Physical Wellbeing

To stay healthy, the NHS recommend that adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities.

For most people, the easiest way to get moving is to make activity part of everyday life, like walking for health or cycling instead of using the car to get around. However, the more you do, the better, and taking part in activities such as sports and exercise will make you even healthier.

For any type of activity to benefit your health, you need to be moving quick enough to raise your heart rate, breathe faster and feel warmer. This level of effort is called moderate intensity activity. If you’re working at a moderate intensity you should still be able to talk but you won’t be able to sing the words to a song.

An activity where you have to work even harder is called vigorous intensity activity. There is substantial evidence that vigorous activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity. You can tell when it’s vigorous activity because you’re breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you’re working at this level, you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.

Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

(Source: gov.uk, 2022)

Carers on the Move is a way for carers to look after their own wellbeing by joining other carers on a healthy walk where they can chat while strolling. The walks are led by a trained walk leader, take about an hour and are suitable for all fitness levels. well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome. Please contact the Carers Centre if you would like to join a walk or for more information on the walks programme.

Free swimming pass for Sunderland carers

Swimming, like all exercise, releases endorphins in your brain. These are the hormones that make you feel good. They help to increase positivity and bring about a sense of wellbeing and happiness. If you are an unpaid carer and the person you are supporting lives in the City of Sunderland, Sunderland Carers Centre can offer you a free swimming pass. Please contact us to complete an application.

Step Up Sunderland app

Step Up Sunderland is a free app to make it easy for people who live and work in the city to count steps and increase their daily activity. It’s a great way to keep track of your activity levels and increase physical activity by adding friends, creating walking teams and collecting badges for your walking achievements. Check out www.stepupsunderland.com for more information and to download.

Free course from the Open University – Physical activity for health and wellbeing in the caring role