R.E.D January is a movement helping people support their mental wellbeing through exercise.

Leading mental health charity Mind is R.E.D January’s exclusive charity partner for 2018. R.E.D‘s mission is to raise awareness of mental health problems, such as depression, by promoting the positive impact that exercise can have on happiness and wellbeing.

Why R.E.D January?

People are typically penny pinching in January, but R.E.D is free to take part in. With cold weather and dark days, R.E.D provides a focus to help get people through January in a positive way, encouraging healthy habits for the rest of the year.

R.E.D’s founder, Hannah Beecham, was inspired to start the movement after helping her Mum combat depression through physical exercise. ‘Witnessing the life-changing effect that a physical challenge can have on someone suffering from depression, inspired me to start a social movement that promotes mental wellbeing through exercise,’ she says.

The main aim is to open up the conversation about mental health issues and promote the positive impact that exercise can have on your mind and wellbeing. 

The movement’s mantra for January is ‘Beat the blues. Get R.E.D.’

Who is R.E.D for?

The great thing about this challenge is its inclusivity. Whether you’re planning on running 5 mins a day or 100 miles in the month, there are no rules and no judgements. The emphasis is on a flexible exercise schedule that celebrates every achievement, no matter how large or small. You can scale things up or ease them back, just keep listening to your body. R.E.D will be there every step of the way to offer handy tips, expert advice, and endless amounts of encouragement. 

Mind and R.E.D

Karen Bolton, community and events manager at Mind, said: ‘We are truly grateful to Hannah for her incredible dedication – both in raising vital funds for Mind, but also for her work in raising awareness about mental health through creating R.E.D. January. We know from our work that regular exercise is not just good for our bodies, there’s good evidence that being active improves our mental wellbeing too.

‘R.E.D. January and the community around it is not only helping to break down the stigma around mental health, it will also be raising money which will fund Mind’s vital work including the Mind Infoline, our advice services and the campaigning Mind does to secure a better deal for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year.’

New Year and beyond…

Kick-start your 2018 in the most positive way possible, helping to boost your physical and mental health. This is your chance to say, January’s not blue, it’s R.E.D.

The January challenge is just the beginning. R.E.D’s mission statement is to promote the positive power of physical activity for both body and mind all year round.

Free registration is now live here.