It is really hard to get people to understand or maybe admit that their brain is directly tied to their body. I keep running into this and it bothers me DEEPLY. I could totally science you all about how physical fitness vastly improves, everything really, but you already know that. You know that your physical and emotional health are inextricably linked. You’ve heard it a million billion times. So let me tell you about how moving my body helps my mind. I will be specific and I will use examples. Maybe it will move you to action. Or maybe it will at least get you thinking about moving which is often vastly underrated.

Let me just start out by saying my mind is an unruly mess. It’s really too much all of the time. It takes an incredible amount of effort to focus on one of the million things that flood it constantly. To sort and file and control what comes in and out of it is a continual task of herculean proportion. Perhaps you can relate, I bet you can. I’ve been drawn to physicality my whole life. I’ve always had too much energy and if it was not expended outward it inevitably turned inward and that, more often than not, became a bad bad thing. But when I moved my body I felt like I was in control of myself. I was able to tune out of the unruly thoughts and focus on the moment at hand.

I think that’s why I’ve always been drawn to moving around – I don’t want to give the dark thoughts time to catch up with me. And although I move to take my mind off of things, I find once I have used up my energy physically I am better able to deal with my thoughts. To work through things more rationally. Control my mind calmly. I feel that is the key to understanding how the physical aids the mental – control.

When I am not able to stick to my physical movement routine everything unravels. I have nowhere for my anger and frustration to go and since I don’t want it to explode all over my loved ones I inevitably turn it inward. This of course in turn makes me stressed and due to lack of control over my situation the continued stress transitions into depression. A true feeling of hopelessness – that I will never be able to do what I want, take care of myself, always endlessly be tied to taking care of everyone else’s needs and never my own. Sound familiar? What we all need to remember (because we all forget) is that self care is not a luxury it is a necessity. So let me share my physical mental health routine:

Running, hiking, walking in general – My absolute favourite thing to do is run on the trails in the woods behind my house. In the Rochester, NY Winter (which this year is an actual legit Rochester, NY Winter) I bundle up and trek out on the snow covered trails. No matter how stressed, angry, mad, unreasonable I was prior to going outside once I get back I feel better. Science says we need to get outside ESPECIALLY in the Winter. So combining physical movement with the sun’s vitamin D filled rays (they are still working even if the sun is completely covered!!!) and the beauty of nature is a sure way to get you out of your head and then bring it back to a reasonable place. Even if you only walk outside for 10 minutes it will help you. Really!

Pilates – You should have known I would circle back to Pilates eventually! When you do Classical Pilates you are; breathing continually, focusing on your muscle engagement, training your proprioception to recognize when your body is aligned then continually working to keep it that way. You are working so hard on concentrating on so many things pertaining to your self you do not have time to let your mind wander to the bad place. You are using your mind to control your body and the movement of your body helps you take control of your mind. No running laundry lists of things you have to do, no nagging negative thoughts to block out. Just breathing and moving, strengthening and stretching. In fact Joseph Pilates called his method Contrology, due to the mental control one had over one’s body, however at the time the world was terrified of Communism so his method was eventually called Pilates instead.

I hope I’ve helped you to think of movement the way I do and in turn get moving! I’m not going to bother saying what my next blog will be about since I don’t always stick to that. But here are some possibilities: “Muscle Memory is Totally a Thing”, “Your Head is so Heavy” and “Stretching Can Fix A Lot of Stuff on You”. If you have a preference feel free to let me know.