Dunn’s ideas to incorporate physical training into treatment plans for veterans is supported by science. Research shows that exercise is proven to be an effective antidepressant. There was a review examining the methods for assessing depression, current treatment approaches, and evaluating the evidence that exercise is an effective treatment option for patients published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health Journal. This review concluded; “Exercise appears to be an effective treatment for depression, improving depressive symptoms to a comparable extent as pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Observational studies suggest that active people are less likely to be depressed, and interventional studies suggest that exercise is beneficial in reducing depression. It appears that even modest levels of exercise are associated with improvements in depression, and while most studies to date have focused on aerobic exercise, several studies also have found evidence that resistance training also may be effective. While the optimal “dose” of exercise is unknown, clearly any exercise is better than no exercise. Getting patients to initiate exercise ---and sustain it – is critical.” This is only one of many examples where exercise has been recommended for use as an antidepressant. With the positive effects of exercise being comparable to using pharmaceuticals, without having the harmful side effects that come from synthetic drugs, Dunn says it’s “a no brainer to accept” it as an underutilized tool to help veterans struggling with mental disorders. Although most of the research suggests physical exercise in general, Dunn wants to focus on running and believes it can be specifically beneficial for veterans. “We were forced to run to go to war. We should be forced to run to find some peace in our heads. It worked for me.” One thing is certain, our country does need to take better care of our nation’s soldiers when they return home. I strongly believe in the benefits of cannabis to help with PTSD, mental disorders, and other injuries, and I also believe in the benefits of exercise for mood stabilization and overall fitness. This makes me a big supporter for Dunn’s idea to incorporate both cannabis and running, into VA treatment plans. You can join Jerry Dunn, America’s Marathon Man, in his efforts to change the system at his soon to be produced, all veteran marathon on the 4th of July in 2020. It will take place in Hot Springs, SD at the site of one of the only two 5-Star VA hospitals in the U.S.
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