The (self-) Maintenance Team - August 2023

For this month's edition of The (self-) Maintenance Team, we're going to build further on the idea that our physical health and our mental health are far more intertwined than we think. Last time, we talked about sleep. This time, we're talking about exercise.

There is something about this that we intuitively understand. Exercise releases endorphins - the feel-good chemicals that our bodies can make. For some, it might also conjure memories of experiencing a second wind or a runner's high, getting outside and seeing a beautiful sunrise, or getting a personal best time. Others may have fond memories of exercise being tied to team sports, which was not just good for your physical health, but also probably gave you a sense of belonging to the team and may have been mentally stimulating if there were plays to remember and strategy to execute. For others, it's lifting weights, the feeling of getting a pump, spotting a friend and encouraging them to push through to a successful lift; the feeling of power at adding, and lifting, one more plate than was possible a few weeks ago. It's all so heady; we think, of course this is good for us!

The less obvious thing is the humble walk, but there's a reason this meme exists:

Our bodies were meant to move! But modern lifestyles just don't have us moving as consistently as we need to and definitely don't have us moving through our full range of motion. Even those with physically active jobs may have a fairly sedentary lifestyle outside of work. And I say that with ZERO judgement. This is something I've struggled with over the years because my favourite hobbies in the world are all sedentary - they meet my social and intellectual needs, but it means that a lot of the time I follow up a not physically-demanding work week with not physically-demanding hobbies on my evenings and weekends. It all adds up to me not moving as much as my ancestors did.

The consequence has been that we've seen a steady rise in physical disease associated with a sedentary lifestyle over the last few decades and a steady rise of mental health challenges too. 

Now, I realize that I'm at risk of oversimplifying things here, so let me interrupt my point to concede that inactivity isn't the only reason we're seeing those trends. I know it's a lot more complicated than that. But, there is really good research emerging that shows just how important physical exercise is for our mental health. 

I began by painting you a picture of the wonderful feelings that people can derive from exercise. Let's talk about the flip side of that and name some of the feelings that we know come from inactivity. Anyone who has been an active person and then got laid up with an injury can tell you how crappy it feels. When you are used to moving, your body craves the movement. When you're stuck at a desk job doing computer work all day, you get stiff; your hips are sore, your shoulders ache from being rolled forward all day, you might have a headache from eye strain and pain in your wrists from poor ergonomics at your keyboard. And anyone who has ever struggled with their mood can attest to the fact that it can feel like you're walking through the world with a heavy, and soaking wet, wool sweater on; everything feels harder and the last thing you want to do is to try and exercise.

But this is where struggles with mental health become a self-fulfilling prophecy. For whatever reason we became less active in the first place, the fact is that once we're moving less our mood tends to decline. When our mood declines, we don't feel like exercising - it feels like it's too hard, or it's not going to be enjoyable, or we have a thousand other things we'd rather be doing - so we don't exercise. When we continue to be inactive, we start to feel the physical discomfort of stiffness and inflexibility, possibly even pain from the repetitive strain of our sitting or working posture. The pain and discomfort worsen our mood; the worse our mood, the less we feel like exercising. What would be the point? It's not like going for one stupid walk is going to fix what ails us, right?

Wrong! So so wrong!

That crappy mood has convinced us that it's not worth making an effort. That WE are not worth making an effort for. It's also convinced us that taking the walk, because that one walk alone won't get us all the way to our goal, isn't worth the effort it will take to get ourselves out the door.

But that's not reality! Every journey begins with a single step. If we want to start getting more active we don't just flip a switch and reach our goal on our first workout. No, we have to begin with the first realistic step forward from where we are. And if you've been a couch potato because of an injury, or habit, or low mood, then that first step forward is literally to step forward and go for a walk. If your mobility is impaired for any reason, then substitute in the form of movement that fits for you! Talk to your physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or other rehabilitation medicine specialist about what your walk-equivalent is going to be.

Taking a walk does a few things. 

First, it helps us to overcome inertia. Getting started is the hardest moment of any recovery journey, but once you've gotten started keeping momentum going is a lot easier. So, you want to make that first step a really easy one. You want success to be so easy to accomplish that it's guaranteed. For many people, a short walk is a really accessible place to begin.

The second thing the walk does is help your body to feel good! Remember the endorphins? Your body wants to be moving, so your walk is likely to reward you with a whole cascade of physical relief, from endorphins and increased blood flow to your muscles, which help your body release tension and start moving in healthy ways again. And if you're not sure how to proceed safely, so that you don't have pain when walking, talk to your doctor or a rehabilitation professional.

With the relief we feel in our bodies, our moods are also lifted. And if you've done yourself the favour of walking outside, your mood will get an extra boost from being exposed to nature and broadening the horizons of your environment. Plus, if it's daytime you'll get a little vitamin D exposure thrown in for good measure (don't forget the sunscreen!).

Finally, taking this action - going for the walk even though you didn't feel like doing it - is evidence that your mind needs in the battle against all of the stinking-thinking we can get caught up in when our mood is low. 

• It is proof that walking does feel good and is worth making the effort for. 
• It is proof that you're worth the effort it takes to engage in self-care. 
• It's proof that you can do something different and get yourself out of a rut. 
• It's proof that you can change your habits and build a different kind of lifestyle for yourself than the one that you've been living and that has been crushing your mood. 
• It's proof that you can do things you don't feel like doing in service of a goal that is important to you.

That last one... that's the magic 🪄✨

Part of taking care of our mental health is about taking care of the body we live in. Without it, we have nothing. But another part of taking care of our mental health is about taking care of our mindset and how we approach adversity in life. Adopting the attitude that if something is important to you that you're willing and able to work through obstacles and difficulty in order to achieve it, can get you through a lot of hardship in life. Being able to look at your own life for evidence that you're capable of doing hard things is an important part of succeeding in making that mindset an authentic part of who you are.

So, whatever your current activity level, keep moving and go for regular walks. 

Go walk, even when you don't feel like it. 

Walk especially when you don't feel like it!

Personally, I like walking at the dog park on the weekends. How about you? Where are your favourite places to take a stroll?

Enjoy your daily mental health walk,

Petrina

If you're struggling with your mood and with taking those first steps toward self-care, talk to someone. Support is available. Whether that's calling a local mental health support line in your area, making an appointment with your family doctor to discuss how you've been feeling, or booking a session with a mental health professional in your area. You have options! If you're looking for a therapist in Alberta, Canada, feel free to check out my website, Calder Mental Health Services; you can book a free consultation online. Therapy appointments are available virtually for all Alberta residents and in-person appointments are available in Edmonton.