Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

The Pinecone | February 2021 • 5 • MENTAL HEALTH Exerc i se and Mental Health & Mental Illness Defined Mental Health: “A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Mental Illness: “Health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or dysfunction.” Most Common Mental Health Issues • Depression • Anxiety • Stress How Poor Mental Health Affects Your Body • Changes in your brain chemistry can also have a big effect on your body. • Mental health issues contribute to a wide array of physical problems that affect everything from your heart to your immune system • Changes in the brain have an effect on many of the body’s system; i.e. low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin can alter your pain threshold • Mental health issues increase your risk of illness because of increasing levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline • Mental health issues can affect the immune system making it harder for the body to fight infection. How Exercise Improves Mental Health • Help reduce anxiety symptoms and improve mood • Help keep anxiety from coming back once you’re feeling better • Release feel-good brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, endorphins) • Reduces immune system chemicals that can worsen depression • Increase body temperature which may have calming effects • Help you gain confidence • Take your mind off of worries • Get more social interaction • Cope with anxiety/depression symptoms in a healthy way How Much Exercise/ What Types Are Best for Mental Health • 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for 3-5 days a week – Even just 10-15 minutes at a time • Do what type of exercise you like best: walking, NuStep, gardening, exercise bicycle, aerobics, yoga, etc. – Anything that gets you off the couch and moving is the exercise that can help improve your mood Getting Started and Staying Motivated • Identify what you like doing: find out what type of exercise you like doing and you will be more likely to do it • Set reasonable goals: think realistically and set small goals in the beginning • Don’t think of exercise as a chore: view your exercise time as your time to yourself • Address your barriers: find out things that get in your way of exercising and find alternatives and ways around these barriers • Prepare for setbacks and obstacles: give yourself credit for every step in the right direction. If you miss exercise one day, don’t be hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a new day How Therapy Can Help • Therapists can help you find the right exercise for you to manage physical and mental signs and symptoms • Define an adequate and specialized program to fulfill your needs • Help you perform exercise safely and correctly • Help you improve your independence and quality of life