Last Updated on March 23, 2023 by Jeremy

Research shows that physical activity, or exercising, is beneficial for a healthy body, but does physical activity help mental health? The answer to that is YES!

There are many factors that contribute to how positive it affects someone as well as numerous ways to get physical activity regardless of ability, or flexibility.

Forms of Physical Activity that Helps Mental Health:

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YOGA, MEDITATION, MINDFUL BREATHING

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide practice yoga every day. Well, they practice one of many forms of yoga available in studios all over the world.

The Different Forms of Yoga

• Hatha – combines physical poses with mindful breathing incorporating the styles of asana, pranayana, and mediation. The pace is slower making this practice excellent for beginners.
• Vinyasa – loosely translated from Sanskrit meaning “to place in a special way” refers to how we got from one pose to the next and the breathing that goes with our movements. This practice is an active yoga with a fast and continuous flow which also focuses on breathing and awareness in movements.
• Iyengar – developed by B.K.S Iyengar, this style is all about balancing flexibility and strength through proper body alignment. Props – blankets, blocks, straps, etc. – are usually utilized to find alignment in people of all ages, abilities, and flexibilities.
• Bikram – created by Bikram Choudhury, it is an unchanging and specific sequence of poses done in a room heated to 105 degrees. Has been known as ‘hot yoga’ in some studios since allegations against the creator surfaced.
• Hot Yoga – it is essentially any type of yoga, generally vinyasa or Bikram, done in a studio room heated between 95-100 degrees.
• Ashtanga – introduced by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois that involves three different levels, or series – primary, intermediate, advanced – where each level performs unvarying sequences until you and your instructor feel as though you’re ready to advance. This yoga is best for seasoned practitioners as it requires strength, endurance, and discipline to practice as couple times per week.
• Kundalini – more of a spiritual practice, it is all about awakening your kundalini energy, or shakti, which is the primal energy thought to reside at the base of the spine. This practice involves chanting, meditation, and breathing, which may seem more “out there” for seasoned yogis.

TAI CHI

This practice can be described as a Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits, and meditation.

Also known as ‘shadowboxing’, Tai chi has three areas of focus:

1. Meditation – the focus and calm obtained through Tai chi is necessary for maintaining health – relieving stress – as well as the application of the form as a relaxed-style martial art.
2. Movement – this art is the practice of appropriate change in response to external forces, of yielding to and redirecting an attack rather than meeting it with opposing force.
3. In select traditional schools, advance students may be taught traditional Chinese medicine.

Within the three areas of focus, training focuses taught on 5 elements:

1. taolu – solo hand and weapons routines/forms
2. neigong – breathing, movement and awareness exercise and meditation
3. qigong – breathing, movement and awareness exercise and meditation
4. tuishou – push hand drills
5. sanshou – striking techniques

The short version is that Tai chi is based in martial arts and involves slow movements and deep breaths. Through this practice, there are numerous benefits to mental health too.

Mental Health Benefits of Tai chi

• Reduces stress and anxiety – with the inclusion of focused breathing and meditation, Tai chi may be superior to regular exercising. Another benefit that comes with practicing this art, is that researchers found it to be safe and inexpensive, so those with anxiety and stress about finances can breathe a little easier.
• Improves mood – with regular practicing, symptoms of depression and anxiety have seen to be reduced through the mindful breathing techniques by putting a positive effect on the nervous system and mood-regulating hormones.
• Improves sleep – by practicing Tai chi just twice a week is said to improve sleep.

By practicing regularly, Tai chi can promote weight loss, improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, improves heart health, and increases balance and strength in those with Parkinson’s. Those who suffer from chronic pain, which affects overall mental health, will have reduced symptoms as this art can be low impact for those with mobility issues.

Different Styles of Tai chi

There are five styles of Tai chi that can be adjusted for skill level with focus on continuous movement from one pose to another:

1. Yang style – slow, graceful movements and relaxation which makes it excellent for beginners.
2. Wu style – emphasizes on micro-movements and is practiced very slowly.
3. Chen style – incorporates both slow and fast movements and might be challenging if new to the practice.
4. Sun style – similar to Chen style but involves less crouching, kicking, and punching, which makes it less demanding physically.
5. Hao style – this style is less-known making it rarely practiced. However, it is a style that can be described as a focus on accurate position and internal strength.

HIKING OR BIKING

When I think hiking, I picture walking up the side of a mountain carrying a massive backpack, and some trails reflect just that. But there is more to it than “just walking”. With some trails out there, certain skills need to be acquired before travelling onward, but for the sake of this article, I will be focusing on the overall benefits of hiking any trail.

• Fresh air – by getting outdoors, you release all the pent-up and stored areas of reduced airflow within pockets of pollution. The fresh air helps send more oxygen to the brain which keeps your system running at full capacity.
• Clears the mind – the increase of noise pollution in this busy life can sometimes be too much. By getting out within nature, you open yourself to more peaceful feeling. Plus, the more you explore, the more plants, berries and edible mushrooms to forage.
• Strengthens relationships – hiking with family, friends, or loved ones can benefit the relationship by giving an area to open up communication.
• Can be done anywhere – whether you’re exploring the Kootenay region or camping in one of the campgrounds in the Shuswaps, there are miles and miles of hiking trails for any skill level.

For the biking enthusiasts, you’re not limited to trails. Cycling can be done within towns or cities as a means of transportation, but to get the full effects of nature, biking is best done submerged in nature. By getting the same benefits as hiking, more and more are getting involved with mountain biking.

Other benefits obtained from biking include:

• Improves your mood
• Improves self-esteem
• Decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Improves your sleep
• Improves cognitive functions in the brain
• Improves memory and promotes new thought patterns which can improve calmness and well-being

These benefits are from the release of endorphins – hormones that promote feelings of happiness.

SWIMMING

As beneficial as swimming is for your physical health, it is just as beneficial for your mental health too.

Those benefits are as follows:

• Boosts your mood – studies have shown that people, especially those with dementia, had improved mood after swimming.
• Helps manage stress – swimming, like any form of exercise, relaxes a body because it puts focus on the techniques instead of outside stimuli and negative thoughts.
• It’s affordable – most pools offer weekly, monthly, even seasonal passes saving money.
• Helps alleviate pain symptoms – this low impact activity allows the physical aspect of exercising without the wear on the joints and muscles.
• Improves sleep – doing a full body workout like swimming will decrease the stress levels which improves your quality of sleep.
• Boosts social contact – by meeting like-minded people, you open yourself to improved self-esteem and confidence, better brain health, lower risk of dementia, and lower risk of death.

The positive aspect with swimming is that it can be done in any type of water source – lakes, rivers, pools, oceans, ponds – excluding sloughs, etc.

WALKING OR JOGGING

As established from the previous activities listed, physical activity is excellent for the body and mind. Walking or jogging is no exception; by offering the physical benefits of exercise while also boosting your emotional well-being.

Those benefits are:

• Improves sleep
• Relieves stress
• Improves mood
• Increases stamina, endurance and energy
• Reduces tiredness which increases mental alertness

If you still feel like walking, or jogging, is a challenge, then don’t stress! Starting off small can guarantee success in the long run. Finding any extra time – whether it’s a 5-minute coffee break or walking up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator – walking can be accomplished. You just need to put one foot in front of the other.

Other ways to succeed in walking or jogging are:

• Wear comfortable shoes – a high impact running shoe will guarantee to hold up over time and ease the stress put on the joints if jogging is more your style.

• Make it enjoyable – invite a friend or your neighbor to visit with whilst walking or join a walking/running group.

• Do it safely – wear bright, reflective clothing if out in the evening and stay in well-lit areas. If you enjoy listening to music whilst strolling along, keep the volume at a reasonable level to be able to hear traffic or other noises. If you’re going solo, it would be beneficial to tell someone your route and duration of the walk as well as be aware of your surroundings.

• Don’t worry about missed days – life happens and some days can’t be helped. Go when it’s convenient to do so.

Positive Factors from Physical Activity:

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As mentioned above, there are lots of benefits with physical activity that can also positively affect your mental health in many ways.

NATURE – Utilizing 3 Senses to Happiness

Immersing oneself into nature instantly boosts mood and improves a more positive outlook to life. Not only are you breathing in fresh, clean air, but you’re also getting vitamin D from the sun, which aids in stronger bones and cell growth.

The sounds within nature are almost healing in themselves with the chirps and songs from birds, frogs ‘ribbiting’, squirrels ‘chattering’, waves crashing against the shore, and insects buzzing along. All those noises contributing to nature’s symphony.

Nature is truly a sight to behold. Between the flora – flowers, trees, berries, shrubs, grasses – and the fauna – mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, fish – there is something to always observe and admire. Like when we were in the Shuswaps and had a chance encounter with a Western painted turtle or driving along the road and see a gorgeous black bear.

Finally, what’s one of the first things to do when stepping outside? Taking a huge breath of fresh air to smell all of nature’s fragrances. At the height of summer, it brings blooming flowers and a whole bouquet of perfumes to admire. When walking or hiking though a forest trail there are different levels of smells triggering our olfactory senses. Dirt, moss, mildew and mold growing in damper areas showcases a more pungent, damp earth smell than in a drier locale. Walking within a pine, or coniferous, forest brings with it the refreshing, crisp pine smells as well as the sweet scent of pine sap, or pitch. If walking throughout a forest with leafy trees, or deciduous, like poplars or birch, it highlights different scents.

Walking within nature is so beneficial to our mental health that psychiatrists and psychologists in Japan prescribe walks within nature to their patients.

BRAIN HEALTH – Ways to ‘Feel Good’

Physical activity has been proven to not only benefit the body but also the mind. Studies show that improvements in sleep, mood, and relieving of stress is what improves our mental health and our cognitive abilities.

Exercising releases ‘feel-good’ chemicals, endorphins, like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the brain. These endorphins are the body’s natural pain reliever and can also boost the mood. Some people will mention having an endorphin rush after a fun activity or exercise. Although these endorphins are naturally produced during pleasurable activities, they can also be released during times of discomfort, like when a bone is broken.

Final Thoughts

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Physical activity to improve your mental health shouldn’t be daunting, it should be enjoyable. Whether it be yoga, hiking, or Tai chi, there are options available in any location for those who want to improve themselves and their mental health.

Sometimes physical activity isn’t enough for total positive physical health. Sometimes changing your diet to incorporate more fruits and vegetables or consuming higher protein foods like Greek yogurt or meat will help improve overall health.

If you have a favorite activity that improves your mental health, feel free to leave your recommendation below.

Earth is Heart