Exercise and mental health
Exercising on a regular basis has been proven to reduce instances of anxiety, depression and negative mood, as well as improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Therefore, keeping up your gym routine is imperative for maintaining and promoting good mental health!
Undertaking different types of exercises that promote blood flow aid in the delivery of oxygen to the brain which it needs to function properly. Professor Michael Davis of the University of Texas’ health science centre also states that long term exercise may even promote new blood vessel growth in the brain itself which in turn could help improve cerebral functioning and therefore mental health. (Livestrong.com).
So what exercises should you do to reap these benefits? The answers are endless. Basically, anything that makes you sweat and raises your heart rate for a total of 30 mins 3-5 times per week will set you on the right path and help to maintain/promote health and happiness. Below is an example of a varied workout that you could complete in under 45mins in the gym.***
Cardio – HIIT (High Intensity Interval training):
Choose any cardio machine and work for a total of 20 mins, allowing a few mins at the start and at the end to warm up and cool down. Push yourself (raise speed/increase resistance) for 30-60 seconds and then for the following 30-60 seconds work at a moderate pace to allow your body to recover. Repeat 10-15 times depending on how much time you have. Remember, your recovery period is not a cool-down so make sure it’s not too easy!
Weight/body weight resistance exercises:
Supersets (lower + upper body to better promote circulation and blood flow) - complete one lower body exercise followed directly by an upper body one. Sets are listed below.
*** Do not attempt to complete any of these exercises without appropriate instruction if you have never performed them before. Please contact a member of your gym team or a qualified professional for assistance.
Disclaimer: Exercise alone may not be the answer with regards to improved mental health. Nevertheless, research certainly does show that it can help. For more information on good mental health practice please visit www.aware.ie or www.yourmentalhealth.ie.
Exercise and mental health
Exercising on a regular basis has been proven to reduce instances of anxiety, depression and negative mood, as well as improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Therefore, keeping up your gym routine is imperative for maintaining and promoting good mental health!
Undertaking different types of exercises that promote blood flow aid in the delivery of oxygen to the brain which it needs to function properly. Professor Michael Davis of the University of Texas’ health science centre also states that long term exercise may even promote new blood vessel growth in the brain itself which in turn could help improve cerebral functioning and therefore mental health. (Livestrong.com).
So what exercises should you do to reap these benefits? The answers are endless. Basically, anything that makes you sweat and raises your heart rate for a total of 30 mins 3-5 times per week will set you on the right path and help to maintain/promote health and happiness. Below is an example of a varied workout that you could complete in under 45mins in the gym.***
Cardio – HIIT (High Intensity Interval training):
Choose any cardio machine and work for a total of 20 mins, allowing a few mins at the start and at the end to warm up and cool down. Push yourself (raise speed/increase resistance) for 30-60 seconds and then for the following 30-60 seconds work at a moderate pace to allow your body to recover. Repeat 10-15 times depending on how much time you have. Remember, your recovery period is not a cool-down so make sure it’s not too easy!
Weight/body weight resistance exercises:
Supersets (lower + upper body to better promote circulation and blood flow) - complete one lower body exercise followed directly by an upper body one. Sets are listed below.
- Body weight or weighted squat / Push up
- Walking or static body weight or weighted lunge / Overhead press
- Barbell dead-lift / Seated row
- Leg press / Upright row
*** Do not attempt to complete any of these exercises without appropriate instruction if you have never performed them before. Please contact a member of your gym team or a qualified professional for assistance.
Disclaimer: Exercise alone may not be the answer with regards to improved mental health. Nevertheless, research certainly does show that it can help. For more information on good mental health practice please visit www.aware.ie or www.yourmentalhealth.ie.
Training for your body type
Ms Nicholson
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when starting a new training regime is that they don’t train according to their body type. Some people will set goals, which is essential, but then make the mistake of going about achieving them in a way that may be incorrect for their body type. This can mean that people can become frustrated at lack of progress, especially if they have been coming to the gym regularly and/or exercising regularly.
Body types are broken into three main categories:
1. Ectomorph—Ectomorphs are naturally slim and find it hard to gain muscle. If your goal is to gain muscle/size then you should keep cardio training to a minimum as this burns even more calories than ectomorphs naturally burn anyway, which is high. 30 mins of moderate intensity cardio or 15 mins HIIT training is recommended 3 times per week just to maintain cardiovascular health. As weight training also burns calories, weight sessions are recommended 3 times per week, focusing on compound exercises that utilise more than one joint/muscle group.
2. Mesomorph— Mesomorphs have ‘naturally fit’ bodies and can weight train more often but need to be careful not to over do it. They gain muscle quite easily and should lift quite heavy, keeping rest periods between sets low. They should aim to maintain a healthy diet, as even though they can lose weight quite easily, they can also gain it quite quickly if they’re not careful! To keep body fat levels at bay, mesomorphs should engage in cardiovascular exercise 3-5 times per week with a mix of HIIT and endurance based training. Spin classes can cater for both these types of cardiovascular exercise and are a great way to stay motivated if you aren’t really a ‘cardio person’.
3. Endomorph—Endomorphs are have a round body shape that is generally soft. They gain fat easily, are generally short, and have a slower metabolism, so therefore find it hard to lose body fat. Endomorphs need to undertake training that includes cardio and weights. Endomorphs should hit the gym at least 4 days per week, more if possible, again combining weights and cardio. Weight exercises need to be high intensity compound exercises that recruit as many muscle fibres as possible. Diet also plays a major part!
Keep in mind that most people don’t fall into one of these categories, it’s more likely that you are the mix of two, e.g. ecto-mesomorph. If you are unsure of what category you fall into, http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm has a test that you can take to predict your body type.