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It’s tough balancing our wellbeing on top of our on top of all our other responsibilities - so even when school’s out, how can you stay motivated to move about?

While it’s tempting to lie down and stick to screens in our rest time, exercise can actually be a more effective way to relax and improve our mental health. Joe Wicks, MBE - also known as social media fitness star The Body Coach - shares his top tips for staying active.

The Body Coach’s bite-sized tips to keep fit

How can you keep active during the summer holidays?

“You’re lucky with the summer holidays because the weather’s obviously warmer,” says Joe. He suggests finding activities to do with friends to stay inspired to move. Even if you’re not exercising together, meeting in person gives you a change of scenery and a reason to move about a bit more. Think about gathering in a park or at a friend’s house rather than communicating through phones all day.

If you’re not a fan of sports at school, Joe recommends finding one you love outside of it to motivate you. There are plenty of sports, such as indoor climbing or jogging, that you can do solo or in a group.

“Keep active,” Joe emphasises. “It’s very easy with no school to probably double your screen time… the less time you’re on your phone, the happier you’re gonna be.”

It’s true - while social media is a great way to connect, spending too much time on screens can add to anxiety, whereas exercise can help reduce it.

How can you keep active if you’re low on time?

Juggling revision, relationships, and all the things life throws at you can certainly be overwhelming. But Joe says the stressful, busy times are when you need exercise more than ever:

“Use it to release that stress and that anxiety you’re feeling,” he says.

Aim to find five-to-ten minutes a day to fit in a home workout, or get some fresh air outdoors. Keep challenging the mindset of having ‘no time’, as even a small amount of movement can significantly improve your mood and even help you perform better in your studies.

As Joe says, “If you’re studying, all the information you want to retain will actually stay around a lot longer if you’re keeping active.”

You can hear more from Joe and learn about the link between physical and mental health as part of the ����ý's Mental Wellbeing season.

This article was published in May 2024