Health of the Nation

The past two years has significantly affected the health of people from all over the world. There has been an increase in weight gain, decrease in exercise, more people suffering from poor mental health, and a significant increase in people feeling lonely. The Covid-19 Pandemic has been a struggle for each and every individual and has led to significant effects on health and wellbeing. It is important that solutions such as Empeal or similar are found to try counteract these effects and begin to improve upon the health of the nation. How can we ensure continuous improvement of people’s health and lifestyle choices? What motivates people to make actual changes for the better?

It was found that there was a 7% decrease in those who exercise greater than 3.5 hours per week. We all know exercise is important for multitude of things like mobility, staying fit, strengthening of muscles and bones, improving heart health, lowering blood pressure and much more. It is important for one’s overall health to remain active whether it be a walk, cycling or even dancing. The main thing is to move your body. However, motivation is what we need to get started and also to keep it up! One of the main reasons we are seeing these significant figures numbers because we are social beings and a lack of socialising resulted in a lack of exercising due to gyms and exercise classes halting their services.

Exercise also benefits mental health such as reducing anxiety, depression, stress and increasing self-esteem and memory. It was found that 4 in 10 people reported severe or moderate stress. It is also important to note that 19% of people who don’t exercise experience severe stress. There is a proven connection between exercising and lowering stress levels as it reduces stress hormones and increases production of endorphins, a feel-good hormone. However, loneliness was perhaps the most significant effect of the pandemic. It was found that 34% of people reported feeling lonely in 2022. Human connection is so important for various reasons and can improve our immune systems. In the interest of these interconnections between our physical and mental health, we need efforts to improve population health with real, measurable support in terms of coaching at scale. Most people know what is good for their health, but what they lack is the motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle or the understanding of why there is a lack of motivation.

With regards to workplace wellbeing, 47% reported the most important aspect of their role is work life balance. A balance is important to ensure stress levels are manageable and overall health is not compromised. People need support in order to lead a healthy lifestyle and through Empeal we provide access to health coaches and practitioners to ensure you have the support you need. Whether you are looking for motivation or guidance, we can assist you with making lasting lifestyle changes that will positively affect both your personal and professional life.

Reference

Physical, Mental and Social Health of the Nation 2022 - Irish Life, Keep Well Summit