There is growing research that one of the most effective treatments for various mental health disorders, particularly anxiety and depression is to engage in exercise! Getting out and getting moving is a sure way to have an almost immediate change in your mood. Exercise as we all know has many benefits in reducing stress and in benefiting our general health and well being. To gain this effect, the exercise has to be vigorous enough that our attention is focused on what our body is doing. If I am concentrating on the aerobics teacher , or pedaling up the hill, my mind is not focused on my problems or my stressors . Developing consistent exercise routines is also helpful in developing those character qualities of self discipline, work ethic , confidence, endurance and learning to push through barriers. As you discover that your body is capable of more than you knew it was, this is transferred to other areas of life.
So if you’re stressed, depressed or anxious , how do you get out there and get doing it?
Counseling generally has a focus of helping people become aware of what is going on inside of them; their feelings, desires and values. This is certainly a healthy starting point in making decisions and living life. However when it comes to exercise, on the surface this approach can be counterproductive. Let’s face it, if you’re laying in a warm bed early in the morning and you ask yourself, “What am I feeling about getting out of bed and going for a jog” it’s not hard to imagine what the answer is. “I don’t want to”. To find the motivation, we must get to what is underneath the immediate. Rather than asking ,”Do I want to get out of this bed”, the question to ask yourself is ,” Do I want to be healthy”, or “Do I want to be in shape”, or “Do I want to lose those extra pounds”. Finding our deeper and longer term desires that are underneath the immediate comfort of a warm bed can help get us moving and developing a consisitent exercise routine. If all of this soul searching seems tiring, consider Nike’s effective advertising slogan, don’t think about it too much , “Just do it”.
Setting realistic, short term goals and increasing from there can help the success of an exercise program and prevent discouragement. Enlisting the help of a personal trainer is also a valuable resource. And before starting an exercise program, it is always recommended to check with your medical doctor . So let’s get moving!