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LiftYour SPIRITS
Exercise has always done a body good, but studies now show that it can help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
BY KIM HOEY
When Kristen Miller leaves her exercise class, she is physically worn out, but mentally and emo-
tionally invigorated.
“It really clears your mind,” says Miller,
58, a retired engineer from Wilmington with four children who takes part in the “Balanced Athlete” and yoga programs at Empowered Yoga in Greenville. Since she started exercising 10 years ago, Miller says she has become a new person. She feels hap- pier, more centered and more compassion- ate to other people. Her exercise regimen includes focusing on her body and thoughts during physical activity.
“I come out of classes full of gratitude for my body, mind and spirit,” says Miller. “It grounds me. It’s really an amazing feeling.”
Many people can relate. There are plen- ty of stories of people taking a walk after a stressful day and feeling better afterward, but studies are showing there might be more to exercise than a temporary mood enhancer. Studies performed at Duke Uni- versity found evidence that physical activity can also help ease long-term depression. In the study, subjects initially diagnosed with clinical depression, who reported regularly exercising over the course of year, had low- er depression scores at their exit interviews than their counterparts who lived more sedentary lives. (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2010).
Activity and diet are constant therapy companions for Oya Alatur, a licensed clin- ical social worker who works with children
at Delaware Guidance Services and adults at Serene Minds in Wilmington. She sees a lot of anxiety, depression and attention is- sues, she says. One of her first questions is: “How much do you get outside?”
“Across the board, more often than not, they are not eating so great or not eating regularly, and not moving around much,” says Alatur. “We’re not going to know what is really wrong unless we look into all areas.”
Along with traditional counseling ther- apies, Alatur prescribes exercise. She asks her patients to be realistic and honest in how much activity they are willing to com- mit to. But she can always tell the difference when her patients start exercising, she says.
The staff at the Cancer Support Commu- nity in Delaware sees it in their programs as well. The community is “dedicated exclu- sively to helping people cope with and man- age the emotional aspect of cancer.” They serve clients in all stages of cancer as well as their families. Along with support groups and counseling, exercise is a big part of their programs.
Offerings include things like chair fit- ness, Zumba, strength training and even one called stiff men’s yoga. People who are able to continue exercising, even mildly, often find incredible benefits, says Jo Alle- gro-Smith, director of the Sussex County program.
“It absolutely makes you feel better,” says Allegro-Smith. Exercise releases en- dorphins, the “feel-good” hormones in the body, but it’s more than that. Many of the
GET SOBER
Here are some quick guidelines to help build a better mind-body relationship at home.
“People tend to make better choices if they have time to reflect,” according to Dr. Michael Mackenzie, director of the Applied Health Behavior Science Laboratory at the University of Delaware. A quick way to help adults manage stress through exercise is for them to get SOBER.
S – Stop and do this exercise (You have choices in what you attend to).
O – Observe the sensations happening in your body (What are you feeling? How are you responding?)
B – Breathe and focus on your breathing (How are you breathing? Is it slow and deep or fast and shallow?
E – Expand your awareness to include the environment (What are you going to do with the information you are collecting? It could be as simple as have you eaten lunch?
Did you get enough sleep?)
R – Respond mindfully (Make a shift in your mind-body behavior. Do you need to take a break and come back strong after some food, or perhaps a quick walk?)
26 302Health issue 2.2017-18