Exercise has long been referenced as a way to clear the mind, take away stress or combat mental health disorders, according to postdoctoral scholar and research associate in the University of Wisconsin Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory Madeleine Connolly.
Practices such as yoga in India and tai chi in China have connected the mind and body through exercise for hundreds of years, according to Connolly, and new practices and activities continue to emerge today.
Physical activity has multitudes of mental health-related benefits, including improving stress and mood and enhancing self-confidence, Connolly said. Exercise provides an opportunity to be in touch with your body, escape daily struggles, reground and reconnect with your feelings, according to sophomore Nutrition and Dietetics student and UW Athletics performance nutrition assistant Molly Piepkorn.
But, despite exercise’s ability to combat mental health symptoms, these symptoms may be so prevalent in some individuals that they affect their ability to participate in physical activity, Connolly said. In her doctoral thesis at The University of Melbourne, Connolly assessed qualitative quotes from individuals diagnosed with depression and anxiety, creating a scale of statements of psychological barriers.
“I made them into a scale with statements that might be things like ‘some days I can’t get out of bed, let alone exercise,’ or ‘some days I feel too anxious to exercise,’ or ‘I worry exercise will make my anxiety worse,’” Connolly said.
Through recognition of both benefit and barrier statements that were related to mental health in nature, Connolly concluded that individuals with symptoms of depression and anxiety struggled to find motivation to exercise. If getting up in the morning and making a daily routine poses a challenge to some individuals, factoring in exercise can be a daunting task, according to Piepkorn.
Additional barriers to working out for college students unrelated to mental health include both lack of time and intimidation produced from current gym culture, Piepkorn said.
“People are scared of judgment being in the gym — judgment that they’re doing the wrong thing, they have the wrong form, what they look like compared to other people in the gym,” Piepkorn said. “There’s a big, kind of social anxiety fear there that a lot of people struggle to overcome.”
Similarly, body image was included in many of the original qualitative quotes Connolly studied, often paired with anxiety language, a pressure to look a certain way or diverse identities that challenge heteronormative gym culture. These pressures can be amplified for people who are struggling with mental health, Connolly said.
But, this doesn’t mean that gym culture doesn’t have its benefits. The gym can provide a community for support, strength and growth, according to Piepkorn.
Two clinical trials in the Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory are further exploring how physical activity may influence individual feelings or emotions, according to Connolly. The Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT+) trial requires participants to cycle before therapy to improve depression, while the RESIST Study explores how advice from a personal trainer impacts those with depressive symptoms, Connolly said. Connolly is involved in the CBT+ trial, and both trials are actively recruiting participants following a screening survey.
“If they believe they have depressive symptoms or if they have a diagnosis of depression, either or, they are very welcome to do a short online survey and we can give them a call and figure out more,” Connolly said.
At UW, there are a multitude of resources for students looking to get started in the gym, looking for a gym community, or seeking mental health or wellbeing help or advice. Let’s Talk, a drop-in consultation session, or any general UHS mental health counseling service is a great place to start if you’re struggling with mental health, according to Connolly.
As far as exercise goes, taking advantage of full student access to the Nicholas Recreation Center and the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, as well as getting involved in intramural sports is a great way to get started in the gym and even find a community, Connolly said.
Girl Gains, a women’s only weight-lifting community, and the Wellness Society at UW, a nation-wide wellness network, are two more resources for finding community in a healthful mindset, according to Piepkorn. For those just getting started in the gym, group fitness classes at campus recreation centers can be a great place to go with a friend, meet new people and take some of the stress off being active, Piepkorn said.
Piepkorn also stresses the importance of nutrition when thinking about being active and mental health.
“A lot of people struggle to understand how much nutrition actually does impact your thinking, ability to remember things, and ability to function throughout your day,” Piepkorn said. “Even if you’re not interested in going to the gym, you can also start with nutrition, creating a routine, making sure that you’re getting all the nutrients that you need on your plate.”
The difference from universal healthcare in Connolly’s native country of Australia to very varied healthcare in the U.S. is one of the main things that drives her research.
While there are positives and negatives to healthcare systems both in the U.S. and in Australia, no matter what system someone is a part of, incorporating physical activity into daily life can improve psychological health and mitigate mental health symptoms, Connolly said.
As a researcher who is passionate about personal agency and giving all people care, she is motivated to study how mental health and exercise are interlinked, because physical activity can be something that is accessible to all, Connolly said.
