European Public Health Week 2023

If you've managed to find this page- a warm welcome to you! 

My name is Laura and I am a physical activity practitioner. I am passionate about health-enhancing physical activity and leading opportunities for healthy movement and stress reduction to underserved communities and for children, and advocating for these communities to have PA interventions for improved accessibility to this essential domain of public health.

Join us for a short movement break in this yoga flow session. It's a bit faster-paced and under 30 minutes. 

We will move to enhance circulation, elevate heart rate, and support muscular and skeletal health through isometric holds and balance/stability work. We will end with a relaxing mindfulness-based meditation. It should leave you refreshed and ready to explore more offerings of EPHW 2023. All you need is a mat.

Physical exercise is a pillar in chronic disease prevention efforts. There is irrefutable evidence reporting the salubrious benefits of physical exercise for chronic disease prevention and most, if not all of you, are well aware.  

Physical exercise also supports our brain health, and scientific literature suggests that daily physical exercise which elevates the heart rate, supports cognitive functioning in children all the way to older adults. Furthermore, physical exercise which is performed in a green environment, thus "green exercise", is gaining traction for its benefits to psychological health and the immune system functioning, and for bolstering general feelings of well-being. 

For children, access to unstructured play in green spaces is advantageous for their social and emotional health, immune system functioning, overall well-being, and ingraining early connections to natural environments. 

Daily physical exercise is a multifaceted health protector, including green exercise. Everyone should have a right to this with the ability and knowledge to partake in health-enhancing physical activity across the age spectrum, from small children to older persons, no matter the socioeconomic background.

Green spaces are vital for human health, and communities should be aware of this and have the accessibilty to enjoy recreation in safe, good quality green spaces.

Thank you for reading and enjoy the yoga flow.