FITNESS & MENTAL HEALTH

Dale Patterson, B.Sc. KinRecreation Therapist

Mood and Anxiety Disorder Inpatient Program

23 ½ Hours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

Why?• burning off stress• reducing muscle

tension• boosting endorphins

Exercise makes us feel better.

The real reason…

• Exercise gets the blood pumping and then the brain starts functioning at its best

• John Ratey M.D. believes that the whole point of exercise is to build and condition the brain…that the benefits to muscles and the heart & lungs are bonus side effects

Think of the hunter gatherers who came before us…in order to survive, physical prowess and brain power was needed to find and store food.

The link between food, physical activity and learning is integral to our brain.

The problem is we aren’t hunting and gathering anymore…. today most lead a sedentary life.

 Percent

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012CANADA 51.1 51.6 52.3 52.1 52.5

Males 58.6 59.2 60.9 60.1 59.9

Females 43.5 43.9 43.7 44.2 45.0

ONTARIO 51.6 51.4 52.6 52.3 52.9

Males 59.3 58.7 60.9 59.9 60.7

Females 43.9 44.1 44.3 44.8 45.2

Body mass index, overweight or obese, self-reported, adult, by sex, provinces and territories

Source: Statistics Canada, Date modified: 2013-06-17

Percentage diagnosed with diabetes, by sex, household population aged 12 or older, Canada,

2001 to 2010

Source: Canadian Community Health Survey, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.

Our modern sedentary lifestyle

is threatening our very survival.

The effects of a lack of physical

activity and poor nutrition is

making headlines.

Source: cbc.ca/health, October 2, 2013

Exercise 'as good as medicines' in treating disease

The WHO says regular moderate intensity physical activity —

such as walking, cycling or participating in sports — can

reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, colon

and breast cancer, and depression, as well as cutting the

risk of bone fractures and helping to control body weight.

At least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

a week is recommended for adults. But only 53 per cent of

adults achieve this, according to the Canadian Health

Measures Survey.

What are we missing here?

Inactivity is killing our brains too – it’s physically shrinking them

• If we want to keep our brains functioning at

their best, we need to physically move our

bodies – hard.

• Physical activity is critical to how we think

and feel.

• Exercise prepares the brain for learning.

• Exercise affects mood, anxiety and attention

and guards against stress.

The brain responds to exercise like muscles do…growing with use, shrinking with inactivity

What about Neurotransmitters ?• They’re all about communication of thought and

emotions …in the brain.

• About 80% of the signaling in the brain is carried out

by 2 neurotransmitters (glutamate and GABA).

• Psychiatry focuses on a group of neurotransmitters

(serotonin, nor epinephrine and dopamine) that act

as regulators of the signaling process.

• Many drugs used to improve mental health target

one or more of these three neurotransmitters.

NeurotransmittersSerotonin• Influences mood, impulsivity, anger, and

aggressiveness

Nor epinephrine• Often amplifies signals that influence attention,

perception motivation and arousal

Dopamine• Often thought of as the learning, reward

(satisfaction), attention and movement neurotransmitter, takes on sometimes contradictory roles in different parts of the brain.

Exercise increases

levels of the

neurotransmitters:

serotonin

nor

epinephrine

dopamine

growth factors

in the brain

Unlike a drug….exercise manipulates more than one neurotransmitter

And…

Exercise BALANCES

neurotransmitters

Why is This Important?

Exercise releases a flood

of neurochemicals that

physically bolster the

brain’s infrastructure and

can alter the effects of

stress and depression on

the nerve cells in the

brain.

Understanding how physical activity improves brain function may change the way you view

exercise. Your daily exercise routine may become a ‘pull’

rather than a ‘push’ .You’ll want to be physically active.

LIFE IS LIKE A BICYCLE

IN ORDER TO KEEP YOUR BALANCE YOU MUST KEEP MOVING

Exercise and Anxiety

• Instinctively we want to avoid a situation that

makes us feel anxious.

• BUT what if we did the opposite?

• What if we used exercise to help with feelings of

anxiety?

- It would work on both the body and the

brain

Exercise & Anxiety

• It provides a distraction

• It reduces muscle tension

• It builds brain resources

• It teaches a different outcome

• It reroutes your circuits

• It improves your resilience

• It sets you free

Take Away Messages

• Move

• Every day

• It’s good for your brain & your body

• It’s good for your mental health and your

physical health

• Your mind and body are connected

THANK YOU