Get Active in April! As the country slowly opens up and the weather improves, this month we look at ways to get active in April.
Physical activity Walking and cycling They’re great ways to get outdoors and see some of the local beauty spots and discover nature. The National Trust have lots of options for walks near you, please click here to view the top spring nature walks in England and Wales and here for walks in Scotland. You can also check your local council website for any walking and cycle routes that are suitable for both families looking for a safe place to explore, or for those who wish to cover longer distances. Gym free exercise The NHS provide a number of fitness exercise videos. Take your pick from 24 instructor-led videos across aerobics exercise, strength and resistance, and Pilates and yoga categories. These workouts have been created by fitness experts InstructorLive and range from 10 to 45 minutes. Desk based exercises LRG Fitness on demand have designed some stretching, muscle-strengthening and short stints of aerobic exercises. They aim to help you to stay fit whilst working from home, and you can do them right at your desk. So, if you’re looking to relieve muscular aches and pains, joint stiffness and to help alleviate stress, then look no further. This 10 minute top to toe desk based stretching mobility routine will help to do just that. Tips to keep moving: Have fun and enjoy yourself by choosing activities you enjoy, as you’re more likely to be motivated and engage in physical activity regularly rather than it feeling like a chore. Think about your lifestyle and consider your budget, the amount of free time you have and your physical abilities. You can also incorporate family commitments, and possibly look at activities that you can engage in with your family members or children such as a walk or bike ride. What’s available in your local area? When restrictions allow, you could look at local sports centres, different clubs and groups, swimming pools, walking or cycling trails or even your local park. Buddy up! Support those who also want to keep moving. Buddying up can help maintain focus and motivation. Joining a class (even virtually) can also be a great way to meet people. Make small changes and think how you could change your daily routine to increase physical activity, for example walk or cycle to the shops rather than driving or using public transport, and take the stairs instead of using the lift. Listen to your body. If you’re new to getting active, or haven’t kept up with your old routines for a while, then make sure you start slowly to avoid the risk of injury. Ease yourself back into it and see how you feel, and then as your fitness improves why not challenge yourself a little more. Don’t forget to stay well hydrated with water rather than sports drinks as they often contain high amounts of sugar. Keep moving and check out the NHS tips which includes advice on how to stay motivated, as well as a 5-minute wake up workout to start the day.
Health & Wellbeing webinars during April Click on the date below to register. Chair Yoga : Wednesday 7 April, Wednesday 14 April, Monday 19 April, Wednesday 28 April - 12.30-1pm It's really important to get the body moving during the day, because we all know how easy it is to get stuck sitting at a desk! This chair based movement practice, which doesn’t require previous yoga experience, incorporates conscious breathing, stretches and ends with a few moments of eyes closed guided meditation. The Power of Thinking: Wednesday 28 April - 10.30-11.30am Mental health is how we think, feel and behave. This 1 hour webinar will focus on thinking, including how our thinking can influence stress positively and negatively, identifying some common thinking errors we might make and learning some tips to enable us to become skilled thinkers to cope better with the challenges we face. Greatest HIITS: Tuesday 30 April – 12.30-1pm This session aims to demonstrate how to get maximum benefit from exercise, with the musically themed interactive workshop showing how HIIT training can be incorporated into everyday life, why it works and how to create your own personalised workouts.