Podcast: E6: P2 - Three Pillars of Functional Psychiatry Exercise

Listen to the episode here: E5:3P1-Three Pillars of Functional Psychiatry - https://apple.co/3yKNcYt

Hey there, it's Dr. Tiffany. I want to welcome you to this episode of the Integrative Mental Health Podcast with Dr. Tiffany. We are on episode 3.2, discussing the three-legged stool approach, also encompassing Dr. Karazian's three-pillar approach to healing. 

Within my three-legged stool approach—neurological, physiological, and psychological—we also addressed Dr. Karazian's three-pillar approach, which includes sleep, exercise, and blood sugar regulation (a lot of nutrition). Today, we’re going to talk about exercise.

If you know me, you know I love exercise as part of the intervention for recovering your brain. There are so many reasons for this, and I want to touch on not just those reasons, but also what we need to be aware of when using exercise as a strategy to heal the brain. We’ll discuss how to determine how much exercise you need, how intense it should be, and other related considerations.

Exercise is evidence-based as a way to address mental health issues. When dealing with depression and trying to raise serotonin and endorphins, exercise is a key part of the established intervention to help elevate mood. A depressed body and brain often lack movement and energy. With exercise, you aim to increase energy in the cells, including brain cells, by raising ATP levels and improving mitochondrial speed and effectiveness. 

Moving the body helps generate more energy, which is crucial when someone is down and depressed. It might start with small actions, like getting up and walking around for five minutes, marching in place, or doing toe taps. Any movement helps direct energy to the brain.

Once you’re less depressed and can move more, we need to consider what that looks like. For anxiety, Dr. Karazian shared research suggesting that in the midst of a panic or anxiety attack, asking someone to start exercising (like doing jumping jacks, running, or squats) can help discharge the stress hormones and chemicals flooding their system. This helps burn off adrenaline, making it easier to manage the symptoms.

BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) is another reason why exercise is crucial for brain health and mood disorders. BDNF, often called the "miracle grow" for the brain, is compromised in conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia. Exercise is one of the few ways to raise BDNF levels, reducing neurodegeneration, promoting nerve growth, improving neuron synapses, and enhancing neural pathway branching. Exercise is essential for recovering and healing the brain, especially when dealing with mood disorders.

Nitric oxide is also vital, as it increases blood flow during exercise. This improves circulation, vascular health, and nutrient and oxygen delivery to mitochondria in brain cells, facilitating tissue repair. This is especially important for those with post-concussed or environmentally injured brains. Exercise also helps with oxidative stress, aiding in the body's cleansing and recovery processes.

However, overtraining can cause issues like cytokine surges, mitochondrial uncoupling, inflammation, muscle wasting, injuries, and overtraining syndrome. It's essential to balance exercise frequency, intensity, and duration to avoid adverse effects.

Typically, recommendations for exercise include varying movement patterns to avoid repetitive strain and overtraining. Strength training should complement cardio exercises. For beginners, starting with three days a week and gradually increasing is advisable. Avoid doing the same exercise every day; mix it up to keep the brain and muscles engaged.

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is particularly effective for brain recovery and mood support. This involves alternating between high and low intensity, which can be monitored using heart rate. A quick way to assess intensity is by using the equation 220 minus your age, then adjusting your effort to reach 50-75% of that number.

Motor complexity is another important aspect of exercise. Engaging in activities that require coordination and multiple limbs, like kickboxing, basketball, or core work, can enhance brain function and mood. It’s crucial to recognize any adverse reactions to exercise, such as excessive exhaustion, brain fog, or pain, and adjust accordingly.

Exercise is a complex yet essential component of mental health and brain recovery. Be mindful of the details discussed, including BDNF, neural pathways, and motor complexity. We’ve now covered sleep and exercise from the three pillars, and I look forward to discussing blood sugar regulation next.

As always, thank you for your time and attention. I appreciate all the feedback I've received. Until next time, be well.