This Week’s Thrive In Five Is About Movement
April 7th marks World Health Day, and this year’s theme is ‘Our Planet, Our Health’. World Health Day is a global health awareness day that commemorates the founding of the WHO (World Health Organisation). This year, the focus is on what we need to do to protect the environment and our health. So, over the next four weeks in April, I want to share some top tips on how to improve your health and wellbeing.
“In the midst of a pandemic, a polluted planet, increasing diseases like cancer, asthma, heart disease, on World Health Day 2022, WHO will focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.” – World Health Organization
World Health Day: A Movement For Movement
Rather predictably, perhaps, I want to start with movement. The importance of movement cannot be overstated in terms of holistic health (our mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and social wellbeing). There are two key benefits of moving around:
- The first is that it promotes the circulation of fresh, oxygenated blood throughout our bodies. Every organ requires good blood flow to function properly. In addition to boosting immune health, it is vital for the distribution of nutrients, healing, and cellular and muscular repair.
- Movement is not only beneficial to our physical health; it also helps to regenerate the brain. Research shows it stimulates neurogenesis – the creation of new brain cells – which can improve our mental health and cognitive functions.
Moving: An Inclusive Sport
The beauty of movement is that it is inclusive. It doesn’t have to be a hiit class or 90-minutes of solid exercise, it can be a brisk walk or swim. It could even be dancing to some of your favourite music! We’ve talked before about how powerful getting out into nature can be for both mood and energy. A little movement in your day can have a huge impact on both your mental and physical wellbeing.
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