ESSA’s Exercise Right initiative launches ‘How to train your mental health monsters’ campaign
With Mental Health Month in full swing, Exercise Right — an initiative of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) — will launch the new How to Train Your Mental Health Monsters campaign this week, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of regular physical activity in maintaining good mental health and preventing and managing mental health conditions.
In a nod to artist Toby Allen’s 2013 series of drawings that depicted mental illnesses as physical monsters and helped to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, Exercise Right’s creative team has developed three mental health ‘monster’ profiles that personify depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Says Alex Lawrence, industry development officer, Exercise & Sports Science Australia: “Mental illness can at times appear largely intangible, so for people who have not experienced any of these conditions, it can sometimes be difficult to understand what they may be going through.
“The How to Train Your Mental Health Monsters campaign provides a glimpse into how these conditions may look, feel, and act and highlights techniques for helping to manage these conditions through evidence-based exercise tips.
“In presenting common mental illnesses as physical entities, the campaign hopes to make these conditions appear more beatable and less scary, and opens the discussion surrounding mental health management.”
Lawrence said with mental illness most prevalent amongst youths aged between 18 and 24, and one in four young Australians experiencing a mental illness each year, it was crucial that this group in particular took heed of the reminders to get active.
Says Lawrence: “Over the past few decades, a range of studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity is associated with better mental health and emotional wellbeing.
“For conditions like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms and improve the mood of patients, which is why primary care providers are beginning to look to accredited exercise physiologists as an essential component of patient care.”
Lawrence said exercise did not necessarily need to be strenuous to provide a benefit, with something as simple as a brisk walk each day able to make a difference: “One study showed a significant reduction in depression in as little as four weeks when patients participated in yoga on a regular basis, so it’s evident a little physical activity can go a long way in improving the mental health of Australians.
“For optimal results, it is worthwhile having an exercise intervention custom-designed by an accredited exercise physiologist to suit your individual needs.”
Content Strategy & Creative Direction – Kellie Jade Duggan
Graphic Design & Illustration – Emily Donohoe