BLOG
DR SETHU MANI-BABU
It would be an understatement to say that 2020 has been a difficult year and as it draws to a close I am sure we are all hoping for much better things in 2021!
What hopes and aspirations do you have?
Being more active and eating healthier are two of the most common new year’s resolutions, but from my experience with patients, these are resolutions that many of us do not keep for long.
In terms of being active, it is important to remember the short term benefits of how exercise makes you feel so that you are more likely to stick with it on days you really feel like doing something else.
Exercise makes you feel more energised, lifts your mood and improves your sleep. These are just some of the immediate benefits I am frequently promoting to my patients.
The key to exercise is to find something you enjoy doing whether that be going for a brisk walk, running or playing sport. You can also break it up into manageable chunks as short as 10 minutes to fit it in around other parts of your day.
With most smartphones these days you can track how many steps you do and by setting yourself a daily target you can get a sense of achievement which will spur you on to keep going.
COVID has affected us all in many ways and one of the things that has been missing this year is a lack of social interaction due to social distancing measures.
To try and combat this have you thought about doing an exercise class with family or friends on a video call?
You could all come up with different activities you like doing and share in the joys of exercise together.
Look around this site for other ideas and resources to motivate you and no matter what you do, just try and do a little bit each day…you will feel so much better for it.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe 2021!
Dr Sethu Mani-Babu
Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar
MBBS, BSc (Hons), MRCP (UK)
