Stay Active this winter with Lianne Clarke
I am Lianne Clarke, Health Development Manager working with Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP).
As an active partnership, we work with the NHS to find ways to encourage people to lead healthier and happier lives by bringing physical activity and movement into health and care plans.
SASP’s health work spans across social prescribing, reconditioning in the home after a stay in hospital, physical activity on referral, community based health and wellbeing appointment days and getting fitter for surgery.
Here are some of my top tips to help you stay active this winter.
Whatever your age, science shows that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life.
Exercise can reduce your risk of developing major illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer, and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%. If you already have these conditions exercise can also help you manage them and the associated symptoms.
Moving more will also improve your mood and help reduce anxiety and depression. Being active and achieving new goals boosts self-esteem, confidence and keeps you doing all the things that are important to you in the home and community.
In the South West in 2022/23 almost 20% of adults were inactive and not achieving 30 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity.
And just under half of children and young people were not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity. Why not get active together as a family by finding something you can all enjoy such as kicking a ball in the park or going for a fossil hunt at the beach?
Try to be physically active every day, even if it’s just light activity such as going for a walk or moving around the home.
Some is good, but more is better. Especially for those new to physical activity, the health benefits are quick and much greater.
Make a start today. It’s never too late, regardless of age or ability, there’s always time to try some form of physical activity!
Every minute counts. Each and every minute has a benefit and can be added together to create a greater effect. Everyday movement like taking the stairs, walking the extra bus stop, housework and gardening all count and it’s sometimes easier to do these in smaller 10 minute chunks, which can be added together throughout the day.
Try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both. Moderate intensity is when you are breathing faster but able to maintain a conversation. Vigorous intensity activity is described as when your breathing is heavy and talking becomes more difficult.
You also need to keep your bones and muscles strong to cope with everyday demands, prevent injury and provide relief from conditions which cause you pain. Movements which include resistance, such as carrying shopping bags, exercising with water bottles or tin cans, help you to keep strong and well.
As you age, you become less steady on your feet and this increases the risk of trips and falls. Practice standing on one leg (using a chair for support if needed) to ensure the body remains balanced. When you add this practice to resistance exercises, not only does it reduce the risk of a fall but if you do fall it will help you to get up without the need for extra assistance and with less chance of serious injuries. Try to do both strength and balance exercises twice a week each.
The more you move, the better, and taking part in activities such as sports and exercise will make you even healthier. Sports are great for developing new skills and friendships, exercise classes can be fun and help you to target the whole body. Online exercise videos offer the flexibility to make sure you can fit in some activity even on busy days.
Whatever you choose, all will have a positive and protective effect on your physical and mental health.
Sitting or lying down a lot reduces your muscles ability to keep strong and your joints can get stiff and sore. Try to break up long periods of not moving with some activity. Perhaps use advert breaks to get up and move around your home, do some knee bends while holding the worktop while the kettle boils, or climb the stairs a couple more times each day.
If you’re living with health conditions, it’s helpful to make the most of your good days and pace yourself by spreading out the tasks you need to get done, reducing the risk of overdoing it. Planning your day and how you can fit movement into it can feel more manageable and achievable and building up slowly is important, especially if you are new to physical activity.
Listen to how your body responds and don’t forget it’s natural to have some soreness with anything new and being breathless is encouraged! Lastly, when you’re active with others, like friends or a family member, it provides great motivation and accountability – perhaps even some healthy competition?
Keep active and stay well this winter