Prominent beats the Blue Monday blues with exercise

Science has proven that there is a direct link between a happy mental health and exercise. Here at Prominent, getting up and active is an important part of our culture. Here, managing director Helen Rudd looks at why we’re happiest when we’re out of breath and why there’s no Blue Monday here.

 

Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox.

Lapping those sat on the couch.

We all know the multi-award winning ‘This Girl Can’ campaign. In my opinion, the best campaign ever created in terms of understanding and communicating with your audience.

The core objective was to increase the numbers of girls and women participating in exercise regularly. The secondary objective was raising confidence; making them feel amazing about themselves when possibly looking their least glamorous.

However, what was also clever about the campaign was the subtle links between mental health and exercise.

Getting physical releases endorphins which trigger a positive feeling in the body; that post-match / post-run glow that we all know so well.

As a hockey player I love nothing more than those two hours on a Saturday when I can take time off thinking about work, take out any stresses on the ball, and spend time with my girlfriends. I know it’s important for my mental health and I’ll do everything I can to make sure I never miss a game.

Here at Prominent, we fully support all employees getting active and we do what we can to make it easier for everyone.

We are proud sponsors of the Felixstowe Hockey Club Ladies 2^nd team, which I play for and Keira, our office manager, captains. We’re not top of the league but that doesn’t matter. We have a lot of fun and stops us thinking about paying bills!  RB Agency, our sister company, also sponsors the Ladies 1^st team.

Lucy and Angharad spur each other on when attending a range of gym classes together; never afraid to send pics of that ‘post-class glow’ to the group chat.

We are also in the middle of a Prominent team challenge; all 13 employees have pledged to run 26 miles each throughout January to raise money for our charity of the year, but also to fend off any depressing January feelings we might be having. That total of 364 miles isn’t too far off, as I write.

In addition, we have once more pledged our support to the Women on Wheels initiative throughout Suffolk; offering PR support and sponsorship for the scheme which organises a range of bike rides of differing distances for differing abilities, to get mums, daughters, grandparents and friends cycling together. You can find details of the scheme here.

In choosing our charity of the year, the Charlie Watkins Foundation, we wanted something which was focused on mental health. It’s a charity we all feel very strongly about and are committed to promoting as far and wide as we can because we know how important it is.

Feeling part of a team, being celebrated for your achievements and knowing someone will catch you if you fall is important in a workplace, but the best medicine for your mental health is getting hot and sweaty with your mates, and here at Prominent, that’s something were happy to shout about.

 

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