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One way we can all try to improve our heart health is by being active.

It sounds so simple, but this year I have found myself being less active than usual, even though I'm a keen runner.

When I watched the olympics, I found myself absorbed by some of the new ‘sports’, especially skateboarding. I certainly wouldn’t have considered skateboarding a sport, but after watching the event at the games it clearly is and is actually really good for you. It made me think about how tasks or hobbies we may not consider to be exercise can be quite healthy.

When I went to London for a five day break, I didn’t do any sport and we caught the tube a lot of the time, but I still ended up doing 120,000 steps in this period of time, which is roughly 95 kilometres. Essentially, I did two and a bit marathons whilst I was there just by walking and even though my partner might not agree, I felt great for doing it!

I’m not suggesting for one minute that everyone should just pop down to the capital to go and complete an ultramarathon – I’m merely trying to demonstrate how you can be active without putting on your sporting gear.

I’ve found the NHS Get Active Your Way website really useful for tips on how to get active and it has actually inspired me to start playing football again, meaning I get to socialise with my friends more often and keep on top of my physical health. 

It has some great tips on how to get active for busy mums and dads and office workers, including:

  • Split activity up throughout the day – you can achieve your target in bouts of 10 minutes or more. It also includes 10 minute workouts.
  • Get off the bus a stop before your destination.
  • Fake commute – for office workers who are working from home go for a walk or exercise in the time it would take you to get to work usually.
  • There’s also a tool that helps you find out which sport or activity you’re best suited to.

If you’re looking to get more active it’s well worth a look at and who knows what exciting skills you could develop!

Joel, HR Officer

Take a look at these Heart Healthy Resources developed by Health Information Week 2022 - click on the links. 

General

 

Diet

 

Weight

 

Exercise

 

Risk factors

**Do you have a circulatory or heart condition? Do you constantly get chest infections? Do you smoke? If so, quitting smoking can have an almost instant positive effect on your heart, lungs and circulation. Click here to find out how.**