Health and well-being is very important to us at Hope Park Sports. We recognise how exercising and being physically active can contribute to a persons' overall wellness.
Our health and well-being can be negatively affected for a number of reasons, we want to help our members to be as happy and healthy as they can.
Here you can find some useful information relating to the benefits of exercise, both physical and mental, as well as find ways to get involved to keep your mind and body active.
There are many benefits of being physically active, for your mind and body.
Physical health benefits can include:
- reduced risk of developing some diseases - high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes
- helps with the development of our muscles, bones and joints
- improves cardiorespiratory fitness
- helps us to maintain a healthier weight and decrease likelihood of developing obesity
- helps us to sleep better.
Mental health benefits can include:
- reduced levels of anxiety and depression
- reduced feelings of stress
- increased self-esteem.
Exercise can also provide you with social benefits, including:
- meeting new people and making friends
- having fun
- breaking down barriers to participation.
We have a range of activities you can get involved with to combat the feelings of stress, and to improve your overall wellbeing.
High energy activities
- HIIT
- Boxfit
- Circuits
- Spin.
When you do a high energy workout, you are increasing your heart rate, which in turn results in your body releasing endorphins. Endorphins are those feel good hormones, so by doing any of the above will no doubt give you that spring in your step and help you feel better both physically and mentally.
Yoga
A mind-body exercise, yoga is an excellent way to increase your physical and mental wellbeing. Focusing on strength, flexibility and breathing, yoga is widely practiced for health and relaxation.
Outdoor activities
Fresh air and an increase in oxygen to the brain can release feel good chemicals in the brain. A change of scenery can also help with obtaining a clear mind and prevent boredom. Join our running group to provide you with the outdoor feel good factor.
Team sports
Playing a team sport such as Football, Squash and Badminton and having fun with friends or colleagues in the process can be a great motivator and a good way to work up a sweat and release endorphins.
| Barrier |
Ways to overcome |
| Lack of time |
Plan your week in advance and identify suitable time slots to fit in with your schedule. Add walking or cycling into your work route or shopping trip. Go for a walk/jog on your lunch break. Do some exercises in front of the TV at home, do a few stair climbs at home before tea. |
| Too expensive |
A for staff and students at Hope Park Sports is a one-off yearly fee of £25, this includes fitness suite access, fitness classes, facility hire and joining in with the sport & fitness initiatives running throughout the year. |
| Lack of confidence/self-esteem |
Ask a friend to go along with you to your chosen activity until you feel comfortable, you never know your friend might enjoy it too! The more you do a certain activity the more your self-confidence and self-esteem will increase. Find a group that suits your needs and wants and if you can't why not try out an activity on your own, like or |
| Lack of energy or motivation |
Plan to do exercise on the days of the week where you are not as busy. If the beginning of the week is hectic you will have less energy so plan your exercise days for the end of the week. If you are a morning person carry out your exercise in the morning instead of waiting until the evening when your energy and motivation levels will have depleted. Tell yourself that you know exercise will make you feel good and boost your energy levels once completed. |
| I am not a sporty/active person |
Being physically active doesn't have to be about high level sport or intense exercise. You can build your activity levels up gradually and at your own pace. You can start off by walking, our Hope Park campus has lovely surroundings for you to take a brisk walk and enjoy the scenery. You might want to take up a low energy fitness class such as which will lift your mood too! |
Being active can provide you with many health benefits, however it is important to consider the risks too. Exercising should be carried out safely and responsibly, and it is you who needs to ensure this happens. Look after yourself when exercising and know your limits!
Before becoming a Sports Complex member, you will be asked to complete a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) which is a short health questionnaire, depending on your answers we may ask you to have a check-up with your GP to make sure you are healthy enough to carry out any physical activity.
Physical health conditions
Some physical health conditions can have an effect on what type and level of exercise you carry out, such as:
- high blood pressure
- heart conditions
- chest pains
- diabetes
- pregnancy
- an injury.
Before starting exercise with a known health condition you must seek advice from the appropriate professionals, usually your GP, to ensure it is safe for you to do so.
Medication
Some medications may carry the risk of side effects, if you are taking medication you should find out what the side effects of it is before exercising.
Anxiety or panic attacks
Anxiety and panic attacks can cause your mind and body to experience different feelings and sensations, when exercising you may find you experience the very same sensations and feelings - raised heart rate, dizziness/shakiness, breathlessness and raised body temperature.
What you can do:
- take it easy to begin with, this will allow your body to recognise the feelings that exercise brings
- pay attention to your breathing pattern, slow controlled breathes will reduce the risk of hyperventilating
- avoid exercising in areas that may trigger an attack - crowded areas such as gyms may be no good for you, opt for open spaces such as local parks.
Over-exercising/under-eating
Many people exercise for different reasons, a common fitness goal is to lose weight. When training for this goal you can run the risk of over exercising and under eating. A popular misconception is, by eating less and training harder = more weight loss. By doing this you will be putting your health at severe risk. Be sensible and make sure you keep your body fueled with good foods. If you find you hit a plateau but you are exercising a lot - you could be exercising too much and you should give your body more rest. Rest and good food will help your body to replenish and you will experience better fitness gains in the long-term.
Risks of over exercising and under eating:
- you could develop an eating disorder such as anorexia
- too much exercise can actually cause damage to your bones and joints
- exercising too much can destroy muscle mass, especially if you are not eating enough, your body will break down muscle to use it for energy.
Be sensible when exercising, if you need advice about your workouts you can speak to one of our Fitness Instructors who can advise you on appropriate Please note, our Fitness Instructors are not qualified to give you diet or nutrition advice.
Keep hydrated
Your body loses fluid during exercise in various forms, it is important to top them back up otherwise you will become dehydrated. If you experience dehydration you will tire more quickly and you will not perform your exercise as well.
It is vital to drink water not only during exercise but before and after too. Read more about staying hydrated.
Other tips
- make sure you do an appropriate warm up and cool down before and after exercising.
- listen to your body, it will give you signs that you might be exercising too hard or too much. A little muscle soreness the following day or two is a normal sign that your muscles are working, if you are in a lot of muscle pain you may need to reduce the intensity. To feel chest pain or dizziness is not a good sign and you should stop all exercise immediately and may need to contact your GP
