The Connection Between Fitness and Mental Health

February, 2025

Staying fit and active isn’t all about getting into shape or simply improving our physical fitness. Even though this is obviously a huge part of why we workout or go for a run, regular exercise has a positive impact on mental health too.

Suffering from poor mental health is incredibly common and while being active isn’t a cure for everyone, it should do a lot more good than harm for most people.

I want to explore what exercise does to our brains to help our mood, why being active is a positive thing for your mental health and also what type of exercises are best to achieve this.

What does exercise do to our brains?

When you workout, go for a run, or take part in a sport, the blood flow to your brain is increased. This helps promote healthy cognitive function and this is very important for our short and long-term health (remember my blog last year – Regular exercise and reducing cognitive decline – is there a link?)

Regular exercise also releases endorphins in our system. Endorphins are a hormone that makes us feel good and play a big role in reducing stress too.

The more chances you get to release endorphins into your system the better because they help reduce the effects of things like anxiety, insomnia and pain.

Impact of regular exercise on mental health

While working out and keeping active chemically helps our mental health it also has other positive impacts too.

Improved self-esteem and confidence are both associated with an enhanced level of fitness. I don’t just mean getting ripped at the gym, but achieving whatever goals you have set yourself is important. These wins, however big or small, can really help to make us feel good about ourselves which, in turn, helps our mental health.

In fact, it’s one of the reasons why working with a personal trainer can be beneficial.

What are the best exercises for improving mental health?

Really any form of exercise is great for improving mental health and I think this is a very personal choice and is determined by what you enjoy.

For some people, the feeling after cardio and going for a run is hard to beat while others prefer lifting weights to get their ‘exercise rush’. If you aren’t a fan of exercising solo or working out in a gym, team sports are a great way to keep physically fit while remaining social.

Also, don’t discredit some gentler forms of exercise such as yoga because it is great for both your mind and body and helps with stress reduction.

Keeping active is key to positive mental health

Regularly exercising and keeping active helps to contribute to a more positive state of mind.

A lack of exercise, whether this is by yourself or with others, can cause a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and low confidence and self-esteem. It has also been shown to help reduce cognitive decline in the longer term.

If you’re thinking of increasing your level of fitness and activity, remember that it has as many positive mental impacts as it does physical.

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