National Fitness Day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prioritising exercise in our lives. It’s a day that celebrates the joy of movement and the countless benefits that come from staying active, not just for our body but also the mind. Here’s how you can put your physical health first, while also benefitting others through the act of raising funds for important causes.
The benefits of fitness-based fundraising
Appreciating and recognising special causes
Increasing awareness for important causes is a crucial outcome of fitness fundraising initiatives. Tying physical activities to charitable causes ensures that these events shine a spotlight on issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, but it’s not just participants that help to spread the word.
Charity sport events draw in huge crowds of supporters too, which increases visibility for the cause to a much wider audience. This in turn can spark conversations and photographs of the event can then be posted online to drum up support through social media. Entrants become ambassadors for their chosen causes, spreading the word through their networks, both online and offline.
Improvement to your physical and mental health
Exercise isn’t just good for your body but it’s highly effective as a way of boosting your mood and getting the endorphins flowing. From taking part in a 5k race for charity, to being a part of a team football event raising money for a local cause, or training for a bigger event like a marathon, the act of staying consistent with your exercise helps you feel productive and reduces anxiety and stress. When combined with the further sense of purpose that comes from supporting a worthy cause, the positive impact on mental health can be profound.
There are so many types of charity fundraising events you can get involved with that improve your health, fitness, and wellbeing. As we’ve already touched on, dedicated awareness days like National Fitness Day or World Bicycle Day, often involve specific events being arranged to coincide with these dates. But you might also be able to raise money for a cause that’s close to your heart by taking part in an unrelated event like a marathon, golfing tournament or swim event.
Building up your community
Community building and social connections flourish in the context of fitness fundraising. These events bring people together, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. As someone taking part in a football match, a charity run or a hike, you’re likely to form lasting friendships with your fellow fundraisers, and studies suggest it could even be a benefit to your mental health as well.
When groups of friends, colleagues or family members come together to support a cause through physical activity, the results can be extraordinary. Working as a team builds shared experiences and friendships, and allows you to push each other to achieve far more than would otherwise have been achieved by yourself. Plus, team training and fundraising events create bonds that will often last long after the fundraiser has ended.
Measure your progress
Working out at the gym or at home can seem tedious and motivation levels can be challenged. When we don’t feel like we’re making progress or seeing any change, it can knock our confidence and our self-esteem, which in turn has a negative effect on our mental health and could result in us stopping completely.
However, when you have a clear goal or objective in mind, and can track your progress along the way, motivation is maintained and the accompanying sense of achievement will positively impact how you feel mentally. What’s more, knowing that you’re working out to take part in something for someone else gives you that sense of responsibility that will keep you moving forward on those days when you might have otherwise stayed at home.
Make exercising fun
Training for a fundraising event can certainly make the prospect of hitting the gym several times a week more fun and engaging, and helps to spur you on. From dance-a-thons to obstacle courses or relay events, fundraising events are usually a more creative way of encouraging more people to sign up, which makes them more enjoyable to train for and take part in.
By actively enjoying the build up to the excitement of the big event itself, you’ll no doubt notice a shift in your mood and your sense of accomplishment – a welcome side effect of taking part in such an important activity for causes that are meaningful to you.
Why it’s important to prioritise fitness
When you’re active, your brain releases chemicals that elevate your mood, increase self-esteem, and improve concentration. Physical activity can also enhance your sleep quality, helping you feel more refreshed and better overall.
The best part is that many forms of exercise are free and accessible to most people. You don’t need an expensive gym membership to enjoy the benefits. Simply finding an activity that you enjoy can provide you with a goal to work toward and a sense of purpose – it just so happens that fundraising is a great way to do this and help others in the process.
It can also offer opportunities to take a break from daily stresses and build up your self-confidence. As we’ve explored, the mental health advantages of staying active include a sense of accomplishment, but it also reduces tension and stress, gives you more energy, improves focus and motivation, and can even result in a healthier appetite. Not to mention that many forms of exercise are fun and can be something you look forward to each week.
So, whether you enjoy sports already or you want an incentive to work out regularly, a fundraising event is a great way to put your health first, enjoy a boost to your mental health and support worthy causes at the same time.
With thanks to Annie Button
Digital Content | anniebutton.co.uk
annie@anniebutton.co.uk | Freelance Writer
X | @anniebutton1994