The Benefits of Exercise For Mental Health

Runner’s high. Workout glow. Exercise euphoria. 

If you’ve spent any time working out, you may have experienced the elation that comes from engaging in physical exercise. 

Because the benefits of exercise go far beyond “gains” or a shrinking waistband. In fact, those well-studied advantages extend into the realm of mental wellness, too.

Ready to feel better, inside and out, with exercise?

Let’s take a closer look at how physical activity can positively affect your mental health, plus what you can do to magnify the mental benefits of exercise.

The Link Between Exercise and Mental Health

Physical exercise has a number of highly studied and proven benefits for mental health. 

Researchers define “poor mental health” as being characterized by:

• Stress
• Depression
• Emotional concerns
   

Based on this definition, they found that the average person has 3.4 poor mental health days each month. 

However, people who exercise have 40% fewer poor mental health days, a vast improvement.

But why is that? Why does exercise improve your mental health, and how are the two related? 

There are two main ways in which this happens. 

Increased Hormone Levels

Exercise increases your body’s production and release of dopamine and endorphins, two neurotransmitters commonly known for their “feel good” properties. 

• A higher level of dopamine, your “happy hormone,” is closely associated with a happier mood.

• The neurotransmitter endorphin, also released during physical activity, has also been linked to improved moods.

By increasing the levels of these crucial neurotransmitters, exercise has a direct positive impact on several aspects of mental health.

Better Sleep

Having trouble falling—and staying—asleep? Waking up overtired and cranky?

It’s no surprise; sleep and mental health, especially stress levels, are closely tied together.  

The lack of sleep can increase your stress level, and feeling stressed out can make it more difficult to fall asleep. 

Exercise is one of the most effective ways of breaking out of this cycle! 

Engaging in physical exercise during the day can help you sleep better at night.

Just make sure you don’t exercise too close to your bedtime. If your body and mind are feeling that post-exercise high, you may be too energized to fall asleep easily. 

Ready to feel better, mentally and emotionally? 

Now that we’ve defined a couple of the ways that exercise and mental health are tied to one another, let’s look at what this means for you. 

5 Exercise and Mental Health Benefits

Here are five ways your mental and emotional health can be improved through exercise.

1. Better Mood

If you’ve ever experienced a “runner’s high,” then you’ve seen firsthand how exercise can improve your mood. 

Luckily, you don’t have to be a runner to experience the post-workout glow. 

Almost any kind of exercise will raise your dopamine and endorphin levels related to the “exercise euphoria,” or improved mood, brought about by physical activity.

Exercise is also good at ending rumination, a cycle of negative thinking marked by repetitive, distressing thoughts.

This occurs when you get into an exercise rhythm, distracting your mind from ruminating as you focus on your physical movement and the rules of the game (if you’re playing a sport) and allow yourself to get into a “flow state.”

2. Lower Stress

Juggling work and relationships? Feeling tense from pressure?

Exercise is an amazing stress reliever. 

One big link between exercise and stress is norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter closely associated with your body’s stress response. 

• When you’re under stress, your body releases norepinephrine as part of your stress response.
• Constant stress can lead to a depleted store of norepinephrine. 
• Lower levels of norepinephrine can lead to an unbalanced stress response, and higher stress. 
• The cycle begins again. 

So how do you end that cycle, when you’re already in it? Exercise! 

Decades of research show that exercising increases your body’s production of norepinephrine, helping to regulate your body’s stress response. 

Exercise, a form of physical stress, also increases your body’s production of adrenaline and cortisol, the “fight or flight” hormones. After their initial spike while you’re exercising, the release of these chemicals lowers their overall level and helps you feel calmer. 

So the next time you’re feeling stressed out, skip the social media scrolling or movie marathon and get your body moving, instead!

3. Reduced Depression and Anxiety

In our post-COVID emotional landscape, depression and anxiety are at an all-time high. 

But you can take positive, proven steps to improve your mental health; exercising is one of the most effective ways to do so. 

And, according to a recent Harvard study, exercising is one way to lower your risk of depression. 

Just 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise, such as running or a HIIT workout, or one hour of more moderate movement, such as walking, gardening, or cleaning, is enough to reduce or even prevent depression. 

Exercise is also helpful for handling and/or preventing anxiety and panic attacks. 

As we mentioned earlier, exercise can be a form of physical stress, especially when performed at a higher intensity. 

When you exercise, your body has some of the same physical and psychological responses as it does to other stressful situations. By exercising often, you are essentially training your body to manage your stress response quickly and effectively.

4. Higher Self-Esteem

Working out can also improve the way you think, speak, and feel about yourself.

Here are some of the ways exercise can boost your self-esteem. 

• Feeling a sense of accomplishment when you achieve a goal, such as walking a certain distance, learning a new sport or physical skill, or successfully completing an exercise.
• Increasing your confidence because you feel healthier, stronger, and more physically fit. 
• Leading to other self-care habits, which help you feel better physically and emotionally. 
• Increasing self-compassion and shifting your self-talk into a more positive approach. 
• Having more energy helps you complete more tasks throughout the day, giving the feeling of achievement when you complete to-do lists and reach your goals.

5. Improved Cognition

Feeling fuzzy, forgetful, or unfocused? 

Exercise can also play a role in improving your overall cognition and brain health. 

In addition to lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, these are some of the cognitive functions that may benefit from physical exercise. 

• Thinking skills
• Memory
• Mental clarity
• Attention and focus

Adults over the age of 50 may also find that exercise helps reduce the cognitive decline commonly associated with aging. 

Optimizing the Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Although almost any form of exercise can be good for you, there are some things you can do to get the best results for your mental health. 

Exercise Outdoors 

Connecting with Mother Nature is soothing for mental health!

Studies show that people who spend 120 minutes per week outdoors reported higher life satisfaction and lower stress. 

Whenever possible, here are some ways you can take your workout outdoors. 

• Use your lunch break for a quick walk outside.
• Go for a walk in the morning or after dinner, if it’s too hot during the day. 
• Take advantage of public outdoor recreational facilities, such as trails, tennis courts, and basketball courts.
• Plan group activities with family and friends that take place outside: walk on the beach or a nearby trail, go for a bike ride, or take an outdoor yoga class.

Move Every Day

Ideally, for mental health benefits, you should have somewhere between three and five 45-minute workout sessions per week.

Of course, life happens, so that’s not always possible. 

You might not have time for a long workout every day, but you can still enjoy some form of physical activity every day.

Do little things throughout the day to get your body moving. 

• Leave your car at home; walk or ride your bike. 
• If you do drive, park farther away.
• Skip the elevator and take the stairs. 
• If you use public transportation, get off a few stops early. 
• Take a walk at lunchtime, instead of sitting in the breakroom. 
• Keep resistance bands or dumbbells by the television, so you can move while you catch up on your favorite show. 

Every little bit counts, and it all adds up to improved mental health.

Take the Right Supplement

You’ve probably heard of supplements for physical health: calcium for strong bones and teeth, vitamin C for its antioxidant functions, and probiotics for gut health. 

But can supplements also help mental health? Absolutely! 

The right supplement can support and even increase the mental health benefits of exercise. This class of supplements, known as psychobiotics, is a type of probiotic that has a positive impact on your mental health. 

We’re big fans of Just Calm, a psychobiotic from Just Thrive. It’s packed with potent beneficial bacteria and vitamins that encourage a healthy mood, support a balanced cortisol level, and help you manage your stress response. 

• Bifidobacterium longum 1714™
• 3 brain-nourishing B vitamins, all in their most bioavailable forms: B6, B12, and folate

Together, they work to balance your cortisol level, manage your stress, support emotional resilience, and promote cognitive function.

Paired with regular exercise, this psychobiotic supplement will support your mental health and have you feeling cool, calm, and ready to face whatever the day brings. 

When you pair the foundational nourishment of Just Thrive Probiotic with the stress-busting, mood-uplifting power of Just Calm, you’ve got a recipe for easy stress management and peak emotional well-being. Grab the Dynamic Duo bundle and experience all the mental health and wellness benefits this power couple has to offer. 

Final Thoughts

Both research and anecdotal evidence clearly highlight the connection between physical exercise and mental health. 

In fact, multiple studies show that regular physical activity can improve your mental health. Exercise stimulates chemicals that improve your mood, combat depression and anxiety, and help balance your response to stressors.

That post-workout glow isn’t just from sweat and red cheeks; it comes from within! 

You May Also Like…