Planet Fitness partners with Solvista health to raise funds for local mental health services

Planet Fitness Canon City recognized May Is Mental Health Month with the Mileage for Mental Health program to raise funds for Solvista Health. Gym members, and also non-members on May 9 and 26, logged mileage on the treadmills and Planet Fitness based their donation on the total mileage. Carla Jamieson, owner of Planet Fitness Canon City, said that her staff members have been touched personally by mental health issues.

“We appreciate the work Solvista Health does in our region, and hope Mileage for Mental Health helps open up the discussion around mental health in our community,” said Jamieson.

According to a study which appeared in the Lancet Psychiatry medical journal, among people who exercise, the number of poor mental health days decreases by 40 percent. The article also suggests that exercise may change the way the brain functions, which could account for the decrease in depression or anxiety.

The local staff presented the check to Solvista Health on May 31.

“Exercise plays such an important role in good mental health, so we were thrilled to partner with Planet Fitness for Mileage for Mental Health,” said Gwen Ferguson, Solvista Health public information coordinator. “The program is a positive way to bring awareness to mental health and get people moving.”