By Ashlea Knickel
Key Points:
- Exercise is an essential part of a happy and healthy life
- The Covid-19 pandemic has had a serious effect on people’s mental wellbeing
- Exercise doesn’t have to mean trudging through a long walk, it’s about finding a fun activity that suits you
Credit: Thredbo
Every year we’re pushed to make a New Year’s resolution that, for most of us, is never seen through. These resolutions often include new healthy habits like a better diet, increased exercise, or a new sport. While we can usually get away with pushing our health resolutions back another year, this year is a little different.
Unfortunately, stopping the spread of Covid-19 through quarantine cost a lot of people their mental wellbeing.The Australian Government has released several statements on the importance of mental health during this period and has discussed how physical activity can help to reduce stress.
However, walking isn’t for everyone. It’s important to find an activity that you actually enjoy and get excited about! Some people enjoy going to the gym while others prefer swimming. It’s all about finding a sport that suits you.
Credit: Ashlea Knickel
For Billy Steer, it’s mountain biking.
Billy Steer
Credit: Ashlea Knickel
Billy loves the excitement of downhill mountain biking and how it gets him outside. Billy’s friends are also into mountain biking so it’s a way for them to catch up (socially distanced, of course) and make new friends.
“It’s a great way to explore the local area and meet new people while keeping healthy.”
Listen to Billy chat more about mountain biking:
Recorded by: Ashlea Knickel
Exercising is an important part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle and can do wonders for your mental health so try not to think of it as a chore. While you may not be up for downhill racing, some fun activities you could try are:
- Jump-roping
- Just Dance (the dances are on YouTube!)
- Bike riding
No matter what you do, the goal is only to be more active than you would be sitting on the lounge, anything is better than nothing and can help you to feel more motivated in these difficult times.
