Physical activity
Getting up and getting your body moving is one of the best things you can do to promote good physical and mental health.
The benefits of physical activity
Leading an active lifestyle can prevent a range of chronic conditions, including Type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypertension. It also reduces your chances of being admitted to intensive care, should you contract Covid-19. An England-wide survey of over 5,000 adults found that 80% of those asked have made an active decision to make changes to their lifestyle in 2021, 41% said they'd committed to exercising more and 68% of these said they were motivated to do so because of the coronavirus.
Advice to get moving
Pacing yourself
Pace yourself. It’s one of the first things we’re told when getting into physical activity. But why is pacing yourself so important? The old proverb says ‘no pain, no gain’. But struggling on if you’re in pain can actually be detrimental to your health and wellbeing. Pacing yourself allows you to continue physical activity without being hampered by pain and/or fatigue. It means listening to your body and knowing your limits, adjusting things where needed and gradually increasing over time, so you can get back to the things you enjoy.