Enhancing Mental Health Through Physical Activity: Insights from Psychological and Physiological Perspectives
Our mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to the quality of overall wellness, with 1 in 4 people expected to experience mental health distress of some kind each year and 1 in 6 people reporting experiences of anxiety and depression in any given week in England (mind.org.uk) talking about ways in which mental health affects us all has never been more significant. It is predicted that by 2030 mental health distress (particularly depression) will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally (mentalhealth.org.uk).
With these statistics in mind, it could be argued essential to seek ways in which we can monitor our mental health and wellbeing to prevent or at best, reduce the likelihood of experiencing such distress. Though, we may not be able to eradicate all distressing events affecting our mental health, developing mechanisms for combating occurrences which may throw us off our harmonious path is inevitably going to be helpful.
One of those coping mechanisms is movement, whether it is walking, gardening or dancing. The terms exercise and physical activity can often be used interchangeably, for this purpose we will refer to physical activity (PA) as meaning involving leisure time activities, specific target exercises (weight training) and general activity we get throughout the day such as walking to work. The indirect effects of how physical and mental health correlate is available widely through a multitude of research, we know from this that engaging habitually in physical activity serves as a protective factor against the development of mental health conditions (Smith, 2020) but what is it that changes within us mentally following physical activity and should you be including more of it throughout the day?
From a psychological perspective, three hypotheses proposed intended to explain the beneficial effects of physical activity on mental health, being 1) distraction, 2) self-efficacy, and 3) social interaction.
The distraction hypothesis considers the ways in which individuals are diverted away from meaningless encounters within their environment which can lead to an improved mood during and after exercise. The self-efficacy hypothesis proposes that regularly engaging in physical activity boosts our overall self-confidence since physical exercise can be seen as a challenging activity; this success felt after a grueling workout can lead to an improved mood. The third hypothesis is that the social cohesion so can feel during physical activity such as that felt joining a sports club or training with a team for a marathon event can bring about support, fulfilment and a sense of belonging (Peluso & Andrade, 2005).
Physiological changes during activity
Aside from a psychological perspective in the connection between physical activity and mental health, there is a physiological basis too being the fact that physical activity increases the synaptic transmission of monoamines which these neurotransmitters include serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. In other words, all the ingredients to boost your mood!
Furthermore, these physiological changes have multiple functions including regulation of our psychomotor function, cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal control, sleep mechanisms, hormone secretion, body temperature, and pain. Though it would be oversimplifying the role of antidepressants in treating mental health distress, we cannot ignore the physiological changes caused by engaging in physical activity being akin to the same effect antidepressants can bring (Peluso & Andrade, 2005) for example, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed more than 1,000 research trials examining the effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety and psychological distress. It showed exercise is an effective way to treat mental health issues – and can be even more effective than medication or counselling (Singh et al., 2023).
It is also reported that high intensity exercise is more beneficial such as a brisk walk, run or high intensity interval training (HIIT) when comparing the benefits from physical activity to other common treatments for mental health distress, Singh et al., (2003) suggests that exercise is around 1.5 times more effective than medication i.e., anti-depressants and a popular modality for treating mental health being, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
However, it is not to say that physical activity can resolve all mental health concerns, as severe cases of depression or psychosis can’t necessarily see physical activity support those experiences. There are also some risks when engaging in physical activity such as over training or body dysmorphia. Nevertheless, the benefits of engaging in physical activity on our mind and the physiological changes to the body are abundant.
Where to begin with physical activity?
If you are new to any form of physical activity, start with five minutes a day. This might be choosing to leave the car at home and walking to walk (if it is within a reasonable distance) it could even be five minutes at home of vigorous cleaning or gardening. Even better if you are able to master some great body weight movements that we use each day such as the squat; as you sit down and up off the sofa, you could repeat this 20-30 times (depending on health and activity status) whilst you focus on tightening/holding your core as you do so.
References
Peluso, M. a. M., & Andrade, L. H. (2005). PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MENTAL HEALTH: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXERCISE AND MOOD. Clinics, 60(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1807-59322005000100012
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Dumuid, D., Virgara, R., Watson, A., Szeto, K., O’Connor, E. J., Ferguson, T., Eglitis, E., Miatke, A., Simpson, C. E., & Maher, C. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(18), 1203–1209. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195