Suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 50 in the UK.

Since being formally diagnosed with severe clinical depression in 2022 (after about 13 years of varying degrees of symptoms, with no formal diagnosis), my mental health journey has brought me to a point where I'm happier than I can remember being.

I avoided getting help for so long, but Sertraline (anti-depressants), talking therapy and the support of my family & friends has got me to a place where I'm truly happy and achieving some of my life goals while visiting amazing places and spending time with my favourite people.

If I didn't get help then there's no guarantee that I'd still be here, which is a pretty scary thought.

The next hurdle for me is to start achieving some physical goals, so I decided that from my 29th birthday until my 30th birthday I will work out every single day. No Days Off! (rules at the bottom) But I needed accountability so I thought I'd share my workouts on social media.

Since I'm going to be putting this message in front of my friends and family every day for an entire year, I thought it was important to make it worthwhile and share a little of my story.

Most people that know me wouldn't assume that I've struggled with my own mental health - it's not surprising that men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women - there is still a social stigma attached to men's depression and by not telling people about my own battles I was contributing to that stigma.

There's no pressure to contribute, just reading this far makes me feel glad that I'm doing something to help others like me; especially those who weren't lucky enough to have the support network and financial stability that got me through this last year. The expense of private therapy is not manageable for a lot of people, and the NHS is too stretched to provide adequate support - so we need to solve this problem ourselves.

If you've read this far, then check in on your friends - you never know who is struggling; and if you're feeling generous, please consider donating to Mind.

Someone commits suicide in Wales almost every single day. (According to stats from 2021).

This is a fixable problem.

RULES:

At least one work out session every single day, from 10th May 2023 to 10th May 2024 (including both birthdays).

Either:

1. Weight training session (at least 3 times/week): at least 15 sets excluding warm up

2. HIIT Cardio session (e.g. T25, HIIT Class, Insanity): at least 25 mins

3. LISS Cardio (e.g. rowing, swimming, cycling, running) session: at least 45 mins

4. Hike: At least 2 hours with a pack weighing at least 10kg

5. Bodyweight workout: At least 5 sets of the exercise with at least half a cardio session