Exercise Your Mind.

21 May 2001


"I would not have recovered over the last few years without daily exercise, combined with alterations of diet."

"I still suffer from depression, anxiety and stress, but doing exercise does give relief and greatly helps me through the days."

"I would like to see mental health professionals, GPs etc, spending more time to inform people of the benefits of exercise."

"It is difficult to get out through the door many days, for anything."

83 per cent of people with mental health problems have used physical activity and exercise to help lift their mood or to help reduce stress.

75 per cent of gym members used exercise to reduce stress.

68 per cent of gym members thought their general mental well being would suffer if they stopped exercising.

65 per cent of people with mental health problems said exercise had helped to relieve the symptoms of depression; 62 per cent said stress; 56 per cent said anxiety; 12 per cent said manic depression; 10 per cent said schizophrenia.

57 per cent of people with mental health problems reported improved motivation as a result of physical exercise; 50 per cent improved self-esteem; 24 per cent improved social skills.

35 per cent of gym members reported improved performance at work.

 

Three new national surveys are released by Mind today, to mark the launch of Mind Week (21st -27th May), that highlight how physical activity and exercise is being used by people with mental health problems and gym members as a vital tool to maintain mental health, and as a preventative measure.

Many respondents in the surveys were using exercise to de-stress and lift 'low' moods, but many were also relieving some of the symptoms of diagnosed mental health problems like depression and anxiety, and in some cases manic depression and schizophrenia.

The Mind survey found that people with mental health problems were more likely to use everyday activities like walking, housework, and gardening, while gym members were more likely to use formal exercise classes and workouts.

The biggest barriers to doing exercise were motivation problems, the cost of doing sporting activities, a lack of confidence, and transport difficulties. Despite the popularity of using physical exercise to help alleviate mental health problems, many respondents in the Mind survey highlighted the need for more affordable facilities and classes.

Mind analysed questionnaires from 400 people with mental health problems in England and Wales, and 500 questionnaires from members of Cannons Health Clubs and Courtney's Fitness for Life Centres in England. A survey of 1,050 members of the public was also commissioned by Mind.

Key findings from three surveys below.

The charity now wants to use these findings to encourage more GPs to promote the "exercise on prescription" schemes to patients with mental health problems (as 58 per cent of people in the Mind survey didn't know that GPs can prescribe exercise sessions and activities ). It also wants to see increased provision for exercise in mental health services, i.e., psychiatric hospitals and day centres, and as part of care treatment plans.

Sue Baker, author of the Mind report said: "Mind wants to promote the widest possible range of options to maintain mental health and well-being, both as a preventative 'tool' and an additional coping strategy for people with mental health problems and the general public.

Our surveys prove, beyond any doubt, that physical activity and exercise has a valid place in the 'treatment' of mental health problems and as such it deserves far more recognition and should be made more widely available.

"In undertaking these surveys, Mind is not suggesting that exercise can prevent all mental health problems from developing, or that physical exercise should be seen as a replacement for other 'treatments'," she said.

The charity is also launching a new booklet, the Mind guide to physical activity

Mind and Cannons Health and Fitness have recently joined forces to help promote the links between physical and mental well being, at the same time as raising funds for the charity.

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEYS:

Types of exercise

83 per cent of people with mental health problems have used physical activity and exercise to help lift their mood or to help reduce stress. (Mind survey)

75 per cent of gym members used exercise to reduce stress, and 67 per cent said they used exercise to maintain their mental health, like lifting 'low' moods. (Cannons/Courtney's survey)

People with mental health problems used more every day physical activities to help maintain their mental health, like walking (85 per cent); housework (49 per cent); and gardening (39 per cent). (Mind survey).

The most popular ways gym members de-stressed or lifted their mood were: gym workouts (72 per cent); and swimming (55 per cent). Walking (44 per cent); dancing (21 per cent); and gardening (20 per cent) were also popular. (Cannons/Courtney's survey)

The most popular activities amongst members of the public were walking (64 per cent); swimming (36 per cent); gym workouts (35 per cent); sport (32 per cent): gardening (31 per cent). (Public survey)

 

Benefits of exercise

57 per cent of people with mental health problems reported improved motivation; 50 per cent said improvement to their self-esteem; 24 per cent said regular physical exercise has helped to develop their social skills. (Mind survey)

64 per cent of gym members reported improved self-esteem; 64 per cent reported boosted energy levels; 58 per cent reported improved motivation; 35 per cent said their performance at work had improved. (Cannons/Courtney's survey)

65 per cent of people with mental health problems said exercise had helped to relieve the symptoms of depression; 62 per cent said stress; 56 per cent said anxiety; 12 per cent said symptoms of manic depression; 10 per cent said schizophrenia. (Mind survey)

68 per cent of gym members thought their general mental well being would suffer if they stopped exercising. Only 18 per cent thought it wouldn't. (Cannons/Courtney's survey)

 

Barriers to exercise

58 per cent of people with mental health problems did not know that GPs can sometimes prescribe exercise sessions and activities. 42 per cent said they did know. (Mind survey)

The biggest barriers that prevented people with mental health problems taking part in physical exercise were motivation problems (39 per cent), the cost of doing sporting activities (33 per cent), and lack of confidence (31 per cent). (Mind survey)

 

Public awareness

59 per cent of the public thought exercise could help prevent people from developing mental health problems like depression and anxiety. 18 per cent thought it wouldn't. (Public survey)

 

The full article can be found here