As we start the New Year and our New Year’s Resolutions get underway, our Development Officer, Molly Poulter Williams, explains how moving more in 2024 can benefit not only our body, but also our mind.
Do you set yourself New Year’s Resolutions? If you do, you’re not alone.
More than 60% of Brits set themselves New Year’s Resolutions in 2024 – the highest rate seen since 2019. And it’s looking like this year is shaping up to be a year for health; the top-three most popular resolutions for adults focus on physical self-improvement, with mental health awareness and improvements coming in a close fourth.
Yet, despite the early “new year, new me” enthusiasm, on average our New Year’s Resolutions last just four and a half months and as few as 6% of resolution setters stick them out until the final quarter. The true reasons for this will be individual to each of us, but I think we can all relate to the lack of motivation we feel when we stop seeing results.
Health and fitness goals are largely accepted as being synonymous with changes to our physicality in some way – bigger here, smaller there, stronger this, leaner that. However, there are a multitude of reasons to move more that have nothing to do with our body, and everything to do with mind. By broadening our awareness of these less tangible, but incredibly valuable benefits of exercise, we increase the number of alternative motivators we can draw upon when sticking to our resolutions starts to get tough.
Here are 5 ways that moving more and being more active can improve those different areas of our life:
Improved Quality of Sleep
Physical activity has been shown to improve sleep in adults – that could mean falling asleep more easily or staying asleep for longer. Moderate to vigorous intensity movement will be most likely to improve your slumber, but even gentle to moderate activity will see benefits.
Social Connectedness
Even for the more naturally introverted, social connection is a key piece of the wellbeing puzzle. Whether it’s joining a fitness class or going for a walk with a friend or colleague, physical activity can be a valuable tool for connecting with likeminded individuals and feeling a sense of belonging.
Learning New Skills
Another cornerstone to wellbeing is learning – it’s pretty cool to be able to do something you couldn’t do before, right? Feeling like we are learning and growing can be a huge boost to our confidence and self-esteem, and also give us a sense of control over our life and behaviours.
Mental Alertness
Even a short 10-minute walk has the benefit of boosting our energy levels, mental alertness and mood. Movement triggers the release of hormones in the brain that influence our focus and attention (such as dopamine and serotonin). Over time, with regular movement, mental alertness will increase consistently in all areas of our life.
Time Away From Screens
Nearly two-thirds of British adults say that screen use has had a negative impact on their health, according to recent research on post-lockdown screen use by the University of Leeds. Many activities that get us moving also gets us away from screens and reduces our daily screen time.