We all know that moving more is good for both our mental and physical health, but for some, it can feel quite a challenge to incorporate activity into the day. This Mental Health Awareness Week the theme is 'Movement: Moving more for our mental health' and the aim is to help people to find moments for movement in their daily routines.
Our busy lives take over and in these modern times we are often glued to desks, devices and screens – plus juggling busy work schedules, and personal and family commitments can mean we easily spend the majority of the day sedentary.
The good news is, however, that physical activity doesn’t always have to be about structured, organised sport and fitness.
Instead, there are lots of little ways to fit activity into the day that can help you reap the benefits of moving more. Suzie Gittus, National Partnership Lead from the Health and Wellbeing team at Sport England shares some useful tips on how to stay active below.
Why is movement good for us?
It is well evidenced that physical activity is good for your mental wellbeing – it is proven to help manage stress, improve sleep and manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as being a natural mood booster!
It also supports bone, muscle and heart health and prevents and manages more than 20 chronic conditions and diseases, including some types of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.
In fact, the health benefits of physical activity are so many that it is often called the "miracle" or "wonder" drug - pointing to the wide variety of proven benefits that it provides.
How much do you need to do?
For good physical and mental health, adults should aim to be physically active every day, and the Chief Medical Officers recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, (feeling a little out of breath) per week, plus two strengthening activity sessions.
But the important message is that any amount of activity counts – it all adds up to providing benefits, even in small bouts.
Simple ways to build physical activity into your day
Integrating movement into your day and breaking up sedentary periods can be just as important as more formal fitness activities.
The ‘movement champions’ at Sport England – an internal force to help colleagues be more active – have come up with some useful tips to build movement into your day. Why not pick one and try it next week?
- Walking meetings with an audio-only call can be great for 1:1s or creative thinking.
- Build in movement breaks into your meetings by scheduling 30-minute meetings for 25 mins and one-hour meetings for 50 mins.
- Find a ‘move mate’ – find someone with similar challenges/interests in your team and schedule some time to move.
- Schedule activity breaks or an active lunchbreak into your diary and protect your time to get moving like you would with a meeting.
- Consider getting a standing desk.
- Take the stairs instead of the lift.
- Park your car furthest away from your workplace.
- Jump off the bus or train a stop early and take a stroll.
- Take a one-minute movement break and complete an exercise, e.g. squats, as a team every hour.
…and remember, everything counts!
If you are looking for something a bit more structured, or perhaps things to do in your own home, check out some free options:
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Sport England are helping the nation find ways to move more. Explore fun and easy ways to get your body moving.
