Episode 42: Mental Health and Illness with Victor Brick

One in five adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2020 as reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It’s no wonder that the discussion of mental health and illness has taken off the past two years.

In fact, Victor Brick — the co-founder of Brick Bodies and Planet Fitness Growth — founded the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation to address this very topic. 

In this episode of the Club Solutions Magazine Podcast, editor-in-chief Rachel Zabonick-Chonko chats with Brick about mental health, what he’s learned since founding the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, how gyms can address mental health and illness, and more.

Show Notes from the Conversation on Mental Health and Illness

• How Brick came to found the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation.
• The mission of the foundation is to change mental health treatment.
• Evidence-based research that will be released this spring.
• How they are “putting a dent in the universe.”
• What happens under the right amount of stress, and what happens with too much stress.
• One of the biggest maladies facing Americans is… (7:28).
• “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker and “The Power of When” by Michael Breus are two books Brick recommends.
• A large issue in mental health and illness comes down to the definition of mental health and mental illness.
• This has doubled since COVID-19 (12:25).
• The shift that has happened due to the pandemic in society.
• Two reasons the fitness industry as a whole should be concerned and focused on mental health (18:05).
• Why gyms need to stress well-being over weight loss.
• The Global Wellness Summit did research on why people exercise, and all age groups said the same thing (25:28).
• Mental health certifications have evidence-based research.
• Tips for employee mental health.
• Inflammation is the start in a mental health domino effect.
• If you are going to live to 110, you don’t want to be able to hardly walk.
• Connectivity with staff via a group workout is something Brick does at his gyms.
• The Move Your Mental Health Report is essential.

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