What is physical activity?

Being physically active means sitting down less and moving our bodies more. Many people find that physical activity helps them maintain positive mental health, either on its own, or in combination with other treatments.

This doesn’t have to mean running marathons or training every day at the gym. There are lots of different things you can do to be a bit more active.

However, it can be difficult to be physically active, especially if you are feeling unwell. We have information which you may find helpful if:

• you have particular physical or mental health
  considerations that you need to think about before you start getting
  active
• you feel like, right now, physical activity isn’t working for you.

How can physical activity help my mental health?

There are many studies which have shown that doing physical activity can improve mental health. For example, it can help with:

• better sleep – by making you feel more tired at
  the end of the day
• happier moods – physical activity
  releases feel-good hormones that make you feel better in yourself and give you
  more energy
• managing stress, anxiety or intrusive
  and racing thoughts –
  doing something physical releases cortisol which helps us manage stress. Being
  physically active also gives your brain something to focus on and can be a
  positive coping strategy for difficult times.
• better self-esteem – being more active can make you feel better about
  yourself as you improve and meet your goals
• reducing the risk of depression – studies have shown that doing regular physical activity
  can reduce the likelihood of experiencing a period of depression
• connecting with people – doing group
  or team activities can help you meet new and like-minded people, and make new friends.

But physical activity isn’t always helpful for everyone’s mental health. You may find that it is helpful at some times and not others, or just that it doesn’t work for you. For some people, physical activity can start to have a negative impact on their mental health, for example, if you have an eating problem or tend to overtrain.

What if I’m feeling unwell?

When you’re feeling unwell, it can be really hard to get started and it can be frustrating when people tell you about the benefits of being more active.

If you’re in a really bad place, don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t exercise. It can be easy to start feeling guilty or beat yourself up about not exercising, and this can start to contribute to feeling unwell.

You may need to focus on other things for a while, and build some physical activity into your routine once you’re feeling a bit better. It’s important to find a balance, and figure out what works best for you.

You may need to focus on other things for a while, and build some physical activity into your routine once you’re feeling a bit better. It’s important to find a balance, and figure out what works best for you.

What type of activity might work for me?

Being physically active tends to be easier if you choose an activity that you enjoy, and that fits into your daily life. If you force yourself to do something you don’t enjoy, you’re much less likely to keep it going and experience benefits to your mental health.

There are lots of different things you can try – not everybody will enjoy or feel comfortable doing all of these activities, so you may need to try a few before you find something you like. You may also find that different things work for you at different times, depending on how you’re feeling.

If you think you might find it hard to get going with any of these things, we have information which may help you get started.

How can I start getting active?

It can be difficult to start being more active, particularly if you’re not feeling well or you feel like there are things getting in the way.

These are some tips to help you get started.

• Start off slowly. It may take a while to build up your fitness. Doing too much at first will make you feel tired and may put you off.
• Plan a realistic and achievable routine. Try to find ways to be active that fit into your day-to-day life around your commitments, or build activity into your daily life. Trying to move a bit more every day can really help.
• Be kind to yourself. Sometimes you can’t be as active as you would like, and your energy levels will vary on different days. It’s fine to slow down or take a break.
• Try to identify your triggers and work around them. For example, if you find leaving the house difficult or don’t like to exercise in front of other people, you could try doing some exercise at home.
• Keep trying. It may take a while to find an activity you like. As well as trying different activities, you may find that you prefer a particular class, instructor or group.
• Work with your highs and lows. If you take medication that leaves you feeling exhausted in the mornings, let yourself rest and build in some exercise later on. If you find that exercising in the evenings affects your sleep, try doing some activity earlier in the day. You may also have periods of time when you’re unable to exercise because of your mental health – that’s OK. Let yourself have a break if you need it, and start again once you’re feeling better.
• Have some alternatives. If you can’t be as active as you would like, it’s a good idea to have alternative options that will help lift your mood. See our information on self-care for ideas.
• Try not to compare yourself to other people. Set your own goals based on your own abilities and what you would like to achieve. Try to pay attention to how you are feeling and the progress you are making rather than other people.
• Find activities you can do for free. The NHS website has lots of ideas for getting active without spending any money.
• Look for local schemes and discounts. Some councils offer cheaper leisure centre memberships for people who want to be physically active, especially if you have a health problem or are inactive, so it’s worth checking your council’s website. Many private gyms also offer free trials or discounts.

How much activity should I do?

There are lots of benefits to being more active, and any amount of physical activity can help. You don’t have to begin a vigorous training plan to start feeling better.

How much activity you decide to do is personal to you. This will depend on your current level of activity and fitness, and what you can fit in with your day-to-day life.

There may also be things that affect how much activity is safe for you to do, such as medication you might be taking, an eating problem, anxiety, OCD, or a physical health condition. See our information on what to do before you start exercising if you think these things may affect you.

What’s important is that you work out what feels realistic for you at the moment. This may change from time to time, depending on how you are feeling, and what you are able to do.

What should I consider before I start getting active?

If you have a mental health problem, or if you’re physically unwell, there may be certain things that might affect the type and amount of activity you can do. It’s important to think about these before you start getting active, to make sure what you’re doing is safe.

Medication

Some medication can cause side effects that affect the type and amount of physical activity that is safe for you to do. Always check with your GP before you start a new routine, or if you change your medication or dose.

For example:

• Some antidepressants can cause dizziness, high
  or low blood pressure, or affect your heart
  rate.
• Antipsychotics can cause muscle spasms,
  disturbed heart rhythm and palpitations, drowsiness, blurred vision or dizziness.
• Beta-blockers slow your heart rate and
  lower your blood pressure, so your heart will work harder when exercising. You
  may need to adjust how you exercise to avoid becoming exhausted by this.
• If you take lithium, you should check with a GP before
  doing any physical activity. This is because losing fluid from your body during
  exercise (for example, by sweating) can sometimes increase the concentration of
  lithium in your blood to a harmful level.
• Tranquillisers, for example benzodiazepines like Diazepam, can slow
  your reaction times, or cause drowsiness, dizziness or unsteadiness.

Anxiety or panic attacks

If you experience anxiety or panic attacks, you might find that some of the physical sensations you get while exercising, such as raised heart rate, feeling shaky or dizzy, breathlessness or feeling hot, can feel similar to a panic attack. This can then cause you to feel anxious, and may cause a panic attack.

If you experience this:

• Start off
  slowly. This may help you spot the difference between the effects of
  physical activity and a panic attack.
• Do a gentler
  activity. An activity that focuses on strength and stretching, such
  as yoga or tai chi, may work better for you than one that requires more intense
  exercise.
• Take deep, slow breaths. This may
  help stop you hyperventilating. Focus on breathing out.
• Avoid triggering situations. For
  example, if you want to avoid crowds or travelling, you could go jogging or
  walking in a local park, or try exercising at
  home.

Eating problems

Many people with eating problems have a complex relationship with exercise,

and overtraining can become an unhealthy part of your condition. However, physical activity can still be a positive part of your recovery – you may just need to be more careful about the type and amount of activity you do.

If you have, or are recovering from, an eating problem, it is a good idea to talk this through with your GP before you start an activity.

Read Angela’s blog about taking on a difficult trek to Iceland while living with an eating problem, depression and anxiety, and how the challenge helped her mental health.

Compulsive or addictive feelings

Some people experience compulsive or addictive feelings about physical activity (sometimes called an exercise addiction), which can lead to harmful overtraining. These feelings can be a form, or a symptom, of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or part of an eating problem.

If you tend to experience compulsive or addictive feelings about exercise, or start to experience them once you start doing more physical activity, it is a good idea to talk to your GP about how to manage this or think about seeking help.

Physical health conditions

For many people with a physical health condition, doing an appropriate amount of physical activity can be an important part of managing your condition and avoiding future health problems. However, depending on your condition, you may need to be more careful about the type and amount of activity you do, to make sure what you are doing is safe and won’t have a negative impact on your heath.

You should be particularly careful if you have:

• high blood pressure
• chest pains
• a heart condition
• diabetes
• are pregnant or have recently given birth
• an injury.

Always check with your GP about what is safe for you before you start any physical activity.

What if getting active doesn’t work for me?

While many people find physical activity helpful, not everyone does. You may find that there are times when it is helpful, and times when it isn’t.

For example:

• You may not always be able to exercise –
  if you are unwell, you may need to focus on looking after your mental health in
  other ways.
• It may not help – there may be days,
  weeks or months when physical activity doesn’t make you feel better, and you
  may need other types of support.
• For some people, exercise can make mental health worse – it can
  trigger anxiety, be part of a mental health problem
  like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)or an eating problem, or you may start to overtrain.
• You may be taking medication or have a
  physical health condition that means you can’t exercise or need to
  take particular care when doing any physical activity, either for a while or
  longer term.

If you find that physical activity isn’t working for you right now, there are a few things you can do:

• Try changing your routine, or doing a different
  type of activity. Different things work for different people at
  different times – there are lots of activities you can try.
• Do what you can when you can. It’s completely normal to have days when you wake
  up excited about going for a run, and other days when walking upstairs feels
  like a challenge. It’s OK to adapt your physical activity to how you’re feeling.
• Be gentle with yourself. If you don’t
  manage to do what you were planning, that’s OK. Have a break, and try again
  when you’re feeling better.
• Try out some other ways of caring
  for yourself, like
  relaxation, mindfulness and getting into nature.

• If you’re struggling to manage your mental health on your own, seek help. You might want to talk to your GP about possible treatments, such as medication or a talking therapy.
• If you’re finding that exercise is having a negative impact on your mental health, you may need to take a longer-term break until you’re feeling better.

© Mind, 2020

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