By Victoria Mckeown-
Boxing, ballet and yoga classes recommended to depressed women in the Uk, and those suffering from diabetes is a brilliant idea.
Run by Sport England, the “This Girl Can” classes will come on-stream early next year aimed at boosting happiness and counteracting depression and anxiety.
Meditation, talking therapies and exercise are believed to offer the solution to anxiety and depression , and there are many examples to support this.
Research shows that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication, but without side effects which include nausea, insomnia.
Exercise also promotes positive changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation and the release of endorphins, powerful brain chemicals . It is extremely therapeutic and can be very cathartic when maximised.
The Eye Of Media.Com is in full support of the idea of boxing exercises to stimulate the mind and provide an appreciable level of therapy that can overcome stress and anxiety.
Many women should take up the idea- being busy is hardly an excuse for this very fulfilling exercise and lifestyle.
A 2019 study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day – or even just walking for an hour – can reduce the risk of major depression by as much as 26%.
In addition to relieving low mood, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent patients from relapsing.
Powerful Intense Experiences
Frances Drury, head of activation at Sport England, this element is key. “We found that a lot of women had had really powerfully intense experiences of group exercise classes, often feeling that they’ve been judged or embarrassed by an instructor focusing in on them,” she says.
“With the instructor training, we’ve focused on those soft skills to create a warm and welcoming environment where it feels free of judgment.” Many women had experienced sexual harassment in gyms or while exercising outdoors, she added, making the provision of female-only classes important.
“This initiative is to be welcomed as part of the general trend towards social prescribing for depression and away from the current overprescribing of antidepressants,” he says.
“The epidemic of overprescribing of psychiatric drugs in general and antidepressants in particular is spiralling out of control, increasing about five per cent a year for the past 10 years. Given the serious side effects of antidepressants, including emotional numbing, sexual dysfunction and withdrawal effects when coming off them, alternatives such as yoga and dance are certainly worth offering to patients to consider.”
Many of those who have already taken up boxing exercise will attest to the therapeutic feeling it gives, and its ability to overcome anxiety.
Having immersed myself in the yoga and boxing exercises for a while, I can say that the dicipline and feel good factor is somewhat unsurpassable.
It’s all about making time for it.