Movement for mental health

Studies have shown that exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression and anxiety. This is because actively moving your body triggers the release of the ‘feel good’ hormones serotonin and endorphins, and reduces levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Exercise also improves cognitive functions like attention, processing speed and memory, and improves self-esteem and resilience.

The World Health Organization recommends between 150-300 minutes of moderate activity a week for health adults to reap mental and physical health benefits. However, it can be difficult to find the motivation to move if you’re not feeling great, or to find the time to fit it in. It might also be tricky to find a type of exercise that suits you. Here are some ideas to inspire you to make movement part of your everyday routine:

Choose wisely

The best way to ensure success when getting started with a new exercise regime is to make sure you pick something you enjoy and that is best suited to your body and abilities. This way, you’re far more likely to stay motivated to do it and get the most benefits from the exercise. For example, for peri or post-menopausal women, more gentle forms of exercise are better than high-intensity workouts, due to the body’s increased sensitivity to stress. It is also good to identify any barriers you might have to exercise and think of ways to overcome them; perhaps enlisting support from friends and family.

Wake up and stretch

Start your day off positively with some morning stretches. Whether you simply stretch out your arms and legs whilst still in bed or roll out of bed and move through some basic yoga poses on the floor; try to stay present and mindful of your actions whilst you stretch. Gentle morning movement is a great way to get blood flowing to your sleepy body and brain, and clear your head before the days tasks or worries sneak in.

Walk and talk

Instead of sitting at your desk for meetings or catching up with a friend at a café or pub, suggest going for a walk instead. There are additional benefits to walking outside, as the fresh air will help to clear your mind, and exposure to nature has been shown to improve cognition and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Of course, you don’t need company to enjoy the benefits of walking, so grab any opportunity you can to pop outside for some mental space and movement, and you’ll reap valuable mental health rewards.

5-10 minute movement breaks

You don’t have to sign up to an hour’s fitness class at your local gym or join a bootcamp outside and brave the elements. Just 5-10 minutes of movement has been found to be beneficial for your health, especially if it means you get some movement rather than none, and you’ll be surprised how the minutes add up if you do it regularly. It’s too easy to put off longer periods of exercise until tomorrow or next week, but 5-10 minutes is easy to fit in and get motivated for. Plus, you still get a sense of achievement and wellbeing when it’s completed, as well as markable fitness gains, increased energy and alertness. There are plenty of 5-10 minutes workouts online.

Dance your chores away

Make household chores more entertaining by turning on your favourite music and dance whilst doing the cooking, hoovering, laundry, or cleaning. Or just drop it all and dance around the room for a while enjoying the music! It is surprisingly liberating once you get going and relax into it, and the more fun you have, the more endorphins you will release. Endorphins are the hormones that actively relieve pain, reduce stress and increases your sense of wellbeing.

TV time

Watching TV doesn’t have to be a stationary event. Use the time to do some stretching or some body weight exercises like planks, press ups, squats. You could even use light weights and do bicep curls, shoulder presses or weighted lunges whilst watching your favourite show.

Hopefully these ideas offer some inspiration to help alleviate, and prevent, mild to moderate mental health issues. However, if you are having difficulty coping with your mental health, you can self-refer to us today.