Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
Sep 15, 2020
Written by: Chase Harris, Fitness Coach, Midtown Athletic Clubs
Let’s not beat around the bush and be real with each other; We’re all friends here and if we’re not I’m sure we’d still get along great. Our mental health has been affected these previous 6+ months. Between the threat of the virus, the stress of lockdowns and stay-in-place orders, and the new accommodations and procedures we must make for the workplace and schools there has been so much that has changed so rapidly that it would be foolish to assume we could carry on as normal. While we may not be able to return to our previous “normal”, every day, life we can work to make sure our mental health allows us to prosper in these trying times and build newly found levels of resiliency.
It is no secret that our mental health and physical health are connected. We’ve all had those days where we’ve found reasons to skip the gym/yoga/spin class and were lethargic, groggy, or irritable that day. We’ve all also had days where we felt like the world was crashing in on us, but a workout left us with a clearer vision and energy to take on whatever challenges may arise. While that is not a formal study, the results we feel clearly show a strong connection between taking care of ourselves physically and the positive effects we experience mentally.
There are so many benefits of exercising on our mental health but I’m going to focus on four, stress reduction, endorphin release, better sleep, and interpersonal connections. These four are not only intertwined but have a huge trickledown effect on everything we experience.
Stress reduction is, arguably, the biggest effect people are looking for. According to the American Psychological Association, “44% of adults say they walk or exercise to manage stress”. I think it’s hugely important here to note that to feel the effects of stress reduction you don’t have to spend hours in the gym. Walking, stretching, focused breathing, or any low-level activity has the ability to provide stress relief.
When you exercise you release endorphins. Not only do these endorphins make you feel happy or euphoric (i.e. runner’s high) they also have been shown to improve your memory and help you to have clearer thoughts. Being able to think more clearly and recall what you know not only is better for your mental health but allows you to stress less during work, meetings, or conversations where your mind may usually feel foggy.
Having a consistent exercise and wellness routine leads to consistent and better sleep. The increase in body temperature during exercise helps the body to wind down at night by causing a more rapid cooldown which allows you to get to sleep quicker. On top of that, the energy you burn throughout the day, both during and after exercise, will assist in digestion of the food you ate. This leaves less for your body to do during the night so it can put its effort into maintaining a healthy sleep cycle.
I, personally, believe the biggest affect exercise has on your mental health is the interpersonal connections you make. There is nothing that brings total strangers together quite like sweating and accomplishing the task laid before them. When you make these connections, you don’t only gain a workout buddy, you gain a support group, a sense of community and belonging, and friendship. And it is building these tribes that bring people back, day in and day out, and leave everyone in a better mental and physical state.
It does not have to be much; Just 10 minutes of conscious walking, 15 minutes of stretching, or jumping back in with your Vibe Tribe will all be great for your physical health. And when you are moving toward bettering yourself physically your mental health comes right along with.