Movement & Mental Health

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and the theme this year is movement. Research is continually showing that our minds and bodies are intrinsically linked, and that our physical health has a significant influence on our mental health, and vice-versa. Some of the benefits of movement on mental health are: improved sleep; feeling fitter and stronger; more energy for things you enjoy, and opportunities to create social connections.

There are a lot of harmful narratives around exercise, so it feels important for me to say that this post is about celebrating movement without attaching any messages about worthiness or relative good- / badness to our bodies. I’m going to share a few tips for moving more and boosting your mental health in the process, and emphasise that it’s okay to go gently with this, and to trust yourself and your body to know what is and isn’t right for you.

Start small

The classic trap people can fall into - especially if it’s been a while since they’ve done regular movement - is to push themselves too quickly with an activity that’s too intense for them. This often results in physical injury that restricts movement for a while as the body recovers, or is psychologically overwhelming because it’s set the bar too high, too soon.

Small steps will always add up over time, and you can increase things gradually as you build solid foundations to work up from. If you introduce a smaller, more manageable opportunity for movement into your everyday to begin with, you’re more likely to stick with it, and to eventually get to a place where you’re motivated to do more.

Do something you enjoy

It’s so much easier to move more if you’re doing something you actually enjoy, rather than what you think you “should” be doing. If the idea of going to the gym fills you with horror, or the thought of attempting a 5k makes you want to cry, you don’t have to do these things!

Doing something you know you’ll enjoy will be a far better motivator than doing something you hate because you think you “ should” be doing it. Have a dance in the kitchen, go for a walk in a place that interests and inspires you, join a class for something you loved as a child; the “what” doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy it!

Buddy up

Having the accountability of showing up for another person can be a fantastic motivator for moving more. Relying on pure willpower to get past any blocks to doing so can be tricky, especially in the early days of getting started, so knowing that someone else is going to join you can help with this. You could arrange to meet a friend for a walk during your lunch break once a week (or more!), or even sign up for a class with them.

Personal training is another way to make yourself accountable for moving more, and it’s sometimes possible to split the cost of sessions with another person to make them more affordable (and give you extra accountability!). Knowing that someone else has done the actual planning and your only job is to show up can remove a lot of the mental barriers that come with not knowing where to start.

Try habit-stacking

This can be a very sneaky, yet ingenious way of incorporating more movement into your every day by “stacking” it with another regular habit you already have. For example, you might do some stretches whilst you wait for the kettle to boil in preparation for your first cup of coffee in the morning, or have a 10-minute walk as part of your lunch break.

Another way to do this is to only allow yourself to listen to a favourite podcast / audiobook, or watch a TV show you’re obsessed with when you’re doing some movement. It doesn’t matter if it’s household chores, gardening, a daily walk around the block, or on an exercise bike in front of the telly, saving something you enjoy watching or listening to for a particular activity is more likely to motivate you to move more regularly.

Make it part of your routine

This has been the key for me personally when it comes to making an effort to move more regularly. I have a personal training session first thing in the morning every Monday and Friday, and usually meet a friend for a walk on Sundays as part of our catch-up time. Going for a walk on my lunch breaks during the week is another part of my routine, and I find that it helps me to reset and decompress between sessions.

Treating opportunities for different types of movement as commitments during the week will help you to stick with them, and they will eventually become so ingrained into your routine that you’ll simply do them out of habit, rather than having to make a conscious effort to do so.

I hope this post has given you some gentle encouragement and inspiration for finding small ways to move more in your everyday. At the time of writing this post, I have limited availability for new clients, so if you’re struggling and think I might be the therapist for you, feel free to get in touch. You can contact me: using the form below; on Facebook and Instagram @emmapooleytherapy, or via email to emma@emmapooleytherapy.com.