10.4 Exercise and Mental Health

Exercise and physical activity can have a positive effect on aspects of mental health and psychological well-being, such as depression, anxiety, and overall mood. Here, we will examine the effects that exercise can have on different aspects of our mental health.

We will begin by defining the term mental health.

Using this definition, there are two possible ways in which exercise can benefit mental health (OE Commons, n.d.):

1. Exercise can prevent or reduce the extent of mental illnesses such as depression and/or anxiety, allowing us to achieve a state of mental well-being.
2. Exercise can enhance mood and reduce stress levels, thus allowing us to tackle daily challenges in a more positive, optimistic, and constructive way.

The Impacts of Exercise

According to The Open University (n.d.), exercise enhances mood, reduces stress levels, and ultimately increases mental health in the following ways:

• Cortisol: Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone because its levels increase in response to stress. Although strenuous physical activity can acutely increase cortisol levels, long-term exercise regimens can aid in the chronic regulation and response of cortisol levels.
• Endorphins: Endorphins are chemicals produced in the brain during painful or stressful activities. Given that exercise is a painful stressor (to varying degrees based on intensity), there is a large endorphin release both during and after exercise. Endorphins bind to centers in the nervous system that decrease pain and increase feelings of reward (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).
• Thoughts, emotions, and confidence: The feelings of reward and decreased stress that we feel as a by-product of the exercise-induced endorphin release and cortisol response have been continuously shown to increase mood, confidence, and positive emotion.
• Socialization: Physical activity and exercise can indirectly increase mental health by promoting socialization. Whether engaging in team sports, fitness classes, or just being surrounded by like-minded individuals, physical activity can assist in deriving the many health benefits associated with increased levels of socialization.
• Sleep: Physical activity and exercise can also indirectly increase mental health by increasing the quantity and quality of sleep. Exercise has been continuously shown to increase sleep quality and quantity as well as expedite sleep onset (the time it takes to fall asleep). Additionally, sleep quality has been highly correlated with mental health outcomes both acutely and chronically.

Fitness Fact

Although exercise has been shown to improve sleep, high-intensity exercise close to your bedtime can be detrimental to sleep health. For best results, look to schedule high-intensity exercise earlier in the day and opt for a light to moderate intensity if exercising within a few hours of your desired bedtime.