Exercise for Better Mental Health (1-4)


       Obviously, there are many health benefits to be gained from exercise, both mental and physical. For those of us with mental illnesses, the mental benefits can be extraordinarily profound. I love the research done into this subject. There is far more data on how exercise can be helpful in reducing symptoms than I could cover in an entire book, much less this post. So, instead of boring anyone with mounds of data, I am going to list a few bullet points from some of my favorite doctors, researchers and publications, that I have collected over the years.

       First, Dr. Callahan, who is head of The Department of Mental Health and Learning Disability, in London wrote this, There is evidence that exercise is beneficial for mental health; it reduces anxiety, depression, and negative mood, and improves self-esteem and cognitive functioning. Exercise is also associated with improvements in the quality of life of those living with Schizophrenia.” I don't think that a broader, and more inclusive, statement can be made and still be within the bounds of science. In other words, there is a great deal of evidence that exercise helps to alleviate the symptoms of many mental illnesses.

       This is a clip from Rich Dopp, MD who is a psychiatrist at the University of Michigan. It is short and to the point, which I love. One of my favorite statements is when he says, "One of the self-care strategies with the biggest payoff is exercise. Scientific research has shown that exercise is effective at reducing symptoms, increasing energy and improving sleep. The benefits can be immediate, helping you feel better right away."




       This excerpt is from Harvard Health Publications, and it made me laugh the first time I read it. This is one of the most respected publications on earth, and in this article the authors are so excited about the benefits of exercise for improving mental health that they almost sound like salespeople: 

Aerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart. You may not agree at first; indeed, the first steps are the hardest, and in the beginning, exercise will be more work than fun. But as you get into shape, you’ll begin to tolerate exercise, then enjoy it, and finally depend on it. 

Regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. It’s a common experience among endurance athletes and has been verified in clinical trials that have successfully used exercise to treat anxiety disorders and clinical depression. If athletes and patients can derive psychological benefits from exercise, so can you.

       I find this excerpt helpful if symptoms creep up, and I don't want to exercise. It is from James Blumenthal, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Duke University. "There's good epidemiological data to suggest that active people are less depressed than inactive people. And people who were active and stopped tend to be more depressed than those who maintain or initiate an exercise program. Exercise seems not only important for treating depression, but also in preventing relapse." I remind myself of this if I don't feel like exercising because it's at times like those that exercise can be crucial.

       Michael Otto, professor of psychology at Boston University, and his colleagues reviewed 11 major studies that investigated the effects of exercise on mental health. They concluded that exercise is a powerful intervention for clinical depression. They went on to say that clinicians should consider adding exercise to the treatment plan for their depressed patients (Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 2006). Dr. Otto stated, "The link between exercise and mood is pretty strong. Usually within five minutes after moderate exercise you get a mood-enhancement effect."

       The Journal of Depression and Anxiety reported in 2008 that patients with anxiety disorders who participated in an exercise program showed significant improvements in anxiety sensitivity compared with control groups after only two weeks of participation. 

       Jasper Smits, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program, discovered that people with high anxiety sensitivities who also have high activity levels were less likely to panic than those who exercised infrequently (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2011). He went on to suggest that these findings meant that physical exercise could actually be vital in warding off panic attacks. "Activity may be especially important for people at risk of developing anxiety disorder," Smits says. I have found that the best way to counter my overactive adrenal gland is to exercise. For me, nothing burns off excess adrenaline quite like exercise.


       In a study that was published by The United States Institutes of Health in 2010 titled What Works for People with Bipolar Disorder? Tips From the Experts, it was stated that exercise and rest were identified as being among the most helpful factors in managing bipolar disorder. A specific theme was on finding the right type of exercise, which is dependent on the individual. That was key for me. I had to find the type of exercises that were right for me. More information on that can be found in (The Best Exercise For Mental Illnesses post).


       Finally, The United States National Institutes of Health published a study titled A pilot study of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for obsessive compulsive disorder. Here is what they found:
"Study findings at the end of this 12-week aerobic exercise intervention point to a beneficial effect (Cohen's d = 1.69) on reduction in OCD symptom severity. Further, reductions in OCD symptom severity appear to persist 6 months later. Lastly, improvement in overall sense of well-being was observed after the 12-week intervention." Obviously, I am a strong believer in exercise, but even I was astonished that they found symptom reduction persisted six months later and that the individual's "overall sense of well-being" continued after the intervention. That is profound.


       Again, the list of research on the benefits of exercise to relieve many of the symptoms of mental illnesses could go on for thousands of pages. However, I think that the message is clear. There is a high degree of likelihood that if a person who suffers from a mental illness can, and will, exercise, then he/she will experience fewer symptoms and feel better about themselves.
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As always I wish you wonderful mental health and great successes eating healthy meals. If you, or someone you love, is severely depressed or anxious, please click this (link) you will be directed to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. It is a great resource and is staffed by wonderful people. 

Feel free to send your questions or comments to:



  
       I love the passion that some exercise devotees have for their type of exercise. It means that they truly enjoy it and, most likely, do it often. However, that passion can leave some people confused as to what exercise is best for them. 

       The last time I was discharged from a mental ward I didn't have a choice as to what kind of exercise I would try. All I could do was walk due to my obesity and the strong medications I was having to take. Once I worked my way to the point where I was able to consider other forms of exercise I became completely overwhelmed. I had no idea where to start. There were people shouting from every rooftop about how their type of exercise was, hands down, the best. 

       An internet search for exercise programs instantly gave me a panic attack. After the panic had worn off, I slid into a ridiculously helpless depression, because I was sure that there was no way to figure out what I should do. Fear not friends; I found the answer. I can now say that I know what the best type of exercise is for those with mental illnesses. It is--the type you will do! 

       I realized this simple truth after I pulled myself together and decided that I was not going to be defeated. I made a list of all the exercises that were possible for me and started trying them. I was determined to find what the best type of exercise was when it came to relieving my symptoms. What I was shocked to find was that I got some relief from all of them. If that is hard to believe, then look at these composite brain scan images after a simple, twenty minute, brisk walk.
Or, read this excerpt from Harvard Health Publications again and see if you notice any specific workout routines mentioned. (Full Article)

Aerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart. You may not agree at first; indeed, the first steps are the hardest, and in the beginning, exercise will be more work than fun. But as you get into shape, you’ll begin to tolerate exercise, then enjoy it, and finally depend on it. 

Regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. It’s a common experience among endurance athletes and has been verified in clinical trials that have successfully used exercise to treat anxiety disorders and clinical depression. If athletes and patients can derive psychological benefits from exercise, so can you.

       Nowhere in those paragraphs does it say that running is better than Zumba, or that cycling is better than circuit training, or that swimming is better than speed walking, etc. 

       Once I realized that almost any form of exercise would fire up my brain and reduce my symptoms, I decided to find what I enjoyed doing the most. The reason was simple. I knew I had to exercise frequently to get any real benefit from it, and that there was no way I would continually do something that I hated. If I detested the workout, I was much less likely to do it when I was supposed to, no matter how beneficial it would have been. I had to find things that I didn't dread doing. 

       For instance, I realize that HIIT is amazing for many reasons and that there are ardent supporters for it. That is all wonderful, but I still can't make myself do it. For the people that swear by it, though, it is perfect! I see the appeal of working out at home, and DVD workout programs are loved by millions of people. However, for the life of me, I cannot motivate myself to workout in my living room on a consistent basis. The point is that there are hundreds of different forms of exercise, and they all have two things in common, they improve both physical and mental health, and none of them are wrong if they are right for you. The trick is to find the types you enjoy, because no matter what anyone says, the best exercise program is the one that you will do. 

       I decided to become a fitness explorer, as ridiculous as that sounds. Telling myself I was a fitness explorer allowed me to fail over and over again, and keep going. It allowed me to be bad at things. Deciding that I wasn't going to put all my hopes into one type of exercise was liberating. It didn't matter how slow I was going, or how bad at it I was, as long as I did it, I won. 

       I have found my favorites now, and I am so glad that I did. I get to change up my routines so that I don't get bored, and I have become pretty decent at them. What a wonderful feeling. I found the things I like to do, and I do them. If I start wondering if I should force myself to do some other workout, I simply remind myself that whatever type of exercise I am doing, it is infinitely better than any I may think I should be doing, but wouldn't because I cringe at the thought of it. 
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       As always I wish you wonderful mental health and great successes eating healthy meals. If you, or someone you love, is severely depressed or anxious, please click this (link) and you will be directed to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. It is a great resource and is staffed by wonderful people. 
Feel free to send your questions or comments to:




       So often in the past, I have felt guilty about exercising. When I am depressed or anxious about all the things that I have to get done, I often put exercise at the bottom of my to-do list. This has always proved to be detrimental. 

       I believe in helping others. Besides exercise, nothing brings me more comfort from my illnesses than helping someone else. That being said, I cannot help anyone if I don't take care of myself first. If I put off getting outside and moving, then I tend to start going downhill. At first, it is imperceptible until I finally start to realize that I am depressed, irritable and anxious. Surprisingly, it always catches me off guard; I never see it coming. It can go on like that for over a month before I realize what has happened. 

       Because I live in a Westernized civilization (the United States), I was taught from an early age that I must stay busy. "Idle hands are the devil's playground." Excuse me while I go vomit. So often I feel guilty about going for a walk/jog/hike. I'M SCREAMING IN A PILLOW RIGHT NOW! What is wrong with me? 

       The thing that connects me more than anything else to this beautiful planet, simply getting out and enjoying it, I have been conditioned to believe is a waste of time. Let me tell you, my friends, I have found that it is not. I want to give you a quote that helps me whenever I am feeling as if I should be doing something "important." 

       Before I do, I want to point out that in each post I have given a little bit of the science behind why exercising is so good for our brain chemistry. I want to do so again and for good reason. Previously I believed that I had to spend hours running to get the desired results. If all I  have is twenty minutes, I seize it. Look at these brain scans after only a twenty-minute brisk walk!
This scan shows how our cognitive skills are enhanced after a twenty-minute walk.
This scan shows how our overall brain function increases after a twenty-minute walk.

       The point of this post is to let you know that I had to remind myself that I am a human. I'm not a cog in someone else's machine. I am a runner. I have hopes and dreams and aspirations and loves in my life. If my to-do list is too long, then I start crossing things off. I have to take care of myself, especially with my conditions. 

       If I check off all the things on my to-do list, but I have to crawl to the corner so I can curl up in the fetal position, should I be proud of myself? I did complete my tasks. I did pull myself up by my bootstraps and fight on. Yay, me? I had to say enough to this madness. I decided to be human again. Here is the quote, as promised, that helps me remember the importance of walking/jogging/hiking/exercise. No science needed to understand this.


     I WISH TO SPEAK a word for nature, for absolute Freedom and Wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and Culture merely civil, — to regard man as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society. I wish to make an extreme statement, if so I may make a emphatic one, for there are enough champions of civilization; the minister, and the school-committee, and every one of you will take care of that.

    I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of Walking, that is, of taking walks, who had a genius, so to speak, for sauntering; which word is beautifully derived "from idle people who roved about the country, in the middle ages, and asked charity, under pretence of going à la sainte terre" — to the holy land, till the children exclaimed, "There goes a sainte-terrer", a saunterer — a holy-lander. They who never go to the holy land in their walks, as they pretend, are indeed mere idlers and vagabonds, but they who do go there are saunterers in the good sense, such as I mean. Some, however, would derive the word from sans terre, without land or a home, which, therefore, in the good sense, will mean, having no particular home, but equally at home everywhere. For this is the secret of successful sauntering. He who sits still in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of all, but the Saunterer, in the good sense, is no more vagrant than the meandering river, which is all the while sedulously seeking the shortest course to the sea. But I prefer the first, which indeed is the most probable derivation. For every walk is a sort of crusade, preached by some Peter the Hermit in us, to go forth and reconquer this holy land from the hands of the Infidels.  -Henry David Thoreau

       I will, "...go forth and reconquer..." the holy land that is my mind. I hope you are able to do the same. 
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As always I wish you wonderful mental health and great successes at eating healthy meals. If you, or someone you love, is severely depressed or anxious, please click this (link) to the right and you will be directed to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. It is a great resource and is staffed by wonderful people.
Feel free to send your questions or comments to:
       When things aren't going well, I run the benefits that exercising will have on my mood through my head. I tell myself that the endorphins released will trigger a positive feeling and, that in the past, I have often felt euphoric after a walk/jog/hike/etc. 

       Sometimes this is enough for me to summon the strength  or courage, depending on what issue I am dealing with, to get out there and start moving. There are times though, that all the knowledge in the world won't get me out the door. I've read the books. I know the facts. I know the statistics. I know what I've experienced in the past. However, if I'm curled up in the fetal position under blankets on my bed, and the sadness feels like it is weighing down so heavily on me that I find it difficult to breathe, all that information is useless. 

       The other scenario is if anxiety has completely overtaken my world. If my hands are shaking uncontrollably, I'm sweating profusely and I just know that THIS time I really am going to have a heart attack, there is no reminding myself of the importance of exercise. Knowing that exercise will lift my mood or burn off all that extra adrenaline does me very little good in those situations. 

       One of the few things that I can do to give myself a fighting chance is to laugh. If I can watch a short little clip that will at least make me think about smiling, then I have come a long way. Movies don't work for me if I am that far gone. I need something quick, because I can't pay attention for long during those times. 

       I have several youtube clips that I have saved so that I can quickly pull them up and watch them. I have them bookmarked. There have been many times in the past that this little step was just enough help to get me out the door. That is always my goal. 

       If I can get outside and start moving, then know I know I will start to feel better. I am going to post one of my favorite clips just to give you an idea of what I am talking about. Everyone has a unique sense of humor, though, so this may not be some readers cup of tea. It is simply to illustrate the point I am making.
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As always, I wish you wonderful mental health, happy exercising, and great successes eating healthy foods. If you, or someone you love, is severely depressed or anxious, please click this (link) and you will be directed to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. It is a great resource and is staffed by wonderful people. 
Feel free to send your questions or comments to: