October, similar to a few other months, has a number of health initiatives/ fundraising ventures in the name of mental health. All October in Australia is Mental Health Month, 10th October World Mental Health Day and 21st-27th October Sock it to Suicide Week with ESSA focusing on Mental Health during week October 5-13th.
Mental illness and mental health, terms often used interchangeably, do exist on separate continuums. There can be someone who is currently feeling down (poor mental health) and another who is symptom-free and experiencing good mental health could be with living with a long-term mental illness. But no matter whether it’s mental illness or mental health causing the symptoms, it is well known (growing body of evidence) that exercise can help.
Stats:
· Physical inactivity is the cause of approximately 9% of premature mortality worldwide
· The relative risk of death is estimated to be 2.2 times higher in people with mental disorders
· 12% of cases of depression could have been prevented by just one hour of exercise a week
Benefits of exercise:
· improved mood, confidence, self-efficacy
· reduce feelings of depression or anxiety
· counteract side effects of medications (control blood pressure and body weight gain, strengthen muscles)
· as effective as a pharmacological treatment for depressive symptoms
Exercise, when appropriately prescribed, can be an effective and safe treatment for most people with poor mental health or mental illnesses. Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are university qualified professionals equipped with the knowledge to design safe and effective exercise programs for people living with, or at risk of mental health or illness conditions. Both aerobic and resistance exercise can be beneficial, the goal should be to start small and gradually build up time and intensity from there (10-minute bouts are a great place to start).
Thorough evidence-based pre-screening and relevant fitness testing is conducted onsite at our state-of-the-art functional rehabilitation facility to gain an understanding of all the health conditions you are living with, how they impact your life and your current level of fitness. Exercise prescription is individualised based on this information in addition to what your goals are.
It may be recommended to start with supervised sessions at our facility under the experienced eye of our Accredited Exercise Physiologists, Nathan Walker or Scott Howard, or your program can be designed to be performed from home. We utilise a free exercise software program called Physitrack, which can be downloaded to your smart phone or tablet, which gives you the ability to message your therapist directly with feedback about your exercises.
If you want to exercise or know someone who does but aren’t sure how to get started, please book an appointment with one of our AEP’s today. They can help show you how to use exercise to keep your body and mind, happy and healthy in the management of your Mental Health or Illness.
Resources/ Extra reading:
https://exerciseright.com.au/?s=mental+health
