Get moving to feel your personal best

Sir Chris urges Buddies to be active and improve health

Most Buddies who were active throughout the pandemic found it had a positive impact on their well-being, a new study has found.

The research involving 119 people from Paisley found that 59 per cent of people felt better as a result of exercise.

Half said it helped them to “switch off” and a further 47 per cent said it made them to feel less anxious.

The research, conducted by Scot Pulse, was carried out to support the launch of the new

Feel Your Best Campaign.

A partnership between SAMH, Scottish Association for Mental Health, and sportscotland, the campaign is encouraging people to take up physical activity and sport to help them feel their personal best.

Both organisations are urging people who found it hard to look after their physical and mental health during lockdown to get back to the activities they previously enjoyed - whatever it made them feel good.

Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy, who has been SAMH’s ambassador for over ten years, said: “Physical activity is central to good mental health, and small changes – like a daily walk with a friend – can be transformational.

“The activity doesn’t need to be strenuous to be effective.

“Feel Your Personal Best is not about clocking steps, miles or the fastest times; it’s about people finding their own way to get moving.”

Chief executive of SAMH, Billy Watson, said: “The pandemic has been, and continues to be, a hugely challenging time for us all, and the mental health and well-being of the entire nation has suffered.

“However, we also know that lots of people found being active to be a great coping mechanism; and it’s really important to remember that as restrictions start to ease.

“You might choose to go for a daily walk, meet friends for a cycle, take up yoga, or even try out a new team sport – whatever it is that makes you Feel Your Personal Best.

“We hope this new campaign will inspire even more people to get moving for their mental health.”

Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, added: “We all have to remain aware of what we can and can’t do in our local authority areas.

“But as restrictions ease, staying physically active and connected to friends and family is becoming easier.

“Keeping the body and mind active is crucial to our overall health and we hope the Feel Your Personal Best campaign will give people across Scotland a platform to get out and do whatever sport or physical activity helps them to feel better.”

People are being encouraged to use the hashtag #FeelYourPersonalBest on social media to share their experiences of using physical activity to feel better.

Physical activity is central to good mental health and small changes can be transformational