A VERY TRADITIONAL ADVENTURE

“Who is your interview this month?”, asked my husband. “Nigel Jones”, I replied. “I know that name, he was on Channel Report the other day,” said he. “That’s him,” replied I. Nigel Jones does get around a little, in the nicest possible way of course. You may have also come across the work of Nigel Jones at some time or other. Administrator of social media page ‘Jersey In Transition’, regular contributor to the J.E.P., a loud voice in Jersey’s throng of climate activists, and perpetrator of gentle living; cycling more and handcrafting, intermittently interviewed on Channel Television and Jersey Radio…he certainly makes his voice heard. But there is oh so much more to this gently spoken, mild-mannered and yet impassioned, man…interview by Juanita Shield-Laignel

I follow Nigel on JiT with interest, sometimes contribute and/or comment and have also invited him to write for us here at the Jerseylife on more than one occasion. Being a fellow advocate of gentler living, including making things by hand –when I saw a post about his boat-building project –I was really interested to learn more.

Nigel invited me to his building space at a smallholding in St Peter. I arrived to a waiting Nigel standing amongst a heavily laden crabapple orchard and was led up onto a beautiful idyllic field and under a shelter where his project resides. Chickens were clucking and cockerels strutting, birds of prey flying overhead, butterflies weaving in and out of the enclosure and bees were drinking heavily of the clumps of nettles and clover nearby. Two chairs were waiting – setup in fire-side mode – although there was no fire. I sat down and we began.

Editor: I love this idea of you building your own boat by hand. How did this come about?

Nigel: Well let me give you a little of the history of these types of boats first (Nigel pointed to a derelict boat a few feet away). This old boat was built in about, 1960, by an old boat builder who was about 60 himself and retired. It was commissioned by a local wealthy man who wanted it for his two sons and in the style of the old Jersey fishing boats. These boats were going out of style because fibreglass and outboard engines were taking over. Although retired, the wealthy man stuffed enough money into his palms to make him come out of retirement and build just one more…

He did a fantastic job and there is an old postcard around (sadly I don’t have a copy) of it, in its heyday, at La Rocque or Green Island - somewhere that end of the island, with the mast up. After using it as young boys, the two brothers grew up and got bored with it and got busy with important jobs, but the father commissioned a man called Bernard who operated at La Folie, to look after it. He would take it out of the water once a year for routine maintenance, but the boys still didn’t use it. Bernard repeated this process for more than twenty years until in 1988, they realised they would never use it again and I was in the right place at the right time to buy it. It had a mast and sail and a temperamental petrol engine. I taught myself to sail in her all over St Brelades Bay and even motored across to Sark - and made it back! I learnt the importance of a deck on that trip - with water slopping over the top. We sat on the lifejackets because the vibration was so uncomfortable! We had loads of fun in it – parties and picnics – you can get 6 or 8 people in it. We used to arrange the mainsail over our sleeping bags to sleep on each side of the engine.

After several years of fun, I sold it in 1992 and bought a succession of other boats. My third was a fibreglass boat in which we crossed the Atlantic through 1999 and 2000, sailing to Barbados.

Then suddenly a friend of mine said “I’ve seen your old boat for sale”, by then I’d started doing hand tool woodwork projects and thinking ‘what can I make?’ – sadly when I bought it back it was completely unseaworthy, I wondered ‘can I renovate it?’ but no, cloning it became more viable and I started measuring it up…

It’s got lots of lovely features. When I was a kid in the 60s the older fishermen all had similar 15/16 ft versions and worked them very hard, like fishermen do. Scraping against sand and rocks and pulling up lobster pots every day they got pretty clapped out and needed replacing every 5 years or so. The local boat builders were churning them out to meet demand and they became almost throw away. My father bought two, one called Edith and one called Cote D’Azur, so as soon as I saw this one, I recognised its style and its lines. It was called Palodillo. historic times. To begin with they would have been a dugout tree trunk but because water got in over the side, they would put an extra plank on each side and gradually over time, built up. I love that these little fishing boats are born of an unbroken vernacular, a tradition of boat builders building by eye from the beginning of time right the way up to the 60s. Now if you want a boat, they are not made in Jersey anymore and are all fibreglass. I am very keen this won’t die out – this one only survived because it was never worked and was well maintained. So I would really like to build a clone more as template for anyone else in the future. It fits in with my ethos of localism, local crafts, local trades, renewable materials - eco-friendly in a lot of ways.

Editor: What materials are you using?

Nigel: Oak mainly. But sadly not locally sourced. I need straight grained oak of about 5 meters, this only happens when trees are growing close in a forest. I did ask the National Trust locally if when trees come down is there any chance of me getting one and then sawing it into planks, but most trees in Jersey are all knots and branches as they get pollarded, so are not long enough. The first branches in a true forest would be 30 or more feet up. So I have to bring the wood in from the UK.

Some of the wood in the old boat is tropical hardwood – mahogany - but it’s a mistake in lots of ways. Felling tropical rainforests in 1960 seemed like a good idea but not anymore and aside from that - the keel is oak but the stem is mahogany and the mahogany has disintegrated in our climate.

Editor: Tell me about the process…

Nigel: First of all I had to build a sturdy shelter, not just to keep everything dry and make working conditions bearable, but because to build a traditional boat you need stocks on the ground and a roof with rafters as all the moulds need to be held up to the rafters. I see it that you need to fix everything to a wooden frame above and below and the boat gets built in between.

Stocks are built into the ground to hold the moulds, basically templates or frames which are not part of the final boat. Planks are then softened and bent around the moulds and fixed into place and the moulds removed at a later stage. I’ve learnt that it’s heat rather than moisture that softens the wood so am using a steam chest basically long square tube made of four planks with steam coming in at one end. Once you’ve bent the wood, once it cools down – that curve becomes permanent.

When I started, I used a 4ft long metal water trough and a couple of inches of water with a gas cooker underneath and put planks over the top to stop the steam escaping.

Editor: Human ingenuity never fails to amaze me. Your facilities here seem quite rudimentary?

Nigel: Ha ha - yes, it’s just me and the birds and the chickens, no electricity. There is a wood burning stove in that shed which is jolly useful to help me dry off when I’ve cycled from home on rainy days. No matter how good my waterproofs, I’m always grateful for the opportunity to get warm and dry before I start work again.

Having no electricity is a good thing as I’ve had to get involved in using hand tools, which I love – no noise, very little dust and as I have no time constraints, am doing it for the love of it, if it takes all day to do one thing, it takes all day. When I started this project, I used to have to repeat ‘time is not money’ as my last job was working in software development where time really was money, everything had to be done efficiently. This is so different, working in nature and with nature and at only two days a week, gives me enough progress to feel I’m accomplishing something, but I’m not in any rush after all. This is my retirement project so sometimes I just sit here and contemplate. I enjoy cycling here and then just letting the time unfold, I regard each trip as an adventure.

Editor: It all sounds very meditative.

Nigel: Yes - it is - very. There are old books written about hand carpentry, and only going as fast as the tools will allow and then there is all the preparation and maintenance. So just as Bernard used to take Palodillo out every year and sand her down, repaint, stain and varnish or whatever she needed, meaning she lasted much longer than her counterparts, the carpenter also has to maintain and take care of his tools in the first place. The secret to good hand carpentry is to have VERY sharp tools – in fact, that is what I’ve been doing all morning.

There are 3 stages to sharpening each and every tool…a coarse sand stone, then a medium and then a very fine one to produce a mirror finish. Finally, as you use water in the honing process, you have to oil them or they will rust. It’s taken me all morning just to sharpen 2 planes, 3 chisels and a spoke shave. The oil is camelia oil made from the seeds and has just the right properties. This one is from Japan. Incidentally it’s the Japanese that have largely kept this hand tool carpentry alive.

It’s all very methodical. It’s traditionally said that if you want to be a carpenter get a pencil, if you want to be a good carpenter get a sharp pencil, but if you want to be a great carpenter, get a knife! I use a knife to do all my marking out… whether that makes me great or not remains to be seen but, start as I mean to carry on!

Using hand tools is so much nicer. The repetitive swoosh of the metal against the wood sounds beautiful and they are so much lighter in your hands. There is real skill in adjusting and using the blades. Like an artist that forms a relationship with his brushes, I love my 2” chisel and have developed favourites for each job – every tool having its own personality. It’s the tools that make this whole thing so attractive – to build a boat by hand literally, not even an electric saw, it will be unique, hand crafted. I’m not fitting an engine to this one, she is going to be sail and oars, and maybe an electric outboard in time - no fossil fuels!

I’m hoping this will become a new prototype for future generations to copy and will help with my vision for a gentler way of living. More sustainability, more community living, more local crafts, local building, community gardens, growing and sharing. It all fits in with what I believe and how I would like the world to be.

Nigel then went on to share with me how he has come to this stage in his life – his education path, working life and why he so enjoys the meditative side of working with wood…but that will have to wait until our next issue…

Is it time to start living the good life?

By Lorraine Pannetier, Intuitive Copywriter for Lightworkers and Brands with Soul www.thesoulfulword.com Time. It appears to be ever present and yet it’s invisible. We have clocks and calendars to measure time in a linear fashion, and yet every passing day feels different to each of us. There are moments of panic, stress or grief when time stands still, and there are moments where the hours just disappear as we get lost in creative passions, a new romance or the simple pleasures of life. Time is a perception created in our own minds. All we ever have is this moment right now and it’s up to us what we make of it. Pause for a moment and take a deep breath. And another. Close your eyes and place one hand on your heart. Gift yourself the magic of simply BEing in the present moment. You are worthy of your most generous love and attention. Life in a global pandemic has gifted us opportunities to slow down, appreciate what we have (or who we have in our lives) and the chance to create a new lifestyle that feels like a better ‘fit’. A way of life that feels more aligned to our values, our hopes and our dreams.

I think the joke has been on us all along…

On an overheating planet with an endless list of hugely important environmental issues, the time has come for more and more of us to grow (at least some of) our own produce, find more sustainable alternatives to plastic and fossil fuels, to reduce our intake of processed foods, meat and dairy, and make the switch away from diesel and petrol fuelled cars.

In the 70s and 80s we naively bought into the ‘need’ for this new way of life. The average person had no idea about the future impact of their choices on the planet. We became whores to materialism and happily overfilled our trolleys every trip to the supermarket - which of course saved us even more time as we swapped the greengrocer and the baker for the lure of buying everything under one roof.

Perhaps Barbara and Tom had it right all along?

The famous British 1970s sitcom ‘The Good Life’ centred around a married couple who dreamed of living a sustainable lifestyle on their own small suburban plot of land but were inevitably faced with endless challenges and disasters and were frequently ridiculed by their wealthy materialistic neighbours, Margot and Jerry.

In an era of rapid industrial growth, the average 1970s family life was changing due to new timesaving and labour-saving appliances and household items such as washing machines, kettles, vacuum cleaners, disposable nappies and teabags. Suddenly life was becoming easier - which only made Barbara and Tom’s lifestyle choices even more absurd. Why would you choose to make life more difficult for yourself when you had a choice?

1970s humans didn’t know any better. But we do.

information. We’ve watched David Attenborough’s documentaries, we’ve listened to Greta Thunberg, we’ve watched Seaspiracy, Cowspiracy, Gamechangers, The True Cost of Fast Fashion and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood. We’ve given up plastic carrier bags and bought paper straws. But it’s not enough.

The Earth cannot feed almost 8 billion people and feed over 60 billion animals each year. Something has to change.

We need unity.

And right now, there is separation, fear and division.

We’ve become a ‘them versus us’ society.

We are so judgemental and quick to label people that we’ve forgotten the true essence of human beings: that we’re all completely individual and unique. Our fingerprints, our irises, our personalities. All biochemically individual and beautifully unique.

In Jersey, I believe we’re perfectly positioned to step up as a role model for the world. But only if we come together as one. Each playing our small role as part of a collective goal.

We live on an island with a great climate and lots of green space for growing produce. We have the money, infrastructure and technology to make more homes solar powered. We have the potential for energy powered by wind and waves. We have land that can be used to create allotments and community gardens. We have a huge wealth of practical and creatively skilled islanders. It’s not beyond the scope of reality to suggest that we could become a sustainable island where everyone has the chance to eat locally grown, organic produce, lead an active, healthy lifestyle free from poverty and have access to first class medical care. It’s easy to romanticise the sustainable life, but to live 100% sustainably as an individual family in Jersey is difficult. Probably impossible. But if we never try because we believe it’s going to be impossible, then we’ll never get anywhere!

The truth is, no-one wants to give up their comfortable life. But what does a comfortable life actually look like to you? And do you want to live just a comfortable life, or do you dream of wild adventures, excitement and constant expansion?

I think that this is why so many brilliant ideas never get off the ground - because we’re always looking at what we might lose and not what we will gain. We live in a society where the default mindset is to perceive that someone is always out to get us or make life difficult: the taxman, the ferry company, the slow cyclist in rush hour. But, just as time is a perception of the mind, so is this mindset that makes us cling on to what we know and to stay in our comfort zones. We’re greedy, impatient, selfish and self-centred.

It’s time to let go.

To take a deep breath in and to let it out with a long, audible sigh.

Regardless of your viewpoint on the main topic du jour, it’s time for us to come together with less separation, fear and division. We need to find common ground instead of driving wedges, creating labels and putting people in boxes.

It’s time for love, compassion and kindness.

It’s time for us all to stand side by side with the shared goal of a more sustainable way of life that’s kinder to the planet, kinder to animals, helps bring people out of poverty and encourages everyone to be the happiest and healthiest version of themselves.

4 WAYS TO CREATE

YOUR OWN HOME GYM

As home exercise booms because of Covid restrictions, fitness experts outline what you can do to make a useful exercise area in your house...

Home gyms were once the preserve of the wealthy, but since the closure of gyms and leisure centres during the coronavirus pandemic, the popularity of home exercise and the resulting desire for home workout spaces, has really gathered pace.

Many people, of course, can’t afford to create a bespoke gym in their home and simply use an exercise mat – or a rug – in a corner. The home exercise space you use can be as small and simple or as large and luxurious as you like or can afford – but ultimately, all you really need is a couple of metres of space and a big dollop of motivation to be able to exercise at home.

Personal trainer Henry Myers, who runs HM Fitness (facebook.com/HMFpersonaltraining) in Leeds, and regularly leads Zoom classes for people working out at home, stresses that even if you’ve only got a small space available in your house or garden, there’s nothing you can’t do. “You can do a good workout in a couple of square metres, and you don’t have to spend any money to benefit from the flexibility of working out at home,” he says.

“But if you’ve got the space, and some extra money, having a dedicated exercise area or room can be really motivational. It’s similar to having an office at home instead of having to work with

your laptop on your knee – you’ve got everything you need to hand, and it can help you to focus on what you’re doing.

Plus, there’s the added incentive that if you’ve spent a lot setting up your own home gym, you’re more likely to use it to make sure you’re getting value for money.”

Mark Reynolds, founder of WeMakeGyms (wemakegyms.com), says since the pandemic struck, the home gym market has boomed, and it’s not just the wealthy who are creating their own home workout spaces.

“Until the last few years, the home gym was perceived to be something only the rich and famous could afford, but that’s all very much changed since Covid-19 reared its ugly head,” he says.

“A home gym can be as elaborate or simple as you like, from jumping up and down in your bedroom in front of your favourite Instagram personal trainer, cornering off a section of your living room with some cardio equipment and weights, to a fullyfunctioning separate room that’s air-conditioned and adorned with the latest fitness technology.”

Reynolds says people thinking of creating a home gym should remember what they’ll be saving on family gym memberships or fitness classes over

subsequent years. “It can all quickly add up,” he points out, “so the appeal of an at-home gym becomes ever more prevalent.”

Your own exercise space can cost what you want or can afford – from a few pounds for a gym mat, around £2,500 for a basic custom-designed set-up with a cardio machine, a few weights, a bench and new flooring, or a £30,000 converted room or garage with all mod cons, says Reynolds.

“At home, you determine when you work out, and that can take place at any time of the day or night. A new normal is being created, and what people are starting to see is the pure flexibility and long-term cost-effectiveness of an at-home gym.”

1. USE A ROOM CORNER

“You don’t need a lot of room to lay down a yoga mat, which could be the foundation of your workout space, where you can stretch and do core exercises, Pilates or yoga,” says Reynolds.

Aside from mat exercises, more vigorous workouts like Hiit (high intensity interval training) may sometimes warrant a little more space, although most exercises can be done on the spot – even jogging. A solid floor to jump around on is useful, although not essential (your carpet, however, may not benefit from repeated jogging on the spot).

A skipping rope and resistance bands are great basic (and cheap) exercise tools if you don’t have the space or cash for an exercise machine. In addition, adjustable dumbbells, or a small set on a vertical rack, only require minimal storage.

2. USE A DEDICATED AREA

If you have the space to dedicate to a workout area within a larger room, a sliding door will take up less space than a swing door and keep the area separate from the rest of the room. You could also use a portable screen or even curtains to divide the space, Reynolds suggests.

To keep workout gear organised, hang some shelves or get a small storage unit. It can sometimes be a problem to store bulky weights, says Reynolds, but careful storage design can solve this issue.

If the space is permanent, you may want to change the flooring – consider temporary interlocking rubber mats, or something more durable and permanent, such as rubber flooring in tiles or rolls, which will provide physical and audible cushioning for your workout, and prevent slipperiness from sweat and/or fast movement.

Keep your form in check by making a mirror wall part of your design scheme – it can brighten up the space, and make it feel much larger, says Reynolds. Another option is to hang a punchbag from the ceiling – it can always be unhooked and removed to make more space. Alternatively, buy a floor-standing punchbag.

A basic custom-designed set-up including one cardio machine, dumbbells, an adjustable bench and flooring will cost around £2,500-£5,000, says Reynolds.

3. CREATE A FITNESS WALL

Wall workouts are popular, especially for tight spaces, because they don’t require bulky equipment. Fitness walls combine tools for strength training, such as resistance bands, body straps, pull-up bars and even foldable squat racks with an integrated adjustable bench. A fitness wall can be as elaborate or simple as you like, explains Reynolds, and can incorporate hooks or bars to attach resistance bands or other suspension training apparatus to, as well as built-in equipment like cable and/or battle rope pulleys. A fitness wall can also support an angled sit-up bench, or beams that can provide support for total body stretches.

4. CONVERT A SPACE

Garages, basements and attics can be ideal for converting into a permanent home gym, with the benefit of adding value to your property, says Reynolds.

If you’ve got a spacious garden or outbuilding, you could install a standalone gym, which you could combine with a home office space if necessary. Mirrors on the walls will open up and brighten the space, and a wall TV can help cardio time go much more quickly, or connect to an on-demand fitness service. A good sound system to play your favourite tracks as you workout is also useful as a motivational tool. A custom-designed luxury home gym with two or three cardio machines, a squat rack, free weights, cable machine, adjustable bench, combat fitness equipment, a feature wall, custom flooring, audio, visual equipment and air conditioning will cost around £30,000, says Reynolds.

Women’s fitness kit:

8 best buys for an autumn motivation boost

By Liz Connor, PA

From sports bras to smartwatches, Liz Connor runs the rule over some top picks for pushing on with your activity goals this season.

That back-to-school feeling still hits us hard when September rolls around – and the high-energy vibes of the new school term aren’t just for kids. It’s also a great time for adults to revisit their resolutions and set some fresh goals, especially when it comes to fitness.

With that in mind, we’ve sought out the latest kit, smart tech and accessories to put a spring in your step and support your training this autumn, indoors and out.

Whether you’re signing up for a marathon or simply committing to a bit more activity each week, replace old mud-splattered trainers and recycle those threadbare yoga leggings with these fit list picks…

1. Lululemon Swift Speed Bra High Support in Black, £78, lululemon.co.uk

Sports bras aren’t a one-size-fits-all deal, and the level of support you need will depend on your training style and bust. This ultra firm bra from Lululemon is designed to keep you feeling comfortable on high-impact runs, with a bonded underband and hook-and-eye closure that clings to the body and won’t ride up while you’re on the move. panels for extra breathability, as well as soft, sculpted cups for minimising bounce.

2. Domyos Sport Tote in Graphic Print, £12.99, decathlon.co.uk

Now that gyms have thankfully reopened, it’s a good excuse to ditch your impractical tote bag and treat yourself to a proper gym holdall. This cheap and cheerful option from Domyos is a gamechanger if you’re on a tight budget, helping you stow your kit in style. It’s roomy enough to fit all your gear and accessories, like skipping ropes and water bottles, and there are two smaller inside pockets for keeping valuables safe.

3. On Running Cloudflyer Trainers in Glacier and Rose Brown, £145, on-running.com

On Running’s Cloudflyer road running shoe is all about comfort and support. The trendy Swiss brand says they’re made with a special Helion superfoam that’s brilliantly bouncy underfoot.

There’s a lot for both beginner and expert runners to like here – the ultralight mesh upper hugs the foot and provides a snug but breathable fit, for taking on trail routes as well as smoother road surfaces.

the Coach to 5k app and give the popular running challenge a go, these lightweight and super stylish kicks will give you all the motivation you need to stick to your schedule.

4. Garmin Forerunner 55 in Aqua, £179.99, garmin.com/en-GB

Garmin’s Forerunner 55 watch simplifies training, pacing and recovery, making it the perfect running buddy for people who need some coaching advice. Key features including Garmin’s tailored running coach, suggested workouts, Pace Pro Lite and a special recovery advisor, meaning the watch will do the thinking – all you have to do is get out there and run.

There’s also stress and sleep tracking, so you can better understand how your wellbeing and recovery is impacting your running performance. It comes in a few colours options and we love this eye-catching turquoise.

5. Gymshark Vital Seamless 2.0 Leggings in Orange Marl, £40, gymshark.com

When it comes to the feelgood factor, slipping on a pair of colourful leggings is a good place to start. This flattering tangerine pair from Gymshark are made from a super soft stretchy fabric that looks great on all body shapes.

The ribbed waistband gives extra support during strength sessions, but they’re comfy enough to wear around the house on weekends too. The best part? They’re completely see-through-free, so you won’t have to worry about feeling self-conscious during squats and lunges.

6. Chillys Series 2 Bottle in Pollen, £30, chillys.com

Whether you like to take your water bottle to the gym or it sits in your glove compartment after an outdoor run, investing a good reusable option means you’re doing your bit to rid the planet of single-use plastic.

Chilly’s is the brand you’ll find influencers snapping selfies with, thanks to their cheerful array of designs and colours. You can’t really go wrong –their bottles keep water cold for 24 hours and hot liquids warm for 12 hours. The Series 2 design has an anti-microbial drinking collar, so you won’t get those nasty metallic smells over time, and there’s a rubber base so it won’t topple over and spill between gym sets.

7. Women’s Under Armour Cloudstrike Shell Jacket, £53.97 (was £85), underarmour.co.uk

September spells the start of shower season again, so you’ll need to zip on a rain shell to protect you from the elements during outdoor sessions. Built for athletes, this 100% waterproof rain jacket is made from an incredibly light two-layer fabric, so you can repel water while staying cool.

There’s a front zip with a storm flap, roomy pockets for keys and your phone, and a hood for when it’s really lashing it down. Though a little pricey, this jacket is undeniably a worthy investment if you’re keen to keep running through the unpredictable autumn weather.

8. Mini Folding Bike, £600, store.inchcape.co.uk

This collapsible bike from iconic car brand Mini is the perfect accessory to get you to and from the gym or office. It has an ingenious mechanism that allows the aluminium frame to be collapsed and unfolded again in seconds.

The padded leather saddle adds comfort, and it has eight gears to help power you up tricky uphill routes. Weighing less than 11kg, it’s lighter than some other fold-up bikes, making it easier to lift once it’s folded down. It can also be quickly loaded into any car boot with ease, so you can also make use of it on further-flung trips.

5 expert-backed ways to bolster your immune system, as we approach cold and flu season

Nothing can completely keep sickness at bay, but lifestyle tweaks can help. Experts tell Liz Connor how to build your defences this autumn.

Autumn can be a challenging time for our immune systems, with countless bugs doing the rounds and cooler temperatures meaning we’re indoors more, making it easier for germs to spread.

Busy schedules can also increase stress, which doesn’t help matters, and can quickly zap us of the energy we need to get through the day, without having to rely on a steady stream of pumpkin spice lattes.

“Every day, we each inhale more than 100 million different bacteria,” says Euan MacLennan, medical herbalist and herbal director at Pukka Herbs (pukkaherbs.com). “To stop the infectious invaders, we have about 30 million unique antibodies, each programmed to recognise a single known bacterium, plus millions more ‘naïve’ antibodies waiting to attack previously unknown bacteria.

“Whilst our immune system is designed to fight off viruses, sometimes it can be helpful to support it against new challenges,” MacLennan adds.

Keen to sail into the cold season, without spending the entire time coughing into your jumper sleeve and blowing your nose? Remember, the best way to halt the spread of bugs is to stay on top of things like regular hand-washing and minimise contact with others if you, or they, are unwell, but a healthy lifestyle can help support our immune systems too.

1. Get a sweat on

If you’ve been neglecting your gym membership since lockdown lifted, here’s one very good reason to get back into a regular exercise routine. “As well as protecting our heart, exercise is really important for maintaining a strong immune system,” says Emily Rollason, Holland & Barrett’s expert nutritionist (hollandandbarrett.com), “whether that be a brisk walk to the shops instead of driving, or a swim in the sea, lake or river.

“Research shows that regular exercise increases the circulation of white blood cells – the purpose of which is to kill any sickness – causing pathogens in the body.”

There’s a catch though: if you over-train, you can actually end up weakening your immune system, because you’re not letting your body recover. Generally speaking, it’s quite hard to really over-train, but make sure to schedule regular rest days so you can reap the full benefits.

2. Think Mediterranean

It’s not just about necking vitamin C supplements when you feel a cold coming on. Packing your daily diet full of immune-supportive nutrients and herbs, especially those with anti-viral properties, is a great way to give your body a good chance of staying in peak condition.

with Healthspan (healthspan.co.uk), says: “A Mediterranean style anti-inflammatory diet is a great example of a scientifically supported immune nourishing diet pattern.

“Rich in fibre, healthy fats like omega 3s, lean protein and an abundance of colourful plant chemicals, it furnishes all our day-to-day nutrition needs, while also reducing chronic inflammation and guarding against age-related disease.

“Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is one of my favourite kitchen staples to stave off unwanted inflammation and age-related disease,” adds Macciochi. “It mops up oxidative stress in the body and supports your own antioxidant systems.”

3. Go with your gut

According to Macciochi, some 70% of the immune system is in close contact with our gut microbiota. “These good bugs help to coach and educate our immune system,” she says.

A varied, fibre and nutrient-rich diet is key for promoting a healthy gut microbiome, but could a top-up help? Caring for gut health with a daily probiotic containing clinically researched immune-supporting strains, like lactobacillus and bifidobacterial strains, could be a simple way to help boost your health: “Probiotics have been clinically shown to reduce incidence, duration and severity of common infections.”

Try Healthspan’s Super20 Pro supplement capsules (£10.95 for 30 capsules) or Symprove (from £79 for a fourweek pack, Symprove.com).

4. Limit the takeaways

When we’re busy and stressed, it can be easy to fall into the habit of ordering takeaway burgers or pizza, but MacLennan warns that “fast, processed foods do not support our immune system at all. Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany have found that an unhealthy diet can cause the immune system to act as if it is responding to bacterial infections,” he notes.

His top tip? “The next time you reach for the takeaway menu if you’re feeling under the weather, think again about the simple and nutritious options you may already have in your house.”

5. Sleep and de-stress

As we approach the winter months, we can become deluged with opportunities for socialising and overworking. While Macciochi says this can be lovely in moderation, we need to be aware of the negative impact of stress and alcohol on our health, not least on our immune function.

“In the short term, cortisol (a hormone produced by stress) helps to fight infection, but when its levels are continuously high, it can have a negative effect, suppressing and weakening the immune response towards potential infections, delaying recovery and even increasing risk for chronic inflammatory disease,” she warns.

“Combatting the toll of chronic stress on your body involves creating a toolbox of resources to help, like mindfulness and mediation. Personally, I like to take a magnesium bath after a stressful day.”

Sleep, she says, is a foundation of good immunity too. “Your chance of catching an infection is five-and-a-half times greater if you manage less than six hours sleep per night,” says Macciochi. “Protect your sleep by ensuring a calm wind down each evening, and work on establishing consistent wake and sleep times to give yourself the best chance of a good night’s rest.”