Paradise U Project
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Physical Activity Reduces Anxiety and Depression, Improves the Stress-response and Energizes U
Paradise U was a program created for the survivors of the November 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, which devastated the beautiful mountain town of Paradise, CA. We provided free physical fitness classes for the survivors that stayed in Paradise and quality physical education lessons for displaced students at Paradise Ridge Elementary School.
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The research is clear on the connection between physical activity and improved focus and attention in the classroom. We believe the PARADISE U program helped the children and adults survivors of the Camp Fire cope with the stress, anxiety and depression they faced. They also learned how physical activity can be one of their mental health tools for self-help. See this research study for information on the impact of this program: We’re All in the Same Boat”: The Role of Group Physical Activity in Community (Re) Development Following a Natural Disaster.
how it started
PARADISE U was created in response to the research showing that physical activity can be an effective tool to reduce feelings of Stress, Anxiety and Depression, and increase Energy levels. Here’s a brief explanation based on the work of John Ratey, MD:
- Giving you more ENERGY: Regular physical activity can give you a boost in motivation as it increases and improves the flow of Dopamine in the brain. Elevated levels of endorphins lift your mood. Your muscles get stronger and more effective, and it takes less effort to do your daily chores. Even though you may be tired after a workout, the sum of all the effects of regular exercise is more energy. And better sleep!
- Improving the STRESS-response: Exercise provides a form or stress for the brain that works like a vaccine. Brain cells break down and rebuild similarly to muscles. Stressing the neurons with exercise makes them more resilient. Regular aerobic physical activity raises the trigger point of the brain’s reaction to stress, and allows you to handle it better. It builds proteins that repair the damage of cortisol. Exercise increases blood flow and availability of glucose, and triggers the production of more insulin receptors. It also relaxes the muscles at rest, and that tells the brain your body isn’t stressed, so it can relax too.
- Reducing ANXIETY: Physical activity increases the brains production of Serotonin (which works to inhibit fear), Norepinephrine (which helps regulate arousal), and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (which work at the cellular level to counter the negative responses to stress). Exercise also helps you get used to a rapid heart-rate and increased breathing that often come with an anxiety attack, so you can form a more positive association with the symptoms, improving resilience.
- Reducing DEPRESSION: Regular physical activity adjusts the chemistry of the whole brain to more ideal levels. It elevates endorphins, the feel-good hormones, and balances the neurotransmitters Dopamine, Serotonin and Norepinephrine in a way that is often better for patients than antidepressant medication. It increases the production of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and related growth factors, which makes brain cells stronger and more resilient. And all this with some wonderful side effects, such as improved physical health, elevated mood, and better self-esteem.
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