Exercise and Mental Health

Mental Health & Mental Illness Defined 

Mental Health: “A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” 

Mental Illness: “Health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or dysfunction.” 

Most Common Mental Health Issues 

• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Stress 

How Poor Mental Health Affects Your Body 

• Changes in your brain chemistry can also have a big effect on your body. 
• Mental health issues contribute to a wide array of physical  problems that affect everything from your heart to your immune system 
• Changes in the brain have an effect on many of the body’s system; i.e. low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin can alter your pain threshold 
• Mental health issues increase your risk of illness because of increasing levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline 
• Mental health issues can affect the immune system making it harder for the body to fight infection. 

How Exercise Improves Mental Health

• Help reduce anxiety symptoms and improve mood
• Help keep anxiety from coming back once you’re feeling better
• Release feel-good brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, endorphins)
• Reduces immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increase body temperature which may have calming effects
• Help you gain confidence
• Take your mind off of worries
• Get more social interaction
• Cope with anxiety/depression symptoms in a healthy way

How Much Exercise/What Types Are Best for Mental Health

• 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for 3-5 days a week—Even just 10-15 minutes at a time
• Do what type of exercise you like best: walking, NuStep, gardening, exercise bicycle, aerobics, yoga, etc.—Anything that gets you off the couch and moving is the exercise that can help improve your mood

Getting Started and Staying Motivated

• Identify what you like doing: find out what type of exercise you like doing and you will be more likely to do it
• Set reasonable goals: think realistically and set small goals in the beginning
• Don’t think of exercise as a chore: view your exercise time as your time to yourself
• Address your barriers: find out things that get in your way of exercising and find alternatives and ways around these barriers
• Prepare for setbacks and obstacles: give yourself credit for every step in the right direction. If you miss exercise one day, don’t be hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a new day

How Therapy Can Help

• Therapists can help you find the right exercise for you to manage physical and mental signs and symptoms
• Define an adequate and specialized program to fulfill your needs
• Help you perform exercise safely and correctly
• Help you improve your independence and quality of life