Mental Health and Physical Activity
Mental illness symptoms aren’t always easy to resolve, but relief may be easier than you think... One way to immediately relieve symptoms of mental illness is by exercising.
While many people often feel they don’t have time for physical activity, or are too tired to be active, physical activity is extremely important; immediately helping you feel better, function better, and sleep better. Even if all you do is go on a 30-minute daily walk, engaging in physical activity will improve your health and increase your energy throughout the day.
Physical activity can also improve your mental health by...
Distracting you from negative thoughts and ruminations
Boosting your self-esteem through self-efficacy or mastery
Providing social interaction to connect outside of yourself
Offering a positive coping skill/outlet for negative emotions
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are called to treat our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit within us, using these temples to glorify God. Treating our body as a temple means taking care of it and giving it what it needs to be strong and sturdy. One of the ways this can be done is by exercising, both physically and mentally, to achieve mental wellness.
When we enter into our bodies and ask God to meet us there, we can shed the weight that mental illness carries. When we allow our bodies to do what they were meant to do, we can feel the relief of God’s great peace.
References
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and Mental Health, Maturitas, 106, 48-56. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512217308563)
Parnell, J. (2014). Strengthen Your Faith Through Physical Exercise. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/strengthen-your-faith-through-physical-exercise
Richardson, C.R., Faulkner, G., McDevitt,J., Skrinar, G.S., Hutchinson, D.S., Piette, J.D. (2005). Integrating Physical Activity Into Mental Health Services for Persons With Serious Mental Illness. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.56.3.324
Sharma, A., Madaan, V., Petty, F.D. (2006). Exercise for mental health. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry, 8(2), 106. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity