Welcome to Motion Forword - Words of a Therapist! Number 36!

Motion Forword is about discussing the combined benefits of movement with a positive mental attitude. Using my personal/professional experiences, evidence-based research and some of your own experiences.

Bringing some hope, positivity, happiness and maybe usefulness to those, perhaps like yourself, that needs a pick me up.

Something about me… Parkrun Anniversary

I recently managed to get back into the swing of Parkrun.

A wonderful free event that has people of all ages and abilities come to a park and run/jog/walk 5 kilometres. With 1000s of events all around the country and the world.

I was pleasently reminded that it was my 3 year anniversary when I first started Parkrun on the 22nd July 2023.

In that time, I have completed 14 Parkruns in 8 different locations. My most exotic was when I visited a friend in Jersey!

My all time personal best, or PB, was 22 minutes and 10seconds (22m10s) way back in September 2023.

The app has a startling amount of running data but the important part, for me, is that I am starting the day with a positive spell of exercise.

And as any runner might tell you, the middle part of it (the 2.5-3.5k mark) is tough and you wonder why you even bother!

WHY OH WHY DID I GET UP EARLY ON A SATURDAY FOR THIS?!!!

But by the end, you are fighting yourself to keep going and to cross that finish line. Perhaps even a sprint finish with an unknown competitor you didn’t even know you had until the last 50metres! Congratulating each other on a job well done with an exhausted high five!

But despite the sweat, aches and feeling like a dilapidated house at the last… it is a feeling of completion, success and gratitude by the time you scan your code and drop the barcode back in the bucket.

However, you don’t need to be getting a PB every time. If it means just getting around and enjoying a slow job or even a walk, Parkruns are there for everyone:

People are pushing their babies (and sometimes wheelchair users) around on their runs, running with their dogs, running with their children in tow or walking with the tail walkers enjoying the stroll.

It is quite incredible the variety of people that attend. Inclusivity is really quite impressive.

So if you are struggling to know what to do, look into a starting your weekends in a bright way at a Parkrun.

No sweaty post-run pictures, but here is me enjoying being able to ride my bike to work!

Something for you… Salsa & Depression

If you have been reading my blogs for a while, you would have probably realised that I enjoy dancing. Particularly salsa, bachata and west coast swing.

It is something I have discovered in my adulthood that I wished I found a lot sooner during my younger years.

It has connected me to people, to music and to my mind and body.

Many dancers would probably tell you something similar like: ‘it’s my happy place’.

It really is one of mine.

To support the general consensus amoungst dancers a study was published this July by the Department of Psychiatry at the Oxford University looking at how salsa dancing effects young people with mild to severe depressive symptoms.

They looked at 121 people aged between 18-24 and assigned them to a salsa group for 8 weeks or a waiting list group (where they could start the salsa class after 12 weeks).

They found that the salsa group had a clinically significant improvement in their depression scores, and a greater improvement in their social anxiety and daily happiness compared to the waiting list group. However the waiting list group ALSO improved suggesting that just the anticipation of doing dance helped their symptoms.

The authors expressed that organised salsa dancing like in this study could bridge the gap between mental support groups/therapy and the kind of activities that young people would engage with.

Helping young people with depression/anxiety-related problems not just in the therapy room but also engage, communicate, laugh, play, learn and challenge themselves in an organised, safe and productive way.

Although this study was conducted on young people (so we cannot extrapolite the findings to other groups) I would expect there would be similar findings across all age groups with similar mental health challenges.

If you resonate with the topics mentioned in this article, please seek further support through counsellors or psychiatrically trained therapists. But remember that you have additional options to get you feeling more yourself again. Dancing is just one of them.

And if you like the sound of dancing but not sure where to start, there is a great app called Dancitive that shows dance classes (of all types including salsa) and events around the country. So whether you are into Tap or Jive, West Coast or East Coast Swing, Ballroom or Bachata you’ll find something for you.

For local recommendations I’ll always recommend Tracie’s Latin Club and West Coast Kin!