Delta Digital News Service

Monday, May 1, 2024

By Brayden Morse | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark–Beyond the weights and treadmills lies a place not just for physical health, but for mental health too. 

Many people tell wonderful stories about how they got into the gym and how it benefited their mental health, along with work life. A citizen of Craighead County, Elizabeth Almanza, explained what got her into the gym as well as how her mental health was affected because of the gym.

“I started going to the gym mainly to lose weight, and I was already on antidepressants and anxiety medicine. I started getting better as far as physically and mentally it has helped me. I’m not on any of those medicines (antidepressants and anxiety medicine) anymore. It’s definitely a stress reliever. I love the physical aspect of it, but it’s mainly mental for me,” Almanza said.

She went on to discuss how the gym impacts her work life.

“It definitely helps me stay focused at work because I do let out a lot of stress at the gym. If things are bothering me at work, I come to the gym. I work out then go back to work and it’s better,” Almanza said.

According to an article by KARK, Arkansas ranks fifth as most overweight & obese state in study | KARK and Most Overweight and Obese Cities in the U.S. in 2024 article by WalletHub in 2024, Arkansas ranks fifth as most overweight and obese state in the United States. 

Heidi Rigsbee, a health, physical education and sports sciences professor from Arkansas State University with a master’s and bachelor’s degree in exercise science, bachelor’s in dietetics and certified exercise physiologist, explained how people can set realistic goals and maintain their goals once achieved.

“Exercise is a use it or lose it concept. If you’re not going to continue to do the behaviors that got you to the point you wanted to be, then you will regress or your body will go back to its previous self. I think reminding people that it takes long-term consistency to have the positive adaptations that take place in exercise is the key,” Rigsbee said. 

She also explained how the gym benefits your mental health.

“Exercise is probably one of the most underutilized and under prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicine. That goes all to the endocrine system and what’s happening with your endorphins and your dopamine. Exercise releases all of those feel good hormones, just like a drug would do. It’s a natural way to help mental health,” Rigsbee said.

Lots of people who are new to the gym or do not know how to work out properly, rely on a personal trainer to help achieve their goals. Without the trainer’s help, people can lose motivation and a sense of direction within their fitness goals. 

A 10 Fitness personal trainer and former Arkansas State and NFL tight end, Darion Griswold, explained how he keeps his clients motivated to reach their goals.

“Making sure everybody is seeing the gains. Making sure I’m tailored to what my clients want and members want. Getting feedback from them. Making it a safe environment for everybody. Going to the gym is already hard enough. Finding 30 minutes out of the day (to workout) is important for overall health and for the mind in general. Showing people that gym time will pay off over time,” Griswold said. 

Griswold also shared his thoughts on citizens of Arkansas setting realistic goals to achieve, when there is a high obese rate in the state. 

“Everybody wants the fast results. I’m not saying that can’t happen but you have to put in the work, eat right, hydrate your body right and get enough sleep. The average person in Arkansas works a lot of hours so gym is something that is in the back of their mind. Everybody has kids and priorities. Once you make that gym life a priority of yours, that’s when you’ll notice the gains and difference in weight loss. It’s giving people more to look forward to,” Griswold said.

-30-

NOTE: Feature photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash