How exercise improves mental health: What South Africans need to know

While many people exercise to build muscle, lose weight, improve fitness, or train for a race or competition, exercise isn’t just about fitness—it’s one of the most powerful tools for improving mental health and cognitive function.

From reducing anxiety and depression to enhancing memory and focusthe psychological benefits of regular physical activity can have transformative benefits for your cognitive functioning and overall quality of life.

Whether you’re a dedicated fitness enthusiast or someone who just enjoys staying active, understanding how movement affects your mental well-being can revolutionize your approach to fitness.

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Train your brain

With rates of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s increasing worldwide, World Mental Health Day on October 10 aims at awareness and early preventive action.

It’s the perfect time to think about how exercise could benefit your brain and mental health, whether you’re hitting the gym, aerobics studio or on the road.

Taking preventative steps is also vital in our fast-paced, always-on lifestyles where we are more cognitively engaged and our brains need to deal with more stressors in the form of physical, environmental, emotional stress and lifestyle-related stress.

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Brain boosting benefits

Research consistently shows this Physical exercise benefits the brain by changing its structure and improving its function.

Numerous studies show that physical activity in general increases brain volume and enhances cognitive function, especially learning.

For example, a study¹ published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology confirmed that “moderate-intensity exercise is associated with increased performance in working memory and cognitive flexibility, while high-intensity exercise improves information processing speed.”

Other studies² show this Running improves brain plasticity greatly increasing the number of new neurons connecting cells in a wide range of important brain areas. These areas include:

• The temporal lobe (which handles memory, hearing and language, processes sensory information and helps you understand and produce speech).
• The prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for executive functions, including planning, decision making, problem solving, working memory, and social behavior) and
• The hippocampus (critical for forming new memories, spatial navigation and emotional processing).

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That feeling-good feeling

Regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise, releases various substances, including endocannabinoids and endorphins, the “feel good” hormonessuch as serotonin and dopamine that lead to the so-called runner’s high.

This effect is associated with a drop in stress hormone levels in humans, which helps improve mood and fight depression.

Studies³ also show how Regular exercise can help reduce age-related cognitive decline improving the function of both the gray matter – the active brain cells – and the brain’s white matter that connects gray matter areas together.

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Weight training with weights

While the forms of exercise covered in these studies focus primarily on cardiovascular activities such as walking, running, and cycling, Emerging research also links weight training to a stronger, more resilient mind.

A study⁴ which included data from almost half a million people contained in the UK Biobank, revealed that muscle strength, measured with a hand grip, is a reliable indicator of brain health.

The findings showed that, on average, stronger people – scored according to maximum grip – performed better on tests of brain function, which included reaction speed, logical problem solving and various memory tests. The study also showed that the relationships were consistently strong in both under-55s and over-55s.

According to lead author Dr. Joseph Firth, the study showed a clear link between muscle strength and brain health. “When multiple factors such as age, gender, body weight and education are taken into account, our study confirms that people who are stronger do indeed tend to have better functioning brains,” said Firth.

Research has shown that connections between muscle strength and brain function also exist in people with schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder, which can affect normal brain function.

The result of the exercise

Many factors help exercise improve brain function. These include improved insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation and the release of growth factors, which positively affect the health of brain cells.

Exercise also improves blood flow to the brain by creating new blood vessels, and learning new movement patterns helps create and maintain neural pathways.

Physical activity also appears to benefit our brains, especially as we get older enhancing adult neurogenesis⁵ – the creation of new brain cells in an already mature brain. This essentially means that exercise not only slows down the natural age-related decline in brain tissue, but can also improve brain function by creating new tissue and connections.

Additional support

You can too support the brain-boosting benefits of exercise with adequate sleep and targeted nutritional support with specially formulated supplements.

Magnesium is a powerful supplement that can support stress reduction and improve sleep quality. Known as the “master mineral,” magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzyme processes that keep your body running smoothly—from regulating sugar and blood pressure to producing energy and supporting nerve and muscle function.

When it comes to helping you turn off at night, magnesium plays a key role in regulating GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a calming neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system and prepares your brain for sleep.

Magnesium acts as a modulator of GABA receptors⁶enhancing their activity and promoting relaxation. Without enough of this mineral, GABA activity decreases, making it harder for your mind to shut down, leading to difficulty falling or staying asleep. This mineral also helps reduce physical tension in the muscles.

For those struggling to get enough magnesium from their diet, bioavailable supplements can provide nutritional support. Biogen has a range of magnesium supplements including:

• Biogen Magnesium Glycinate: Linked with glycine for superior absorption and gentle on the gut
• Biogen ZMA: Contains magnesium aspartate, another highly bioavailable form, ideal for athletes
• Biogen Magnesium Chelate: Highly absorbent, ideal for performance and recovery
• Biogen Magnisol Sleep: Combines magnesium glycinate, inositol and vitamin C to help support muscle function, maintain electrolyte balance and support a healthy immune system while reducing oxidative stress

You can find more immediate mood support from 5-HTP, found in products like Biogen 5-HTP. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can help increase the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that controls mood while promoting nerve regeneration, which creates new cells and tissue to repair the nervous system.

References

1. Mandolesi L, Polverino A, Montuori S, Foti F, Ferraioli G, Sorrentino P, Sorrentino G. Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits. Front Psychol. April 27, 2018; 9:509. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509. PMID: 29755380; PMCID: PMC5934999.
2. Vivar C, van Praag H. Running Changes the Brain: the Long and the Short of It. Physiology (Bethesda). 2017 Nov. 32(6):410-424. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00017.2017. PMID: 29021361; PMCID: PMC6148340.
3. Barnes JN. Exercise, cognition and aging. Adv Physiol Educ. 2015 Jun;39(2):55-62. doi: 10.1152/advan.00101.2014. PMID: 26031719; PMCID: PMC4587595.
4. Firth J, Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, Firth JA, Large M, Rosenbaum S, Hallgren M, Ward PB, Sarris J, Yung AR. Grip strength is related to cognitive performance in schizophrenia and the general population: A UK biobank study of 476559 Participants. Schizophr Bull. 2018 Jun 6;44(4):728-736. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sby034. PMID: 29684174; PMCID: PMC6007683.
5. Schoenfeld TJ, Swanson C. A Runner’s High for New Neurons? Potential role for endorphins in the effects of exercise on adult neurogenesis. Biomolecules. 2021 Jul 21, 11(8):1077. doi: 10.3390/biom11081077. PMID: 34439743; PMCID: PMC8392752.

6. Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, Bienkowski P, Yaltsewa N, Amessou M, Noah L, Pouteau E. Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 28, 12(12):3672. doi: 10.3390/nu12123672. PMID: 33260549; PMCID: PMC7761127.