Mental Health Awareness Month Series • How to Make Time for Exercise

May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, and we know how hard it can be to manage your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. That's why we're doing a deep dive into one of the best ways to take care of your overall wellness: Exercise.

From a psychological perspective, exercise has been shown to improve the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, lowering cortisol secretion and restoring the balance of leptin and ghrelin (Mahendru et al., 2023). Exercise optimizes hormones, putting you in a better frame of mind. As a result, more positive emotions are experienced, life feels more satisfying, and resilience against mental health challenges like anxiety and depression is strengthened.

However, with busy schedules, raising families, and trying to keep up at work, time for exercise often falls by the wayside. Balancing all that is required of us isn’t easy, but exercise must be a priority so that we can live happier and more fulfilling lives. Studies show that taking a brisk 30-minute morning walk can improve your health in the long term and lower your risk of developing chronic disease—so how can you fit it in?

1) The Early Bird Catches the Worm

Waking up earlier each morning to squeeze in a 15–20 minute walk is a great way to start using exercise to your advantage. You can slowly work your way up to a longer walk as you adjust to an earlier wake time.

2) Use Your Lunch Break Effectively

If you work in a space where you have a standardized lunch time, try to take 10–15 minutes after eating to squeeze in a quick walk. It's a great mood booster and energy lifter!

3) Make Social Activities Active

Instead of grabbing a coffee, ask a friend if they’d like to go for a walk in the park with coffee in hand. This way, you can enjoy your conversation in a more active manner!

Although these small tweaks might not seem like they’d make a huge difference, the key is to start small and let your positive habits compound! Before you know it, you’re making progress, moving more, and feeling better. Although it might seem counterintuitive, your physical health is a key method of keeping your mental health optimal.

❤️,

Mind and Brain Link