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Published on October 13, 2016

Tracking Exercise for Your Mental Health

Mental health blog

Meet a friend, go to a gathering, or just head out to the supermarket and you will likely see people wearing all sorts of fitness monitors on their wrist. Most tell you how many steps you have taken, and others tell you your heart rate and how well you slept the previous night. Some can even measure your stress levels! You can track your exercise with a variety of fitness trackers, or record your exercise and sleep with a personal journal and pedometer.

Evidence shows that regular exercise is beneficial to mental health. And, we all know how lack of sleep can affect our mood. Tracking your fitness and sleep can help you stay on course. A fitness tracker, personal journal or pedometer will tell you how much you are moving and sleeping.

The accountability factor may help keep you going. If you exercise regularly, go to bed early and get a good night's sleep, you'll be rewarded by good numbers on your smartphone, in your journal, or on your pedometer. Give it a try; regular exercise and healthy sleep is certainly tied to happy moods. If your moods concern you, take our free and confidential online screening.

dave miers

About Dr. Dave Miers

Dave Miers, PhD, is the counseling and program development manager for mental health services at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb.

He helped establish the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition in 1999 and chaired/co-chaired this Coalition until 2017. He currently serves on the Board of Directors. Dr. Miers is a member of the leadership group for the Lincoln/Lancaster County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Dr. Miers has published research and co-authored a chapter in the Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Suicide Research focusing on family survivors of a child suicide. Dr. Miers helped develop the Lincoln Lancaster Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) team in Lincoln, Neb. He also helped develop other LOSS teams in Nebraska and is active with LOSS team development on a national level.

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