Mental health is such an important thing these days; it’s ok to not be ok, but it should not be neglected at all. A sound mind will of course help you have a sound body, but it’s important that you look after yourself and keep moving as this is so beneficial to your health and wellbeing.

Mental health is such an important thing these days; it’s ok to not be ok, but it should not be neglected at all. A sound mind will of course help you have a sound body, but it’s important that you look after yourself and keep moving as this is so beneficial to your health and wellbeing.

I am not going to lie I have had problems with my mental health in the past two years; the mind can play so many tricks. I didn’t think anything was wrong for a while but getting help has opened my mind up hugely and now more than ever my hobby is so important to me as it keeps me having a Sound Mind and Sound Body.

Many times across the past years I have struggled to do training for a number of reasons to do with my mental health. However I had to force myself to do it; those days were tough but once I did my sessions I realised how important they are to me. For example I wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind, have bad anxiety and stress but once I trained and put some music on and thought about positive things I started feeling much better, so it was hugely beneficial to me. This is important for me to not just sit around but to keep moving.

I found control what you can control and anything else don’t worry about it, it is out of your hands. The stress and worry about something you cannot control is not worth it as it will affect you, so the best way is to relax. What I have learnt over the years is that if I feel anxious or start to panic take a step back for a few minutes, control your breathing by breathing in for 4 seconds and then out for 7 seconds and it helps calm down the nervous system. Just getting out for a walk with my dog Dino goes a long way.

Of course when you are training you can over analyse things but I find just turn them into a positive and squeeze negatives out. A 10 minute walk goes a long way to calming you down and relaxing. I like moving and can’t sit still, but when I have days where I don’t feel 100% I get out and it does work wonders to keep moving and moving forward.

Get outside as much as you can; just getting outdoors for 5 minutes will go a long way to helping your wellbeing and mental health even if it’s just for a walk. It can give you a relaxing time and gives you the opportunity to take in the countryside. I always find the morning sun sets me up for a happy day. There will be days you don’t feel like getting out but honestly they are the days which are the best. If I don’t feel like running I force myself to go out and say if I am not enjoying it after 10 minutes I will come back home, but most of the time I stay out longer and end up enjoying it or having one of my best runs. Keep moving don’t just sit about all day if you are working from home – I walk around the house if I can’t go outside. I always find when I am exercising I relax and it helps to clear my head and therefore destresses me.

To conclude my blog is just a simple message – it is important to keep moving as getting out for exercise goes a long way to giving you a sound mind and sound body. If you keep moving your wellbeing will be 100 times better and of course you are keeping your body healthy. Stress can bring out injuries, so relax even if it’s just for a walk for a few minutes, as this will help. So in a nutshell its so important to keep moving so you stay healthy, because a healthy mind will give you a healthy body. I hope you find this useful.

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Yiannis Christodoulou

NHS Performance analyst from Canterbury

Age group: 40-44
Club: Canterbury Harriers, Ashford Triathlon Club, GB Age group team, Age group 2017 Aquathlon team captain
Coach: My self in running Level 2 coach in running fitness, Craig Coggle Strength coach, John Wood Swimming coach

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