Live Well

The Ultimate Guide to Health and Happiness” is a confident claim, and we hope we deliver with this jam-packed New Year, New You special magazine. We focus on your mental health, showing you how you can be the best version of yourself, with features on getting fit, healthy and happy. It’s not all workout regimes – thankfully, there are plenty of fun and easy ways to improve your fitness. You’ll quickly feel the benefits too, as getting moving automatically helps your mind tune into your body and lets you take the steps towards a more positive mental attitude. Getting fit is a real win-win! You’ll learn the latest options for healthy choices too, as our experts help you recognise what your body needs and also recommend new therapies, treatments and nutrition…

As the clock chimed midnight on New Year’s Eve and you ushered in 2020 with a glass of fizz, chances are you made a new year’s resolution. You might have decided to start your own venture, run a marathon, go for that promotion, work on improving your wellbeing or start saving up to buy something special. But once the festivities have faded into the grey days of January it’s easy to lose motivation and momentum. So what’s the secret to succeeding this time? There is an intelligence that we all have, and for most of us it’s untapped – Physical Intelligence. This year, it may just may be the answer to sticking to those resolutions. Physical Intelligence unlocks the path to improving our endurance, resilience, inner strength and adaptability, so that…

1 Sit or stand quietly, close your eyes and breathe. 2 Let your goal come to mind and begin to picture exactly what achieving this 3 Let the visualisation develop so the picture is highly defined, with vivid colours and textures. Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you talking to? What are others doing and saying? Hear the sounds, smells and tastes as if you were really there. 4 Having imagined this moment exactly, allow yourself to feel the positive emotions it generates, the sense of achievement, happiness, relief, contentment, euphoria and so on. 5 Then visualise other people benefitting. What impact will your achievement have on your family, your community, your team, your organisation, your country, the world? 6 Open your eyes. 7 Draw yourself a timeline from left to right on…

Try this exercise to celebrate when you reach a milestone on the way to achieving your goal. It takes about 30 seconds and you should really sense the feelgood chemistry surge through you. 1 Think of a recent achievement, even if it’s a small win 2 Put your arms in the air and stand with your legs apart in a winner pose (like a starfish!). 3 Walk around the room, doing your own private lap of honour 4 Allow yourself to feel happy, proud, elated and good about your achievement 5 Continue to celebrate your success for 24 hours – congratulate yourself, enjoy the feeling, share the joy with friends, family and colleagues – then move into analysis and preparation for the next milestone.…

We’re all now more aware that regular exercise is as important for our mental wellbeing as it is for our physical health. Regardless of age or fitness level, studies show that making time for exercise provides us with significant mental health benefits. While making time isn’t always easy in our busy lives, a deeper understanding of the benefits of regular exercise can help motivate us to develop a routine. When we exercise we stimulate certain areas in our brain, which releases chemicals that affect how we feel. These effects can last for several hours after a workout, and noticeable improvements in our mood can be seen after as little as 10 to 20 minutes of physical activity. You may well have heard about the ‘runner’s high’. Physical activity improves blood flow…

ENJOY THE OUTDOORS For an extra mood boost take your workout outside. Being surrounded by nature, and switching off from electronics and social media, is a perfect way to de-stress. Plus, the extra vitamin D from the sun can reduce depressive symptoms too. GET SOCIAL Another bonus is that exercise can be a great way to build up a social network. Taking a gym class or joining a sports group or running club are all good ways to meet people and build friendships. Going for a walk with a family member is an ideal time to catch up. Planning exercise meet-ups or classes can keep you motivated. Studies show that people generally perform better on aerobic exercises when paired with a friend. TACKLE ANXIETY If you’re feeling anxious take yourself for a quick run. Studies…