#BordersWellbeing Week 5: Be Active

Be Active

SHANNARI – active

Taking part in sports, exercise and other activities can make you feel more confident, happier, less stressed, sleep better and have more energy. If you’re looking to be more active you can start small, something is better than nothing. Your aim should be to sit less and move more.

According to the NHS, it is recommended that young people aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, spread across the week – this can be anything from cycling, walking, skateboarding or swimming.

On 3 days a week, these activities should involve exercises for strong muscles, such as football, gymnastics, or climbing, and exercises for strong bones, such as dancing, aerobics and tennis.

Adults over 18 should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week and strength exercises on two or more days a week.

Do you enjoy keeping active on your own or as part of a team?

Here’s what young people from the Borders told us:

“I like keeping active on my own because I don’t like competition too much. I like to do activities like climbing and set my own goals.”
“I like doing activities with other people because it makes you work harder when you’re in a team.”
“I like to keep active as part of a team because I get bored on my own and I’m not motivated to exercise’.”
“I have a press up regime that I like to do on my own to keep fit but I’ve also enjoyed being part of the rugby team because I see my friends and it has helped me feel like I belong to something.”
“I like walking close to where I live. There are different walks depending on how I’m feeling whether I want to be around people or somewhere quieter where I can think. I like walking on my own, with friends or family. I find it easier to talk about how I’m feeling if I’m walking with someone.”
“If I’m feeling stressed I like to go for a jog, it helps my head to feel clearer when I get home again.”

Of course you can go for a walk or a cycle locally or why not think about becoming a member at a Live Borders.

Thinking about today use the emoji flags to mark how you are doing for ‘Be Active’.

Don’t worry if you don’t manage to do something for all of the ‘six ways to be well’ each day. There are some ideas below that might help you to improve in this area.

If you are struggling with some areas every day or for a number of weeks it’s a good idea to talk to a Trusted Adult. You can discuss with them ideas about what you could do and if they can support you.

😃 Great – I’m doing well at this
🙂 Okay – I’m working on this but I’d like to do this more regularly or improve
😧 Not Good – I want to do this but I don’t know where to start
😐 Awful – I’m struggling with this and need some support