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Liz Clark President and CEO, IHRSA Victor Brick’s report in HCM discussing the findings of the John W Brick Mental Health Foundation’s Move Your Mental Health Report is timely and particularly relevant for the entire health and fitness industry (www.hcmmag.com/VictorBrick). Our industry has a crucial role to play in supporting those with mental health issues and challenges, by providing a safe, positive community for consumers to improve their mental wellness through movement. As Victor notes in HCM, the pandemic has escalated the mental health crisis – the state of people’s mental health and wellbeing has plummeted globally, with one in five US adults (www.hcmmag.com/USadults) and one in six European adults (www.hcmmag.com/Europeanadults) suffering from a mental health issue. The first step forward in initiating change is to encourage anyone 12
Issue 5 2022 ©Cybertrek 2022
photo: IHRSA / STEPHEN GOSLING
The top reason respondents say they exercise is to feel better mentally
struggling with their mental health to get physically active – go outside, go for a walk, ride a bike, or join your local health club to partake in physical activity with a community of people. Building relationships with those in the fitness community can also combat anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The increasing public awareness of the mental health benefits of exercise means now is an opportune moment for the fitness industry to step up its services and programmes. For far too long, mental health has carried a social
stigma. It’s time for our industry to work together, sharing knowledge and best practice, to normalise mental health and recognise it as another element of overall wellness that needs to be cared for. Prescribing physical activity to decrease economic burdens Along with improving global mental health and wellness, increasing physical activity levels can relieve worldwide healthcare burdens by mitigating long-term social and economic costs. Research shows that billions could be saved on yearly
