Exercise and Mental Health

I am passionate about the importance and benefit of exercise (at any level) not just on our physical health and fitness but also on our mental health. There is much published about how physical activity can help how we are feeling. Check out the Mind website for example.

Exercise can be defined as “any activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness”. Exercise isn’t necessarily about going to the gym, it takes many forms, for example gentle seated exercise from a chair, walking the dog, dancing round the kitchen to your favourite tracks, DIY, housework, gardening, cleaning the car, running, paddleboarding, or any amateur or professional level sports.

If you are struggling with your mental health, feel depressed, or anxious, have low self-esteem, low confidence, are angry or any other difficult thoughts or feelings, you may feel exhausted all the time and trying to get yourself up to do some sort of exercise can feel almost impossible to do. You might self-sabotage with thoughts such as “I can’t be bothered” or “I’ll do it tomorrow”.  It can seem easier to stay on the couch watching the TV and reaching for another cup of tea and cake. But then guilt can set in for “not being bothered” and so the difficult feelings perpetuate.

I have often notice myself when feeling low, can’t be bothered and just sitting on the couch doing nothing, if I make the reluctant effort, I feel so much happier, lighter and fulfilled after doing some exercise. I feel more positive and in fact I find I have more energy to do other things, managing to stay away from that couch!!

But not only does exercise affect our mental health, but our mental health affects our exercise performance.

Whether you are exercising for mobility, health and fitness or competitively, your exercise performance may be impaired because your thoughts are elsewhere on what’s worrying you, distracting your concentration or you may have negative thoughts about yourself, such as “I can’t do this”, “I’m useless/rubbish“, “people are looking at/judging me” etc. Such thoughts or beliefs might cause us to stop the exercise and retreat to the couch for ‘safety’.

I’m not going to go into any scientific detail here, but I know from my own experience both when exercising on my own or taking part in competitive sport I gain more benefit, my performance improves when I focus on what I am doing in the moment, and I have noticed I really enjoy the exercise much more. At times if things weren’t going well I would tell myself I was rubbish and the whole experience was dreadful. I came away feeling bad about myself and that I had let the team/myself down.

So, what’s the key to making improvements in either your mental health, or your chosen exercise, or both?

Finding a way of motivating yourself. Get to know yourself, what you enjoy, what you don’t enjoy, what entices you to do something. This is easier said than done and so think about asking for help. Perhaps friends or family, find someone who will join you in your activity so you can support and encourage each other. Share the experiences! Or consider joining a team or club where you can do your favourite activity with like-minded people who can help you to stay on track.

Another option is to seek professional help such as a counsellor or a coach who can help you to find out what is behind your lack of motivation and negative feelings and create new strategies to reduce or stop your self-sabotaging. Discover what will work for you.

As owner of Simplyou Counselling I offer counselling in Thatcham, West Berkshire and I can help you to explore and understand your difficult thoughts and feelings holding you back from the positive growth and development which might enhance and enrich your life.

To find out more or request a free 15 minute phone consultation contact me by email at nicola@simplyoucounselling.co.uk or use the contact form on my website: www.simplyoucounselling.co.uk

Nicola Jupp

Simplyou Counselling

March 2025