This article was written by a young person from Wigan.
It can be really difficult to exercise, especially if you have a very busy life, or not much motivation. Physical Education (PE) is compulsory in all schools, so if you are in high school, you will be getting probably at least 2 hours of exercise a week.
The NHS guidelines say that young people should be doing at least 1 hour of exercise per day. This may seem like a lot if you are generally a busy person, but what most people forget is that exercise does not have to be running on a treadmill or playing in a hockey team for school (though these are both good things to do).
Exercise can consist of very simple things such as walking to school, doing housework (yes!), cycling, walking the dog, etc.
Exercise benefits not only your body, by getting rid of excess calories and developing muscles, but also your emotional well-being. Endorphins (chemicals, which your brain releases when you exercise) trigger positive feelings in your body.
Amazing health benefits
- Up to an 83% lower risk of osteoarthritis
- Up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes or colon cancer
- Up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
- Up to a 30% lower risk of depression or dementia
- Up to a 20% lower risk of breast cancer
- A 30% lower risk of early death
These are very encouraging facts and should help motivate you to try and include some form of exercise in your life. There are lots of facilities in Wigan borough where you can exercise. Take a look at Wigan's leisure centre facilities to find out about just a few of them.
The secret to sticking to exercise is probably finding something you enjoy doing, whether that’s dancing, doing competitive sport or just going for a walk or bike ride. You could try going along to a regular exercise class to get into the habit of doing weekly exercise, or agreeing to meet up with a friend so that you can encourage each other.
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