Exercise physiology for psychological injuries is a crucial component in enhancing an individual’s mental and physical health. When a person is struggling with their mental health, the integration of targeted exercise interventions can significantly boost their overall wellbeing. By addressing both physical and psychological health, these interventions facilitate a more thorough and cohesive recovery.
What is Exercise Physiology?
An exercise physiologist is a university qualified allied health professional equipped with the knowledge and skills to design, deliver and evaluate safe and effective exercise interventions for people with acute, sub-acute or chronic medical conditions, injuries or disabilities. An exercise physiologist is able to treat a range of pathologies through exercise, including:
- Cardiovascular
- Metabolic
- Neurological
- Musculoskeletal
- Cancers
- Kidney
- Respiratory/pulmonary
- Mental health
Relationship between Physical Health and Mental Health
Evidence suggests a strong connection between mental and physical health. People living with mental illness are more likely to experience poorer physical health than the general population. Almost 80% of premature deaths of people with mental illness are due to preventable physical health conditions. Physical conditions like high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, back pain and cardiovascular disease (just to name a few) all have a higher prevalence in people with mental illness compared to those who don’t.
Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
Not only does exercise have benefits for our physical health, but it also has a positive effect on our mental health. The benefits of exercise on our mental health include:
- Improved mood
- Reduced stress as well as an improved ability to cope with stress
- Improved self-esteem
- Increased satisfaction with oneself
- Improved body image
- Increased feelings of energy
- Improvement in confidence in your physical abilities
- Decreased symptoms associated with depression
Key Benefits of Exercise Physiology for Psychological Injuries
Moreover, the benefits of exercise physiology for psychological injuries include:
- Improving confidence
- Improving resilience
- Improving self-esteem / self-worth
- Improving physical & mental capacity
- Improving independence with job seeking
- Better return to work outcomes
When to implement Exercise Physiology in treatment?
- Stagnant recovery
- No improvements in mental health status – particularly stress & anxiety levels, depressive mood state
- No capacity for any type of work
- As a work hardening program (in place of host employment)
- Slow/no upgrades in capacity
- Worker has poor self-management
How we can help
Wellbeing services are incredibly important to create and maintain a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. Our qualified and registered psychologists can conduct services remotely or on-site Australia-wide.
We provide the following wellbeing services:
- Psychosocial Safety
- Employee Assistance Program
- SafeMinds
- Job Task Analysis
- Psychometric Pre-Employment Assessments
- Psychological Functional Capacity Evaluation
Ensure your workplace is psychologically safe for your employees by downloading our Free Workplace Psychological Injuries Factsheet.
Want to find out more?
Our services are available nationwide. Our consultants love to have a chat, so go ahead and give us a call on 1300 OHS RTW (647 789) or email enquiries@rrp.com.au
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Disclaimer – these articles are provided to supply general safety information to people responsible for OHS in their organisation. They are general in nature and do not substitute for legal and/or professional advice. We always suggest that organisations obtain information specific to their needs. Additional information can be found at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/