The start of a new year can be a time when many people are looking for change.
Whether that change is joining a new group, taking up a new hobby or committing to a daily walk – there are lots of ways to create new, healthy habits that support your health and wellbeing.
Being physically active is one of the five ways to wellbeing and is a great tool to help improve mental health and wellbeing, being active can make you feel good and can also help to reduce the risk of major illnesses.
There's strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help people of all ages to lead a healthier and happier life. People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type two diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
There are many ways to add more activity into daily routines and it can also be a useful way to connect with others – join a group or invite a friend along so you can connect with others while doing a positive health activity. For more information about local groups and ideas to increase activity, visit 5 ways to wellbeing – be more active at the website www.warwickshire.gov.uk/5ways
Councillor Margaret Bell, portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: “We know there are many benefits of being active and sometimes it can feel daunting starting something new. Starting small and slowly increasing what you do can make a difference, such as, adding in a 10 minute walk each day, or getting off the bus a stop earlier or swapping one car journey to a walk or cycle ride – small habits can make big changes to our health and wellbeing.”
The Better Health website (www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/) has tools and apps to help people include more activity into their daily lifestyles.
For further support from Warwickshire County Council, Fitter Futures is a referral programme to help people lead a healthier lifestyle. To find out about eligibility and how to get referred, visit the Fitter Futures website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fitter-futures.