“Exercising helps me relax and take my mind off my problems” – sound familiar?
Aerobic and anaerobic exercise (walking, running, cycling, playing tennis, fitness training at home, etc.) is beneficial not only for your physical but also for your mental health. It is not for nothing that they say “A healthy mind in a healthy body”.
What biochemical processes underlie a good mood after exercising?
From the point of view of biochemical mechanisms, the improvement in mood during physical activity is caused by the effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which reduces the physiological response to stressors (stress factors).
After training, a person's level of stress hormones, such as cortisol, adrenaline, catecholamine and adrenocorticotropin, decreases. At the same time, the level of noradrenaline and the "happiness hormones" - serotonin and endorphins - increases. The release of the latter activates receptors in the reward centers, thereby increasing life satisfaction, forming motivation, improving self-esteem, giving a sense of self-confidence, improving sleep quality, and reducing the risks of anxiety and depressive disorders in children, adolescents and adults.
Reduced levels of adrenaline and cortisol, some of the main stress hormones in the body, are associated with reduced negative mood, fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and the absence of sleep disorders.
Cortisol is a marker of stress. High levels of this hormone in the morning are associated with depression and neurotic states. The concentration of cortisol in the blood increases when the body is out of balance, in particular during exercise. However, in this case it can be called beneficial. The release of cortisol during physical activity is associated with an increase in the availability of substrates for metabolism. After exercise, in adolescents and adults, the level of the hormone in the blood is observed to be lower than before exercise. It has also been proven that cortisol remains suppressed for 24–48 hours after exhausting physical exercise. Adrenaline, like cortisol, is also secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress, as a result of which we feel arousal and anxiety, rapid heartbeat, breathing and a “fight or flight” state. After physical exertion, the level of adrenaline is also observed to be lower than the initial one.
Therefore, playing sports can act as a protective factor against excessive exposure to stress hormones and the further development of mental illnesses.
What sports are good for mental health?
Research shows that participating in sports, especially team sports, improves psychological well-being and is associated with better mental health overall, compared to those who are inactive and sedentary (people who do not meet physical activity recommendations are “sedentary” or “sedentary”). Regular exercise and any form of physical activity helps to alleviate symptoms of depression and stress, improves overall quality of life, strengthens self-esteem, social skills and interaction with people, including at work, and has a positive impact on academic and work performance. People diagnosed with an anxiety or stress-related illness have improved cognitive skills – memory, vocabulary and creative thinking.
Interestingly, there is currently a link between the type of physical activity (ball sports, aerobic activity, weightlifting and dance) and the mental health of young people. In some studies, team sports are more associated with improved mental health, compared to individual physical activity (running, cycling, swimming, etc.). Ball sports and dance are associated with fewer symptoms of depression in young people who are constantly experiencing stress. Also, participants in team games observe a positive effect on social well-being, in particular, interpersonal communication and a significant improvement in mood.
In children and adolescents, any physical activity (team or non-team sports) is associated with higher life satisfaction and lower odds of developing depressive symptoms. Playing any sport during adolescence also reduces the risk of future anxiety symptoms (including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and agoraphobia) in early adulthood and is associated with higher levels of emotional well-being. In addition, in children and adolescents, there is a positive correlation between participation in sports activities in childhood and better cognitive abilities in late adolescence. At the same time, stopping sports at a young age is associated with higher depressive symptoms later in life compared with those who continued to play; and consistent participation in team sports (but not individual sports) during adolescence is associated with higher self-esteem, lower perceived stress, and depressive symptoms in early adulthood. This may be related to encouragement from coaches, teammates, and good performance on the field.
In older adults, group physical activity (e.g., group walks) and sports (e.g., golf) have been shown to improve self-rated mental health, reduce symptoms of depression, and increase laughter rates in both men and women. Lack of or irregular exercise may be associated with symptoms of mild and severe depression.
Recommendations
According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is advisable for adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) per week. If 150 minutes per week seems too much, especially if you have things to do that cannot be postponed until tomorrow, you can engage in intense anaerobic activity (such as running) for 75 minutes.
It is worth knowing that in the modern world, the burden of mental illness is increasing every year. According to WHO estimates, in 2019, the average prevalence of mental disorders in the regions of the world was 13.31 TP3T in the general population, in particular, it reached 14.21 TP3T in Europe. At the same time, the DALY index (equal to years of life lost as a result of premature death and years lived with disability) of mental illnesses tends to increase, which indicates a serious problem that society must carefully consider and solve. Sport can play a key role in reducing this burden, reducing the prevalence of mental disorders in the world, in particular in Ukraine.
Thus, physical activity is not just the path to a healthy body, but also to a healthy mind. Don't forget to take care of your mental health as well as your physical one. Move, exercise, surround yourself with positivity and remember: your happy body is a happy mind. Start exercising today!
Also, at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska, the National Program for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support of Citizens “How Are You?” was developed. The goal of the program, which is being jointly developed by specialists from ministries, WHO, and the public sector, is to create a system of services that can support a person when they cannot cope on their own.