Movement
"Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do. Not a punishment for what you ate."
~Women's Health UK
Exercise is a celebration of what our body can do and movement is a valuable tool in the arsenal for achieving mental wellness. In fact, there is a glut of evidence suggesting we need to engage in physical activity in order to be mentally well.
Movement patterns have changed considerably in the modern times with exercise now being a scheduled activity rather than functional. Our movement patterns have changed, and physical activity has decreased, affecting not only our body, but also our mind. Our early ancestors would have had to run, walk for miles, crawl, lift, throw, and climb on a daily basis to survive. We often sit in front of screens for long periods in artificial lighting, both during the day at work, and then in the evening for entertainment. For a healthy, well mind we need to spend quality time outdoors, walking, playing, and moving.
I credit my high level of physical activity as saving me from a breakdown on many occasions. When I am moving my body I can calm my mind, and have found that it is therapeutic to move and sweat.
In my 30s I took up ultra-running, the definition of ultra being distances over a traditional marathon. Ultra-running took my need to move my body to a new place, as many ultra-events take place on trails out in the bush. The rhythmic pounding on undulating terrain gave my mind the meditative environment it needed to be still. I was hooked. I am not a fast runner and so was never at the front of the pack, but that didn’t matter, I felt calm, centred and alive. There was no bipolar voice or mental chaos out on a trail and often, even after 100 kilometres of running outdoors, and with a tired and beaten up body, I would be sad that my quiet time had ended.
Now I am certainly not suggesting you take up ultra-running; it is actually quite pro-inflammatory (and can create havoc for gut health). But I cannot stress the importance of physical activity for a well mind. Studies have reported that exercise is not only beneficial for those with mental illness, but that it is a great strategy for mental wellness, for most.
Any type of movement can be beneficial, and getting outdoors is the best as we know that spending time in nature is therapeutic. There was a recent study that highlights exercise – even just an hour a week, can deliver significant protection against depression. The study followed 33,309 adults for 11 years and concluded that if causality is assumed, and there are no other major cofounders, at least 12 percent of new cases of depression could be prevented if all adults participated in at least one hour of physical activity each week.I would argue that one hour per week is not enough, and that we should use every opportunity available to move our body: regardless this data is encouraging
As with everything, moderation is key. Those for whom excessive physical activity can be harmful are those who suffer tendencies towards the excessive, such as addictive overtraining, or those with exaggerated preoccupation with physical appearance.
Other than those exceptions exercise is beneficial for our mind, as not only does it pump blood to the brain, it also increases connections between the nerves in the brain and increases the size of the hippocampus.
What is of vital importance, especially to those of us aiming for excellent mental health and emotional wellbeing, is that exercise reduces inflammation – chronic inflammation, the kind that is harmful to our mind. It has been reported that just 20–30 minutes of brisk walking can significantly reduce inflammation. We know that people who exercise regularly have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who don’t, and that moderate intensity exercise can be an effective treatment on its own for mental illness.
For your reflection.
What is your favourite type of exercise? Swimming, walking, dancing, surfing, or playing sports?
Conduct your own experiment. Next time you are feeling unwell in your mind force yourself (it may be hard – but just do it as a test) to engage in some form of exercise. Keep it up for 30–40 minutes. Before you walk out the door, record how you feel inside your mind. When you get home go straight to the pen and paper and again record how you feel. I would make a bet that you feel at least 70 percent better than you did before you left.
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AL Dunn, MH Trivedi, HA O'Neal (2001). Physical activity dose-response effects on outcomes of depression and anxiety. Medicine in science and sports and exercise. Vol 33(6) pp. 587-97
SB Harvey, S Øverland , SL Hatch et al. (2018). Exercise and the prevention of depression: results of the HUNT cohort study. American journal of psychiatry. Vol 17 pp 28–36
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S Dimitrov, E Hulteng, S Hong (2017). Inflammation and exercise: Inhibition of monocytic intracellular TNF production by acute exercise via β2-adrenergic activation. Brain, behavior, and immunity. Vol 61 pp. 60-68
Mayo Clinic Staff (2017). Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495. Accessed 2019.07.10.
