Exercise: your secret weapon in improving your mental health

Exercise has been shown to have far reaching benefits in the body, from improvements in strength, bone density and fat reduction, to sex life, sleep, memory and increased energy. These benefits are all well documented- but did you know there is a significant body of evidence demonstrating the mental health benefits too?

Exercise alone has been shown to have the same results in treating depression as antidepressants. Those who take antidepressants are well acquainted with the likely side effects: weight and appetite changes, sleep difficulties, lethargy, sexual difficulties, etc etc. Essentially exercise works as well as medication but with no side effects! Except all the good ones as listed above- better sleep, more energy, health and physique improvements, not to mention feelings of achievement and self-efficacy.

So how is it that something as simple as exercise can have such significant changes in depression? Well it comes down to a couple of things we know about depression. It relates to alterations in our brain chemistry and alterations in our thinking patterns (the quality and/or quantity of your thoughts). Exercise fights these by promoting brain changes like neural growth, reduced inflammation and strengthening of new brain pathways. It releases endorphins-the ‘pleasure chemicals’. It gives structure to your day, makes you feel successful in achievement, improves self-esteem as you focus on nurturing yourself, and provides a great distraction from the barrage of negative thoughts that usually hit hard (especially if you exercise in the mornings!)

Exercise has also been demonstrated to have benefits for anxiety and stress. Anxiety relates to an imbalance of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenalin in the body. Exercise works to burn off the excess and leave you feeling more relaxed and calm. Using your muscles then promotes reduction in tension (remember how it feels to have sore muscles after going for a run versus sore muscles after a hard day at work?)

The benefits of using exercise as a distraction from our worries work the same as in depression. People with anxiety especially benefit when they use exercise time as a practice on focusing mindfully on the feelings in their body (muscles, lungs, heat rising, heart rate) rather than focusing on the worries bouncing around in their mindspace!

Some other lesser known benefits relate to exercise for ADHD and even PTSD/trauma. Exercise helps the body to regulate dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin: which impact attention and focus. The discipline of exercise also helps people with ADHD to gain control of their ‘executive’ functioning- the part of the brain that promotes goal directed activity rather than emotion directed activity. People who have experienced trauma seem to benefit most from exercise that uses ‘cross movement’ like running, swimming, dancing and outdoor activities like rock climbing and skiing!

So how much do you need to exercise to get these amazing benefits? Research shows 30 minutes 5 times a week is optimal. If that sounds like too much: any thing you do will help! I like to remind myself: Even a slow walk is lapping everyone on the couch!

So start small, with just 5-10 minutes a day and work your way up. As you exercise more, your energy increases, your muscle tone improves, your lung capacity grows and exercise becomes easier. The physical and mental ‘resistance’ to exercise decreases over time.

So here’s the catch 22 for people with mental health concerns like depression or anxiety: by very definition their symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, lethargy, overwhelm, and negative self-talk- which are all major barriers to getting started. But exercising means these things could improve…so what to do?! Come up with a plan to minimize the impacts of these barriers as much as you can, then deal with the discomfort of the things you can’t immediately change.

This will give you a sense of self-efficacy and pride. For example: signing up at the gym for a group class may not suit someone who is body-conscious or de-motivated. Do exercise at home instead! There are tons of streaming fitness apps now that allow you to exercise at your own pace, in the comfort of your home, with no-one watching! They cater for all fitness levels.

Pick something that interests you- for example dance or martial art-inspired exercises if sit ups and push ups aren’t your thing! Pick an exercise that doesn’t require many resources, like time, money or equipment…so you’ll have less excuses to avoid doing it. If you have an injury or health problem, talk to a doctor about safe exercise, where you start small, perhaps exercising in water for short periods.

Incorporate exercise into your routine- park a little further from the shops, step up your cleaning game at home, mow the lawn, take stairs instead of lifts, go for a walk on your lunch break.

Include friends and family in your exercise. Socialising also has significant impacts on mental health. It can make exercise more fun, and helps you to be accountable to someone.

Reward yourself for your efforts, through positive self talk or a nice hot bath.

Most importantly: Don’t wait for motivation to start exercising…with depression or anxiety it likely won’t! Make a choice to exercise anyway, it is a choice to invest in yourself and your recovery.

Enjoy your exercise, whatever you choose to do. You are worth the effort!