With today being National Women’s Health & Fitness Day and National Family Health & Fitness Day coming up Saturday, Guthrie County Hospital has another thought about why exercise is critical to the health of local residents.

Physical therapist Jess Carney says exercising isn’t just necessary for improving our overall physical health; it gives us a necessary mental boost as well.

“Part of it is when you look better, you feel better.  There are some physiological reasons that we do feel better–you get release of those feel-good hormones from the brain when you exercise.  You know, that gives you that ‘glow’ of exercise.”

Carney says that her job as a physical therapist is to help people who are in obvious physical pain, get to a point where they can begin exercising again.  But once that phase is reached, the majority of improvements she sees in patients are mental, not physical.

“You will definitely see: ‘hey, this feels pretty good.  I feel better my whole day.  I don’t just feel better physically, but mentally.  I feel a lot more clear, I’m able to focus more.  And another big thing is I’m sleeping a lot better’.”

Carney recommends that people find something of physical activity that they enjoy because enjoyment makes it a lot easier to stick with a fitness routine. She says people get off track with their exercise regimens because they work out just to do it, not to enjoy it.

For more information about either national fitness day visit www.fitnessday.com.