As we’re all still recovering from our collective COVID-19 hangover, some interesting data on mental health and physical activity has been published by Montana State University Extension Specialist Dr. Michelle Glocke. In 2021, she will publish a paper identifying physical activity as a protective factor for mental health. This means that regular exercise can create positive health conditions.
Her data, based on a survey of 4,026 people in five states, identified a three-step process by which normally active people experience declining activity and consequently poor mental health. Phase 1 was a stimulating event that caused psychological distress and a short-term decline in physical activity. In the second stage, distress was increased due to decreased physical activity. In Phase 3, physical activity decreased further and mental health deteriorated. Many of us can relate this three-step spiral of hers to an overall feeling of fatigue, or rather the experience of a COVID-19 hangover.
How am I supposed to recover from this hangover? physical activity. exercise. Just get up and try to move your body more than you did yesterday. Not only does physical activity improve mental health, it’s also good medicine for your brain. Depression affects him 300 million people worldwide and in America he affects 17 million people. This is a staggering figure, and there is now sufficient evidence to support the positive effects of exercise on the brain and should be considered an important tool for treating mental health.
The antidepressant effects of exercise were not restricted by age, sex, or health status. Compared to the time and expense of talk therapy, exercise is a low-cost treatment available to anyone, anywhere, at any stage of life. Data show that increasing physical activity and all types of exercise, from dance-based cardio to iron pumps, can improve mental health in people who make physical activity a part of their daily routine. shown.
The World Health Organization reports that 31% of the world’s population does not meet minimum physical activity levels. There is a strong link between brain, heart, lung, kidney and skeletal muscle health. When problems arise through regular physical activity, these organs work synergistically to heal each other and improve your overall quality of life.
JAMA Internal Medicine states that “no drug treatment has the positive impact on as many organ systems as physical activity.” In 2012, health experts declared that “sitting is the new smoking”, citing premature deaths worldwide attributed to lack of exercise.
A study published in 2017 demonstrated that older adults who reported regular physical activity were 28% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia. It was also reported that people with more muscle mass were 43% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, regardless of gender. The connection between brain health and muscle is no coincidence. When skeletal muscle exerts force, proteins are produced and moved through the bloodstream to have positive or neuroprotective effects on the brain.
For decades, researchers have studied how exercise affects muscle and cardiovascular health. There is now a growing focus on how exercise links muscle activity with brain health. What does science say about how exercise affects your muscles and brain?
During exercise, we feel an increase in blood flow. Your heart rate increases, your breathing quickens, and your skin turns red. Some may sweat. Similar changes are taking place in our brains. Increased blood flow increases brain metabolism and improves efficiency. It is this increased blood flow that causes the brain to receive special transmissions from the muscles.
Hidden in our DNA are genes that instruct our cells to make powerful compounds that human scientists cannot replicate. When challenged with movement, our muscles produce a special protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This protein is a growth factor. The role of growth factors is to regulate growth during youth. These same proteins coordinate repair and maintenance as we age. Multiple organs in the body, especially skeletal muscle, produce this protein in response to exercise. This protein has been shown to play a major role in brain healing and remodeling at the tissue level. To activate our genes and release this powerful protein, the Fountain of Youth, we need to move and challenge ourselves.
In 2021, MSU researchers participated in a study that found that fewer than 25% of adults age 55 and older meet federal strength guidelines. The statistic is even worse for women over the age of 65 who live in rural areas.
What can we do about Teton County? Find ways to make more physical activity part of your daily routine. Start by deciding for yourself why improving your health is important to you. Then use that reason to build small routines to get you moving more throughout the day. Exercise, like all drugs, has side effects. Starting too hard too early can lead to injury. For this reason, it is important to gradually and consistently incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. A local fitness program will give you the guidance you need to prevent injury and get the most out of your training.
Through MSU Extension, free community fitness classes will be offered for 12 weeks from Monday, June 5th through Thursday, August 31st. This class is open to people of all ages, but is primarily designed for seniors. Based on their interests, additional classes can be created to more specifically address the needs of different groups. For more information on Stretch to Health classes, visit his MSU Teton County website at www.montana.edu/extension/teton/index.html or Shelby at [email protected] Send an email to or call the Secretariat at 406. -466-2491.
All statistics and facts discussed here are backed by scientific research and are obtained from peer-reviewed scientific journals. A detailed citation is available on his web page for MSU Teton County.
Shelby Jones-Dozier is an extended agent for Teton County/MSU working on family and consumer sciences and 4-H programs. You can contact her at her office at 406-466-2491 or her email. [email protected].
