Time to get active for mental health

LAST Tuesday was World Mental Health Day, and as part of the event, Bendigo Health Foundation members ran a twenty-four-hour fitness challenge as part of their Move for Mental Health appeal.

Local businesses and community organisations were invited to sponsor the challenge with staff either riding an exercise bike or getting on the treadmill for one hour in the atrium of the main hospital.

Chief corporate affairs officer at Bendigo Health, Sarah McAdie, said the initiative started during the pandemic and now goes every October for World Mental Health Day.

In the first year, money raised went towards equipment for a gym for acute mental health inpatients, and last year the funds contributed to a bus to transport people to activities to promote wellbeing.

“This year we’re just trying to raise the money to keep all these programs going, keep maintaining our gym equipment, and employing our exercise physiologists on-site,” said Ms McAdie.

“But also, it’s about getting the message out that it’s okay to talk.

“As the carer of a family member who’s gone through a fairly recent difficult mental health issue, I just really encourage people to talk and to feel safe to ask for help when they need it.”

Dr Philip Tune, clinical director of mental health services at Bendigo Health, said there’s a lot of research showing a positive association between exercise and mental health.

“If you’re particularly vulnerable to experiencing episodes of major depression… regular exercise can reduce your risk of suffering a depressive episode,” he said.

Dr Tune said during a depressive episode, regular aerobic exercise can reduce symptoms by half in 50 per cent of patients.

“From a clinical point of view, that’s a very significant positive response,” he said.

“It’s equivalent to psychological therapies which are considered the first line of treatment for major depression.

“If it was a drug, we would be prescribing it.”

Fur Life Vet was one of the sponsors of the 24-hour challenge, and the company’s marketing coordinator, Mandy Mitchell, spent an hour exercising at the fitness station.

“We thought it was a great fit for us, because the veterinary industry is quite a stressful industry, and it was a good way for us to promote to them to get moving, for their own mental health, as well as supporting this cause,” she said.

To donate to Move for Mental Health visit bendigohealthfoundation.org.au.