By Kelsey Anderson, LMFT, CMHS, Counselor at PRO Medical

We all know that movement and exercise are necessary tools for good physical health. But they also play a vital role in improving and maintaining our mental health as well. By integrating healthy movement into your daily routine, you can improve your mood and decrease your stress levels.

When we exercise or move, we increase the “happy chemicals” in our brains, like dopamine and serotonin. You don’t need an intense work out to feel the positive effects. Try taking a brisk, 15-minute walk around your neighborhood, while practicing safe social distancing. Do 20 minutes of yoga in your living room, or explore some online exercise videos such as PRO Club’s YouTube Channel or their Facebook Live classes.

Looking to get your family moving? Try having a dance party, dust off the old roller skates for a quick turn around the cul-de-sac, or have a hula hooping competition. Turning your healthy movement into a fun family activity also means that your kids get out some of their wiggles too.

Remember, the most important thing is to engage in movement that feels good, healthy, and sustainable. Once you start, you may find that it has even more positive effects than you realized.

Kelsey views counseling as a collaborative process. She believes each individual is the expert in their own life and partners with them to create clear goals in order to focus on how things can be better in the future. Her approach combines cognitive behavioral therapy, systemic (how people as individuals relate in relationships, interacting in groups and their interactional patterns and dynamics), and mindfulness based therapy.

For more support, schedule 1:1 with a counselor at PRO Medical.