Getting Your Daily Dose of Movement
What’s one of the ways your ‘Daily Dose of Movement’ can help you?
Exercise is beneficial for management and prevention of acute and chronic mental illness. It is a fantastic part of your tool belt for managing mental health, as it has been found to increase confidence, self-esteem, quality of sleep, decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety amongst numerous other conditions. Research has found that 12% of cases of depression could be prevented with only 1 hour of exercise per week (Black Dog Institute, 2017)!
The relationship between physical and mental health is very closely tied; when one is impacted, often the other is too. People with hypermobility often have a history of injuries that can contribute to movement fear and avoidance, naturally impacting our mental health. Exercise and physical activity helps manage both physical and mental health and is especially important for anyone living with a chronic condition.
It can be very challenging and daunting to start an exercise program, especially with some of the messages society throws around about exercise and the complex nature of our health. However, the good news for managing mental health is the type of exercise is not so important; it’s about finding what is best for you, what you enjoy doing and making it a consistent part of your lifestyle.
After 8 weeks of exercise and physical activity there is a significant reduction in depressive symptoms, with some benefits being seen even if only completed once a week. Working towards clear goals at an appropriate intensity will help you continue exercising.
How an Exercise Physiologist can help
An Exercise Physiologist, a university qualified exercise professional trained to work with people with complex health conditions, can help you know where and how to get started. They can work with you to find the tools for you to turn your motivation into a lifestyle habit. Exercise Physiologists focus on finding the individualised prescription of exercise that is right for you, like how your doctor may prescribe certain medications. We prescribe movement as medicine.
Some of the many options for exercise and living a physically active life include aerobic and resistance exercise tailored to you, walking outside in a local park or to the shops, take a break from sitting and stand up every 30minutes, start with achievable actions and build physical activity into your life.
At Balanced Bodies Lifestyle Clinic, we have an expert team of Exercise Physiologists that can help you find what works for you and help you increase movement confidence to achieve your ‘daily dose of movement’.
