Need some inspiration? Read on...
2024 is here, and with it comes the RED January challenge!
Last year, we were very excited to be able to announce our partnership with RED January which we hope will encourage the hardworking teams of people that make social prescribing viable to stay active, whilst encouraging those around them to get active too.
Dr Mohan Sekeram, GP Principal of Wideway Medical Practice, has been taking part in RED January for five years now, and believes the benefits can have a far-reaching effect. He said:
“Healthcare workers can be pivotal in highlighting the benefits of exercise and movement in supporting mental and physical health. Research shows that physical activity boosts self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing the risk of stress and other long-term conditions.”
Many link workers, doctors, carers and health professionals have already signed up, and we want to give a special shout out to the RED January ‘Link Worker Champions’, who are sharing their progress over on social media. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late! Head over to RED January’s website to get started.
You may already have your own RED January goal in mind, but if you, like many of us here at NASP, need that extra bit of inspiration to get moving as we get stuck back into our daily routine, read on for ideas for simple activities you can do by yourself, with your team or with the people you care for. All ideas have been provided by the lovely people at We Are Undefeatable, a movement dedicated to supporting people with long-term health conditions to be active.
Whether you have a long-term health condition yourself, or are just in need of activities you can squeeze in between meetings, read on for some activity ideas and tips from RED-er and Mental Health Campaigner, Jon Salmon.
Do you only have 5 minutes?
Download the We Are Undefeatable ‘Five in Five’ booklet, which includes seven different mini-workouts. Each one includes five movements which you can do seated or standing – so perfect for an office environment.
Do you have 15 minutes?
This We Are Undefeatable youtube playlist of activity videos are perfect if you have a bit more time. They are also sorted into categories – dance, energy, balance, strength, boxing and mindfulness – so you can choose which ever one suits you best.
Do you want to get active with the stars?
Want to find classes in your area?
Head over to RED January’s website, where you can search for activities and groups in your area.
Are you losing enthusiasm?
Jon has some suggestions to keep up morale. “Give yourself a fun name, link your teams’ collective steps to see where you are on the leaderboard, and create a WhatsApp group, to support and encourage each other.
“Our group chat was full of beautiful photographs of tress, frozen lakes and lots of pets taken while out doing some exercise! However, interspersed within these photos were messages of support and empathy to those of us that weren’t having such a great start to the year.”
You can also search #REDJanuary or #WeAreUndefeatable to see what others are getting up to, or share your own progress. We’d love to see what you, and your team, are getting up to!
