Why is walking so important to both your physical and mental health? Well, it is the most simple form of exercise. Therefore, anyone capable of walking can drastically improve all forms of health in 2023. 

 

 

 

But walking also does so much more than that. It can help prevent life threatening diseases. Equally important to your health is the mental benefits of walking. Walking alone can help improve train of thought, mindfulness and gratitude. Stick on your favourite podcast and get those steps in. 

 

Walking also improves social connections and skills. Grab a friend, go for a walk to get coffee, take your dog out for more than one walk a day or join a walking group. 

A really simple way of improving mental and physical health is to just simply spend more time outside. This could be from a sporting context. It can also just be sitting in a park. So, in 2023, make more of an effort to get outside and soak in the sun that is available to you. 

By getting outdoors and having fresh air in your lungs, you are rewarding your body and improving your mental health with very little effort. 

 

 

At Isle Health, we truly believe that there is something for everyone. Even if it is not the generic exercise you see everyone take part in. For a low intensity, more social form of exercise, try your local yoga class. If you find yoga a bit too slow for you, up the pace to pilates. The next intensity we would recommend is to speak to a member of the Isle Health team. They will work to understand and support your needs. Our team of professionals can also help you to understand what level of fitness you are and where you need to be in order to have a good health status. From an initial assessment, you can have a personalised plan to get you towards your 2023 exercise goals. 

 

If a games based exercise is more your style but you don’t want to join a big club, try a racquet sport. Badminton, squash or tennis are all great alternatives to going to the gym as they still encourage plenty of intensity. If you and a friend both have fitness goals for 2023, the local padel court is a fantastic place to try a new activity. 

No, this is not as scary as it sounds. By making small changes your health can improve exponentially. Changes in your nutrition can contribute to an improved mental and physical health. 

 

 

Make an effort to eat a balanced and bright plate with most meals. This means aiming to hit all your targets of intake of the major food groups. Use spices and herbs to add that extra flavour to potentially bland dishes in order to obtain correct levels of food groups. 

 

Don’t skip out on your minerals and vitamins. Whether you are supplementing these or eating vitamin rich foods, you will see significant changes in mood and energy levels! Oh and don’t forget to hydrate! 

The World Health Organisation recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise per person, per week. This advice gives a great goal to work towards. It can also be interpreted and applied to different sports and forms of exercise. This means that it is inclusive to everyone and we should all be working towards hitting this target.