Movember is more than just a month of the year used as an excuse by men to grow a beautiful (sometimes) moustache. It stands for much more. Movember is a movement and a foundation used to create conversation surrounding men’s mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Movember is a platform where anyone can take part in raising donation funds for these causes as well.
This year, they have the option of “Move for Movember”, where the goal is to move 60 km over the course of the month to raise awareness for the 60 men we lose to suicide around the globe each and every hour.
Men’s mental health is no joke, and we at Shift Concussion Management want to take the time to support this initiative highlighting the importance of having a conversation, speaking up, and extending a hand to those who need help.
Some quick concussion and mental health related stats:
- An entire category of symptom presentation from a concussion is dedicated to emotional problems including, but not limited to, irritability, anxiety, depressed mood, mood swings, and apathy or lack of interest
- Individuals with pre-existing mental health problems, or a history of anxiety or depression, are more likely to experience prolonged symptom presentation – not a great combination
- There are theories that with men specifically, sport culture plays a large role in the underreporting of concussions, leading to playing through injuries and a lack of support regarding proper care
We don’t believe it’s a coincidence that Movember is using exercise to promote mental health and bring awareness to staggering suicide rates. Exercise has been shown to be beneficial for all individuals struggling with a mental health illness. It’s also oddly fitting that one of the greatest rehabilitation tools we have from concussion is the use of aerobic exercise. While this doesn’t mean moving 60 km in one month – getting outside and walking for a consistent 20 minutes is a great start to not only concussion recovery, but also better overall health.
Our Kinesiologist, Shift Instructor, and Functional Rehabilitation Lead, Joe or commonly referred to as autonomic afficionado… is participating in “Move for Movember” and is also giving his best attempt at growing a Mo for a Bro. If you’re at all interested in learning more about the cause, donating, or just need someone to talk to – reach out and we’d be happy to keep the conversation going!
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