Welcome back to Food For Thought my mental health and exercise blog where I aim to spread awareness about mental health and the benefits exercise has on improving not only your physical health but also your mental health. To get an understanding of the importance of understanding mental health check out my first post, Healthy Mind and Body or for more information on social media positive and negative effects on these topics check out my two other posts, The Good the Bad and Social Media, and Finding the Balance in Using Media.
In this blog post, I want to discuss some common myths or misunderstandings about mental health and exercise. I hope this post can help broaden people’s understandings of these topics to potentially decrease stigma around mental health and promote holistic health as well.
Myths about Mental Health
Myth #1: You are weak if you have a mental illness
False. Mental strength is not the same as mental illness or health. People who live life with a mental illness have a good amount of strength to overcome the boundaries they face every day. Mental illnesses can be caused by many things including genetics, how they were raised or traumatic events but not from weakness.
Myth #2: I can’t do anything for someone who has a mental illness
False. There are many things that someone can do to support people with mental illnesses. Being an ally and a support system can be the difference between them thinking they can or cannot get better. Being an ally also means helping them find access to the help they need, providing information especially when overhearing someone saying something that is not true and being a support system for those who need it.
Myth #3: Therapy is a waste of time
False. There are many benefits to going to therapy. A therapist can help someone have a better understanding of their thought processes, lifestyle, habits, and symptoms to help with recovery. There are many mental illnesses that do require the help of a therapist to help with the maintenance of the illness but it really depends on the severity of their condition and personal preferences.
Myth #4: People with a mental illness are violent and unpredictable
False. People with mental illnesses are no more likely to commit a crime or be violent than anyone else. According to a study conducted by Heather Stuart, only 5% of violent acts that occur in the use are caused by someone who has a mental illness. People with mental illness are actually ten times more likely to be a victim of a crime or act of violence than the general population.
Myths about Exercise
Myth #1: You should workout everyday
False. When you are exercising and pushing yourself microtears in your muscles will form which will cause soreness and require a recovery period to allow your body to rebuild. This can be done by dedicating one to two days of low-intensity active recovery days to allow your muscles to heal. Cardiovascular benefits can be seen when participating in moderate-intensity exercise three times a week for thirty minutes per session.
Myth #2: Exercise can cure depression or anxiety
False. Exercise can be used as part of a treatment plan to help reduce the severity of symptoms but alone, will not cure someone’s depression or anxiety. Some people may need to be on medication with regular therapy sessions along with regular exercise to treat their depression and anxiety depending on the severity of their symptoms.
Myth #3: Exercise with prevent relapses in mental illness
False. Recovery is a linear process that often has some drawbacks along the way. Relapses are complicated and can be caused by many things like being exposed to a triggering event, or having a major life change. While exercise will help reduce the symptoms the person may be having especially with depression and anxiety but, it is not going to prevent relapses in recovery.
Myth #4: The longer the workout the better
False. This is dependent on many factors including experience level, age, and past injuries. The length of the workout is dependent on the intensity, your workout goals and how much time you have in your schedule. It also depends on what you prefer. If you prefer short but intense workouts then a quick high-intensity interval training or HIIT workout would be best for you.
Overall there are many misconceptions or myths surrounding exercise and mental health. To help decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness it is important to debunk these myths and provide insight. Understanding these myths about both topics will help people become healthier people and better allies.
Food for Thought 