Tournament celebrates link between physical-mental

April 29 sees Auckland’s Cox’s Bay Reserve host the Framework Trust Touch Tournament. Now into its 10th year the biannual event supports the link between physical and mental health and attracts upwards of 400 participants from the mental health and addictions sectors.

The tournaments held in April and November have been most recently supported by the Mental Health Foundation, and the entire year-long programme is promoted as smoke-free.

“Keeping physically fit means keeping mentally fit as well,” Judi Clements, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation says “Physical exercise relieves stress and helps to counter depression and anxiety.”

Research has shown there is a connection between mental and physical health. Those who are physically healthy tend to do better during stressful situations, have better spatial memory and are less depressed.

Chairman of the steering committee, Sheldon Brown, says the growing popularity of the event is coupled with a year round fitness and wellbeing programme first implemented by Framework in 2008. “We are reinforcing some important health and fitness messages through this programme, helping people to improve fitness, lose weight and quit smoking,” Sheldon says.

For more information on The Framework Trust Touch Tournament’s please visit http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/calendar/view/listing/323/