A Mile a Day keeps the doctor away
We’ve heard of the well-known saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but what about a mile? You may already know about the Daily Mile initiative but it is true – it’s healthy and it works!
Exercise has many health benefits, physical and mental, however, very often we end up putting it off or postponing it indefinitely. As well as helping to maintain your weight, it also improves bones, muscles, joints and is a great stress reliever too.
Walking, running or jogging a mile a day will take less than 20 minutes! So, if you can manage taking the time each day, you will feel great. You could even go for a cycle on your bike if you prefer.
Awareness of the importance of health and fitness is increasing more and more as time goes on and lately, there have been a lot of programmes and movements that encourage people to go out every day and endorse physical activity.
Working from home? You could take a 15 minute break and go for a run around your local neighbourhood. In the office? Take 20 minutes to stretch your legs away from your desk and go for a walk outside.
The best part is it’s easy for children to be included too. Parents, teachers and schools in general, should all encourage youngsters to take part in a daily mile. Thousands of schools are already doing so! Not only does it make for a fun activity to do whilst walking to school or playing in the playground – 15 minutes of exercise has been proven to benefit children’s cognition and wellbeing.
The Daily Mile Foundation lists several positive impacts for children completing the daily mile. From improving fitness, reducing body fat and increasing leg strength – to improving alertness, mood and verbal memory. It allows children to return to the classroom with a more focussed mind and better concentration. What’s more, it helps to achieve a third of WHO’s recommended daily physical activity target for kids.
Our Mile a Day playground marking is perfect for making this accessible to students in any school or nursery. We can measure how many laps of your playground make up a mile, so that pupils can be encouraged to make their first steps.
Whether you’re an adult or a child, your body and mind will thank you for making this daily activity a habit. Though, remember to eat the apple too and double the chances of keeping the doctor away!
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