Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

As we wrap up the month of May and head into summer, it’s important to reflect on this past Mental Health awareness month. About 18% of Americans suffer from mental health symptoms and are working towards strategies for attaining healing and wellness. Exercise can play such a crucial part in our mental health, mood, mindset, and energy levels. Especially after the trauma and uncertainty we’ve all faced in a Covid world, movement is key! For this blog, Core (LP) has teamed up with Southfield’s own Licensed Professional Counselor Jennifer Morris, M.A. LPC NCC to talk all things mental health and exercise!

What is the Mind-Body Connection?

The mind and body are completely intertwined. Has your stomach ever hurt when you’re feeling stressed or anxious? That is your mind and body communicating through hormones and neurotransmitters. The great thing about exercise, is it increases blood circulation to our brain and talks with the parts of our brain that control motivation/mood (limbic system), memory (hippocampus), and fear response to stress (amygdala). It exposes more oxygen and nutrients to your brain along with proteins that keep your neurons healthy and able to grow. Studies have shown that physical activity and exercise leads to improved mood, self-image, social skills, cognitive functioning, successful substance abuse treatment and reductions in anxiety and “Type A” personality tendencies.

What are Obstacles that Keep People with Mental Health Symptoms from Exercising?

Usually the hardest part is just getting started. However, once people do start, other obstacles can stand in their way like lack of support, making unrealistic/unattainable goals, all-or-nothing thinking, and not considering a routine that will fit their current lifestyle. Jennifer recommends the following:

1. Find a workout buddy or someone who supports your goals. Someone who will motivate you!

2. Set realistic goals that feel easy to start. Try exercising once a week to start vs. five days. This builds confidence and positivity for you to continue reaching your goals. From there, add on.

3. Exercise, food, and bathing all impact energy levels. People can become tired or energized by all three, so make sure you place them at appropriate times of the day to maximize productivity. (i.e. If you are too tired after work, plan to go to bed earlier and get up in the morning!)

4. PROGRESS IS NOT LINEAR! You cannot undo progress. Read that again. You cannot undo progress. Everything you do allows you to grow. Growth is made slowly over time so focus on ways to make your goals achievable in the long-run. Life is not a sprint to the finish, but a scenic walk!

My Struggles with Mental Health & Exercise

As someone with an extreme tendency towards being Type A, this hit home with me. Growing up I was a very active basketball player from elementary through high school. Once I got to college, as many of us do, my connection to exercise and fitness took a nose dive. I quickly found myself gaining weight and feeling more lethargic than ever. As the stress and anxiety from huge class loads, working part-time, and club responsibilities continued to rise, I knew something had to change. By my last year at MSU (Go Green!) I found exercise and loved how much my energy levels and mood boosted. Yet as I continued weight lifting and doing hit style classes, I noticed that my abs never felt strong (or defined). As someone with two parents that suffer from back/neck imbalances, I knew I had to get serious about strengthening my core. Cue the Megaformer.

When I stumbled upon the Megaformer studio while training for my first half marathon, I couldn’t believe how much, and how quickly, my ab strength improved. But not only that, it was the only time in my life that I was able to completely block out the noise of the outside world and tune into my mind body connection. Working out on the Megaformer became my outlet for stress and has kept my anxiety at bay. To this day if I feel overly stressed or anxious, I hop on the Megaformer and get a boost of endorphins from the experience.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when everything closed, I realized just how important exercise and the Megaformer was to my mental health. It reminded me that movement is key to a happier body and mind.

Thinking of speaking to a Licensed Professional Counselor? Find out more about Jennifer & her Harry Potter Therapy HERE! Do you notice a change in your mental health when you exercise? Tell us what works for you in the comments.

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