There are many different ways to move your body, each with their own particular benefit to your physical health. There are ways to focus on building strength, increasing muscle size, cardiovascular fitness and endurance, explosive power, reaction speed, coordination… and there are two thing that unite all of these various ways of training.

Firstly, the physical health benefits. No matter what your preferred method of training, there are scientifically proven benefits to your physical health and wellbeing. Physical exercise is the most effective way to combat both the symptoms and onset of what are commonly called “lifestyle diseases” - type II diabetes, heart disease, strokes, obesity. In fact, just 30 minutes of walking a day far outweighs the benefits of medically prescribed medications. Also, strength training specifically is the one and only way to increase bone mineral density, which prevents conditions like osteoporosis.

These benefits are well known, and research on the topic is widely available. But let’s be honest - most people who are solely motivated by this information come to exercise when the threat of these conditions is already quite heightened. Put simple, we need some other reason to move our bodies. We need to find a reason within ourselves to maintain our physical practice, an intrinsic motivation that is associated with a feeling.

That’s where the second common thread comes in. All training methods - so long as they are practiced with some kind of intensity and regularity - have an absolutely remarkable effect on our mental health. According to the Black Dog Institute, regular exercise has been shown to outperform anti-depressants as treatment for mild-moderate depression. Check out this brief fact sheet for some more info: https://blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/default-source/factsheets/exercise_depression.pdf . There is even research around regular exercise decreasing positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Whether or not we have a diagnosed and/or medicated mental health condition, all people can get into a rut, or a funk, from time to time. It’s a simple function of conscious mind in a world that provides no indication of which path to follow, no assurance as to whether we are “good” and “right”, and no indication of our value as a human being. Less existentially, sometimes bad things happen to us or those around us, and dealing with and/or recovering from those occurrences can be very difficult. Artists, especially, can face turbulent emotional lives, which leads to instability in mood, and feelings of anxiety and depression. A regular movement practice not only equips us with the ability to structure our week around something enjoyable and beneficial, but it allows us to more easily cope with the adverse mental health effects of the unpredictable lifestyle that an artist leads. By overcoming obstacles or completing difficult tasks (workouts), we gain a sense of capability, of strength, a desire to persist and improve, and reminds us of our ability to overcome. Having at least part of this movement practice be in a group setting helps to combat the feeling of isolation that can often accompany both the artists’ life, and any mental health struggles.

ANAHATA aims to provide group exercise in a positivity-fuelled atmosphere, based around connection and enjoyment as well as physical challenge. We hope that we can provide a positive experience of exercise for artists, and to propel them into a regular exercise practice.