Well-being Journey - BE ACTIVE

What can I do to help my own well-being?

As I said in my last blog post I am working on a project for University about enhancing my own well-being. There are 5 main steps to boosting well-being and the one to look at today is: Be Active. 

What does 'Be Active' mean? 

One of the more simpler activities because it asks what it says: be active. Whether that means going out for a walk or exercising at the gym or even dancing, it's all about getting your body moving. 

When I was diagnosed with depression this was mentioned to me a lot that being active would help make me feel better. At first it was hard but the better I got I found myself enjoying the exercise. According to the NHS website the reason that being active is good for mild depression and anxiety is because 'Physical activity is thought to cause chemical changes in the brain, which can help to positively change our mood.' So for someone with bad depression this is a coping mechanism I try and bring into my weekly life even if it's just twice a week so it helps keep my good mood going. It also shows it can help boost anyone's well-being because it physically makes good changes in the body. 

What I plan to do?

- Swimming - I already go swimming at least twice a week but I want to look into the health benefits of swimming and why it's good for you. 

- Zumba - I used to go to Zumba and loved it so I'd like to try and revisit this. 

- Walking - A simple thing but walking is also good for me physically as well as mentally.

Results

- Swimming: 

As I said above I go swimming at least twice a week to help with my mental health and I always find the process rather relaxing. When looking into the benefits of swimming on the body and well-being there were tons of reasons why it's good for you. Some of the reasons included that it helps keep your heart rate up and takes some stress away from the body and is a relaxing form of exercise. Both of these are beneficial if you want to work on your well-being. 

- Zumba: 

I won't deny this is an intense workout but in the past it has been incredibly good at not only reliving stress but making me feel healthier and good about my own body. I used a class at my gym for this and for anyone who doesn't know, Zumba is a workout that is a mixture of exercise and dance. I personally enjoy it because a lot of the time you forget you're working out. 

I looked at interviews with real Zumba instructors to see why they enjoyed it and what the benefits are. One noted that the reason they enjoy it is because it's more than just a dance workout class it's 'a fitness party' so it makes the process of working out much more enjoyable. Especially for people like me who sometimes find the gym rather daunting. And when looking at the benefits of Zumba there were loads! Some of them include the fact it combines all sorts of workouts so it is open to any fitness level as it includes: squats, arm movements and jumps but all can be modified to be bigger or smaller depending on the person. With this in mind it means it can really help with well-being and keeping active and is good for people who want something fun and enjoyable. 

- Walking: 

This was the simplest way to keep active I think if you find yourself unable to get to a pool or a Zumba class. Just a walk round the local park or even into town can be very beneficial to your well-being. If you want to push yourself further you can maybe go to places of natural beauty like a national trust park. Once again the benefits of this are very similar to any form of exercise which is it boosts your health and mental well-being by stimulating good hormones in the brain. 

What do you guys out there do to keep active to feel good? Let me know in the comments and tell me if any of these have been helpful! Was there anything you didn't know?