Exercise and Mental Health – Paul O’Neill AEP

The world is a crazy place at the moment. There has been a worldwide pandemic, lockdowns, riots etc. and we are only just over halfway through the year!

People all over the world are being confined to their houses in an effort to ‘reduce the curve’ of Covid19. In some places, such as Queensland, you could argue that this approach has been fairly successful to date. However, there is now another threat that has arisen from the dramatic measures that have been taken. These crazy unsure times have had a massive impact on everyone’s mental health. Rates on depression, anxiety and unfortunately suicide are at an all-time high due to the feeling of helplessness and being so unsure of what the future holds.

Victoria is currently in a second round of lockdown measures and a lot of people around Australia are asking the question ‘when will we be forced to do the same?’ For some people this uncertainty about their lives, jobs and what this means for their families has become a real burden.

So, what does this have to do with exercise and how can regular exercise reduce the impact of these uncertain times on our Physical and Mental health? Exercise can help to decrease the symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, improve the quality of your sleep, help to control weight gain often seen with common medications and reduce the chance of developing chronic disease such as Type II Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease. If you would like to know more about how exercise can help you or if you would like a personalized exercise program, contact us on 0746 383 777.

Please note: If you are currently experiencing deep feelings of anxiety, depression, or thoughts about taking your own life, please get in contact with your GP or a professional that can support you though these times. See the below links for free support services.

Beyondblue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

Kids Help Line: https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/ Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/