1. Be active
Being active is great for your physical health and fitness, and evidence shows it can also improve overall mental wellbeing.
Mental wellbeing is about feeling good about yourself, the world around you and being able to get on with life in the way you want.
Evidence suggests that there's a link between being physically active and having good mental wellbeing. For instance, physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups and is also essential for slowing age-related cognitive decline.
Being active doesn't mean you need to spend hours in the gym – it could be a short walk on your lunch hour or a bike ride with the family or friends. Find physical activities you enjoy and think about how to fit more of them into your daily life.
It’s suggested that adults aged 19 and over should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as fast walking or cycling, a week.
If you have 5 minutes you could:
- Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
- Do some ‘easy exercise’ like stretching, before you leave for work in the morning
- Walk somewhere instead of driving
- Do some desk-based exercises
If you have half an hour you could:
- Become part of the Couch to 5K community www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/
get-running-with-couch-to-5k - Join in a Park Run in one of Oldham’s Parks www.parkrun.org.uk/oldham
- Pop into one of the five Growing Hubs and projects, dotted around the borough. Many of them need volunteers who can pop in for half an hour or longer.
- Walk into work with a colleague (if it’s not too far!). This allows you to connect as well.
- Get off the bus one stop earlier than usual and walk the final part of your journey
- Organize a sporting activity with your community, street or place of work
- Take part in an activity in your local park such as tennis or football. To find your local park, visit: www.oldham.gov.uk/parks
If you have an hour or more you could:
- See what’s on offer at your local Oldham Community Leisure, for classes and times visit: www.oclactive.co.uk
- Go for a walk - to download our ‘Let’s Go for a Walk’ Brochures, visit www.oldham.gov.uk/
letsgoforawalk - Go on a bike ride in Oldham’s vast countryside or parks – for more information, visit: www.visitoldham.com/
activities/cycling - Join a local group or club – www.actiontogether.org.uk