Your physical health
With a little bit of effort, regular physical activity can give you a more balanced and healthier life, for the rest of your life.
What can affect our physical health?
- what we eat and drink
- how much we move
- if we're ill
- if we smoke
- how stressed we feel
- our lifestyle
- our mental health
When we're physically fit, we usually have more energy, feel more positive and can do more.
Being more active, your way
Being more active can be almost anything, and even if it feels daunting to start, it feels so good afterwards.
- a stroll with the dog
- a yoga class
- taking the stairs
- swimming
- getting off the bus a stop early
- aqua zumba
- a quick dance around the kitchen
- 10,000 steps a day
Moving more is good for us. And if you're living with diabetes, it can help
Walking wins
Walking is fantastic because:
- it's good for our heart, our weight, our joints and our stress levels
- it gets us outside and into nature
- it's free and it's easy to fit into our daily routine
There's a natural link between the calmness of walking and the balance of wellbeing.
Stronger connections
Getting active can also help us find new friends and feel part of a community. Local swimming pools, gyms and park are full of classes and groups (many of them free), that can give you confidence, some friendly faces and people to share your progress with.
A big part of wellbeing is finding out what's right for you, and then adding them to your everyday life. You can try different activities, see how they feel and begin to make them a regular thing. If you're living with diabetes, we've got lots of information on how exercise can help manage diabetes, and lots of tips for where to start.
More ideas to help your physical health
- Try a beginners gym class
- Join a walking club
- Spend a minute stretching in the morning
- Walk an extra mile with the dog
- Ensure you're getting enough rest
- Try sleeping exercises
- Treat yourself to a massage
- Play recreational sports with a friend
- Sign up to a yoga class
- Swap the pub for pilates
- Set yourself a simple physical activity to do every morning
- Swimming, running or cycling
Make time for your physical health today and write a list of things you're going to try.
