Exercise is Therapy

 by Brian Warriner

            Exercise is something that people dread. I know when I think of exercise, I think about working out and going to the gym. I am not one for any of that. However, something is telling me that it would be good for my mental health to get up and work out. There is just one thing: I have medical issues that require me to work within certain limits. I would have to start with physical therapy before I could go to the gym and work out. It would take time before I could get into any physical shape. Plus, I am unfamiliar with what to do, what a rep is, what counts as a rep, or what a cycle is. I am just lost in the dark, so that I can do it right and be consistent with the workouts. There is so much that I do not know when it comes to exercising. However, I could get a trainer and learn from them. The big problem is I love food too much to give up certain things to lose weight.

            However, think about exercise as part of your mental health treatment. Some studies have shown that incorporating exercise into your mental health routine can improve your well-being. There are mental, physical, and biological improvements that occur when you include exercise as part of your therapy or treatment.

The Types of Exercise

            When you start working out, you can work with a trainer to help you with meal plans, customized workouts, and help with meal prep. Now I am just talking about the basics of what I found through my research. Moreover, as it will be New Year’s, many people set their resolutions to lose weight, get in better shape, and make other lifestyle changes. I am talking in basic terms to help you incorporate exercise for your mental health purposes.

            Aerobic exercise involves activities that use oxygen to produce energy during sustained physical activity. The activities include walking, running/ jogging, cycling, swimming, jump rope, Zumba, cardio kickboxing, strength circuit, stationary bike, and elliptical (Chertoff, 2018). When you are using aerobic exercise, the duration should be 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. You do not need to do this in one day. Break it down into smaller tasks throughout the week (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). I have created a walking schedule for myself to help build up my strength and stamina for participating in charity walks. I would gradually increase by five minutes during the following weeks. This tends to be easier on you if you are moving forward with exercise.

            Anaerobic exercise involves activities that use glucose for energy, featuring high-intensity, heart-pumping exercises performed for a short time. These kinds of activities include weightlifting, sprinting, rope battle, sledgehammer tyre slam, and ballistic training (13 Best Examples of Anaerobic Exercise, 2021). When you include these exercises in your mental health treatment, you can feel the results. Again, you should never perform 150 minutes of moderately intense or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity during the week. However, one must spread the activities throughout the week. Otherwise, you will injure yourself, and that would make you go in the opposite direction. Benefits of anaerobic exercise include enhanced muscle strength, increased bone strength, improved nerve function, cardiovascular health benefits, a strengthened respiratory system, reduced fatigue, increased energy, balanced hormones, boosted immunity, and improved blood sugar regulation. This also helps with your mental health as it releases endorphins and the feel-good hormones that get you to come back.

The Benefits of Exercise as Part of Your Therapy

            Once you incorporate exercise into your therapy or treatment, you will start to feel the benefits of working out. Benefits include improved mood, enhanced cognitive function, better sleep, increased energy, better physical health, enhanced social interaction, and stress relief (Using Exercise in Mental Health Treatment (Guide)| Therapist Aid, 2015). As well as boosting blood flow, it stimulates nerve growth and improves depressive symptoms (Ducharme, 2023).

            When you add exercise to your therapy/ treatment, it is not just for mental health. This does help decrease the recurrence of depressive and anxiety symptoms. For recovering people with a substance use disorder, it decreases the chances of relapses and the cravings for the drug of choice. It is recommended for recovering addicts to add exercise to their recovery for this reason. Suppose you are recovering from an eating disorder. In that case, it has been proven to improve treatment outcomes for eating disorders like binge eating (Using Exercise in Mental Health Treatment (Guide)| Therapist Aid, 2015).

            Getting started in exercising is difficult, especially if you are new to it. Finding the motivation to get up and do it. I think those who have incorporated a workout into their lives start like this, even if they have been doing it for some time. Finding motivation to get up and go to the gym. I hear so many who work out regularly say, “I am trying to find the motivation to go work out.” However, they find the motivation and energy to get up and prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional health.

            In conclusion, when you include exercise in your mental health treatment, you are giving yourself a chance to enhance the treatment you are employing. Whether that is psychotherapy, journaling, and exercise, you might start to feel better. I would always recommend that you discuss this with your mental health provider and a trainer, and make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to your treatment. From there, plan what works and what does not, and adjust accordingly. However, give yourself a break as you are trying to figure something new out. It will take time to start something new. As we enter a new year, you may start your New Year’s resolutions, give yourself a break, and avoid jumping in headfirst—one step at a time.

 

 

References

Chertoff, J. (2018, May 3). 10 Aerobic Exercise Examples: How to, Benefits, and more.

            Healthline; Healthline Media.

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/aerobic-exercises-examples#aerobic-classes

Cleveland Clinic. (2023, August 15). Aerobic Exercise. Cleveland Clinic.

            https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7050-aerobic-exercise

13 Best Examples of Anaerobic Exercise. The Fitness Phantom. (2021, January 22).

            https://thefitnessphantom.com/examples-of-anaerobic-exercises

Using Exercise in Mental Health Treatment (Guide) | Therapist Aid. (2015).

            http://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-guide/exercise-and-mental-health-treatments

Ducharme, J. (2023, February 17). Adding Exercise to Therapy May Make It More

            Effective. Time. https://time.com/6255359/exercise-during-therapy-effective/