As a PT, I believe it is very important to take into consideration the mental health side of things when it comes to helping people lose weight and improve their physical health.
Why?
Well, I've experienced the effects that mental health difficulties can have on the body.
As a teen, I went down the wrong path and got caught up in a vicious cycle of drug addiction. This, in turn, resulted in me having multiple psychotic episodes by the age of 17 and being put on antipsychotic medication that I believed I would have to take for the rest of my life.
As a result of my mental health deterioration, my physical health was negatively affected. I was unhealthy, underweight, and weak, and this poor physical health, I'm sure, affected my mental health even more.
When I turned 18, I decided to clean up my act. I came to realise that my ways of thinking led me to engage in unhealthy behaviours that damaged my mental health, so I embarked on a journey to change them. I did this by studying psychology, which gave me a great understanding of mental health, the workings of my mind, and also my behaviours.
During this time, I also began to exercise and meditate. This combination of mental and physical health training enabled me to make the changes I made, and more importantly, sustain the changes long-term and get off the antipsychotic meds.
Mental Health PT Journey Begins..
A couple of years into my journey, I qualified as a PT and in 2017 I launched my own business, Mind-Body Training, which integrates psychoeducation, meditation, personal training and nutrition coaching to help people improve their minds, bodies and overall lives. Currently, I am in training to become a licensed psychotherapist so I can do a better job of understanding and helping people achieve those mind-body outcomes.
Helping people lose weight and improve their physical health isn't just as simple as telling them to eat well and exercise. If it was, obesity wouldn't be as big of an issue as it currently is. The problem runs deeper than surface-level behaviours, and for many, the root of the problem can be found within the mental health side of things.
If someone's weight was brought on by stress, anxiety or emotional eating, for example, getting them to change their behaviours without providing them with tools to manage their mental health, just puts a band-aid on the problem. A band-aid, that for many, falls off soon after it’s put on.
That's why I believe it is very important to cater to the mental health side of things when people come to me looking to lose weight and improve their physical health.
If you are currently seeking a personal trainer who helps people with their mental health, I and Mind-Body Training might be what you're looking for. To see if it is, feel free to book yourself into a quick and free call with me and I'll run through my processes with you. Simply click HERE.
Look after yourself and keep your head up :)
Best wishes
Coach Alan,
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