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ExerciseNZ Chief Executive Richard Beddie has declared that the COVID challenges of the last three years shows exercise and mental health are critical considerations for all New Zealanders.

Citing newly published research from Dartmouth College in the UK, drawing on data from 113 Fitbit users across a 12-month period to study the nuances of exercise’s effects on brain function and mental health, Beddie (pictured below) stated “this latest research is yet another reminder of the power of regular exercise, something which is available to everyone and has no negative side effects.”

While most research focuses on how exercise can be beneficial for brain health, from combating depression, to fighting dementia, to boosting memory, the Dartmouth College took a long-term view, tapping into long term Fitbit data to gauge the impacts of different types of physical activity.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the results demonstrated how complicated the relationship between exercise and brain health is.

While the researchers had expected to find a general positive trend between higher physical activity and memory and mental health, it wasn’t quite that simple. Low-intensity exercise brought improvements to specific memory tasks, while high-intensity exercise brought improvements specifically to others.

Stating that approaches to mental wellness need to focus more on supporting people to prevent issues, rather than just popping pills to treat them, Beddie explained “exercise is hugely more important for people’s mental health. In 2018, just seven percent of the public surveyed by ExerciseNZ said they exercised for mental health. It’s a totally different story today.

“Our latest survey shows 63% of people are now exercising to help with their mental health. This is really positive and is a greater awareness of why exercise helps on so many levels.”

Beddie says the health system focuses far too much on treating mental health like every other condition by medicating when the issue gets severe enough, adding “this approach just isn’t working and isn’t sustainable. We have the opportunity to be creative with a focus on prevention and providing more tools to help people manage themselves, and also know when to ask for help.

“Wellness if a continuum. We need to focus on supporting people to be well, not just treating people when they get sick. Exercise has proven to help with every dimension of the wellness spectrum and needs to be embraced and used by the government more.

“Mental health and memory are central to nearly everything people do. The study is trying to build a foundation for understanding how different intensities of physical exercise affect different aspects of mental and cognitive health.”

Click here to view an abstract of the study.

Main image courtesy of Fitness First.

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