By Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies.
It’s a new year and a new start which means it is time to make those customary new year’s resolutions. For most of us this will mean renewing efforts to be more fit and healthy.
It can be a struggle to get to the gym or brave the outside for a brisk walk in January, but physical activity is a great way of beating those January blues. Not only is it a good way of improving your physical health, but it can improve your mental health and make you feel happier too.
Adults need to be active for 150 minutes a week, in bursts of ten minutes or more. This can be through everyday activities you enjoy such as a race around the park with the kids, building 10 minutes of walking into your daily commute, or dancing to a couple of your favourite tracks in the privacy of your own front room. You could even get off the bus one stop earlier and add another bus stop every week or two.
The main thing is to get going every day – increasing our heart rate, breaking into a light sweat and making our lungs work harder all help keep us healthy. But only about a third of us actually get the right amount of exercise each week to receive the general benefits.
Starting a new sport or learning a new skill this year will not only help you be more active but it will also give you a sense of achievement, make you feel happier and improve your confidence.
Remember – everyone has to start somewhere.
