Get Active For Mental Well-Being

Being active is great for your physical health and fitness, and evidence shows that it can also improve your mental well-being.

We think that the mind and body are separate. But what you do with your body can have a powerful effect on your mental wellbeing.

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Mental well-being means feeling good – both about yourself and about the world around you. It means being able to get on with life in the way you want. Evidence shows that there is a link between being physically active and good mental wellbeing. Being active doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the gym, if that doesn’t appeal to you. Find physical activities that you enjoy and think about how to fit more of them into your daily life.

How exercise helps your mental well-being

Scientists think that physical activity helps maintain and improve well-being in a number of ways. Physical activity can help people with mild depression. Evidence shows that it can also help protect people against anxiety. Physical activity is thought to cause chemical changes in the brain, which can help to positively change our mood. Some scientists think that being active can improve well-being because it brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge.