7 New Year’s resolutions — and how to complete them around Nottingham
Being braver, being more sustainable, reducing screen time, and more…
Setting New Year’s resolutions is brilliant way to challenge yourself and change for the better – and there are plenty of ways around Nottingham to make your resolutions a reality.
We’ve rounded up a range of common New Year’s resolutions, and found places and activities across the county to help you get on track. Whether you’re looking to reduce your screen time, to build your fitness, or simply to improve your confidence, there is something for everyone.
No matter if you have a resolution to fulfil or just would like some more ideas for things to do in Nottingham, this guide is sure to inspire. For more articles like this, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
7 New Year’s resolutions — and how to complete them around Nottingham
By Amber Bungay
1. To be braver
If you’re keen to face your fears this year, flying down a zip line, climbing on an obstacle course, or paddling around rapids are fantastic ways to prove to yourself that you can do anything.
Located in the stunning Sherwood Pines, Go Ape (goape.co.uk) offers the opportunity to climb, jump, slide and soar through the trees. The Treetop Challenge (from £36.95pp) is the most popular option and perfect for families, but for an extra push, try the Challenge Plus (from £41.95pp). If this is all a step too far, it also offers segwaying (from £38.95pp), for an exhilarating tour around the Pines.
Much closer to the city centre is Holme Pierrepont Country Park and the National Water Sports Centre (nwscnotts.com), which has a Sky Trail (£13pp) with high ropes and a Sky Tykes version for little ones. It also has a lovely lagoon for watersports activities like kayaking (£13pp) and paddleboarding (£16pp).
2. To improve your fitness
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is getting fitter and healthier – and if that sounds like you, there are a range of activities. Finding the right one for you is key to keeping it up!
If you’d like to become a runner, there are plenty of running clubs around the city, such as Up and Running Social Run Club and the Embankment Running Club, as well as communities like Girls Who Run and the Nottingham Frontrunners. They’re great for staying motivated and meeting like-minded people. Who knows – you might even end up signing up for the Robin Hood Half Marathon (robinhoodhalfmarathon.co.uk, from £43pp) in September.
Fancy trying something completely new? Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world – combining elements of squash and tennis – and is a fun, fast-paced and highly social game. Pure Padel (purepadelclubs.co.uk, from £25pp) is the largest one in town, with seven courts and a sleek interior.
Pilates is also a hot trend – and if you’d like to enter your scrunchie and Stanley Cup era, Studio Forma (studioformapilates.co.uk, from £18pp) is a 10-minute walk from the city centre. It offers group reformer pilates classes, with Forma foundations for beginners and those looking for a slower pace and Forma flow for those looking for a challenge.
3. To reduce your screen time
Many of us are guilty of the dreaded doom scroll and losing hours to our phone screens. That’s exactly why reducing your screen time is such a quality New Year’s resolution.
Nottingham has a host of stunning parks that will help you disconnect and reset – whether by taking a gentle walk, having a laid-back picnic, or simply taking a moment to breathe. Some of our favourite beauty spots include Wollaton Park (wollatonhall.org.uk, free to enter the park) for its beautiful deer, Colwick Park (nottinghamcity.gov.uk, free to enter) for its soaring lakes, and Newstead Abbey (newsteadabbey.org.uk, £2pp on foot and from £6 per car parking) for its intricate gardens.
Tapping into your creative side is also a brilliant way to get off your phone and to keep busy mindfully. Ugly Bread Bakery in Hockley (uglybreadbakery.co.uk) hosts craft events regularly, including embroidery, watercolour painting, and wreath making. For a slower, more tranquil experience, Starnhill Studio in Bingham (starnhill.co.uk, £5pp studio fee then price of the pottery) offers a charming pottery painting session set within a beautiful farmhouse setting.
4. To learn new things
Discovering new facts and expanding your knowledge is always fulfilling – and Nottingham is bursting with interesting stories and rich history.
Start with a true, city staple and take a look around Nottingham Castle (nottinghamcastle.org.uk, £15pp, under 15s free), where a single ticket gives you year-long access to the Museums & Galleries (so you can keep popping back!). Here, you can uncover tales of our legendary local hero Robin Hood, find out about our lacemaking past, and even venture into our infamous cave systems. It’s also a brilliant family-friendly day out.
Or, if you’ve ever looked up and wondered about our city’s amazing architecture, keep an eye out for tours by Watson Fothergill Walk, (watsonfothergillwalk.com) which delve into the unique buildings designed by one of Nottingham’s most prominent Victorian architects, and are hosted by the engaging and lively Lucy Brouwer. You’ll learn plenty of unusual facts that you can then (smugly) point out to people when walking around the city.
5. To expand your palate
We get it. It’s so easy to stick to home comforts. However, we have so many brilliant independent restaurants in the city centre – and many of them have bold and exciting flavours.
We love Passan’s (passans.com) for its inventive Indian dishes, from high chai afternoon tea to spicy Sunday roasts. Its brunch menu is especially creative - think pistachio-stuffed French toast and Indian eggs with chilli jam. In a hurry? Downstairs is Bombay Deli (bombay-deli.com), which is also run by Rahul Passan and has street food bites perfect for munching on the go (the samosas are incredible!).
Another restaurant that’s not afraid to be creative is Everyday People (theeverydaypeople.co.uk). Go for its comforting bowls of ramen, and stay for small plates like its miso garlic parm wings and cherry hoisin and park bao bun, as well as its extensive cocktails and sake menus. Don’t believe us? Just ask food critics Jay Rayner and Tim Hayward, who loved visiting.
6. To read more
If you’re hoping to become a little more bookish this year, joining a book club could be a great place to start. Independent bookshop Five Leaves Bookshop (fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk) hosts a range of free, monthly book clubs, such as fiction, non-fiction, and even pagan, giving you the chance to explore titles you might never have picked up. Chapter 25 Book Club (chapter25bookclub.com, £9.99pp) also hosts book clubs in areas like Sherwood, Mansfield, and Ruddington – however, it’s worth noting that spaces for these are often full.
You can also do your own independent reading, with lots of Nottingham books set in the area and penned by local authors. Classics include Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe, Selected Poems by Lord Byron, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. More modern works include Who’s That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane, The Dream Home by T.M. Logan, and The Bookseller’s Daughter by Deborah Carr.
The perfect reading spot can also make all the difference. The Grade II listed Bromley House Library (bromleyhouse.org) offers membership options from £162pp, allowing you to escape from the city centre, curl up in its cosy armchairs, and get lost in a book.
7. To be more sustainable
There’s only one planet Earth, and it’s important we all do our bit. Making sustainable swaps and volunteering around beauty spots will both help you do just that.
Shop Zero on St Peter’s Gate (shopzero.co.uk) makes conscious shopping simple, with lots of easy, everyday options to reduce environmental impact. Shop its carefully curated selection of eco-friendly essentials, from cleaning products to reusable containers and cups, and from toothpaste to soaps. You can also bring your own containers to stock up on foods such as flour, grains, dried fruits, and sugar.
You could also join the Nottingham Green Guardians (nottinghamgreenguardians.co.uk), which has regular volunteering and learning opportunities across city locations such as Highfields Park, Colwick Park, and The Arboretum. These include carrying out conservation tasks, maintaining shrubbery, bulb and tree planting, and improving habitats.
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