The magic of movement

Ready for a recharge? Regular exercise can all boost our energy levels, lift our mood, and make our bodies healthier.

Exercise is a proven pick me up – it’s one of the most effective means to boost the way we feel. When we exercise endorphins are released into our blood stream. These are our body’s natural painkillers and have been scientifically proven to lift our mood.

If you exercise regularly, it can reduce your stress and symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, and help with recovery from mental health issues.

Building exercise into your day

You don’t need to be Richie McCaw or Sophie Pascoe to get the benefits of exercise - even little spurts of low impact activity like walking can make a big difference (it seems Hippocrates was quite right - walking is our best medicine).

If you start off by doing 5 or 10-minutes of exercise you’ll be able to slowly increase over time as your body feels more energized.

Here’s some simple ways to get active during your day:

• Take the stairs.
• Go for a walk at lunch time.
• Try walking, biking or taking the bus to work some days.
• Find a friend or work colleague to walk with.
• Do more of your everyday tasks standing up (e.g. phone calls, folding the washing). Less sitting means more moving!
• Explore some of our region’s hidden gems, like Riccarton Bush, the Port Hills or Travis Wetlands.

A challenge we know you’re up to

Can you limit your sitting and sleeping to just 23 ½ hours a day? It’s probably the best thing you can do to help you live longer and brighter. Check out the below video to find out why!