We are launching Wellness Week 2020 on Monday 23rd March to tie in with World Well-Being Week. The challenge is a week-long event with a different activity every day linking to overall wellness – be it healthy eating, exercise, or mental health.

We have also created a gratitude journal for you to have a read of and complete throughout the week; it would be great for you to share your thoughts and experiences with us! With so many of us being stuck indoors is not ideal at the moment, so this has come at a perfect time.

 

The activity schedule is as follows:

  • Monday: make sure you drink your 2 litres of water throughout the day
    • Drinking water is proven to:
      • Boost energy and mood
      • Prevent headaches
      • Help you lose weight
      • Aid circulation
      • Improve skin complexion
      • Help your immune system
    • Tuesday: eat your 5-a-day today
      • A typical portion of fruit or veg is around 80g, or:
        •  Fresh or Tinned Fruit: 2 plums, 2 satsumas, 2 kiwi fruit, 3 apricots, 6 lychees, 7 strawberries or 14 cherries; 1 apple, banana, pear, orange or nectarine; half a grapefruit, 1 slice of papaya, 1 slice of melon (5cm slice), 1 large slice of pineapple or 2 slices of mango (5cm slices).
        • Dried Fruit: a typical portion is 30g, or 1 heaped tablespoon of raisins, currants or sultanas, 1 tablespoon of mixed fruit, 2 figs, 3 prunes or 1 handful of dried banana chips. These can be high in sugar though, so watch out!
        • Fresh or Tinned Vegetables: 2 broccoli spears or 4 heaped tablespoons of cooked kale, spinach, spring greens or green beans; 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables, such as carrots, peas or sweetcorn, or 8 cauliflower florets; 1.5 full-length celery sticks, a 5cm piece of cucumber, 1 medium tomato or 7 cherry tomatoes.
        • Beans and Pulses: 3 heaped tablespoons of baked beans, haricot beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, butter beans or chickpeas. These count as a maximum one of your 5 a day.
        • Potatoes: these unfortunately don’t count unless they are sweet potatoes!
        • Juices and Smoothies: 150ml counts as a maximum one of your 5 a day. These can be sugary too, so watch out.
    • Wednesday: 10 Minute Yoga
      • Follow this link to a simple at-home yoga video! bit.ly/2wsAUUs
      • Yoga is great for:
        • Increasing physical activity in strength, flexibility and balance
        • Lowering blood pressure
        • Helping aches and pains, especially muscular
        • Improving mental health and mood
        • Strengthens lower body
    • Thursday: paint, draw or craft something – anything!
      • This could be:
        • Paint, pencil, pen, colours – any material!
        • A self-portrait
        • A picture of a pet
        • Make a card
        • A colouring activity like you get in adult colouring books
        • Calligraphy
    • Friday: Leslie Sansome 1-Mile Walk
      • Follow this link for a simple do-at-home aerobic workout: bit.ly/2WuWWAY
      • Aerobic exercise is proven to:
        • Improve cardiovascular health
        • Lower blood pressure
        • Regulate blood sugar
        • Increase metabolism
        • Aids sleep
        • Helps with weight loss
        • Strengthens immune system
        • Improves brain power and cognitive function
        • Boosts mood

    The added info above hopefully helps to add some context to why we’ve chosen these activities, and we hope the range makes there something for everyone!

    We think Wellness Week is a great way to promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing, with ideas to take forward longer-term.

    Have fun and remember to share your journals with us!

    Team Showcase