Mental Health Awareness Week – Moments for Movement
Katy, our Physical Activity Navigator, looks at the benefits of moving more for our mental health and gives some tips on how to get started with physical activity.
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness week is Moments for Movement. Why? Because we know that being physically active is great for our mental health, but that doesn’t have to mean running a marathon or signing up for a session of HIIT classes at your local gym. It’s all about those small moments in your daily life where you can move a little more – dancing when your favourite tune comes on the radio, meeting your friend for a walk around the park or taking a moment to yourself to breathe and do some gentle stretches.
So why is physical activity so good for our mental health? Firstly, there are the chemical changes that happen in our body when we move. Being active releases endorphins and serotonin, those feel-good hormones that relieve pain, reduce stress, help you sleep and improve your sense of wellbeing.
Being active also strengthens our connection with our bodies and helps us regulate our emotions. For many people its an opportunity to connect with our self and take a break from our challenges and responsibilities, giving us something else to focus on to help cope with intrusive or racing thoughts. Being active can give us a positive focus, increasing our confidence and inspiring us to achieve things we didn’t think we were capable of.
Being active also helps with our social wellbeing. It can be a safe space to be our true self and an opportunity to build relationships and combat loneliness and isolation. It provides the prospect for defining our social identity, the chance to “find our tribe”.
Getting started can feel difficult and overwhelming but remember those moments for movement. Try to find small ways of moving more that fit in with your daily life and, most importantly, that you enjoy! There are many ways that you can be physically active and not all of them will be enjoyable or feel comfortable, so you may need to try a few before you find something you like. You may also find that different things work for you at different times, depending on how you’re feeling.
Here are our top tips for getting started:
- Do something that is suitable for YOU. Your ability, your level of fitness, where you live, how you are feeling on that day.
- Start slowly. It might take a while to build up your fitness and doing too much at first will make you feel tired and may put you off. Doing a little bit more than you are currently doing is enough.
- If you can, and it works for you, try to get outside and do so early in the day. Move in whatever way you like; walk, wheel, stretch, cycle, skip. Make the most of those feel-good hormones to brighten your whole day.
- If it’s helpful for you, set yourself an achievable goal. Try to have an aim rather than being aimless.
- Be creative with your daily routine. Maybe you can stand when you answer the phone, stretch while the kettle is boiling, have a walking meeting, teach your class outside!
- Be gentle with yourself. Sometimes we can’t manage what we’d planned, and our energy levels will vary on different days. It’s fine to slow down or take a break.
- If you are very unwell you may need to focus on other things for a while and build some physical activity into your routine once you’re feeling a bit better. It’s important to find a balance and figure out what works best for you.
- Keep trying. It may take a while to find an activity you like. As well as trying different activities, you may find that you prefer a particular class, instructor or group.
Remember there are lots of different ways you can get active even if you feel like you aren’t a sporty person or you don’t feel very confident exercising. Perhaps you are feeling low in energy or don’t have much money to spend on exercise – there are lots of options that might be suitable for you. If you would like some support or suggestions about ways to get more active then why not contact Katy on 07434 865062 or getactive@surreycoalition.org.uk.
Useful Links:
Sport in Mind – the UK mental health sports charity
Mary Frances Trust | mental health & emotional wellbeing charity in Surrey