Sports Tours Getting Back to Nature – Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

This week, 10^th – 16^th May 2021, is Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK. A time to reflect. To check in on ourselves, our own wellbeing and that of those around us. The theme for this year’s mental health awareness week is nature.

Throughout the last 12 months, especially during the periods of lockdown, escaping into nature has proved invaluable to people up and down the country. 45% of people reported that spending time in green spaces was vital for their mental health. Even interest in nature television programmes and websites showing photos and videos of nature flew through the roof, demonstrating our innate pull towards the natural world.

Scientific research has shown time and time again that Nature is vital to our psychological and emotional health. It is only in recent generations that people have become more and more disconnected from the world around us. Now, we think, it is time to get active and get back outside!

Reconnecting regularly with nature has been found to benefit us in many ways;

• Improving mood
• Reduces feelings of stress and anger
• Helps you get some time out
• Increased feelings of relaxation
• Improves your physical health
• improves your confidence
• Is part of a more active lifestyle
• Helps you make new connections both with nature and by meeting new people

The mental health benefits of an active lifestyle are also well documented.

Regular exercise can help with

• Better sleep – making you more tired by the end of the day and helping you get better quality sleep.
• Mood boosting hormones – exercise releases hormones called endorphins that reduce feelings of pain and anxiety and also trigger positive feelings in the body similar to those caused by morphine.
• Managing stress and anxiety- physical activity releases cortisol, a hormone that helps us deal with stress. Exercise also gives the brain something to focus on, so can be a helpful tool for managing troubling or intrusive thoughts.
• Better confidence and self esteem – reaching goals and seeing positive changes in ourselves can help us feel better about ourselves and boost our self esteem.
• Reducing the risk of depression – people who exercise regularly have been shown to be less at risk of prolonged periods of depression than those who are inactive.
• Keeping you connected- through exercise you can meet new, like minded people and make friends.

Here at Sports Tours International we’re passionate about getting out and getting active. we asked the team this week about their go to Nature Escapes and what it means to them to get out and active in the great outdoors.

Here’s what they had to say…

Natasha Haggart, Head of Marketing, Sports Tours International 

I feel privileged to be able to live near a beach in Formby, Liverpool, and this is the place I go to when I need to clear my head and get outside in the open air. Near to the beach is also a red squirrel reserve where I often take my two young children out for walks at the weekend.

As a busy working mum of two, it can be sometimes difficult to ensure that I am getting enough exercise, but it is something I prioritise. Whether that’s training with a PT once a week, doing a HIIT workout first thing in the morning (before my family are awake and the madness starts!), or getting out to get my steps in. Sometimes I go to the beach, just to watch and listen to the sea, it can be immediately calming and allows me some much needed time to myself.

Kevin Harmer, Head of Foundation Operations, Running Bee Foundation

For me, it’s all about our garden. It’s my haven.  I often have a wander outside, pull up a few weeds, chat to the neighbours, or play with the boys and our new puppy. It really helps to clear the mind, burn a few calories when digging/mowing etc, and all of the work I do in the garden ultimately add’s value of the property when we come to sell it. I love the sense of achievement and being able to see all the progress I’ve made.

During the pandemic, we spent many hours outside – I even watch Gardeners World on Friday nights, BBC 2!

Si Teasdale, Director of Operations, Sports Tours International

I spend as much time as possible out in nature. Living where I do, close to Saddleworth Moor, makes it easy for me to get out and get away from it all.

Time up in the hills, wild places or the ocean are massively important for me to relax and unwind. For me It’s the feeling on insignificance and as such the calmness that brings….

Tom Moorehead, IT Manager

Walking along the Leeds-Liverpool canal path, on a pleasant summer’s day, is the perfect escape for me.  Quiet, relaxing, and relatively people-free!  The sound of the birds singing and the ripples of the water.  I never feel more “at one” with the world than I do while amid nature.

Steve Clancy, Sales Executive, Sports Tours International

I personally love getting out and about in the countryside for walks. More recently I have secured a small allotment which is now my go to ‘escape’ place. The time myself and my wife spend outdoors and down on the allotment is great for taking time out away from the hustle and bustle of work and full-on family life. We can relax and forget our day to day stresses.  The hard work on the allotment is also great for keeping us physically fit.

Rebecca Wallace, Marketing and Communications Manager

To me, being in nature is about taking time for myself, which, this year, has been very much needed. Whether I’m climbing a mountain or running around a lake, I enjoy the time to breathe and take in the different views whilst challenging myself and keeping active.

Lewis Trice, Digital Marketing Executive

Living in Lancashire, I’m blessed with lots of scenic routes on my doorstep. My favourite spot to connect with nature is walking the back route heading towards Clowbridge Reservoir and looking down at the valley over Goodshaw and Crawshawbooth. If I time it right, I can watch the sun as it goes down over the valley. It’s a great view. It’s somewhere that just makes me feel happier no matter what my mood is.

Claire Dyson, Director of Sales & Reservations for Club La Santa UK and Ireland

Most weekends, I try to get out on a walk or hike with the family. It’s amazing how much there is to see, do, and explore even on our own doorstep. Walking has been great for keeping us active and giving us some much-needed family relaxation time throughout the last 12 months!

Megan Powell, Content Editor

I’m really lucky, where I live, to have a network of trails (former rail lines), woodland, and canal paths on my doorstep. Each morning I really look forward to my walk up to work through the woods. It gives me the time and headspace I need to prepare for each day. However, the one thing I’ve always said Manchester really lacks is a coastline. My favourite place to escape into nature is the Cornish coast. The pace of life is so different down there, and being close to the ocean, watching the waves as they crash against the harbour wall at Porthleven, or seeing the light dancing on the water, as the sun sets over Botallack; this is when I feel most at peace.

Simon Davies, Product Executive – Cycling

As a keen runner and cyclist, i love the freedom of being outdoors in nature. Having grown up in the city, I never truly appreciated nature when I was younger. This past year has made me appreciate all the wonderful scenery around me, and the fact that I don’t have to fly overseas to be able to appreciate incredible views. A year without events has also left me longing for the buzz of the crowd and racing. Getting back out, locally, at the Tatton Park 10k was brilliant!

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge

Later this year, the Running Bee Foundation, the Sports Tour International supported charity, who through their events champion health and wellbeing initiatives, promote the benefits of an active lifestyle, and are continuing in the fight to reduce childhood obesity, are hosting their first ever Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge.

This 24-mile hike, over 3 of the countries best known mountain peaks, is the perfect challenge for individuals, or for teams looking for a fun and active team building day out after a challenging year. Several members of the Sports Tours International Team will be taking part on the day. What better way is there to reconnect with nature this spring?

For more information, please see the Official Event Page…

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