Staying active
Physical activity can be good for your mental health. Activity doesn’t need to be particularly intense for you to feel good. Just enough to release the endorphins (feel good hormones) that make you feel better in yourself and give you more energy, boosting self-esteem and promoting sleep. Here are some suggestions for staying active
Ideas to get active at home and outdoors
Ways to exercise locally:
Let’s Get Moving calendar:Brighton and Hove City Council offer a range of activities from free Healthwalks to afterschool sports clubs for children. It is easy to select free activities in the search bar and is ideal for people who want to get active and connect with community.
This Girl Can: Offers a wide range of activities for women in and around Brighton and Hove.
Ageing Well: Provides a calendar for weekly, fortnightly, and monthly activities in Brighton and Hove catering to older people to help stay active for life. Classes are free or at a low cost.
Freedom Leisure:Offers plenty of activity options for all individuals with differing abilities and communities in Brighton and Hove, such as chair yoga, cricket for adults with learning disabilities, transgender swimming.
Free swimming :Various pools and leisure centres in Brighton and Hove offer free swimming for children and young people aged 18 and under.
Ways to exercise individually:
Active 10: A brisk daily walk is a great excuse to get outside and improve your health. The Active 10 app is a great way to help you monitor and gradually increase your brisk walking levels over time.
Couch to 5k: This is a 9-week running programme designed for complete beginners by the NHS.
Gym-free workouts: Going to the gym isn’t for everyone. Luckily, there are plenty of other ways to get active instead. The NHS have created routines that you can do anywhere, anytime including seated exercises, strength, balance and flexibility sessions.
Parasport: Parasport have created accessible home workouts that ideal for wheelchair users and those just getting started or haven’t been active for a while.
PE with Joe Wicks: Daily workout videos lasting approximately 30 minutes.
No equipment required.Fitness Blender: Over 500 free workout videos enabling you to choose the level of difficulty depending on whether you are new to exercise or looking for something more advanced.
Yoga with Adriene: Yoga instructor Adriene offers over 500 free YouTube videos supporting you to get started through to adaptations for the more advanced.
Stay In, Work Out: Sport England prove tips, advice and guidance on how to keep or get active in and around your home. Join the Movement and use #StayInWorkOut to share how you’re getting active during this time.
Everyone Moves: Everybody Moves offers local disability sports and inclusive physical activities to stay active as well as connecting with people in Brighton and Hove. Everybody moves also offers home workout videos ideal for wheelchair users and those just getting started or haven’t been active for a while.
Getting active when you’re short of time
NHS 10 minute workouts:Only got a few minutes? The 10-minute workout ideas are perfect if you’ve only got a bit of spare time when you’re at home.
10today: Tune in to 10 minutes of activity via the radio, online videos and on social media.
British Heart Foundation 10 minute workout: Work up a living-room sweat in 10 minutes with the British Heart Foundation. You only need a small space and no fancy gym gear to take part.
Getting active as a family
Youth Sport Trust:have a range of YouTube videos with fun challenges and activities that can be adapted to the space you have available
Change4life Indoor activities: Shake Up games inspired by your kids’ favourite Disney characters.
For more information about the link between mental health and exercise go to Mind
