Can exercise improve your mental health?
The link between regular exercise and your mental health is strong. Think of them as best friends that bring something unique to the relationship (your body).
Regular exercise can trigger remarkable changes to your body that contribute to your overall mental health and wellbeing.
For example, regular exercise reduces your body's stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. At the same time, it stimulates the production of endorphins, the ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain that elevate your mood and relax the body – WOO HOO (sorry, that was the endorphins).
Exercise can also boost your self-confidence because you’ll feel a sense of pride when you start to get closer to your wellbeing goals. A few extras laps at the pool? Fantastic. A walk every day? Well done. Completion of the Tour de France? Okay, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. No matter what you do, your sense of progress and achievement can elevate your mood because little wins and big wins feel good.
What types of exercise?
Different types of exercise may bring about different responses, both physically and mentally.
Swimming is a great low-impact, full-body workout and can help you recover from injury. Running is a great way to maintain your fitness, burn energy and maintain your weight. The secret to success is to choose the exercise you enjoy the most. Each activity will put you in the zone to reduce your body’s stress hormones, unlock endorphins and give you a sense of pride that you put in time to exercise.
Activities such as team sports, cycling, aerobic exercise and gym workouts have positive effects on mental health, too.
Group exercise provides a sense of value, belonging and attachment because they combine exercise with a social atmosphere. Healthy social relationships may lower your anxiety levels and raise your confidence.
24/7 Medibank Mental Health Support
Medibank health insurance members can chat to a mental health professional about how they feel and ask questions about a range of mental health concerns for themselves or a loved one and get guidance on what they can do next. Chat online or call 1800 644 325 anytime of the day or night, 7 days a week at no extra cost.~
How much exercise do you need each week?
Maintaining regular exercise improves your fitness, which can help lift your mood. Each week, you should aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Exercise should not be painful.
If you’re not active often start with simple exercises like:
Walking to the shops
Gardening
Household jobs
Cooking
Tips to get started
Start small, set goals and be realistic
Try exercising with a group
Remind yourself that exercise is a great way to reset and feel better.
How can we help?
I want to know how my cover supports mental health
I need help and want to talk
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Things you need to know
~Some referred services may involve out of pocket costs and waiting periods may apply.
While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).