UWA Sport Masterclass: Mental Health and Exercise
We all know about the physical benefits of exercise and physical activity, but how often do you think about the benefits that it brings to our mental health?
There is currently so much research going on that is looking into the relationship between exercise and its effect on our mental health. Seeing as October is Mental Health awareness month, when is a better time to make yourself aware of all the good stuff you could be missing out on
What is Mental Health?
The term "mental health" is often widely misunderstood. It is used as a replacement term for mental health conditions - such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and others. (Beyond Blue, 2020). The term often comes with negative connotations as a result of this, when it actually is meant to describe a state of well-being.
The World Health Organisation describes mental health as "a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community."
How does exercise play a part in managing our mental health?
There has been plenty of research conducted that has looked into the benefits of exercise on our mental health. Exercise can boost your mood, concentration and alertness as well as improving your sleep, self-esteem, sense of control and coping ability.
Exercise has also been shown to decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. A study by I. Ensari et al. found that walking and yoga both showed similar improvements in overall acute mood symptoms and walking improved feelings of vigour.
When we exercise, our body releases feel-good chemicals too like serotonin and endorphins that improve our mood. A study by Josh S. Raglin says that 20 to 40 minutes of aerobic activity can result in improvements in state anxiety and mood that persist for several hours.
Exercise can also help us to create social connections with other like-minded people who have similar interests to us. For example, participating in a social sport competition allows you to engage with your team mates while exercising or joining a new gym class can help you meet new people or learn a new skill!
A study by Sharma et. al. outlines many other health benefits from regular exercise listed here:
Improved sleep
Better endurance
Stress relief
Improvement in mood
Increased energy and stamina
Reduced tiredness that can increase mental alertness
Weight reduction
Reduced cholesterol and improved cardiovascular fitness
What type of exercise do I need to do and how much of it?
How much exercise do we need to do to make a difference to our mental health? A good place to start is to check the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines.
The good news is that anything is better than nothing! If you currently aren't exercising, start by doing small amounts like an evening walk along the beach or around your neighbourhood. Once you are comfortable with that, you can gradually increase the amount of exercise you do as well as the intensity.
The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines say that you should aim to be active ideally on all days of the week. We should aim to accumulate between 150 - 300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 - 150 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise each week. We should also try to fit in some muscle strengthening activities two days a week.
Some good options for exercise if you are looking to save on spending too much money would be to get outside and go for walks or runs near where you live, going for hikes on some trails in the hills or jumping on your bike and going for a ride.
Another great option would be to join a gym! Gyms can often be a great place to meet like-minded people and join a community whether that be getting involved in challenges, attending group fitness classes or making friends with those around you.
Joining a social sport team also allows you to exercise in a way that is fun and with friends. The UWA Social Sport registrations for Summer 2020/21 will be open very soon so keep an eye on our website for updates! We have a range of sports from netball and touch rugby to basketball and ultimate frisbee (and more!).
The Beyond Blue website has some great tips for when you are trying to start exercising. Check them out below:
"If you’re feeling stuck, here are six tips for starting an exercise routine from scratch.
Find your reason – you’re more likely to stick with a new behaviour if it’s linked to something you really value in life. Ask yourself, “why will exercise make my life better in a meaningful way?” It might be to help you overcome depression and get your life back on track, to gain more energy for your kids or to improve your general health for a longer life.
Start small – and we mean really small. Just add five per cent to what you’re currently doing. If you’re stuck on the couch, just walking in your street each day is a great start.
Make it part of your routine – the more decisions you have to make about when to exercise, the closer you’ll come to deciding not to. Timetable your exercise into your weekly schedule so you aren’t relying as much on willpower.
Do something you enjoy – exercise doesn’t have to be serious. If you hate running or going to the gym, you’re unlikely to keep it up. Find an activity you enjoy (or at least don’t dislike) and you’re more likely to keep doing it.
Set goals and monitor progress – it’s very rewarding to track your progress towards a specific goal. It makes every exercise session feel purposeful.
Make a commitment to others – you’re less likely to opt out if you have a friend or team relying on you to be there.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself if you haven’t exercised for a while. For many, this can trigger self-critical thoughts that lead to giving up the exercise routine entirely.
Treat each day as a fresh start and remind yourself that it’s human to drop the ball occasionally. " - Beyond Blue 2020 https://www.beyondblue.org.au/personal-best/pillar/supporting-yourself/exercise-your-way-to-good-mental-health
What resources and programs are out there?
There are plenty of resources out there that talk about exercise and mental health for you to utilise such as Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute, Head to Health and more.
These resources have plenty of information on their websites that are easy to access and simple to understand. They also have online forums, anonymous chat boxes with support agents and helplines if you need to talk to someone. Please see a list of these resources and links to their websites below:
Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
Head to Health: https://headtohealth.gov.au/
Headspace: https://headspace.org.au/
Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au/
Mensline Australia: www.mensline.org.au/
There are many mental health resources closer to home here on the UWA Campus.
UWA have their own counselling service for students and staff of the university. They offer up to six free sessions per year with the goal to assist you to better manage your concerns and succeed with your studies or work. If you would like to seek further information, you can give the UWA Counselling Service a call on 08 6488 2423.
Another resource available to students at UWA is Stride UWA:
"Stride is a free on campus exercise program which aims to support and improve the mental health of UWA students. Students are paired with a trained mentor who they will work with to design an exercise program that is based on the student's goals and exercise preferences.
To be a part of the program students will need to be referred by a doctor, counsellor, member of student services or psychologist at UWA. After their first session with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, which will help to decide what the student wants to get from the program, students will then begin their exercise with their paired mentor. Fortunately, Stride is supported by many on-campus groups including UWA Sport which allows free access to UWA's great resources and facilities." - Conor Boyd, Stride Coordinator and Accredited Exercise Physiologist.
If you have any questions or want to get involved with Stride UWA, you can send them an email at stride@uwa.edu.au.
References
Betterhealth.vic.gov.au. 2018. Exercise And Mental Health. [online] Available at: <https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-and-mental-health> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Beyondblue.org.au. n.d. Beyond Blue. [online] Available at: <https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/what-is-mental-health> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Beyondblue.org.au. n.d. Exercise Your Way to Wellbeing. [online] Available at: <https://www.beyondblue.org.au/personal-best/pillar/supporting-yourself/exercise-your-way-to-good-mental-health> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Headspace.org.au. 2018. Mental Health Benefits of Exercise | Headspace. [online] Available at: <https://headspace.org.au/young-people/moving-your-way-to-a-healthy-headspace/> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Healthdirect.gov.au. 2019. Exercise and Mental Health. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/exercise-and-mental-health> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M. and Apostolopoulos, V., 2017. Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, [online] 106, pp.48-56. Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512217308563> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
n.d. Managing Depression with Exercise. 1st ed. [eBook] Black Dog Institute, pp.1-2. Available at: <https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/6-managingdepressionwithexercise.pdf?sfvrsn=6&sfvrsn=6> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Raglin, J., 1990. Exercise and Mental Health. Sports Medicine, [online] 9(6), pp.323-329. Available at: <https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199009060-00001> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Robinson, L., Segal, J. and Smith, M., 2019. The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise - Helpguide.Org. [online] Helpguide.org. Available at: <https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Sharma, A., Madaan, V. and Petty, F., 2006. Exercise for Mental Health. The Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, [online] 08(02), p.106. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/#:~:text=Exercise%20improves%20mental%20health%20by,self%2Desteem%20and%20cognitive%20function.&text=Exercise%20has%20also%20been%20found,self%2Desteem%20and%20social%20withdrawal> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Taylor CB, Sallis JF, Needle R. The relation of physical activity and exercise to mental health. Public Health Rep. 1985;100(2):195-202. [Accessed 3 October 2020].
[www1.health.gov.au. 2019. Department of Health | Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines and the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. [online] Available at: <https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#npa1864> [Accessed 3 October 2020].