
Of course, mental wellbeing does not mean being happy all the time, and it does not mean that you won’t experience negative or painful emotions, such as grief, loss, or failure, which are a part of normal life.

We can play these as part of a team or even on our own. Structured and competitive activities that include anything from football or squash to cricket. Unstructured activity that is done for fun or enjoyment. Purposeful activity carried out to improve health or fitness, such as jogging or cycling, or lifting weights to increase strength. Įveryday things such as walking to the bus stop, carrying bags or climbing stairs all count, and can add up to the 150 minutes of exercise a week recommended for the average adult. work), household chores, play, games, sports, or planned exercise in the context of daily, family, and community activities. walking or cycling), occupational activity (i.e. Daily physical activityįor adults, physical activity can include recreational or leisure-time physical activity,

Any activity that raises your heart rate, makes you breathe faster, and makes you feel warmer counts towards your exercise! Īn easy way to look at types of physical activity is to put them into four separate categories. This can be either moderate intensity exercise, such as walking, hiking or riding a bike, or it can be more vigorous activities, such as running, swimming fast, aerobics or skipping with a rope. It is recommended that the average adult should do between 75 and 150 minutes of exercise a week. One of the great things about physical activity is that there are endless possibilities and there will be an activity to suit almost everyone! "It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigour." Marcus Tullius Cicero What is physical activity?Īt a very basic level, physical activity means any movement of your body that uses your muscles and expends energy. There are lots of ways to be active find the one that works for you and let’s all get physical! We need to change the way we view physical activity in the UK in order not to see it as something we ‘have to do’, ‘should do’ or ‘ought to do’ for our health, but as something that we do because we personally value its positive benefits to our wellbeing.Īs part of our work to promote better mental health, we have produced this pocket guide to show the positive impact that physical activity can have on your own mental wellbeing, including some tips and suggestions to help you get started.īeing active doesn’t have to mean doing sport or going to the gym. There are many reasons why physical activity is good for your body – having a healthy heart and improving your joints and bones are just two, but did you know that physical activity is also beneficial for your mental health and wellbeing?
