mental health column
By Brad Ridenour
Exercise Your Way to Good Mental Health
D
id you do a double-take when you read the article’s title? Exercise!?! (I hear some reader’s sound like former NFL coach Jim Mora when he reacted to a question from a reporter about playoffs. “Playoffs!?!... you kiddin’ me?”) For some, the mere mention of the word “exercise” induces a stress reaction; those who wonder how it is possible that exercise could be beneficial to mental health. Please read on. The link between physical health functioning and behavioral health is well documented. A sobering fact is individuals with chronic mental health and substance use problems die 25 years younger than the average population. While it is true that some of this difference in life expectancy is
Now, how is it that good physical health improves mental health functioning? Aerobic exercise, the kind of exercise that gets one’s heart rate up for a period of time, does two amazing things for your body.
due to the prevalence of suicide and drug overdoses, these causes of death account for only a fraction of the life-expectancy age discrepancy. So, how is it poor behavioral health is taking so many lives prematurely? Consider these common examples that lead to early death:
1. Chronic anxiety often leads to high blood pressure a factor which contributes to heart disease.
2. Depression is often associated with low energy, reduced/slowed movement and increased appetite. This trifecta of symptoms often leads to being overweight/obese which contributes to Type II Diabetes.
CEO of Clark Community Mental Health Center and a Licensed Professional Counselor
Exercise causes the release of feel good chemicals that also help reduce pain. Some long-distance runners speak of a “runner’s high.” It is the flow of endorphins and endocannabinoids that bring the runner to this point. Exercise decreases the production of cortisol and other hormones involved in stress reactions. In combination, the increase of the “endos” and decrease of stress hormones helps to elevate overall mood.
YOU ARE VALUABLE. You deserve to give yourself the longest, happiest life possible; exercise is one of many self-help tools you can use to give yourself just that.
CC ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 39
