Posted: Monday 9 August 2010
At the time it seemed like such a ludicrous idea. Having been diagnosed as suffering from depression and anxiety in mid-September last year, when a friend of mine suggested in early October that I ought to look at joining a gym I could not think of anything I would be less likely to do.
Back then sleeping for 12 hours a night was common. A 14-hour stint was not unheard of, and on top of that I was sleeping during the day too. Just going from my bedroom to the kitchen seemed like a massive effort, so the concept of any form of physical exercise seemed totally alien to me.
However after further discussions with my friend, who I had known since my school days and I was 36 at the time, it transpired that he too had suffered from depression and he swore blindly that joining a gym was the best thing he had done. With plenty of time on my hands having been signed off work, I thought to myself what have I got to lose?
Like probably too many people my age I had neglected to do any sort of regular exercise for far too long. Added to the fact that I was not exactly the most sociable person at the time so heading to the gym for the first time after signing up seemed incredibly daunting. Once there though for my initial assessment to establish how fit I was – better than I was expecting – and my apprehension was lifted further when the guy who was showing me how to use the equipment told me that his sister too suffered from depression and he assured me that physical activity was one of the best things I could do in my battle to get better. He could not have been more right.
Over the next few weeks my visits to the gym became part of my regular daily pattern. Nothing too strenuous, but I quickly became all too aware how much I was benefiting from spending half an hour or so on an exercise bike a few days a week. From my initial fears and apprehension, it soon became something I looked forward to as it was obvious I felt so much better – not only physically but equally if not more importantly for me, mentally – after a workout.
Fast forward to the start of this year and on a visit to the excellent Mind website, I saw that they were after volunteers to run for the charity in the Royal Parks Half Marathon on World Mental Health Day, October 10.
Seeing this as an opportunity that would benefit not only me but also Mind I wasted no time in signing up.
Thankfully my regular visits to the gym over the previous few months stood me in good stead when I embarked on my 16-week training programme. I am not going to lie and say it has been easy so far – this is the end of week seven as I write – but give or take one or two niggly injuries it has not been as bad as I had expected. Besides, on the days when I am aching, and there have been a few, I just think about how far my mental health has improved due to my exercising and also how the money raised for Mind by all of us taking part in the run will benefit others like me, and those who don’t have the support of such understanding friends and family. Pounding the parks and streets of London on the second Sunday in October that will be firmly in my thoughts.
Paul Eacott, news reporter for the Racing Post newspaper
Not everyone is an athlete or has the capability to run for miles. I , personally , have a degenerative bone disease and could not do it. Also there is no appeal in it.
I am fed up of everyone saying all you service users need exercise in your lives, it will do wonders for your mental state.
Just give me some envelopes to stick so I contribute to society .
What a great story. Well done Paul for getting back to work and I hope the Racing Post have proven a decent employer.
Fizzles, thanks for your comment.
Leave Me Alone, everybody has different ways of improving their wellbeing. Much to my surprise exercise worked for me.
loving this article, what a brilliant story and such a life changing event. half marathons are VERY tough so well done! its a shame there was such a negative comment above but hey ho we cant win them all. Well done Paul, all the best on your recovery :o)
I completely agree that exercise can do wonders for you. It doesn't have to be the gym if you're really not into that, though, there's more than one way to take exercise and there's something for most abilities. Swimming is very good, walking is far better than nothing, then there's things like gentle yoga too.
Dear Paul I admire you for achieving this and it was not a slur on you. I a just annoyed at the assumption that anyone can get exercise and suddenly get transformd. Sorry for hijacking your thread as you have accomplished something great and that is a result . Well done x
Hi Claire and Veronika.
Thanks for your responses. I must admit that the half marathon will be tough, but it is an achieveable goal, I hope!
Good shout about swimming Veronika. I tried yoga but it was not for me. Each to their own though.
Leave me alone, i can understand your frustration and i do a lot of running so it's not like i'm in the same position.
Well done Paul, keep pumping the iron. I'm glad you're up and out. Any good tips?
My gym changed the music to a radio station a few months back which didn't suit. Have you ever tried exercising to Candle in the bloomin Wind?
The Idea of exercise is sometimes the last thing you want to do.
Especially in my case as I weighed 25 stone.
But exercise does lift your spirits and clears the mind for a while which is worth the effort.
I have deppression and a back problem which prevents be doing certain exercises ( including swimming which I used to like )
However I teamed up with a freind ( A good idea ) and we bought some cycles, one from the recycle centre ( £6 ) and one from a auction ( £5 )
We started back in April and we are now up to 60 miles a week.
He has lost 2.5 stones and myself 1.5 stones
We will never do the Tour de France but cycling has been a great help to both of us
Just walking always helps me, on the days I can manage it. I think anything where you're actively doing something is always going to be helpful to clear your mind.
I saw a study that said walking in areas with trees is good for reducing stress levels. Something specific to trees has the effect.
This Exercise red herring is being rammed down our throats. There is no doubt that physical jerks have no bearing upon whether someone has a proclivity towards mental ill-health - none whatsoever. Why Time to Change wants to drain its resources on a wild goose-chase which leaves most of the people with mental health needs in the cold, only Time to change can tell us - but they probably won't bother. They will go blithely on ignoring the warnings and appeals of the people who know and are desperate to have a smidgeon of funding to be able to launch projects that do yield something of lasting worth from the morass of irrelevance generated by the current campaigns.
Hi,
Check this link:
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/mmcgovern.html
Like you – I thought it was a myth – this exercise thing. But it does seem to work. I got rid of most of my problems – Anxiety was the most irritating. But unfortunately, I still have OCD. But then again, I only started May 2010 with some heavy running. I lost weight – but I feel great! Not everyone can exercise, but unless you’re physically incapable – I would recommend it. Please check out the link. I said to myself, what have I got to lose – if I exercised? Probably my depression….
I am realising how much the gym helped me, maybe it did become obsessional & eating disorder related, but i was good at it and i was going out of the house somewhere and i had a goal. A Marathon. now i have a sports injury, cannot run or go the classes i actually enjoyed at the gym, and i have spent the last week at home. I know i'm supposed to be resting but i spent yesterday in bed having sedated myself so i didn't have to face the day. It feels like i have nothing left now again.
Yes the gym is good, but if you rely on it too much, when you can't do it for any reason...... i feel like i'm back to square one.
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