Could Exercise Be the Best Way to Treat Mental Health?

There is no debate over exercise being part of a healthy lifestyle. This is hugely important as too many people are not as active as they could be. In the past, there have been studies that have shown exercises like lifting weights can help with depression, while cardiovascular workouts can lower feelings of anxiety and just in general that movement of any kind can help alleviate mental health issues. In a recent study conducted by the University of Vermont Medical Centre, however, the report that all movement can alleviate mental health issues was looked at more closely. The results were that physical activity should be prescribed to mental health patients as a precursor treatment before psychiatric drugs are administered.

What Was the Study and the Theory Behind it?

The research comes hot on the tail of the increasing understanding of the long-lasting problems associated with pharmacological treatment options such as SSRIs. Anti-depressant drugs are known to diminish in their effectiveness in time, with the patients who take them becoming addicted and suffering more of the ill effects of taking them than the actual benefits. Mental health prescriptions are very much guesswork rather than based on hard science often. In the recent study we want to discuss, a psychotherapist and lecturer based at the university, David Tomasi and Emily Reyns and Sheri Gates, designed and constructed a gym for around 100 members from the inpatient psychiatry unit to use. The unit became the first to offer exercise as the primary treatment. When most often it is offered as a secondary treatment to drugs if it’s even offered at all.

What Were the Results?

What was discovered was amazing. The patients were given structured exercise plans of 60 minutes that featured cardio, flexibility training and strength training and around 95% of participants reported that they felt much better. 63% reported they were either very happy or happy rather than feeling neutral, sad or very sad. Most impressive of all was the fact that 91.8% said they were pleased with their bodies. Whereas in the past the attitude in medicine was to treat the main problems first, exercise was never considered to be the main treatment. Now that it has been proven to be effective it can become as crucial a part as prescription drugs.

Why is there a Disconnect Between Treating the Body and Mind Together?

Why has it gotten so bad that we don’t realise the connection between the two? It is thought that the split in our body from our mind is partly responsible. Humans suffer a significant dissociation between psychology and physical movement and many of us now believe you can treat problems related to your brain separately from treating your body.

Final Thoughts

It should be noted that the people involved in that study are not suggesting there should be a complete abandonment of psychotropic medication. Not for the time being anyway. Rather, the integration of gyms with psychiatric facilities should be followed through on so more testing can be conducted. There should be a priority to provide strategies that are more natural when treating anxiety, depression and mood disorders. It is not about fusing body and mind, but just the realisation that you can’t function properly without one or the other.

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About Paul Wallace

Personal trainer of 15 plus years and creator of FT-Fit one of Glasgow’s largest fitness classes