ALT Drawing of a globe with a smiling face. A green ribbon is wrapped around it, with the text: “World Mental Health Day Oct 10”. Above the drawing is the MHF logo. Below is the text: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

ALT “It’s good to get the body moving. It’s an achievement. It might not be a big achievement for some people, but it is for me. Simply by being able to do it.”  Dave, 55, lives with chronic arthritis and other health conditions which affect his mental health. Cold-water therapy and short walks, when he can, helps him cope. 

ALT “Some days it is a struggle to get out of bed and you just know it’s a bad day, so you have to work what to do to get through it. For me, that’s the cold tub, or a walk on the dog with the beach. But it’s a balance, some days I’ll walk too far, and pay for it that night because the pain is too much to sleep.  But it’s a trade-off. It’s going to get worse and my mental health will suffer if I don’t move, so I have to move.” 

ALT “Even though it’s hard sometimes, and I maybe end up hypo (low blood sugars), and occasionally crying in the kitchen eating jelly babies, I think not moving would make things worse, both mentally and physically.” Christina lives with Type 1 Diabetes, and seven other auto-immune conditions. While this makes exercise difficult, she finds it’s essential to support her mental and physical health. 

ALT “I couldn’t manage my mental health without exercising. I ran a 10k a few years ago and the feel-good hormones after running are the best! Sadly, I’ve now got osteoarthritis in my knee now so can’t run. But I’m walking and using the cross-trainer, and strength training. I’m also a big fan of some Yin Yoga.”