Mental Health & Exercise- Seven Days of Suck
Possible Trigger Warning
As I discussed in Workout for Your Sanity, exercise is severely under prescribed as a therapeutic modality. I am by no means stating that exercise is the be all, cure all but I am saying if we challenged ourselves to move, even for twenty minutes a day, we might see a mental change along with the physical changes.
Kevin Hines is working on a project, you can get a sneak peak of it here. He writes of the ten steps he took after his suicide attempt, he calls the steps, “The Art of Wellness”. I would have to agree here, living well is an art form.
It’s a process of trial and error. The constant questioning of what works best for me, a balance of self assessment, and how can I accomplish MASSIVE things when my massive thinking is limited to baby steps. I would argue that it’s in the baby steps that the most massive ideas, revelations, and work occurs. This is my whole logic behind training my clients. My clients frequently hear me say things like, “Every ounce counts, there’s sixteen ounces in a pound, 
celebrate each ounce!”, “Baby steps!”, and “Trust the process!” Whether my exercise goals be to gain fifteen pounds of muscle so I can become the next ironwoman (this isn’t my goal at ALL), or if I want to run a marathon, I need to start somewhere. The same thing can be said for me wanting to start my masters in counseling, I couldn’t very well start in the middle of the program, I had to start at the bottom. I’m now a year down in my masters and have two to go; turning back isn’t an option because I know I can help MASSIVE amounts of people.
With exercise we see increased muscle strength, experience better sleep, increased endorphins (the brain makes it’s own happy chemical), decreased stress, better mood, increased metabolism, should I go on?
Okay, I will…
If exercise can help veterans manage chronic pain symptoms, and decrease symptoms associated with post traumatic stress disorder, than it can help you accomplish whatever it is you set out to do (Scioli-Salter, Forman, Otis, Tun, Allsup, Marx, and Rasmusson 2016).
This is the purpose behind #7daysofsuck. It’s a challenge to get you moving for seven days in a row. It’s a challenge so you can find out what you’re capable of completing. As Kevin says, “Move that body!” If you find yourself struggling with the movements in #7daysofsuck, let us know, find an alternative movement that you can do and substitute it.
Remember, post each day after your workout, you can win a free shirt and a 50% off coupon. Massive thinking is all relative. What’s MASSIVE for one might not be for another, but the thing the fact is, PROGRESS IS PROGRESS!
Don’t be discouraged by life’s hiccups, learn from it, dust yourself off, and move that body!
To sign up for the #7daysofsuck challenge click here!!
To see the movement videos click here!!
References
Scioli-Salter, E., Forman, D. E., Otis, J. D., Tun, C., Allsup, K., Marx, C. E., & … Rasmusson, A. M. (2016). Potential neurobiological benefits of exercise in chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder: Pilot study. Journal Of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 53(1), 95-106 12p. doi:10.1682/JRRD.2014.10.0267
Disclaimer: #7DaysOfSuck was not designed to be maintained as a continuous program, give your body rest. Do not push your limits beyond your means, be reasonable with yourself, and reasonably challenge yourself. Check your form. If you have questions or need help ASK!
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE 1-800-273-8255