There are many reasons why physical activity is good for your body – having a healthy heart and improving your joints and bones are just two, but did you know that physical activity is also beneficial for your mental health and wellbeing?
Being physically active means sitting down less and moving our bodies more, the good news is that it doesn't have to mean running marathons or training at the gym. There are lots of different things we can do in the house or garden that will enable our bodies to move in a way that's healthy and fun.
In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week, AWARE wants to invite you to take part in our #HomeAndAware campaign to improve your physical and mental wellbeing at home by taking part in an AWARE Active Challenge of your choice! To help get you started, we've listed some ideas below:
Walking/Running Challenges
Give yourself a daily, weekly, or monthly challenge or maybe organize a friendly competition with friends and family. Remember to always adhere to government safety guidance regarding social distancing.
Virtual Climbing Challenges:
- Sydney Opera House - 28 flights of stairs
- Mt Kilimanjaro - 2,578 flights of stairs
- Big Ben, England - 632 steps, 42 flights of stairs
- Empire State Building, New York - 86 flights of stairs
- Burj Khalifa, Dubai (the tallest building in the world) - 2909 steps, 171 flights of stairs
- Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland - 5,390 steps, 360 flights of stairs
- Ben Nevis, Scotland - 8,810 steps, 587 flights of stairs
- Or if you fancy going bigger…Climb the equivalent of Mount Everest in Nepal, the tallest mountain in the world at 58,070 steps, 3,871 flights!
Garden Exercise Challenges:
- Have a keepy-ups football challenge - try to beat your friend's score!
- Skipping
- Trampoline
- Star Jumps
- Relay race
- Make a garden assault course!
Home Workout & Dance Challenges
You can find some great free workouts online such as Joe Wicks The Body Coach.
Dance to your favourite song or master a Tik-Tok dance challenge!
There are 4 simple steps to take part in an active challenge for AWARE:
- Choose your AWARE Active Challenge
- Head to AWARE's #HomeAndAWARE JustGiving page and either donate or set up your own fundraiser to get sponsored
- Complete your AWARE Active Challenge
- Share a video or photo of your challenge on social media using the hashtag #HomeAndAWARE and make sure to tag AWARE on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
You could also take part in the 2.6 challenge, a nationwide fundraising event that you can do anywhere. It can be anything you want as long as it's got the number 26 in it! All you need to do is dream up an activity, donate or fundraise with us through this link, and smash your challenge.
Some ideas include:
- Run/Walk or Cycle 2.6 miles as your daily exercise
- Host a virtual workout with 26 friends
- Hold a plank for 2.6 minutes
- Stay Silent for 2.6 minutes
- Do 26 press-ups
- Bake 26 Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Make an omelette in 26 seconds!
Whatever you do, make sure you follow government guidelines on exercise and social distancing.
Thank you for choosing to support AWARE, your efforts will make a huge difference to those in Northern Ireland who are living with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
