Monday is apparently the most miserable day of the year – the third Monday in January has been marked out by science as the most rubbish day of the year, every year.
Whether you go with this particular date or not, we do seem to universally agree that January and February are the least fun months of the year. The days are short, the weather is cold and miserable and the long days and warm weather seem a long way away.
Which brings me onto the positive impacts of exercise for mental health.
Have you ever really thought about how much your mental state changes from a workout?
We all know that we feel better for doing a bit of exercise, but if you really think about it, isn’t it amazing just what a difference even a short workout can make to how you feel?
Whatever negative interaction you’ve had, whatever state of mind you’re in, a workout always changes your mindset for the better.
So, let’s counter ‘Blue Monday’ and get out to do some sort of exercise. I promise you won’t regret it.
Enjoy the challenge – and the achievement when you’ve done it. Forget about your performance, make it not about losing weight or changing a part of your body – just go and move. Celebrate what your body can do!
Here are a few ideas of activities you could do:
– go for a walk, cycle or jog
– go for a walk, cycle or jog somewhere new
– race your child up a hill
– go for a swim
– find a workout to follow along (I’ll send you a bodyweight one if you ask)
– play some music and have a boogie
– set a time or number target of star jumps
– set a time or number target with a skipping rope
– follow along a mobility workout (I’ll send you one if you ask)
Do you have any other ideas?