How being more active can improve mental wellbeing, by Sara Moseley, Director of Mind Cymru

We know that sport and physical activity can have a positive effect on your mental wellbeing, but just in case you thought we were biased we’ve also spoken to the experts.

To kick off our activities for Mental Health Awareness Week, we’ve invited mental health charity, Mind Cymru to explain just how sport and being physically active can help our mental health…

We all know that regular exercise is good for our physical health, but fewer people understand how closely linked physical and mental health are.

Statistics show that having a mental health problem can put us at even higher risk of developing serious physical health problems. Those of us with a mental health problem are twice as likely to die from heart disease and four times as likely to die from respiratory disease – meaning that regular exercise is all the more important.

But being more active and taking part in sports doesn’t just improve our fitness and reduce the risk of developing physical health problems; it can also have a very positive effect on many aspects of our mental health.

Twenty-two year old Louise was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in her second year of university. She started running with help from Couch to 5k after her GP encouraged her to try exercise and has found that running helps her to manage her mental health.

22 year old Louise

“I’ve found that running has made a real difference to how I cope with my anxiety. I was very unwell last July after I finished university but running makes me feel in control of the monsters in my brain. As well as giving me more energy and increasing my fitness, being active has made me appreciate my body.”

Katy West, who has experienced panic attacks, anxiety and depression, feels she has gone from a ‘withdrawn, anxious person’ to ‘someone who is confident and happy’ in less than four years and exercise has been a vital part of this.

“The difference it made to my mental health was incredible. My mood was much better, I had more energy. Eventually I came off my medication.”

And Weightlifting has become an important part of Katy’s life, and she recently became a World Powerlifting Championship silver medalist!

“If you had told me... that six months later, I'd be donning a Lycra singlet and lifting weights in front of a room full of people, I'd never ever have believed you!”

Katy recently blogged about her inspirational story on the Mind website.

Taking the first step

Not everyone finds it easy getting active. A UK wide survey has shown that this is a particular issue for women with mental health problems. More than half of women don’t do sport or exercise because they have bad memories of PE in school, and over 40% feel it is too competitive. But although taking the first step can seem daunting (especially to those of us with a mental health problem), many of the stories we hear are testament to the positive benefits of being more active.

“Running was a battle with my mind, more than my body, which is true for runners with or without mental health problems. But I’m glad that I pushed through the negative thoughts telling me to stop running as I'm so much more positive now. And fitter!” – Louise.

Some people might consider their mental health problem to be a disability, making them even less likely to do any physical activity. The Sport Wales Active Adults Survey shows that only 29% of disabled people play a sport regularly compared to 41% non-disabled people. But many sports organisations (such as the FAW Trust) offer tailored opportunities for disabled people to enjoy sport, regardless of their ability. And this includes people with mental health problems.

For people with mental health problems who would like to be more active, but feel like there are barriers or need some inspiration, there’s our trusted online information pages that explain why being active is important, suggest types of activity to consider, how to overcome barriers and stay motivated if you’re ready to take that important first step.

Practising what we preach

At Mind Cymru, making sure our staff are more active is part of our commitment to workplace wellbeing. Every Wednesday, we bring our sports kit into the office and swap our lunchbreak for ‘PE in the Park’ training session. As well as improving our fitness, it is a great opportunity to get some fresh air, and bond with work colleagues in a different environment.

Taking pleasure from the outdoors and being physically active is really important to me too - it’s part of what keeps me mentally well and connected. To celebrate my 50^th birthday this year, I am training for the Mind Hike, a 40 mile walk along the beautiful Offa’s Dyke National Trail in July. The challenge is to complete this in less than 24 hours and although I’m excited, I’m terrified at the same time!

For more information about Mind Cymru, visit http://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/mind-cymru-campaigns/ And to find out what sport activities are taking place in your area visit http://bbc.in/1Mbl4IM