By: Mollie Busino, LCSW
Some of you might know that my dream has always been to connect physical fitness with therapy..some might even have heard me say I would build a gym attached to our offices one day if ever possible!
Why is there such a valuable connection between fitness and mental health??
First is fitness has such powerful impacts on one’s mental health..It is no secret that if we do not care for our physical bodies that our minds and moods suffer. Have you ever felt like you were mentally thriving while your physical wellbeing was suffering? There is ongoing research that demonstrates how exercise increases dopamine and decreases anxiety and depression. This can be felt in the frequent “high” or energy boost that individuals experience right after they exercise. We also often feel valuable and worthy when we prioritize meeting our needs such as our physical needs.
Another benefit of fitness on our mental health often neglected to be acknowledged is the increase of empowerment and mental resilience that can result. I had the amazing and fortunate privilege of working with a handful of Crossfit Athletes for a chunk of time I have had the practice. These individuals were incredible athletes that had and continued to challenge their minds and bodies in such remarkable ways. They also had a true understanding of the mental strength that was needed to achieve their fitness goals. In other words, they often knew that they had to BELIEVE first that they could do the Clean & Jerk (a common Crossfit exercise) before they could achieve it. This belief came from visualizing themselves successfully do the exercise, encouragement from their community , and not focusing on the possibility of not completing the task. Doesn’t this all sound like the skills needed to face and work thru most of life challenges?
Exercise also is a way to practice distress tolerance.
We all know that exercise often creates discomfort in our bodies such as muscle tightening, stretching, etc. However, most do not just stop abruptly as soon as they feel the muscular discomfort rather they accept the feeling and continue to exercise despite the discomfort. Many of life’s challenges or unhealthy behaviors involve a lower tolerance for distress. For example, anxiety can be related to not tolerating the distress connected with the uncertainty of the future or discomfort of not having control. Depression is also at times connected to one’s limited tolerance of accepting their past or parts of their life that they cannot change. Self medicating can be a focus on numbing one’s distress/deep pain. If an individual practices the distress/discomfort tolerance while exercising then they are more likely to tolerate emotional discomfort too.
Have you ever gone into a fitness class and heard the instructor offering words of discouragement??? The answer here is probably “No”! That is because the instructor understands the power of positive words. Often those instructor’s words are what allows the participants to spin faster, lift more, or challenge themselves in other ways. As one experiences those encouraging words as a proponent of their personal fitness progress then they will ultimately have them also filed in their mind for future challenges they must work thru outside the gym.
Breathing techniques are frequently a component of exercise.
We use the flow of breath to center and ground ourselves in yoga. Certain breathing techniques are used to support olympic type lifting. Developing an awareness of breath during exercise supports the mindfulness one may have of their breath during emotionally charged situations and how to utilize to calm oneself.
As you can see- fitness and mental health are intricately connected in so many ways.
So- make sure to include in your schedule this week both your individual therapy session and yoga, spin, kickboxing, or a great WOD!
Counseling Hoboken; Mollie Busino, LCSW, Director of Mindful Power. Mollie has had extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Fertility Counseling, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Her work focuses on Anxiety, Depression, Anger Management, Career Changes, OCD, Relationship, Dating Challenges, Insomnia, & Postpartum Depression and Anxiety.
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