Move for your mental health

From getting out on the water to doing stretches at home, moving more is good for our mental health. Exercise releases ‘feel good’ hormones that reduce feelings of stress and anger. When coupled with time spent outdoors in nature and a strong social scene, sailing and watersports activities can be brilliant mood boosters.

This Mental Health Awareness Week we hear from Matt and Freya about their experiences with windsurfing, sailing and their own mental health.

Keeping active on the water

As a member of the British Sailing Team, Matt Barton is currently competing in the Olympic windfoiling class, the iQFoil. He says that keeping active through his windsurfing, as well as the added benefits of spending time outdoors and on the water helps him keep everything in perspective and cope with the pressures of his job.

“Sailing and windsurfing are excellent low impact activities that can have considerable benefits to your mental and physical health,” says Matt. “Windsurfing in particular is great for keeping fit because whilst you’re doing it you don’t realise how hard your body is working until a few hours later when you’re back on shore!

“For me there is nothing better than being outdoors. Windsurfing, specifically foiling, requires incredible focus and is great at distracting you from whatever problem you are currently facing.

“Using just the wind to power yourself across the water is a truly freeing experience and helps keep you in the moment. Following a session on the water, problems that felt significant are much more manageable due to a more positive outlook.”

Sailing to raise awareness

Freya Terry is a dinghy, keelboat, multihull, powerboat and jetski instructor, and has recently been honoured in the RYA Cymru Wales Impact Awards for her brilliant work at the Pembrokeshire Performance Sailing Academy (PPSA).

Having struggled academically and with anxiety, 21-year-old Freya enjoyed developing skills and confidence through sailing and gaining instructor qualifications, working with PPSA at weekends and during summer holidays.

She has more recently restored a yacht and renamed it Pink Delta, with a colour scheme to match! And now aims to complete a single-handed circumnavigation of Britain while raising awareness about mental health issues along the way.

“My own battles with mental health began when I was quite young, aged just 11, and continued through my teenage years,” said Freya. “While my journey hasn’t been easy, it has taught me invaluable lessons about the power of resilience and the importance of reaching out for support.

“I want to sail Pink Delta around Britain and Ireland to share my experiences and the things that have helped me, to reduce the shame and fear surrounding mental health issues and get people talking.”

Freya’s message for those who are struggling is one of hope: “I would say just hold on and reach out to people, as terrifying as that is, and keep reaching out. It might feel awful right now but if you can last five minutes, you can last another five minutes, and at some point it will get better than it is right now, and eventually it will be a lot better and you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.”

Moving for your mental health

Despite regular physical activity being known to improve mental health, quality of life and wellbeing, more than a third of UK adults do not meet the recommended amount of activity.

Kickstart your fitness and get ready for a new season on the water with top tips from ‘H’ Draper, physiotherapist for the British Sailing Team.

If you are struggling with your mental health, Mind has a range of information and support available.