How Does Physical Activity Improve Mental Health?
As we’re approaching World Mental Health Day, recognized each year on October 10th, now’s the perfect time to learn how physical activity and mental health are inherently linked. Being active is one of the most effective methods for managing and improving mental health. It keeps your mind and body in balance with one another. From improving your mood to safeguarding your cognitive function, consistent physical activity can have lasting benefits now and as you get older.
Do you now find yourself wondering, “How does physical activity improve mental health?” In this article, you’ll learn all about physical activity and mental health benefits. Read about how they’re linked, the effects of physical activity on mental health, and some techniques that make a positive difference.
Wondering how you can participate in World Mental Health Day? Check out our guide on ideas to celebrate World Mental Health Day after this and learn more.
Are Physical Activity and Mental Health Connected?
Before we answer the question, “How does physical activity improve mental health?” you should learn how physical activity and mental health benefits are linked. In fact, the two are closely intertwined, with one always contributing to the other. Keeping active and physical will yield a positive impact on your mental health, while more sedentary lifestyles tend to increase your risk of developing feelings of depression, stress, or anxiety.
For example, when your mental health declines, you may experience physical symptoms like fatigue or muscle tension. If your physical health declines, you may find yourself struggling to shake off feelings of depression or sadness as quickly. It’s a self-feeding cycle that works both positively and negatively in a direct relationship together.
Bonus Info: Supporting your mental well-being is vital at every age. Learn more about how to improve young adult mental health after this article.
How Does Physical Activity Improve Mental Health Naturally?
How does physical activity improve mental health, you wonder? Understanding how keeping active will positively impact your mental well-being will help you integrate more physicality into your daily routine effectively. From mood regulation to better sleep, the effects of physical activity on mental health will have you feeling your best every day.
Some ways physical activity and mental health benefits are linked are:
- Releasing feel-good hormones
- Reducing stress
- Improving cognitive function
- Boosting self-esteem
- Getting better sleep quality
1. Releasing Feel-Good Hormones Through Exercise
One of the easiest ways to see the connection between physical activity and mental health benefits is through the production of feel-good hormones like endorphins through exercise. These are natural hormones your body releases during exercise that are effective for how to boost your mood, alleviate pain symptoms, and fight feelings of depression or anxiety.
Whether it’s a short walk after dinner, a longer run in the morning, or any other kind of exercise, keeping your body active will create these hormones and keep you feeling energized. In the long term, releasing endorphins from consistently being active will also stabilize your emotional state and give you better mental clarity.
2. Reducing Stress for Better Mental Health
Another way physical activity and mental health are connected is seen in how keeping active helps with stress and anxiety relief. When you're being active, your cortisol levels naturally decrease. Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone that builds when you feel pressure or anxiety from external stimuli.
Effective activities like yoga, swimming, and jogging all work to lower cortisol naturally, manage stress levels more effectively, and boost your overall mental health. Additionally, the effects of physical activity on mental health can help you be better at handling stress in the future. It gives you a consistent outlet rather than keeping it all inside you.
3. Improving Cognitive Function By Being Active
Learning how to improve cognitive function, as well as prevent your risk for decline in the first place, should be high on everyone’s priority list. But how does physical activity improve mental health in a way that benefits cognitive function? Engaging in physical activity increases your blood flow to your brain, which can have a positive impact on your ability to retain information, recall memories, and concentrate. It’s also helpful for supporting your decision-making skills.
Exercising and staying active also serves as a catalyst for adult neurogenesis. This is the process in which your body produces new neurons, which support cognitive function and reduce your risk for decline as you get older.
4. Boosting Self-Esteem
It’s no secret that when you’re keeping active, you feel better about yourself. This is because one of the effects of physical activity on mental health is helping you feel more accomplished and confident. This could be because it’s helping you reach a weight loss goal, maintain an ideal weight, shed excess stress, or just feel better about yourself in general.
Beyond physical benefits that impact your mental wellness, emotional benefits come from staying active, too. Feeling like you’ve developed healthy routines or kept up with your personal activity goals gives you a great feeling of being empowered. This boosts your mental health and can bleed over into improving even more areas of your life.
5. Getting Better Sleep Quality After Being Active
Too many people don’t get enough sleep each night and it has a direct impact on your mental well-being. One of the ways the connection between physical activity and mental health benefits manifests is that exercise regulates your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Being active will actually help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep longer to get more restorative sleep each night.
Better sleep quality results in more mental clarity, an easier time regulating your emotions, and improved mood. It can also help combat the negative effects of common sleep disorders like insomnia, which include anxiety and depression.
Tools & Techniques to Support Physical Activity and Mental Health
Now that you’ve got a better understanding of the question, “How does physical activity improve mental health?” you should learn some techniques to integrate into your daily routine to maximize these benefits. Regular exercise is a great start, but tools like zero gravity chairs take the effects of physical activity on mental health to the next level.
Zero gravity chairs are designed to support your physical and mental well-being simultaneously. After exercise, they’re an ideal part of a post-workout recovery routine to help your body rest and recover. At the same time, these tools deepen your relaxation to alleviate pain, manage stress levels, and ease muscle tension. They’re even ideal tools to support better sleep habits through the health benefits of napping.
Other techniques you might consider pairing with keeping active include more relaxation-based practices like yoga or meditation. Combining movement with mindfulness and rest, you're setting yourself up for long-term improvements to your mental and emotional well-being.
Start Prioritizing Physical Activity and Mental Health
Taking care of your mental health is a lifelong task. Starting out now by prioritizing the effects of physical activity on mental health will help set yourself up for a long, healthy future. As World Mental Health Day approaches, now is the perfect opportunity to see how you can integrate small lifestyle changes into your routine and set yourself up for success.
World Mental Health Day is in October, but you can still use tips from Mental Health Awareness month, which is celebrated in May. Check out our guide to ideas for mental health awareness month after this and learn more.
Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.