PRESCRIBE EXERCISE AS PREVENTATIVE THERAPY
As unsexy as it may sound, preventative care is not only about health screenings and vaccinations. The most important aspect of preparing for the future is your activity level now. Being physically active is critical to staying healthy at the very basic level.
With medical costs rising and viruses becoming a ‘thing of the now’ we can prescribe for ourselves the perfect remedy to avoid doctor visits and to aid your finances. If like us, you want to stick around for the long run and kick the “here for a good time not a long time” to the kerb, consider these benefits while you prescribe yourself a double dose of exercise;
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Obesity is the leading cause of health issues, maintaining a healthy weight seriously decreases your chances of serious diseases. Think about the long game rather than the short term.
BRAIN HEALTH
We want to stay sharp in our old age, considering diseases like Alzheimer’s is on the rise, we’ve got to keep up the exercise to increase blood flow to your brain to stand us in the best stead.
BONES & JOINTS
As you age, your bones become weaker and your joints can become sore, keeping your body moving helps it stay limber and strong. Put in the work now, avoid the pain later.
MENTAL HEALTH
A stress reliever and proven remedy for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Need we say more.
The bottom line is that 20 minutes a day can prevent us ‘paying the price’ of disease, pain and reduced mobility later. Let’s swap “Live fast, die young” with “live smart, last long”!! See the long term benefits of our PPG classes below and write your own prescription in your calendar this month by booking up our classes!
MASTERCLASS (running & lifting weights):
Heart-strengthening, improved lung capacity & gained bone density.
BARRE (low impact & light weights):
Improved posture, balance & coordination.
BOXING & CYCLE (cardio):
Benefits cholesterol & sleep, boosts immune system & heart health.
POWERHOUSE (functional training):
Improved movement efficiency & mobility, building speed & agility.
YOGA (stretching & mobility):
Maximises joint health, reduces stress, improves posture & increases flexibility.
We would love to hear your thoughts! Send us a DM on Instagram @peoplesplacegym.
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BEAT DEPRESSION WITH PREVENTION OVER CURE
Depression isn’t about ‘being sad’, it is a medical condition that is not a character flaw or sign of weakness. It affects how you think, feel, handle daily activities and is certainly not something you can “snap out of”.
While we’ve known for years that treatment approaches such as psychotherapy and medication are necessary and highly effective in treating depression, evidence has shown that aerobic exercise – exercise that raises the heart rate, such as brisk walking, biking, running, or swimming – can be as effective as medication in treating mild to moderate depression as well as do a fine job of preventing it all together.
Interestingly, a 2020 study published in BMC Medicine found that people with a low fitness level are nearly twice as likely to experience depression and since we are in the business of prevention over cure we’ll dive into 3 beneficial links between exercising and preventing depression and anxiety.
Although not a cure, regular exercise releases natural cannabis-like brain chemicals:
Feel-good endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin that will enhance the sense of wellbeing. A 2018 meta-analysis published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that resistance exercise (lifting weights) significantly reduced the symptoms of depression in adults. Of the participants, 75% showed either a therapeutic response or complete remission of symptoms compared to 25% who did not exercise.Exercise distracts the mind:
Engaging in regular exercise may also quiet the mind, which allows you to get away from the negative cycle of worries and depressive thoughts.Exercise gives you a healthy coping mechanism:
It’s not uncommon to develop unhealthy ways of coping with emotional pain and depressive symptoms. Using food or alcohol or withdrawing and isolating yourself from others are just a few examples. Replacing one of these with something positive like exercise can help you develop new coping strategies.
We’re prescribing 150 mins each week, broken down equates to 5 days of 30-minute cardio sessions. Add in 2 days of resistance (weight) training and you’re setting some seriously solid foundations to prevent depression.
We would love to hear your thoughts! Send us a DM on Instagram @peoplesplacegym.