Exercise Right Week
Chatterbox
Encouraging all Australians to prioritise their mental health
For Exercise Right Week this year, we dare you to take the Chatterbox Challenge!
What is Exercise Right Week?
The brainchild of Exercise Sports Science Australia (ESSA), Exercise Right Week is an annual awareness campaign held in May every year. The campaign aims to highlight the benefits of exercise for health and wellbeing, with this year’s theme being ‘Exercise for the Right Reasons’.
And what’s all this about a chatterbox?
As passionate advocates of the benefits of exercise for both physical and mental health, and industry leaders in improving mental health outcomes, we are keen to support this great initiative. And this year, we’ve decided to really hit the ground running (pun intended) with a campaign of our own. A campaign that encourages EVERYONE to exercise, discuss their mental health, and have fun in the process by ‘thinking outside the chatterbox’. Appropriate for all ages, you can use our nifty chatterbox with your family, friends and colleagues – just make sure to get your trainers on first!
Keep scrolling to get your own chatterbox, have some fun, and maybe even win.
How to play
- Get your chatterbox, follow the instructions to cut and fold it
- Get at least one other person to play along
- One person holds the chatterbox with both hands, the other person has a turn!
- How are you feeling today? Choose the emoticon that you most relate to today
- Referring to the number next to the emoticon, the person holding the chatterbox will then open and close it that many times. Make sure they use both hands!
- Pick a number from 1 to 4, then open and close the chatterbox that many times
- Now choose a benefit of exercise on your mental health
- TAKE THE CHATTERBOX CHALLENGE!
Get ready…
- How are you feeling today?
- How does exercise benefit your mental health?
- Go for it!
By regularly performing the 8 exercises shown in the Chatterbox Challenge, you can gain strength and mobility to help you perform everyday tasks (…and not so everyday tasks!). See below to find out what functional tasks the exercises can relate to.
Single Leg Balance
Push-ups
Star Jumps
Lunges
Burpees
Plank
Wall Sit
Squats
FREE Mental Health Exercise Guidebook
The Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation Mental Health & Exercise Guidebook is holistic in nature and provides enhanced understanding of the sometimes complex and multidimensional nature of what happens in our bodies when we exercise – both on a psychological and physical level, and more importantly, how the mind and the body interact to contribute to our overall health.
Your brain loves physical exercise
Under-utilisation of exercise
A recent study found that only 1.6% of referrals to an Exercise Physiologist were made for mental illness, such as depression, despite depression being the fifth most prevalent condition amongst individuals sampled.
Benefits of exercise
People who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional wellbeing, and lower rates of mental illness.
What is an EP?
An Exercise Physiologist (EP) is described as a “university qualified allied health professional equipped with the knowledge and competencies to design, deliver and evaluate safe and effective exercise interventions for people with acute, subacute and chronical medical conditions, injuries or disabilities”
Setting goals to engage in physical activity
Firstly, consider what stage of behavioural change you are currently at, as this will shape your goal setting approach.
Maintenance stage – Engaging in exercise and meaningful activity >3 months = SMART goal.
Action stage – Currently engaging in regular activity for <3 months = SMART goal.
Preparation stage – Poor confidence in new environments, but motivated to start = Stepped or SMART goal.
Contemplation stage – Not physically active & unsure whether to start = Stepped goal.
Pre-contemplation stage – Poor exercise history and no intention to commence in near future = Stepped goal
