How physical exercise works to improve mental health

Mental illness and mental health are not the same thing at all.

Everyone has mental health, just like everyone has physical health and as the World Health Organisation (WHO) said: “there is no health without mental health”.

Our mental health, or well-being, means our emotions, thoughts, feelings, ability to solve problems, social connections, etc. We will all, at some point struggle with our mental health (some much more than others), just like we all have challenges with our physical health.

With states of depression and anxiety at their highest recorded levels in countries around the world, can physical exercise contribute to an improvement in your mental health?

Western philosophy has a distinction between mind and body, implying that mental and physical health and separate entities. But, physical exercise directly affects the brain and regular physical exercise increase the volume in certain regions of the brain, improving neuronal health.

People who exercise regularly tend to feel more energetic, sleep better, have sharper memories and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s this ‘feel-good factor’ that motivates them.

Still not convinced, here are five ways physical exercise can improve various aspects of your mental health:

Depression

Exercise is a powerful depression fighter as it leads the body to produce endorphins and encephalins, the body’s natural ‘happy’, feel-good hormones which help us feel brighter and improve our mood and general health. Focusing on exercise can also give our minds a break from current concerns or damaging self-talk that feed depression.

Anxiety

Exercise is a natural anti-anxiety treatment as it relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy and the endorphins enhance your feeling of well-being. If you add a mindfulness element to the exercise and really focus on how your body feels, you’ll improve your physical condition faster and potentially interrupt the constant flow of worry running through your mind.

Stress

Exercise is a great way to break the stress cycle. As well as the ‘feel-good’ factor, exercise helps relax the muscles and relieve tension. As the mind and body are so closely linked, when your body feels better, you will too.

Self-esteem

When exercise becomes a habit, it can increase your sense of self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful. You’ll feel better about all aspects of yourself and by meeting even small exercise goals you’ll feel a great sense of achievement.

Stronger resilience

When faced with any challenges in life, exercise can help you cope in a healthy way, instead of negative ways which ultimately will only make your symptoms worse. Regular exercise also boosts your immune system.

This article was written for a fitness coach