INSPO Magazine September 2019

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Do you exercise to IMPROVE YOUR MOOD? There are many reasons for tying your shoelaces to hit the gym or pavement. Individuals exercise to be out in nature and breathe fresh air, to lose weight and get fit for an overseas holiday, or to keep up with the grandkids and reduce the risk of chronic disease. An often overlooked outcome of engaging in physical activity is the impact that it has on mental health and wellbeing. BY KRISTINA DRILLER When we exercise endorphins are released. These little messengers for our brain make us feel good, reduce perception of pain, improve feelings of pleasure and give us a natural buzz. Exercise has a huge effect on our physiology. It affects every cell of our bodies and not only improves outcomes for individuals with chronic disease, but also mental health. Mental illness and mental health can be confused. All of us have mental health and we can experience poor mental health (feeling down), or good mental health (feeling happy) at any point in time. Feeling down or experiencing poor mental health doesn’t necessarily mean a person is experiencing a mental illness. In the same vein, someone with mental illness maybe symptom free and experiencing good mental health. Irrespective of where someone is on this gamut, exercise has repeatedly been shown to play a key role in the treatment of mental health, alongside standard care. Exercise & Sport Science Australia (ESSA) states that 12 percent of depression cases could have been prevented by exercising for just one hour a week. This highlights that even one workout or session a week can have benefits for mental health. Finding a type of exercise that works for you is important, along with remembering that doing something is better than nothing1. People with mental health disorders have a 2.2 times higher risk of death than the general population. This is attributed to physical health problems more so than the mental health issues1. We know that people experiencing mental illness have lower levels of engagement in exercise2, which puts them at a greater risk of having a chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or obesity, thus increasing their risk of early mortality. Sharing the why of how physical activity will make you feel good and improve your mood can be the key motivator for some individuals to move more. Improving mood, sleep, focus and concentration, and reducing stress and anxiety are all beneficial effects of exercise on human physiology. In conjunction with standard care for mental illness and mental health, we can create change for ourselves and those around us when we create active lifestyle habits for a healthier and happier future. KRISTINA DRILLER A specialist in exercise rehabilitation and chronic disease management, Kristina Driller is a sport and rehab consultant at UniRec and uses “exercise as medicine”. Kristina has a wealth of experience spanning eight years and provides expert advice in chronic disease management and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. 1. Exercise & Sport Science Australia. (2018). Exercise Mental Health eBook. Retrieved from https://exerciseright.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Exercise-Mental-Health-eBook_LR.pdf 2. Rosenbaum, S., Hobson-Powell, A., Davison, K., Stanton, R., Craft, L., Duncan, M., … Ward, P. (2018). The Role of Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity in Closing the Life Expectancy Gap for People with Mental Illness. An International Consensus Statement by Exercise and Sports Science Australia, American College of Sports Medicine, British Association of Sport and Exercise Science, and Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 3(10), 72–73. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/acsm-tj/Pages/default.aspx 16 INSPO SEPTEMBER 2019
Active tips for the TIME POOR While the benefits of moving are unquestionable, sometimes it can be a struggle to fit it all in. So before you exchange your exercise session for being sedentary, try keeping active without even the need for a structured session. Active commuting Active commuting, like cycling or walking, has all the benefits of a standalone workout except that some of the time would be spent commuting anyway. While it’s not suitable for long distance travelers, even walking to a further away bus stop or walking on days where the weather is better can be an option. Need more convincing? A study of more than 2000 participants in the UK showed that commuting by bike was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality. The study also measured walking and found it was associated with a lower risk of CVD independent of major measured factors. Saving the planet If you are keen to save the planet, combine it with some active moving and you’ll get to improve your health as well as that of the planet. Whether it’s a small pot or a full garden, growing your own vegetables provides ample opportunity for physical activity in the outdoors, with the added benefit of low food miles, and easy access to healthy food. Dancing Dancing is essentially exercising with style. The benefits of dance extend beyond the physical, with the coordination required exercising neural pathways as well, contributing to mental alertness and helping retain memory and cognitive function, especially as we age. Housework Whether it’s carrying groceries, doing a brisk vacuum, or stretching to dust under the furniture, using domestic chores as a chance to be active is unlikely to lead to a new-found joy for housework. But it may make it go faster and will add some easy heart rate raising activity to your week. If a regular scheduled workout is not inspiring you, then • Mobile Personal Training • Sport Specific Strength and Conditioning • Nutrition analysis and strategies • Small group training look at other options. This could include using a trainer, trying a class, getting some new exercises, or even trying the pool. Exercise works best when done regularly, each week, month, and year; so choosing exercise and physical activity that you want to do is important. At the end of the day there are a number of reasons you don’t have time for exercising and lack of time is only one of them. It’s easier to find time to do things we enjoy, so if the exercise programme you have been doing doesn’t inspire you, then don’t sell yourself short - go looking for a sustainable, motivating form of exercise or physical activity. INSPO SEPTEMBER 2019 17
Page 1 and 2: Waikato Edition SEPTEMBER 2019 Mind
Page 3 and 4: FROM THE EDITOR Farewell winter and
Page 5 and 6: BEAUTY BAR Hair care has never been
Page 7 and 8: to transform it into a truly unique
Page 9 and 10: Overcoming OVERWHELM If you’ve ev
Page 11 and 12: Plenty of power and speed for hills
Page 13 and 14: spirit is also strong. Between them
Page 15: isn’t so much how far can you tak
Page 19 and 20: so think of it this way - what do y
Page 21 and 22: Move with MORFA There’s a strong
Page 23 and 24: “The more you can simply trust wh
Page 25 and 26: Tasty treats WIN One of three New Z
Page 27 and 28: FRANKIE & FLORA There’s something
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Page 33 and 34: Diabetic challenge FOR CHARITY Waik
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INSPO Magazine September 2019

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