Following on from the success of our Winter Wellness campaign that we ran in December we’ve decided to keep the group going and run another campaign throughout March which focuses on supporting people to get more active. The Winter Wellness challenge we ran in December focussed on encouraging people to do 30 minutes of any activity for 30 days of December. We had over 200 members joining the group on Facebook and people have used the group as a supportive space to share stories, motivation and tips around ways of getting active.
This group has come at a good time. I have so little free time and have been struggling to make time to exercise despite really needing it! Yesterday I left my car when I would usually have driven and walked to an appointment.
Anonymous
Why have we decided to run another campaign?
It’s been a wet and windy winter in Shetland which makes it more challenging for us to get out and be active. Now that we are into March this can be a turning point in the seasons as we notice signs of spring and days lengthening, nature starts to pick up again, so it’s a great time for us to do the same.
What is the aim of Spring into Health?
Spring into Health is all about encouraging and supporting people to get active at any level and to help break down any barriers that’s preventing people from starting. We know that any amount of activity is better than none, and everybody of all ages and abilities can benefit from it in some way and improve their quality of life. Having a group can give people support and motivation to build activity into their day and also gives the opportunity for people to share their own ideas and experiences of what helps them stay active.
What barriers exist for people in Shetland?
From a population consultation we carried out in 2021, we found that the top 3 perceived barriers to getting active were lack of time, lack of motivation and poor weather. Others mentioned that a health condition, old age or a disability created a barrier to them being active. We also asked people what would help them become more active and the top themes that came out were more beginner activities, reduced costs and more family-focussed activities.
It’s been really useful to gather this information to help build a local picture for Shetland so we know what people want and need, and develop appropriate initiatives that suit the needs of people in the community to get more active.
What does the campaign entail?
We recognise that there’s a lot of misinformation online nowadays which can be conflicting and confusing, so we want to provide evidence-based information around health for those thinking about making lifestyle change. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to improving health, different things work for different people, so it’s more about guiding people to trusted sources of information so that they can make informed choices. We also see it as an opportunity to highlight the resources already available in communities that folk can access.
We will be sharing daily posts on a variety of topics, we hope these will provide some helpful tips and ideas on a whole range of health areas. Some of the upcoming themes will cover things like National No-Smoking Day, Workplace Health, tackling stigma involved with exercise, and keeping active with long-term health conditions.
What are some tips to getting started?
- Do something you enjoy – you’re far more likely to keep doing it. Try a few activities until you find the right thing for you. Moving more with friends, family members, and others can also help make things more enjoyable. There’s also local walking groups available in the community that anyone of any age and ability can join – currently Scalloway, Cunningsburgh & Sandwick, and a buggy walk for parents with children under 5 in Mossbank. All of this information can be found on our website.
- Start slowly – when we set the bar too high or set unrealistic expectations for ourselves it’s hard to take that first step or keep it up. Start small and build up as you build your confidence. We know that the biggest health benefit is gained by people who have been inactive and start doing something. Anything is better than nothing!
- Build activity into your daily routine and link it to your habits. This is particularly helpful if you are busy. For example, doing some stretches during TV adverts or when waiting for the kettle to boil. You could use our 5 in 5 resource to do a quick 5-minute mini-workout. We don’t need to do hour long workouts to see an improvement in our health, small changes make a big difference over time.
How do people join the group?
Anybody that has Facebook can join the group, it’s called Healthy Shetland – Spring into Health. It’s a private group so you need to request to join. For those that don’t have Facebook but would like to find out more about getting active, our website has lots of information available: www.healthyshetland.com – if you’d prefer to speak to someone in the team our phone number is 01595 743330.
