Hey R.O.O.T.S Family! Often you will find my writings relating my gardening experiences to how we should best address behaviors and how the environment we are in affects our very well-being. Not this post! Today I want to address the power of exercise! Research shows that exercise improves the physical and psychological qualities of life in people with depression (Schuch, F. B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Richards, J., Ward, P. B., & Stubbs, B. (2016). Exercise rejuvenates and provides a fresh start after a good sweat of all toxins in your body. Although our bodies are naturally designed to self-detoxify, exercise is a great conduit to beginning that process. One writer says, exercise alone will not cause the body to detoxify; however, studies and scientific data show that exercise assists the lungs, kidneys, immune system, and intestines in becoming more efficient at naturally detoxifying the body. In a study by Fortuna, et al. (2018), the authors described how adolescents with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder are treated with cognitive and mindfulness-based therapy. R.O.O.T.S. Family… those types of therapeutic interventions are centered in addressing thoughts, taking captive those thoughts, challenging them, breathing, taking time to stop, and living in the moment.
Exercising for me, causes just that! I challenge you today to consider being more kind to yourself! Take time to STOP, BREATHE, LIVE IN THE MOMENT, EXERCISE! By all means, don’t forget to grab you a R.O.O.T.S. tank and leggings to do so!
Until our next chat…Take Hold of Your R.O.O.T.S.!
References:
Fortuna, L.R., Porche, M.V., & Padilla, A. (2018). A treatment development study of a cognitive and mindfulness-based therapy for adolescents with co-occurring post-traumatic stress and substance use disorder. Psychology & Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 91(1), 42-62. https://doi-org.wv-o-ursus-proxy01.ursus.maine.edu/10.1111/papt.12143
Schuch, F. B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Richards, J., Ward, P. B., & Stubbs, B. (2016). Exercise improves physical and psychological quality of life in people with depression: A meta-analysis including the evaluation of control group response. Psychiatry Research, 241, 47-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.04.054