I know, I know, macramé may be a fabulous mindful activity, but it’s not physical exercise. However, I want this space to be abundant with information about how to reduce your stress and improve your mental health. And regular exercise is an integral part of staying healthy mentally. (Anyway, we can always make cute macramé accessories to use when we work out, right?)
Until I had kids, exercise was somewhat of a rolling wave in my life. Some years I enjoyed gymnastics, dancing, or going to gym classes, but then there were times when I wouldn’t even walk the 3 blocks to work. After having my daughter, in the first 9 months postpartum I just didn’t feel quite right. I was on the steep learning curve of motherhood. I kept up my friendships and walked our dog most days, but the saggy-tummy from my pregnancy and birth still remained and I had this feeling that I wasn’t quite myself.
Luckily for me at this stage we moved back to Perth and (as scared as I was to do this) I joined my friends’ gym. Her gym was specifically for women; many of whom were mothers. After only a couple of weeks, or maybe months (can anyone really remember those first few years of motherhood clearly?), I had a new group of supportive friends, my tummy was looking more toned than it had been in years, and I was in a routine of getting up and going to the gym most mornings.
It was at this point in my life that I realised the true benefits of exercise on mental health.
What is physical activity and exercise?
Physical activity is the broad term used for any movement that requires energy and is carried out by the muscles. Physical activity can be grouped into different categories, including household, occupational, sports, conditioning, and other activities.
Exercise is a subset of physical activity that involves more intentional, structured, and repetitive movement with the goal of improving or maintaining physical fitness. Think of regular physical activities like walking the dog on a daily basis, attending gym classes a few times a week, or playing football on the weekends.
How much physical activity is recommended?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “adults aged 18-64 years
- should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity;
- or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week
- should also do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.
- may increase moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes; or do more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for additional health benefits.
- should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits, and
- to help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, all adults and older adults should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity”
Types of exercise
Examples of exercise you can regularly incorporate into your day:
- Walking or wheeling
- Climbing stairs
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Playing team sports (soccer, hockey, football, netball, basketball)
- Weighted workouts
- Exercise classes (HIIT, boxing, lower body, upper body, core)
- Martial arts
- Gymnastics
- Running
- Dancing
10 Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
So how does exercise help keep you mentally healthy you wonder? Some benefits are very well known and some you may not be aware of.
#1: Builds confidence
Regular exercise allows you to maintain a healthy weight and increases your fitness level, which means you may also feel better about your appearance and therefore feel more confident. Taking the time to do something for yourself and work on making your body healthier can build confidence because you’re valuing your own health.
The simple act of planning to do exercise at a particular time and actually following through builds confidence by successfully completing a scheduled activity. We all love checking items off our to-do list don’t we? To set yourself up for success, schedule exercise in the morning. This allows you to start the day off right by working towards your fitness goals before unplanned interruptions, tiredness, and other factors get in the way.
#2: Boosts your mood
When you exercise, the physical exertion stimulates your body to release chemicals, such as serotonin and endorphins. These feel-good chemicals are known for boosting your mood and helping you feel happier and less stressed.
Serotonin naturally balances your mood and regulates wellbeing and happiness. Endorphins help relieve pain, reduce stress, and promote your overall sense of wellbeing.
#3: Make social connections
Many types of exercise involve connecting with other people. If the exercise you choose is walking, you might have a friend you walk with, or at the very least see other people on your walk and say hello.
Even participating in online workouts these days quite often involves being part of an accountability group or connecting with others by completing live workouts together.
Connecting with other people is a well-known way to improve your mental health. Social connection can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
#4: Increases energy levels and endurance
Regular exercise can improve your muscle strength and increase energy levels and endurance. When you exercise, oxygen and nutrients are sent to your tissues, which helps the cardiovascular system work more effectively.
This translates to better heart and lung health, meaning that you‘re better able to complete everyday tasks, such as household chores and grocery shopping. You might even have some energy left at the end of the day to connect with your family and friends, rather than collapsing in a heap on the couch and bingeing on Netflix.
#5: Releases stress
There are a few different ways that regular exercise can help release stress; it uplifts your mood, is an active way of practicing mindfulness, and reduces the negative effects of stress on your body.
As already discussed in benefit #2, exercise can boost your mood by stimulating the body to release serotonin and endorphins. This can have a positive impact on your overall sense of wellbeing.
Often, the act of exercising causes you to focus on one specific task and pay close attention to how your body is moving and the environment around you. This is actually a form of mindfulness, and while you may not intentionally be practicing mindfulness, this focus on the present moment can help you forget the day’s stressors and calm your mind. The blog post 10 Benefits of Mindfulness through Macramé delves more deeply into the benefits of practicing mindfulness.
Exercise can mimic the effects of mental stress on your body. This imitation can give your body and it’s systems a chance to practice how to effectively work together through the effects of that stress. The practice can have a positive effect on your immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems and essentially helps protect your body from the damaging effects of stress.
#6: Improves quality of sleep
Moving your body regularly can help you fall asleep faster. The physical exertion can also result in better quality sleep and deeper sleep.
Be mindful, however, not to schedule exercise too close to bedtime as it might boost your energy and prolong the time it takes to fall asleep.
#7: May improve your sex life
As previously mentioned, engaging in regular exercise has the potential to build your confidence and increase your energy levels. A happy byproduct of being more confident in yourself and your appearance and having excess energy is that it may boost your sex life.
According to the Mayo Clinics’ article Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity, “Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than men who don’t exercise.”
#8: Enhances memory, concentration, and learning
During periods of intense physical activity, blood flows to the brain and fires up nerve cells, promoting cell growth; notably in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a region of the brain that has a major role in learning and memory.
The hippocampus is also incredibly responsive to proteins released during exercise, which helps improve your memory and cognitive display. Therefore, scheduling exercise before work or study can help improve your concentration and focus your learning.
#9: Improves physical health
Exercising is well-known for helping maintain a healthy weight and increasing your level of fitness. Maintaining a healthy weight generally means that you’re physically healthier and you feel better about yourself. Increasing your level of fitness, in turn, increases your ability to complete everyday tasks, such as household chores, grocery shopping, and gardening.
Regularly moving your body can also reduce the level of pain you experience. Many health problems are exacerbated by being sedentary for long periods and it’s difficult to keep a positive outlook on life when you have pain in your body.
Improving your physical health can directly benefit your mental health. Having good physical health can result in living a longer life and experiencing less pain and ailments. It can also contribute to feeling better about yourself and having more time to spend with children and grandchildren, or time to follow your purpose.
#10: Reduces the risk of many common diseases
Keeping physically fit can decrease the risk of, or help manage many common diseases; such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It can also reduce the risk of death from all causes.
Being healthy and free from disease, or being able to manage diseases effectively, can result in a more positive outlook on life. Once again, exercise can contribute to living a longer, more positive, and more purposeful life.
Consult your doctor first
Before commencing any new exercise, make sure to consult with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to give advice specific to your health and physical condition.
If you haven’t been participating in any physical activity, you may need to ease yourself in gradually. Consider adding in a short walk a couple of times a week and increasing the length and intensity slowly over time.
Conclusion
Exercising regularly can provide so many benefits; both physically and mentally. It might be hard to find the motivation to start, because those first few weeks forming a new habit are the hardest. But once you get into the routine of exercising regularly, you’ll start to notice the difference in your mental health on the days you don’t exercise.
Let me know in the comments if you have a story of how regular exercise has improved your mental health.
