Movement, Exercise, and Mood
Many studies show that exercise can be helpful in boosting mood, often times due to the endorphins released by the body. In addition, exercise is healthy for your body, whether you enjoy walking, yoga, or active HIIT (high-intensity interval) training.
Photo by Rishikesh Yogpeeth on Unsplash
- UConn Rec On Demand ClassesFree workout videos that you can do on your own from UConn Recreation!
- UConn Recreation CenterUConn Rec website features information about facilities, programming, activities, and more!
- The Exercise Effect by the APAArticle by the APA on the benefits of exercise for mental health
Getting Outside into Nature
Sometimes just getting outside to breathe some fresh air, or going for a short walk can help to reset your mind and body. UConn Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cindi Jones, has created a website where she inventoried quiet places on campus and compiled maps of all of the hiking/walking trails in Mansfield (Town of Mansfield, Joshua's Trust, UConn Forest, and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association). See the link below called Nature Rx.
- Nature Rx Initiative at UConnPlaces to get outside near UConn
Nature Swagger: Stories and Vision of Black Joy in the Outdoors by ISBN: 1797214292Publication Date: 2022-11-01An exquisite combination of beautiful photography and compelling stories, this book from Outdoor Afro founder, Rue Mapp, celebrates Black joy in nature. Filled with breathtaking photography, inspiring stories, profiles, and spotlights from Outdoor Afro group members, prominent Black leaders in outdoor spaces, and other organizations, this book inspires Black communities to reclaim their place in the natural world. Interspersed throughout are essays from Mapp on the rich history of Black involvement in the outdoors, activism, and conservation, as well as resources for readers who want to deepen their own connection with the elements. A perfect blend of gorgeous photographs, awe-inspiring stories, and Black history, this collection is the perfect gift for anyone looking to heal in these sacred natural spaces.
Better Birding: tips, tools, and concepts for the field by ISBN: 9781400874163Publication Date: 2015-12-08How to go from a beginner to an expert birder Better Birding reveals the techniques expert birders use to identify a wide array of bird species in the field--quickly and easily. Featuring hundreds of stunning photos and composite plates throughout, this book simplifies identification by organizing the birds you see into groupings and offering strategies specifically tailored to each group.
Fat Girls Hiking: An Inclusive Guide to Getting Outdoors at Any Size or Ability by ISBN: 9781643261195Publication Date: 2022-03-29 Timber PressFrom the founder of the Fat Girls Hiking community comes an inclusive, inspiring call to the outdoors for people of all body types, sizes, and backgrounds. In a book brimming with heartfelt stories, practical advice, personal profiles of Fat Girls Hiking community members, and helpful trail reviews, Summer Michaud-Skog creates space for marginalized bodies with an insistent conviction that outdoor recreation should welcome everyone. Whether you're an experienced or aspiring hiker, you'll be empowered to hit the trails and find yourself in nature.
Nature Inside: Potted Plants and the UConn Botanical Conservatory
Sometimes you can't enjoy nature outside. Instead, you can enjoy a small succulent plant in your dorm room or you can take a walk in the UConn Botanical Conservatory in Storrs. In Spring 2023, the Wellness Library hosted a tour of the conservatory led by director, Professor Emeritus Cindi Jones.
Digital Library Books on Movement & Exercise
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi by ISBN: 9780834828483Publication Date: 2013-04-09A longtime teacher and Harvard researcher presents the latest science on the benefits of T'ai Chi as well as a practical daily program for practitioners of all ages
Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance by ISBN: 1523505214Publication Date: 2021-06-22Jessamyn Stanley's first book, Every Body Yoga, with 59,000 copies in print, taught us how to do yoga. Now, in Yoke, she tells us why. Writing about what she calls the yoga of the everyday - which is not just about poses but about applying the hard lessons we learn on the mat to the even harder daily project of living -Yoke presents a series of deeply honest, funny, gritty, thoughtful, and largely autobiographical essays that explores the issues of race, self-love, capitalism, sex and sexuality, cannabis, and more. Drawing its name from a literal translation of the Sanskrit root "yuj," from which the word "yoga" derives, Yoke, invites every reader to find their own authentic "yoga of the everyday," and learn to handle life's toughest moments with the same flexibility, strength, grounding energy, and core awareness found in a headstand or Tadasana or cobra pose.
Every Body Yoga by ISBN: 9780761193111Publication Date: 2017-04-04From the unforgettable teacher Jessamyn Stanley comes Every Body Yoga, a book that breaks all the stereotypes. It's a book for readers already doing yoga, looking to refresh their practice or find new ways to stay motivated. It's a how-to book: Here are easy-to-follow directions to 50 basic yoga poses and 10 sequences to practice at home, all photographed in full color. It's a book that challenges the larger issues of body acceptance and the meaning of beauty. Most of all, it's a book that changes the paradigm, showing us that yoga isn't about how one looks, but how one feels.
Mind and Body: Mental exercises for physical wellbeing; physical exercises for mental wellbeing. by ISBN: 1912891468Publication Date: 2021-11-02A practical and playful guide to balancing and maintaining physical and mental harmony.
Exercise for Mood and Anxiety by ISBN: 9780199791002Publication Date: 2011-07-28Exercise has long been touted anecdotally as an effective tool to raise spirits or reduce tension, but only recently has rigorous science caught up with these claims. Now there is overwhelming evidence that regular exercise can help relieve everything from common feelings of stress and anxietyto full-blown depression.With Exercise for Mood and Anxiety, well-known authorities Michael Otto and Jasper Smits bring their clinically tested exercise program to the general public. Written for those who need a more effective way to manage everyday low mood and stress - as well as those diagnosed with more serious mooddisorders - this book provides readers with step-by-step guidance on how to start and maintain an exercise program geared towards improving mood.
Weight Training for Dummies by ISBN: 9781118940747Publication Date: 2014-12-31Weight Training For Dummies makes it easy to get started with weight training by offering trusted and straightforward guidance on the latest circuit and resistance training, and all-new information on the highly popular bodyweight and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Whether you're working with dumbbells, free weight sets, or machines, you'll find out how to combine weight training with other exercise to properly strength train and get in the best shape of your life.
Activity for Mental Health by ISBN: 0128209569Publication Date: 2020-01-09Activity For Mental Health explores all activities, including physical, social, natural, cognitive, art/hobby and music as a means to both preventing and treating mental illness. This book not only reviews evidence-based research behind activity, but also explores how these forms of activity can treat mental illnesses.
High Intensity Interval Training by ISBN: 9781615647477Publication Date: 2015-07-07Are you looking to burn fat and get lean and strong, and do it all in less time? HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, involves workouts with short bursts of high-intensity, heart-pumping exercise followed by short periods of rest. This dynamic, fat-burning training strategy has been proven to strengthen the whole body and improve cardiovascular health, and the workouts take less time compared to traditional training methods. From the official trainer to the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders comes Idiot's Guides: High-Intensity Interval Training, a comprehensive guide to HIIT, featuring beautiful, full-color photos and detailed step-by-step instructions.
15 Minute Gentle Yoga by ISBN: 9780756629267Publication Date: 2007-12-03No time to exercise? No problem! This 15-minute fitness guide gives you all the tools you need to squeeze regular exercise into your busy life.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi and Qigong Illustrated, Fourth Edition by ISBN: 9781615642106Publication Date: 2012-10-02Heal yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually with the ultimate guide to T'ai Chi and QiGong for beginners! T'ai Chi -- a martial art used for health, meditation, and self-defense -- and QiGong -- a large variety of physical and mental training methods based on Chinese philosophy -- are widely recognized to heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. T'ai Chi has demonstrated its health benefits by being linked with everything from slowing the aging process and increasing balance and flexibility to lowering stress levels.
High-Intensity Interval Training for Women by ISBN: 9781465435354Publication Date: 2015-01-06Burn fat, lose weight, and reach your fitness goals faster with high-intensity interval training! High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a fantastic way to lose weight and get strong by performing very short bursts of targeted exercise. The beauty of HIIT is that it works fast and the workouts are very short -- which means you don't have to dedicate a lot of time to working out, but you'll still get great results. High-Intensity Interval Training for Women is a step-by-step, highly visual guide packed with exercises, workouts, and multi-day programs all tailored to help you reach your fitness goals, and help you do it in the time you have.
Yoga by ISBN: 9781615644209Publication Date: 2013-11-05For a person who has never attempted yoga before, it can seem downright daunting. Not anymore! No one is watching, so now is the perfect time to begin your at-home yoga practice. With full-color, step-by-step illustrations for the absolute beginner, The Idiot's Guide to Yoga teaches dozens of basic yoga poses.
Diabetes and Keeping Fit for Dummies by ISBN: 111936325XPublication Date: 2018-01-05The fitness guide no person with diabetes should be without Nearly one in 11 people in the United States are affected by diabetes, a staggering number with both personal and social costs. If you're one of these millions of people with diabetes or prediabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends two types of physical activity as primary components of your self-care: aerobic exercise and strength training. Featuring everything from a starter walking plan to strength and resistance training plans, Diabetes & Keeping Fit For Dummies offers all the guidance and step-by-step instruction you need to make exercise a priority in your diabetes management.
YouTube Exercise Videos
Yoga with Adriene
Pop Studio Fitness free 30 min dance party workout with LA choreographer Ryan Heffington, owner of the Sweat Spot dance studio:
Library Exercise Video Access
- Yoga for the Rest of Us byPublication Date: 2014Video Access through Alexander Street Press Database
You will find the most recent free exercise videos on social media platforms like Instagram, but the library does have several older exercise videos which are a part of our existing academic video platform subscriptions.
Physical Library Books
The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage by Call Number: on orderISBN: 9780525534105Publication Date: 2019-12-31Through her trademark blend of science and storytelling, McGonigal draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, as well as memoirs, ethnographies, and philosophers. She illustrates her findings with stories of people who have found fulfilment through movement the globe over, from Tanzania to London and beyond. The result is a revolutionary narrative complete with guidance on how readers can harness the power of movement in their own lives and communities.
The Secret to Superhuman Strength by ISBN: 9780544387652Publication Date: 2021-05-04From the author of Fun Home, a profoundly affecting graphic memoir of Bechdel's lifelong love affair with exercise, set against a hilarious chronicle of fitness fads in our times
Pilates for Hip and Knee Syndromes and Arthroplasties by ISBN: 9780736092241Publication Date: 2011-05-24As hip and knee conditions continue to become more prevalent, so does the demand for a rapid and complete return to function in these lower-extremity joints. Pilates for Hip and Knee Syndromes and Arthroplasties provides foundational guidelines and protocols--with specific modifications--for the use of Pilates in increasing core strength, balance, and flexibility and restoring function and range of motion with pre- and postoperative knee and hip syndromes and arthroplasties.
