Today is World Mental Health Day.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for managing our mental health. Lockdowns, social distancing, travel restrictions and the constantly changing position we find ourselves in is stressful.
As young adults, many of our players are in a critical stage of physical, social and emotional wellbeing, and coaches,club leaders and mates can be important influences during this stage.
A key way to manage or improve our mental health and overall wellbeing is exercise, with community sport being a great way to get in some exercise and meet our social needs. It can provide great benefits to mental health including better sleep, more energy, stress release and mood improvement.
The Australian Guidelines recommend adults do at least 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity.
However, if you are feeling down, exercise can be the last thing you feel like doing, but here are some strategies to incorporate exercise into your day:
• Set short term realistic goals (e.g 3 20 minute walks a week)
• Reward yourself when you achieve a goal
• Start small and build up to longer and more intense exercise
• Make a plan and schedule in exercise that fits into your lifestyle. If you can’t fit in 30 minutes, try and break this up into 3 10 minute blocks
• Equip yourself with everything you may need including the right runners, weights, water bottle and activewear
SMFNC 