Read: Small steps to better physical and mental wellbeing

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference - the tiny adjustments we can make to our lives, often over time, that will significantly improve them. That is certainly true of our physical health, but it is also true of our mental health. Often the two are inextricably linked.

Every week seems to see new figures which highlight the decline in the mental wellbeing of the country, in adults but increasingly in children and young people. For many the situation deteriorated during the pandemic when the opportunity to enjoy physical exercise was limited - they couldn’t go to the gym, participate in team sports or visit the countryside for days out. That had an impact on their mental health and wellbeing too, compounded by the social isolation that often resulted.

Some were able to use the pandemic to reset their relationship with the outdoors and made a regular local walk part of their daily routine. Some engaged in online yoga or fitness classes, enjoying a sense of community with their screen companions. There were many examples of committed individuals who understood the importance of exercise and organised remote, mass participation events that proved a lifeline during lockdown. Others found it more difficult, either because circumstances at home made them apprehensive about venturing outside or because working at home or home schooling took up all their time and energy.  

May is National Walking Month. We are asked to commit to walking 20 minutes as part of our daily exercise. In last year’s National Walking Month, 1700 people pledged to walk every day, adding up to 21,086 short journeys per week. That’s an extra 105,430 miles walked, 10.5 million calories burned and 24,038 kg of CO2 averted across the month.

Walking is the easiest way to improve our physical and mental health. It reduces the risk of a number of preventable health conditions including certain cancers, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes as well as depression. The NHS recommends five steps to mental wellbeing. In addition to being physically active, it also suggests connecting with other people, learning new skills, giving to others and mindfulness. It also recommends starting gradually and building up the amount of exercise taken over time but, fundamentally, any exercise is better than none. Taking even gentle physical exercise, but particularly walking, will mean that a person is also taking most of the other steps to better wellbeing – meeting people while out and connecting to their neighbourhood, enjoying nature and the quiet thinking time.

If someone is not physically or mentally well, then it’s unlikely that they will be able to take advantage of the opportunities that may be available to them. Lack of motivation quickly spreads across all aspects of a person’s life. They are less likely to work, or to progress at work. They are less likely to be economically secure. They are more likely to experience loneliness.

The best organisations recognise that people need help to take those first steps towards good health and wellbeing and prioritise putting the right measures in place to help their employees, their customers and their communities function at their best. Virgin Money, for example, considers wellbeing as a fuel for performance and offers encouragement to its staff through, among other things, yoga classes or discounted gym membership. The University of Bolton bought 1000 bikes during lockdown and still runs a loan scheme where students can borrow or buy a bike. Cycling is not only good exercise, it saves paying for public transport. The Premier League reaches out to its communities, starting with the youngest members, to inspire them to be active and to promote participation in sport as a way of developing skills for life. NHS Trusts understand their communities needs and can be key to encouraging participation at local groups that are appropriate for residents.

The physical activity we choose doesn’t need to be extreme. The aim doesn’t have to be to run a marathon, or to climb Everest, although some people will undoubtedly find taking on those challenges very rewarding - and right for them. What is important is undertaking the physical exercise that is appropriate for an individual’s circumstances and maintaining it. It is good for our bodies, good for the environment and, undoubtedly, it is good for our minds.