Take care of yourself and the rest will take care of itself.

Many people think looking after yourself just involves your physical being. How many of us think about our mind, body and soul?

Not many right?

After a busy days work, sport is on the agenda for this evening, as it does twice a week. Sport has played an integral part of my life, particularly when I was younger and without it, sometimes I wonder what I would have done. Now I know I'm lucky, I had a positive experience with fitness, competing, pushing myself and sweating (which we all do). Tonight I will end up bright red, exhausted and will have lost a considerable amount of water through sweating, but my body will feel so much better than if I`d have stayed at home and lounged on the sofa.

Being older with my working days and with the introduction of children into my life, physical activity seems to be put aside on the priorities list - I'm not the first and I definitely will not be the last.

But its important to know that physical activity allows us to have sound mind body and soul. It’s important to recognise the many things it provides; an outlet for stress,anxiety and reservations built up through day-to-day life, it also provides an opportunity to improve the health of our organs and it also allows endorphin's within our body to be produced which our bodies need as they provide a happy feeling.

Some people find physical activity intimidating and don’t enjoy it, but to these people I say - find something that you enjoy. We all need some form of physical fitness, whether to go for a run, play a game of some sort, going to the gym or to do an exercise class. It’s important that we provide our bodies with the opportunity to become physically active because not only does it helps our bodies physically, but it also provides mental stimulation and time to become one with our bodies.

Time doing physical activity provides my brain with different challenges, I am able to focus on the one task at hand and negate every other trouble, problem or thought that was previously in my mind. It allows me to 'switch off' - something I find very difficult to do, and I`m sure I`m not the only one.

As a Mam of 2, it provides me with an hour of “me time” and has numerous positive effects, far more than if I'd have just stayed at home. It may be a different form of 'me time' than others may like, but it provides that guaranteed time to focus on something other than work, chores or my son's running riot.

For me it's more than just physical exercise, it gives me so much more and without it I would not be a healthy person.

#exercise #activity #sport #trainers #mentalhealth #physicalhealth #wellbeing