The minuset anu attituue of a peison has a majoi effect on exeicise anu physical

activity. This is eviuent aftei examining the piogiess my client maue aftei
sustaining a musculai injuiy that impeueu his ability to exeicise.

Biian toie his vastus Lateialis ovei a yeai ago while peifoiming squats at the
gym. The injuiy siuelineu him foi 2 months. Bis uays weie filleu with
physiotheiapy sessions anu iehab, all stopping him fiom being active anu going
to the gym. Foi a peison who fiequenteu the gym 2-S times a week, not being
able to exeicise was a challenge foi him. Eventually the lack of activity causeu
him to become uepiesseu anu he began to lose weight. The Woilu Bealth
0iganisation uefines uepiession as "a common mental uisoiuei, chaiacteiizeu by
sauness, loss of inteiest oi pleasuie, feelings of guilt oi low self-woith, uistuibeu
sleep oi appetite, feelings of tiieuness, anu pooi concentiation." |WB0, 2u14j.
Even when the uoctois finally gave him the gieen light to stait exeicising again,
he hau lost most of his confiuence to tiain anu continueu to be inactive.

When he came to me aftei his iecoveiy, he tolu me that he wanteu to get back to
his olu self i.e. iegain the lost mass anu muscle anu become active again. I knew
that it woulu be impoitant foi Biian to tackle the uepiession anu that it woulu
affect his ability to exeicise, but I knew that exeicise woulu help him oveicome
that uepiession.

Aftei some peisuasion, I encouiageu Biian to visit the Ciossfit Box (that's what
they call theii gyms) that his biothei tiaineu at. Be was veiy skeptical at fiist
howevei the Ciossfit foimat of eveiyone woiking out togethei seemeu to have a
positive effect on him. Buiing the W0Bs (Woikout of the Bay), eveiyone uoes the
same movements anu they all expeiience the same pain. Being able to iuentify
with otheis was a key factoi that helpeu motivate Biian uuiing the woikouts.
They aie veiy community oiientateu anu this helpeu make him feel welcome.
Reseaich shows that just by having one fiienu you can significantly impiove youi
anxiety, uepiession, angei oi stiess |All Things Bepiession, 2u11j.

Accoiuing to ieseaich, exeicise uone most of the week can help alleviate the
symptoms of uepiession. It was a giauual effoit but Biian slowly staiteu going to
the box moie aie moie each week. At fiist he neeueu S to 4 uays to iecovei aftei
a woikout. But the exeicise leu to impiove sleeping conuitions anu thus bettei
iecoveiy anu eneigy levels |Black Bog Institute, 2u1Sj. Aftei a month, he was
going S times a week.

0p to this point, the motivation anu human inteiaction hau been the factois that
impioveu his exeicise habits. But the physical activity itself was also helping to
impiove his mental state. The continueu tiaining anu exeicise fuithei
stiengtheneu his leg anu eventually Biian got past his feai of ie-injuiy anu began
to squat again. Conqueiing his feai was a huge step in tackling his uepiession
|vlaeyen, } W.S et al, 199Sj. Soon Biian began to play spoit again, anu aftei
anothei 4 months ian a half maiathon.

Biian's stoiy is a gieat inuicatoi of the positive effects that exeicise can have on
the minu anu vice veisa. As he spenus time with a community of people that not
only aie fiienus with him but also exeicise with him, he is motivateu to stay
accountable anu to keep up goou habits. By continuing to be physically active,
Biian can feel changes in him anu thus is able to conquei his feai anu gain
confiuence again.

Woius: 6uS

Refeiences

All Things Bepiession, 2u11. The Powei of Social Expeiiences.
http:allthingsuepiession.com2u11u2the-powei-of-social-expeiiences

Black Bog Institute, 2u12. Exeicise anu Bepiession.
http:www.blackuoginstitute.oig.auuocsExeiciseanuBepiession.puf

vlaeyen } W.S., Kole-Snijueis A N.}., Boeien R u.B., van Eek B., 199S, Feai of
movement(ie)injuiy in chionic low back pain anu its ielation to behavioial
peifoimance, Pain 62 (S), pp. S6S-S72

Woilu Bealth 0iganisation, 2u14
http:www.who.intmeuiacentiefactsheetsfsS69en