Some people see exercise as therapy.
But they are two distinct approaches to taking care of our mental health.
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It completely caught me off guard.
Sure, working out isbeneficial for your mental healththe science and research clearly state this.
Exercise releases neurotransmitters, notably feel-good endorphins, which increase feelings of pleasure and decrease feelings of pain.
psychotherapist and founder of Run Walk Talk
Exercise is also a powerful stress reliever.
Honestly, therapy has completely changed my life.
To be clear, Im also very physically active.
I lift weights about four days a week and do cardio another two to three days a week.
And Im diligent about getting in my8,000 to 10,000 steps a day.
Theyre really two different things, explains licensed therapist and board-certified behavior analystLaurie Singer, LMFT.
But it is different than therapy.
Singer says that she always recommends physical activity as part of a treatment plan for her clients.
[Exercise] relieves that tension, that stress, she says.
psychotherapist and founder of Run Walk Talk
It boosts your physical and mental energy…
It enhances your well-being all from those endorphins.
Still, physical activity isnt therapy.
A therapist can offer an outside perspective and tools to help you deal with distressing situations.
Conflating regular exercise with clinical mental health treatment might just boil down to misconceptions around therapy.
Running gave me energy, but it didnt help me deal with feelings of guilt and shame.
Lifting weights helped relieve some stress, but it didnt help me learn to be a better communicator.
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