Mental Health and Exercise: How They are Connected to Each Other

We all know that exercise promotes a healthier body and a better sense of well-being. It boosts confidence for people who need a new self-image while it prevents the aggravation of physical illnesses for some. While nearly all of the research on exercise is focused only on demonstrating positive effects on the physical body, a growing mass of research seeks to prove that exercise is also good for mental health.

A study conducted by researchers from Harvard University along with other similar studies proved that exercise can help treat depression for 60-65% of all the participants. This result is identical to the total number of participants who are using medications for their treatment of depression.

However, you don’t have to be a sufferer of a mental illness before you can benefit from exercise. You can boost your well-being while walking on the treadmill or by combining yoga and meditation. In a way, exercise could be a potential medium for preventing the development of psychological and emotional conditions.

There are three dimensions that we can look at when examining the benefits of exercise in the mental wellness of a person. Among the less well-known is the biological aspect.

One theory suggests that a physical workout or exercise could stimulate a part of the brain to release endorphins. Activities that are more likely to trigger the release of endorphins are swimming, cross-country skiing, running, bicycling, aerobics, and sports like soccer, football, and basketball.

Endorphins are comparable to opiates in the way that they resemble morphine. Endorphins can work in two ways- as a pain reliever (which is produced in response to the stresses brought about by physical work or stress) and as an enhancer of well-being. There are, however, no definite data that could support this claim.

On the other hand, exercise is also found to trigger the release of hormones norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. All these are known to help improve mood and are actually the main effect of Prozac, a known antidepressant.

An increase in these hormones could be best observed in a condition known as "runner's high". This feeling after an acute exercise is directly linked to the increased number of the said hormones. However, there are still no conclusive studies proving that improvements in mood could be facilitated for a longer period.

Another is the physiological aspect. Nearly all of the feelings we associate with mental wellness come from our personal evaluation of the way our body feels. Say for instance, if you perceive stomach pain as a form of stress then you will feel stressed (and sometimes even depressed) every time your stomach aches. Likewise, exercise could render feelings such as muscle relaxation and easier breathing which we associate with "feeling better". While this correlation is yet to have a better scientific grounding, we still could not deny the fact that muscle tension and increased blood flow go together with physical fitness.

No one knows yet how exactly exercise affects mental health. However, it is common among patients to view exercise as a good medium to elevate their moods. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the Charity Mind nearly two-thirds of all people who said that they use exercise to relieve symptoms of stress and depression believe that exercise actually works for them. The scientific community is yet to understand how this happens though and for now, it remains a truth that people benefit from exercise for mental health amongst other things.