A couple of months ago I was made aware of the RED January challenge - 'To get active everyday, your way'.
As someone who is already reasonably active, playing for both a football and hockey team, I wanted to set myself a couple of different challenges to make the most of RED January. The first was to hit the recommended 10,000 a day step count. Unfortunately working in an office 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, not getting up for anything other than lunch and snacks, isn't great for my step count (or quite frankly my waistline). On a good work day I'll hit maybe 5,000 steps, which I'll then double at training sessions, a couple of days a week. I am definitely missing consistency from my daily working life, so I'm hoping that by the end of January I can go in to the year with a more positive routine.
So my plan to achieve this, as my boss isn't likely to agree to my initial idea that I 'work from home' for the next month so I can go for long walks all day! Firstly, parking my car away from town and walking in - not only will this wake me up, it will also save me paying to park, which as I ran out of money on boxing day is an extra win. Side note: Due to my lack of being a morning person, there is a good chance the walk in to the office will be brisk, as I like to leave the house as late as possible!
Other ideas include going for a lunch time walk further than just the Greggs next door and taking mini breaks, just for a couple of minutes, to stretch my legs and get away from my computer screen.
My second challenge; to try different physical activities. I'm a creature of habit, suggest a team game where I can run around a designated area chasing some sort of ball, I'm there. However, anything even vaguely related to needing even a small amount body rhythm or flexibility and I want to hide in the corner so people don't laugh at me. Thankfully my gym membership doesn't expire until the end of the month, so I can make full use of the free classes, including Yoga, Zumba and Body combat. Who knows maybe I'll find something I enjoy, or at the very least, gain enough flexibility to touch my toes...
So I guess back to the title of the blog - Why am I doing RED January?
Well research has shown that taking part in regular physical activity can improve mental health by:
Improving sleep – You feel more tired at the end of the day
Experiencing happier moods – Physical activity releases feel-good hormones that make you feel better in yourself and give you more energy
Managing stress and anxiety – Being physically active gives you something to focus on and can be a positive coping strategy for difficult times
Improving self-esteem – You can feel better about yourself as you improve and meet your goals
Connecting with people – Group or team activities can help you meet new and like-minded people, and make new friends
As someone who has always used sport as a way of controlling their mental health, I think it's an important message to promote. Since I have started working for Mind in Mid Herts, I have seen first hand where any funds raised are used and I think it is a great cause. Also the brownie points for actively taking part and promoting our charity doesn't hurt ;)