This week is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK
Led by the Mental Health Foundation, the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 is movement: reminding us of the connection between good physical and mental health.
Regular physical activity is known to improve mental health, quality of life, and wellbeing. However, in the UK, 36% of adults (aged 18+) do not meet the physical activity recommendations set out by the World Health Organisation (cited by the Mental Health Foundation).
This week at TPHC, we’re sharing work from our pan-London mental health programmes to highlight some of the ways that Londoners can incorporate more movement into their daily lives, and how this can have a positive impact on their mental health.
Good Thinking tips on mood boosting movement
The Good Thinking team has shared practical tips to help Londoners move more. The team’s blog explains how movement and exercise in all forms – whether you walk, run, cycle, swim or dance, has so many benefits for your wellbeing.
ThriveLDN x parkrun collaboration
This Mental Health Awareness Week, Thrive LDN has partnered with parkrun for Mental Health Awareness Week.
The team has published a new blog written by Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, parkrun’s health partnerships lead which talks about the benefits of movement for our mental health and wellbeing, and how movement through community events like parkrun and junior parkrun can make a big difference on enhancing our mental health.
parkrun and junior parkrun take place weekly and are inclusive events where anyone can walk, jog, run, volunteer to spectate.
For more information, visit the parkrun website.
How can physical activity be better utilised within NHS Talking Therapies?
TPHC’s mental health transformation team worked with Sport England and the Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust to explore how physical activity could be better utilised within NHS Talking Therapies, to help improve the mental health outcomes of service users. There is overwhelming evidence that physical activity can reduce the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as helping to manage the symptoms.
A summary report was published to share key findings and recommendations from this project, including insights captured through interviews with nearly 400 people including NHS Talking Therapies staff, community physical activity providers, commissioners and service users.
Research was conducted by TPHC’s consulting team through a blend of desktop research, surveys and focus groups.
Contact us
Email us if you have any questions about our mental health programmes listed above, or if you’d like to find out how our consulting team can guide you through your own mental health improvement and transformation challenges
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