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Health

Just a bit of exercise can improve mental health, scientists, psychologists say

Published

2 months ago

6 minute read

By Nicole Ireland

It’s that time of year when gloomy weather and New Year’s resolutions gone by the wayside leave many of us not feeling our best. Even if we know that exercise will help us feel better, getting up and moving can feel like too much of a challenge, especially for those suffering from anxiety or depression.

Some exercise scientists and psychologists say many of the messages we get about fitness don’t help.

“There’s really strong evidence that exercise can be beneficial to help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms,” said Jennifer Heisz, Canada Research Chair in Brain Health and Aging in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University.

“(But) I think it’s very off-putting when you look at the exercise guidelines for physical health and you think that you need to achieve those for mental health.”

The World Health Organization recommends that adults between 18 and 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, plus muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.

ParticipACTION, an organization promoting physical activity, said it takes much less than that to gain mental-health benefits, but many people don’t know that. It commissioned an online survey of 1,526 adult Canadians conducted by Leger, which found that 36 per cent of respondents thought they needed to exercise for more than half an hour to “feel the mental boost.”

Not true, said Leigh Vanderloo, an exercise scientist with ParticipACTION.

Taking 10 to 15 minutes a day to move your body “is going to have some pretty promising effects from a mental-health impact,” Vanderloo said.

“There’s no such thing as bad movement,” she said. “Think of all the opportunities you have in your day already that you could be moving more.”

That could mean taking a quick walk around the office between meetings, parking a bit further away when you’re picking up the kids from school, running upstairs, raking leaves, housecleaning, gardening or dancing, Vanderloo said.

“Every step counts,” said Heisz.

For people with clinical depression or anxiety, “exercise can be a great add-on therapy to take in addition to medication,” she said. But those conditions can also make it hard to get off the couch.

“Trying to get motivated to exercise is really difficult, especially if you think it’s this big one-hour or tough workout that you have to do to get the benefits, when in fact it’s not,” Heisz said.

Dr. Zarina Giannone, a Vancouver psychologist specializing in sports, performance and exercise, agrees that one of the barriers is having the energy and “inner resources” needed to get active.

“With folks like that, it’s just so important to really, first of all, start very small and very slow,” she said.

“I’ve encouraged people to just do really small things — things that already (are) built into the world, like going for walks, doing some of that exercise within the home, using body weight, like things like that,” she said.

If people want to try going to the gym but are feeling overwhelmed, Giannone suggests they start with 15 minutes twice a week — and they may just spend that time walking around and becoming familiar with the space.

“And then the next week, it’s maybe building on that. But it’s gradual, it’s slow,” she said.

It’s also important for people to be “flexible” if they’re making fitness goals, said Pier-Éric Chamberland, chair of the sport and exercise section of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Otherwise, they can fall into the trap of “all or nothing,” he said.

If you were planning to do a 45-minute workout but find yourself short on time, don’t just dismiss exercise that day, Chamberland recommended.

Instead, take the 15 minutes you do have and do something else like walking, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many think about exercise, said Heisz.

“There was a shift in why people wanted to work out,” she said. “So instead of working out for their physical health — like to be stronger or fitter — they wanted to work out for their mental health.”

That’s a healthy change from the focus on weight loss so many people have, Vanderloo said.

“I’d like to see more of a shift towards, you know, ‘I get active for my mental health, for stress management,'” she said.

“These are all benefits that come with getting active that have nothing to do with weight.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2023.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

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Province trumpets $105 million in new health spending for Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program

Published on March 29, 2023

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Strengthening rural health care

Budget 2023 expands rural health supports so Albertans can have additional access to modern health facilities and the care they need where and when they need it.

Alberta’s government is committed to expanding and modernizing rural hospitals and other health facilities across the province to protect quality health care, grow system capacity and support the best front-line health care workers in the world.

Having access to quality health care when and where Albertans need it includes expanding capacity to provide better access for Albertans living in rural and remote areas of the province.

“We are making sure we have the necessary funding in place to build and strengthen health care in our rural communities and address barriers to care for those looking for support and treatment close to home and family. This work includes programs that focus on how to recruit, retain and even train more physicians, nurses and other professionals in areas outside of the cities.”

Jason Copping, Minister of Health

Budget 2023 provides $105 million over three years for the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program, including $75 million in additional funding for capital projects in rural Alberta.

The program supports strategic renovations and developments in health facilities throughout the province, with an emphasis on emergency departments, EMS stations, surgical and dialysis clinics, and other clinical services to improve access to health care in rural Alberta.

Expanding capacity in the health care system also means having health care workers to fill those spots. In response, Alberta’s government launched the Health Workforce Strategy to attract and retain the health care workers needed now and create more training opportunities for local students and internationally trained medical graduates.

“All Albertans, no matter where they live, need and deserve access to our health system. Physicians are a critical part of that system, especially in rural areas where we are trusted to support the needs of neighbours, friends and colleagues during all phases of life. It is a special calling to work in rural health care, but it can be tremendously rewarding for those who pursue it.”

Dr. Cheyanne Vetter, facility medical director, Wainwright Health Centre

Rural Albertans are especially affected by the nationwide shortage of health care workers. To address this growing need, the Health Workforce Strategy provides $113 million to add 100 residency training spaces for newly graduated doctors, particularly in rural areas and specialist fields. Creating these new training spaces will provide more opportunities for Alberta students to learn, train and practise in their home communities.

In addition to this investment, a further $1 million will go toward exploring ways that regional post-secondary institutions, such as the University of Lethbridge and Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie, can help deliver medical education outside of Edmonton and Calgary.

“Whether it’s emergency care or surgeries, primary care or continuing care, Albertans deserve equitable health care services in their communities. I am proud of the investments government is making through Budget 2023, both with infrastructure funding and workforce planning strategies, to help support the future of rural health care in our province.”

 Garth Rowswell, MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright

This year’s budget also funds the new agreement with the Alberta Medical Association, further stabilizing the health system and focusing on Alberta’s rural communities. Under the agreement, more than $250 million over four years will go to addressing pressures, including recruitment and retention programs so more Albertans can access family doctors, and supporting physicians so their practices remain viable.

Budget 2023 secures Alberta’s future by transforming the health care system to meet people’s needs, supporting Albertans with the high cost of living, keeping our communities safe and driving the economy with more jobs, quality education and continued diversification.

Quick facts

  • The Rural Health Revitalization Program provides capital funding for revitalizing select rural health facilities throughout the province.
    • Budget 2023 invests $105 million over three years for the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program. This includes $75 million in additional funding for new capital projects in rural Alberta.
    • To date, about $65 million has been committed to 22 projects across the province, including emergency department renovations, upgrades to EMS stations and new dialysis spaces.
  • An investment of $237 million over three years towards the Alberta Surgical Initiative Capital Program will help reduce surgical wait times and help Albertans receive the surgeries they need.
    • This includes $120 million in new funding for projects in 15 communities across the province to expand and modernize operating rooms in public hospitals.
  • Budget 2023 includes $64 million over three years to continue the La Crete Community Health Centre capital project to provide increased access to maternity health services.
  • $11 million over three years is part of a $23.5-million commitment to expand the renal dialysis program at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.
    • This project will relocate the dialysis unit to provide additional treatment spaces and address patient and staff safety concerns with the current site.
  • $3 million over three years in planning dollars is committed to the North Calgary/Airdrie Regional Health Centre.
  • $3 million over three years in planning dollars is committed to expanding the Strathcona Community Hospital.
  • Planning dollars are also committed for new or upgraded facilities in Bassano, Cardston and Whitecourt.
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Business

Budget 2023: Key highlights from the federal Liberals’ spending plan

Published on March 28, 2023

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Copies of the Federal budget are seen on a table Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

By Stephanie Taylor in Ottawa

The federal Liberal government has released a 2023-24 spending plan that prioritizes spending on health care, transitioning Canadian businesses to a clean economy and offering affordability measures to help Canadians dealing with high prices from inflation.

Here are the key highlights from this year’s federal budget:

– $40.1 billion: Projected federal deficit for the coming fiscal year.

– $59.5 billion: New spending over the next five years, with $8.3 billion to be spent over the coming fiscal year.

– $83 billion: The expected cost of tax credits for clean energy and electricity through to the 2034-35 fiscal year. The credits are part of Ottawa’s stated goal to rapidly develop Canada’s green economy.

– $13 billion: Expected cost of the Canada dental benefit over the next five years, or $7.3 billion more than the government initially projected.

– $49.4 billion: The amount of health-care cash flowing to provinces and territories in the 2023-24 year.

– $4.5 billion: Expected cost of a clean technology manufacturing investment tax credit over five years.

– $2.5 billion: The cost of another one-time doubling of GST rebates this financial year to help low-income Canadians who are struggling with high prices and inflation. The government has dubbed this measure a “grocery rebate,” a nod to high food prices.

– $4 billion: How much the federal government says it plans to spend over seven years on an urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing strategy, beginning in 2024-25. But only $1.9 billion is expected to be spent in the next five years.

– An unknown amount: Finance officials would not specify how much Ottawa spent in an agreement with Volkswagen that will see the company build a battery manufacturing plant, called a “gigafactory,” in St. Thomas, Ont. They said more details will be revealed in the weeks to come. The budget document stipulates that the expected costs are accounted for in this year’s spending tables. Measures not yet announced have a line item in the budget that accounts for decisions related to commercial sensitivity, but the number is presented as an aggregate.

– $158 million: Funding over three years, starting this year, to create and operate a new 9-8-8 suicide prevention phone line.

– $14 per $100: What the federal government says will be the new maximum amount that payday lenders can charge people for the amount they borrow. The budget says a Criminal Code amendment will be made to that effect, while the government also intends to lower the maximum interest rates payday lenders can charge to an annual percentage rate of 35 per cent.

– “Reciprocal treatment”: What Ottawa is announcing consultations about in response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which threatens to freeze out Canadian businesses, including green technology firms, from tax credits offered south of the border.

– $56 million: Spending allocated for “protecting diaspora communities and all Canadians from foreign interference, threats and covert activities.” The budget announces funding for the RCMP to investigate foreign interference allegations, and says Public Safety Canada will stand up a new National Counter-Foreign Interference Office to respond to any attempted meddling by Russia, China and Iran.

– $200 million: The amount the government aims to provide to the Department of National Defence so the Canadian military can donate equipment to assist Ukraine, including the eight Leopard 2 battle tanks that the government previously announced it would deliver.

– Anti-scab legislation: The government is proposing to amend the Canada Labour Code to prohibit the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout, fulling a commitment the Liberals made to the federal NDP in their supply-and-confidence agreement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2023.

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