Find a fun new way to get fit

Fresh air, socialising, great scenery, and the potential to burn between 300 to 600 calories an hour (you’ll have to ditch the golf cart, though – hard when it is a heap of fun to drive one!). There are etiquette rules to follow but don’t let that put you off.

Check out which clubs welcome newcomers – we have loads of gorgeous golf clubs on our doorstep. Read our piece as a newbie tries out golf at Farleigh, which is very welcoming and offers lessons from £30. World of Golf in New Malden offers free courses for beginners or £35 for private tuition.

Lessons are not just available for kids – tuition for adults, whether you are learning to swim, or want to improve your technique, is a great idea.

1:1 lessons are available with Blue Wave Swim School. For swimmers wanting to try something new, take it outside with some open water swimming. Try Shepperton Lakes, where you can book a lesson or the amazingly pretty Divers Cove in Godstone. 

Look after both body and mind this autumn and take up yoga or pilates. Have a chat with instructors of both to see which might suit you the best, and which forms of each are being taught. There are, for example, some very energetic forms of yoga. Those new to the practice or who need to build up their fitness might benefit from more gentle approaches.

The Good Life Yoga in Wimbledon Village offers hatha yoga in the studio, or online, and also on the Common in the summer. You can also book a private lesson for up to three people for £60 each.

We have plenty of lakes and rivers on our doorsteps where you’ll be powering along in no time. It’s great fun, will tone you up and can be hugely sociable.

Head to British Canoeing for a comprehensive list of local organisations and providers. Albany Outdoors in Kingston offers 1:1 tuition for £35. Try Back of Beyond, for a guided trip to Eel Pie Island in the Thames (£60). You could also join The Lensbury Club in Teddington, with its activities that include a range of watersports.

Therapeutic and incredible for all-round fitness, tennis is a fabulous way to improve health and socialise. There are indoor courts available too, so you can keep up your new hobby even when it’s miserable outside.

The LTA website is a great place to start, with a list of courts and coaches locally that will cater for all ages and abilities. Its Tennis Xpress coaching course will have you learning the basics in just six weeks. Expect to pay between £60 to £120 for six lessons. For public courts to practice on, try Wimbledon Park.