Every single supervisor, client, colleague, intern, or student I've had in the last 8 years has heard me rave about the mental health benefits of being physcially active.
There's a healthy body of research at this point (no pun intended) that indicates exercise can relieve mild mood and anxiety symptoms as easily as medications - and with no expense nor side effects.
It always boggles my mind to speak with people who never break a sweat and live on Hot Cheetos-yet they can't seem to figure out why they don't feel well!
Of course exercise is just one aspect of health- a person in optimal health also needs to make time for social connections, meaningful work, a larger community, a healthy diet, and family. We're all constrained by the budget of both time and funds in how we exercise.
Even a short brisk walk break around a building during the workday is beneficial. At public schools we gave kids pedometers and reminded them to aim for 2000 steps a day- doesn't matter if those steps are taken in the home, at school, at the store, just MOVE. As a frugal graduate student I used to do yoga videos in my living room.
A colleague invited me to join in a relay sprint triathlon when I was on my final pre doctoral internship and struggling to complete my dissertation. The camraderie and sheer joyful fun of running and biking, swimming and sweating turned out to be a powerful mental boost. Indeed it built confidence and energy at a time when both had been flagging. Since then I've "graduated" to 5K runs, 10K's, half marathons, full spring triathlons, and a 194 mile team relay.
I haven't participated in a triathlon for a few years now, mostly due to the expense of the gear and my limited availability for training. Yet I always think about the experience fondly- the incredible thrill of competing against myself, and facing new challenges at every hard won step. Mind you, these were mere sprint distance triathlons, but the rewards of completing a once impossible-sounding goal went far beyond the physical. What was even more inspirational, was seeing dozens upon dozens of competitors who were significantly older than I am, and some youngsters too. It is never too late, nor too early to get out there and do your best.
I recently attended a presentation By Dr. Cory Nyamora about the Therapist's role in reducing Childhood Obesity, and found it very timely. The United States is facing a health epidemic of childhood obesity that threatens a painful future for far too many kids.
I wish all these children had someone to guide them & teach them that their bodies are not the enemy! Children have an inherent exuberance that tends to get dampened by too many days sitting in school chairs, and too many hours zoning on TV or video games. Yet kids respond well to new adventures. They need guidance to push themselves into learning their hidden potentials, to learn that after the intial discomfort-exercise becomes a natural high.
Dr. Nyamora runs a program that I wish I could enroll all our client families into: Fit Family Triathlon Team. It's 12 week program with kids 8-14 years old that readies them (and a parent or two) for a California Kids' Triathlon. Every Saturday the families go on fun outings to lose weight and build strength while spending quality time with family and new friends.
For more information about Fit Family Triathlon Team & Dr. Cory Nyamora:
Interested in a starter Sprint Triathlon? A couple great local races for newbies:
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