Exercise benefits mental wellbeing, experts claim
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News , Outdoor News
Research shows that outdoor exercise can be as effective for some people as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate depression and should be one of the first interventions recommended.
When you exercise you release hormones called endorphins which help reduce negative feelings. Exercise also reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that has been linked to a range of problems including depression and anxiety.
If you are more active there is good evidence to suggest that there is a trend towards lower rates of depression.
Mind commissioned two studies carried out by the University of Essex in 2007, which found that participating in "green exercise" activities provides substantial benefits for health and wellbeing.
The survey found that 90% of people who took part in Mind green exercise activities such as exercise, gardening and walking said that the combination of nature and exercise is important in determining how they feel. 94% said green exercise activities had benefitted their mental health.
Outdoor exercise has been shown to be particularly beneficial with the combined mix of colours, sounds and smells we find outdoors acting together to stimulate our senses and helping to increase our wellbeing. Joining activity groups such as a running club is also a great way of improving our social networks.
Connecting with other people is rewarding in its own right and can help improve mental wellbeing. Perhaps even more importantly, building up a support network can also be vital for someone's recovery from a mental health problem.
Group yoga or Pilates classes can help you learn breathing techniques which can help you relax and switch off from external stresses.
Exercise can play a key role in recovery from a mental health problem and in turn help individuals to stay well for years to come.
In 2015, 61 million antidepressant prescriptions were written in England, at a cost of £285million to the public health service. Ecotherapy, such as outdoor exercise, walking or gardening - a treatment that is free of unpleasant side effects - offers a cost-effective and natural addition to existing treatments.
However, Mind research shows that 80% of people with mental health problems who do not take part in sport are put off because they feel self-conscious about their bodies.
Nearly 70% said they feel their mental health makes taking part too difficult.
Mind want people with mental health problems to enjoy exercise and see the benefits for their own recovery.
Their sports programme Get Set to Go - funded by Sport England and the National Lottery - can help people overcome their barriers to exercising by choosing an activity suitable for them.
With the support of peer sports volunteers who have their own experience of mental health problems it enables them to take the first step in getting active to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
Heads Together, a mental health campaign spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, of which Mind is a proud charity partner, was the chosen charity for this year's London Marathon.
