If you’re looking for the magic pill, the Holy Grail, the fool-proof approach to better wellbeing, here endeth your quest (spoiler alert: it’s exercise).

Getting our bodies moving, our blood pumping and the sweat flowing does miraculous things for our muscles, physique, and physical health – but the impact on our mental health is, perhaps, even more, pronounced.

There’s just something about a good workout that clears the mind; it can banish stress, alleviate anxiety, and even ease symptoms of depression. Exercise gives us a sense of achievement and a certain level of smugness to boot (all those Facebook gym check-ins and Instagram workout selfies are there for a reason!)

But while some lucky spuds love getting down and dirty with their daily dose of keep-fit, not everyone shares their passion. In fact, the very thought of exercise can be a HUGE anxiety trigger for anyone lacking the confidence to challenge their bodies.

I like to move it, move it

Actually, I don’t. Well, I didn’t, not so very long ago. And the thing that changed was my mindset. I stopped looking at exercise as something I had to do to get back to my pre-baby body and started to see it for what it really is: a fantastic coping mechanism for the crazy stresses of everyday life.

I realised that it didn’t matter what I did; I just needed to find something that got me moving. I work for myself, from home, so I’ve had little cause to be out and about since Covid. Being stuck in the house wasn’t doing me any favours, so I started going for runs with my other half – something I swore I’d NEVER do, because who actually enjoys running??

Me, as it turns out.

And again, the thing that changed was my mindset. I was slower than a tortoise when I started, but with the reassurance from my seasoned-runner husband that a slow jog is better than nothing, I took the pressure off myself. And because I wasn’t worrying about my ‘performance’, I was free to focus on how much good that little jog was doing my mental health.

Finding your groove

If you’re anything like me, you might get a bit sulky when you’re not very good at something. I think that’s one of the biggest barriers to exercise: we like to do things we excel at, and it can be frustrating – and extremely demotivating – if you try something new and you’re not an instant pro.

Case-in-point: my first post-lockdown yoga class of 2021 was a disaster. It’s like my body had spent the whole year seizing up. But after a self-indulgent Facebook rant about my lack of flexibility, I was reminded that that’s not what yoga is about. You don’t push yourself past the point of discomfort: you accept your body for what it is and work with what you have.

And if you’re a bit anti-exercise, that’s what I’d encourage you to do, too.

You don’t have to hit the gym five times a week or run a 5k on day one; you just need to find a way of moving your body that feels good for you – one little challenge at a time.

• Walk the dog a bit further (or more often) than usual

• Try a new dance class

• Run around with your kids

• Have energetic kitchen discos

• Intersperse a swim with a time-out in the sauna

• Jog as slowly as you need to

• Follow an online challenge

• Have more sex

Embrace whatever gets you moving, without piling on the pressure. Think about the good it’s doing for your wellbeing, and take the attention off your body (if that’s what works for you). Exercise shouldn’t just be about how we want to look, but how we want to feel.

Feel-good motivation

If you find it hard to get moving for yourself, what about doing it for a good cause?

There are lots of health charities out there that encourage you to exercise whilst raising money – because these people know the value of keeping fit! I’ve signed up for the Diabetes UK One Million Steps Challenge, because I know that’ll give me the incentive I need to keep on moving.

If you fancy working out for a good cause:

• Parkinson’s UK has organised the Time to Ride virtual challenge throughout July – encouraging supporters to cycle 25,000 miles in a month.

• You could run or walk 26,000 miles for the St John Ambulance Miles Ahead virtual challenge, in support of pandemic volunteers.

• How about setting your own target with the Swim It virtual challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support this August and September?

• Or if you’re after something that bit more challenging, how about an epic hike up the Three Snowdon Peaks for Mental Health UK?

No matter what gets you moving, and who you’re doing it for, you (yes YOU) deserve to feel great: mind, body, and soul.

Article by Emma Attenborough-Sergeant, The Wellness Writer. Helping leaders to improve culture with relatable mental health and wellness content.