It’s Stress Awareness Month, but being active can help you to beat it.
Picture: Richard Brown
Stress is a tricky malady to pin down. It can be caused by any area of your life and manifest physically or emotionally – or both! Thankfully, increasing your activity can help you to beat stress and improve your immune response to diseases, including coronavirus.
Every day, millions of us around the UK experience high levels of stress and it is not good for our health. Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time, but it still isn’t being taken as seriously as physical health concerns.
A significant factor in mental health problems including anxiety and depression, stress is also linked to physical health problems like heart disease, problems with our immune system, insomnia and digestive problems.
With lockdown in Blackburn with Darwen (BwD) easing this month, the re:fresh team has started to bring back their popular group walks, learn to ride sessions and more. Getting outside in the fresh air and having contact with nature is good for us. More and more research concludes that spending time in good quality outdoor spaces has benefits for all aspects of our health. With activities in an outdoor environment bringing extra benefits for our health and wellbeing.
Stay Active Outdoors | re:fresh (refreshbwd.com)
Any age or ability can benefit from more activity. Something as simple as going for a walk for 10 minutes every day can improve your mood and put you on the road to better health.
There’s an app for that
How did we get by before apps? BwD walking and cycling apps have proven very popular in the last 12 months. Whether you want inspiration for routes or want to create your own path to share with everyone, as the summer approaches it’s a good time to try them out.
The Explore BwD app is available to download on:
Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cc.rocca.goexplore.bwd&hl=en_GB
Apple https://apps.apple.com/us/app/explorebwd/id1502525284
The East Lancashire Cycling app is available to download:
Cycling in East Lancashire | Blackburn with Darwen Connect (bwdconnect.org.uk)
Picture: John Rutherford
BwD is currently asking residents to help enable more everyday activity across the borough with a walking and cycling consultation. Have your say and help them design healthier streets.
Consultation: Walking and cycling | Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Find out more about stress awareness: https://www.stress.org.uk/stressawarenessmonth/