Positive thinking

Rhi Willmot, Bangor University   Exercise has been found to reduce stress , increase positive mood , decrease anxiety and alleviate depression . But you may not know that the emotional well-being associated with exercise is also linked to key attributes that can help us while we work. One of the most established of well-being frameworks ( PERMA ) states that of the many ways to experience happiness, five areas are most important: positive emotions, mental engagement, strong relationships, meaning in life and accomplishing goals. At face value, achieving all five may seem a colossal task. But many activities from tennis to triathlons, squash to swimming, can help us clinch all five at once. Evidence suggests that, as a result, we are more likely to avoid job burnout , sleep more easily and be more engaged at work. 1. Positive emotions The “runner’s high” is at the peak of positive emotion. While this euphoric feeling is most typically linked to pounding the pav...

Scott Lear, Simon Fraser University In Canada, approximately one in five adults will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, with similar numbers reported in the United States . Preventing mental illness is just as important as preventing other chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. As with these chronic conditions, regular physical activity plays a key role. A recent meta-analysis (a large study combining other studies together) with a total of 266,939 participants reported that being active for 150 minutes or more per week was associated with a 20 per cent reduction in risk for depression . Mental health week in Canada — which runs from May 7-13, 2018 — offers us an opportunity to consider what science says about the impacts of exercise on mind and body. Reduce your stress and anxiety Exercise offers immediate as well as long-term benefits. Research shows that after just one session people have a greater chance of experiencing p...

David Morley, Sheffield Hallam University A recent World Health Organisation repor t revealed that the number of obese children and adolescents – aged five to 19 years – worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades. Worryingly, it also predicts that “obese” is likely to become the new norm. The report stated that: If current trends continue, more children and adolescents will be obese than moderately or severely underweight by 2022. The number of overweight or obese infants and young children increased from 32m globally in 1990 to 41m in 2016 . The vast majority of overweight or obese children live in developing countries, where the rate of increase has been more than 30% higher than that of developed countries. And in the UK, recent research shows that 9% of four and five year-olds are now classed as obese – with the proportion rising to 20% for 10 to 11-year-olds. Efforts to reverse this growing trend have mainly focused on two aspects of a child’s life: d...