What if I told you there was one thing we all can do that will help the PTSD? Seriously! Makes you feel better, and it also has many other benefits. It’s natural. Available to anyone. And in most cases FREE. Would you think I was stoned?
Well, I may be a little crazy, but it’s true. According to Dr. John Ratey, “Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning.”
Now you think, “Oh great…a lecture. I already know all this, and I do not want to exercise. Just hearing the word makes me depressed. Been there. Done that. Too old. Too tired. Too fat. No time. It sucks. And it’s hard.”
Well, before you throw in the towel, please read on. I understand! There was a time in my life where the only reason I exercised was to burn off the calories I ate. I was fat. I was depressed. I was miserable. And it was my punishment. I hated it!!!! A very vicious cycle.
What I had to discover was a form of exercise that I liked! A way to move my body that wasn’t torture. That eventually I looked forward to, and did just for its own sake. (Not just to do penance for too much pizza!) Not everybody likes to run, or cycle, or work out in a gym. Maybe some prefer water exercise, or a step class. Or yoga. How about dancing? Indoor tennis? Walking? Ping pong? Or anything that moves the body, gets the heart going, and uses muscles. (Texting doesn’t count).
For those of us with PTSD in our lives, this is truly worth noting. Check out this excerpt from an article in U.S. News and World Report:
Research suggests that burning off 350 calories three times a week through sustained, sweat-inducing activity can reduce symptoms of depression about as effectively as antidepressants. That may be because exercise appears to stimulate the growth of neurons in certain brain regions damaged by depression. What’s more, animal studies have found that getting active boosts the production of brain molecules that improve connections between nerve cells, thereby acting as a natural antidepressant. And a 2010 study found that three sessions of yoga per week boosted participants’ levels of the brain chemical GABA, which typically translates into improved mood and decreased anxiety. Yoga can be used to complement—not substitute—drug treatment for depression, the researchers said.
When we have days – or moments – where we are on the edge, the brink, and the PTSD has us in its grip, don’t wait until we are over the edge! As I remind us in the book LOVE OUR VETS: Restoring Hope for Families of Veterans with PTSD, it is CRUCIAL that we take care of ourselves, whether we have PTSD or we are supporting a loved one who does.
Now is the time to realize that ANYTHING is worth the effort if it can help.
Here are some more great benefits of exercise, the all-natural PTSD De-fuser! Elevates mood, increases serotonin, releases endorphins, strengthens the heart, boosts immune system, helps circulation & respiration, builds self-esteem, improves learning, helps with sleep, may slow aging, burns calories, tones muscles and helps stress.
I encourage you to try it for a while. But before you do, please consult your doctor. Then if you are good to go, start slow. See how you feel on the days you exercise, and on the days you don’t. The sheer mood change can be so motivating!
Nothing is easy, but some things are SO WORTH it! (As are YOU and those you love.)
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