Most people know the mental health benefits of being physically active, but there are still many suffering from depression and anxiety that really struggle with taking part in exercise despite knowing it could improve their emotional wellbeing.
Benefits of exercise for mental health
Lots has been reported about how moving and getting your heart rate going can reduce symptoms of anxiousness and low moods, and 82 per cent of adults recognise the connection between physical activity and mental health.
It does this by decreasing tension, providing the body with a natural energy boost, eliminating mental fatigue, giving a sense of achievement and worthiness, relieving anger and frustration, connecting with other people and being more sociable, and encouraging more focus and motivation.
Exercise also improves quality of sleep, boosts confidence, brings people close to nature, and allows people to focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past or catastrophizing about the future. Therefore, being physically active along with regularly seeing a private counsellor can really help bring people back from a difficult place.
What is holding people back from exercise?
Even though there are so many advantages to exercise, many people who suffer with their mental health still feel there are obstacles standing in their way of attending a dance class, going for a run or lifting some weights.
A recent survey from the Mental Health Foundation found that the British weather was the main reason preventing people from being more physically active, with almost a third citing this.
This was followed by being too tired (28 per cent), being too busy (22 per cent) and feeling too low (18 per cent).
Even though exercise only needs to take 20 to 30 minutes a day, a large number of people find it challenging to squeeze it into their already busy schedules, particularly if they need to arrange childcare for it too.
The state of a person’s mental health can also prevent them from being active, as they might feel drained of energy, hopeless, or have a lack of interest in it. Alternatively, they may find trying to plan it in an extra stressor they cannot handle.
Other reasons why some people are inclined to avoid exercise despite knowing it would be beneficial for them include cultural barriers, having a physical disability, and concerns about their physical appearance, particularly when it comes to going to the gym or attending a class.
Almost one in ten of those surveyed said not liking their body prevented them from exercising, with one participant stating: “Because they look a certain way, you’re thinking that they’re looking at you, that you don’t know what you’re doing.”
High costs were also cited as a reason why lots of people with poor mental health do not take part in physical activities (14 per cent). It is not just the gym membership that they worry about but childcare and gym clothing expenses.
Free or low-cost activities, such as walking, parks and local facilities, are often hindered by the weather, inadequate public transport, and short daylight hours in the winter.
How to overcome these hurdles
It is important to try and overcome these hurdles, such as by finding a local, low-cost activity they enjoy and are, therefore, they are more likely to stick to.
They could also do online workout videos for free, enabling them to take part in body weight workouts, cardio routines, high intensity interval training, Pilates, yoga or dance, among many others, in their own home at their own convenience.
Running or walking are also great forms of exercise that are also free and can do wonders for mental health.
In fact, a recent study in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that running is on par with antidepressants for improving symptoms of depression and anxiety.