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Peter Bell has been appointed as Rockliffe Hall’s new Wellbeing Manager. With experience practising as a Sports Therapist for 12 years, Peter has worked as a Fitness Coordinator and Fitness Manager during his 11 years at the hotel.
Having gained a wealth of experience over the last 25 years promoting health and wellbeing strategies in the health and fitness industry, Peter’s aim is to develop the ultimate wellbeing framework, which reaches out to a wide spectrum of individuals wellbeing needs.
Peter describes wellbeing as “It’s not about being capable of running a marathon, or gaining a six pack, it is the state of being in optimal mental and physical health with the absence of disease and musculoskeletal dysfunction” and commends the government with regards to having identified motivating people to move more, eat healthy and look after their mental health as a social responsibility.
As Wellbeing Manager, Peter endeavours to implement a Wellbeing Framework at Rockliffe Hall that includes wellbeing initiatives for team members, golf and spa members, residents, guests, the local community and corporate companies.
In Peter’s spare time, his passions are spending time with his partner and family, connecting with nature through walking in the beautiful surroundings of North Yorkshire, which not only helps keep him active but gives him a wonderful sense of mind relief.
Peter thrives on researching and updating his knowledge on current wellbeing strategies, mental health awareness and helping educate a broad range of people with regards to their wellbeing needs as he believes this is the most neglected facet of health and wellness promotion.
We sat down with Peter to really find out what makes him tick and why embracing our own wellbeing is so important to overall health.
How did you start your career in the health and fitness industry 25 years ago?
Having served in the military, I enjoyed and demonstrated a huge interest in the health and fitness aspect of soldiering. I became restless and wanted to pursue a career in delivering and promoting health and fitness to the masses, therefore I gained civilian qualifications for Fitness Instruction then left the military.
Having gained a wealth of experience working in gyms, health clubs and a health farm, my interest focused on people who had or developed musculoskeletal conditions, therefore I enrolled on a Sports Therapy BSc (Hons) programme at Teesside University. After successfully completing the course I set up my own Sports Injuries and Posture Clinic, which I ran for eight years.
What makes you passionate about wellbeing?
Understanding exactly the context of wellbeing!
The overall mental and physical state of a person; The absence of disease, the state of being in optimal mental and physical health.
Wellbeing is not about running a marathon or gaining the aesthetic six pack, there is so many more important facets such as: becoming mentally resilient to deal with life’s stresses, to feel energised and have a good immune system, free from disease and ailments, good joint health and posture and of course attaining a good standard of physical fitness.
Today many more people are aware of these different facets and seek strategies for their wellbeing needs, there is nothing more satisfying in helping have an impact on increasing people’s awareness with regards to the wellness benefits in attaining a balanced healthy lifestyle.
Why should people care about wellbeing?
Because you only get one life, we are not guaranteed the quantity of life we get, but we can certainly have an impact on the quality of life we get. Participating in all round balanced wellbeing initiatives will certainly improve your wellbeing and by improving your wellbeing, you certainly will improve your quality of life.
How long do you recommend focusing on wellbeing per week?
From the moment you are awake, to the moment you are asleep! We should all aspire to be in a Pro-Active Mode of Wellbeing Awareness, (PAMWA) for example:
- What position am I sitting or sleeping in? (Is it compromising my back or joint health)
- Am I moving correctly in my activities of daily movement?
- How does my mental state feel?
- Am I consuming healthy nutrition?
- Do I participate in enough physical activity? (The recommended guidelines)
- Is my sleeping cycle efficient?
- Am I resting enough?
In my experience the people who have put themselves in that pro-active wellbeing awareness mode have achieved their optimal wellbeing state and improved their quality of life.
Do you have any tips to integrate wellbeing into a busy life?
The fantastic news is that making healthier choices with regards to a busy lifestyle is easier than you think, the key is in the word choice, choosing healthier options and making small lifestyle changes does not require grand gestures, just commitment and focus.
- Food Prep - Spending a few hours once per week planning meals and shopping, preparing, and packaging your food can give you enough healthy food for the week. This allows you to get through your week and avoid been tempted to eat foods that are unhealthy when you have healthy choices readily available.
- Get enough sleep - A good nights’ sleep allows the brain to move through enough complete cycles to process the days events and be ready for the next day.
- Stand up and stretch - Sitting for prolonged periods is destructive to your posture, standing up and stretching at regular intervals takes minutes and gives you and your posture great relief from joint strain.
- Find an exercise you enjoy - If you carry out an activity that is a chore you will struggle to adhere to it, find an activity you enjoy this will help self-motivate you to stick with it.
- Relaxation - Remove the mental and emotional burden from daily life stresses by practising relaxation techniques, this can take minutes.
- Small changes - Start with small changes and notice how you feel, once you experience the benefits the healthier habit is set.
Do you have a favourite activity that Rockliffe Hall offer?
Of the wide range of activities we offer at Rockliffe Hall, which all have great benefits, Nordic Walking is my favourite because of the mental and physical benefits the activity offers. The class is delivered outdoors, which gives you a fantastic green space experience, improves posture, muscle tone, reduces body fat, is an amazing mind relaxer and the benefits go on and on and on…….
Find out more information about our Spa & Wellness facilities.
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