Be active
Staying active is important for feeling happy and healthy. Your physical health affects how you feel emotionally and mentally. Being active can help you sleep better, give you more energy, and reduce stress. There are many ways to stay active. You can go for a walk in a local park, dance to your favourite music at home, or join a local walking group or sports club.
Even small changes in your daily routine can help. Try getting off the bus one stop early and walking the rest of the way, taking a walk during your lunch break, or using the stairs instead of the lift. Every little bit helps to keep you moving and feeling positive.
It’s easy to fall into unhealthy habits that can make you feel worse. Try to eat healthy meals, drink enough water, exercise once a day, and avoid smoking, alcohol, and drugs.
Getting started
There are many ways to get active in Staffordshire. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Check out Walks and Country Trails to find new places to walk. Walking is free and great for your mental and physical health.
- Active My Way has lots of advice, information, and tips for getting active in Staffordshire. You can also read real-life stories about how being active has changed lives.
- Staffordshire Connects is an online tool to find community support groups, organisations, and services near you. Search for Getting active, or Leisure centres, venues and gyms to find activities at your local leisure centre. There are lots of activities for all ages and fitness levels.
- Take a look at Visit Staffordshire, a website full of great suggestions for getting outdoors and active in Staffordshire
It doesn’t matter what your current level of fitness is, there are so many different ways to get active. Have a look at Better Health - NHS for some useful advice, home workout videos and even apps that you can download to get you started.
Check out We Are Undefeatable, a campaign supporting people with a range of long term health conditions in finding ways to be active
Getting active
It’s not always easy to find time in a busy day, but making a difference doesn’t have to take long. Even small, quick actions can really add up over time.
Take a look below for a few suggestions tailored to how much time you’ve got available.
If you have five minutes:
- Try some simple Sitting exercises - NHS, they’re gentle, easy to follow and can help to improve your mobility.
- Wherever possible, take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator.
- Try power walking or jogging on the spot. Just a few minutes can be enough to get your heart rate up!
If you have about half an hour:
- Get yourself out for a run. If you’re new to running or just haven’t done it for a while, visit Get running with Couch to 5K - Better Health - NHS to find out how you can go from a complete beginner to running 5K in just nine weeks.
- Get off the bus a bit earlier than your usual stop and walk the rest of your journey.
- If you need to pop to the shop or to run an errand, walk or even cycle the journey instead of using the car.
If you have a little longer:
- Join your local parkrun, a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. Parkrun is 5k and takes place every Saturday morning.
- Give a Ramblers Wellbeing Walk a go! Ramblers Wellbeing Walks are free, short walks that take place all across England. They have walks from just 10 minutes long and all of their routes are accessible to all.
- Get out for a bike ride. Take a look at Cycling in Staffordshire for some suggested routes.
Disclaimer
We’ve shared some ideas you might find useful, including websites, resources and apps. These are suggestions only and not officially linked to Staffordshire County Council.