For Mental Health Awareness Week this month we asked one of our fitness professionals their personal advice for those suffering. Fitness Coach Rob Friend explains below the ways we’re better together and what you can do to help yourself and those around you.
Did you know that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health condition each year? (Mind 2017)
There are many different types of mental health conditions, they range from the most common forms in anxiety and depression to other forms like bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), Schizophrenia and eating problems. It’s unclear how many people suffer with these conditions, but the underlying thing is that none of us truly know how someone is feeling or doing mentally and how they are coping with day-to-day work, life, and commitments. Life can be challenging, and it is full of ups and downs. It is important to treat each other with respect and care. Do to others as others will do for you.
Mental Health Can Often be Invisible:
People may appear okay and not show any signs of struggling to cope. When actually, people may be going through a tough time and finding things difficult. If you are reading this and you can relate in some way, it is important to remember that you are not alone. Mental health conditions are a battle that many will go through every day, and will likely go through similar situations, emotions, and feelings. With this in mind, it is also very important to speak out about it, let people know and make them aware of your feelings and situations. How you feel is important and people do care.
Coping With Mental Ill-health:
Although the mental health conditions may never go completely, there are ways of preventing symptoms, dealing with them and having ‘coping mechanisms’ that are helpful. One of the most beneficial ways of coping with mental health is physical activity and exercise. When taking part in exercise, our body releases chemical that can boost our mood, confidence, and self-esteem. Other benefits of physical activity include improved concentration levels and focus, helps to calm the mind, reducing tension, anxiety, stress, and mental fatigue as well as improved sleep. Exercise its is a broad term, many activities can be completed as a form of exercise. For example, walking, jogging, cycling, the gym, yoga, and pilates. There are so many forms of activity, and it is important to find that you enjoy, you find capable of completing and works best for you.
Final Notes:
Thank you for taking the time to read this, remember to do things at your own pace. Whether this be day to day commitments or embarking on your exercise journey, do your best and there is always support along the way. Mental health is a vast and very important topic, as we’ve seen, 1 in 4 will experience a mental health condition each year. Ask your friends and family how they are doing, check up on people, the signs can be hard to spot. How you feel is important if you are struggling to cope reach out. There is so much support and things will get better if we stick together.
Mental Health Support and Helplines:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/
Written by Swindon East Fitness Coach, Rob Friend
Like this? Then why not check out our blog on Eliminating the Barriers to Exercise: National Fitness Day Blog
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