Green Gym session - I feel like it has burned up the lunch I had beforehand," she said.

Rebecca's background is in ecology but after university she found herself working as a civil servant.

"When I saw this job advertised - it seemed just right for me. Working outdoors doing something for the environment and keeping fit was exactly what I was looking for in a job," she said.

Throughout the country there are more than 32 Green Gyms in operation. The idea came from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers or BTCV. They run the Southampton project and it is funded by the Outer Shirley Regeneration programme.

Colleen Mainstone from the BTCV said the "gyms" are all about local people working to improve the conservation of their neighbourhood.

"Green Gyms are basically groups of local residents who volunteer to work together on conservation tasks. These tasks can range from making a nature trail, planting a tree, caring for a pond or landscaping a children's play area. Not only does the work improve the fitness and health of the volunteers, but the results can lead to a sense of increased pride in the community and can benefit everyone in the neighbourhood."

So far the Green Gym group has worked on clearing the growing area at Down to Earth - the education centre next to Millbrook school and nipping back vegetation around the greenways paths at Coxford.

In the future they hope to work on a project at the Paignton Road allotments.

"The beauty of Green Gyms is that they are self-sustaining. Initially I will work with the group but eventually they will be able to carry on without my help.

"The sort of work that volunteers can expect to do includes grass clearance, digging, construction work and some light tree felling - as the months go by it will become more varied," she said.

The regeneration board voted in favour of the project after hearing about how the project could benefit the area and help meet regeneration aims of improving health and training among local people whilst positively impacting on green spaces and the local environment.

Phil Harris, health vo-ordinator for the Outer Shirley Regeneration programme said he was delighted the project got the thumbs-up.

Phil said: "The 'Green Gym' should have a really positive impact on the local community. The project will enable local residents of all ages to keep fit, lose weight and meet new people while learning about conservation issues.

"However, the 'gym' provides much more than just an opportunity to keep fit. The confidence gained from taking part has led volunteers from similar projects to go on to access other training, return to education or even embark on a new career."

l If you would like more details of the Green Gym contact Rebecca at r.eastment@btcv.org.uk