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Physical activity and your mental health

Information about how physical activity can help your mental health, and tips for choosing an activity that works for you, and how to overcome anything that might stop you from becoming more active.

Useful contacts 

Mind's services

  • Helplines – our Infolines provide information and support by phone, email and text.
  • Local Minds – provide face-to-face services across England and Wales. These might be talking therapies, peer support and advocacy.
  • Elefriends – our supportive online community for anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Other organisations

Active Partnerships

activepartnerships.org
A network of 43 local organisations across England that support sport and physical activity opportunities for participants, coaches and volunteers. Has a search tool to find your nearest partnership, with opportunities to be active in your local area.

Activity Alliance

activityalliance.org.uk
Supports disabled people to become more active. Provides information about how to start, where to find inclusive programmes and gyms, and personal stories about getting more active with a disability.

Be Inspired

beinspireduk.org/play
Guides on how to get started with a range of different sports, including how to find a local organisation and clubs, as well as ideas for exercising on a budget, and with a disability.

Carry on Gardening

carryongardening.org.uk
Help for anyone with a disability to start or continue gardening.

Disability Sports Wales

disabilitysportwales.com
Provides a search function to help you find organisations and classes in Wales offering inclusive activities for people with disabilities, including behavioural and learning difficulties.

Get Set to Go

getsettogo.mind.org.uk
Mind programme that supports people with mental health problems to take up sport or physical activity in England.

Let's Walk Cymru

sport.wales/community-sport/adults/let%27s-walk-cymru
Lists local walks in Wales.

National Trust

nationaltrust.org.uk
Lists walks and open gardens, parks and estates that you can visit.

NHS Live Well

nhs.uk/livewell
Advice, tips and tools to help with health and wellbeing.

Parkrun

parkrun.org.uk
Organises free, weekly, 5km timed runs across the UK.

Ramblers

ramblers.org.uk
Charity whose goal is to protect people’s ability to enjoy being outdoors on foot.

Run Together

runtogether.co.uk/groups
A directory of running groups across the UK. Supports mental health via a network of Mental Health Champions and #runandtalk events.

Social Farms & Gardens

farmgarden.org.uk
Information on care farming and community growing projects, including a network of local farms.

Sustrans

sustrans.org.uk
Provides information about taking up cycling, including information about cycle safety, and ideas and maps for local rides.

Swimming.org

swimming.org
Has a search tool to find your local swimming pool, information about adult swim classes and water-based sports, as well as pool exercises you can do on your own.

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)

tcv.org.uk
Runs a network of Green Gyms across the UK.

The Wildlife Trusts

wildlifetrusts.org
Organisation made up of local membership groups which care for nature sites.

This Girl Can

thisgirlcan.co.uk/activities
Ideas to help anyone who identifies as female become more active, providing information about a wide range of sports and other activities, including ways to add more activity in your day-to-day life.

Walking for Health

walkingforhealth.org.uk
Supports a network of walking groups across England.

Woodland Trust

woodlandtrust.org.uk
Protects trees and forests in the UK.

This information was published in March 2019. We will revise it in 2022.

References are available on request. If you would like to reproduce any of this information, see our page on permissions and licensing.

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