On World Mental Health Day, let’s remember a key reason for encouraging walking and cycling

We get a lot of positive stories from BetterPoints users. Maybe they have lost weight by walking, wheeling or cycling, or discovered local treasures, or saved money that would otherwise have paid for petrol, or even fallen in love with their partner all over again. Almost always, though, they add something along the lines of ‘it’s been great for my mental wellbeing too’.

It can be an indirect consequence of doing something active, and it can be a surprise to people. We know in theory that exercise is good for us mentally, but often it doesn’t really strike home until we actually experience it.

Physical activity boosts our energy by improving the blood flow throughout the body, particularly to the muscles and brain. It reduces stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins into our bodies, and can help lower the risk of clinical depression.

Getting out and about more can increase opportunities for social interaction, by walking or cycling with friends or simply by bumping into people, and itself is an important aspect of wellbeing.

And for those that are able to spend time some of their outdoor time in nature, doing so can ease anxiety and depression.

But mental wellbeing may not be a strong enough motivator by itself, particularly if going outside is the last thing someone feels like doing. They need support to start activities that may help make them feel better.

Social prescriptions can help, where health professionals prescribe physical activity, as can rewards and encouragement delivered through mobile devices. In fact, put the two together and you get the combination of full-time encouragement and a real person supporting and managing the process.

John was recommended South Lanarkshire’s Think, Move, Breathe programme by his psychiatrist, and tells us he now is now motivated to get out of the house:

‘I had a very scary turn, mentally. I have been prescribed new medications as well as therapy, my mental health was severely struggling.

‘My psychiatrist mentioned BetterPoints and since then it’s given me a reason to go out each day.’

Helena is a mental health practitioner and joined the BetterPoints Bucks programme to see if it could help her clients:

‘I decided to try it out myself first, and now feel confident to recommend it to others.

‘The messages that pop up give me a real boost. I like that the app provides recognition for the activity I have done.

‘It feels like a pat on the back, and to be earning points add that extra incentive to keep up the good habits.’

Such combined interventions can help people prioritise physical activity and find the time to do it, and help them to choose activities that are a good fit for them, and set them achievable goals.

They can provide appropriate, consistent encouragement, and enable progress at a pace that is right for the individual and can become a natural part of their daily life.

So, on this World Mental Health Day, at a time when some of the rhetoric in the UK is about encouraging people back into cars, let’s take a moment to reflect on just what people can gain from walking and cycling more – and how we can help them do that.