Wednesday 7th November is Stress Awareness Day and the UK’s leading fitness operator Everyone Active is providing Londoners with an opportunity to reach out to specially-trained four-legged friends to find a moment of calm in the chaos.
In the past year, 74% of people in the UK have felt so stressed they have been unable to cope with everyday life, and research has shown that around 12 million adults in the UK see their GP with mental health problems each year with stress-related anxiety and depression.
To help Londoners find solace in their working week, Everyone Active is inviting specially trained therapy dogs from the charity Therapy Dogs Nationwide to centres across the capital to enable people to enjoy a canine cuddle-fix. Animal interaction, specifically stroking and playing with a dog,has been scientifically proven to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure.
The annual Stress Awareness Day is an opportunity for Londoners to think about their mental wellbeing and find advice or support on managing stress. Other supporting activities such as free 30-minute yoga sessions, mindfulness and meditation sessions and quick head and shoulder massages will be on offer at Everyone Active centres to help people find a peaceful and mentally uplifting moment.
Participating locations include:
Marshall Street Soho, 15 Marshall Street, London W1F 7EL
- Therapy Dog Gunner will be available between 12:00pm – 13:30pm in main reception
- MoreYoga Soho will be hosting specialist ‘de-stress’ yoga sessions at its brand-new studio in Marshall Street Centre at the following times; 7am, 12.30pm and 7pm. Please book online at www.moreyoga.co.uk (All yoga sessions are one hour in length)
- Free scalp massages and head neck and shoulder massages from 12-4pm for a suggested donation to the Therapy Dogs Nationwide charity
Seymour, Seymour Place, London W1H 5TJ
- Therapy Dog Milo will be available between 11.30am – 1.30pm
- Free Yoga session will run from 1.00pm – 1.45pm
- Free RPM (Virtual Indoor Cycling) will run from 2.00pm – 2.45pm
Porchester, Queensway, Bayswater, London W2 5HS
- Therapy Dog Gunner will be available between 3:30pm – 5pm
- Free 30-minute Pilates class will be taking place from 5:15pm
Paddington Recreation Ground, Randolph Avenue, London W9 1PD
- Therapy Dog Daisy will be available between 2pm – 4pm in reception
- Free 30-minute stress-busting boxing classes will take place at 2pm, 2:45pm and 3:30pm
Westway, 1 Crowthorne Road, London W10 6RP
- Therapy Dog Juno will be available from 12.00-1.30pm.
- Free 30-minute yoga sessions will be held from 12.00-12.30pm and 1.00-1.30pm
- Charity scalp-massages will be held between 12.00 – 1.30pm
Moberly, 25 Chamberlayne Road, London, NW10 3NB
- Therapy Dog Daisy will be available for one hour from 12pm
- Free yoga sessions will be held from 11.30am – 12.30pm and 12.00pm – 12.30pm
- Free RPM (Virtual Indoor Cycling) class will be held from 12.30pm – 1pm
- Charity scalp-massages will be held between 11.00am – 12.30pm
Further information on specific activities can be found here www.everyoneactive.com/news/stroke-your-stress-away-with-dog-therapy-on-stress-awareness-day/
