How To Use Exercise Therapy for Mental Health Treatment?

Are you looking for an effective mental wellness strategy for your clients? Then, this guide on how to use exercise therapy for mental health treatment is for you.

Research shows a strong link between exercise and mental health. People with sedentary or inactive lifestyles have higher risks of mental illnesses. As a mental health therapist,  you can treat diverse mental health conditions with exercise therapy. Exercise tackles the underlying causes and also treats these mental health challenges.

This guide focuses on how you can improve your client’s mental health with exercise. It highlights the types of exercise that are best for mental health and psychological well-being. Beyond the usual physical benefits of exercise, you’ll learn about other advantages of exercise therapy for mental health treatment.

What Is Exercise Therapy?

Exercise therapy is the use of physical activity to enhance the quality of life of individuals with specific mental health conditions. As an evidence-based treatment, it uses structured workouts to alleviate pain, improve mental health and well-being. This therapeutic intervention is an effective tool used by mental health professionals.

People with mental health issues deal with associated physical illnesses during therapy. So, mental health challenges are sometimes triggered or influenced by physical comorbidities. Some of these physical illnesses include chronic pain, diabetes, and obesity. It also includes cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory conditions.

Exercise is a purposeful activity you engage in to improve your health and fitness level. But, exercise therapy goes beyond physical fitness. It affects various aspects of mental health. This includes self-esteem, stress management, and cognitive functioning.

How Does Exercise Therapy Work?

Research shows that exercise therapy benefits the brain and body. The result of this is better mental health and well-being.

Let’s explore the fundamental workings of exercise therapy:

Brain Health

The human brain is always changing as we go through life. It learns to adapt through the process called neuroplasticity. While the human brain has the remarkable ability to change, exercise plays a significant role in influencing these changes. Exercise itself promotes neuroplasticity which helps our brains form new connections.

A lot of these changes happen in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that’s very important for memory. Studies have shown that people who get the right amount of exercise tend to have a stronger hippocampus, which in turn aids learning and memory.

Beyond the cognitive benefits of exercise, it also boosts the brain physically. It can thicken the cerebral cortex and improve the connections in white matter, which is the network that links different parts of the brain. This means our brain cells can communicate better with each other. Additionally, the growth of new brain cells is promoted by exercise, through a process known as neurogenesis.

All these changes in the structure and function of the brain have a big impact on how we think, feel, and act. For instance, the physiological benefits of exercise can improve sleep. It assists the brain release and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and endorphins, and even leads to physical changes in the brain. Exercise increases brain volume and blood flow, which brings in more oxygen and nutrients. It enhances its neural and overall brain functioning.

When a person experiences stress, their body releases cortisol. This process induces feelings of tension, fear, and difficulty concentrating. Exercise therapy affects our biological makeup. It aids in reducing stress hormones, like cortisol, which is linked to anxiety. Regular exercise promotes relaxation, and improves stress management. It helps in lowering cortisol levels. This boosts your mood and improves your energy level.

Psychological Well-being

Apart from the brain improvements, exercise therapy influences your psychological health and well-being. It is helpful in managing various mental health disorders. Exercise therapy offers a meditative focus through mindful movement. Exercise is a healthy way to get the mind off negative thoughts. The workouts aid you in releasing pent-up negativity. Exercise therapy will enable you to deal with distractions, as you engage in mindful movements.

Practicing mindfulness exercises is highly beneficial. The low to high intensity exercises boosts your focus, energy, and strengthens your resilience. Exercise therapy combats low self-esteem giving you a sense of accomplishment, mastery, and control. It will improve your self-esteem, and self-confidence especially with social interaction.

One of the major marks of mental illness is isolation from society. Group exercise programs can help people who need mental health treatment in this regard. These people can build social connections and have a sense of belonging. It improves their mental and emotional health.

How Does Exercise Therapy Impact Mental Health Conditions?

Exercise therapy has several benefits in treating individuals with mental health conditions. Understanding how exercise promotes mental well-being as a mental health therapist will enable you to provide excellent care for your clients. Here are common mental health conditions that can be treated with exercise therapy.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Exercise therapy improves attention, focus, and impulse control. These are key challenges for ADHD clients. Furthermore, regular physical activity helps manage hyperactivity and restlessness, ensuring wellness.

Anxiety

Exercise reduces muscle tension, boosts mood, and lowers anxiety. Exercise therapy supports individuals to manage anxiety and improve well-being.

Depression

Exercise grows new neurons in the hippocampus, a region often harmed by depression. This leads to enhanced mood, memory, and cognitive function. Also, exercise therapy helps manage neurotransmitters like serotonin. It improves mood and reduces depression.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Exercise can help with PTSD symptoms like nightmares and flashbacks. It is greatly beneficial in managing individuals with trauma. It also aids in relaxation and emotional control.

Substance Abuse

Consistent exercise can reduce the frequency and degree of drug cravings. It substitutes for periods previously spent on drug use. Therapy through exercise lowers the risk of returning to drug addiction.

Exercise therapy can help in your client’s mental wellness journeys. It also treats conditions related to psychiatric, social, and cognitive disabilities.  People with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, intellectual disabilities, bipolar disorder, will benefit from exercise therapy.

What Type of Exercise is Best for Mental Health Treatment?

Research shows that your physical and mental health can be improved by exercise therapy. The U.S. public-health guidelines recommend that you should have a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity every week.

We have explored how exercise affects the brain and psychological health. Now, let's look at the types of exercise therapy.

Aerobic Exercise

This type of exercise is also called cardiovascular exercise or "cardio." It involves activities that raise your heart rate and breathing. Examples include cycling, running, swimming, brisk walking, and dancing. Research shows that aerobic exercise benefits mental health, and improves cognitive functioning.

Animal-assisted Therapy

It is a physical activity that uses human-animal interaction. It is particularly used with children to treat mental health challenges. It is also known as pet therapy and includes toys like dogs, and horses. It aims to improve mood and promote social connections. Petting animals can help to lower anxiety. It enhances the release of an automatic relaxation response.

Dance Therapy

Dance therapy is an interesting activity. It uses creative movement for emotional expression and social interaction. Through this dance therapy, you can reduce tension and let go of pent-up anger. It is vital for mood regulation and stress management. As an effective coping strategy to improve mental health through movement. It is useful in aiding individuals improve body image and self-esteem.

Mindfulness-based Exercise

This exercise therapy for mental health treatment covers physical activities that combine mindfulness techniques and breathing exercises. Some popular examples include Tai Chi and yoga.

Resistance Training

Resistance training builds strength and endurance with bodyweight exercises and weightlifting. It has physical benefits. It also assists in dealing with mental health challenges like anxiety, low self-esteem, and sleep disorders.

Note that no single exercise is superior to the others. Simply tailor exercise advice to each client’s needs and fitness levels.

How to Incorporate Exercise Therapy into Your Practice

Knowing the value of exercise therapy is not the same as knowing how to use it in your practice. The former needs knowledge; the latter needs a working strategy.

Here’s a breakdown down of the process into practicable phases:

Client’s Initial Assessment

The popular saying, “look before you leap," very much fits into this context. Before you start an exercise program, you must know your client’s needs. This phase builds a strong base for a safe, effective program. It will meet your client’s specific needs.

Here are some important points under this phase:

Medical History: Check your client’s medical history. It is crucial to know your client’s current physical state, and specific health concerns. You can ask about any pain, movement difficulties, or past injuries.

Client Fitness Evaluation: Do a basic fitness test. Then, check to see if your client is flexible, balanced, and fit for the exercise therapy. Observe your client’s heart rate and blood pressure. This helps establish a baseline and informs the types of goals you set. It also enables you to identify areas that need attention.

Mental Health Assessment: Check your client’s mental health. This ensures there are no barriers to the planned exercise therapy. It also guides you to tailor the program to meet their specific needs. For maximum results, ensure to set realistic goals in the treatment of their mental health conditions.

Personalized Client Exercise Program

After you finish step one, now you know your client's needs and preferences. This makes it easy for you to design a personalized exercise program for your client. You can incorporate strength exercises, flexibility exercises, cardio exercises, balance exercises or breathing exercises. Also engage your client in light or moderate or vigorous physical intensity exercise.

For individuals who live a sedentary life or don't enjoy exercise, it is best to outline how often and how intensely to do each exercise. The program must specify the type of exercise, its duration, intensity, and frequency. Ensure it is safe and effective for them. Then, the program becomes fun and achieves your client’s mental health goals.

Monitoring and Modification

Long-term success in exercise therapy requires constant monitoring and supporting your client as they adapt to the program. With Mentalyc, an AI progress note App you also can easily monitor your client’s therapy sessions. This process enables you to keep track of your progress.

As a therapist, through movement demonstrations you can show your client how to do each exercise correctly. It is also crucial to educate your client on why consistency, good posture, and proper breathing are important for reaching their goals. Well supervised sessions will enable you to correct any error your client makes.

Ensure to do a lot of regular check-ins with your client, adjust the plan when needed. Offer support and encouragement to motivate your client. This helps them stay committed to the therapy sessions and address any challenges they encounter.

Teamwork

Working with other mental health professionals can bring valuable expertise during exercise therapy. It gives your client a great experience and provides better outcomes. You may choose trusted fitness pros and healthcare providers like physiotherapists or doctors, to create a complete care plan. Always remember that exercise therapy must be a team effort. It must involve you, your client, and the healthcare professional. This gives a sense of belonging and empowerment to your client. It also makes them more likely to commit fully to the exercise program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Exercise a Substitute For Medication?

No, exercise is a complementary approach. While it is beneficial in many ways, it may not be effective for individuals with multimorbidity. Medication is still very relevant and can be integrated with exercise therapy for better results.

What Is The Best Type of Exercise Therapy For Mental Health Conditions?

There is no single “best” type of exercise therapy. The best exercise therapy for mental health includes aerobic exercise, strength training, and yoga. These activities improve mood, reduce anxiety, and help manage stress effectively. Group exercise and outdoor activities also support social connection and mental well-being. Combining these exercises provides the best results for mental health.

What Are The Mental Health Consequences of a Lack of Exercise?

A lack of exercise can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and stress. It may also result in poor sleep, lower self-esteem, and reduced cognitive function. Over time, inactivity can worsen mental health issues and contribute to social isolation. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good mental health and overall well-being.