Healthy body, healthy mind

 

Healthy body, healthy mind

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain”

This week, I have really been trying to consider carefully what I write in this entry. A colleague gave me this quote and this prompted my thinking. I often say to myself, I’m not in the mood to run, or to bike or for any form of exercise for that matter. When I have taken time to consider this, I’ve realised how floored this is. I touched on it in this week’s worship and it’s all about changing my mind-set.

I am not in the mood to exercise should really be turned into:

I am in a mood so need to exercise.

I have never regretted exercise, no matter how slow, long or even how intense it has been. I have, however, indulged in self-pity or chocolate when I have not exercised, and it is that I regret. In writing these pieces, I am holding myself to account for the choices I make and I am trying to take a bit of responsibility to “own” this lockdown otherwise, inevitably it’s going to get the better of me and more specifically my mental health. And if you have taken time to read this, I would encourage you to try the same!

Why exercise?  What’s the big deal?

I am a big advocate of exercise and not because I am a “fitness freak”. It’s because I’ve seen the effects on my mood, my happiness and my waist line when I don’t. One of my most common staff room stories involves me admitting to which box of clothes I am in at the moment (I have clothes which are medium, large and Xl all in boxes “ready to wear” dependent on the circumstances).

I have recently begun running with Dr. Sanders (socially distanced as he is always more than 2 metres quicker than me!). That commitment to someone else has really helped me drag myself away from the keyboard and out into the wilderness (The Beacon has become our escape haven). It is through these runs we have unpicked our thoughts and reflections on this area of my work and he has very kindly written this contribution.

Physical Activity, Mental Health and Making Connections

 

Lockdown has challenged our ability to maintain our connections with each other.  We are constantly reminded to remember “Hands, face, SPACE”. This constant reminder that we might be a threat to or threaten the safety of those around us and the way that wearing a mask stops us from sharing a smile is something that I know that many people are struggling with.  It certainly gets me down at times. It has been great to see so many people using the time that they might otherwise have spent seeing friends and family indoors to get out and about for a walk – I am seeing loads more people enjoying the views from Beacon Edge and up on Penrith Beacon for example and this is a wonderful thing. Getting outside to walk fast enough to get you just a little bit out of breath for 20 or 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week is a great start.  This heads you in the direction of the NHS recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week that we know brings such big rewards: healthy weight, better fitness and long term reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and more.  You don’t need to take up marathon running or buy expensive kit to see the benefits – just get out there! More immediately this increase in activity also triggers your brain to release some of those “happy hormones” – a boost that we probably all need at the moment.

So what has this all got to do with our connections?  Even if we can’t meet up with each other at the moment we can still smile and give the people we pass a friendly hello.  These small things do make a big difference and you might just make someone’s day.  Connecting with the environment by seeing the view, being out in the sun, wind, snow & the rain might also help you to find some of that well-needed headspace that somehow makes the stresses of life a bit easier to cope with.

 

•       If you would like more information there is loads of good information here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/

•       If you are looking for “next steps”, the couch to 5k programme has guided so many people to set achievable goals: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/

•       (or if all that looks a bit boring, take a look at the Zombies Run apps: https://zombiesrungame.com/!)

 

 

As with all of these things, starting small with achievable goals and building up slowly is the key to success.  You never know where it might take you, but to quote Joe Wickes – “Nobody ever regrets a workout”!

Dr, Tim Sanders, Local GP and Mr Glynn’s personal therapist and running companion

 

I write this for two main reasons: One, to put positive pressure on myself to look after my own well-being during one of the most challenging parts of my career. But also, I hope to make a difference to someone else who reads this and can relate to it. Therefore, please do feedback to me and talk about your own experiences around maintaining a healthy mind, exercise or anything linked to mental health that you feel comfortable in sharing. Below is an example of how one family are proactively facing this “storm” full on and dancing to their own tune in this down pour!

“We as a family have taken on the challenge of Red January by keeping active every day, so having last night’s Zumba class was great to mix up our activities. We’ve so far been walking, biking, running, playing football, taking part in Joe Wicks classes and even some yoga.
Our daughters are absolutely loving being active every day and it’s working wonders for all our health and well-being at home. We are also finding it a great release from home learning.”

 

Stay safe, stay healthy and get exercising!

 

Darren