A NH business discusses antidotes for pandemic stress, anxiety, burnout, depression
Updated: 7:11 AM EDT May 30, 2021
>> WELCOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE’S BUSINESS, I’M FRED KOCHER. A NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS HAS AN ANTIDOTE FOR PANDEMIC STRESS, ANXIETY, BURNOUT AND EVEN DEPRESSION. I’LL GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT. FIRST, ADULTS REPORTING SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY DISORDER OR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2019 COMPARED TO THAT NUMBER IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2021 IS DRAMATIC. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS 115% INCREASE IN SUCH SYMPTOMS. BY JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. NOW, HERE IS THAT SAME DATA BREA — BROKEN DOWN BY AGE. YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE HAVING MORE SYMPTOMSMENT THE YOUNGER ADULTS ON THE LEFT, THE OLDER ADULTS ON THE RIGHT. HERE IS A QUOTE FROM JOHNS HOPKINS NEURO SURGEON DAV L LI LINDEN, HE SAYS EXERCISE IS IN THE BRAIN’S EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STRESS. >> THE COACH AND OWNER OF A WELL-KNOWN RUNNING STORE IN BEDFORD, MILLENNIAL RUNNING AND PROMOTES HEALTHY LIFE STYLE WITH ROAD RACES THROUGH NEW HAMPSHIRE WITH THOUSANDS OF RUNNERS. WELCOME, JOHN. >> IT’S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE IT. >> NICE TO HAVE YOU. THERE’S PROBABLY BEEN NEVER, IN YOUR LIFETIME OR MINE, A SITUATION TO CHALLENGE A HEALTHY LIFE STYLE MORE THAN A PANDEMIC. YOU WERE PRODUCING WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS 130 RUNNING EVENT ANNUALLY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STARTED. WHAT DID YOU DO TO ADAPT TO THE PANDEMIC WITH THESE EVENTS? >> OH, MY GOSH. GET TOGETHER WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO RUN IN A PACK AT A MAJOR ROAD RACE WAS THE LAST THING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING A PANDEMIC. SO, OUR COMPANY, MILLENNIA RUNNING HAD TO PIVOT, VIRTUAL AT HOME, TO GET PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND EXERCISE. I THINK IF YOU LOOK BACK IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND ACROSS THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE YOU HAD PEOPLE WALKING AND JOGGING AND BIKING IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AND CERTAINLY ACROSS NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE ADAPTED TO THAT WITH SOME VIRTUAL CATEGORIES AND THEN WE STARTED PRODUCING IN-PERSON EVENTS WITH A DIFFERENT FORMAT ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO. >> SMALLER CROWDS? >> SMALLER CROWDS, SOCIALLY DISTANT. WE STARTED ADAPTING TO ALL THE VERY SMART, SOCIALLY DISTANCED ACTIVITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO DO IT SAFELY. >> WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN YOUR RUNNING CAREER, THAT SUPPORTS THE COUNT. EXERCISE BLUNT THE BRAIN’S RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. >> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS, WE TALK ABOUT PHYSICAL HEALTH AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, GOING FROM A LITTLE KID, YOU THINK ABOUT HEART HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH, BEING STRONG, BUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS IS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL AND I TRULY BELIEVE AS AN ATHLETE AND A COACH AND AS A BUSINESS OWNER, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ARE TIED SO CLOSE TOGETHER AND IT REALLY MANIFESTS ITSELF IN EXERCISE. >> AND OF COURSE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN ATHLETE TO RUN. YOU CAN — I RUN WHEN I HAVE THE CHANCE. I WALK FIRST AND THEN I RUN, BUT I RUN SLOWLY. >> YOU KNOW, I’D SAY 50% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WALK IN OUR RETAIL STORE HERE IN BEDFORD SAY I’M NOT A RUNNER, I’M COMING TO GET WALKING SHOES. IT DOESN’T MATTER. IF YOU PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER FAST OR SLOW, I THINK YOU’RE EXERCISING. >> AND YOU HAVE THE RUNNING RETAIL STORE AT 101, AND WE SHOWED THE SHOES BEHIND YOU AND YOU GIVE NUTRITION INFORMATION, SO THANKS, JOHN. AND IF YOU MISSED PART OF THIS INTERVIEW AND SOME GOOD ADVICE, ACTUALLY, FROM JOHN. YOU CAN GO TO WMUR.COM, AND YOU
A NH business discusses antidotes for pandemic stress, anxiety, burnout, depression
Updated: 7:11 AM EDT May 30, 2021
Fred Kocher sits down with John Mortimer, owner of Millennium Running, to discuss how exercise can positively impact stress, anxiety, burnout. and depression.
Fred Kocher sits down with John Mortimer, owner of Millennium Running, to discuss how exercise can positively impact stress, anxiety, burnout. and depression.