Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

“Parkrun has made exercise enjoyable for people, and that’s something that can make them more likely to stick to it and do it regularly,” said Dr. Clare Stevinson, an expert in exercise and sport psychology at Britain’s Loughborough University who led some preliminary published studies on parkrun. “So they won’t see weight loss overnight and they won’t see changes in blood pressure overnight, but those long-term benefits will come if they are more likely to stick with it. It’s potentially very powerful in that way.”

There is little doubt the runners — some of whom start off as overweight, unfit and having never contemplated covering this distance before — will reap health gains later in life from being fitter and slimmer than people who do no regular exercise.

In Stevinson’s most recent research, published last month in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, participants interviewed about changes in their health after becoming parkrunners said they had seen improvements in a range of conditions from diabetes to asthma to chronic pain.

However, while some of these gains might take time to show through, researchers say the mental health rewards can be almost immediate, as well as long-lasting.

Mike Rogerson, a specialist in exercise and sport psychology at the University of Essex who is also a member of parkrun’s research board, has just conducted a study of around 330 participants to measure the effect the weekly session can have on psychological well-being.

The results showed that even taking part in a single parkrun event significantly improved participants’ self-esteem (by 7.7 percent), overall mood (by 14.2 percent) and the level of psychological stress they reported (by 18.4 percent).

Rogerson notes that while these numbers cannot measure whether, for example, a person clinically diagnosed as depressed might no longer qualify for that diagnosis, “what it does tell us, is that the improvement is significant from how they felt before they did the run.”

And with almost a fifth of adults in Britain suffering from anxiety or depression, those improvements could make an important difference.

“We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ said Rogerson, whose findings on parkrun have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal. “Everything starts at a perceptual level in the brain, and the brain tells the body what to do. So if we can get psychological changes, that cascades down to have physiological effects.”

Rogerson’s study also looked at whether certain specific factors, such as how well or fast a person ran on the day and what the weather was like, could influence the mood and mental well-being improvements, but found they had only a very small impact.

“These results suggest that not only does parkrunning benefit your psychological well-being, but also that just like parkrun itself, the majority of these benefits are available and accessible to everyone — regardless of who you are, how fast you run, or which parkrun event you attend,” he said.

Anecdotally, the scientific data also seem to ring true.

Helen Cleary, a British parkrunner who wrote about her motivations on a National Health Service website aimed at encouraging others to move from “couch to 5 kg,” said looming middle age, kilograms of excess weight and several heart-related deaths in the family prompted her to get her act together.

Since taking up parkrun, she says she has lost 22 kg, dropped three dress sizes, and feels healthier, younger and more confident.

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

“Parkrun has made exercise enjoyable for people, and that’s something that can make them more likely to stick to it and do it regularly,” said Dr. Clare Stevinson, an expert in exercise and sport psychology at Britain’s Loughborough University who led some preliminary published studies on parkrun. “So they won’t see weight loss overnight and they won’t see changes in blood pressure overnight, but those long-term benefits will come if they are more likely to stick with it. It’s potentially very powerful in that way.”

There is little doubt the runners — some of whom start off as overweight, unfit and having never contemplated covering this distance before — will reap health gains later in life from being fitter and slimmer than people who do no regular exercise.

In Stevinson’s most recent research, published last month in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, participants interviewed about changes in their health after becoming parkrunners said they had seen improvements in a range of conditions from diabetes to asthma to chronic pain.

However, while some of these gains might take time to show through, researchers say the mental health rewards can be almost immediate, as well as long-lasting.

Mike Rogerson, a specialist in exercise and sport psychology at the University of Essex who is also a member of parkrun’s research board, has just conducted a study of around 330 participants to measure the effect the weekly session can have on psychological well-being.

The results showed that even taking part in a single parkrun event significantly improved participants’ self-esteem (by 7.7 percent), overall mood (by 14.2 percent) and the level of psychological stress they reported (by 18.4 percent).

Rogerson notes that while these numbers cannot measure whether, for example, a person clinically diagnosed as depressed might no longer qualify for that diagnosis, “what it does tell us, is that the improvement is significant from how they felt before they did the run.”

And with almost a fifth of adults in Britain suffering from anxiety or depression, those improvements could make an important difference.

“We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ said Rogerson, whose findings on parkrun have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal. “Everything starts at a perceptual level in the brain, and the brain tells the body what to do. So if we can get psychological changes, that cascades down to have physiological effects.”

Rogerson’s study also looked at whether certain specific factors, such as how well or fast a person ran on the day and what the weather was like, could influence the mood and mental well-being improvements, but found they had only a very small impact.

“These results suggest that not only does parkrunning benefit your psychological well-being, but also that just like parkrun itself, the majority of these benefits are available and accessible to everyone — regardless of who you are, how fast you run, or which parkrun event you attend,” he said.

Anecdotally, the scientific data also seem to ring true.

Helen Cleary, a British parkrunner who wrote about her motivations on a National Health Service website aimed at encouraging others to move from “couch to 5 kg,” said looming middle age, kilograms of excess weight and several heart-related deaths in the family prompted her to get her act together.

Since taking up parkrun, she says she has lost 22 kg, dropped three dress sizes, and feels healthier, younger and more confident.

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

“Parkrun has made exercise enjoyable for people, and that’s something that can make them more likely to stick to it and do it regularly,” said Dr. Clare Stevinson, an expert in exercise and sport psychology at Britain’s Loughborough University who led some preliminary published studies on parkrun. “So they won’t see weight loss overnight and they won’t see changes in blood pressure overnight, but those long-term benefits will come if they are more likely to stick with it. It’s potentially very powerful in that way.”

There is little doubt the runners — some of whom start off as overweight, unfit and having never contemplated covering this distance before — will reap health gains later in life from being fitter and slimmer than people who do no regular exercise.

In Stevinson’s most recent research, published last month in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, participants interviewed about changes in their health after becoming parkrunners said they had seen improvements in a range of conditions from diabetes to asthma to chronic pain.

However, while some of these gains might take time to show through, researchers say the mental health rewards can be almost immediate, as well as long-lasting.

Mike Rogerson, a specialist in exercise and sport psychology at the University of Essex who is also a member of parkrun’s research board, has just conducted a study of around 330 participants to measure the effect the weekly session can have on psychological well-being.

The results showed that even taking part in a single parkrun event significantly improved participants’ self-esteem (by 7.7 percent), overall mood (by 14.2 percent) and the level of psychological stress they reported (by 18.4 percent).

Rogerson notes that while these numbers cannot measure whether, for example, a person clinically diagnosed as depressed might no longer qualify for that diagnosis, “what it does tell us, is that the improvement is significant from how they felt before they did the run.”

And with almost a fifth of adults in Britain suffering from anxiety or depression, those improvements could make an important difference.

“We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ said Rogerson, whose findings on parkrun have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal. “Everything starts at a perceptual level in the brain, and the brain tells the body what to do. So if we can get psychological changes, that cascades down to have physiological effects.”

Rogerson’s study also looked at whether certain specific factors, such as how well or fast a person ran on the day and what the weather was like, could influence the mood and mental well-being improvements, but found they had only a very small impact.

“These results suggest that not only does parkrunning benefit your psychological well-being, but also that just like parkrun itself, the majority of these benefits are available and accessible to everyone — regardless of who you are, how fast you run, or which parkrun event you attend,” he said.

Anecdotally, the scientific data also seem to ring true.

Helen Cleary, a British parkrunner who wrote about her motivations on a National Health Service website aimed at encouraging others to move from “couch to 5 kg,” said looming middle age, kilograms of excess weight and several heart-related deaths in the family prompted her to get her act together.

Since taking up parkrun, she says she has lost 22 kg, dropped three dress sizes, and feels healthier, younger and more confident.

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

Benefits of parkrun go well beyond physical | The Japan Times

“Parkrun has made exercise enjoyable for people, and that’s something that can make them more likely to stick to it and do it regularly,” said Dr. Clare Stevinson, an expert in exercise and sport psychology at Britain’s Loughborough University who led some preliminary published studies on parkrun. “So they won’t see weight loss overnight and they won’t see changes in blood pressure overnight, but those long-term benefits will come if they are more likely to stick with it. It’s potentially very powerful in that way.”

There is little doubt the runners — some of whom start off as overweight, unfit and having never contemplated covering this distance before — will reap health gains later in life from being fitter and slimmer than people who do no regular exercise.

In Stevinson’s most recent research, published last month in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, participants interviewed about changes in their health after becoming parkrunners said they had seen improvements in a range of conditions from diabetes to asthma to chronic pain.

However, while some of these gains might take time to show through, researchers say the mental health rewards can be almost immediate, as well as long-lasting.

Mike Rogerson, a specialist in exercise and sport psychology at the University of Essex who is also a member of parkrun’s research board, has just conducted a study of around 330 participants to measure the effect the weekly session can have on psychological well-being.

The results showed that even taking part in a single parkrun event significantly improved participants’ self-esteem (by 7.7 percent), overall mood (by 14.2 percent) and the level of psychological stress they reported (by 18.4 percent).

Rogerson notes that while these numbers cannot measure whether, for example, a person clinically diagnosed as depressed might no longer qualify for that diagnosis, “what it does tell us, is that the improvement is significant from how they felt before they did the run.”

And with almost a fifth of adults in Britain suffering from anxiety or depression, those improvements could make an important difference.

“We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ said Rogerson, whose findings on parkrun have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal. “Everything starts at a perceptual level in the brain, and the brain tells the body what to do. So if we can get psychological changes, that cascades down to have physiological effects.”

Rogerson’s study also looked at whether certain specific factors, such as how well or fast a person ran on the day and what the weather was like, could influence the mood and mental well-being improvements, but found they had only a very small impact.

“These results suggest that not only does parkrunning benefit your psychological well-being, but also that just like parkrun itself, the majority of these benefits are available and accessible to everyone — regardless of who you are, how fast you run, or which parkrun event you attend,” he said.

Anecdotally, the scientific data also seem to ring true.

Helen Cleary, a British parkrunner who wrote about her motivations on a National Health Service website aimed at encouraging others to move from “couch to 5 kg,” said looming middle age, kilograms of excess weight and several heart-related deaths in the family prompted her to get her act together.

Since taking up parkrun, she says she has lost 22 kg, dropped three dress sizes, and feels healthier, younger and more confident.

‘Terakoya’ let Tohoku kids study in peace

SENDAI – To help children in Tohoku who lost studying space because of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, a Kyushu-based nonprofit organization is holding free after-school classes at temporary housing complexes in Miyagi Prefecture.

Since the first “terakoya” (temple schools) class was held in June 2011, the program has already attracted more than 200 elementary and junior high school students.

Terakoya were originally private elementary schools in temples that were common in the Edo Period (1603-1867). They taught pupils how to use the abacus, read and write, and essentially resembled today’s cram schools.

The Tohoku terakoya classes were initiated by Rocinantes, an NPO in Kitakyushu that has been providing medical and health care services in Sudan. The classes are held on weekday evenings.

In Watari, Miyagi Prefecture, there’s a terakoya at a housing complex that is open every day, while in Natori, also in Miyagi, peripatetic classes are held by Rocinantes staff at three locations.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/09/07/national/social-issues/terakoya-let-tohoku-kids-study-in-peace/

Therapy on offer for Japanese struggling to adjust to life in U.K.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/28/national/therapy-offer-japanese-struggling-adjust-life-u-k/

LONDON – Many Japanese have a somewhat romanticized image of living in Britain.

While for some those expectations may be fulfilled, the reality for others is that they struggle to adapt to a very different culture.

Yuko Nippoda, a London-based counselor and psychotherapist, has been treating Japanese clients suffering from psychological and mental health issues for years, and helps them cope with life in Britain and Western culture.

She says that communication difficulties as well as the “unpredictabilty” of British life — where customer service can be poor and unreliable — are two of the main problems.

Speaking to Kyodo News at her practice in west London, she said, “Japanese often fantasize and have an idealized image about life in London and Britain, but once they arrive they can become quite disillusioned.”

Her clients include those, mostly female, in relationships with a British partner, students and expatriates and their families who are staying here for a few years through work.

A common complaint of those having difficulty adapting to British life is a feeling that they cannot make themselves understood in English and this leads to a sense of powerlessness, isolation, inferiority and frustration, says Nippoda.

Unable to describe their true feelings, Japanese women may argue with their British partners and, on some occasions, turn violent, she said.

In addition, some Japanese women may feel disappointed that British men do not match up to their expectations of a traditional English gentleman.

Japanese students frequently find they are unable to follow lessons and, rather than seeking help, they withdraw from life and become demotivated.

They also struggle to adapt to Western teaching styles — which emphasize studet-teacher interaction — as opposed to the more passive approach in Japanese colleges.

And, while expats and their families here on a company assignment may have less exposure to local life, they often find it hard to make new friends as the makeup of the Japanese community is narrower, says Nippoda.

Some Japanese may also resent being in Britain because it is not their choice to be here in the first place. Often people have to move here due to their partner’s position and this resentment can prevent the process of adapting.

Nippoda says another problem faced by Japanese is adjusting from a “collectivist” culture — where the needs of the group go before one’s own — to one where an individual’s needs are more important.

In addition, Japanese have to adjust to the ups and downs of British life.

Nippoda said, “Public transport is often delayed and canceled without notice. Delivery services say they will come on a certain date and don’t, builders and plumbers don’t keep their promises and poor service even extends to banks.

“This all really frustrates Japanese and causes a lot of stress. In Japan, good service and organization are expected as a matter of course.”

She refers to this as “London Syndrome,” a phenomenon similar to “Paris Syndrome,” a term coined by experts several years ago for Japanese suffering feelings of disillusionment with life in the French capital.

Nippoda, who is registered with the U.K. Council for Psychotherapy and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, says it is difficult to estimate how many Japanese suffer while adapting to life in Britain, but a previous survey she conducted suggested up to two thirds may be severely or moderately affected.

Her therapy sessions help clients to think for themselves and establish a sense of identity and meaning. They also allow the client to become more assertive and develop more equal relationships with other people.

She said, “Living in Britain, Japanese are often able to find their sense of self and identity. They start to learn more about who they are, what they want and how they want to change.”

After a course of therapy, a significant number of clients show signs of considerable improvement, she says.

Nippoda believes that more thought needs to go into preparing people for the cultural change before they leave Japan.

She recommends that Japanese overseas maintain their links with Japan in order to keep them “grounded” while living in the West.

She adds that Japanese are more likely to seek a medical solution to their problems rather than addressing the fundamental issues through counseling and psychotherapy, which is still not properly understood in Japan.

Some Japanese residents, interviewed by Kyodo News, shared their experiences of making the cultural change.

Yuki Furukawa, who has lived in Britain for over 20 years, says that when she first arrived here as a language student she suffered communication difficulties and found it hard to meet British people, but as time went on life has become easier.

She said, “One of the things I have difficulty with, now that I have children, is understanding the education system. And as I get older, I do sometimes miss Japan and Japanese culture.”

Takeru Kurihara, who has lived here for over 10 years, said that in many ways British and Japanese cultures are similar. “But sometimes things don’t work. Trains and buses are delayed or stop, deliveries don’t happen at the designated time and customer service can be poor. It’s also difficult to find public toilets and, when you do, they’re not often clean!” he said.

Special psychiatric assistance teams counsel Hiroshima landslide victims

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/27/national/special-psychiatric-assistance-teams-counsel-hiroshima-landslide-victims/

HIROSHIMA – The health ministry has dispatched mental health care teams to assist people left homeless by the Hiroshima landslides, making use of a new disaster program for the first time.

Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs), made up of psychiatrists and nurses, were established in April 2013 after the public mental health support system was found insufficient in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Three teams were dispatched to Hiroshima last Friday at the request of the prefectural government, and another team arrived on Monday.

They had conducted counseling for 26 people as of Tuesday and took such measures as prescribing sleeping pills, prefectural officials said.

The DPAT specialists examined evacuees exhibiting symptoms such as rambling or incoherent speech, or anxiety, coordinating closely with local health workers who in the aftermath of the disaster offered medical consultations at all evacuation centers in the area.

Among the disaster victims who had sought help as of Tuesday were those who felt uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment of evacuation centers or who said they could hear the sound of a landslide, generating distress.

Hiroshima officials said they will increase the number of mental health specialists if evacuees are forced to stay in the centers for an extended period and their mental health deteriorates.

“There’s a risk that those who were in good condition immediately after the disaster could become exhausted and mentally distressed,” said Dr. Mayumi Saeki, a DPAT member.

Saeki, who also heads a prefectural mental health and welfare institution, said that emotionally distressed people, if left alone, are likely to develop insomnia or more severe disorders, and encouraged them to seek help from the team members.

Special psychiatric assistance teams counsel Hiroshima landslide victims

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/27/national/special-psychiatric-assistance-teams-counsel-hiroshima-landslide-victims/

HIROSHIMA – The health ministry has dispatched mental health care teams to assist people left homeless by the Hiroshima landslides, making use of a new disaster program for the first time.

Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs), made up of psychiatrists and nurses, were established in April 2013 after the public mental health support system was found insufficient in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Three teams were dispatched to Hiroshima last Friday at the request of the prefectural government, and another team arrived on Monday.

They had conducted counseling for 26 people as of Tuesday and took such measures as prescribing sleeping pills, prefectural officials said.

The DPAT specialists examined evacuees exhibiting symptoms such as rambling or incoherent speech, or anxiety, coordinating closely with local health workers who in the aftermath of the disaster offered medical consultations at all evacuation centers in the area.

Among the disaster victims who had sought help as of Tuesday were those who felt uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment of evacuation centers or who said they could hear the sound of a landslide, generating distress.

Hiroshima officials said they will increase the number of mental health specialists if evacuees are forced to stay in the centers for an extended period and their mental health deteriorates.

“There’s a risk that those who were in good condition immediately after the disaster could become exhausted and mentally distressed,” said Dr. Mayumi Saeki, a DPAT member.

Saeki, who also heads a prefectural mental health and welfare institution, said that emotionally distressed people, if left alone, are likely to develop insomnia or more severe disorders, and encouraged them to seek help from the team members.

Special psychiatric assistance teams counsel Hiroshima landslide victims

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/27/national/special-psychiatric-assistance-teams-counsel-hiroshima-landslide-victims/

HIROSHIMA – The health ministry has dispatched mental health care teams to assist people left homeless by the Hiroshima landslides, making use of a new disaster program for the first time.

Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs), made up of psychiatrists and nurses, were established in April 2013 after the public mental health support system was found insufficient in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Three teams were dispatched to Hiroshima last Friday at the request of the prefectural government, and another team arrived on Monday.

They had conducted counseling for 26 people as of Tuesday and took such measures as prescribing sleeping pills, prefectural officials said.

The DPAT specialists examined evacuees exhibiting symptoms such as rambling or incoherent speech, or anxiety, coordinating closely with local health workers who in the aftermath of the disaster offered medical consultations at all evacuation centers in the area.

Among the disaster victims who had sought help as of Tuesday were those who felt uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment of evacuation centers or who said they could hear the sound of a landslide, generating distress.

Hiroshima officials said they will increase the number of mental health specialists if evacuees are forced to stay in the centers for an extended period and their mental health deteriorates.

“There’s a risk that those who were in good condition immediately after the disaster could become exhausted and mentally distressed,” said Dr. Mayumi Saeki, a DPAT member.

Saeki, who also heads a prefectural mental health and welfare institution, said that emotionally distressed people, if left alone, are likely to develop insomnia or more severe disorders, and encouraged them to seek help from the team members.

Special psychiatric assistance teams counsel Hiroshima landslide victims

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/27/national/special-psychiatric-assistance-teams-counsel-hiroshima-landslide-victims/

HIROSHIMA – The health ministry has dispatched mental health care teams to assist people left homeless by the Hiroshima landslides, making use of a new disaster program for the first time.

Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs), made up of psychiatrists and nurses, were established in April 2013 after the public mental health support system was found insufficient in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Three teams were dispatched to Hiroshima last Friday at the request of the prefectural government, and another team arrived on Monday.

They had conducted counseling for 26 people as of Tuesday and took such measures as prescribing sleeping pills, prefectural officials said.

The DPAT specialists examined evacuees exhibiting symptoms such as rambling or incoherent speech, or anxiety, coordinating closely with local health workers who in the aftermath of the disaster offered medical consultations at all evacuation centers in the area.

Among the disaster victims who had sought help as of Tuesday were those who felt uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment of evacuation centers or who said they could hear the sound of a landslide, generating distress.

Hiroshima officials said they will increase the number of mental health specialists if evacuees are forced to stay in the centers for an extended period and their mental health deteriorates.

“There’s a risk that those who were in good condition immediately after the disaster could become exhausted and mentally distressed,” said Dr. Mayumi Saeki, a DPAT member.

Saeki, who also heads a prefectural mental health and welfare institution, said that emotionally distressed people, if left alone, are likely to develop insomnia or more severe disorders, and encouraged them to seek help from the team members.

Playing For Change Day 2014

On September 20th, 2014, musicians and music lovers will gather on stages, street corners, and schools for a global day of action to bring music into the lives of children and to promote positive social change everywhere. Join the celebration by finding an event near you or creating your own at http://playingforchangeday.org/.

Playing For Change Day 2014

On September 20th, 2014, musicians and music lovers will gather on stages, street corners, and schools for a global day of action to bring music into the lives of children and to promote positive social change everywhere. Join the celebration by finding an event near you or creating your own at http://playingforchangeday.org/.

Playing For Change Day 2014

On September 20th, 2014, musicians and music lovers will gather on stages, street corners, and schools for a global day of action to bring music into the lives of children and to promote positive social change everywhere. Join the celebration by finding an event near you or creating your own at http://playingforchangeday.org/.

Playing For Change Day 2014

On September 20th, 2014, musicians and music lovers will gather on stages, street corners, and schools for a global day of action to bring music into the lives of children and to promote positive social change everywhere. Join the celebration by finding an event near you or creating your own at http://playingforchangeday.org/.