Kale Hintz

Exercise psychology- Application Project

  1. I have chosen the 50 year old male/ female that is stressed out because of their job and is wishing to exercise to relieve some of this stress. I found an article from the Journal of Environmental and Public Health that was looking into whether an organized exercise program for a company would be beneficial for the improvement of the work environment. In this article there was not only outstanding proof that by incorporating an organized exercise program for your employees that a large number would participate and continue to participate if given an incentive (i.e. given a 15min longer break, or reduced insurance), it was also shown that many of the participants highly recommended these activities to fellow employees. This article found that by incorporating this into their company that the individuals who participated on a regular basis found that they were less stressed and had higher self-esteem or self-satisfaction because of the exercise program.

For my situation I will say that my client is a 50 year old female that is highly stressed from work, she is looking for an exercise program to relieve stress and hopefully diminish or lower her high blood pressure. For her I would recommend that she exercises at least three times a week, more if she prefers. Due to the fact that she is a type A personality I would let her pick from two or three activities each of these days allowing her to have some sense of control. For an example I would give her the option of mild cardio, yoga, of jazzercise. By doing this she will not only be able to pick something that she enjoys and will be happy doing she will feel a sense of control, which is one thing that we as type A people love. I would also emphasize that she does one day of exercise at home whether it be walking around the block, going for a bike ride, or even just doing some yoga in the house. This would allow for her to continuing exercise without having to drive 30 min at least one time a week. When putting together the options of what she can do I would make sure to keep the intensity somewhat elevated but not too high as to drive her away from the exercise all together. As I said before I would give her the options of classes that would improve her cardio as well as provide activity that will not deter her away. As we know every person is individual and she may be a person that wants and needs a much more intense exercise program to feel that she has achieved something, or in the other side she may need something less intense because she has been without exercise for so long.

  1. I have choses arthritis as my chronic disease that has high rates of related anxiety. This disease/condition has high rates of anxiety associated because a person that experiences arthritis has related pain with movement due to joint stiffness. My challenge as a professional is putting together a program that will relieve their stress and possible lower the conditions of the disease. For my example I will choose a sedentary retired woman that is experiencing arthritis. She has been noticing that her arthritis has been progressing with her recent reduction in activity, she has come to me as a professional to help but she doesn’t want an activity that is going to hurt. As a professional I will start by explaining that exercise with this condition is not only possible but that it may lessen the signs and symptoms that she is having. I would start by asking her how she feels about aquatic exercising in a group activity with other individuals that are in similar situation and are experiencing many of the same things that she is. I would recommend aquatic exercise for the following reasons: aquatic exercise is very reduced on the amount of pressure on joints (ideal for an individual with arthritis), many other adults that are her age and in similar situations participate in this activity thus it will lessen the amount of anxiety that she is experiencing form starting an exercise program, and finally by allowing her to do this exercise she will (with time) notice that he joints are more freely moving that prior due to the fact that exercise reduces the effects of arthritis.
  1. Clinical depression- I would start by explaining that exercise has been shown time and time again to improve a person’s mood, self-efficacy, and just overall attitude toward the day ahead. I would recommend to this person a group activity that would not be competitive, like a Zumba class or a yoga class. I would recommend this type of class because this person likely would gain form having a group around them to motivate and cheer them on through their activities.

Recovering patient- I would just sit down with the patient and ask them why they exercised prior to the injury. I would try to explain to them that those things that drove them to exercise before are still there and that a setback like an injury should not be a blockade. I would explain to them that exercise is completely safe if the maintain proper technique and procedures. I would recommend easing into the full on work out not just going in and trying to complete what they were doing before their injury, but I would also explain that putting a goal of exceeding their previous exercise would be attainable with time.

These two situations would be different in a couple of ways, being that: The intensity of the clinical depression should be much less, there shouldn’t be competition with the clinical depression and group exercise is highly recommended with the clinical depression. With the recovering patient they will likely feel a drive to do what they were doing before the injury thus there will be an unavoidable drive likely with the exercise. Implementing a week by week competition with this client may push them to work harder to reach where they were before the injury so competitions likely to help. At first this person may not prefer a group situation because of their inability or insecurity with what they are able to do immediately following the start of the program. I would recommend a trained professional as a spotter and easing into the group situation.

These two situations are similar in the fact that both are having depression and that exercise can defiantly help both of these individuals improve not only their mood but their overall life.

  1. Exercise dependence syndrome is a disorder where a person is addicted to exercising, this can be caused from a number of different aspects of their life, whether it be because the receive a euphoria or a high from working out, they exercise to control their body physique and weight, or if it is just a way for them to get away from everyday life problems. With exercise dependence exercise becomes the most important priority in their life, and they are willing to drop things that they previously cared for off in order to exercise, like relationships, careers, and hobbies. To recognize this disorder a person must see if the client has a very rigid fitness schedule that they not only want to adhere to but when they are not able to they become upset. These individuals will also likely be exercising out alone to avoid attention of others, including trained professionals. This may lead to the person working out at extreme times of the day when there is certain that others will not be present in the gym. People with EDS will also work out multiple times a day and for excessive time periods. A person with this disorder may also be willing to work out when they are sick or injured causing greater damage on their body than what they would normally experience. This disorder is considered to be in the secondary stage when a person has an eating disorder on top of this disorder. A person will do this in order to achieve an unattainable body image. This combination of disorders can be life threatening if not treated because the lack of nutrition from not maintaining a proper diet in addition to an increased amount of excretion on the body because of the over excessive exercise. Individuals who suffer from exercise addiction will continue to work out even through the pain of an injury or against the advice of their physician. The psychological torment of not exercising is greater than the negative consequences that affect their physical and social well-being. Often when exercise is withheld, these individuals will experience irritability and depression. These symptoms are relieved by exercising, and thus the cycle is continued. Regardless of the reason behind the excessive exercise, whether or not it is caused by an eating disorder, the effects are harmful to the individuals on psychological, physiological, and psychosocial levels.

The first step in the treatment of exercise addiction is the acceptance on the part of the addict that he or she has an addiction problem. Next is the determination to stop the vicious cycle of the addiction for good. Patients would do well to keep distance from exercising for a minimum of one month. Specific activities can help patients overcome their need to do rigid workouts, some of which are yoga, meditation, and walking. Another good idea is to engage them in worthwhile activities, such as writing, painting, dancing, singing, gardening, etc., to turn their attention away from exercising. Combating exercise addiction involves striking a good balance between the mind and the body. When dealing with someone with this type of addiction, be aware that the patient will most likely go against the supplication to quit exercising. If the addiction has become a chronic condition, the assistance of a medical professional must be considered a priority.

  1. A. Older adults (70+)

B.

  • Pain from joints (arthritis)
  • Lack of knowledge or activities that are suitable for them
  • Social stigma that they don’t or shouldn’t be exercising
  • Fear of injury (falling) or having a heart attack
  • Don’t want to exercise alone
  • Don’t see the need to exercise and think that it won’t benefit them

C.

  • To avoid pain I would recommend low impact exercises like aquatics or yoga
  • To avoid the stigma I would refer them to exercise groups that they would fit into
  • To avoid injury I would advise low intensity and low impact exercises
  • By being involved in a group they would feel welcomed and accept the exercise
  • I would explain the benefits that exercise can have on their everyday life

D.

By participating in an exercise activity like aquatics or yoga or any exercise that is lower intensity and will not cause injuries this elderly population will receive a large number of benefits. In their everyday life they will fide that they have more energy as compared to when they lived a sedentary lifestyle. They will find that their body begins to feel better because of the increased movement of the joints with the added exercise. Exercise has been proven time and time again to improve a person’s emotional wellbeing, and in this group specifically it will give them an added sense of belonging because they are a member of the group. Along with emotional improvement an exercise program can have huge improvements of cognitive functions of individual’s epically elderly individuals that would otherwise not experience a large amount of cognitive challenges in a typical day.

E.

From what I have learned in this class there would be several things that I would make a point to do to ensure that my client would have a beneficial and positive intervention, these would be:

  • Start by informing the client of the benefits that added exercise can have on their life and the quality of it
  • I would assess the patient’s preferences, deciding whether he/ she is a type A or B and basing my plans off of that adapting to their personality. Type A would prefer to have the ability to choose what they do where as a type B person would be more open to following instructions.
  • I would find out what kind of activities this person is able and would prefer to do and basing the regiment off of that. Some people would prefer shorter more intense exercise where others would prefer longer and less intense exercise. I would also ask them of the type of activities that they would like to do. A person who never learned to swim would likely not like aquatic exercise and an older gentleman would not likely to be put in a yoga class. I feel that individualizing the program is one of the biggest keys to success; a cookie cutter approach will not likely be beneficial.
  • I would not only inform the patient of the activities and benefits I would also ask that the family and loved ones also learn of the benefits and that they support the change in any way possible. It is a well-known fact that a strong support system is a big tool in any intervention.
  • Finally I would have the patient set and assess and check progress in their intervention. By setting goals it will not only give them something to strive for but it will also enable the individual to see the benefits in the long run.