I have been exercising for years and I think it’s important. My husband sometimes gives me a hard time and thinks that I place too much importance on it. He thinks that I’m too focused on how I look. He asks, “Who are you trying to impress?” I explain…it’s not all about how I look; it’s about how I feel. “It’s cheaper than therapy”, I tell him.
I like this article because it seems to validate what I have felt for years but could never really articulate. As I’ve gotten older I have felt myself become more anxious in certain situations and now I wonder what I’d be like if I exercise wasn’t a part of my daily life.
This article states that exercise is not only good for the body but it is extremely important for the mind and has been shown to be more successful in treating depression than medication. The exercise that you chose doesn’t have to be something that is extremely regimented. Just find something that you enjoy and do it. Exercise doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
This article was written in 2007 but states that even though the benefits of exercise have been shown to be so positive; it is still not widely accepted in the medical community as an important form of treatment. Drugs are more widely accepted as a treatment for anxiety and depression than exercise. Crazy!!!
I strongly agree with the author that the medical community and fitness industry could make a very positive impact by coming together to help people with mental illness. Perhaps physical activity can be something that is prescribed but also facilitated by physicians, insurance companies, and gyms in order to ensure the positive benefits of exercise for patients with physical and especially mental illness.
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