Build a Strong Body, Gain a Strong Mind

By Lynette; CFT, FT, CLFC, FNC 

Build a strong body; gain a strong mind, is this possible?  I had to giggle the other day while discussing exercise with my friend, he said this to me, “You think that exercise is the cure-all don’t you?”  Well, it won’t “cure-all”, but it will improve your physical and mental health drastically, it really will!  I wanted to share this article with you because it is a very important and personal subject to me.  Everyone needs to know the true benefits of having a healthier, happier, more emotionally sound life by including exercise into your daily life.  Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, detoxifying the body, decreasing stress and giving you that viable energy to regain control of your life. 

Now I know for most, including myself, we all have had some type of depression at one point, or two, in our lives.  I will expose personal aspects of my life that most do not know about me, just to let you know how serious I am to encourage you to exercise.  I have not had the best life, now days who really does? My depression began at a critically young age; honestly I could not tell you exactly when it started.  At the age of 18 years old I went to see my doctor.  I know that my mother was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, I believe back in the late 1970’s, and unfortunately I lost her to suicide at the age of 9-months old.  When I went to my doctor and told her of my mother’s diagnosis, and I thought that maybe I had inherited the same disorder because anything, and everything I did, I was always depressed.  I even avoided people; I had a severe case of anxiety and social anxiety.  So she took my blood and immediately put me on Paxil.  Can doctors really see from my blood sample if I have Bipolar Disorder or Anxiety with Depression?  I did not question it at the time, but now I think of how vulnerable I was.  From that first time I went in to the doctors’ office, I had tried:  Paxil, Wellbutrin; Effexor; Lithium; and Zoloft.  Do you think that any of those prescriptions worked for me?  Nope, absolutely not, and in my own opinion solely, I believe they made me worse off, but I do encourage you to really talk it over with your doctor. 

I have always been very active, since I was able to walk.  I have been in love with dance and exercise for as long as I can remember.  But from the age of 16 years old (really around the time I quit the dance team, plus stopped exercising on a regular basis and not being involved with sports), I just let depression and anxiety take control of my life.  Than when I was 21 years old I made an incredible change to my life, met my wonderful husband, and started attending Group Fitness Classes.  I felt so much better!  I first started at the back of class, hoping that no one would see me, to 3 years after teaching Step Aerobics, Turbo Kick, Body Sculpt and so much more!  For those who know me, you are probably surprised; this is why I am inspired to help others discover the emotional benefits of exercise!   Now I know many of you ladies will agree with me on this one, we are not always happy with our body image.  Am I right?  What can we do to improve how we feel about our body image?  Yes, you got it, exercise!  Strength training may be our answer for self treatment! 

Researchers have solid proof of improvement in the way women feel about their physique in studies conducted.  Participants consisted of 28 men and 16 women, average age of 21 years old and all had been sedentary for six months or longer, (physically active for less than two days per week).  Before they began, they were asked in a survey to describe how they felt about their body image.  They also wrote down how anxious they felt about others evaluating their bodies, how satisfied they were (or weren’t) with their bodies, along with measuring body fat, muscularity, and strength.  All participants did strength training five days per week, for 12 weeks, under a trainers’ supervision. For the men participants, body image improved because they felt better doing the strength training, so they did not to see the conclusive results at the end of the 12-weeks.  For women, they got a substantial boost in the way they looked at themselves.  They also noted that they felt more confident, in control and emotionally sound. A 2005 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that moderate aerobic workouts, done three to five times weekly, cut mild to moderate depression symptoms nearly in half.  The studies don’t lie!  Does this not inspire you yet?  I hope that it will help you talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program, or for those who are already committed, I hope this motivates you even more!   So are you experiencing depression, or recovering?  Feeling low about the way you look?  I know you feel pretty exhausted and the last thing you may want to do is put your gym shoes on.  Try for at least a month, please, I beg you to just try it.  Here are a few tips to help you:

 ·        Start slow. Don't try to jump right in to it! That will just leave you sore and frustrated. Instead, gradually progress; quality, not quantity.  Start by exercising just for a short period of time -- a few minutes or more -- only a few days of the week. Don't do more than that for a week or two. Slowly build up to exercising for half an hour or more, four days a week.

·        Break it up. You don't have to get all of your physical activity in a single stretch or with one activity. Many people prefer doing smaller sessions of exercise during the day and varying the types of exercise.  Three 15 minute walks are as good as one 45 minute walk.

·        Pick something you enjoy. This advice may seem obvious. But a lot of people choose a sport not because they like it, but because they think that it will be good for them, or burn the most calories. If you treat exercise like a bitter medicine -- unpleasant but good for you -- you probably won't stick with it. Remember that there are a lot of activities to choose from, and they can be enjoyable: swimming in a local pool, using home fitness equipment in front of the TV, going for hikes, or taking a fun exercise class. Try different types of physical activity until you find one that you really like doing.

 ·        Exercise with other people. Solo physical activity is sometimes hard to stick to - it makes it easier to decide not to do it at that moment. But if you have a plan to exercise with someone else, you might feel more committed. So seek out an exercise partner. Make a date to walk with a neighbor at a specific time, on specific days. Or start up a regular tennis game with a friend. Many people find that structured classes -- like aerobics or yoga -- also help them stick with a program and together building your emotional health!

·        Get more everyday physical activity. Try adding a little extra physical activity whenever and wherever you can during your daily routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little further away from your workplace, so you can sneak in some extra walking. Stuff your remote control under a couch cushion and get up to change the channel. Over time, little changes to your behavior can add up to a big improvement in your health!  So what sounds better to you, Prescriptions that will cost you a fortune or an easier, inexpensive way to self treat with your own two feet and have fun in the process?  Don’t suffer anymore, you are worth so much to me and you’ve had the key for mental wellness this whole time, let’s get up and start today! 

Empowering you with the knowledge, tools and training for complete wellness!   

Your Health. Your Commitment. Your Results.

My Exercise Coach

La Grande, Oregon

541-805-5804