Sep 17, 20232 min read

The Link Between Exercise & Mental Health

I am a firm believer that implementing positive fitness changes will only be successful if the physical and mental well being are taken into account. We know the physical benefits of exercise; reduces risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, strengthens bones and muscles, increases energy and more.

What about the general mental health benefits of exercise as well as the effect of exercise on those with anxiety and depression. People who exercise regularly have been shown to have better mental health and emotional wellbeing and lower rates of mental illness.

Exercise is regularly recommended as a way to treat or cope with depression (mild to moderate) as well as anxiety.

General Mental Health Benefits of Exercise Include:

Improved sleep
Boosted self confidence and self esteem
Increased energy levels
Opportunities to socialize and get social support

So, What is the Science Behind These Benefits?

When you’re exercising your levels of serotonin, stress hormones and endorphins change. When the heart rate is increased it stimulates production of hormones like norepinephrine, which improves your cognition and mood. Exercise forces the body to communicate with multiple systems (namely the nervous system) within to improve your ability to respond to stress and reduces inflammation which can help improve overall brain health.

Exercise triggers the release of a molecule that is key in encouraging growth of new brain cells, as well as endocannabinoids, which are important for changing the connection between brain cells.

Recommendations

The general recommendation is that you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise and at least 2 days of muscle strengthening activity per week. That comes out to about 20 minutes a day of any activity that increases your your heart rate and two days of body weight exercises or lifting weights.

Creating the habit of exercise can be helpful in altering thought patterns due to it offering clear and measurable progress.

It’s important that you choose activities that you can mentally get involved in. Activities that you enjoy doing, that you don’t dread doing each time. You can change up the activities you choose, you don't have to do the same thing over and over. I encourage you to check you my post on Joyful Movement.

Measuring mental health benefits when it comes to anxiety and depression can be difficult as the severity of them exist on a scale, as does exercise. Exercise is a helpful add on to taking care of our emotional wellbeing, but it is not a cure all.