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Exercise as a Lynchpin for Wellness
This presentation will be an ONLINE VIRTUAL LIVE on February 11, 2026, from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET. While this activity is LIVE and can only be viewed during the time specified, the evaluation will be available online until March 11, 2026. Go to the Overview tab to learn how to participate for continuing education credit, watch the broadcast and download the slides.
The views and opinions expressed by this presenter in this lecture are their own, and do not represent the views of Sheppard Pratt.
Exercise is the lynchpin of wellness because it simultaneously influences the core systems that sustain mental health: sleep, stress regulation, mood, cognition, and human connection. Rather than acting on symptoms in isolation, exercise improves the overall physiological and psychological environment in which mental health is expressed. When wellness improves, mental health follows.
From a neurobiological perspective, exercise enhances mood and attention by increasing dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, while elevating BDNF to support learning, adaptability, and stress resilience. It also calms threat circuitry by reducing amygdala reactivity and baseline anxiety. These changes create a brain state that is more emotionally regulated, flexible, and responsive to treatment.
Exercise further supports wellness by strengthening social connection and agency. Shared movement—such as walking, team sports, or group classes—reduces social vigilance and fosters trust and belonging, with oxytocin playing a contributory role. At the same time, physical mastery builds self-efficacy and counters helplessness. In this way, exercise does more than improve fitness; it integrates the systems of wellness that make durable mental health possible.
Target Audience
This activity is intended for physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, attendees will be able to:
- Describe exercise as an intervention that supports mental health across diagnoses
- Explain how exercise improves sleep, diet behavior, learning, and mood regulation
- Apply exercise principles to strengthen stress tolerance and overall mental health outcomes
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Price: Free. All courses offered through Sheppard Pratt are free of charge. There is no need to cancel if you cannot attend or complete a course, as no refund is necessary. Not completing an activity acts as a cancellation.
For more information on how to participate in this course, please read to the bottom of the page to review all of the directions.
For directions on how to participate in the program, refer to the FAQ page.
To participate in the interactive synchronous distance learning format course, you will download the handout, watch a webcast of the live broadcast hosted through Notified, and complete the required pretest, posttest, evaluation, and attestation for credit. Once you have completed all the components of the Course Progress bar, the certificate will be available for immediate download. The certificate will also be saved in your account transcript.
Outline of Activity:
12:00- 12:05 pm: Introduction
12:06- 12:50 pm: Presentation
12:51- 1:00 pm: Q&A
1:00 pm: End of event
Registration closes on February 181 2026, at 11:59 am ET. The course expires and cannot be completed after March 11, 2026.
Please contact [email protected] if you have questions, concerns, grievances, or for ADA accommodations.
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TO EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE
1. Before the Event
- Log in to Your Ethos Account:
Access your Sheppard Pratt Ethos account and locate the activity by series, title, or speaker name. - Register for the Course:
Go to the Register tab, click the green Take Course button, and follow the prompts. - Complete the required Pretest.
Note: You cannot proceed beyond this point until your attendance is confirmed by entering the codeword. - Access the Broadcast Link:
The live broadcast link is located on the Overview tab of the course page. You do not need the codeword to watch the broadcast.
2. Register to Watch the Live Broadcast (Separate from Course Registration)
Important: This registration is different from registering for the course in Ethos. You must complete both registrations to watch the broadcast and earn credit.
How to Register:
- Click the Broadcast Registration Link (also located in the Overview tab): https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=20B68DD0-7E0C-4EB0-A6B4-70441120697B
- Enter your first name, last name, and email address. Click Submit.
How to Join:
- At the scheduled time use the same link.
- If you have already registered, scroll down and click Already Registered, then enter your registered email address and click Submit.
- The broadcast link will be active at 11:30 AM.
3. Download the Handout
- The handout will be available for download on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET.
Download Handout:
4. During the Event
- Attendance Verification:
A codeword will be announced during the live broadcast. This codeword confirms your attendance and unlocks the remaining required components for credit. - How to Submit the Codeword:
- Via Website: Go to https://cme.sheppardpratt.org/code and enter the codeword.
- Via SMS: Text the codeword to 410-291-8061.
Tip: Save this number in your contacts for convenience. - Via Course Progress Bar: You can type in the codeword in the box where it asks for it after you complete the Pretest.
Important:
The codeword submission window remains open for nearly four weeks. High traffic may cause delays immediately after the event. If the system is slow, wait and try again later.
5. After the Lecture
- Go to My Account > Pending Courses and select the course by clicking the course title.
- Click Take Course and use the navigation buttons in the lower right corner for best results.
- Complete all components in the Course Progress Bar:
- Posttest
- Evaluation
- Credit designation
- Once completed, the certificate will be available for immediate download. Your transcript will reflect the earned credits.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page or email [email protected].
Sheppard Pratt’s Professional Education Program is pleased to provide Wednesdays at Sheppard Pratt free of charge as a public service to the mental health community. Your tax-deductible donations will help maintain the outstanding quality of this service.
Sheppard Pratt is dedicated to improving quality of life through mental health, special education, and addiction services for children, adolescents, adults and older adults. Our patient-centered treatment approach, combined with our legacy of clinical excellence, sets us apart from other health systems on both a local and national level. We have been ranked among the nation’s top psychiatric hospitals for 24 consecutive years by U. S. News & World Report. Founded in 1853 by philanthropist Moses Sheppard, Sheppard Pratt Health System still abides by its Quaker traditions and values.
Sheppard Pratt regularly hosts renowned speakers from across the country at our headquarters in Towson. We provide educational opportunities on subjects including psychiatric disorders, issues of behavioral health, systems-based change, mental and somatic co-morbidities, psychiatric effects on health and health outcomes, advances in neurobiology, and clinical developments in concepts underlying drug treatment of psychiatric disorders. We are accredited by the Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education, the Maryland Nurses’ Association, the Maryland Board of Psychology, the Maryland Board of Social Work, and the National Board of Certified Counselors.
Please send your contributions to:
Sheppard Pratt Professional Education Program
Wednesdays Lecture Fund
6501 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
Professional Education Program: 410.938.4593
Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt: 410.938.3900
There is no commercial support for this activity.
About the speaker
John J. Ratey MD, is an associate clinical professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry. He has published over 60 peer reviewed articles and 11 books, including the groundbreaking ADHD “Driven to Distraction” series, and “Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.” Honored by the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society for Advancing the Profession, Ratey lectures around the world in additional to maintaining a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Los Angeles, California. He enjoys running, weight training and hiking with his wife.
Disclosure Statements
Sheppard Pratt holds the standard that its continuing medical education programs should be free of commercial bias and conflict of interest. In accord with Sheppard Pratt's Disclosure Policy, as well as standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Medical Association (AMA), all planners, reviewers, speakers and persons in control of content have been asked to disclose any relationship he /she has with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. All planners, reviewers and speakers have also been asked to disclose any payments accepted for this lecture from any entity besides Sheppard Pratt, and if there will be discussion of any products, services or off-label uses of product(s) during this presentation.
John J. Ratey MD, reports that he has no relationships with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. He will not discuss any products, services, or off-label uses in this presentation. All relationships have been mitigated through review.
Event Planners/Reviewers Disclosures: The following event planners and/or reviewers are reported as having no financial interest, arrangement or affiliation with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months: Todd Peters, MD, Michael C. Hann, MD, MBA, Ronald Means, MD, Rajeev Krishna, MD, PhD, MBA, Louis Marino, MD, Devi Bhuyan, PsyD, Manan Shah, MD, Vittoria DeLucia, MD, Chad J. Lennon, MD, Faith Dickerson, PhD, MPH, Carrie Etheridge, LCSW-C, Tom Flis, MS, BCBA, LBA, LCPC, Paula Bostwick, MSN, RN, CENP, Alfredo Sagisi, DNP, MS, RN, FACHE, Maggie O'Neill MSN, RN, PMH-BC, Lisa Illum, MLIS, MEd, and Jennifer Tornabene.
Physician Statement: Sheppard Pratt is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity. Sheppard Pratt designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurse Statement: Sheppard Pratt is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Maryland Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity. This activity provides 1.0 contact hours for nurses.
Psychologist Statement: Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a sponsor of continuing education. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity. Sheppard Pratt designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hours for Psychologists.
Social Worker Statement: Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners of Maryland to offer continuing education for Social Workers. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity. This activity is approved for 1.0 contact hours in Category I credits for Social Workers.
Counselor Statement: Sheppard Pratt has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5098. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Sheppard Pratt is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This activity is available for 1.0 NBCC clock hours.
Available Credit
- 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 1.00 Category I credits for Social Workers
- 1.00 Psychologists
- 1.00 MNA Contact Hours for Nurses
- 1.00 Participation
Directions to attend and complete the activity for credit are located on the Overview tab.
Click the Take Course button to proceed into the course to complete the requirements for credit.
Required Hardware/software
Optimal System Configuration
Flash Player: Adobe Flash Player 10.1+
Browser: Firefox 3+, Internet Explorer 8.0+, Safari 4.0+, or Google Chrome 7.0+
Operating System: Windows XP+ or Mac OS X 10.4+
Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements
Windows PC: 500-MHz Pentium II; Windows XP or higher; 128 MB RAM; Video Card at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card at least 16-bit; Macromedia Flash Player 10 or higher, audio playback with speakers for programs with video content; Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 7.0+, Safari 1.0+, Google Chrome, or Opera
Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher with latest updates installed; 1.83MHz Intel Core Duo or faster; RAM: 128MB or more; Video Card: at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card: at least 16-bit
Hardware/Software Specifications
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using Internet Explorer 8+, Mozilla Firefox 3+, Safari 4+. This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.