How are exercise and mental health linked?

Running, cycling, walking, HIIT, rowing; all have wide-ranging physical benefits. What about exercise and mental health. Does exercise cause the release of Endorphins? What are they, what is their effect on the body and how do they affect mental health?

What are Endorphins?

• Endorphins are a chemical that is produced during pain or stress
• In the short term, they relieve pain or stress
• When released, they can make us feel happy, good inside and maybe even euphoric
• Activities such as laughing, yoga and spicy foods are also known to cause the release of endorphins in the body

But how are endorphins and exercise linked? We can all have that dreaded feeling of being tired and not ‘up’ for going to the gym or on that run. Yet when we’ve been, we can feel brilliant, with more energy than before and happier!

Researchers prior to 2008 thought endorphins caused the “runners high”, but they were not studied in depth until 2008. Since then, PET scans have been used to look at athletes’ brains, finding that endorphins are indeed released after exercise.

Studies looking deeper into the effects of exercise on mental health, have investigated the release of endorphins and how it impacts neurogenesis and the hippocampus in the brain.

What is neurogenesis?

• Researchers have found the release of endorphins, can induce neurogenesis
• Neurogenesis is the process whereby neurons (nerve cells that pass messages) are formed in our brains
• It is crucial at the very early stages of our life
• However, it can continue in certain brain regions over our lives when stimulated in healthy brains, such as the hippocampus

What is the hippocampus?

• The hippocampus is a complex brain structure embedded deep into temporal lobe. Studies have shown that it is involved in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
• This part of the brain plays a role in memory and spatial navigation
• Neurogenesis can occur in the hippocampus, leading to improved memory, spatial and environmental learning

Regular exercise has many positive mental health benefits

Below are some of the effects of exercise on the brain and also mental health.

• Reduce risks of stroke
• Increased blood flow to the brain
• Protective against varying neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, dementia and Alzheimer’s
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Having similar effects to antidepressant drugs

Exercise also has wide-ranging positive effects on our mental health, it can be a prescribed treatment or even a prevention for many conditions.

Conclusion
Clearly, the benefits of exercise to our brain and mental health are wide and very beneficial. Including exercise in your weekly routine will greatly benefit your mental state, releasing those endorphins, improving your mood, and helping with productivity. As well as this, the benefits to your brain health and development, in the form of neurogenesis, will only improve things such as memory and spatial awareness, as well as help prevent neurodegenerative disease.

Studies discussed in the article

A Runner’s High for New Neurons? Potential Role for Endorphins in Exercise Effects on Adult Neurogenesis’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34439743/
Timothy J. Schoenfeld and Chance Swanson (2021)

Endorphins, effects and how to increase levels
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320839#what-are-endorphins
Jennifer Berry, medically reviewed by Alana Biggers

The University of Queensland: Queensland brain institute. What is Neurogensis?
https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/brain-physiology/what-neurogenesis