Your Brain On Iron - How Lifting Can Improve Your Mental Health

Do we have our entire model of mental health treatment upside down?

I'm trying to get a better understanding of how my mind works and how to better incorporate my HRD2KILL philosophy into my day to day mental health protocol. With this comes not only daily rituals and practice but loads of reading and listening to people that are far smarter than I'll ever be.

With that being said I wanted to use today's blog post to evaluate some new research that has been brought to light about the amazing effects that not just exercise but lifting heavy, inanimate objects can have on our mental health.

Are We Doing It Wrong?

So, it's no secret. I've been dealing with my own mental health related issues of late and it's been a long, hard slog but things are looking up. When I finally accepted that something probably wasn't right and decided to get some help, the support I found was tier 1. I quickly found out that I'm not alone and there's nothing to feel ashamed about. I found peace with the concept that this is an injury and like all injuries, can be healed.

I partook in the Veteran Transition Network program, found a great psychologist or as I like call them, mind mechanics (courtesy of Jocko Willink) and started to do the work of getting my mind healed up from some of the psychological injuries I incurred over my tour 8 years ago. One thing I noticed quickly is that there are a lot of us out there suffering and barely getting by.

One thing I noticed is that there are a lot of us out there suffering, barely getting by.

Although I can't quantifiably determine the level of suffering per individual since pain is relative, one thing I can anecdotally determine is someone's physical activity levels and how it correlates to the level of despair they're in.

Let me elaborate a bit.

From the friends, acquaintances, colleagues and clients I encounter one thing I'm starting to piece together is that those that seem to be in the bigger funk tend to be the ones that are less physically active. It's a downward spiral of shit that I think contributes to it:

1. You feel down;

2. Feeling down reduces motivation to train;

3. You feel less energized and guilty for not training and it reinforces step #1.

This is the downward spiral of shit that feeds itself and continues to amplify a shitty situation. I know, I've been there many times. For anyone dealing with mental health issues, this is not a spiral you want to enter.

So what's our current model of treatment?

Step 1 is we reach out for help;

Step 2 is we find a psych;

Step 3 is sometimes medication and doing the work laid our for us.

The issue I see here is that this only addresses a portion of what isn't working, our minds, and is symptomatic of our medical system in Canada. We treat symptoms rather than the system, in this case our entire body.

The famous latin saying, "Anima sana, in corpore sano" is something that has always resonated with me; it means, "a healthy soul in a healthy body.

Anima sana, in corpore sano - A healthy soul in a healthy body.

So why is it that our ancient ancestors possessed this fundamental understanding of ourselves but our modern iteration of our species has seemed to have forgotten it?

I can't answer that question directly but what I can do is showcase some of the current research that is making the case for movement and training as medicine.

What Are The Science Nerds Saying?

It seems like the consensus is becoming overwhelmingly clear:

In order to treat a broken mind, you need to build a powerful body.

Let's dig in...

1. A new study from the University of Vermont Medical Center published in the journal of Global Advances in Health and Medicine has made the bold claim that exercise should be prescribed to patients with mental health issues before psychiatric drugs. The researchers went even a step further and suggested that mental health facilities should be equipped with gyms.

The one hundred in-patients that took part in the study were prescribed 60 minutes of structured exercise, 4 times per week. Additionally, each participant would take part in a 60 minute nutrition lesson after each fitness session. The results were incredible. Of the patients that finished the 60 minute exercise session, 95 percent reported feeling better, while 63 percent reported feeling happy or very happy instead of sad, very sad or neutral.

Of the patients that completed the 60 minute exercise session, 95 percent reported feeling better...

2. A recent Harvard University study showed, through a meta-analysis of nearly 8000 men and women a significant link between hours of weekly exercise and risk of depression. What was observed, after controlling for genetic predisposition to depression was that those that spent at least 3 hours a week doing any type of physical activity, intensity not being a factor, decreased their chances of becoming depressed. It was also noted that a patient's risk factor fell another 17 percent with each additional 30 minutes of daily activity.

Holy SHIT!

Now, it should be noted that this study was showing how to prevent depression not treat it. The study's lead author, Dr. Smoller, stated that

"physical activity of many kinds seems to have beneficial effects"

for mental health. However, another study did show how lifting weights may help to ease or prevent depression.

3. New research out of the University of Limerick has found that resistance training consistently reduced the symptoms of depression, whether someone was depressed at the start of the study or not. Of particular note was that it really didn't matter how much weight lifting one did to illicit a positive change in depressive symptoms. Lifting everyday or twice a week had the same positive impact.

Lifting everyday or twice a week had the same positive impact

All that matters is showing up and completing the workouts. Increased strength gains did not correlate with decreased depression, the researchers found.

Tying This Up With A Nice Bow

What can a trainer like myself glean from all of this new research?

GO FIND YOUR BARBELL!

If we're truly going to take on mental health wellness as a country, we need to start by addressing how we treat it. The empirical evidence is there - exercise which includes picking up a heavy piece of iron will get our country's veterans and everyone else struggling with PTSD and depression out of the pain cave.

My role, which I take very seriously, is to get our sheepdog community moving better and motivated again to get back to the gym and get their lives back. Here's the conversation I want to start with Veterans' Affairs Canada.

If the goal is to reintegrate and rehabilitate our veterans after an operational stress injury, can it be established that we address the whole individual rather than just their minds?

You may see where I'm going with this...

Every soldier released from the Canadian Armed Forces that is suffering from depression or operational stress injury should have fitness and nutrition services provided in order for them to fully recover.

The how and the when is a discussion for another day but the why is self evident. Let's get away from the mentality that we can treat humans on a symptom by symptom basis and really get into how our mind, body and soul all contribute to our well being.

I'll sign off with this last thought.

Human beings are designed to move and move long, gruelling distances and accomplish incredible feats of endurance and strength yet we live in a world of convenience and leisure. We've dissociated ourselves from our primal roots and rarely go out and explore nature and use our bodies strenuously. As a consequence, our minds become overstimulated with bullshit and our bodies become under-stimulated meat bags. The result is millions of Canadians suffering from depression and anxiety and a male suicide rate that is abhorrent. Rather than cramming down pills and just talking about our problems, we need to push against a weight, literally.

To quote my favourite Canadian clinical psychologist as to the reason why lifting can improve your life,

“The purpose of life is finding the largest burden that you can bear and bearing it.” - Jordan Peterson

And with that I say, go forth and lift for your life!

Train Hard, Fight Easy.

---

Dave is a retired infantry officer and Afghanistan war veteran. He's the creator of the HRD2KILL training program that was built on the principles that got him from not being able to get out of bed to competing in the Crossfit Open, Spartan Races and the Montreal Gaelic Athletics Association. You can find more mobility based exercises in his new book, "The Nimble Warrior", now available on Apple Books and Amazon or tune into his new HRD2KILL Podcast

How To Not Suck At A Long Distance Run

The Army Run was held September 29th, 2019 and I was proud to be taking on the Commander's Challenge of 26.1 km; the longest run I would have ever completed.

However, come race day, the wheels fell off and I had the worst run of my life.

Why?

I'll be going over the 3 main reasons that I feel led to my piss poor performance and how you can avoid these mistakes in the future.

Reason 1 - Train The Way You Fight

Anyone that's had any experience with modern tactical training, from the military to policing, has probably heard this expression. It's an important fundamental in getting us ready to head into a war zone since incorporating "training scars" such as picking up your brass after shooting on a range can and has lead to soldiers doing this in actual combat which can result in mortal consequences.

What were my "training scars"? The most important of them all was failure to incorporate a long break between 5km and 21.1km runs.

About 10km in - pace slowed dramatically

The Commander's Challenge was set up as a 5km run followed by the half marathon distance. However, what I failed to take into consideration was the prolonged wait between the two runs. I spent close to 45 mins sitting, laying down and not doing much until the half marathon began. What this led to, I believe, is a down-regulation of my central nervous system since all my previous 5km runs, in training, simply ended and I would then consume copious amounts of water, salt and then rest and foam roll.

Only 5km into the half marathon, I had already started to feel tight and my legs were becoming heavier and heavier. I knew something was off. All my previous confirmation runs had been between 15km and 25km - non stop.

Reason 2 - Use The Right Fuel

Here's something that I'm always guilty of, you think I'd learn my lesson. I screw up my nutrition on every major race I've ever done. Here was my strategy going into this one.

Run fasted.

It was simple, I knew from previous runs, adventure races and triathlons that having a massive meal in the morning just made me sluggish and left me having to rush to a shitter half way through my race. Therefore, during my training runs, I would head out with having had very little in terms of food, all day. Usually, at around 0630, I would have a light breakfast (water, coffee, 1/2cup of oatmeal and a few eggs) and then head out for my runs around noon.

This pic sums up how I felt at the 15km mark

I usually felt awesome, not just because I had a little THC in my system (check my video post on this) but overall, my guts didn't bother me, nor did I feel hungry or at a loss for energy. However on race day, the timings were different with the 5km starting at 0800 and the 21.1km starting at 9:30 and I decided that I wouldn't consume anything except water and coffee, pre race.

My 5km felt fine, not my best time but I was pacing myself for the 21.1km. When I hit the 21.1km, I started to feel lethargic and heavy and at around 5km into the run, knew something wasn't quite right. I drank more water which I had in my camel back and I always added a tsp of Himalayan salt to it. This didn't have any effect. Eventually, at kilometer ten, I caved and had a few race gummies they were handing out. This lead to me hitting the shitters at kilometer 12. The wheels had officially fallen off.

Reason 3 - Listen To Your Body

I was a complete ding dong on this one. I was having adductor issues weeks before the race and my hamstrings were starting to flare up. But me, being the "Nimble Warrior" figured I had this covered - I did not.

My ego got the better of me and I didn't seek out treatment. I did seek out my normal treatment regimen for my back but didn't focus any effort on my white hot, glaring issues that would ultimately slow me down to a halt on race day.

I have to admit that I am getting older. I don't recover nearly as fast as I used to and a MASSIVE factor for this lack of recovery was lack of sleep during the last month of training.

Why you ask?

Well, my daughter was born in August and, like all new parents know, sleep becomes a commodity that we'd spend our life savings on to acquire. After my long runs of 15km +, I realized that it would take close to 5 days to feel "recovered" again but even at that, my legs didn't have the pop they should've and my joints were hurting more than usual.

So yes, I'm putting the blame, squarely on my beautiful daughter for my shitty performance.

How To Do Better Next Time

All these reasons considered, I know I have the legs and the endurance to complete a 26.1km race without resorting to stopping and walking 5km of it. With that said, here's what I would do differently next time:

• I would make a firm decision on my nutrition months in advance. To run fasted for short durations is not an issue but increasing the distances require you to be better "fat adapted". In this case, I would have to follow a strict ketogenic protocol to do so. This has to do with being able to switch your primary fuel source from carbohydrates, to ketones derived from your fat stores.

• Running at a set time to reflect the race time is not always feasible with life getting in the way but making sure that I run more consistently and with a better training arc would be the logical solution. I think I've reached the limit of my ability to coach myself here and will seek out a pro for next year.

• Recovery is crucial. This has to include a much more strict nutrition journal to make sure I'm re adding the massive amounts of calories I've burned on my long runs. Additionally, sleep density needs to be much better by cooling down my room, wearing a sleep mask and ensuring I get into deep sleep every time I hit the sack. Lastly, getting to the massage therapist to address any hot spots as soon as they arise is going to be a must.

There you have it. I hope this is insightful and that you're able to build a better running plan for yourself based on my mistakes. Not incorporating lessons learned is the best way to repeat your dumbass mistakes over and over again.

If you're considering getting back on the road, putting in the miles for a run you're keen on tackling, don't be shy to hit me with an email and I'd love to hear about your plan.

As always,

Train Hard, Fight Easy.

---

Dave is a retired infantry officer and Afghanistan war veteran. He's the creator of the HRD2KILL training program that was built on the principles that got him from not being able to get out of bed to competing in the Crossfit Open, Spartan Races and the Montreal Gaelic Athletics Association. You can find more mobility based exercises in his new book, "The Nimble Warrior", now available on Apple Books and Amazon or tune into his new HRD2KILL Podcast

Comment Créer Des Objectifs S.M.A.R.T.

Le but de ce texte est de vous aider à atteindre un objectif qui vous tient à cœur. Que ce soit mieux manger, être plus en forme ou arrêter une mauvaise habitude, voici quelques outils qui vous permettront de suivre le bon chemin.

Il est important de prévoir les obstacles probables à ce nouveau but.

Premièrement, si vous ne connaissez pas l’acronyme SMART, je suis content de vous le faire découvrir :

• S - spécifique : votre but doit être précis. Par exemple, je veux arrêter de consommer du café. J’aurai pu dire de la caféine, mais cela inclus une gamme d’autres produits. Je veux mettre le doigt sur mes priorités.

• M - Mesurable : je veux être capable de quantifier mes efforts, mais aussi mon but à atteindre. Par exemple, je veux diminuer ma consommation d’alcool qui est d’une bière par jour à une bière par semaine. Mon objectif final est d’en prendre une par mois. Ceci est mesurable! (365ml)

• A - Atteignable : est-ce que je suis capable d’accomplir cet objectif ou bien à l’opposé, est-ce que ce but est trop facile à atteindre? Par exemple, je suis quelqu’un de plutôt sédentaire, je m’entraine rarement. Est-ce vraiment réaliste de vouloir m’entrainer 5 jours par semaine?

• R - Réaliste : l’objectif que je me donne, est-ce vraiment important pour moi. Celui-ci doit être ma raison d’être. Par exemple, je suis stressé de ces temps-ci, je remets souvent les tâches difficiles à accomplir. Je me dis que sortir avec mes ami(e)s pour relaxer serait mon but. Mais, en fin de compte, mettre en place les moyens pour accomplir les tâches qui me pose du stress, donc éviter de procrastiner, et prendre un peu de temps avec ma famille pourrait être plus réaliste.

• T -Temporelle : mon objectif doit avoir une fin. Je me mets une date, une heure s’il le faut et je mets en place un horaire afin d’être organisé. Par exemple, je souhaite diminuer mon poids corporel d’environ 1 livres à 1.5 lbs par semaine. Ainsi, je vais couper les desserts et le sucre raffiné dans mon alimentation quotidienne chaque jours et ce pendant 5 semaines. Ainsi, le 14 septembre à 08h00 je reprendrais mon poids.

Finalement, il est important de prévoir les obstacles probables à ce nouveau but. Par exemple, disons que vous prévoyez vous entrainer le matin, vous pourriez être trop fatigué ou la température pourrait être mauvaise. Prévoyez des plans B. Ainsi, couchez vous tôt ou entrainer vous en soirée dans le cas de la fatigue. Faites votre entrainement à l’intérieur lorsque Mme nature de coopère pas. Ainsi, lorsque l’obstacle se présente, vous avez une solution de rechange.

J’espère que ce court texte vous aidera.

---

Simon est un vétéran des Forces Canadiennes, un pompier et un expert en education physique. Champion de la competition CIOR et ancien membre d'équipe Track & Field des Verts et Or de Université de Sherbrooke, il apporte un experience significative et une passion incomparable pour le fitness. N’hésitez pas à le rejoindre pour toutes questions - lamontagne20@hotmail.com