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RED January challenges people to move every day throughout the month to boost physical and mental well-being. But what does the science say about daily movement? From reducing anxiety to lowering cancer risk, regular activity, even just a daily walk, can deliver powerful results. In this article, we explore the evidence behind RED January, its benefits, and how it fits into a proactive approach to long-term health.
With the dark mornings, cold weather, and post-holiday fatigue, January can feel overwhelming. Run Every Day January (RED January) is a movement challenge that benefits your mental and physical health. The aim isn’t to run a marathon or to spend your life at the gym. RED January is all about making small, manageable steps to get moving every day. 15 minutes of movement a day is enough, whether that is a short walk, a dance around the kitchen, or cycling to work. These small bouts of movement really add up and can be a huge boost to your mental and physical health. This article will explore the science and explain how these small steps can make such a huge impact.
What Is RED January and Why Was It Created?
A brief background
In 2015, RED January was founded to encourage people to use movement to support their mental and physical health during the winter months. The idea was sparked by the founder’s wish to help her mother, so they went on family dog walks every day. Over time, the founder saw huge improvements to her mother’s mood, energy level, and confidence alongside a renewed sense of pride and achievement1.
RED January fosters a sense of community while empowering many to make small steps towards better mental and physical health. It helps participants set achievable goals that build lasting habits with ongoing benefits1.
Why January?
With short days, the post-holiday slump, and pressure from unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, January can sometimes feel overwhelming. People often report low mood at this time of year, and with it comes fewer people achieving their exercise goals2.
Short winter days limit exposure to sunlight, which is important for the production of ‘happy hormones’. This can contribute to seasonal blues3. By understanding why January feels tough for both the body and mind, it becomes clear how even small, consistent bursts of movement can help reset energy levels and mood.
Mental Health Benefits of Daily Movement
Exercise and mood regulation
Daily movements offer proven mental health benefits by releasing ‘happy hormones’, which naturally boost mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression4. Endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin are all shown to increase during and after exercise, all of which can help relieve some symptoms of anxiety and depression5.
Exercises that increase your heart rate and boost your circulation have shown to be beneficial for your brain as well as your general health. Going for a jog or a swim can increase the blood flow to the brain. This encourages the production of different factors that can protect brain cells from degeneration. This can help keep you sharp as you age and helps to protect the brain from disorders like dementia in the future6.
Sleep, stress, and self-esteem
Daily life can be stressful, which can lead our bodies to go into ‘fight or flight’ all the time. This leads to hormones like adrenaline and cortisol circulating around our bodies, making us feel anxious, increasing our heart rates, and slowing down digestion6.
Not only does exercise offset some of these stress hormones by increasing the presence of dopamine and serotonin, but exercise can also be part of mindfulness. This encourages people to prioritise their mental health, helping to combat stress and low mood.
Regular exercise can also improve people’s confidence. This can contribute to improving self-worth and self-esteem. Participants often report higher energy levels and feeling mentally stronger overall. Those who stick with it tend to make healthier choices elsewhere. This can be maintaining a healthy diet and drinking less. This can create positive momentum in people’s lives7.
Sleep is also improved with regular exercise. The NHS states that exercise throughout the day is good for sleep hygiene. Better sleep can also improve your mood, physical health, and overall wellness8.
Community connection
Participation in group exercises, like parkrun, walking groups, or sports teams, provides a sense of community through regular social interaction. This can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. This is a powerful tool in supporting mental wellness.
RED January encourages building community, sharing experiences, and also cheering each other on. This can create accountability, providing structure and purpose for achieving their daily movement goals. Ultimately, people are set up for success, and changes become more achievable.
Physical Health Benefits: Why Movement Matters Every Day
Daily movement supports essential bodily functions, improves longevity, and reduces the risk of several diseases. Simple habits, such as integrating 15-30 minutes of movement into your routine, will provide many health benefits.
Heart, brain, and bone health
Exercise strengthens heart health by improving blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and building up heart muscle. Sitting for just 2 hours can reduce circulation by over 40 per cent9, which can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure7. Even daily walks count towards the UK chief medical officer’s guideline of 150 minutes weekly moderate activity, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by around 35 per cent10.
As well as protecting you from cognitive decline and dementia as you age, exercise can also boost your concentration and memory right now11.
Bone density is also improved through gentle stress during weight-bearing activities, like walking, which rebuilds stronger, denser bones. This helps to counter age-related bone thinning and risk of osteoporosis7,12.
Immune system and inflammation
Your immune system constantly patrols for abnormal cells that could become cancerous. Exercise can help strengthen this ‘immune surveillance’ by increasing circulation and making sure these immune cells have further reach. Natural Killer (NK) cells and T-cells are both types of white blood cells that make up part of your immune system. They can both identify and attack abnormal or damaged cells and prevent them from dividing and becoming pre-cancerous growths13,14.
Even 30 minutes of moderate movement, like a brisk walk, can improve NK cell activity by 175 per cent. Whereas excessive sitting or lying down, even for just 2 hours without getting up, can reduce immune surveillance through the circulation. This makes your body less likely to spot and deal with any threats before they become an infection or cancer15.
Regular movement can also lower markers of chronic inflammation like C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are key drivers of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. During exercise, the muscles release anti-inflammatory factors that can help counter the inflammation and reduce the risk of developing diseases and cancers. This is particularly helpful as we age for maintaining health14,16.
Cancer risk and longevity
Regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of 13 types of cancer, including the two most common types (breast and bowel), and three of the hardest to treat (pancreatic, oesophageal, and gallbladder)17. How exercise reduces risks of specific cancers isn't known, but it is thought to involve effects on body weight, hormones, and the immune system. Exercise also helps maintain healthy insulin and oestrogen levels, which may lower risk further18,19.
Beyond cancer prevention, exercise supports longevity and better overall health. Even small, regular bouts of exercise add up over time. This provides lasting benefits for both body and mind.
Building a Sustainable Daily Movement Habit
Consistency is more important than intensity when it comes to building lasting movement habits. The brain learns through repetition, and over time, these actions become second nature. Moving everyday. Even briefly, it can lead to meaningful gains without the risk of burnout17.
Prioritise small, repeatable actions that fit seamlessly into your life. Focus on consistency rather than perfection. Doing something fun like having a daily walk with friends, stretching between tasks, and getting up for water every hour can be enough. After a month of regular movement, your brain makes pathways that help form habits through repetition and the release of happy hormones7,12.
Conclusion
RED January transforms January’s challenges into opportunities for wellbeing through science-backed daily movement that uplifts both mind and body.
Even 15-30 minutes of light activity, like a brisk walk or kitchen dance, delivers measurable gains in mood, heart health, immunity, and longevity by releasing endorphins, reducing inflammation, and building resilience.
Start with RED January to spark habits that endure, pair it with proactive steps like NHS health checks or multi-organ scans for sustained vitality year-round.
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References
1. RED January. RED January. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://redjanuary.com/
2. Wheatley C, Glogowska M, Stathi A, Sexton C, Johansen-Berg H, Mackay C. Exploring the public health potential of RED January, a social media campaign supporting physical activity in the community for mental health: a qualitative study. Ment Health Phys Act. 2021;21:100429. doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2021.100429
3. NHS. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). nhs.uk. December 22, 2025. Accessed January 29, 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/
4. NHS. Be active for your mental health - Every Mind Matters. nhs.uk. May 10, 2023. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/be-active-for-your-mental-health/
5. Mental Health. How to improve your mental health using physical activity. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-improve-your-mental-health-using-physical-activity
6. Mann I. The power of movement for mental wellbeing, by Dr. Lindsay Jones - Step One. May 10, 2024. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://steponecharity.co.uk/the-power-of-movement-for-mental-wellbeing/
7. NHS. Benefits of exercise. nhs.uk. January 25, 2022. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/
8. NHS. Fall asleep faster and sleep better - Every Mind Matters. nhs.uk. May 4, 2021. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/how-to-fall-asleep-faster-and-sleep-better/
9. Restaino RM, Holwerda SW, Credeur DP, Fadel PJ, Padilla J. Impact of prolonged sitting on lower and upper limb micro- and macrovascular dilator function. Exp Physiol. 2015;100(7):829-838. doi:10.1113/EP085238
10. NHS. Walking for health. nhs.uk. January 25, 2022. Accessed January 29, 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/walking-for-health/
11. GOV.UK. Health matters: getting every adult active every day. GOV.UK. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-getting-every-adult-active-every-day/health-matters-getting-every-adult-active-every-day
12. NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. nhs.uk. January 25, 2022. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/
13. Cancer Research UK. Breast cancer risk | Cancer Research UK. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer/risk-factors
14. Beavers KM, Brinkley TE, Nicklas BJ. Effect of exercise training on chronic inflammation. Clin Chim Acta Int J Clin Chem. 2010;411(0):785-793. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2010.02.069
15. Danovi S. Understanding the link between inflammation and cancer. Cancer Research UK - Cancer News. February 1, 2013. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2013/02/01/feeling-the-heat-the-link-between-inflammation-and-cancer/
16. Scheffer D da L, Latini A. Exercise-induced immune system response: Anti-inflammatory status on peripheral and central organs. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2020;1866(10):165823. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165823
17. Cancer Research UK. What are the benefits of exercise? | Cancer Research UK. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/physical-activity-and-cancer/what-are-the-benefits-of-exercise
18. Mennitti C, Farina G, Imperatore A, et al. How Does Physical Activity Modulate Hormone Responses? Biomolecules. 2024;14(11):1418. doi:10.3390/biom14111418
19. NHS. Endogenous Hormones and Breast Cancer. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://www.ceu.ox.ac.uk/research/endogenous-hormones-and-breast-cancer
