The message of Mental Health Awareness Week from 13 to 19 May, is ‘Moving more for mental health’. Throughout the week, Active Lambeth Leisure Centres will run free activities for Lambeth residents to get moving and boost their mental wellbeing.
Based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, try these tips to boost your mental health and learn more about the exciting range of Active Lambeth opportunities to try out.
1: Be active
Physical exercise activates your brain’s decision-making and emotions areas. Just 15 minutes a day can boost your mood and make you feel better.
Exercise can be scary, especially if you’re not used to it. So we’ve got fun ways to make it more appealing. Join Active Lambeth’s fitness challenges, try climbing walls, assault courses and family areas, make a swimming pool splash and more for everyone from children to older adults.
2: Connect
Feeling connected to other people helps us thrive as part of a group. It’s a great way to remind ourselves that we’re important and valued.
We’re helping people socialise, with quizzes for over-60s, Leisure Centre karaoke rooms because singing together is great for wellbeing, and a performance of the Black Men’s Consortium at the Brixton Rec.
3: Keep Learning
Knowing that you’re learning and developing can boost your self-esteem, and setting goals can help you feel more productive and more in control of your life.
Maybe you just haven’t found the right activity to get you moving yet? That’s why Lambeth leisure centres encourage people to try new things – like Pickleball. They’re also offering free mental health awareness training – learning to spot signs that someone might need help, how to start that conversation and help them find the right support.
4: Give
Anything from a friendly word with the bus driver in the morning, to helping out a friend or volunteering in the community also boosts your own mood.
Volunteering can lead to new skills, work experience, and feeling like part of something with a purpose in life. Find out more at Volunteering | Lambeth Council.
5: Take Notice
Being aware of how you’re feeling can help you understand what triggers stress or anxiety. And there’s evidence that enjoying ‘the moment’ makes you more positive about life.
Lambeth Leisure Centres will support mindfulness with discounts on massages, yoga and pilates classes, online or in the comfort of your own home. There will be classes suitable for all ages.
Take part in Mental Health Week at Active Lambeth’s Leisure Centres
You don’t have to be a monthly paying member of a Lambeth Leisure Centre to be part of these Mental Health Week activities. See the full timetable and book online here.
More information
- Mental Health is a Lambeth Together priority. We will help more people to maintain positive behaviours that support their mental wellbeing and keep them healthy. Find out more in our pages on the Staying Healthy Programme.
- Lambeth’s Living Well Network Alliance supports people experiencing mental illness or distress. Learn more and find out where to get help.
