By Mylee Santos
Mia Bartlett said that
her struggles with mental health as a teenager decreased as she started to work
out regularly.
“I struggled a lot with
mental health as a teenager and I have seen such a difference in my mental
state ever since I started moving my body regularly,” said Bartlett.
Bartlett said she has
been practicing Pilates since her freshman year of college and is now a junior
who teaches others on campus.
“Pilates is such a fun workout
for me because I feel challenged during the workout, but my mood is always so
much better after,” said Bartlett.
She said Pilates offers
numerous benefits that many people are unaware of, and she loves seeing the
mood change in people after they’ve completed their workout.
“I think Pilates is a
testament to the fact that you don’t need to be able to bench 500 pounds or run
a half marathon to be healthy,” said Bartlett.
A study reported by the European
Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) found that mental health
improves when people start incorporating regular physical activity to their
everyday routine.
The study found that just
20-40 minutes of exercise can increase your mood for multiple hours and reduce
anxiety.
The study found how 42,264
persons showed that exercise improved anxiety levels, but when people stopped
working out for an extended period of time, the study says they started to feel
an increase in depression, anger, and confusion.
The study also found that
the effects of exercise on mental health, use an exercise program focusing
largely on cardiorespiratory conditioning, utilizing aerobic exercise forms which
use prolonged activity of large muscle groups.
Julia Wedge, a junior at
Stonehill College, instructs a spin group exercise class on campus two to three
days a week for about 45 minutes each.
“I’ve loved it ever since
I first started, both for my physical and mental health,” said Wedge.
She said that doing this
exercise helps her clear her mind and focus more on her body.
“It’s a nice break where
all you have to do is just focus on your health, body, fitness, and everything
and don’t have to worry about whatever might be going on in your life around
you,” said Wedge.
Wedge said that spin
classes were nice to do during the COVID-19 pandemic because they helped her
shut everything out and made her more relaxed.
“I definitely feel like
I’m in a better mood after, I’m more awake and a couple of my friends have said
the same thing,” said Wedge.
Wedge said the progress
that she sees between herself, and the spin members is very rewarding, and
makes it one of the most enjoyable parts.
“I like group fitness
stuff like that, it makes me feel more like part of a team, like everyone’s
kind of working towards the same goal,” said Wedge.
Mea Bizzarro, a
first-year student at Stonehill College said that she finds ways to work out
around campus, whether it’s taking walks, tossing a ball, or playing frisbee.
“I do this because it
helps me get my mind off of things for a little and destress,” said Bizzarro,
who works out at least three times a week, if not more.
“Typically, my mood
improves after I work out, I feel better emotionally now that I’ve gotten a
chance to expend some energy,” said Bizzarro.
Another Stonehill
student, Bo Miller, said that she turns to working out when she’s in a bad
mood.
“I usually feel calmer,
more energetic, and happier after I work out,” said Miller.
Miller said she
participates in activities like rock climbing, running, weightlifting, and
boxing.
“If I feel sad or if I’m
in a bad mood I usually work out; if I don’t have that much energy I won’t run
but I’ll still go to the gym. It helps me take my mind off whatever I’m
struggling with,” said Miller, who works out every single day.
“My favorite thing to do is
go for a run or box a little bit. If I run more than four miles I get runners high,
which is essentially just a natural high. It makes you feel invincible, it’s
really one of the best feelings,” said Miller.
Comments
Post a Comment