Everyone can feel low, anxious or unable to cope from time to time. These are all normal responses to life's challenges. However, exercise can have a profound impact on your mental health. Your mental health is as important as your physical health. Hundreds of studies have shown the direct connection between one’s physical health and one’s mental health.
One of the easiest health habits to promote good mental health is finding a few minutes throughout the day to get some exercise.
Listen in as Dave Miers, PhD discusses the link between good physical health and good mental health.
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The Importance of Exercise for Your Mental Health
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Bryan Mental Health Services
Dave Miers, PhD, Bryan Mental Health Services
Dr. Dave Miers is the counseling and program development manager for mental health services at Bryan Medical Center.Learn more about Bryan Mental Health Services
Transcription:
The Importance of Exercise for Your Mental Health
Melanie Cole (Host): Everyone can feel low, anxious or unable to cope from time to time. These are all normal responses to life's challenges; however, exercise can have a profound impact on your mental health. My guest today is Dr. Dave Miers. He's the counseling and program development manager for Mental Health Services at Bryan Medical Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Miers. So, tell us about the link between exercise and mental health. What are some of the benefits for mental health with exercise?
Dr. Dave Miers (Guest): Well, we do know that regular exercise is good for the body, in general, but we also know that it is one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Individuals generally feel better about themselves after they do a workout of some kind, so exercise is said to really improve your overall mood, some of the other benefits are kind of sharper memory and thinking, individuals report higher self-esteem, better sleep, more energy, evidence of a stronger resilience in your immune system. Then, there are also some other theories out there that talk about how exercise impacts your brain by increasing serotonin, which is a neuro-transmitter that is targeted by some anti-depressants that individuals are prescribed for depression. Other research points to how exercise points with anxiety; that individuals who exercise and have anxiety tend to respond better to stressful situations if they're involved in some type of an exercise program. And, it's also proven to help reduce stress and reduce tension, so there are a lot of benefits to exercise.
Melanie: So, Dr. Miers, when we're talking about the "happy hormone" serotonin and endorphins, people hear about these, what type of exercise helps to stimulate these? Are you talking about cardiovascular exercise, weight training, combination, yoga--what are you talking about?
Dr. Miers: Well, when you think about exercise, I mean, it can be any type of exercise but, generally, we talk about individuals doing some type of what I say is "moderate" exercise. It’s generally where you are breathing just a little bit heavier than normal. So, it's important that you don't overdo it, but you can even just start small. I mean, it's better starting small than not starting at all. So, even if you pick, let's say, five minutes a day. Start with five minutes a day where you are walking, running, or using a treadmill. So, you say, "Well, I'm going to walk around the block today.” Take five minutes to walk around the block. I mean, that is a goal you are setting for yourself and taking kind of a brisk walk to where you're breathing a little bit heavier than normal. Walk around the block and then the next day maybe pick, "Okay, today I'm going to do two blocks," and then kind of build yourself up from there. But, starting small and working up to a little bit more is a good place to start.
Melanie: So, give us some other starting tips for people who maybe haven't been someone who's exercised and you recommended starting small with walking. What about some of the other types of exercise? How would someone go about getting involved with those? Weight training or classes?
Dr. Miers: Well, I mean, you could reach out to a local gym or look to the local hospital. We have programs through our LifePointe program at Bryan Medical Center, but if you don't want to reach out to a program, even just looking at things such as mowing the lawn or going for a bike ride; walking the dog; stretching while you're watching TV; getting involved in a softball league or a volleyball league with friends. If you're working, thinking about work--if you need to take the elevator to the floor you work on, maybe start taking the stairs. Or, when you go to work, think about parking farther away and then walking into the office. Those are just all some different ideas that individuals can think about doing something different than you normally do that increases your exercise.
Melanie: So, what else is important for good mental health? You mentioned sleep before. What about things like meditation, mindfulness, good quality sleep? How do those help with mental health?
Dr. Miers: Well, when we talk about exercise, exercise is very important but to go along with the exercise, sleep is very important. So, making sure you're getting the adequate amount of sleep, getting to bed on time, getting into a sleep routine, and then good nutrition. Making sure you're eating a balanced diet. You know, I mentioned reaching out to LifePointe or an exercise facility, a lot of times there's programs there to help you look at the nutrition as well, and looking at your nutritional aspect of your life. Having a balance with your sleep, exercise, and nutrition leads to improved health, but also improved mental health.
Melanie: So, do you feel that meditation relaxation is important for mental health?
Dr. Miers: Yes. A lot of times individuals try relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga--some different things to help relax themselves and that has been shown to help individuals in terms of getting the sleep and as part of your exercise routine as well. So, it's important to try different things and try the things that work for you and to find a balance of what is working and what you like to do.
Melanie: Dr. Miers, when should someone seek help for their mental health?
Dr. Miers: Well, it's important to know that mental illnesses can impact anyone regardless of age or background. So, if a person is not sleeping well, if you're sleeping too much or too little, you have low energy, and also if you see a sudden loss of interest in activities. So, you like to play basketball or you like to sing in the choir and all of a sudden, you kind of find yourself really pushing yourself to do those things to where maybe you just don't want to do those things at all anymore. Then, there's the hopelessness, maybe trouble concentrating at work or at school and then change in appetite. You're eating too much or too little. Those are some of the symptoms. If that goes on for a period of two weeks or more and it's impacting your life at home or at work, then it's important that you do seek help from a physician or a mental health therapist--someone who is qualified to talk to you about your symptoms and to make a recommendation diagnosis as far as what can help. Exercise, sleep and nutrition that can help with that, but if you're having these symptoms for a period of two weeks or more, it is important to get professional help.
Melanie: What's available at Bryan Medical Center?
Dr. Miers: At Bryan Medical Center, we have the Bryan Medical Center West here in our emergency room. We have one of the few dedicated mental health emergency rooms of its kind in the United States. We have mental health staff available--nurses, social workers, in our emergency room and the emergency room here for mental health is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So, if somebody's in a mental health crisis, they would come to the emergency room and they would do an assessment to determine if hospitalization is needed. If it's a non-crisis, you can call the Bryan Counseling Center at 402-481-5991 and the Counseling Center has therapists and psychologists on staff that can work with individuals on an outpatient basis and a non-crisis basis for outpatient counseling. We also have free screenings available on our website, bryanhealth.org, and you can depression screening, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, alcohol screenings. It’s a great resource. It's free and confidential. It's not a diagnosis, but it tells you whether or not the signs and symptoms are there and what steps to take to get help.
Melanie: In just the last few minutes, give your best advice for the people listening about mental health and exercise and the things that they can do to help themselves along with seeing a counselor or a professional should they need it but what else can they do? Give us your best advice.
Dr. Miers: Well, it is important that you reach out for help. I mean, if you have concerns about your mental health and you're experiencing some symptoms, it is important to reach out for help and to see what might be going on in your life. It is a sign of strain? It is important to know there are a lot of resources there. We have resources here at the medical center and that's an important thing to do. Exercise is very important. Exercise, sleep, and nutrition. Finding a balance in your life and in those areas can be a help and doing those things in addition to seeing a therapist oftentimes is very helpful. And the therapist that you might be working with, or if you see a professional, they more likely are going to talk to you about, "Are you exercising? Are you sleeping well? How is your nutrition?" So, all of those things balance together and it's important that you use those resources to take care of yourself and to know that there's help available.
Melanie: Thank you so much, Dr. Miers. It's really great information. The Bryan Health Capital City Classic is being held on Sunday, October 23rd at 3: 00 pm at the Nebraska State Capital. This event will include a one-mile kid's run, a 5K run/walk, and a 15K run. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Race proceeds will benefit mental health education and awareness. For more information and to register, you can go to bryanhealth.org/run. That's bryanhealth.org/run. If you'd like to learn more about mental health services at Bryan, you can go to bryanhealth.org. You're listening to Bryan Health Radio. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
The Importance of Exercise for Your Mental Health
Melanie Cole (Host): Everyone can feel low, anxious or unable to cope from time to time. These are all normal responses to life's challenges; however, exercise can have a profound impact on your mental health. My guest today is Dr. Dave Miers. He's the counseling and program development manager for Mental Health Services at Bryan Medical Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Miers. So, tell us about the link between exercise and mental health. What are some of the benefits for mental health with exercise?
Dr. Dave Miers (Guest): Well, we do know that regular exercise is good for the body, in general, but we also know that it is one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Individuals generally feel better about themselves after they do a workout of some kind, so exercise is said to really improve your overall mood, some of the other benefits are kind of sharper memory and thinking, individuals report higher self-esteem, better sleep, more energy, evidence of a stronger resilience in your immune system. Then, there are also some other theories out there that talk about how exercise impacts your brain by increasing serotonin, which is a neuro-transmitter that is targeted by some anti-depressants that individuals are prescribed for depression. Other research points to how exercise points with anxiety; that individuals who exercise and have anxiety tend to respond better to stressful situations if they're involved in some type of an exercise program. And, it's also proven to help reduce stress and reduce tension, so there are a lot of benefits to exercise.
Melanie: So, Dr. Miers, when we're talking about the "happy hormone" serotonin and endorphins, people hear about these, what type of exercise helps to stimulate these? Are you talking about cardiovascular exercise, weight training, combination, yoga--what are you talking about?
Dr. Miers: Well, when you think about exercise, I mean, it can be any type of exercise but, generally, we talk about individuals doing some type of what I say is "moderate" exercise. It’s generally where you are breathing just a little bit heavier than normal. So, it's important that you don't overdo it, but you can even just start small. I mean, it's better starting small than not starting at all. So, even if you pick, let's say, five minutes a day. Start with five minutes a day where you are walking, running, or using a treadmill. So, you say, "Well, I'm going to walk around the block today.” Take five minutes to walk around the block. I mean, that is a goal you are setting for yourself and taking kind of a brisk walk to where you're breathing a little bit heavier than normal. Walk around the block and then the next day maybe pick, "Okay, today I'm going to do two blocks," and then kind of build yourself up from there. But, starting small and working up to a little bit more is a good place to start.
Melanie: So, give us some other starting tips for people who maybe haven't been someone who's exercised and you recommended starting small with walking. What about some of the other types of exercise? How would someone go about getting involved with those? Weight training or classes?
Dr. Miers: Well, I mean, you could reach out to a local gym or look to the local hospital. We have programs through our LifePointe program at Bryan Medical Center, but if you don't want to reach out to a program, even just looking at things such as mowing the lawn or going for a bike ride; walking the dog; stretching while you're watching TV; getting involved in a softball league or a volleyball league with friends. If you're working, thinking about work--if you need to take the elevator to the floor you work on, maybe start taking the stairs. Or, when you go to work, think about parking farther away and then walking into the office. Those are just all some different ideas that individuals can think about doing something different than you normally do that increases your exercise.
Melanie: So, what else is important for good mental health? You mentioned sleep before. What about things like meditation, mindfulness, good quality sleep? How do those help with mental health?
Dr. Miers: Well, when we talk about exercise, exercise is very important but to go along with the exercise, sleep is very important. So, making sure you're getting the adequate amount of sleep, getting to bed on time, getting into a sleep routine, and then good nutrition. Making sure you're eating a balanced diet. You know, I mentioned reaching out to LifePointe or an exercise facility, a lot of times there's programs there to help you look at the nutrition as well, and looking at your nutritional aspect of your life. Having a balance with your sleep, exercise, and nutrition leads to improved health, but also improved mental health.
Melanie: So, do you feel that meditation relaxation is important for mental health?
Dr. Miers: Yes. A lot of times individuals try relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga--some different things to help relax themselves and that has been shown to help individuals in terms of getting the sleep and as part of your exercise routine as well. So, it's important to try different things and try the things that work for you and to find a balance of what is working and what you like to do.
Melanie: Dr. Miers, when should someone seek help for their mental health?
Dr. Miers: Well, it's important to know that mental illnesses can impact anyone regardless of age or background. So, if a person is not sleeping well, if you're sleeping too much or too little, you have low energy, and also if you see a sudden loss of interest in activities. So, you like to play basketball or you like to sing in the choir and all of a sudden, you kind of find yourself really pushing yourself to do those things to where maybe you just don't want to do those things at all anymore. Then, there's the hopelessness, maybe trouble concentrating at work or at school and then change in appetite. You're eating too much or too little. Those are some of the symptoms. If that goes on for a period of two weeks or more and it's impacting your life at home or at work, then it's important that you do seek help from a physician or a mental health therapist--someone who is qualified to talk to you about your symptoms and to make a recommendation diagnosis as far as what can help. Exercise, sleep and nutrition that can help with that, but if you're having these symptoms for a period of two weeks or more, it is important to get professional help.
Melanie: What's available at Bryan Medical Center?
Dr. Miers: At Bryan Medical Center, we have the Bryan Medical Center West here in our emergency room. We have one of the few dedicated mental health emergency rooms of its kind in the United States. We have mental health staff available--nurses, social workers, in our emergency room and the emergency room here for mental health is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So, if somebody's in a mental health crisis, they would come to the emergency room and they would do an assessment to determine if hospitalization is needed. If it's a non-crisis, you can call the Bryan Counseling Center at 402-481-5991 and the Counseling Center has therapists and psychologists on staff that can work with individuals on an outpatient basis and a non-crisis basis for outpatient counseling. We also have free screenings available on our website, bryanhealth.org, and you can depression screening, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, alcohol screenings. It’s a great resource. It's free and confidential. It's not a diagnosis, but it tells you whether or not the signs and symptoms are there and what steps to take to get help.
Melanie: In just the last few minutes, give your best advice for the people listening about mental health and exercise and the things that they can do to help themselves along with seeing a counselor or a professional should they need it but what else can they do? Give us your best advice.
Dr. Miers: Well, it is important that you reach out for help. I mean, if you have concerns about your mental health and you're experiencing some symptoms, it is important to reach out for help and to see what might be going on in your life. It is a sign of strain? It is important to know there are a lot of resources there. We have resources here at the medical center and that's an important thing to do. Exercise is very important. Exercise, sleep, and nutrition. Finding a balance in your life and in those areas can be a help and doing those things in addition to seeing a therapist oftentimes is very helpful. And the therapist that you might be working with, or if you see a professional, they more likely are going to talk to you about, "Are you exercising? Are you sleeping well? How is your nutrition?" So, all of those things balance together and it's important that you use those resources to take care of yourself and to know that there's help available.
Melanie: Thank you so much, Dr. Miers. It's really great information. The Bryan Health Capital City Classic is being held on Sunday, October 23rd at 3: 00 pm at the Nebraska State Capital. This event will include a one-mile kid's run, a 5K run/walk, and a 15K run. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Race proceeds will benefit mental health education and awareness. For more information and to register, you can go to bryanhealth.org/run. That's bryanhealth.org/run. If you'd like to learn more about mental health services at Bryan, you can go to bryanhealth.org. You're listening to Bryan Health Radio. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.