Wellbeing and Fitness

Ramblers Wellbeing Walks

Ramblers Wellbeing Walks in Cumbria are co-ordinated by Active Cumbria and supported by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. 

Visit the Active Cumbria website

Parkrun

Parkrun is a free, 5k event that takes place every Saturday morning 9am, year-round (even Christmas Day!) across the globe. Local Parkrun's are at Chances Park, Morton, Carlisle, CA2 6JP and at Talkin Tarn, Brampton, CA8 1HN. Each parkrun is coordinated entirely by local volunteers and they are accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

There is also a 2k junior parkrun for 4 to 14 year-olds and their families on Sunday mornings.

Visit the Parkrun website

Couch to 5K

Taking up running can seem like a scary prospect, especially if you feel out of shape or unfit.

NHS Couch to 5K will help you gradually work up towards running 5K in just 9 weeks.

Visit the Couch to 5K website

Strength Exercises

Strength exercises like these can be done at home to improve your health and mobility.

Do not worry if you have not done much for a while – these strength exercises are gentle and easy to follow.

Visit the NHS website

Drink Less

There are lots of reasons you might want to take a look at your drinking habits, and you don’t have to be drinking every day for it to be an issue. Whatever your reason is, changing your drinking habits can have a big impact on everything from your relationships to how well you sleep. It can be hard to take that first step, but making changes can help you to be happier and healthier.

Have a think about the goal you want to achieve. Quitting alcohol completely can seem like a big step, but it could be the change of direction you need. Cutting down your drinking is also a positive goal, and it can even be the first step to quitting entirely.

If you’re ready to address your drinking, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. It’s much easier to make positive changes when you’ve got help and support from other people.

The NHS Better Health website has lots of beneficial information including tips for cutting down on alcohol, helpful apps you can download and a long list of benefits.

Visit the NHS Drink Less website

Drinking Check

The Drinking Check is a free, confidential tool which requires you to answer up to 10 short questions on your drinking habits and behaviour to understand your level of risk from drinking alcohol. You’ll receive a personalised summary showing your level of risk, alongside practical tips and support options tailored to your results.

Visit the DrinkAware website

Eat Well

Eating a healthy balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t just about what you eat – it’s also about how much you eat. We’re all individuals with different needs but for healthy adults the range of different foods we need is pretty much the same for all of us. However, the amount of food we need, varies from person to person.

Knowing what a single portion of food actually looks like can be tricky. That’s why The British Heart Foundation have created an interactive portion size guide that shows you photos of what single portions of different types of food actually look like, to make serving the right portions easier.

It’s important to eat the right amount of food. If your portion sizes are too big, your weight and your blood glucose control will be harder to manage. It will also stop or slow down weight-loss, which is often part of managing diabetes.

You should eat a variety of food from different food groups to make sure you get all the nutrients you need. And eat a number of portions from each food group every day. Most of us still are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. They should make up over a third of the food we eat each day. Aim to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day. Choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. 

Visit the NHS Eat Well website