Exercise Right Week.

This year, the theme is “Movement is Medicine“.
This annual public awareness campaign is for highlighting the benefits of physical activity for both physical and mental health.

It is recommended ALL Australian adults aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity every week. It is also suggested to aim to do strength training exercises at least twice a week. This exercise doesn’t necessarily need to be done at a gym. There’s plenty of ways to get active and the key is to find one that works for you.

My tips for exercising:
1. Find your why, everyone has a why you just need to discover it
2. Make a social commitment
3. Start gradually and built up (you don’t want to be so sore after the first week or get injured)
4. Set goals – both short term (1-2 weeks) and long term (6 months +) and regularly review them and look back on how far you’ve come.
5. Make it part of your daily routine

Exercise, as we know, is beneficial for our mental health. It can even help protect against a decline in mental health. Even short bouts of just 10 minutes have shown to be effective for improving mood! And it doesn’t have to be intense, sweat-inducing exercise either, studies have reported positive effects from light and moderate-intensity exercise, too (Øverland, 2018).

How does exercise help improve our mood?

Doing exercise will:
• Releases norepinephrine, which wakes up the brain and gets it going
• Dopamine gets a boost, improving our mood, feelings of wellness, motivation and jump-starts our attention system
• Increased serotonin improves how we perceive and regulate our emotions (serotonin makes us happy )
• BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) protects our neurons (nerve cells in the brain) against cortisol (stress hormone)
• Improvements in self-esteem (a component of depression), thanks to norepinephrine but also because we feel a sense of accomplishment
• Create a social connection and a sense of community when we exercise in groups

Doing a mix of resistance training and aerobic training is always recommended. Remember, the best type of exercise is the one you actually enjoy doing!

If you’re unsure where to start with exercising or are experiencing pain seek a professional to help you, it’s worth the investment to have a physiotherapist and Strength & Conditioning coach be able to guide you on the most appropriate path and tailor a program to suit your current state. These professionals will be there every step of the way to help you keep achieving your goals, keep you accountable and help you tackle any barriers that get in the way may it be an injury or changes in goals.

You can read more about our strength and conditioning services here

Harvey, S. B., Øverland, S., Hatch, S. L., Wessely, S., Mykletun, A., & Hotopf, M. (2018). Exercise and the prevention of depression: results of the HUNT cohort study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(1), 28-36.