Physical activity and mental health

 On this page...

• Physical activity
• Mental health

Physical activity

• improve your physical health
• manage stress and anxiety
• generally make you feel better during times of uncertainty

What are the current government guidelines on going out to exercise?

• People should minimise time spent outside their home. It’s against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of an individual’s household or support bubble
• People can only leave their home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure, and can do so with one person from outside their household
• This should be limited to once per day, and individuals should not travel outside their local area
• When around other people, individuals should stay two metres apart from anyone not in their household , meaning the people they live with or their support bubble
• Where this isn’t possible, they should stay one metre apart with extra precautions (such as wearing a face covering)
• Indoor gyms and sports facilities will remain closed
• Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close
• Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue

You can exercise in a public outdoor place:

• by yourself
• with the people you live with
• with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one)
• in a childcare bubble where providing childcare; and/or
• when on your own, with 1 person from another household

Public outdoor places include:

• parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests
• public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)
• the grounds of a heritage site and
• playgrounds

Please remember

• When around other people, stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household, meaning the people you live with or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay 1 metre apart with extra precautions (e.g wearing a face covering)
• You must wear a face covering in many indoor settings, such as shops or places of worship where these remain open, and on public transport, unless you are exempt. This is the law.

With regards to non-elite sport, please refer to your sports national governing body for guidance.

Please note: if visiting other parts of the UK - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you must follow the laws and guidance in place.

A guide to being active at home during the coronavirus outbreak

• PHE active at home booklet

There's a wealth of free online content to help you get active outdoors and at home:

• Upper Lea Valley Walk is an easy self-guided stroll from the source of the River Lea following the course of the river into the green areas of the town and town centre continuing into the Bedfordshire countryside to the borough boundary at lower Harpenden road and beyond
• Couch to 5k: a nine week programme of podcasts, consisting of three runs a week, the programme gradually builds up intensity and provides a choice of coaches
• Active 10 app: from the NHS is a good way to monitor and gradually increase brisk walking levels over time. It’s available to download via the App Store and Google Play
• You can follow home workout videos from the NHS which includes a strengthening workout and a 10-min cardio workout.
• NHS seated exercise routines for older people and those with limited mobility routines for older people and those with limited mobility
• There are a number of websites with online home workouts that you can watch and do whenever, some for free or with a free trial period. For example, Fitness Blender has over 500 free workout videos
• Active Luton: free 30 minute Facebook live workouts and yoga sessions Facebook live and YouTube

Getting active with the kids

Get the whole family moving with these fun and free resources:

• Change4Life has created some Disney themed indoor games and activities, including a Toy Story 4 inspired find Forky game that and fun and designed to get the kids moving.
• BBC Supermovers is a fun online curriculum linked resources originally designed to promote active classrooms but could be used at home to aid homework provide an activity break with singing and dancing routines for children to join in with across different key stages.
• Change4Life have accessible activitiesfor children and young people with disabilities.
• Stories, yoga and fun with Cosmic Kids.
• Get moving with GoNoodle YouTube page.
• Follow @GetSet4PE on twitter for daily tasks to keep kids active .

Back to top

Mental health and wellbeing

Total Wellbeing Luton remains available to support people with their emotional or physical wellbeing via the telephone or via online platforms. Call 0300 555 4152 or visit the Total Wellbeing Luton website.

Recent government measures mean that the majority of us are spending a lot of time at home, with many of our regular social activities and interactions no longer available to us.

The current coronavirus outbreak can be scary and can affect your mental health. There are many things you can do to support and manage your mental wellbeing during such times.

Every Mind Matters is a new NHS-approved guidance from #EveryMindMatters offers tips and advice for parents and carers on how to support children’s mental wellbeing.

• Looking after a child's mental health
• Self-care for young people

How do I manage my mental wellbeing?

• Find local groups offering support for loneliness and wellbeing

Manage your media and information intake

There's extensive news and social media coverage about the coronavirus outbreak. Whilst it's crucial to stay informed, it's important to find a balance to protect your mental wellbeing.

If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you may want to consider limiting the time you spend on coverage of coronavirus, including social media. Use trustworthy sources of information to help you feel more in control.

Reliable sources of information include:

• NHS website
• GOV.UK
• World Health Organisation website

Managing your emotions

Concern about coronavirus is perfectly normal, but if constant negative thoughts are making you feel anxious or overwhelmed there are a number of ways to help manage your emotions.

Remember that this is a difficult time for everyone and sharing how you are feeling and the things you are doing to cope with family and friends can help them too.

Try some of these useful resources for support and activities:

Helplines (if you want to talk to someone)

Other resources

Keeping connected

It's easy to feel isolated and lonely whilst spending a lot of time indoors and, potentially, away from loved ones and friends. Whilst it is vital to follow social distancing and stay at home guidance, maintaining relationships with friends and family is very important for mental wellbeing.

Whether over the phone, via messaging or online, regularly connecting with others will enhance your mental wellbeing during this time.

Help and support others

Think about how you could help those around you - it could make a big difference to them and can make you feel better too. Could you message a friend or family member nearby? Are there online community groups that you could join to support others locally?

Remember it’s important to do this in line with guidance on coronavirus to keep yourself and everyone safe. And try to be accepting of other people’s concerns, worries or behaviours.

Look after your physical wellbeing

Your physical health has a big impact on how you're feeling emotionally and mentally. At times like these, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy patterns of behaviour which in turn can make you feel worse.

Try to:

• eat healthy, well-balanced meals
• drink enough water
• exercise inside where possible and outside once a day
• avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs

More useful resources:

• Active Luton are making and promoting videos for exercising at home. There is currently a series of live exercise sessions on Facebook
• Active Luton's School Games is providing daily/weekly challenges for children in schools
• Team Beds and Luton Facebook page is posting videos of home exercises and have a dedicated section of their website about getting active at home

Get enough sleep

Feeling anxious or worried can make it harder to get a good night’s sleep. Good quality sleep makes a big difference to how you feel mentally and physically, so it’s important to get enough.

Try to:

• maintain regular sleeping patterns
• follow good sleep practices – like avoiding screens before bed
• cut back on caffeine
• create a restful environment

Structure your day

In the absence of normal daily routines, you may find it helpful to structure your day to manage worry or boredom. Sticking to your normal routines is advisable where possible, for example trying to wake up, eat and go to sleep at similar times.

Do things you enjoy

When you're anxious, lonely or low you may do things that you usually enjoy less often, or not at all, try:

• focussing on your favourite hobby
• learning something new
• taking time to relax indoors to:
  • give you some relief from anxious thoughts and feelings
  • boost your mood

If staying at home restricts this try to think about how you could adapt them, or try something new that keeps your mind active and works for you.

Bring nature into your everyday life

Spending time in green spaces can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. If you can’t get outside much you can try to still get these positive effects:

• open the windows to let in fresh air and get some natural sunlight
• get out into the garden if you have one

Remember that social distancing guidelines enable you to go outside to exercise once a day as long as you keep 2 metres apart from others who are not members of your household group.

Latest updates

For the latest updates:

• nationally - visit GOV.UK
• locally - see our coronavirus page

Back to top