Mental Health Awareness in Business: How Your Fitness Studio Can Help
We sometimes treat physical fitness and mental health as separate. However, research shows that physical activity has a positive effect on mental health.
Additionally, destigmatizing conversations around mental health can encourage people to seek therapy and other treatment.
As a result, promoting mental health awareness in business has become increasingly important in recent years. In this guide, we offer actionable strategies for applying this to your business. We’ll discuss:
- The connection between mental and physical health
- Assessing your business’ current mental health initiatives
- Educating your team and clients
- Integrating mental health into your services
- Launching awareness campaigns
- Implementing supportive policies and environment
- Monitoring progress and making adjustments
- Additional resources
The connection between mental and physical health
Physical fitness and mental health are intertwined. Research proves that physical activity can improve your mental health, and poor mental health can manifest physically.
Mental health conditions and the body
- Many individuals with depression and anxiety need “activation energy,” such as support from friends and family to maintain a regular exercise routine.
- People with major depressive disorder have a 72% higher risk for heart disease, according to a World Psychiatry study.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to inflammation and a 58% increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease.
How physical activity affects mental health
- Individuals who did regular physical activity were 25% less likely to develop depression, according to 2022 research and reviews from JAMA Psychiatry.
- That same research revealed that a “relatively small dose of physical activity,” in this case 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week, was associated with a significantly lower risk of depression.
- Just 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week has the potential to reduce mental health challenges, according to research by The Lancet Psychiatry.
- Additionally, people who exercised reported about 43% fewer days of poor mental health over the course of a month than individuals who did not.
- Another study discovered that people who participate in “regular vigorous exercise” are 25% less likely to experience anxiety.
Additionally, the mind-body connection is no secret. Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and releases dopamine, which is responsible for pleasure, mood, motivation, pain processing, and more.
When we exercise, our brains release certain chemicals and neurotransmitters, including endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are responsible for the positive feelings and sense of calm you may experience after a workout.
Research from around the world reveals that regular physical activity may also improve:
- Self-esteem
- Sleep quality
- Self-awareness
- Cognitive functioning and memory
As a fitness business owner, you’re in a unique position to help people improve their physical and mental health simultaneously.
Assessing your business’s current mental health initiatives
Elevating mental health awareness starts with a candid look at your existing practices. Here’s what that might look like:
Step 1: Get feedback from employees and clients on what types of support they need. Use straightforward methods that encourage honesty, like:
- Suggestion boxes for anonymous feedback
- Surveys about their needs and perceptions of mental health
- Feedback sessions to gain insights and show how much you value everyone’s input
Step 2: Examine your brand values. Make mental health a core part of everything from your social media to client interactions.
Step 3: Do you offer mental health programs or classes? If not, reach out to local professionals and organizations to develop sessions on mindfulness, stress reduction, and more.
Step 4: Assess your resources. Provide contact information for mental health clinics and crisis hotlines on your website, mobile app, and in marketing emails.
Most importantly, commit to a safe and open environment. Openness destigmatizes mental health conversations and builds a supportive community for clients and staff.
Educating your team and clients
Combating stigma should be at the core of your efforts. As Patrick Corrigan, Psy.D., once said, “The stigma of mental illness is as big a problem as the symptoms themselves.”
Education is your most powerful tool for fighting that stigma.
You can educate your community through mental health literacy training. These sessions should cover:
- The basics of mental health
- Signs of distress to watch for
- How physical fitness can improve mental wellbeing
Working with mental health professionals and organizations to delve into these topics will make your business more mental health aware. Here are some to consider:
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) does training, including NAMI Hearts + Minds, which helps people manage their mental and physical health.
- Mental Health Works (Canada) offers customizable workshops focused on workplace issues, including stress, telework, and anxiety.
- The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) (Canada) provides employee wellbeing workshops on resilience, de-escalation, and more.
- Work to Wellness collaborates with workplace specialists to create mental health programs on work-life balance, leadership, and more.
- The All American Entertainment (AAE) Speakers Bureau has a list of inspirational mental health speakers and celebrity advocates with a range of specializations.
By properly educating your team and clients, you’re building a community that values mental health just as much as physical health.
Integrating mental health into your services
To seamlessly blend mental health awareness into your existing programs, start with these tips:
- Infuse mindfulness into your current offerings. This could be as simple as starting and ending each class with a five-minute meditation.
- Institute mental health days for staff to empower them to advocate for their own mental health.
- Partner with local mental health professionals to promote therapy and counseling resources. You can promote them on your website and mobile app to show clients that help is available.
Other wellness businesses are championing mental health too. SoulCycle hosted The Voices of SoulCycle, a panel series with open conversations around identity and mental health, and mindfulness. This initiative spotlighted important topics and boosted SoulCycle’s inclusive brand image.
CorePower Yoga partnered with Yoga Foster to promote mental wellness in the classroom. They wanted to help kids handle stress and develop coping strategies. They worked with educators to bring mindfulness breathing and calming exercises to kids across the U.S. The initiative boosted their brand image and helped them reach an all-new demographic.
Both examples highlight the business and community potential of centering mental wellbeing. You can create your own mental health packages by:
- Asking clients and staff what types of services they’d benefit from the most
- Tailoring packages and services to those needs
- Partnering with mental health professionals in your area
- Training staff on important topics like advocacy and de-escalation
Launching awareness campaigns
Every May, businesses in all sorts of industries launch campaigns and host events for Mental Health Awareness Month. Here’s how to organize yours:
- Engage your audience by choosing themes that resonate, like “Mindfulness March” and “Wellness Wednesday.”
- Decide what your event or series will be. You can organize events like fun runs, free outdoor yoga, or mental health programs, inviting local mental health professionals to speak or lead activities.
- Harness the power of social media to promote your message. Collaborate with local mental health professionals to create a social media video series. Focus on topics like daily mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and finding a suitable therapist.
- Organize events that bring mental health into the spotlight, such as workshops, webinars, and fitness challenges, all designed to break the silence around mental health conversations.
- Capitalize on Mental Health Awareness Month to launch your most impactful initiatives, encouraging community participation and fostering a culture of openness.
Implementing supportive policies and environment
Some of the most effective policies you can institute for your employees’ mental health are:
- Offering flexible working hours and mental health days to promote a healthy work-life balance.
- Training team members as mental health first aiders and offer initial help to anyone dealing with depression, mood disorders, psychosis, and more.
- Providing de-escalation training to help staff handle agitated co-workers and clients. This can benefit the safety of everyone who visits your business.
Privacy and mental health
It’s important to encourage a culture of openness. However, privacy is also a key part of client and employee wellbeing. Remember, employees have a right not to share information about their mental health conditions. So be supportive and respectful if anyone confides in you.
Monitoring progress and making adjustments
Incorporating mental health initiatives into your business is an ongoing effort. You’ll need to develop a system to monitor progress and identify gaps.
- Use feedback tools like surveys, suggestion boxes, and one-on-one meetings. You’ll get direct insights into how well your strategies are resonating with your clients and staff.
- Track attendance rates in mental health programs and workshops. Then send follow-up communications to see what participants got out of their sessions.
- Monitor social media engagement on mental health content to gauge your audience’s interest and come up with new content ideas.
- Encourage ongoing dialogue to understand clients’ and employees’ changing needs. This approach ensures that your initiatives remain relevant and impactful.
Additional resources
Dive deeper into promoting mental health awareness within your fitness business with these hand-picked resources.
Mental health organizations
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
The Stress and Resilience Institute
Online mental health resources
Mind, Body, Green: A comprehensive site dedicated to wellness, including mental health.
Psych Central: Articles, quizzes, and tips on mental health and psychology.
TED Talks: On-demand talks on depression, identity, the brain, and more.
Calm Business: Mindfulness solutions and services for employers, from the makers of the Calm app.
Psychology Today: A popular media organization that gives guidance on various mental health topics.
Books
- Topic: Creating a supportive environment at work
- Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers and Employees by Gill Hasson and Donna Butler
- Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Wellbeing and Resilience by Paula Davis
- Alive at Work: The Neuroscience of Helping Your People Love What They Do by Daniel M. Cable
- Topic: The impact of trauma on the body and mind
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
- Healing Trauma by Peter Levine
- The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté, MD
- Topic: How exercise affects mental health
- Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey
- Move the Body, Heal the Mind by Jennifer Heisz
Articles
- New York Times – How Exercise Strengthens Your Brain by Dana G. Smith
- New York Times – How Exercise May Tame Our Anxiety by Gretchen Reynolds
- Psychology Today – Exercise Psychology: What it is and Why it Matters by Thomas Rutledge Ph.D.
- Climbing Wall Association (CWA) – How to Advocate and Bring Mental Health Awareness to Your Gym by Megan Walsh
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) – Mental Health Awareness and the Role of Exercise Professionals by Zachary Zenko, Ph.D., and Andrea Lopez, Ph.D., MPH
Mental health awareness with WellnessLiving
From understanding the intrinsic link between physical fitness and mental health to implementing supportive policies, we hope your path to promoting mental health awareness is now clearer.
The work doesn’t stop here. Society has a long way to go in terms of destigmatizing mental health. Take it one step at a time, and remember, the WellnessLiving team is here to help take the stress out of running and growing your business.
Our all-in-one solution includes a range of business management features. You can keep track of staff schedules, and offer flexible hours and mental health days through our staff management solution. Or you can use FitVID on Demand to offer virtual on-demand meditation and mindfulness classes.
Whatever your first step, we’re here to support you. Book a no-commitment demo today.
