April is Move More Month. Getting outside, walking and exercising are all hugely beneficial to your health and wellbeing. Taking an activity break away from your desk or workspace can also make you more productive when you return.
So let’s go over the benefits of being active and some easy ways to add activity to your life.
Why should you get moving?
- Walking briskly for one mile in 15 minutes burns approximately the same number of calories as jogging an equal distance in 8.5 minutes.
- According to the British Heart Foundation, over 1 in 7 men and nearly 1 in 10 women die from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the UK. However, people who are physically active are at lower risk of CHD. Brisk walking can help keep your heart strong by increasing your heart rate. It can also reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure in the long term.
- Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reduce your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
How can you easily add activity to your life?
Life gets busy and it’s not about being perfect but finding small ways to add activity into your week where you can. Even seemingly small things here and there will add up.
Here are some suggestions to help you move more this month:
- Try a walking meeting – Walking meetings have been shown to increase creativity and can reduce distractions.
- Find ways to be more active in your day – Take the stairs instead of the lift, go to a colleague’s desk rather than send an email, park further away or get off the bus a stop early.
- Walk, cycle or bus to work – Build exercise into your day by choosing to walk, cycle or get the bus to work instead of driving. Find out more about sustainable travel options here.
- Go for a walk and listen to a podcast – If you can add in something you enjoy alongside your walk, it’ll feel much easier to get those steps in.
- Go to an exercise class on campus – Take a look at classes available to staff across our campuses.
- Buddy up with someone else who wants to increase their activity levels – Ask a friend or coworker to get active with you.
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