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Positive Impact of Exercise on Mental Health
The activities that you and I take for granted, like deciding when we eat, sleep, work and shower, are activities in a prisoner's life where they have no control.
Being told when they must do those activities has caused inmates to suffer from higher mental and emotional distress than the outside population. Coping mechanism's, including exercise and physical fitness, have been proposed by experts to combat the high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress seen in the prison population. Research proves that providing inmates with access to fitness equipment allows them to "burn off steam", which stimulates a calming effect, making them less likely to be disruptive or cause trouble in a prison setting.
Benefits of Exercise for Inmates
A variety of coping methods are used in a correctional fitness setting to manage the mental health of inmates. These methods can include maintaining regular contact with family members to seeking employment or educational opportunities offered in the facilities. One of the most common coping methods used by inmates is exercise and weightlifting. These coping methods are essential to survival during incarceration as well as the ability to function after release. Cooper and Berwick (2001) noted that 38% of young prisoners and 13% of those serving life sentences listed exercise as their primary coping method. It is reasonable to predict that if exercise equipment is accessible, prison inmates will lower their depression, stress, and anxiety levels.
Many studies have examined the beneficial effects of exercise in the prison population. With regular weight-lifting, inmates have reported a significant decrease in verbal aggression, anger and hostility. Weight-lifting improved levels of confidence and self-concept while teaching inmates to be more social with others.
*This article has been condensed and summarized from Buckaloo, Krug and Nelson’s 2009 academic journal, Exercise and the Low-Security Inmate.
How Outdoor-Fit Can Support Your Staff and Inmates
We are the leader in correctional fitness equipment. Our approach is to manufacture the most durable, and tamperproof equipment giving facilities a solution to tackle inmate mental and physical health. With over 400 installations in federal, state, provincial, and county jails, wardens and jail supervisors trust us to enhance their indoor and outdoor recreation yards with safe, tamperproof product's. Providing inmates with outdoor fitness yards to deal with depression and stress will lead to less angry and violent inmates, creating a safer environment for officers and staff.
Request a quote here, and learn more about our unique, tamperproof, and weatherproof fitness equipment for your correctional fitness yard.