Why You Should Move More This Summer

UKIM's Neuro-inclusive Psychotherapist Natalie Holmes shares her tips on moving more this summer and perhaps channel your inner-Olympian or Euro football star …

Not only is it really important to get outside and enjoy the summer weather but it’s also super good and beneficial for your mental health. Isn’t 2024 all about wellbeing? Cold dark months are well in the past (for now), so it’s time to make the most of the summer’s sunshine and really improve our mental wellbeing. 

You can fit in exercise at any time of the day, even when you’re at work. Going for walks during break times, creating fun sports teams with colleagues and taking full advantage of any employee benefits such as hour flexibility is great. 

Supporting Mental Wellness 

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to support your mental health. It’s really important to fit it in our diaries. It really helps to give you that sense of routine and to have some structure to your weeks. it’s something that you can make part of that regular routine. It’s also beneficial because if it’s something you can see that you’re improving in, then it helps you with things like confidence and self-esteem. 

It’s also something that you can do together with somebody else, like in a group class or team sport, it really helps to build those social connections as well. An opportunity to meet like-minded individuals even if it’s just taking a walk on break times or lunch times with a friend or colleague. It also helps with sleep. Not only does it help you fall asleep more quickly, but it will also improve the wealth of the sleep that you have too.  

Doing some exercise creates all kinds of changes in the brain by boosting the neurotransmitters. So, things like dopamine and serotonin, which helps to boost and improve our moods. Physically, it reduces inflammation in our body so if you have chronic pain conditions for example, it can really help with that. It can also promote neuro-growth, which improves focus, memory and helps us to process the events of the day.

Natalie is Neuro-inclusive Therapy and Education Lead at UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing. Her work is focussed around neurodiversity and offering counselling and support to help individuals to navigate neurodiversity and their personal challenges. You can find out more about Natalie here ››