Thoughts on fitness
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ColeSlaw1234
Posts: 47 Member
I think of fitness more in terms of my whole health triangle: mental emotional health, social health, and physical health. I was surprised how much trying to lose weight helped all aspects of that. It didn't make me magically love myself, but it has helped learn I can work towards something...u all should be proud of that too.
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Replies
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Yes most definitely. I've just started swimming again after a break and am so pleased with a reduction in my anxiety and better sleep. It feels good to look after yourself.2
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That's definitely not how I look at fitness, and unfortunately but unsurprising I haven't had similar results (for lack of a better word), at least not with regards to my mental health. That, of course, isn't to say I don't do quite a lot to manage my mental health, and I'm more social than I used to be which is a good thing. It's not about my mindset or how much or little I'm physically, rather it's the state of my mental health issues.
Mind you, I also think one can be physically fit and also physically unhealthy (and I'm not just equating physically health with size, there are plenty of other ways one can be unhealthy).2 -
Yes, this time of year, now that gardening season has started and I am getting more sun and exercise, I taper off my antidepressant and stop taking it until I start getting the winter blues in the late fall.
This has worked for me for years - others should consult their prescribing doctor.2 -
Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.5
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That's definitely not how I look at fitness, and unfortunately but unsurprising I haven't had similar results (for lack of a better word), at least not with regards to my mental health. That, of course, isn't to say I don't do quite a lot to manage my mental health, and I'm more social than I used to be which is a good thing. It's not about my mindset or how much or little I'm physically, rather it's the state of my mental health issues.
Mind you, I also think one can be physically fit and also physically unhealthy (and I'm not just equating physically health with size, there are plenty of other ways one can be unhealthy).
I agree. I still and mentally and emotionally a wreck sometimes, but being healthy physically is a start to working on the rest I suppose 😉0 -
monkeefan1974 wrote: »Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.
I relate to this a lot! I mean, it hasn't solved all my issues for sure! But it has helped me learn I can better myself if I try!
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monkeefan1974 wrote: »Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.
Wow, yes. This is so true for me. While I'm focusing on the logistics of the run, my brain simply can't stress about the rest of my life.3 -
ColeSlaw1234 wrote: »I think of fitness more in terms of my whole health triangle: mental emotional health, social health, and physical health. I was surprised how much trying to lose weight helped all aspects of that. It didn't make me magically love myself, but it has helped learn I can work towards something ...u all should be proud of that too.
For me, the crucial underlying thing was the power of recognizing that persistently, patiently following a plan over a long(ish) period of time gave me more control over the course of my life. That sense of agency is very empowering.
That light can dawn (or be amplified) by success at calorie counting/weight loss, success at getting fitter, learning to play a musical instrument or do a sport, becoming a skilled cook, learning calculus, or many other refinements of habit or skill.
The ones involving one's own body - weight management, fitness - are particularly persuasive, I think, because it's a domain where we have near-complete control, and because it feels most like "changing self".1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »monkeefan1974 wrote: »Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.
Wow, yes. This is so true for me. While I'm focusing on the logistics of the run, my brain simply can't stress about the rest of my life.
Y’all’s running routes are very different from mine, apparently
. I also worry about encountering a bobcat or pack of coyotes, or this time of year, stepping on a snake. But at some point around mile 3 or 4, my brain goes into a more or less meditative state and I’m not thinking about much. I always say running is at least as good for my mental health as my physical health. 3 -
Fitness doesn't seem to do much in regards to making me feel that much better outside of the obvious that I can physically do more and I feel more "able." I don't mind working out, even can enjoy it, but it doesn't do much in terms of clearing my head or helping me gain focus.
That being said, fitness is VERY important to my racing, and riding and racing have proven to be pretty instrumental to my overall health and outlook on life. Fitness ends up being a priority simply due to the fact that it's pretty important if I want to keep improving in my riding and making progress.2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »monkeefan1974 wrote: »Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.
Wow, yes. This is so true for me. While I'm focusing on the logistics of the run, my brain simply can't stress about the rest of my life.
Y’all’s running routes are very different from mine, apparently. I also worry about encountering a bobcat or pack of coyotes, or this time of year, stepping on a snake. But at some point around mile 3 or 4, my brain goes into a more or less meditative state and I’m not thinking about much. I always say running is at least as good for my mental health as my physical health.
Last week I almost got trampled over by some aggressive cattle that stampeded straight towards me. I had to climb onto a fallen tree to get away from them. Other than that the wildlife is pretty chill where I run. I have seen big coyotes pass close but they are usually not interested in me and I’m not scared of snakes, I see them on the trail all the time. Unleashed dogs do scare me though! I’ve had more than a few bad encounters with dogs that the owners can not control.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »monkeefan1974 wrote: »Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.
Wow, yes. This is so true for me. While I'm focusing on the logistics of the run, my brain simply can't stress about the rest of my life.
Y’all’s running routes are very different from mine, apparently. I also worry about encountering a bobcat or pack of coyotes, or this time of year, stepping on a snake. But at some point around mile 3 or 4, my brain goes into a more or less meditative state and I’m not thinking about much. I always say running is at least as good for my mental health as my physical health.
I have the odd koala or two to deal with ... taking a photo normally if they are close enough hee hee. Well, that and snakes but they normally stay clear of the main path anyway.
Here is one such encounter with a koala
although a couple of times I have come across these too
It is why I find walking in nature good for my soul. It can be soothing which can make a small improvement with my depression and anxiety. It does not replace the benefits of therapy though. Just means it makes it easier to survive.
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Lillymoo01 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »monkeefan1974 wrote: »Fitness for me has meant achieving the physical ability to do the things I want to do. And being able to do the things I want to do goes a long way to helping support my mental health as well. I’ve not had a problem loving myself but getting fitter and healthier has helped me better accept my weaknesses and focus more on my strengths. I’ve had social anxiety since my earliest memories (never treated but I’m functional enough to get by) and over the years I’ve developed strategies to cope with and override the SA (although the distorted thoughts never really go away they are diminished at least) and getting fit has been a fantastic tool for me to deal with the anxiety. Specifically running has helped me a lot because after a run I feel much calmer, I attribute this to the fact that my anxious mind is normally worrying about nothing but during a run I have actual real things to worry about like cars, obstacles, foot placement, dogs, form, breathing, hydration, weather, pace, distance, etc and my mind gets as much of a workout as my body does. As far as social health, being fit has given me extra confidence and when I feel confident I feel more comfortable around others. I’m actually not shy which is what people often mistakenly think SA is, so feeling like I look my best and knowing what I’m physically capable of goes a long way to making me feel like I can get through difficult situations.
Wow, yes. This is so true for me. While I'm focusing on the logistics of the run, my brain simply can't stress about the rest of my life.
Y’all’s running routes are very different from mine, apparently. I also worry about encountering a bobcat or pack of coyotes, or this time of year, stepping on a snake. But at some point around mile 3 or 4, my brain goes into a more or less meditative state and I’m not thinking about much. I always say running is at least as good for my mental health as my physical health.
I have the odd koala or two to deal with ... taking a photo normally if they are close enough hee hee. Well, that and snakes but they normally stay clear of the main path anyway.
Here is one such encounter with a koala
although a couple of times I have come across these too
It is why I find walking in nature good for my soul. It can be soothing which can make a small improvement with my depression and anxiety. It does not replace the benefits of therapy though. Just means it makes it easier to survive.
Neat! There’s plenty of eucalyptus trees where I run in California but no koalas!0 -
I've felt a lot more confident about myself since losing some weight - not loads, less than a stone - but it has made a massive difference to my sense of self worth (which rightly or wrongly was bound up in my weight). This has come with finding some muscle definition, which I love - I have always exercised a certain amount, but doing some resistance training has really helped me.
However, the thing I enjoy most, which clears my head best, is going for a walk in the countryside around where I live.3
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