Why physical exercise should be a key way of caring for your mental health and treating mental illness …

This post is not a scientific research “paper” because I haven’t done formal research myself, but as a clinical therapist, certified fitness professional, and certified fitness nutrition specialist, I’ve waded through reports on numerous studies and, pairing that with my anecdotal evidence from decades of working with clients, I’m convinced physical exercise is an important component for caring for your mental health and should be a standard component of treating mental illness.

Let me give you some insights why I believe this, and why I routinely prescribe physical exercise for the majority of my clients.

A large body of scientific research proves physical exercise benefits mental health and is beneficial in the treatment of mental illness in many ways, including:

– Reducing stress hormones.
– Reducing anxiety.
– Reducing depression and alleviating some symptoms of depression such as fatigue, tension, anger, and reduced vigor.
– Reducing negative mood.
– It improves blood flow to the brain, which improves cognitive function, helps you think more clearly, and reduces inflammation.
– It improves sleep.
– It boosts your physical energy.
– It provides for sharper memory.
– Contributes to having an overall better sense of well-being.
– It can boost your confidence.
– Helps you feel more relaxed.
– Research has proven physical exercise can be as, or more, effective at treating mild to moderate depression than taking medication, and a commitment to regular vigorous exercise can even be effective in treating chronic depression (and exercise doesn’t have the side effects some medications may have).
– Exercise can reduce the symptoms of ADHD by improving concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels, all of which affects focus and attention. In this way, exercise works much the same way as ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.
– Exercise can contribute to building resilience and can boost your immune system.
– For people with panic disorders, PTSD, and other anxiety-related conditions, exercise can be a proactive way to release pent-up tension and reduce feelings of fear and worry.
– Exercise also decreases sensitivity to the body’s reaction to anxiety, as well as decreases the intensity and frequency of panic attacks in some cases.
– Physical exercise promotes changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being.
– Very important, physical exercise can be a positive distraction from negative rumination.
– Studies indicate that cardiovascular exercise creates new brain cells — a process called neurogenesis — and improve overall brain performance. Exercise also prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Studies also prove that physical activity boosts creativity and mental energy.
– Sarah Gingell, Ph.D., writing for Psychology Today, explains, “Regular exercise increases the volume of certain brain regions – in part through better blood supply that improves neuronal health by improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients; and through an increase in neurotrophic factors and neurohormones that support neuron signaling, growth, and connections.”
– Mental Health America explains that exercise increases a variety of substances that play an important role in brain function:

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  • BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) is a protein that creates and protects neurons (nerve cells) in the brain that helps these cells to transmit messages more efficiently, and regulates depression-like behaviors.
  • Endorphins are a type of chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) that is released when we experience stress or pain to reduce their negative effects and increase pleasure throughout the body.
  • Serotonin is another transmitter that increases during exercise. It plays a role in sending messages about appetite, sleep, and mood. It is the target of medications known as SSRIs and SNRIs, which are used to treat anxiety and depression.
  • Dopamine is involved in controlling movement and the body’s reward response system. Due to its role in how the body processes rewards, it is heavily involved with addictions. When amounts of this chemical messenger are low, it is linked to mental health conditions including depression, schizophrenia, and psychosis.
  • Glutamine and GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) both act to regulate the activity of nerve cells in the part of the brain that processes visual information, determines heart rate, and affect emotions and ability to think clearly. Low levels of GABA have been linked to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and mood disorders.

– Other interesting facts reported by Mental Health America include:

• • Just an hour of exercise a week is related to lower levels of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders [NOTE: As a Personal Trainer, I would advise an hour a week is insufficient exercise, but image if an hour a week can begin to benefit your mental health, what a committed lifestyle to physical activity and exercise could yield!].
  • Among people in the U.S. those who make regular physical activity a part of their routines as less likely to have depression, panic disorder, and phobias (extreme fear).
  • One study found that for people with anxiety, exercise had similar effects to Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy in reducing symptoms.

These insights are just a “tip of the iceberg” of data establishing the benefit of a lifestyle of exercise or physical activity for your mental health and in treating mental illness. Physical exercise is both preventive regarding mental health issues, and an effective part of treatment for mental illness.

Scotty