Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for the body. But exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better.
N E W S L E T T E R
THE BRAINS & THE BRAWN HOW EXERC I SE PROMOTES MENTAL HEALTH
ALSO INSIDE
MIND OVER MATTER: CENTRAL GOVERNOR THEORY • PATIENT SUCCESS THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING • EXERCISE ESSENTIALS
N E W S L E T T E R
THE BRAINS & THE BRAWN H O W E X E R C I S E P R O M O T E S M E N T A L H E A L T H
Exercise and ADHD. Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and improve concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention. Exercise and PTSD and trauma. Evidence suggests that by really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise, you can actually help your nervous system become “unstuck” and begin to move out of the immobilization stress response that characterizes PTSD or trauma. Instead of thinking about other things, pay close attention to the physical sensations in your joints and muscles, even your insides as your body moves. Exercises that involve cross movement and that engage both arms and legs—such as walking (especially in sand), running, swimming, weight training, or dancing—are some of your best choices. Outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and skiing (downhill and cross-country) have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD. When you’re under the cloud of an emotional disorder and haven’t exercised for a long time, setting yourself extravagant goals like completing a marathon or working out for an hour every morning will only leave you more despondent if you fall short. Better to set yourself achievable goals and build up from there.
Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for the body. But exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better. Exercise and depression. Maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing. It promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression. Exercise and anxiety. Anything that gets you moving can help, but you’ll get a bigger benefit if you pay attention instead of zoning out. By adding this mindfulness element—really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise—you’ll not only improve your physical condition faster, but you may also be able to interrupt the flow of constant worries running through your head.
A R E Y O U L E T T I N G Y O U R PA I N H O L D Y O U B A C K ? C A L L T O S C H E D U L E Y O U R A P P O I N T M E N T T O D AY !
C E N T R A L G O V E R N O R T H E O R Y OVER MATTER
“I have been going to FitnessLab for well over a year and my wife has been going since they opened. Matt and his staff truly care about helping you move the way you should move. They are friendly, helpful, and provide a ton of services. You can do traditional movement training, exercise, and physical therapy. Go talk to Matt, he’s a great human and he knows what he’s doing. When I started going here, it hurt when I walked because I had plantar fasciitis pretty bad. Now I am moving easier, lifting weights, and able to walk without the pain in my feet.” The central governor theory is a proposed mechanism which takes input information about energetic needs, current physiological states, and various motivational drives to regulate physical exertion and save the body from catastrophic failure (Noakes et al, 2005). The central governor model proposes that the subconscious brain regulates power output to prevent the body from disrupting homeostasis (Weir et al, 2006). During exercise, once the subconscious informs the conscious brain of an increasing neural effort, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) goes up and the body slows down. Variables that signal the subconscious brain of pot tial harm includ environmental temperature, distance and difficulty of the course, and an increase in core temperature, skin temperature, and heart rate. Furthermore, dehydration and blood lactate accumulation can also cause an increase of RPE. The marathon race provides evidence of this. Before the start of the race, athlet s race ‘in Whether you’re a recreational athlete, active for life, or happen to be involved with high performance, most people have heard the phrase, “mind over matter”. As some may question whether or not this is actually true, work by Tucker et al, (2006) and Noakes, (2008) can support this statement from both a physiological and performance perspective. This concept “mind over matter”, is known as the “central governor theory”.
anticipation’ by setting a variable pace at the start dependent in part of the environment and expected difficulty of the course. Furthermore, as the race continues athletes may experience a dip then increase of motor output (running speed) (Noakes, 2008). The purpose of pacing is to allow completion of the task in the most efficient way possible (St. Clair Gibson et al, 2004). Given that the central governor theory proposes that exercise is regulated by the brain, the perception of ones’ state can and may dictate the type of performance they might have. Although strategies to “over-ride” the central governor are under review, an array of modalities have been shown to “trick” the brain and improve athletic performance, these include motivational self-talk (Inzlicht and Marcora, 2016), a carbohydrate mouth rinse (Carter et al, 2004), and a menthol mouth rinse (Stevens and Best, 2017). As for mouth rinses’, the mechanism is similar to motivational self-talk, it has been suggested that oral receptors within the mouth directly stimulate reward centres in the brain. Especially under HARD circumstances, one can expect an increase in motor output and improvement of performance (Chambers et al, 2009). All in all…. Especially during endurance exercise, your mind is going to quit before your body does!!! Push harder and keep going.
References: Carter,J.M.,Jeukendrup,A.E.,&Jones,D.A. (2004a).The effect of carbohydratemouth rinse on 1-h cycle time trialperformance.Medicine andScience inSports andExer- cise, 36(12), 2107–2111. Chambers,E.S.;Bridge,M.W.;Jones,D.A.Carbohydrate sensing in thehumanmouth:Effects on exerciseperformance andbrain activity.J.Physiol. 2009, 587, 1779–1794. Inzlicht,M.,&Marcora,S.M. (2016).TheCentralGovernorModel ofExerciseRegulationTeachesUsPreciousLittle about theNature ofMentalFatigue andSelf-ControlFailure.Frontiers inPsychology, 7(967), 313–6.http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00656 Noakes,T.D. (2008c).Testing formaxi-mum oxygen consumptionhaspro-duced abrainlessmodel ofhuman exerciseperformance.Br.J.SportsMed. 42, 551–555. Noakes,T.D.,StClairGibson,A.,andLambert,E.V. (2005).Fromcatastrophe tocomplexity:anovelmodelof integrativecentralneural regulationofeffortand fatigueduringexercise inhumans:summaryandconclusions.Br.J.SportsMed.39,120–124.doi:10.1136/bjsm.2003.010330 StClairGibsonA,NoakesTD.Evidence for complex system integration anddynamicneural regulation of skeletalmuscle recruitmentduring exercise inhumans.BrJSportsMed 2004;38:797–806. Stevens,C.J.,&Best,R. (2016).Menthol:AFreshErgogenicAid forAthleticPerformance.SportsMedicine, 47(6), 1035–1042.http://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0652-4 TuckerR,MarleT,LambertEV, et al.The rate ofheat storagemediates an anticipatory reduction in exercise intensityduring cycling at a fixed rating ofperceived exertion.JPhysiol 2006;physiological 574 (Pt 3): 905-15 Weir,J.P.,Beck,T.W.,Cramer,J.T.,&Housh,T.J. (2006). Is fatigue all in yourhead?A critical review of the centralgovernormodel.BritishJournal ofSportsMedicine, 40(7), 573–86–discussion 586.http://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2005.023028
PATIENT SUCCESS STORY
GREENWOOD VILLAGE LOCATION IS NOW OPEN! The Fitness Lab is excited to announce our newest location at Greenwood Village inside Viking Power Fitness! Come visit us!
My husband and I started at Fitness Lab in January 2018. During our time working with them, we have truly come to appreciate how professional, meticulous, friendly, and most of all fun they are. I have never been someone who loves to workout, but since I started, I have always looked forward tocoming inandworking with all of the different Fitness Trainers and Physical Therapists. We started out, thinking that we would do this for a few months, and now, it would be very hard for me to not come in 2-3 times a week!
8755 E Orchard Rd #604 Greenwood Village, CO 80111
- Lindsey C.
THE BENE F I TS OF STRE TCH I NG As you age, your muscle tissue actually dries out a little, causing them to tighten. This causes a loss of range of motion in your joints and tissues, which can really limit your active lifestyles and hinder day-to-day, normal motions. Tasks that used to be simple, such as dressing or squatting down to tie your shoes, now become extremely difficult. A regular stretching program helps lengthen your muscles and makes daily living activities much easier. Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. Stretching should be a part of your daily routine, whether you exercise or not. It does not have to involve a huge amount of time, but stretching can end up giving you huge results! Stretching is a natural part of what we do on a daily basis. You might notice that if you have been sitting in a particular position for a long time, you stretch unconsciously. It feels good! In addition to that good feeling, a consistent stretching program will produce large gains in flexibility and joint movement. Be kind to your muscles and they will be kind to you!
HAS YOUR PA I N COME BACK?
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Call us and ask to speak to your therapist.
Your therapist can discuss with you why your pain is bothering you again and what you might do about it at home. If further assessment is warranted, your therapist might recommend you come in for an appointment. NOW ACCEPTING CIGNA INSURANCE Good news! Both Fitness Lab locations are now accepting Cigna insurance for Physical Therapy services.
EXERC I SE ESSENT I AL S USE THIS EXERCISE TO IMPROVE LEG STRENGTH
Lunge Walk Attach tubing to ankles as shown. Begin with a wide stance, knees and hips slightly bent. Perform a partial squat, then walk forward, keeping your legs in a wide stance. Walk 10-12 steps, keeping the tension on tubing throughout the exercise . Alwaysconsult yourphysical therapistor physicianbeforestartingexercisesyouare unsure of doing.
Exercisescopyrightof
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