Physical Activity and Mental Health

People are always looking for ways to deal with their mental health and alleviate the stress they feel on a day-to-day basis.  There are many suggestions and ideas that have been shared with people, but one method that has had significant impact and is scientifically proven is, physical activity. 

Physical activity is defined as any voluntary bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. This can include things such as going for a run in the morning before class, attending a dance class, going to the park and playing basketball with your friends, and even just walking from one class to another. It is very evident that engaging in a physical activity can be done by anyone, but what might be the benefits of physical activity, especially on our mental health?

Benefits of Physical Activity on Mental Health?

Research done by Paluska and Schwenk (2000) supports that increased aerobic exercise and strength training lead to a significant reduction of depressive symptoms in patients suffering from depression. They also found that anxiety symptoms and panic disorder improve with regular exercise, with these beneficial effects appearing to be equal to those of meditation or relaxation. 

Another study done by Tyson et al. (2010) investigating whether these effects of physical activity on mental health persisted amongst undergraduate students. In the study, participants were split into three groups, one with a low level of physical activity, another with a medium physical activity, and lastly with high physical activity. The results showed that students who engaged in high levels of physical activity showed significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression than the other two groups. There have been various other studies that highlight the link between physical activity and mental health. 

How to Get Started on Being Physically Active?

Being physically active just requires you to move your body around, so there's many ways you can go about doing so. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym either, if you have enough space at home, or go to the park or just out in nature. As a university student, you may feel like you don’t have to exercise and I completely get that. My suggestion would be to start small, perhaps by working out for ten minutes a day at home or going for a short walk. Once you get started, you can slowly increase the time of your workouts. 

For UTSC students, if you’re looking for a place to workout, the best place to go is the Pan Am Sports Centre! It is free for all UTSC students, and offers a wide range of activities including sports such as soccer and basketball. Moreover, they provide access to various exercise machines you can use. If that isn’t the type of physical activity you’re into, well they also offer activities like archery, rock climbing, dance, and martial arts. With a diverse options available, there is something for everyone to do here at Pan Am, so I highly recommend you visit there. If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of visiting the centre, another great way for UTSC students to get active is to take a walk on the Valley Land Trail. 

In conclusion ,being physically active is an excellent way to help deal with our mental health issues. There are many studies that have proven its effects on both depression and anxiety even with undergraduate student populations. There are also many ways for students to get active, and I believe the most important thing is to just do whatever feels right for you!

References and Links:

Paluska, S. A., & Schwenk, T. L. (2000). Physical activity and mental health: current concepts. Sports medicine, 29, 167-180.

Tyson, P., Wilson, K., Crone, D., Brailsford, R., & Laws, K. (2010). Physical activity and mental health in a student population. Journal of mental health, 19(6), 492-499.

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