Physical Activity

Top tips and links to help support your physical and mental health 

  • Active 10 – A brisk daily walk is a great excuse to get outside and improve your health. The Active 10 app is a great way to help you monitor and gradually increase your brisk walking levels over time.
  • NHS 10 minute workouts – Only got a few minutes? The 10-minute workout ideas are perfect if you’ve only got a bit of spare time when you’re at home.
  • Couch to 5k – This is a 9-week running programme designed for complete beginners by the NHS.
  • Gym-free workouts – Going to the gym isn’t for everyone. Luckily, there are plenty of other ways to get active instead. The NHS have created routines that you can do anywhere, anytime including seated exercises, strength, balance and flexibility sessions.
  • Parasport – Parasport have created accessible home workouts that ideal for wheelchair users and those just getting started or haven’t been active for a while.
  • Fitness Blender – has over 500 free workout videos enabling you to choose the level of difficulty depending on whether you are new to exercise or looking for something more advanced.
  • Yoga with Adriene – Yoga instructor Adriene offers over 500 free YouTube videos supporting you to get started through to adaptations for the more advanced.
  • Mindful walking
  • Mindful Yoga

Qi Gong

Qigong and Tai Chi are traditional Chinese exercise routines which benefit our health, fitness and well being. Regular practice of Qigong and Tai Chi can help achieve a harmony of mind, body, and breath, leading to improved flexibility, strength, balance mental focus, and coordination.

A little bit about our Teacher Tony Childs and his School Trinity Qi gong & Tai Chi

Liu Zi Jue – a traditional Chinese health exercise suitable for health, fitness and rehabilitation from illness dating back nearly 1500 years. It has a theoretical base in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five elements: heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, and San Jiao. Whilst practising the routine breathing, pronunciation and movement are combined, carried out slowly, smoothly and gently with a calm, focused mind and spirit.

 

Shi Ba Shi – is made up of eighteen movements, each one is normally repeated six times, but you can adjust the number of repetitions to suit. Start by taking time to sit quietly with a long straight spine, suspending the crown of the head. Allow any thoughts to subside and breathing to settle. Carry out the movements smoothly, softly and gently match with the breath which is long, fine deep, even and smooth.

 

Ba Duan Jin –  Qigong routine has a history going back nearly one thousand years in China and is still used today. Overall the movements should be gentle, relaxed but internally firm and graceful. The movements should be continous, smooth, flowing and strong like a piece of shining silk brocade cloth.

 

Thank you to ChallengeYou2 for providing these incredible videos for our service users!