With visits to stately homes, museums and the theatre, not to mention our lovely Christmas lunches, it’s safe to say that members of Carmen’s Fitness enjoy so much more than just a physical workout………
As a fitness instructor, I am passionate about keeping fit, but I am also proud that Carmen’s Fitness provides much more than just physical exercise, with overall well-being at the very heart of what I do.
But what is well-being? The Oxford English Dictionary defines well-being as – the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy. Of course, what one person feels is their perfect state of well-being is completely different from another as we all have different personalities and goals!
By taking a more holistic approach to health and well-being, my classes help to stimulate both body and mind. As well as improving your health and fitness, you will have lots of fun and make new friends along the way too.
Over the years my members and I have also taken part in numerous social outings as a group, from the Burrell Collection in Glasgow to going to the theatre in Edinburgh, it has been great fun enjoying our magnificent Scottish culture in the company of good friends. And I like to think this must be pretty unique for an exercise class?
So, in this article I focus purely on the importance of looking after our well-being.
Mental health describes our emotional wellbeing, indeed looking after our mental health is just as important as our physical health. And just like your physical health, this can get better or worse as your situation changes.
Many things can affect our mental health and, as we get older, painful events or changes in our circumstances may affect our mental health and make us feel more vulnerable. It may be that you are finding it more difficult to do the things that you used to do, and life feels more challenging as you get older. Perhaps a loss of daily routine and social contact after retirement or moving house to a new area or moving into a care home. But sometimes, there might not be an obvious reason for how you’re feeling.
Health and other problems can have an impact on your personal life and affect your relationships with other people. That’s why staying in touch, trying new things and keeping active can help you to enjoy life more.
We can all feel lonely or isolated from time to time, regardless of if we live alone or not. But there are things you can do to help yourself from feeling lonely and for improving how we feel, think and react with other people.
Here are some healthy habits which can help you to live well and enjoy daily life.
Keep in touch
Feeling isolated can contribute to a low mood, so do try to keep in touch with people. It is important to find ways to increase your social connections and doing things that you enjoy is a great way to make friends. This could be joining a class such as Carmen’s Fitness and taking up a new hobby.
Stay active
Staying active will undoubtedly help your mental health. Research shows it can give you more energy, boost your mood, improve your self-confidence and help you to sleep better.
Carmen’s Fitness will improve your health and fitness through exercise to good music. But as well as this you can also stay active by doing some gardening or housework, walking, swimming, or dancing. The main thing is that you do things that you enjoy and build them into your routine.
Eat well
Eating well can have a positive effect on how you feel. Aim for low-sugar foods and drinks and avoid drinking too much alcohol. Try to eat a balanced diet and get at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day. Drink plenty of water as even slight dehydration can affect your mood.
Become a volunteer?
Helping others can certainly boost your mental health. You could perhaps try volunteering, as it is a great way to meet new people and help a cause you care about at the same time. There are lots of different opportunities, so find something that suits your interests and skills.
Being out in nature
Being more in touch with nature helps to reduce feelings of anxiety and improves our self-esteem. There is even evidence that shows that contact with nature reduces your levels of loneliness.
Research has shown that people who spend two hours a week in green spaces were substantially more likely to report good health and improved psychological wellbeing versus those that did not. Being around animals or doing activities outdoors can really help your health and wellbeing too. Even just spending time in the garden or in the park can do wonders for our well-being.
Sleep well
It is really important to get enough sleep, but if you’re having problems with sleeping, you should try to change your routine. As above, we do know that regular exercise can greatly improve the quality of our sleep.
SUMMARY
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this article about the importance of looking after our well-being. Ultimately, the purpose of my classes is to improve health, increase mobility and independence, and to counteract loneliness and isolation through communication and fellowship.
Please don’t hesitate to come along to one of my classes where you will be assured of a very warm welcome.