When someone asks if you are healthy usually your mental state doesn’t come to mind. In our forever busy and bustling society more than 1 in 8 people live with at least one mental disorder. For this reason precisely, we need to be aware of our own mental health and how we can help ourselves and others to life happier lives.
This year’s theme is “Moving more for our Mental Health.” It has long been proven that exercise causes the body to release natural feel-good chemicals called endorphins along with providing feelings of control and empowerment and accomplishment.
While many get their endorphin fix from their local gym, an equal amount of people avoid it like a plague. Mental illness can affect someone’s confidence to go to exercise spaces such as gym’s and drain their motivation to do the exercise in their own homes. While other people are simply so busy they cannot fit in the time for a whole workout session into their daily routine, so how does anyone get around this?
Well movement doesn’t have to be intense weightlifting in a gym, it is equally good to simply enjoy a walk. Walking is an activity that is often overlooked but can provide a good emotional outlet and has been proven to improve mood. It is also inclusive to all ages due to its natural low impact (thought if you wish to add some cardio to it you can always increase it to a jog.) For an extra mental health boost do it outside, as Vitamin D that we get from the sun has been proven to reduce depression.
Another way to maximise the benefits of your exercise is to make it fun! Thanks to modern day technology there is ways to combine fitness with other things to spice it up.
This can be something simple like throwing on a pair of headphones on and listening to your favourite playlist or podcast while on the treadmill. Another way is to grab family or friends or even a reluctant pet and throw a little dance party. if you want to add a tutorial or film it for a TikTok even better!
No matter your age or lifestyle exercise is something everyone has in common and can bring people together, so for this year’s mental health awareness week let us walk together and be there for each other as we all hop-along through the world.
By Emma Gache
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week