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Mental Health

Open the conversation

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Today I was hoping we could spend a few minutes talking about how becoming active can help with your health and wellbeing, and get your thoughts about physical activity. Would that be OK with you?

Insight

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Spending a moment to set the scene and asking permission can open a constructive young person-centred conversation around behaviour change. This keeps the youth actively engaged in the conversation and shared decision making. Young people often have conditional relationships with adults and can perceive advise as putting them in a child-like role. By engaging them with the use of open-ended questions and engaging them on their terms will lead to better outcomes.  

Did you know?

Children and young people (5-18) should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity spread throughout the day that leaves them slightly out of breath (moderate-to-vigorous intensity).

It doesn’t matter what activity you do from dancing in your room to going to the gym, every movement counts.  Do something you enjoy and its always more fun with getting friends and family involved!

Muscle and bone strengthening activities should be throughout the week for strong muscles and bones e.g. swinging on playground equipment, hopping and skipping for children and young people aged 5-18

Real impact

Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on what you can.

Make sure you speak to school and your teachers, make a plan about how you can participate!

Make activity part of daily routine/normality.

Assess impact of the condition

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How has your mental health affected your physical activity levels and the things you enjoy?

Insight

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Most youth are ambivalent about, rather than “resistant to”, increasing their physical activity levels. Your challenge is to help a young person to consider and share their own ‘pros’ for increasing their physical activity levels and help them develop these ideas into a workable plan that fits into their life.
Try to understand the youth’s perspective, agenda and priorities and do not assume they:
● ought to change
● want to change
● are primarily motivated by their health
● either ARE or ARE NOT motivated to increase their activity levels
● will respond well to a tough approach from you
● must (or will) follow your advice
Learning skills like motivational interviewing can help you avoid common pitfalls that sometimes make conversations about behaviour change unrewarding and ineffective. Visit our education section to learn more.

Did you know?

Children and young people (5-18) should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity spread throughout the day that leaves them slightly out of breath (moderate-to-vigorous intensity).

It doesn’t matter what activity you do from dancing in your room to going to the gym, every movement counts.  Do something you enjoy and its always more fun with getting friends and family involved!

Muscle and bone strengthening activities should be throughout the week for strong muscles and bones e.g. swinging on playground equipment, hopping and skipping for children and young people aged 5-18

Real impact

Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on what you can.

Make sure you speak to school and your teachers, make a plan about how you can participate!

Make activity part of daily routine/normality.

Explore current activity

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I’m curious, how much do you move about everyday?

Insight

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With young people – it is important to keep an open mind about how the definition of physical activity is defined. You may need to offer concrete examples if the young person is hesitant to respond.

Did you know?

Children and young people (5-18) should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity spread throughout the day that leaves them slightly out of breath (moderate-to-vigorous intensity).

It doesn’t matter what activity you do from dancing in your room to going to the gym, every movement counts.  Do something you enjoy and its always more fun with getting friends and family involved!

Muscle and bone strengthening activities should be throughout the week for strong muscles and bones e.g. swinging on playground equipment, hopping and skipping for children and young people aged 5-18

Real impact

Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on what you can.

Make sure you speak to school and your teachers, make a plan about how you can participate!

Make activity part of daily routine/normality.

Find out what they already know

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What do you know about the good things of regular physical activity for young people?

Insight

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As youth are more likely to change if they can personally identify with the ‘pros’ for change, it is important to help them to identify how they might benefit from being more active. Find out what they know first so you can add to their existing understanding by sharing some of the wide-ranging benefits of being more active.

Did you know?

There is strong evidence that physical activity prevents mental illness, and improves symptoms for those who have depression and anxiety

Stopping exercise if it feels too difficult or you are too tired that day is ok. Freedom to reduce or stop the activity without consequence is important for building engagement.

Real impact

Physical Activity helps you get to sleep at night

Physical Activity can help you feel happier about your body.

There are lots of different ways to exercise; individually, with friends or a group, playing sport on your own or as a team, in public or at home. Online videos can be a useful for home exercise.

Share benefits

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Would it be OK if I share some other things young people find beneficial in making changes and see what you make of them?

Insight

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Based on your discussion so far, choose to share the benefits you judge will be most relevant and important to the young person. Some benefits are quite general (feel better, have more energy, improve sleep, improve fitness levels, improve mood, etc.) and others will be condition specific (reduce risk of serious complications in the future, etc.).
Remember the conversation won’t work if you take away the youth’s control of the conversation. Asking permission to bring up change topics and keeping this a conversation not a lecture will allow a focus on opportunities and not conflict with you.

Did you know?

There is strong evidence that physical activity prevents mental illness, and improves symptoms for those who have depression and anxiety

Stopping exercise if it feels too difficult or you are too tired that day is ok. Freedom to reduce or stop the activity without consequence is important for building engagement.

Real impact

Physical Activity helps you get to sleep at night

Physical Activity can help you feel happier about your body.

There are lots of different ways to exercise; individually, with friends or a group, playing sport on your own or as a team, in public or at home. Online videos can be a useful for home exercise.

Encourage reflection

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What are your thoughts on what we have discussed so far?

Insight

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Allow some space for young people to talk and explore the information rather than asking ‘do you understand?’ which can shut things down. Ask if they need clarification and what concerns they might have about how the information applies to them. Adolescents and young adults, depending on their level of development, can sometimes border in between the two.
Listen and reflect youth’s concerns: ‘you’re worried about X’. Validate their perspective, using reflective empathy statements, whilst offering a new view point on what they disclosed with you. A young person’s reasons for change may not be the same as yours or other adults, and is important to recognise this and be non-judgmental in your approach.

Did you know?

There is strong evidence that physical activity prevents mental illness, and improves symptoms for those who have depression and anxiety

Stopping exercise if it feels too difficult or you are too tired that day is ok. Freedom to reduce or stop the activity without consequence is important for building engagement.

Real impact

Physical Activity helps you get to sleep at night

Physical Activity can help you feel happier about your body.

There are lots of different ways to exercise; individually, with friends or a group, playing sport on your own or as a team, in public or at home. Online videos can be a useful for home exercise.

Explore how they think activity may help

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What are your thoughts about how physical activity might help you?

Readiness Cycles

Use your judgment, offer to share the most relevant and important problem commonly reported by people with mental health challenges- then ask what they make of it.

is

  • Being active-more energized
  • Feel more energised
  • Positive distraction and less time to internalise
  • Make better choices and habits
  • Sleep better and feel more rested
  • More positive about our body
  • Being active-more energized
  • Being less active- Less energy to do things
  • Increases boredom
  • Poor sleep
  • Comfort eating and weight gain
  • More negative thoughts
  • More embarrassment due to poor body
  • Being less active- Less energy to do things
  • More physical activity
  • Physically stronger and fitter
  • Less negative thoughts, Improved self-esteem and self-efficacy
  • More social Interaction
  • Better mood
  • More physical activity
  • Less physical activity
  • Less strong and fitter
  • More negative thoughts, reduced self-esteem and self-efficacy
  • More social isolation
  • More negative thoughts
  • Less physical activity
  • More physical activity
  • Increased lean muscle mass
  • Improved energy balance
  • Improved body image
  • Increase in confidence
  • Increased Participation
  • More physical activity
  • Less physical activity
  • Reduced lean muscle mass
  • Reduced energy balance
  • Worsening body Image
  • Reduced confidence and participation
  • Increasing weight
  • Less physical activity
  • Increased physical activity
  • Increased readiness for sleep
  • Good Sleep
  • Less fatigue, more energy
  • More motivation and enjoyment
  • Better daily routine due to enhanced motivation
  • Increased physical activity
  • Reduced physical activity
  • Not physically worn out
  • Poor Sleep
  • Disrupted sleep cycle and fatigue
  • Reduced motivation and enjoyment
  • Poor daily routine due to lack of motivation
  • Reduced physical activity
  • More Exercise
  • Exercise makes Endorphins/Enkephalins – the body’s ‘natural antidepressants’
  • Feel better mentally and physically
  • Improved enjoyment and performance
  • More Exercise
  • No exercise
  • Less natural ‘feel good’ chemicals’
  • Less enjoyment, less motivation
  • Life feels greyer, you feel left out and isolated
  • Nothings fun. Why would I bother to exercise
  • No exercise
  • Moving more regularly
  • Improved physical well-being and less pain
  • Strengthen muscles, joints and bones
  • Decreased pain over time
  • Increase motivation and confidence to take part in physical activity
  • Moving more regularly
  • Moving less regularly
  • Increased weight gain and reduced wellbeing
  • Weaker muscles, joints and bones
  • Increased pain
  • Avoidance in participation of physical activity
  • Moving less regularly
  • Increase in physical activity
  • Feel motivated
  • Sense of achievement
  • Increase in self- belief
  • Increase in resilience
  • Increase in physical activity
  • Decrease in physical activity
  • No motivation
  • Decreased mood
  • Increased isolation
  • Reduced self-esteem
  • Decrease in physical activity
  • Increase physical activity
  • Improves muscle strength
  • Improve heart and lung fitness
  • Cope more easily with day to day activity
  • Feel less tired
  • Increase physical activity
  • Decrease physical activity
  • Weaker muscles
  • Heart and lungs less fit
  • Everyday activity feels harder work
  • More tired
  • Decrease physical activity
  • Increase physical activity
  • Increase heart and lung fitness and muscular strength
  • Increased confidence to participate in activities
  • More social activities
  • Greater self-esteem
  • Increase physical activity
  • Decrease physical activity
  • Decrease heart and lung fitness and muscular strength
  • Decreased confidence to participate in activities
  • Fewer social interactions
  • Lower self-esteem
  • Decrease physical activity

Insight

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The symptoms and challenges experienced by young people are a real and frequently a challenging part of everyday life. Understanding how physical activity can make a difference to their day-to-day life can help strengthen their confidence to become more active.

Did you know?

Physical activity helps social development of children by providing opportunities for self-expression, building self-confidence, social interaction and integration.

Physically active children are more likely to have higher academic performance at school.

Mood and Anxiety can improve acutely following exercise.

Real impact

You will get bad days. Try again tomorrow

Set a family challenge, make up an obstacle course to do together, walk the dog, move more at home or in the garden, get outside more – embrace the mud and rain!

Physical activity is not just sports – have fun!

Respond to concerns

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Tell me about other concerns you may have when it comes to becoming more active.

Insight

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Young people with health problems – and those without – have reasonable concerns about becoming more active, and become less active as they grow older. When you ask them about this, saying “if you decided to” reminds them they are the decision maker, not you, keeping the discussion open and active, focusing your supportive role.

Find a way to reflect you understand – ‘Yes, that is a common concern’.
Allow some space for people to talk about and explore new information, asking ‘what do you think about what I’ve just said?’ rather than asking ‘do you understand?’ which can shut things down. Ask if they need anything to be clarified and what concerns they might have about how the information applies to them.

Did you know?

Physical activity helps social development of children by providing opportunities for self-expression, building self-confidence, social interaction and integration.

Physically active children are more likely to have higher academic performance at school.

Mood and Anxiety can improve acutely following exercise.

Real impact

You will get bad days. Try again tomorrow

Set a family challenge, make up an obstacle course to do together, walk the dog, move more at home or in the garden, get outside more – embrace the mud and rain!

Physical activity is not just sports – have fun!

Make it personal

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What can you see as being the top reasons for you to become physically active, if you decided to?

Insight

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Help youth to generate and articulate their own reasons, which may or may not be health-related. Saying ‘if you decided to’ reminds them they are the decision maker, not you. This helps keep the discussion open and active, maintaining your role in providing support while continuing to guide the conversation to focus on change in physical activity.

Did you know?

Exercise increases your “happy hormones” so helps improve mood, so whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, get moving and get the hormones working.

Brisk walking can count and is a great activity to start with.

Think about sports or exercise that follow the SAAFE principles (supportive, active, autonomous, fair, enjoyable).

Real impact

Consider using mobile applications to increase your physical activity levels. Some apps can make use of augmented reality for an extra dose of fun!

Exercise helps to decrease fatigue.

Physical activity is not just sports – have fun!

Look forwards

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What things do you think could be easier if you became more active?

Insight

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Young people’s motivation may be strengthened by having them look a bit further in the future – since the benefits of a more active lifestyle may be cumulative. After the age of 12, some youth can be able to focus better on long term goals and values and therefore questions regarding long term change can be brought in. It is important to tailor discussion on the length of goals – short versus longer terms, based on the young person’s developmental level and motivations. Shorter, small goal focused changes that the youth can attain with success will lead to more robust discussions of longer-lasting change discussions.
Certain benefits may only materialise several weeks or months into the future.

Did you know?

Exercise increases your “happy hormones” so helps improve mood, so whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, get moving and get the hormones working.

Brisk walking can count and is a great activity to start with.

Think about sports or exercise that follow the SAAFE principles (supportive, active, autonomous, fair, enjoyable).

Real impact

Consider using mobile applications to increase your physical activity levels. Some apps can make use of augmented reality for an extra dose of fun!

Exercise helps to decrease fatigue.

Physical activity is not just sports – have fun!

Help them build confidence

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What are the main reasons you would start becoming more active -if you chose to?

Or consider an alternative approach using a confidence ruler

“On a scale of 0-10, with 0 being the “lowest” and 10 being the “highest”, how confident are you that, if you did decide to become more active, you would be able to keep up an active lifestyle over the next month, where 0 is not at all confident and 10 is extremely confident?”

Explore

“What are the reasons you are a ……(#) and not a …..lower number?”

Ask “If you wanted to, what would help you become more confident?”

Insight

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Did you know?

Exercise increases your “happy hormones” so helps improve mood, so whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, get moving and get the hormones working.

Brisk walking can count and is a great activity to start with.

Think about sports or exercise that follow the SAAFE principles (supportive, active, autonomous, fair, enjoyable).

Real impact

Consider using mobile applications to increase your physical activity levels. Some apps can make use of augmented reality for an extra dose of fun!

Exercise helps to decrease fatigue.

Physical activity is not just sports – have fun!

Summarise without adding anything

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You’ve shared with me……

Insight

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Don’t be tempted to impose your own plan at this stage – youth may agree with you just to end the conversation. Summarise the main points of the conversation and find out what they are thinking/considering in the change process, thus far.
This may sound like: ‘Some of the benefits that are important about physical activity for you are…. ’.
Using a summary can be a good way to demonstrate and express empathy, and convey you can see the world from the youth’s perspective.

Did you know?

It is easier to get moving when the whole family is involved, so look for activities that everyone will enjoy!

Paternal Physical activity is one of the strongest predictors for physical activity in adolescents. So if parents exercise too there are benefits for themselves and the while family.

Stopping exercise if it feels too difficult or you are too tired that day is ok. Freedom to reduce or stop the activity without consequence is important for building engagement.

Real impact

There are lots of different ways to exercise; individually, with friends or a group, playing sport on your own or as a team, in public or at home. Online videos can be a useful for home exercise.

Physical Activity can help you feel happier about your body.

When I dance it makes me smile

Ask the key question

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What would you like to do next?

If the youth decides they are NOT ready:

Thank them for taking the time to talk with you about physical activity and offer an opportunity to review the conversation. Reassure them that help is available when they feel ready to change.

If they decide to become more active:

THEN move on to planning. Continue to keep the focus on youth generating their own ideas for change, rather than telling and instructing. Young people are much more likely to make successful changes if they develop their own plans and can exchange their ideas with you serving as a guide in the change planning process.

Insight

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The young person has heard about the benefits of physical activity and has had the chance to consider the benefits of change. They have heard their own ideas spoken back to them, and your use of reflections helps to reinforce and solidify change processes.


Now it’s decision time. Asking an open question ‘what would you like to do?’ rather than a closed question that offers a yes or no response, such as: ‘Are you going to do physical activity – or not?.’ Open ended questions helps remind youth they – not you – are the final decision maker. This is especially important for young people who are highly ambivalent to make a decision to engage in change. If youth are not ready to change now, this can be challenging for you, and it is important to recognise they might have good reasons you may or may not be aware of, for keeping things the same for now/not engage in any change at this time. Encouraging further reflection can be an important part of the process of helping young people to make successful changes over time. Offering an opportunity to follow up on this conversation to review their thoughts about making changes can help to shift the focus on future potentials rather than present barriers in the change process.

Did you know?

It is easier to get moving when the whole family is involved, so look for activities that everyone will enjoy!

Paternal Physical activity is one of the strongest predictors for physical activity in adolescents. So if parents exercise too there are benefits for themselves and the while family.

Stopping exercise if it feels too difficult or you are too tired that day is ok. Freedom to reduce or stop the activity without consequence is important for building engagement.

Real impact

There are lots of different ways to exercise; individually, with friends or a group, playing sport on your own or as a team, in public or at home. Online videos can be a useful for home exercise.

Physical Activity can help you feel happier about your body.

When I dance it makes me smile

Explore opportunities in daily routine

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Tell me about your thoughts for getting started?

Build activity into everyday life
Playing outside
MM-Icons-Home Exercise Videos Following an exercise video online
Use an outdoor trampoline (with appropriate supervision and safety provisions)
Help in the garden
Take the dog for a walk (or your mum and dad if you don’t have a dog)
Cycling
Walk
Public Transport – get off a stop earlier and on a stop later
Scooter
Playing outside during break time
Walk up the stairs
Walk between classes
Taking part in PE lessons
Stand up when you’re chatting to your friends
Swimming
After school exercise classes
Playing with friends in the park
Taking part in a team sport with your friends or class mates
Play hide and seek

Signpost the activity finder to explore local opportunities

Insight

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Useful questions to ask may include:

● What easy or enjoyable ways can you think of to get moving more?
● What’s the easiest thing you might do?
● What kind of help might you need?
● Who might you do that with?

You may need to give some information here – about starting slow and building up, stopping if they notice any particular symptoms, etc.
Reflect back and expand on relevant points from your earlier discussion.

Did you know?

If you find exercise really hard, exercising at your preferred intensity and choosing activities you enjoy improves engagement whilst still helping to improve symptoms of depression.

Exercise increases your “happy hormones” so helps improve mood, so whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, get moving and get the hormones working.

Exercise promotes brain development and cognitive function

Real impact

Psychologically, it helps to have a goal to aim for. This helps motivation turn into habit. That goal could be to get fitter, learn a new skill or how about raising money for a charity?

Make it sociable. Find a buddy – friend/pet/family member

Set a family challenge, make up an obstacle course to do together, walk the dog, move more at home or in the garden, get outside more – embrace the mud and rain!

Agree a plan

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Can I share with you some things people find helpful when making a plan?

If they agree, discuss the options below and find out which, if any, might suit them and share the relevant resource
Goal Ladder

Young people are able to make medium to long term goals. A goal ladder allows the breaking down of these goals into smaller more achievable targets. For example, a child may want to play football with their friends as more long term aim but may be worried that may not be able to achieve this.

An example of this may look something like this:
Step 1 – Get a football
Step 2 – Get more confident at kicking a ball by myself
Step 3 – Play football with family member – becoming more confident
Step 4 – Play football with friends

The attached goal ladder provides a document to support help children do this.

Action planning

Action planning can be a great intervention for young people ready to make medium to long-term goals. Self-determination theory is relevant to adolescents, and leveraging social support, whether in the form of parents or other family members can often be beneficial in promoting physical activity to this age group.

Building confidence worksheet

A child with high self-efficacy may select more challenging goals, be more motivated, and ultimately demonstrate higher goal-related performance, compared to a child with similar skills and lower self-efficacy.

This worksheet helps children spend some time reflecting on and building confidence to become more physically active, which increases their chance of being successful

Physical activity diary with self-monitoring

Adolescents are able to make plans and set goals into the future, which does not occur in younger years. Using self-determination theory by self-monitoring can also be applied here, with adolescents being able to rate how they are doing on a day to day basis.

Insight

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Did you know?

If you find exercise really hard, exercising at your preferred intensity and choosing activities you enjoy improves engagement whilst still helping to improve symptoms of depression.

Exercise increases your “happy hormones” so helps improve mood, so whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, get moving and get the hormones working.

Exercise promotes brain development and cognitive function

Real impact

Psychologically, it helps to have a goal to aim for. This helps motivation turn into habit. That goal could be to get fitter, learn a new skill or how about raising money for a charity?

Make it sociable. Find a buddy – friend/pet/family member

Set a family challenge, make up an obstacle course to do together, walk the dog, move more at home or in the garden, get outside more – embrace the mud and rain!

Troubleshoot

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What might get in the way of fitting these plans in next week?

When young people come up with ideas it’s good to get follow up details and ask how they might find a way round that and who might help them get there.

Insight

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The pathway to successful behaviour change is seldom straightforward and people have often tried before. It is important to recognise, anticipate and prepare for setbacks and identify the individuals in the youth’s life who will be able to support them through difficult periods. There is always more than one path to each change destination, and it is important to help youth identify their support along the journey. Encouraging young people to think of possible obstacles to success and ways around them can be helpful during the planning phase.

Did you know?

If you find exercise really hard, exercising at your preferred intensity and choosing activities you enjoy improves engagement whilst still helping to improve symptoms of depression.

Exercise increases your “happy hormones” so helps improve mood, so whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, get moving and get the hormones working.

Exercise promotes brain development and cognitive function

Real impact

Psychologically, it helps to have a goal to aim for. This helps motivation turn into habit. That goal could be to get fitter, learn a new skill or how about raising money for a charity?

Make it sociable. Find a buddy – friend/pet/family member

Set a family challenge, make up an obstacle course to do together, walk the dog, move more at home or in the garden, get outside more – embrace the mud and rain!

Arrange follow up

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What do you think about my arranging/scheduling a follow-up visit to discuss more about what we have talked about today?

Ongoing support is a key factor of successful behavioural change and clinical services exist to support people through their own journey with their mental health.

Useful things to organise for young people with mental health challenges may include:

  • A follow up appointment with you or a colleague
  • Referral to a multidisciplinary programme

Signpost the activity finder, which contains links to physical activity opportunities regionally

Insight

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Asking this as an open question helps make it clear that what is important is the young person’s own personal agenda, not yours. It can be appropriate to follow up by asking permission to share follow up options they may not know about such as:
The arrangement of a follow up appointment would also be appropriate for those people deciding not to become more active yet, but who want to ‘think about it some more’ The follow up appointment could be face to face but could also be via telephone or text.

Did you know?

Exercise promotes brain development and cognitive function

In the report of the commission on ending childhood obesity, the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights one of the six key areas of action is to “promote physical activity”.

Sedentary behaviour is linked with poor health and obesity. Sedentary behaviour includes watching television, reading, working with a computer, sitting while playing video games, or travelling in a motor vehicle.

Real impact

Psychologically, it helps to have a goal to aim for. This helps motivation turn into habit. That goal could be to get fitter, learn a new skill or how about raising money for a charity?

Don’t forget to tell yourself well done!

Be realistic about what you can achieve and don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t always manage to fit exercise in when planned or if you’re exercise session doesn’t always go as well as you’d like!

Signpost support organisations

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What do you think about having a look at the great resources available here and on other websites showing how other young people experience challenges that you might face?

Support organisations
Mind

Mind offer specially designed programmes to help people with mental health problems to become physically active in their local community. They also have a physical activity toolkit you can download.

Young Minds

There are free publications to download about various mental health issues from school problems to mental illness in families. There is a guide to the NHS’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and a Parents Helpline.

The YoungMinds resources library is full of useful toolkits, publications, reports and policy information about children and young people’s mental health

Also part of Young Minds is their sport for charity work which promotes activities for fundraising and have events that are planned and everyone can join in.

Childline

Childline is a free, confidential counselling service for children and young people for anybody under 19 years old, where anything can be discussed. They can be contacted by phone and email anytime, day and night. Childline doesn’t show up on the phone bill. A counsellor can also be contacted through a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

The website also contains useful information ranging from advice about stress to bullying and abuse.

Insight

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Young people may or may not be interested in accessing information and support groups, but they can offer unique support for those contemplating physical activity behavioural change with their condition. Particularly given the range and reliability of information on the internet, trusted resources are important to highlight.

Did you know?

Exercise promotes brain development and cognitive function

In the report of the commission on ending childhood obesity, the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights one of the six key areas of action is to “promote physical activity”.

Sedentary behaviour is linked with poor health and obesity. Sedentary behaviour includes watching television, reading, working with a computer, sitting while playing video games, or travelling in a motor vehicle.

Real impact

Psychologically, it helps to have a goal to aim for. This helps motivation turn into habit. That goal could be to get fitter, learn a new skill or how about raising money for a charity?

Don’t forget to tell yourself well done!

Be realistic about what you can achieve and don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t always manage to fit exercise in when planned or if you’re exercise session doesn’t always go as well as you’d like!