I’m Bored

The great thing is, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to see the benefits of physical activity. How much do you need to get that mental health boost? Not as much as you might think.

Research is showing that 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week can provide benefits. Two 15 minute or three 10 minute sessions can work just as well. For some that may still seem intimidating. Exercise needs to be carefully balanced with your body’s physical limitations. If you need to take a break after 5 or 10 minutes, that’s okay. Start with that and gradually build up your capacity. The more exercise you get, the more energy you will eventually gain and you will feel able to do more. The key is to make a commitment to get some physical exercise each day. As this becomes a habit you will be able to slowly increase your activity or try different types of physical activity. If you stick with it, you will begin to experience the mental benefits.

The fact is, when we are suffering from mental ill health, exercising can be doubly difficult. While you know exercise will make you feel better, when you are struggling with depression and anxiety you may feel completely robbed of energy and motivation. In that case, what can you do? It’s okay to start small. In fact, it’s smart. ■ Try to get some exercise during the time of day when your energy is highest ■ Focus on activities that you enjoy ■ Be comfortable – wear comfortable clothing and exercise in a setting that you find calming or energizing ■ Reward yourself – maybe a hot bath after a workout, a delicious smoothie or a favourite book, movie or TV show ■ Make exercise a social activity – exercising with a family member or friend makes it more enjoyable and keeps you motivated to stick to a routine. Sometimes companionship is just as important as the exercise for our mental wellness. ■ Whatever you do, set reasonable goals so you get that feeling of accomplishment when you reach them

Putting physical activity at the heart of your priorities is a simple and accessible way for people to take care of their well-being and their health, including their mental health.

Canadian Mental Health Association (Saskatchewan Division) Inc.

Canadian Mental Health Association receives financial assistance from the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association, through the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.

To help you balance working from home while spending time with the kids, here are five creative ideas to engage your tiny humans with fun ways to stay and play inside during social distancing.

1. Introduce Your Kids to Yoga

Yoga can be an awesome way to promote relaxation and stress reduction, while also building strength, balance, endurance and confidence in kids. There are some great yoga for kids videos you can watch for free on YouTube.

2. Play Hopscotch Indoors

This classic activity is quite easy to put together. Simply use painter’s or masking tape to create the hopscotch squares on an open floor area.

3. Hold an Egg-n-Spoon Race

Step 1: Find Spoons and Eggs (one each per player) Step 2: Designate a start and finish line Step 3: Have your child place the egg on the spoon and balance it while racing from the start to finish line. If the egg drops, start over from the beginning. Pro-Tip: If you are attempting to play this indoors and you want to avoid a mess of raw egg on your floors, substitute for marbles, golf balls or even cotton balls (which will add their own level of difficulty).

4. Make Your Own Mini-Golf Course

For this activity you’ll need to find some plastic cups that can be turned onto their side and taped to the floor. These will act as the golf holes! Next you’ll need to find a golf ball or similarly sized ball and some form of golf club (how about a pool noodle or wrapping paper roll?). From there you can design your home course using additional obstacles and challenges based on the age and stage of your child. Visit wikiHow for some more instructions on how to set up your course.

5. Learn a Card Game

There are so many fun games to play with a deck of cards and it can be a great way to keep young minds active and engaged.

I hope this article gives you some inspiration about how to incorporate play and recreation into your schedule this week!

Kelsey Michaluk

SPRA Consultant - Youth Engagement