A GYM is offering a five-day pass in honour of World Mental Health Day today, Wednesday, October 10, to give people the chance to experience the positive effects exercise.

Non-members of Xercise4Less can visit the gym for free until Sunday, October 14 in celebration of the day which aims to raise awareness and change attitudes surrounding mental health around the world, whilst encouraging people to start looking after their own wellbeing.

The statistics indicate it is an area that deserves attention, with 20 per cent of adolescents experiencing a mental health problem in any given year, with around 75 per cent of all mental health disorders appearing by age 24.

Meanwhile, in the last decade almost five times as many students have disclosed a mental health condition to their university compared with 10 years ago.

Those wanting to help raise awareness of mental health issues can choose to wear a green ribbon, seen as the international symbol for this movement.

Xercise4Less St Helens will be offering five-day free gym passes to anyone over the age of 16 who wants to try a fitness class or workout to help relieve the stresses of everyday life.

Nathan Joyce, general manager at Xercise4Less St Helens, said: “The physical benefits of exercise are well-known, but World Mental Health Day is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on the positive effects exercise has on our mental wellbeing.

"We want to encourage everyone to get active to help manage the stresses at work and in our personal lives.”

People can claim their free five-day pass at Xercise4Less by visiting the free gym pass section on the website here.