Exercise.

More About Exercise in Mental Health.

Exercise is often an underestimated tool in supporting mental health and wellness. Lack of exercise has been linked to 35 chronic health conditions (both mental and physical health). According to the CDC (2022), roughly 54% of adults and 26% of adolescents meet the minimum aerobic physical activity levels (>150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise). 27% of adults and 51% of adolescents meet the strength training recommendations (2 and 3 days of strength training per week, respectively) (CDC, 2022).

How Does Exercise Work on the Brain?

From a mental health perspective, exercise contributes to changes on several levels. These changes can be roughly categorized as immune, neuroendocrine, and psychological changes. Some of these changes are rapid with the introduction of exercise, while other changes take some time. You not only change your chemical environment but contribute to the growth and development of new brain tissue!

Briefly, exercise will contribute to a less inflammatory internal environment (necessary for appropriate brain cell function, brain chemical balance, and networking), improved cellular energy generation, reduced stress hormone quantities (e.g., cortisol), improved growth and development of brain cells, and ultimately an improved psychological state.

What are the General Recommendations?

As little as 2 to 2.5 hours of moderate to high-intensity exercise per week reduces the occurrence of chronic disease. Regular exercise can reduce mortality by 30% in men and women. The general recommendations are 30-40 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week and total-body strength training twice per week. Although you’ll notice some quick results, consistency is key to promote all of the changes above.

Where do I Start?

A good place to start is by taking a look at your activities (all activities including exercise) to determine where you can fit in exercise recommendations. An excellent way to do this is by using an Activity Monitoring sheet. Here is a free downloadable Activity Monitoring Sheet to help you get started. I generally recommend monitoring activity over the course of a week, following the instructions on the sheet regarding associated mood monitoring, and then making a small change in the upcoming week. Continue to monitor and build upon small changes to build upon your activity goal. This technique is also extremely effective at identifying how other activities contribute to mood states.

Are These Recommendations for Everyone?

Exercise recommendations vary based on the psychiatric condition. Recent research findings have identified specific exercise routines and protocols to help with particular symptom clusters. I have recently completed an eBook that shares each of these recommendations as well as an in-depth look at how exercise works on the brain and how to build upon your exercise habits in a way that will help you achieve mental as well as physical wellbeing. Exercise recommendations should also be considered in collaboration with your primary care provider if you have concerns about an underlying medical condition.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Physical Activity. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/index.html