Change4Life

Everybody Sport and Recreation are supporting this years Change4Life campaign.

Change4Life aims to ensure parents have the essential support and tools they need to make healthier choices for their families.

We know that modern life can mean we are a lot busier, less active, and more reliant on convenience and fast food than we used to be.

Change4Life 2021 is focusing on a range of different themes and Everybody are here to support our school partners.

Our Everybody Healthy team have worked on some fantastic recipe’s perfect for the whole family! Have a try of some of our quick and easy meals with the family.

We love this one, our Thai Green Curry! This delicious Asian dish is packed with vitamins and is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. This one is great for when you’re on the go, but still want to cook something healthy in the evening!

Fancy something a bit more Italian for the family? We’ve got you covered! Try our Homemade Pizza recipe. A fabulous opportunity to get the kids involved in cooking their food, let them decorate their pizza and sneak lots of vegetables to get their 5 a day!

Looking for an alternative for your Friday Night Takeaway? Give our Sweet and Sour Chicken a go, giving you everything you need to satisfy your Chinese takeaway, packed with protein and vitamins it’s the perfect replacement!

Mental health and wellbeing is so important and here at Everybody we value it just as much as your physical health. It’s vital that people of all ages understand how to look after their mental health! Everybody are dedicated to providing support to all of our members.

Take a look at our video from the fantastic Dan, our Master Aquatic Lead, as he discusses the benefits of swimming, and how it can relieve stress. We have a range of family swim sessions available and all children who take part in our swimming lessons and pay via direct debit with us get access to free swimming!

Have a read of some of our top tips for relaxation and meditation from our fabulous Level 2 Reiki practitioner and Guided Meditation Teacher Jade:

Meditation can take lots of different forms for different people and can be practiced in many different ways. People who practice meditation and mindfulness say it helps to cope with stress and anxiety and generally lead a more positive and fulfilled life.

Here are 5 top tips to get you started on your meditation journey:

1. Start small and work your way up – we all value our time and is often the one barrier to starting a meditation journey. Try dedicating just 5- 10 minutes a day to take time out for you and to sit quietly or listen to a guided meditation session. You will soon find you want to spend more time doing this and can work up to 30-60 minutes!
2. Reduce distractions – try and choose a place to meditate that feels calming and is relatively free of distractions. Outside traffic or the odd noise from your household is normal and you will learn to welcome those and let them go
3. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself – a misconception is that you have to sit for long periods of time and think of nothing, this takes a lot of practice and is unrealistic to begin with. Try just noticing your thoughts and letting them go.
4. Breathing exercises – breathing exercises can be a great way to deal with stress, anxiety and also support your meditation. They can also be used at any time of day when you may be feeling under pressure to relieve tension. A quick google search will give you lots of breathing techniques to try or speak to a professional meditation practitioner for advice.
5. Try something new – some forms of relaxation and meditation suit people more than others for example, mindfulness, guided meditation, breath work, sound therapy, reiki, yoga  – if you are finding a particular practice isn’t working for you, it’s okay – try something new!

Adding Aromatherapy into your daily routine:

Aromatherapy oils can be a great way to creating a relaxing and calming space in your home, this can aid your meditation routine, create a positive boost to start to your day or give you the relaxation you need to have a great nights sleep! Choosing an aromatherapy oil is very much a personal preference so it is best to smell as many as you can, and really recognise how that scent makes you feel.

Here are FIVE ways in which you can use aromatherapy oils throughout your daily routine:

1. Drops in your shower – the steam from the shower will radiate the oils and create a truly amazing spa feel to your bathroom!
2. Oil diffuser in your home/work desk – aromatherapy can support a positive mood and therefore improve focus, creativity and productivity.
3. During meditation / reiki practice – aromatherapy can enhance your meditation practice to set a calming environment for your mind, body and soul
4. In your bath – similar to your shower experience, if you are easing aching muscles a few drops of oils in your bath can lift or calm your mood. (Be careful of using oils around young children in case of swallowing of the water.)
5. At night before bedtime  – oil diffuser / oil burner / scented pillow – just like getting into bed with fresh bedding on, the aromas can help us to fall to sleep or creating calming atmospheres whilst reading.

Here are FIVE popular aromatherapy scents to try:

1. Lavender
2. Eucalyptus
3. Sweet Orange
4. Tea Tree
5. Lemongrass

Take a look at some of our favourite activities that you can do with your family at home! Keep the kids active and spend some family time together.

Floor is Lava

Shooting Hoops

Indoor Bowling

Keep up with Everybody for ongoing tips and support on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!