Stand together, move together

One of the effects of the pandemic has been the way that families, friends and communities have come together to offer support to one another. And now, as children go back to school or nursery, it is perhaps the first real indication that life is returning to some kind of normality.

Yet this feeling of community and the willingness to help each other through challenging times need not stop. Buckinghamshire Council’s Active Communities programme was designed to embrace this feeling of togetherness as we all look to recover our health and wellbeing post-Covid.

The latest campaign in the Active Communities programme is designed to encourage friends, families and work colleagues to become a little more active together as part of their daily routine. Shared moments of activity could include having family members talk to each other whilst walking. This could extend to older people who would benefit from the company and activity. If you want to go for a walk, don’t do it alone. Always look for a friend, family member, neighbour or work colleague to join you. Make the family home active with everyone getting involved. From sharing house chores to just all standing up together when the TV ads come on, all this can help to reduce inactivity for all.

It is often hard to think about our physical wellbeing with so many demands on our time, but sitting less and moving more can add a huge amount of activity to our lives if it becomes part of our daily routine. What better way to do this than with the enjoyable company of our friends, family and colleagues at the same time.

Carl Jackson, Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Public Health) said: “The Stand Together, Move Together campaign is another example in our exciting Active Communities pilot to encourage people to look at their daily routines and see how they can stand and move a little more every day.  By encouraging communities to support each other, we are not only benefiting our general physical and mental health and wellbeing but we can maintain the connections that have been so important during the pandemic.”

To find out more about the Active Communities initiative and how to participate visit: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/activecommunities