Moving more for Mental Heath: What you need to know:
An Olympic Sport Psychologist’s Workshop on Movement, Mood and Workplace Wellbeing
We all know the power of physical activity to improve mental health. Countless studies show regular movement boosts mood, improves sleep, and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. So why aren’t we moving more for our mental health?
This 60-minute workshop explores the potent power of movement and why exercise (in all its forms) can be the key to unlocking better mental health, happiness and wellbeing — particularly during the working day, when most teams are doing the least of it.
Created and delivered by a leading sports psychologist, leadership coach and Senior Lecturer in Sport and Performance Psychology.
This 60 minute Moving More for our Mental Health workshop will cover:
- Movement & Neurology: The physiological aspects of how exercise affects the brain and the role of neurotransmitters like serotonin and endorphins in mood regulation.
- Movement & Mental Health: Compelling research studies demonstrating the positive impact of physical activity on mental health.
- Micro & Macro movement tools for the day: The diversity of physical activities and how these can cater to various preferences and fitness levels.
- Building Movement Habits: The concept of ‘micro-workouts’ and how small bursts of activity can be beneficial.
- Sports Psychology: Tips on healthy habit formation and the power of positive language.
- Team & cultural impact: Why movement matters for team energy, connection and inclusive wellbeing strategies.
Clients who’ve booked this workshop:
Workshop outcomes:
After the session, your team leaves with:
- A clear understanding of why movement affects mental health — beyond the “exercise is good for you” surface-level message
- Specific micro-movement tools they can apply during a normal working day (no gym, no kit, no lunch break required)
- The “1% change” framing that consistently shifts behaviour where bigger commitments don’t
- A reframed view of movement — not “exercise” as a chore, but a daily lever for mood, focus and resilience
When this workshop is the right fit:
- Mental Health Awareness Week 2027
- World Mental Health Day (10 October)
- Time to Talk Day
- Your team is largely desk-based and sedentary — knowledge workers, hybrid teams, anyone struggling with the realities of sustained sitting
- You’ve done the “awareness” mental health workshops and want to step up to action — this is the bridge
Particularly valuable for: Knowledge worker teams (professional services, financial services, tech, consulting); hybrid teams managing the realities of WFH sedentariness; healthcare and frontline teams where mental health load is highest; any organisation building MHAW programming around the 2026 Action theme.
How this workshop pairs with others:
Moving More for Our Mental Health sits at the intersection of mental wellbeing, sports psychology and healthy habits. Strong pairings beyond mental health:
Pair with the Mental Fitness Hour: Mental Fitness as the broader proactive mental wellbeing piece; Moving More as the specific movement angle within it.
Pair with the Wellbeing at Work Workshop: Sally’s signature workshop on healthy daily habits. The natural pairing — both delivered by Sally, both about embedding habits into the working day. Moving More zooms into the movement angle; Wellbeing at Work covers the broader picture.
Pair with the Habits & Mindset Workshop: Simon’s other workshop — the behaviour change deep dive that complements the movement-specific content. The two together form a complete sport-psychology-to-workplace programme.
Pair with Sleep School: Movement significantly improves sleep quality, and better sleep makes movement easier. Strong pairing for sustained performance programmes.
Pair with Peak Performance at Work: Both apply performance-science frameworks to the working day. Strong combination for leadership development cohorts.
Led by a chartered Sport Psychologist Chartered and Lead Psychologist at British Athletics and for GB Badminton across three Olympic cycles
(Beijing, London, Rio)
A signature workshop for Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day
Clients who’ve booked this workshop: Wolters Kluwer · Sky · Amazon · Improbable
About your facilitator
A Chartered Sport Psychologist with 25 years of experience, Simon was Lead Psychologist at British Athletics and for GB Badminton across three Olympic cycles — Beijing, London and Rio. He served on the National Psychology Team at the English Institute of Sport, driven by a clear principle: making psychology tangible.
Simon brings the same science he used to prepare Olympic athletes for peak performance into the boardroom. As Senior Consultant and now Head of People Development, he’s helped leading UK and global brands build leadership capability and navigate change at every level of seniority.
What clients say
Simon is WONDERFUL to listen to and he is SO engaging! The hour just flew by. It was also so easy to set up and connect with Sally and the team at Stretching the City! THANK YOU!
I thought it was very informative and made me feel moving more is achievable. I learnt that even the smallest change can be impactful so it has given me the spur to do more but not to try and do too much and fail. Simon was very engaging and interesting. I have ‘switched off’ at other webinars but felt fully engaged and interested to hear what Simon had to say.
Simon was knowledgeable and inspiring – he understands the barriers many people experience to exercise and the 1% change was especially inspiring even for someone who goes to the gym regularly.
BOOK MOVING MORE FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH
Want to get your team moving more and reap the mental health benefits? Let’s talk.
Moving more for Mental Health workshop FAQs
Is this workshop appropriate for people who don’t exercise?
Specifically yes. The workshop is designed for the “I know I should move more but I don’t” audience as much as the “I’m already active” audience. The 1% change principle — small, achievable shifts that compound over time — is genuinely effective for sedentary teams who’ve found bigger commitments don’t stick.
Is there any physical movement during the session itself?
Optional and inclusive. The workshop includes short, accessible movement moments (60-90 seconds at a time, suitable for at-the-desk participation) but no one is required to participate physically. Suitable for participants with mobility considerations, virtual attendees in shared spaces, and anyone who’d rather observe.
Why is this workshop developed by one person and delivered by another?
Most workplace wellbeing workshops are developed by the person who delivers them — which means the underlying science is only as deep as that one person’s specialism. This workshop is different: Simon developed the content drawing on his Olympic sport psychology background; Sally delivers it with founder-level credibility and the warmth of someone who’s personally led hundreds of workplace sessions. The combination is the workshop’s strongest USP.
Is this workshop appropriate for Mental Health Awareness Week 2027?
Yes — and we’d say it’s the natural MHAW 2027 centrepiece.Book early — MHAW is our busiest week of the year.
Can it be tailored to our sector?
Yes. Sedentary knowledge worker teams (professional services, financial services, tech) get desk-focused micro-movement framing; healthcare and frontline get on-feet contexts; manufacturing and construction get specific cultural framing. Tailoring usually adds 2-3 days to lead time.
Do you deliver to international teams?
Yes. Virtual delivery works across North America, Europe, the Middle East and APAC. Recording included as standard.
What does it cost?
Tailored pricing based on duration, format and whether you’re booking standalone or as part of a programme. Multi-workshop bookings — particularly for MHAW programmes — are priced more favourably. Book a discovery call and we’ll send a quote within 48 hours.
Clients also book:
Habits & Mindset Workshop
AUDIENCE: Olympic sport psychology · Behaviour change · Leadership development
Simon’s other workshop — the behaviour change deep dive. The two together form a complete sport-psychology-to-workplace programme.
Wellbeing at Work Workshop
AUDIENCE: Signature workshop · Whole-workforce · Healthy daily habits
Wellbeing at Work gives the what (the healthy day, the habits, the routines); Habits & Mindset gives the how to actually do it. Strong sport-psychology-to-applied-wellbeing combination — particularly powerful for teams who’ve heard the wellbeing content but haven’t shifted behaviour.
Mental Fitness Hour
AUDIENCE: MHAW · Proactive mental wellbeing · Whole-workforce
The broader proactive mental wellbeing companion. Mental Fitness as the foundation; Moving More as the movement-specific application.