Mind Your Head's President, Darrian Harris reveals all the tips and tricks to help you stay motivated to move and Put a Spring in Your Step!
Reasons to stay active
Exercise is essential for many reasons such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing the risk of disease and increasing our fitness levels. However, it is known that some of the most important benefits of exercise are the psychological ones. Exercising and keeping active helps to dramatically reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by releasing feel-good endorphins in our brain.
It is clear that we have been living through scary times and gyms have been closed for a long time. So it is understandable that a lot of people aren’t feeling motivated to get out and about. Carry on reading to discover our top tips for getting into the exercising groove!
How to motivate yourself to exercise
Spring is here! After a long, dark and grey winter, we are finally starting to see some sunshine! In Wales? That’s surprising…
Given the lovely weather, this is the perfect time to get that ‘spring in your step’ and get outside! Here are Mind Your Head’s top tips for motivation:
- Discover somewhere new - I’m sure because of lockdown we are all fed up of walking the same routes and seeing the same views… I know I am! With the easing of lockdown measures, now is a great time to climb that hill you’ve not climbed before or visit that beach you’ve always wanted to go to. Going somewhere new is an exciting reason to leave the house!
- Fitness with friends - Whether it’s going for a walk, a run or having a kick about with your friends, this is a great reason to get out of the house! During lockdown, many of us have had to get used to our own company and doing things by ourselves and it’s hard to get motivated to do everything on our own. By meeting with friends, you are exploring a new, fun way to get outdoors and stay active!
- Create a playlist- Having a really good playlist of feel-good songs you love is a great way to motivate yourself! And who doesn’t love a good sing-along?
- Make the most of what you’ve got - As I live in Wales, it’s a given that the sun won’t stay shining forever, but there are alternatives! There are plenty of home workouts available online and home equipment that can be used to help you keep fit and healthy! Check out some YouTube videos for more inspiration!
Balancing a hectic lifestyle
Sometimes life is so busy, it makes it hard to imagine there being any time for keeping active. But, it is important to realise just how high of a priority exercise is! To help, here are some tips for how you can balance your time:
- Keep a diary- Keeping a diary is a really good way to make sure that you have a designated time slot in which you can get moving!
- Eat well- Eating well and meal prepping is a great way to save time later in the week if you know you’ll be busy, leaving some extra time for you to keep moving.
- Take a break- Taking a break from work and studies is essential to make sure you don’t burn out. Going outside for some fresh air or a quick walk will help you feel re-energised and make you far more productive!
For any more hints and tips and to get involved with our upcoming well-being walks, please visit ‘Mind Your Head’ on Facebook and Instagram!