Physical health

Young woman exercising

Keep active, stay well

iCycle

Move Imperial and the Payroll department have joined forces and together bring College staff an interest-free cycle loan. Staff are entitled to borrow up to £2,000 to purchase a new bike.
Find out the benefits of Cycle to Work scheme and how it works.

MoveCast

MoveCast brings together experts from across the Move Imperial teams to discuss some of the most pressing topics around keeping fit, wellbeing and physical activity. Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

What can I do to improve my physical health?

Being active regularly has countless benefits for our physical and mental health.

Good physical health can be seen simply as our body functioning at its peak performance.

Furthermore physical activity enriches our concentration, allowing improved performance at work and enhances that special feel-good factor increasing happiness and energy levels.

  • Exercise. The body needs to be physically active. We must take time out of the day to exercise to keep our body healthy.
  • Eat healthily. Diet is hugely important in fuelling our body. We need to eat regularly and we need to eat nutritiously. Being careful what we eat by avoiding sugars and fatty foods that make it harder for our body to function optimally.
  • Rest. This helps our body recover after hard work, heavy exertion and during difficult times. It is a highly important aspect of physical activity which allows your body to recuperate to grow stronger. Without this excessive demands can lead to burnout. 
  • Hygiene. Good personal hygiene helps protect against illness and infection and definitely makes you a nicer person to be around!
  • Wellbeing. Negative emotions and extreme stress can tire our body and makes it easier to catch an illness. Staying emotionally well keeps us in peak condition.
  • Avoid smoking, alcohol and recreational drugs or substances. 

Move Imperial leads several fun and engaging programmes

MoveMore

man woeking outMoveMore is our campaign to help you try out, rediscover or increase the amount of physical activity in your life.
Through the range of projects and programmes you can get involved with, we're here to help you become more active, healthy and happy. Learn more about the individual components of MoveMore on our website

Active lifestyle team

woman working outThe active lifestyle team organise a range of activities that prioritise fun and fitness over competition to make sure that sport is no barrier to anyone who wants to stay in shape. 

The active lifestyle team offers free classes such as Zumba, Boxing, Les Mills and outdoor fitness sessions, free health assessment and advice on exercise programs, nutritional advice, personal training and postural assessments.

30 minutes of physical activity

student cyclingExercise isn’t always about lifting the heaviest weight or training to run marathons. It is important to remember that exercise can be a simple activity that gets the heart beating a little faster, increases our body temperature and quickens the breathing. Therefore our 30 minutes of physical activity can be accumulated through a variety of activities, for example:

  • Housework – hoovering, dusting etc.
  • DIY – painting etc.
  • Gardening – mowing the grass, sowing the lawn
  • Active commuting – cycling, walking, rollerblading and skateboarding
  • Everyday activities – walking the dog, walking to and from the station instead of catching a bus, or even getting off the bus or tube a stop earlier
  • Sports – Football, basketball, rugby, tennis
  • Exercise – dance, aerobics, spinning, swimming, weights, yoga or pilates

Health benefits

people stretchingThese activities, when performed for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time (to ensure we are getting health benefits from the activity), will provide a range of health benefits, including:

  • Improved heart and lung function – the transport of oxygen around the body
  • Improved blood pressure
  • Improved balance, muscle strength and flexibility
  • Good core stability which can prevent and manage lower back injuries
  • Elevated mood, through the release of endorphins
  • Helps improve sleep
  • Help weight management, when combined with a healthy diet
  • It helps manage stress levels
  • Can be a treatment and recovery from mild/moderate depression and anxiety

Overall, physical activity can improve health and reduce the risk of developing a range of diseases, including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Exercise can have instant and long-term health benefits. Moreover, it can improve your quality of life.

External resources