[ad_1]
Exercise has been shown to not only be good for our physical body but also our mental health. It boosts our mood, concentration, and alertness – however it can be a catch 22 situation in that exercise can help your wellbeing, but unless you are in good mental health you may not feel like exercising!
Here are a few wellbeing tips to hopefully help you take that first step towards exercise.
Wellbeing Tip 1 – Start Small
Exercise can make you feel hot and uncomfortable so it’s understandable that you are not always enthusiastic about starting and if you feel down it can be doubly hard. However you don’t start an exercise journey by running a marathon, you start by taking a small step in the right direction. Can’t leave the house? Take the stairs an extra time. Can’t walk into town? Can you walk to the end of your street and back? Or maybe some wrist and ankle circles as you sit at the side of your bed when you get up in the morning?
Wellbeing Tip 2 – Everyday things help
Can you build activity into your day? Yes try to trick your mind into thinking you are not really exercising or kill two birds with one stone and get some housework in whilst you move! Vaccuming the house extra vigoursly, getting up and down from the floor to pick things up, do some weeding. Heel raises whilst the morning kettle boils. Taking the stairs rather than a lift or escalator. Walking to the local shop to get the newspaper (or stop getting it delivered and start walking to get it!)
Wellbeing Tip 3 – Do what works for you
“Comparison is the thief of joy”
It doesn’t matter what other 72/82/92 year olds do. They are not you, you have your own genetics, background, likes and dislikes. Don’t want to walk, can you swim? Can’t leave the house, can you find an online class? Don’t want to leave your chair, can you do some seated circulation booster and mobilisation? What can YOU do to increase the amount of activity you do.
Wellbeing Tip 4 – Be nice to yourself & celebrate your achievements.
We often talk to ourselves in a way we would not talk to our friends. If during conversation a friend said “I’ve just walked to the post box and back for the first time without stopping for a breather” You would be “nice work!”
So why if you did that would you not say the same thing to yourself rather than wishing you had done more. Look for exercises you can do rather than make yourself feel bad about the things you can’t. Tell yourself well done when you do them!
Some Small Steps to start
Finally some small steps you can do to start increasing your exercise and help your wellbeing!
- Take the stairs an extra time
- Stand up from a chair without using your arms
- Do some heel raises at the kitchen counter whilst the kettle is boiling
- March on the spot for a couple of minutes, use the kitchen counter as a support if you feel unsteady
- Do some mobility exercises in a chair or how about a 10 minute circulation booster
- Practice these 6 simple exercises to help improve balance and strength
- NHS Inform Level 1 Strength and Balance Exercises (and there is Level 2 & 3 when you are ready to move on
- Search for local walking clubs, often they will have a shorter beginner walk – it’s always more fun to walk and talk at the same time and there is often tea & cake (reward!) after! If you are in Chichester there are HeartSmart Walks run by the council
- Come and join a fun and friendly exercise class (yes sorry I had to get one plug in )
- How about an app that gets the brain and the body working? Clock yourself
My absolute favouite recommendation (and nothing to do with me), and it’s too important to get lost in a list is Make movement your Mission “Live ‘movement snacks’ x3 per day; 8am, noon, 4pm. The movement snacks offer seated and standing options of everyday movements in order to support people to reduce long periods of sitting. To keep moving well, keep moving more. We are a friendly, pro-active, supportive and vibrant community of movement snack mates.” And it’s true they are friendly!
I would love to hear from you if you have any questions, or ideas, about how to get started with exercise. You can contact me on helenrothwell@wholelifefitness.co.uk
The post Quick tips for Wellbeing & Exercise appeared first on Whole Life Fitness.
[ad_2]
Source link