Have you found your inner voice whispering ‘can’t be bothered’, ‘don’t have time’, ‘I'll start next week, in the new year’ when it comes to movement/exercise… OR maybe stuck in a cycle of short bursts of movement in an effort towards unrealistic or short-lived exercise outcomes.
In this blog, our in-house Naturopath (also a pilates teacher, massage therapist, and advocate for natural & functional movement) provides just a couple of examples explaining the connection between movement and mental health, with the aim to educate and empower you towards consistency with your movement practices as an essential element of everyday health.
We tend to take to fitness and exercise focusing on physical outcomes like weight loss, muscle gain, or physical fitness. These are important, true - and a blog in themselves. However, the impact of movement on mental health is equally profound and essential for our health and wellbeing.
Understanding how movement benefits your health and establishing our unique why for movement can help quiet down the self-limiting stories or excuses that often hold us back from experiencing the benefits movement has to offer. Through basic body literacy and reframing our mindset, movement can become a consistent caring choice that ultimately elevates our overall health, plus prevents dis-ease.
If we could package the mind and body benefits of exercise into a convenient capsule, everyone would be taking their daily dose, and rates of poor mental and physical health would be drastically different.
Understanding the science behind the movement and mental health connection reveals how daily movement significantly enhances mental well-being, reduces anxiety, boosts mood, and improves focus and mental clarity.
So whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just beginning, let’s explore why getting your body moving is one of the best things you can do for your mental health!
The Science behind Movement & Mental Health
Straight to it, it's simple: research clearly shows that individuals who engage in regular physical activity significantly reduce their risk of developing depression. Additionally, various meta-analysis show that aerobic exercise is particularly effective in lowering anxiety symptoms, with benefits often being a notably supportive adjunct to talk therapies, in some cases some results being comparable to those achieved through talk therapy.
Building Resilience: How Overcoming Physical Challenges Enhances Mental Well-Being
Physically challenging the body through movement significantly supports the stress response and our overall resilience by bolstering our brain and body’s adaptability to life’s challenges. Engaging in strenuous activities, whether through high-intensity workouts or endurance sports, activates the body’s stress response, teaching it to adapt to, recover and grow from physical stressors. This process promotes both physical and mental strength, as overcoming physical challenges can boost confidence and self-efficacy.
Regular (not excessive) exercise also reduces excess production of stress hormones like cortisol while increasing the release of endorphins, which help to elevate mood and create a sense of well-being. As a result, individuals who regularly engage in challenging physical activities are often better equipped to manage everyday stressors, respond more effectively to anxiety and overwhelm, and cultivate a more resilient mindset, ultimately enhancing their overall quality of life.
Somatics & The Mind-Body Connection
Somatic movement is a powerful approach that supports the connection between body awareness and mental health. By focusing on internal sensations and the body’s natural rhythms, somatics encourages individuals to tune into their physical experiences, promoting greater mindfulness and self-acceptance. Research has shown that somatic practices, such as tai chi, yoga, and dance, can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression (REF). These movements facilitate the release of stored tension and trauma, allowing for emotional healing and increased resilience (REF). Moreover, the emphasis on breath and gentle movement fosters a sense of calm, helping to ground individuals in the present moment and enhance their overall emotional well-being (REF). As a result, somatic movement not only nurtures physical health but also serves as a vital tool for cultivating mental clarity and emotional balance.
There are 168 hours in a week: typically 40 at work, 56 sleeping, leaving 72.
If you do 3 one-hour movement sessions or 6 thirty-minute sessions, you still have 69 hours left.
How are you spending them?
Making Movement Part of your Mental Wellbeing Toolkit:
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BEFORE sectioning or scheduling exercise into your 'schedule,' simply see where you can implement movement as you go about your day. A stretch or some core work while watching TV, a little jump, shake, or stretch of the body when you wake in the morning, taking the stairs, walking meetings, parking further away from the supermarket entrance. Then, start small, with a 15-minute walk or online yoga practice. The healthiest, happiest places in the world (the blue zones) are not gymming and going to classes; exercise is an integrated and embodied part of their lifestyle.
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FIND a form of movement that you genuinely enjoy. Too often, people force themselves into and through movement modalities that are either not right for their current capacity OR that they just genuinely do not like. In this way, you're far more likely to meet resistance when it comes to showing up for your movement practice. Try something new!
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EXPLORE your relationship to movement and establish your why. Too often, movement/exercise is done out of rigidity/restriction, maybe even a poor or judgmental view of self. To put it simply, long-term healing and epic health don't happen through hate—they happen through self-respect and responsibility. Ask yourself: Why do I choose to move/exercise/train? As shown above, research literally shows movement biochemically improves how we feel and function and our overall health. Is feeling and functioning well important to you? Is being able to keep up with your kids important to you? Is flexibility or mobility important for the work you want to do? Is the energy and health that muscle tissue provides important to you? Establishing your why helps when resistance creeps in.
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MOVE together. It's truly medicinal to combine exercise with good company—you double down on the benefits by adding connection!
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