Get Active For Mental Wellbeing

Being active is great for your physical health and fitness, and evidence shows that it can also improve your mental wellbeing.

We think that the mind and body are separate. But what you do with your body can have a powerful effect on your mental wellbeing.

Mental wellbeing means feeling good – both about yourself and about the world around you. It means being able to get on with life in the way you want.

Evidence shows that there is a link between being physically active and good mental wellbeing.

Being active doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the gym, if that doesn't appeal to you. Find physical activities that you enjoy and think about how to fit more of them into your daily life.

How exercise helps your mental wellbeing 

Scientists think that physical activity helps maintain and improve wellbeing in a number of ways.

Physical activity can help people with mild depression. Evidence shows that it can also help protect people against anxiety.

Physical activity is thought to cause chemical changes in the brain, which can help to positively change our mood.

Some scientists think that being active can improve wellbeing because it brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge.

Source:nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/mental-benefits-of-exercise.aspx

Should You Exercise If You Have A Cold?

Colds are more common in winter, but you don't necessarily have to stop exercising if you're feeling under the weather. According to Dr Keith Hopcroft, a GP from Basildon in Essex, use common sense and listen to your body.

"If your symptoms are not severe and you generally feel OK, then you can exercise. If you feel absolutely rotten, then it's best not to go."

However, it is important not to exercise if you have a fever. A fever is when your body's temperature is 38C (100.4F) or above and is rarely a symptom of a cold.

"If you exercise with a fever," says Dr Hopcroft, "it'll make you feel worse. In very rare cases, exercising with a fever can lead to the virus affecting your heart, which can be dangerous."

If you have asthma, take extra care when exercising in winter as cold air can trigger symptoms. Use your inhaler before you exercise and have it with you during your activity.

Keep Warm

If you're starting a new exercise regime, don't overdo it. Slowly build the amount of exercise you do. If you can't manage 30 minutes in one go, break it up into 10-minute chunks.

Always warm-up for up to 10 minutes before you start. Walk at a brisk pace, or jog to warm your muscles.

Make sure you're warm if you're going outside. Wear several layers to keep the heat in. A lot of heat escapes through your head, so consider wearing a hat as well.

Source:nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/winterexercise.aspx

Reasons To Exercise In Winter

Research has shown time and again that regular exercise strengthens your immune system so it can fight off bacterial and viral infections. This becomes particularly important in winter when colds and flu rear their ugly heads.When you exercise and get your blood pumping, immune cells circulate through your body more quickly helping them seek and destroy infections. But this boost only lasts for a few hours, so exercise needs to be regular for long-term effects.

Whether it’s the usual winter blues or the more serious SAD (seasonal affective disorder) putting a gloom over the colder months. A daily workout releases feel-good, de-stress brain chemicals, gives you a break from the daily grind and helps ease depression. Plus, if you combine exercise with the great outdoors you can cheer yourself up even more!

We know that after exercise, the brain releases the “feel-good” chemicals serotonin and dopamine, which can help to reduce anxiety and depression while boosting wellbeing,”45 minutes in the day could change your whole outlook on winter!!

Being cooped up with nothing but heaters to keep the air moving means fresh air is much harder to come by in winter! Generally, the air outside is healthier then that inside so going for a walk or run outside gives your lungs a chance to detox and breathe deeply without concern for breathing in other people’s bugs (at home or from the office!)

In the colder months it is so easy to turn to comfort food, because its so satisfying and it makes us feel good, well for a little anyway, and then we feel guilty. Its so easy to become a hibernating bear! No wonder it’s known as the ‘winter weight gain’ period. The average person puts on up to 4 kg! The only way to make up for those added treats is to increase the amount of exercise you’re doing. Try and balance your energy in and energy out then the shredding of clothes in spring wont be such a shock!

Source:livelifegetactive.com/blog/exercise-in-winter/

Why Is My Waist Size Important?

Your risk of some health problems is affected by where your body fat is stored, as well as by your weight. Carrying too much fat around your middle (waist) can increase your risk of developing conditions such as:

heart disease
type 2 diabetes
cancer

Measuring your waist

Measuring your waist is a good way to check you're not carrying too much fat around your stomach, which can raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

You can have a healthy BMI and still have excess tummy fat – meaning you're still at risk of developing these diseases.

To measure your waist:

• find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips
• wrap a tape measure around your waist, midway between these points
• breathe out naturally before taking the measurement

Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is:

• 94cm (37ins) or more for men
• 80cm (31.5ins) or more for women

You are at very high risk and you should contact your GP if your waist is:

• 102cm (40ins) or more for men
• 88cm (34ins) or more for women

Losing weight around the stomach

Most people who are overweight find their excess weight is down to eating more energy (calories) than they burn.

Weight gain occurs when we regularly put more calories into our bodies than we use. Over time, that excess energy is stored by the body as fat.

If you're trying to lose weight, it's a good idea to eat less and be more active.

Hula hooping is an excellent way to trim the waist and burn calories without too much effort!

Source:nhs.uk/chq/Pages/849.aspx?CategoryID=51