Integrated Wellness: growth in body, strength in mind
Written by Steph Donald, EliteHP / HSIH Communications, in collaboration with
Dr. Adam Hillaby, Founder/Owner of Elite Health & Performance & HSIH.
Revisiting Mental Health week in Canada
“On this World Mental Health Day, I encourage all Canadians to treat their mental health with the same importance they give their physical health.”
October marked Mental Health Week, and this year’s message echoed our mission at
Elite Health & Performance: that mental and physical health are inseparable.
When we move better, rest deeper, and breathe easier, we think clearer and live stronger.
Integrated wellness is more than a trend
— it’s the understanding that the body and mind are deeply connected.
At Elite Health & Performance, we believe wellness isn’t a single treatment — it’s a connected process that bridges how the body moves and how the mind feels. Every adjustment, exercise, and recovery plan contributes to a larger goal: restoring balance, confidence, and clarity from the inside out.
While we don’t replace psychological care, our work complements it — addressing the physical foundations that influence mood, energy, and focus. Through movement, alignment, and collaboration, we help patients build the physical resilience that supports mental well-being — an approach that’s reshaping what integrated care means in Grande Prairie.
This Mental Health Month, Elite Health & Performance explores how movement, recovery, and alignment influence mood, energy, and resilience — and how a connected care approach can help you grow stronger in both body and mind.
If you or someone you know needs mental-health support, call the Alberta Mental Health Help Line:
1-877-303-2642 (toll-free).While we’re not a psychology clinic, our team will always guide you toward trusted mental-health resources in Alberta as we treat the physical drivers that affect mood, sleep, and performance through integrated care.
A Conversation in the clinic during mental Health week: Connection, Recovery, and the Mind-Body LINK.
During Mental Health Week, Dr. Adam Hillaby and our team of practitioners sat down to discuss integrated wellness during Mental Health week: how alignment, movement, and recovery influence mood, energy, and resilience — and how a connected care approach supports both physical and mental health.
“We see it every week, not just during mental health week — when people start moving better and sleeping better, their outlook changes. Their stress tolerance goes up. Their energy improves. The physical unlocks the mental.”
Why integrated wellness matters
Integrated wellness means treating the body and mind as one connected system. When movement improves, sleep deepens, and pain decreases, stress drops too. That’s why our team approaches care as a collaboration. Our multidisciplinary team —chiropractic, physiotherapy, and massage therapy — works collaboratively so you can move freely, recover faster, and feel more like yourself.
In this blog, we’ll explore how chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and custom orthotics each play a role in restoring the mind–body connection. You’ll see how Elite Health & Performance’s integrated approach helps improve movement, reduce pain, and strengthen resilience — not just for athletes, but for anyone seeking balance and long-term wellness.
in this blog you’ll learn:
how integrated health supports mental well-being;
current Canadian statistics; practitioner insight you can relate to;
a data-driven look at the mind–body connection;
7 step action plan;
answers to the wellness questions our Grande Prairie community is asking most
How Integrated Health Supports Mental Well-Being:
When we think about mental health, most people picture therapy or stress management — but physical movement plays just as big a role. At Elite Health & Performance, we see daily how improving movement patterns, reducing pain, and restoring balance directly influence mood, sleep, and focus.
Integrated wellness isn’t just about recovery from injury — it’s about creating a system where the body and mind work in sync. Modern research confirms what practitioners see every day: when people move better, sleep better, and breathe better, their mood, focus, and resilience improve too.
A growing number of studies highlight this connection. A 2022 JAMA Psychiatry meta-analysis reported that adults who engage in regular physical activity have an 18 % lower risk of developing depression than inactive individuals — even with only half the recommended weekly activity. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines — developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) — further show that movement-based rehabilitation reduces anxiety, improves cognitive function, and enhances sleep quality. PHAC’s guidance also emphasizes that regular physical activity is among the most effective non-pharmacological strategies for improving mood and resilience.
Adding to this, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reinforces the link between physical activity and mental wellness. Their reports on self-management of mood and anxiety disorders through exercise and evidence-based recommendations for adults with depression show that regular physical activity is one of the most effective non-pharmacological strategies for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
2022 JAMA Psychiatry meta-analysis → https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35416941/
Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines → https://csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-18-64/
PHAC guidance on movement & mental health → https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/being-active.html
Here’s how our integrated Team strengthens body and mind:
At Elite Health & Performance, the integrated model connects chiropractic care, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and custom orthotics to address both the physical drivers of stress and the mental load they create. Pain, tension, or poor posture don’t just affect joints and muscles — they can sap energy, disrupt sleep, and cloud concentration.
Here’s how each discipline plays a role in restoring balance:
Chiropractic care: improves spinal and nervous system function, easing pain and helping the body shift from a constant “fight-or-flight” response into a state of recovery and repair.
Physiotherapy: rebuilds strength, stability, and confidence in movement — which research shows can directly improve energy, mood, and cognitive performance.
Massage therapy: reduces cortisol levels, relieves tension, and promotes circulation, triggering the body’s relaxation response and enhancing emotional well-being.
Custom orthotics: correct underlying bio-mechanical issues, reducing strain throughout the body and improving posture — which, in turn, supports energy, focus, and comfort during daily activity.
Patients often notice:
Increased clarity and focus
Reduced muscle-related fatigue
Improved sleep quality
Greater motivation and mood stability
When these therapies work together under one roof, patients experience synergy — each treatment amplifies the effects of the others. The result isn’t just physical recovery, but whole-body renewal.
current Canadian statistics; practitioner insight you can relate to.
Across Canada, momentum is growing around the idea that mental and physical health are deeply connected. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) reports that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental-health challenge this year — but those who engage in regular movement and structured rehabilitation experience 35 % fewer symptoms of anxiety and low mood (CMHA 2025).
According to Statistics Canada (2024), Canadians who meet even half of the recommended weekly activity have an 18 % lower risk of depression (JAMA Psychiatry, 2022). In short: moving the body helps calm the mind.
For communities like Grande Prairie, where long winters and high-performance industries can take a toll on both body and mind, this message carries special weight. Clinics that integrate physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, and movement retraining are helping residents bridge that gap — restoring not only range of motion, but confidence, purpose, and drive.
A Data-Driven Look at the Mind–Body Connection.
Modern research continues to show what integrated practitioners experience every day — movement and mental health are deeply connected.
Each study below highlights how physical activity directly supports emotional and cognitive well-being.
Together, these findings reflect what I see at Elite Health & Performance every day:
“It’s a consistent pattern — when movement improves, mood and motivation follow. Our mindset naturally shifts when our bodies aren’t in survival mode. Integrated care doesn’t replace mental health treatment — it complements it, helping patients build physical confidence and emotional resilience. Seeing my patients thrive is incredibly rewarding.”
— Dr. Adam Hillaby
Understanding the science is only the
first step —
now, let’s put it into action.
7 step action plan
7 step action plan
Our chiropractors — Dr. Adam Hillaby, Dr. Lisa Vandekamp, Dr. Tyson Campbell, and Dr. Andrew Sim combine advanced spinal care, soft-tissue therapy, and performance rehabilitation to restore mobility, reduce pain, and support long-term balance.
Our physiotherapist — Dr. Kristy Prystupa, PT, DPT integrates acupuncture, dry needling, McKenzie-informed exercise, and corrective strength to rebuild movement and confidence.
👉 Pre-Book your physiotherapy appointment today.
Next availability: November 3rd.
Our registered massage therapist, Amanda Stennes, supports recovery, circulation, and down-regulation—key factors for better sleep, less tension, and more resilient movement.
Together, our multidisciplinary team treats the whole picture: joints, soft tissue, movement patterns, and recovery habits—so your body and mind can move forward together.
“When alignment and movement improve, people don’t just walk taller — they think clearer. The nervous system, the muscular system, and the mind all speak the same language. Integrated care is how we translate it.”
answers to the wellness questions our Grande Prairie community is asking most.
Is stress or pain really linked to mental health?
Yes. Chronic pain and tension activate the body’s stress response, increasing cortisol and reducing serotonin — the same hormones involved in anxiety and mood disorders — when joints, posture or movement patterns are out of balance, the body can stay in a heightened “stress-response” mode (think fight-or-flight). Over time, this drains energy, disturbs sleep, and increases mental-load.
The fastest momentum often comes from improving mobility and alignment, because that immediately influences sleep and movement capacity — A patient might start with a posture or spinal-nervous system adjustment (chiropractic), then add stability and strength (physiotherapy), followed by recovery support (massage). This layered approach accelerates mental and physical benefits.
At Elite Health & Performance, our integrated model uses chiropractic, physiotherapy and custom orthotics to free movement in the body, which in turn supports mood and focus.
Recent data from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA, 2025) show that Canadians who address physical discomfort through movement-based therapies report 35 % fewer symptoms of anxiety and low mood.
➡ Citation: CMHA Fast FactsHow much movement do I need to notice a mental-health benefit?
You don’t have to train like an athlete to see change. A 2022 JAMA Psychiatry meta-analysis found that adults who engage in even half the recommended weekly activity have an 18 % lower risk of depression.
Canadian research shows strong links between increased physical activity (and reduced screen/sedentary time) and better mental health among youth and adults. (Statistics Canada+1)
At Elite Health & Performance, we see that when patients regain confidence in their movement and reduce tension through massage or rehab, their mental clarity and resilience also rise.
➡ Citation: JAMA Psychiatry, 2022
➡ Citation: Statistics Canada+1Does Alberta have research connecting physical and mental health?
Yes. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC, 2024) and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP, 2024) collaborated on the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines showing that regular movement and balanced rest improve sleep, cognitive function, and emotional resilience.
While exercise and movement are powerful tools, they work best as partners — not replacements — to other mental-health supports. Nationally, about 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental-health concern each year. CAMH
The key is integrating movement, alignment and recovery so that the body supports the mind.
At Elite Health & Performance we provide that connective layer — and when needed, we guide patients toward trusted psychological resources as well.
➡ CSEP Guidelines
➡ PHAC “Being Active”
➡ CAMH
➡ Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642
4. What does “integrated care” mean — and why does it matter?
Integrated care connects chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage, and mental-health collaboration under one plan. By addressing both the
physical drivers of stress (pain, posture, fatigue) and the mental effects (sleep, focus, motivation), patients experience faster, more sustainable recovery.
At Elite Health & Performance, this philosophy is the bridge to our clinic’s next chapter — a place where movement and mindset meet.
5. What’s next for Elite Health & Performance?
Mental Health week consistently shines a light on integrated care and connected wellness
This year marks an evolution — not just for our clinic, but for how we define health itself.
What began as a movement-based practice is expanding into multidisciplinary, integrated health — a space where collaboration between chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and rehabilitation come together under one roof to help our community move, recover, and thrive; creating the foundation for total well-being.
We’re focused on the full picture: how the body, mind, and daily habits connect. It’s not just about recovery from pain or injury, but about alignment, energy, and resilience — helping every patient move, rest, and perform better through coordinated care, growing stronger in body and in mind.
As Mental Health Week reminded Canadians of the importance of connection and balance, we’re preparing to share the next step in our own connected health journey — one that brings together recovery, performance, and prevention in a collaborative environment designed to empower growth in every direction.
Wellness is no longer defined by the absence of pain — it’s measured by connection, clarity, and strength in both body and mind.
Mental Health Week highlighted what our team at Elite Health & Performance has long recognized: when the body moves better, the mind follows. Through collaborative care, we’re helping people across Grande Prairie rediscover energy, balance, and resilience.
Our integrated approach unites chiropractic, physiotherapy, and massage therapy under one philosophy: true progress happens when recovery, performance, and prevention work together. We don’t replace traditional mental health care — we encourage it. Our approach complements mental health therapy by supporting mental clarity, resilience, and the physical systems that help you feel and function your best. By strengthening the body, we reinforce the mind–body connection that completes whole-body wellness.
As we continue to evolve, a new chapter in connected care is taking shape in our city — one built on collaboration, movement, and the belief that strength in the body fuels strength in the mind.
At Elite Health & Performance, integrated wellness doesn’t mean replacing psychological care — it means supporting it. We believe that lasting health comes from collaboration across disciplines, both within and beyond our own walls. Our role is to treat the physical foundations that influence mental well-being — pain, posture, sleep, and recovery — while connecting patients with trusted professionals and community resources that address the mind directly. Together, these connections form a whole-body approach to health that helps our patients move, think, and live with greater balance.
Change is coming — and it’s built to move Grande Prairie forward.