How playing sport helps our mental health

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week.

It has become increasingly common for people to suffer from mental health problems, in fact according to mental health charity Mind, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England.

We share the belief that sport has an important role to play in supporting people to deal with their mental health issues. Through our work with over 55 National Governing Bodies across the UK, USA and Ireland, we’ve seen how many people’s live change from getting active.

Evidence has proved time and time again that sport can have a significant positive impact on mental wellbeing, and we thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight five reasons to get active to improve your mental health!

Improve mood

So simple, but so effective.

One study asked people to rate their mood immediately after periods of physical activity and periods of inactivity, and results showed that participants felt more content, more awake and calmer after being physically active compared to after periods of inactivity.

You can read more about the study here.

Regular exercise over the course of an extended period of time has been proven to increase enthusiasm and alertness, and if you can get involved in playing a sport on a regular basis you can be sure that an improve in your mood is just around the corner.

Reduce stress levels

Playing sport is a major stress reliever for many.

Getting active is a common suggestion by doctors when it comes to stress management, often because exercise can directly tackle to physical symptoms of stress.

Common physical signs of stress are caused by a rush of specific hormones in the human body: adrenaline and noradrenaline. This is otherwise known as the ‘fight or flight’ response and it can cause lots of sweating, high blood pressure and a high heart rate.

Exercise helps train your body to cope with these things, protecting you from the harmful effects of stress while simultaneously improving your cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems.

Build confidence

Thinking about all the sciencey stuff might not be for you, so how about this: you’ll feel great!

Getting involved in sport can act as a huge confidence booster. It can raise your self esteem and help you to feel stronger and even smarter.

When playing sport you can set yourself personal goals, filling you with an enormous sense of achievement upon meeting them.

Even if you’re not specifically trying to, exercising will help you to strengthen and tone your body, improving your self-image and supporting you to feel better about the way you look.

In addition to all that great stuff, you’ll be filling your brain with all the important nutrients and oxygen it needs to function well, making you more alert, focused, and able to complete daily tasks.

Sleep better

According to one study, Up to 15% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia, which is defined by difficulties falling or staying asleep, waking up too early, or experiencing restless sleep multiple times a week.

It also found that in as little as four weeks, individuals with chronic insomnia who begin regular exercise can fall asleep up to 13 minutes faster, and stay asleep 18 minutes longer.

You can read more about the study here.

Lack of sleep can have a serious impact on cognitive function, energy levels, and mood, and once again playing sport can be a helpful tool in tackling these issues.

Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety

Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health issues in the UK, and they’re particularly damaging in the way they can lead to further problems down the line.

Playing sport can help to deal with symptoms of these issues in a number of ways.

At the most basic level, it can help you to take your mind off things. Depression and anxiety can lead you into a vicious cycle of endless negative thoughts, and playing a bit of sport can, even for just a short while, help you focus elsewhere.

Perhaps more importantly, though, is that exercising stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine plays a major role in how humans feel pleasure, and contributes to lots of other cognitive functions.

Dopamine deficiencies have been strongly linked as potential causes for both depression and anxiety, and if exercising can cause a boost to that all important chemical then you’re making steps to start treating your mental health problems.

These are just a handful of the ways that playing sport can help to improve your mental wellbeing, and as we all continue in the fight to tackle the growing issues around mental health, it’s so important to keep the conversation flowing.

Despite improvements in recent years, it can be a very lonely world for those who suffer with mental health issues, and campaigns like Mental Health Awareness Week give us the opportunity to have discussions that could prove to be so valuable.

Everyone in the sporting community has a responsibility to help deal with these problems, and we’re proud to be working with so many organisations to assist them in delivering opportunities to get people active around the world, when they can so often prove to be invaluable to those who are suffering.