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Today I get to workout

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Today I have to get to workout

There’s no better time than New Year when it comes to making changes and self-improvement, right?

After the excesses of Christmas, many of us look to exercise to kick start a new health-conscious regime. And while the gym can be a great form of self-care, for some the idea of actually going can be quite daunting.

I see a lot of negativity on social media when it comes to the gym – people being made to feel unwelcome or concerned they’ll go viral if they do an exercise wrong. As someone who regularly goes to the gym (dare I say even enjoys it!) I understand the worry, but it’s worth bearing in mind this in no way reflects the gym community as a whole. Most of us are really supportive and encouraging!

So, if you’re about to embark on a ‘New Year, New Me’ resolution over the next few months, here are a few of my personal tips to help you navigate the gym.

Find your feet

Whether it’s day one or day 100, take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with your surroundings. Think of it like your first day in a new office, but instead of finding the coffee machine you’ll want to know where the water fountain or kettlebells are. By scoping it out, you’ll know exactly where to go for your next exercise.

Work out a plan 

Whatever your goals, a plan is vital. It’s why you’re going to the gym today. Some plans might be simple, but others (a Push, Pull, Legs split for example), need a bit more research and you might not know where to start. If you’re looking for something free, why not try an app like MyFitnessPal. It won’t create your workout but does give you a range of exercises to choose from so you can build your own and you can even save it in the app. For something more bespoke a personal trainer can create a plan for you, but this likely comes at a cost.

So whether you‘ve written it in your notepad, saved it on your phone, have it memorised or your trainer does, what’s the plan?

 

If you don’t know, ask 

Now you’ve got a plan, you’re ready to go. But just as you’re about to start your next exercise, you can’t remember the difference between Romanian and sumo deadlifts. No problem, just ask for help. If you don’t fancy asking someone or there’s no one around, just ask your phone. YouTube can be your best friend when it comes to exercise and is a useful tool for improving your technique. Remember, asking for help in any form isn’t a weakness.

 

Don’t sweat it

While we’re on the subject of phones, you can’t go far without seeing someone recording on theirs and the gym is no exception. But remember, most people are in the gym for the same reason you are – to workout. While there’s no guarantee you won’t end up in the background of someone’s video, my best advice is don’t sweat it and keep doing you!

 

Pump up the jam

Pump it up, while your feet are stompin’… Okay, that’s quite enough of that, but the point stands. Having a great playlist can motivate you to get your workout started, make it more enjoyable and might even be the difference between achieving a new personal best or falling just short. My playlist is a combination of heavy rock, dance, hip-hop and even some Greatest Showman for when the moment’s right (the moment is always right!).

Music not your thing? Why not try a podcast or audio book instead? Anything which gets you in the zone to help reach your goals.

 

The gym is a great place for you mind and body, it’s a place to focus on you. So next time you’re struggling for motivation remember, a workout isn’t always about building muscle or health, it’s also therapy. Go get yours.

 

How walking 1,000 miles can change your life

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As I sat on top of Pen Y Fan and poured myself a tea from my flask, I took in the Welsh countryside spread out around me and thought to myself ‘I can’t remember a time when I felt so free.’

This feeling of freedom isn’t something that comes easily to me. Having lived with OCD and Generalised Anxiety Disorder the whole of my adult life, my brain and body are used to living in a tightly controlled state of being. My anxiety was made even worse during the Covid-19 pandemic and I’m not surprised to find that according to Mind, 65% of adults with mental health problems have said it’s got worse since the first national lockdown.

Before the pandemic, I’d learned to live with my mental health condition fairly well and although it still affected me, it didn’t stop me living my life. But once the first lockdown hit and we were being told we had to stay inside, things started to go downhill. OCD makes me feel incredibly out of control and living through an unprecedented situation where no one had any form of control was terrifying. I tried desperately to keep control of as many things as I could and saw it as my ‘duty’ to keep me and my husband safe from the germs and contamination all around us.

I washed and sanitised my hands constantly, scrubbed every surface with bleach and washed and Dettol-wiped everything that came into the house. I couldn’t hug or be near anyone which meant even going for a walk became impossible as I struggled to find routes where I could guarantee I wouldn’t see people. Life became closed in and I became increasingly more anxious and withdrawn.

Fast forward to the end of 2021 and a world ever so slowly returning to some form of normality. Throughout 2020 and 2021 I’d started taking medication and gone to therapy sessions to help me cope with the way I was feeling and as a result, I’d started to take my first tentative steps back into ‘normal life’. It was at this time I came across Country Walking Magazine’s walk 1,000 miles challenge and decided 2022 was the year I’d walk 1,000 miles.

Walking those 1,000 miles has been emotional, exhilarating and life changing. It’s taught me a few things along the way too:

  • Blisters are my new best friend (well they’re not but I’ve had to learn to live with them!).
  • Walking 36 miles in a day will break you. Back in May I walked from Corfe Castle to Weymouth along the Jurassic coast and whilst it was incredibly rewarding, it took me 15 hours and afterwards I couldn’t move for the next 2 days!
  • Rest days are just as important as walking days.
  • The UK is stunningly beautiful and there are so many amazing places to discover.
  • Getting lost is ridiculously easy but it does add on a few extra miles.
  • Life is for living.
  • OCD and anxiety no longer rule my life.

I have a new joy for life I never thought possible – I look forward to getting outside and feel like I’ve got my independence and my life back. While I might not walk 1,000 miles in 2023, walking has become a key part of my daily routine and is something I’ll always prioritise for my mental health.

‘Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.’ – Carrie Latet

4me blog 2021 Olympics

Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together

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It might be a year later than billed but the Olympics certainly delivered when we needed it to.

With around 11,000 athletes across 206 countries, competing in 339 different events from 41 sports (including 5 new additions), the Olympics really has something for everyone and Great Britain has become accustomed to Olympic success.

Beijing 2008, 51 medals – 19 gold. London 2012, 65 medals – 29 gold. Rio 2016, 67 medals – 27 gold.

This time around UK Sport set a target of 45 – 70 medals and Team GB did not disappoint.

While they’ve consistently delivered at the Olympics, there’s so much more to many stories than just the medal at the end – we’ve highlighted a handful which captured our attention this Olympic summer.

#teamgreatknitting
Tom Daley – Thrust into the spotlight in 2008 in Beijing when he was 14, he’d yet to win gold. Now 27, Tokyo would be his fourth attempt. His dive won gold, his knitting won the internet. Tom learned to knit before the Olympics to help him stay calm – it seemed to work as, with the gold and bronze medals he picked up in Tokyo, he became the first Team GB diver to win four Olympic medals. He’s certainly the first to knit a cardigan while waiting for his next event.

BMX girls have a lot of fun
Beth Shriever – 2017, drops out of the British Cycling programme due to no funding for women’s BMX. 2021, Olympic BMX champion. With no funding from UK Sport, Beth worked as a teaching assistant and used crowdfunding to help get her to the Olympics. She returned to the cycling programme in 2019. She returned home from Tokyo in 2021 with Team GB’s first Olympic gold medal for BMX.

Worth her weight in silver
Emily Campbell – There was a little wobble of the knees, a steadying smile and then a beep. Britain had its first ever female Olympic weightlifting medallist as Emily won the silver medal. Only five years ago Emily hadn’t done any weightlifting and was working full-time with children with special educational needs. With no funding, she worked and received help from her community. Fast forward to 2021 and we have our first female Olympic weightlifting medal.

The Sky’s the limit
Sky Brown – At 13, the youngest professional skateboarder in the world. Sky had to overcome two huge obstacles to even make it to the Olympics, a life-threatening crash and her reluctant parents. In spring 2020, Sky suffered fractures to her skull and broke both her left wrist and hand after falling from a skate ramp. Just one year later and, after failing her first two runs, Sky landed the kickflip indy on her final attempt. As with the first two runs she slid down the bowl on her hands and knees, but this time she slid with joy. Had the Olympics taken place as planned in 2020, Sky likely wouldn’t have made it. 2021 she’s Team GB’s youngest ever Olympic medal winner.

Overall Team GB brought home an impressive haul of 65 medals from Tokyo, with 22 golds, 21 silvers and 22 bronze medals.

Of course we cheer all our athletes on for the win, but for some even the taking part is an achievement which shouldn’t go unnoticed.

As the closing ceremony ends and Tokyo passes the Olympic baton to Paris – we wait to see what 2024 has in store for Team GB, not just in terms of medals but also the story behind it.

Over to you Paralympics – in the words of Jonny Brownlee – “Olympics? Completed it.”

Swimming into the open

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If there’s anything the pandemic has taught us, it’s to look for alternative ways to keep fit and look after our mental health. Open water swimming has done just that for me! It’s been a favourite pastime of triathletes and others in the know for many years now and there are loads of lakes geared up to cater for the increased interest in getting out into the water.

I’m a big fan of it, but why should you consider open water swimming?

Physical Benefits

  1. Natural high – our brains release endorphins to reduce any discomfort from the cold water, which in turn generates a natural high!
  2. Improved immune system – open water swimming can induce the body to produce more white blood cells and anti-oxidants leading to a more robust immune system
  3. Increases Metabolism and improves circulation – our bodies burn more calories in an effort to keep warm in cold water thereby improving our metabolism. And the cold also forces the heart to pump harder to circulate blood around the body to raise our body temperature.
  4. Improves sleep – swimming’s an excellent form of exercise. It uses most of your muscles, giving you a full body workout, which means your body should be tired by bedtime and lead to a deeper sleep.
  5. Improves your posture – swimming strengthens your back and shoulders thereby improving your posture.
  6. Increases your fitness level – repetitive strokes and the water resistance naturally improves your fitness and muscle strength over time. Water also allows you to get a full workout with low impact on your joints.
  7. Reduces risk of chronic illness – swimming will reduce your chances of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or a stroke. Regular swims at least once a week are known to bring down blood pressure, cholesterol levels, reduce fat disposition and inhibit blood clotting!

Mental Health Benefits

  1. Sense of achievement – certainly the first time you set foot in the water you’ll feel slightly crazy for agreeing to try it. But by the time you re-emerge after your swim, you can look back at the lake and see how far you have swum and gain a great sense of achievement.
  2. Stress-busting – escaping the daily grind to a peaceful lake, away from computers, screens, people and traffic, allows you to take a complete break from a hectic schedule. Swimming is a peaceful and relaxing form of exercise.
  3. Boosts happiness – the natural high, improved health and physical fitness and exposure to nature can help your happiness levels.
  4. Meet new people – the high people get from swimming in lakes and rivers has a noticeable knock on effect in making people more open and friendly. You’ll notice people you encounter at open water swimming locations are quicker to chat to strangers and share their experiences.

If you’re bitten by the bug, you can join one of the many groups who swim together.

What Do You Need?
To start open water swimming, you need to be able to swim a minimum distance unaided, usually around 400 metres. Remember, there are no sides of a swimming pool to hold on to, so you need to be a relatively confident swimmer. If you’ve not swum in a while, go to your local pool to increase your fitness before trying your first open water swim.

Most open water venues will need you to undertake an induction session to prove you can swim before you’re set free in the lake. The lakes are normally set up with a clearly defined loop marked by buoys. At the larger venues, there may be more than one loop giving you the option to complete different distances depending on your competence and ability.

An organised open water swimming venue will stipulate that swimmers need to wear a wet suit to get in the water, a brightly coloured swimming hat and/or a tow float so that the safety kayakers or life guards do not lose sight of you. During the summer, the temperature of the water will increase and swimmers can switch to wearing just a swimming costume or trunks.

Different venues have different minimum ages, with some places allowing children as young as 7 who have the ability and are accompanied by an adult to swim.

Where To Do It?
A google search will pull up the options local to you, but here are some links to help you get started:

Please note that there may be venues in your local area which are not listed, so try a targeted search to get a full list of locations close to you.

…and if swimming in your local lake with safety kayakers becomes far too tame for you, there is the option to crank it up a notch and embrace wild swimming.

One step at a time…

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The wind in your hair, the sun on your face and fresh air in your lungs! Ok, so going out for a walk isn’t always like that, especially living in the UK with our temperamental weather. But getting out and about in the countryside, or even just for a walk around your local area can be brilliant.

Living in central Scotland I’m lucky enough to be reasonably close, well a couple of hours’ drive or so, to Loch Lomond and Cairngorms National Parks – home to some of the most amazing scenery in the country. And being a keen hillwalker, these areas really are a ramblers’ paradise.

I’m a big advocate of getting outdoors and into nature, and having not had the complete freedom to do that during lockdown, has only reinforced my appreciation of the great outdoors. Walking itself can have loads of health benefits and nature has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health. For me, getting out into the countryside and hillwalking really helps clear my head, and I do find myself feeling grateful as I walk amongst the stunning Scottish scenery – it really is a sight to behold. Although I usually go hillwalking with other people and we talk about anything and everything, it’s often those fleeting moments of silence that I find I really enjoy too. Being able to appreciate the moment and take in the beautiful surroundings. Until writing this I never thought of it as practising gratitude, and it’s only now that I’ve reflected on it properly that I’ve realised that’s exactly what I’m doing – and I feel better for it.

Planning a big day of hillwalking can be great, and it’s brilliant to have something to look forward to. But even just getting out of the house for a trek round the block can help boost your mood and improve your mental health. We’ve all been limited in what we can do recently, but even a short walk can work wonders. And if, like me, you’re still working from home, it gets you away from your desk for a wee while if nothing else.

So with May being National Walking Month why not try to get out and about. You could get your friends and family involved and take part in a walking challenge, or just set yourself a goal to get out for a walk once a day. You don’t have to be venturing into the Scottish mountains to take part and you might just find you feel better, physically and mentally, thanks to a bit of regular walking. Let us know if you’re doing anything for National Walking Month and we’ll share your stories, hints, tips and fundraising pages on our social channels.

Push it! 6 ways to get your fitness fix in winter

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Brrrrr…. It’s cold out there! Winter is firmly here and the sunshine and warm weather feels like a distant memory. My motivation to keep running, just like the birds, goes south in winter and I find getting out of bed in the morning challenging enough, let alone doing any exercise!

If you’re like me, and struggling to get enough exercise through the winter months, why not stick on a good playlist and give one of these indoor alternatives a go?

Pump up the jam

Warm up with a workout at home! Many popular fitness classes have an at-home alternative, such as Les Mills on demand, Barrecore and FIIT. For a free fix, why not check out fitness blender? Run by a husband and wife team who are both personal trainers, there’s over 500 free workout videos to try, from HIIT to Yoga.

With a little help from my friends

Why not arrange a get together with your friends and get active together? If you usually head out to the park for a kick about, maybe change it up for a game of basketball or a badminton match.

If you’re more of a solo exercise enthusiast you could switch your road bike for an indoor one and give a spin class a go. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, why not try indoor climbing so you can get an adrenaline rush as well as that all important endorphin hit!

Cold as ice

The winter months are a perfect time to perfect your skiing or ice-skating skills. Ice skating can burn as much as 600 calories an hour and it’s a great social activity too! If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at winter sports, now is as good a time as any to book in those lessons you’ve been meaning to do.

Don’t have the time or the budget for ski lessons? Head to the gym and recreate your own ski inspired workout using machines such as the skiErg for a low impact, high intensity full body workout.

Nightswimming

Jumping in the pool might be the last thing you feel like doing in the winter, but studies have shown that cold water swimming increases your tolerance to the cold, boosts your immunity, enhances your blood circulation and can relieve aches and pains. Just make sure you’re well prepared and take lots of warm clothes to wrap up in after. The Outdoor Swimming Society has some great tips on staying safe if you’re new to cold water swimming.

Not quite ready to try out your local outdoor pool? Head inside instead! Swimming, whether it’s cold water or in a heated pool is a great workout as it exercises every muscle in your body and is low impact, so there’s no extra pressure on your joints.

Boogie nights

For an alternative fitness fix, why not give rebound training a go? A study completed by NASA showed that rebound training on a mini trampoline was 68% more effective than jogging and required less effort – win, win!

This low impact, high-energy workout is a great way to bust stress, strengthen your bones and muscles, all while jumping around to your favourite songs. Not sure where to start? Boogie Bounce has classes up and down the country and welcomes people of all ages.

Perfect day

If it’s not icy, get outside anyway! Exercising outdoors gives your body exposure to natural light which can help keep the winter blues away and top up your vitamin D levels.

Remember, if you’re exercising outdoors, it’s important you’re well prepared and dressed appropriately for the weather. Think of a few light, sweat wicking layers that you can easily remove if you become hot and don’t forget your hat!

If you’re really struggling to get outside in the winter, think about setting yourself a goal – maybe you want to train for a race in the spring? Or maybe treat yourself to a reward after your outdoor workouts, like a nice warm bath or book yourself in for a recovery massage.

Whilst finding the motivation to exercise in the winter months can be hard, having alternatives can be the key to keeping yourself going in the darkest months of the year.

What are you going to try out this winter? Let us know in the comments below!

Ready, Set, Go! – Preparing for your first race

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You signed up months ago, followed your training plan and before you know it, there’s only a few days left until your race. While it’s common to feel nervous, there’s plenty you can do in the run up that can help you to prepare and focus on the race ahead, whether you’re running a 5k or right up to a marathon!

Ready…
Depending on the distance, start thinking about tapering down your activity between one and three weeks before race day. Your body will need to be in its best condition for race day, so stick to your training plan as this tapering phase should be built in for you. It may seem un-nerving to be reducing the amount you’re running, but it will help your body prepare for the race ahead. If you’re running a marathon, you might want to start thinking about carb loading. Not sure what that is or where to start? This article from Runner’s World offers a detailed guide.

Set…
The night before race day, it’s likely you’ll be a bit nervous. There is some small prep you can do to take the stress out of race day morning, but what I’ve found most helpful is running (pardon the pun!) through my race information again. This way, I know exactly where I need to go, what time I need to be there and where the nearest loos are! I also like to check the weather forecast, get all my kit together and lay it out ready for the next morning – it helps re-focus my thoughts and reassures me that I won’t forget anything in a nervous rush. As a side tip, make sure you’ve already tested what you’re wearing on a long training run. It’s not a great idea to wear anything brand new or untested – you could end up with blisters – or worse, chafing!

Go!
And it’s finally here! You might not feel like eating on race morning, but it’s a good idea to get some fuel on board, even if it’s only a small meal. The London Marathon has a great race-day nutrition guide with lots of tips on how to properly fuel your race.

  • Just like the kit you wear, anything you eat on race day should be tried and tested or you could run the risk of an upset stomach.
  • Drink plenty of water to keep yourself properly hydrated.
  • If it’s going to be a hot, sunny day, slap on the sun cream.
  • Get to the start point well ahead of time, there’s always a huge queue for the loos!
  • Get yourself ready, warm up, and find yourself a good position at the start line.

Once the gun goes, it can feel quite claustrophobic and it’s easy to get swept up as everyone surges forward, but try not to panic, hold your ground and run at the pace you’ve been training at to avoid striving for a pace that’s too hard to sustain.

As the field thins out, take time to enjoy your race! You’ve worked hard to get to this point – now’s your chance to take in everything around you and have some fun.

The finish line
You did it! Enjoy your moment and take in the atmosphere at the finish line, but before you celebrate, make sure you stretch and cool down or you may find you can’t move later!

Whatever distance you’re running, you can feel proud that you’ve achieved something amazing, and start thinking about training for the next one!

Get on track with your running routine

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Runners, do you ever get the days where you just can’t face it? Do you suffer from a lack of motivation at certain times of the year?

For me, my motivational slump often comes in winter – it’s too dark, too cold and too rainy – the reasons for not getting out the door go on…

It’s all too easy to ignore my alarm, roll over and steal an extra hour of sleep, but my mental health suffers as a result of my lack of motivation. Lately I’ve been pretty determined to get my running mojo back on track and these simple steps are helping me along the way:

Set a simple, achievable goal
As I haven’t been running quite so regularly recently, my pace and distance have dwindled. So, I set myself a realistic goal of running for 15 minutes three times a week. It might not seem like much, but it’s an easy goal to get me started and doesn’t feel too big (which could put me off!). Just getting out of the door for those 15 minutes three times a week has eased me back into a regular routine with my running.

Get a new soundtrack
For the past year, I’ve listened to pretty much the same type of music on my runs. I recently changed to listening to podcasts or an audio book, which has been a game changer for me. I now find I’m getting so lost in the storyline of my book, the run is over before I know it! I always pick something I really enjoy and I’ve read before so I can just lose myself in my run with a book I love.

Fuel yourself properly
I find when I don’t run as often as I like, my eating habits start to suffer too. Eating healthy, non-processed foods fuel my running and help me to recover more quickly. Taking inspiration for new recipes by buying a cookbook, or browsing the internet for new ideas helps to get me back into my healthy habits.

Slow down and take in your surroundings
Sometimes, I like to run completely tech-free. No running watch and no headphones. Although I live in a fairly busy town, there is a lovely park right near my house where I go ‘tech-free’ – running at a slower pace and taking time to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings. I often return from these runs calmer and happier than when I plug in my headphones and ignore everything around me. These runs make me want to go out running again and I try and have one tech-free run a week to appreciate why I love running so much.

Keep track with a diary
Keeping a running diary naturally helps to motivate me – I like to look over my previous runs and see where I’ve made improvements or what factors affected my run. I also keep a tracker that measures my levels of motivation to run – amazingly, on some of the days where I had the least motivation, I’ve achieved a new distance, or a PB! The next time I feel reluctant to step out the door, I take a look back at my log and it reminds me of how far I’ve come and why I want to get out and run.

I’ve noticed that with these small changes, my motivation is creeping back and I’m falling into a regular, happy running routine.

Paint January RED – One step at a time

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January. It’s a month full of dark mornings, bitterly cold weather, and the joy and warmth of Christmas feels long gone. It can be a particularly difficult month for many of us.

Research shows that exercise can have a positive impact on your mental health and RED January encourages participants to get active every day in January, in order to boost their mental wellbeing.

Last year, in a bid to combat my own struggles with the gloomiest month of the year, I took up the challenge of RED January (Run Every Day January), an initiative that’s run in partnership with the mental health charity Mind. Personally, January often brings out the worst in my anxiety and I really wanted to focus on taking part in something that actively challenges it.

Research shows that exercise can have a positive impact on your mental health and RED January encourages participants to get active every day in January, in order to boost their mental wellbeing.

Although it’s called Run Every Day January, it’s not just about running. The team behind RED January suggest a whole host of other activities including swimming, yoga, cycling, and walking to get you exercising every day. The possibilities are endless and it’s up to you how you want to complete your RED January.

I decided to take on the challenge of running every day. At the beginning of the month I was a little nervous – my anxiety often stops me doing things and going places, but I was determined not to let it hold me back.

Each day it got easier – not just physically – and I soon found I wanted to get out and go for my daily run. Some days it was only half a mile, but it was enough to get the endorphins going and to give my mood a much needed boost. By the end of the month I’d managed to clock up a total of 115 miles!

Once January was over, not only did I experience an amazing sense of physical achievement, but I had started to feel detachment from my anxiety. It was still there in the background, but the running had given me an outlet for all the extra adrenaline. Although I haven’t been able to sustain running every day, I now make sure that exercise plays a regular role in my life, as I find my anxiety is easier to manage when I make exercise a priority.

To find out more information about RED January, or to take part, click here.

Exercise: a miracle cure?

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We all know exercise is good for you, right? But do you know just how good?

It’s amazing what a little bit of exercise can do for your health. According to the NHS “it can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer by up to 50%.”

But it’s not just your physical health that benefits from getting your body moving. Exercise is also great for your mental wellbeing too. A short burst of 10 minutes brisk walking increases your mental alertness, energy and positive mood, while regular physical activity can increase your self-esteem, and reduce stress and anxiety. The NHS goes even further, saying, “Exercise is the miracle cure we’ve always had.”

Get up!
With many of us working longer hours and taking fewer breaks, we’re not always as active as we could be. A lot of us spend the majority of our day sitting down; either at a desk, on transport, or in our leisure time. Research suggests that many adults spend more than seven hours a day sitting down, and it’s this lack of physical activity that can have an impact on our mental health. The Royal College of Psychiatrists state, “The mind can’t function unless your body is working properly.”

Get out and about
But don’t worry, there’s plenty we can do to get our recommended daily dose of exercise and help look after our mental health. You could take up a new sport or hobby, cycle to work instead of taking the train, or even just get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way. Check out the BBC’s Get Inspired website for more ideas and practical guides on what you can do.

Get moving
The NHS recommends that adults aged 19 – 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity. It might sound like a lot, but you only need to do a small amount each day to reach that goal. And you don’t have to run a marathon to hit your target either – 30 minutes brisk walking, five days a week counts as your 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity.

It’s important to make sure we look after our mental health, and exercise can help do just that. So, whether it’s a taking up a new sport, restarting an old hobby, or just taking a brisk walk to the shops, a little exercise can go a long way.

Looking after your heart and your pension

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With the State Pension Age increasing from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028, there is more need than ever to consider how we care for our hearts as well as our pensions.

According to Heart UK (A UK based charity, giving expert support and education in high cholesterol and heart decease) Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the single most common cause of death before age 65, accounting for 16% of male and 10% of female deaths. Statistics suggest that, on average, someone in the UK will have a heart attack every seven minutes.

Advances in modern medicine and greater access to information around health, has seen a steady rise in our life expectancy, but this places a greater responsibility on us to make sure we are looking after ourselves.  So, how can we look after our hearts to keep them ticking long into retirement?

Eat healthy

Eating a varied diet of healthy foods can help you maintain your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol as stated by the British Heart Foundation, and will contribute to your overall heart health. Reducing salt, eating unsaturated fats (such as avocados, nuts and olive oil) and limiting your alcohol intake, are also some of the ways you can adopt a more heart health conscious lifestyle.

Get active

Regular, moderate physical activity is another key way to help keep your heart happy.  Maintaining your weight and leading a more active lifestyle can improve not only your physical wellbeing, but your mental wellbeing too. Try going for a short walk at lunch to break up your day. Statistics (from the NHS) show that regular gentle exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

Stop Smoking

If you’re a smoker, the single best thing you can do for your heart health is to quit. Not only will this impact your overall health, but it could also have a positive impact on your bank balance too! You could invest any money you save on cigarettes into your pension and may even have a few more years to enjoy that longed-for retirement . . .

Manage stress

Easier said than done. When work pressures are mounting and family life seems overwhelming, stress can build up unconsciously and cause your blood pressure to soar. There is plenty of help to be found, from professional medical advice to wellbeing apps, but managing stress can sometimes be as simple as taking a break in the middle of your day to relax or talking your problems through with a friend. Good nutrition and exercise can also impact your stress levels, so getting a good balance between the two can decrease stress and contribute to a healthy, happy heart.

These are just some of the ways you can be more mindful of your heart health before you retire. It’s never too late, and it’s certainly never too early, to start taking your health and your pension seriously.

Mindfulness, peace amongst the noise of mental health

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Mental health issues can affect us all in some way or another – whether personally or because someone close to us has suffered.  Unfortunately it still seems to be a taboo subject and is often not talked about openly, even though mental health awareness has been a subject rarely out of the news in recent times. This can lead to many of us suffering in silence, afraid to ask for help and often not knowing where to turn in times of need.

Having suffered from mental health issues myself, I understand the toll it takes both emotionally and physically,  and not only on me, but on my loved ones too. My mind is often full of negative thoughts, worries spin constantly round my brain and sleep will evade me for days. The noise in my head can become overwhelming and there are days where I struggle to look after myself.

A friend recently introduced me to a simple mindfulness programme to help me cope when my anxiety threatens to overwhelm me. After some scepticism (I’m awful at trying new things), it has helped me to take some control and in general I feel calmer and more like myself again. I am not alone in finding this approach helpful – a study conducted by the Mental Health Foundation found that subjects who undertook a course of mindfulness reported:

  • a 58% reduction in anxiety levels
  • a 57% reduction in depression
  • a 40% reduction in stress

Here are five tips to help you find some time for mindfulness in your life:

  1. Actively book some time in your calendar for yourself. You can practice mindfulness in as little as ten minutes and by scheduling this time in you are more likely to create a new habit you can keep.
  2. Find a quiet, cosy corner where you feel safe and relaxed – for me this is in my favourite armchair, surrounded by cushions.
  3. Find a programme that’s right for you. There are lots of great apps out there that make meditation and mindfulness easy, guiding you through your sessions so all you need to do is get comfy and press play. If you find sitting still hard, try a relaxing activity such as yoga which naturally encourages you to focus on your breathing, making mindfulness a more natural process. Or, take up a new hobby, such as knitting, sewing or baking – the repetitive actions act as a natural meditation.
  4. Don’t be hard on yourself.  It’s no reflection on you if you don’t feel the benefits straight away. For me, mindfulness certainly didn’t come naturally and having suffered from anxiety for years it took time to really feel the benefits.
  5. Be kind to yourself. Even if you decide the above activities aren’t for you, make time for yourself at least weekly. Do things that bring you joy, whether that’s exercising, spending time with your loved ones or something as simple as taking a hot bubble bath.