Exercise has become increasingly present in our culture, from advertised gym equipment to the Jersey Shore’s popular phrase “Gym Tan Laundry (GTL)” to Instagram pictures of weight loss transformation and lifting maximums. In fact, as of 2012, approximately half the population of American adults participated in aerobic exercise regularly and almost one in four Americans were regularly doing muscle-strengthening activity, which indicates an increase in participants in both exercise categories since 2000 (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2013/068.pdf).
It seems that the vast majority of the American population has become aware of the importance of exercise. Why do so many people start exercising regularly and then gradually break out of the habit until they no longer use the gym or tie up their running shoes? Some of it has to do with time restrictions because of work and monetary issues, but sometimes it’s just a lack of continued motivation toward the practice. Combining exercise and talk therapy can provide exercisers, regardless of their individual challenges, with the motivation and strategies required to help them pursue and continue their diet and exercise practice.
Talk therapy has been shown to provide exercisers with the structural guidance and support they need to keep raising the bar. I consistently see it with my clients. Sitting down with me and discussing concerns and life events helps clients gain insight into their challenges. Talk therapy is able to adapt to a wide range of issues, from depression to anxiety, to socialization and health challenges.
There are numerous advantages to exercising – better physical health, improved self-perception and self-esteem, and stress relief, to name a few – but for many, exercising is seen as overly strenuous and difficult. Not all people take each step as they are running and feel pure joy, and not all people feel a rush of enthusiasm as they are lifting weights. Some people experience it as a chore which evokes dread and resistance.
Even those who enjoy working out and do it consistently sometimes struggle, from time to time, emotionally or physically, and have a hard time pushing through. Talk therapy can be extremely beneficial for those who relish going to the gym and those who avoid going too.
These are the ways in which combining exercise with talk therapy can be beneficial:
As human beings, we like our efforts to be acknowledged. When we have been working hard on a project we like others to notice, regardless of the quality of the results. By simply talking with a therapist, clients gain confidence through another individual’s acknowledgement of their dedication and hard work.
Whether it’s a perceived successful day at the gym or not, my clients appreciating receiving emotional support. Being able to share excitement or disappointment with me makes them feel cared for and attended to. If someone had an unsatisfactory work out, I help guide the client toward new strategies to minimize the disappointment in the future.
Additionally, my clients are more likely to feel comfortable talking to me about their past history, as opposed to a trainer, or even a friend. Discussing their history may reveal information about their childhood (maybe they struggled with their weight or maybe they participated in many sports, for example) or cultural mores around food and exercise.
My client can then discuss how this influences on their current perceptions about exercise in general and actual exercise involvement and they can work on using this information to help guide themselves toward their exercise goals and practice.
I help people to set realistic and feasible goals for themselves. Many people stop exercising because they do not see the physical changes they had hoped to see in a short period of time. With my help, I assist them to set achievable goals with the awareness of how to sustain the practice and maintain it overtime, rather than in the short-term and temporarily.
Being able to recognize what barriers must be overcome and what helped motivate them to exercise in the past can be crucial for developing goals and a routine. For example, talk therapy can help the client realize that even with their busy work schedule, the benefit of stress reduction is a sound enough reason to pursue finding time for it. I help them work exercise into their schedule in the most efficient way possible. I can help clients find alternative, non-traditional ways to exercise that are less expensive, less time consuming, and more comfortable for the individual that might not otherwise be considered.
Finally, they can discuss how their exercise behavior is or is not significant to the way they live their daily lives. For example, typically those that have included a healthy diet and exercise are disciplined (rigorous routines), organized (need to delineate specific times to buy/cook/eat well and to seek feasible workout times), and are committed to self-care (want to improve their health, appearance, etc.). If one is unhappy with the way he/she is living, I can help that individual to identify their intrinsic values and expectations regarding diet and exercise and come up with a customized plan that makes sense for them.
For all the reasons stipulated above, this type of therapy is helpful and effective. I see it daily with my clients. I encourage others to seek out and take advantage of using talk therapy, in combination with exercise, to maximize mental and physical well-being.
