In a positive move to respond to concerns about deteriorating mental health during the Coronavirus pandemic, Suffolk County Council’s Most Active County programme and Suffolk Mind are inviting 10,000 people to learn about movement and mental health for free.

A 20-minute e-learning course, designed by experts from Suffolk Mind, will give people a better insight into the benefits of movement on their mental health and how, by moving more, it can help us all enhance our wellbeing.

The resources are aimed at all adults and young people in Suffolk and have been designed to be engaging and informative. They revolve around four short animations focusing on the need for movement, the mental health barriers to physical activity, how people can be helped to increase their physical activity levels and how physical activity can often be the key to meeting many emotional needs in one go.

Jon Neal, Chief Executive of Suffolk Mind, said “We all have brains, and we all move along the mental health continuum during our lives. Many people are not aware of the importance of movement and exercise – even just a tiny bit of exercise – to maintaining good mental health.

“Movement lifts mood and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. But moving can also help people meet the emotional needs upon which good mental health depends – for example feeling stretched and challenged, connecting with others and finding time by yourself to get privacy.

“This resource has been produced to help people understand the link and support them to have conversations with friends, family, work colleagues and clients about how movement and exercise is a force for good.

“Our ambition at Suffolk Mind is to make Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental wellbeing and this resource is an important part of that”.

Stuart Keeble, Director of Public Health at Suffolk County Council said, “This resource has come at a welcome time”.

The direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 is impacting on the wellbeing of many of us through worries about the future, feeling stressed or anxious or even bored. These are all things that movement and exercise can have a really positive impact on.”

The resources are very engaging and informative and I would encourage everyone to take advantage of them.”

You can access the resource below.