Brain, brawn and the power of exercise
15 December 2014
When it comes to the month of January, fitness tends to lodge itself firmly at the forefront of our minds. But let’s be honest, our thoughts are essentially focused on the well-trodden (market driven) path of weight loss, fat loss and dropping dress sizes. It’s all about the outer shell we inhabit, which is not surprising really, given the incessant messages and images surrounding us. Whilst there’s no doubt that it is desirable on more 
than just an aesthetic level to be in good shape, it strikes me as essential to stop, take stock, and think about all the other contributing factors to our overall wellbeing.
Sometimes I catch sight of a model staring out at me from the page of a high fashion magazine – gaunt, sunken eyes that look empty – and wonder what’s going on inside that mind. That’s why I prefer fitness magazines: they always feature people glowing with health and smiling widely. That makes me think “healthy body, healthy mind”.
And ultimately can one really separate one from the other? Can a body truly be healthy if the mind is suffering? The answer is, of course, no, and I speak from considerable personal experience on that front… but that is another story.
Over the past few decades there have been numerous pieces of research conducted into the benefits of exercise on mental wellbeing. Whilst not all the studies have conclusively proven that exercise will help, there is strong evidence on many fronts.
It has been shown, for example, that mild to moderate depression can be as effectively treated using exercise as medication and that the more control and choice we are given over the type, frequency and intensity of exercise we do, the greater the benefit. Well that’s a relief! So folks, start doing the exercise you actually WANT to do, rather than the exercise you feel you OUGHT to be doing. Hate the gym? Don’t go! Take a brisk walk outside instead, if that’s what you enjoy.
And talking of the great outdoors, some research would also suggest that exercising in attractive parkland has greater positive effects on mental wellbeing than doing exactly the same workout indoors.
You might well be thinking “this doesn’t concern me – I don’t suffer from depression” but there are a whole host of other conditions which might not be as headline grabbing as depression but which are still debilitating, and which can be significantly improved by fitting regular exercise into your life. I’m talking about stress – yes, I think most of us will admit to the odd bout of that – anxiety, poor sleep and – that scourge of our modern world - low self-esteem.
When I look at that list, I would suggest that most of us are, at certain points in our lives, afflicted by these pernicious conditions. Let’s face it, who amongst us hasn’t looked in a full length mirror and been filled with self-loathing? Yet I can personally vouch for the fact that regular exercise changes my perspective and provides me with a wonderful rose-tinted pair of spectacles! I’ve been wearing them ever since – they’re great and I highly recommend them!