May Mental Health & Exercise

May 21, 2019 | 4 minutes 02 seconds

Transcript

Megan:

Welcome to an HMC HealthWorks Podcast: Focus on Mental Health and Exercise. I am Megan Stokowski, and with me today is certified health coach and licensed clinical psychologist with HMC HealthWorks, Dr. Stephanie Straeter.

Stephanie:

Hi, everybody. It’s a pleasure to be here with you all today and to speak about the benefits of exercise. As a therapist and a coach, I’ve observed how much exercise benefits my clients’ mental and physical health, as well as my own.

Megan:

Well, then, Dr. Straeter, in your experience, how does exercise benefit all of our mental health?

Stephanie:

Well, Megan, the research today reveals that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression, as well as antidepressant medication. And studies also show that exercising regularly can prevent you from relapsing.

Stephanie:

A story about a client who was struggling with symptoms of mild depression comes to mind for me. In addition to the symptoms, she wasn’t sleeping. She was having a hard time handling changes at work, and in general, she felt overwhelmed by her duties as a wife and mother. And she felt, in addition to the therapy, she should go back on her psychotropic medication. So the plan was that I would have psychiatry referrals for her the next time we spoke.

Stephanie:

A couple weeks later, when we spoke, she sounded like a completely different person. She was upbeat and positive, and she shared that after we spoke about the importance of self-care last time, she realized that she hadn’t been working out, due to being busy. So over the last couple of weeks, she had resumed her regular workouts and was feeling so much better that she no longer felt she needed to go back on her antidepressant medication.

Megan:

Wow, what a powerful story. Why is it that exercise is so effective at minimizing symptoms of depression and anxiety?

Stephanie:

Because it facilitates all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and wellbeing, as well as reducing inflammation in the body. It also releases powerful feel-good chemicals in your brain, those endorphins and other natural chemicals that can enhance your sense of wellbeing.

Stephanie:

Another thing to think about when you’re exercising is doing it mindfully, because it can serve as a healthy distraction, taking your mind off your worries and away from the cycle of negative thoughts that fuel depression and anxiety. And the key here is being present while exercising, versus checking out. For example, noticing the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, your alignment, and the quality of your breathing. By being mindful, you’ll improve your physical condition faster.

Megan:

Well, those are enough benefits of exercise to get us all out there doing something regularly, I think.

Stephanie:

Yes.

Megan:

So are there any other exercise benefits for mental health conditions?

Stephanie:

Yes. It helps people to better manage their symptoms of ADHD and PTSD and trauma. And Megan, when it comes to managing your mental health, one of the standards of care would be keeping a symptom journal. It’s really an important tool, because your journal entries will give you feedback on how exercise is benefiting your life, as well as help you spot if the support of a therapist and/or antidepressant medication is still needed.

Megan:

Well, that’s a great reminder. Thank you, Dr. Straeter, again, for joining us and sharing with us your expertise. Thanks, everyone for listening in, and stay tuned for more HMC HealthWorks podcasts.