Exercise and mental health: a vital connection

In recent years, the link between physical activity and mental health has gained significant attention in mainstream science, highlighting an area where sport and exercise therapists can make a positive impact. While commonly associated with physical fitness, exercise also profoundly benefits mental health.1 2 Regular physical activity significantly reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress while enhancing cognitive function and self-esteem. Even a single bout of exercise can reduce anxiety, and short-term engagement can buffer against stress-induced negative mood states.3 Exercise improves mental health by altering neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, which may decrease allostatic load and improve mood, emotional regulation, cognitive performance and stress resilience.4 It may also promote brain health through gut bacterial metabolites. Exercise increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein required for the survival and proliferation of neurons in key brain areas associated with learning and memory.5 This biochemical cascade improves brain function and emotional well-being while also creating a positive feedback loop that increases motivation for continuous physical activity, extending the mental health advantages. Chronic stress, if left untreated, …