By Dr. May Chi – Clinical Psychologist
I have a PhD, but can I do even one sit-up? No. That is my fitness sasquatch at the moment. One sit-up. I am determined that this body will take off at least once in this lifetime.
I thought I could get by with mental power alone. Smart enough, focused enough, determined enough… I thought mental health was being mentally flexible, mentally strong, and mentally enduring. I saw my body as the enemy to my mental discipline; sick when I wanted to work, tired when I wanted to push on, wobbly when I wanted to reach.
Mental health is not separate from physical fitness. What a bitter pill to swallow for a profession built on ignoring the body (by sitting) and engaging the head (by talking). But studies suggest that exercise is comparable to psychotherapy, which is comparable to medication, for treating mental illnesses like depression. Like medication, the antidepressant effects only continue if you keep doing it. So it’s not just one sit-up. It’s repetition.
I lay on the exercise mat. Today’s the day. I picture the muscles lined up like lights down the runway. My head and shoulders lift off! Then, mayday, mayday, mayday!
A herniated grunt followed by the long eeeeeeh of air being let out of a balloon. I crash back down on the mat.
The benefits of exercise on mental health are well known. Less well-known are the moments of struggle, pain, and embarrassment that discourage it. This is where my other training matters. Psychology is a deciding factor in whether someone finds their way.
I have spent years honing belief, emotion regulation, motivation, and habit formation. All the mental stuff. Now it’s just a matter of painstakingly translating it from one domain to another. Emphasis on the pain. Body and mind. Working together rather than opposing each other.
Support is another deciding factor.
I roll over on my mat and pull out my phone. Hey, I need help figuring out this sit-up thing. A text comes back with a cry-laughing emoji. Sure. Not just like once! I need to, like, get fit. Another cry-laughing emoji. I know, May.