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Michael Karwowski

Professor Richardson

English Composition 2

14 April 2019

How does working out on a regular basis affect your mental health?

Often times you hear people talk about how they feel so good after completing a run or a

hard workout. It is not a coincidence that working out makes you feel better mentally. I chose

this research topic because I have a passion for fitness and learning about mental health

fascinates me. I have noticed that going to the gym helps me relieve lots of the stress from school

and other aspects in my life. I believe that someone should read about this topic because it might

change their whole way of thinking when it comes to exercising. Many people think that the only

reason to work out is to keep their weight down and look better. Working out on a regular basis

is not only good for your physical health, but it can drastically improve your mental health too.

In fact, exercising on a regular basis can help with your depression, improve your mood, help

you sleep better, give you more self-confidence, and many other benefits that most people don’t

know about.

Working out on a regular basis affects your mental health because it can help with

depression and anxiety. Dr. Charles said in her article about the 5 mental benefits of working out

“Exercise is a scientifically proven mood booster, decreasing symptoms of both depression and

anxiety” (Charles 1). There are lots of people in this world that have no idea that working out

could help or even cure their depression. In her article, Weir says “Exercise may boost a

depressed person's outlook by helping him return to meaningful activity and providing a sense of

accomplishment” (Weir 25). People often think that working out is to only look better. They
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think that working out is not needed if they don’t care what their physical appearance looks like.

What people don’t know is the benefits that working out on a regular basis give to you. It is not

often taught to people on why working out is crucial for a person’s mental and physical health.

Dr. Adam Checkround says “Depression is the leading cause of disability nationwide, and there

is an urgent need to find ways to improve mental health” (Cohut 4). One way to improve the

mental health of people nationwide is for them to start exercising. Instead of pointless

commercials about products we don’t need, there could be a way to educate the people about

why you should get up off your couch and go exercise. In another article written by David

Levine, he talks about a study done in 1999 at Duke University that found “Taking a brisk 30

minute walk or jog three times a week was as effective as the antidepressant Zoloft in treating

major depression” (Charles 13). Implementing exercise programs in mental health facilities

should become required based on all of the research done that proves that exercising on a regular

basis can drastically improve your mental health. In her article, Dr. Charles says “Some doctors

recommend trying out an exercise regimen before turning to medication” (Charles 2). It would

help the patients get healthier physically because some of them might not know how to. A study

was done by Psychiatry Online and written about in an article by Stephen J. Bartels and they

found that “Participants in the two IN SHAPE sites lost significantly more weight and showed

greater improvement in fitness compared with participants that received usual normal care”

(Bartels 3). Not only would the patients in the mental health facilities get in better shape, but

their symptoms of depression could decrease. It is also proven that exercising can help reduce

anxiety. For example, Weir says “exercise in many ways is like exposure treatment” (Weir 15).

Whenever I have a big test coming up, I find that going to the gym is a big stress reliever and it

gets my mind off things.

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Another way that exercising on a regular basis affects your mental health is that it can

improve your sleep. Ilene Cohen states “Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster

and deepen your sleep” (Cohen 6). Many people in this world have problems falling asleep and

they don’t know why. Not getting enough sleep at night can make you tired and more stressed

out. Ever since I started working out on a regular basis, my sleep problems have completely gone

away. I fall asleep almost as soon as I hit the pillow. Lots of my friends say that they have

trouble falling asleep, and I always recommend doing a hard workout to help. In her article, Dr.

Charles says “Physical activity increases body temperature, which can have calming effects on

your mind, leading to more shuteye” (Charles 5). It is proven that if you get more sleep, you will

feel better physically and mentally. Dr. Charles also says, “Exercise also helps regulate your

circadian rhythm, our bodies’ built-in alarm clock that controls when we feel tired and alert”

(Charles 5). I have found that the more I work out, the more I feel alert with the things going on

around me. Ilene Cohen states that “regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and

deepen your sleep” (Cohen 4). It is well known that sleep and depression go together. If

someone is lacking sleep, it can make them feel sad and even depressed. Getting more sleep will

affect a person’s mental health in a positive way because it will improve many aspects of their

life. A recent National Sleep Foundation poll found “that regular exercisers were significantly

more likely to report sleeping well on most nights than people who were not physically active”

(Breus 1). Exercising just once will not affect how you sleep. You must exercise on a regular

basis in order to see your sleep improve. For example, Breus says in his article “exercise may not

have an immediate impact on sleep, but in fact may take several weeks or months to significantly

change sleep” (Breus 1). Being able to sleep better is a great benefit of working out, but getting a

good night sleep can also help you have a better workout which makes it easier for you to reap
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all of the benefits that working out has on your mental health. Breus says “Sleep, on the other

hand, may have a very short-term effect on exercise. A poor night’s sleep can have a negative

effect on next-day workouts” (Breus 1). It will take time to notice improvements in your sleep

from working out, but you will see immediate improvements in the quality of your workouts

when you getter more sleep.

Instead of talking about more benefits that exercising on a regular basis has on your

mental health, I wanted to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger and how he has inspired thousands

of people because of his fitness journey and what he believes are the benefits of working out.

Arnold was the reason why I started lifting in the first place. In an interview with CNN, he said,

“We have more information available, more health products on the market, and more gyms than

ever before, so why aren't we healthier and fitter than ever before?” (Schwarzenegger). The

answer to his question is most likely because people don’t know that working out can improve

your mental health. Arnold says, “A healthier future is every tiny step we take, or every little rep,

that ultimately leads us to our goal” (Schwarzenegger 14). By getting in the gym even a couple

times a week to start out, people can make small steps to improve their mental health and change

their lives. Arnold said in the interview “I wanted to lift the entire fitness industry and inspire

people all over the world to learn and embrace the benefits of training with weights, eating well

and living a healthy lifestyle” (Schwarzenegger 2). Arnold has always been an advocate for

people getting into fitness to reap the benefits of exercising and he has changed the game

forever. Arnold said, “Doctors warned against lifting weights, telling people it was bad for their

health” (Schwarzenegger 3). Even with all the research out that proves how good exercising and

lifting weights is for you, there are still people out there that think it is bad for you. The pros of

working out out way the cons by a lot. The best quote from the interview was “I'm simply asking
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you to be better tomorrow than you were today, every day, and to inspire someone you care

about to join you” (Schwarzenegger 16). It's time for people to get off the couch and go change

their lives.

People are always coming up with excuses to why they never have time to workout.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life has changed because of fitness and your’s can too. So stop making

excuses and start exercising and watch your life change.

Working out on a regular basis affects your mental health because it can improve your

mood and give you a brain boost. “Studies have shown that any physical activity stimulates

several chemicals in your brain that allow you to feel more relaxed” (Cohen 4). Feeling more

relaxed is key to having good mental health. Even a little amount of exercise will make you feel

better. For example, Kirsten Weir says in her article “Usually within five minutes after moderate

exercise you get a mood enhancement effect” (Weir 6). If someone is having a hard day and is

stressed out, letting off some steam at the gym might be the thing that they need to feel better. I

have found that my mood can totally shift after having a good workout. Dr. Charles from Walden

University says “Exercise helps with depression because when you exercise, your endorphin
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levels shoot up and that makes you feel good. Exercise can also relieve stress because when you

increase your heart rate, it can reduce stress-induced brain damage. Working out can also

improve your self-confidence and help you sleep better” (Charles 5). Looking and feeling good

is key to being healthier mentally. Cohut includes in her article “a study done in the U.S. found

that the people who exercised regularly in their study had 1.5 fewer days of poor mental health a

month compared to the people who were not exercising and were experiencing 3.4 days of poor

mental health a month”(Cohut 11).The mood that you are in has a big effect on your mental

health. If you are always in a bad mood, it is going to make you either sad or angry, and that can

lead to depression. Exercising on a regular basis can also strengthen your brain. Dr. Charles says

“exercise prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus, the

part of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning” (Charles 7). If more people knew

that exercising can give you a brain boost, the obesity rate in the U.S. would most likely go

down. Dr. Charles also says, “Studies also prove that physical activity boosts creativity and

mental energy”. You often hear people go on a walk or run when they are going through writer’s

block and the reason why is because it really does help you be more creative. When you

exercise, you release endorphins that make you feel good, and those endorphins make your brain

healthier. Exercising on a regular basis not only improves the way you look, but it also makes

your brain healthier. I have realized that my grades in school have gotten better ever since I

started getting into fitness and I don’t think it is a coincidence. Exercising on a regular basis can

help you treat depression, sleep better, and improve your mood, but it can also be used as

therapy.
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In this picture, you can see that the people are in a good mood because of the workout

they are doing. It is scientifically proven that exercising on a regular basis improves your mood.

Another positive effect that working out has on your mental health is that it can be used

as therapy. Cohen states “Using exercise as a way to manage anxiety, depression, and other

difficulties is a healthy coping strategy. Lots of people in this world try to self-medicate

themselves to feel better by using drugs or alcohol. Working out is a much safer way to deal with

your mental illness because it can’t hurt you, unlike drugs and alcohol. Also, drugs and alcohol

can make you more depressed, so self-medicating with them is not that way to go. If someone is

feeling stressed out and upset from their work day, a trip to the gym might just be what they need

to make them feel better. Cohut states “Exercise amounts to a 43.2 percent reduction in instances

of poor health” (Cohut 14). Lots of people go to therapy because they are unhappy with their

self-image, and working out can help people look better, feel better, and have more confidence.

It is proven that exercise releases endorphins in your head and it makes you feel happier. The

amount of drinking and drug use that goes on in this world is sad and working out is a way to fix

the problem. If more people got into fitness, they would realize that drinking or using drugs will

make them even more out of shape. If I ever have hard days and am stressed out, I have found
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that working out almost cures my issues. I actually start to feel a little sad when I can’t make it to

the gym. It really does change you for the better and many people are missing out because they

would rather sit on the couch and watch tv for an extra hour. You do have to be careful though

with how much you work out.

Working out on a regular basis can also have a negative effect on your mental health if

you do too much of it. Dr. Kamm in David Levine’s article talking about exercise says “I don’t

see the benefit of going over 45 minutes” (Levine 13). People can get frustrated with themselves

if they don’t see the results that they are looking for and that can cause depression. The key to

working out is finding the sweet spot on how long and how often you should work out. Levine

talks about a study in his article that found that “people who work out for 30 to 60 minutes 3 to 5

times a week saw the most improvement in their mental health. I have also found that working

out for about an hour, 5 times a week is what makes me feel the best. I have experimented with

the amount of time I should work out and what length of time makes me feel the best. The study

also found that people who work out for more than 90 minutes a day and more than 23 times a

month had worse mental health than people who did not work out at all” (Levine 4). There have

been times where I have worked out too much in a week and by the end I am physically and

emotionally exhausted. But If you don’t work out enough, there is a chance that you won’t reap

all of the benefits that it has to offer for your mental and physical health. Also, if you work out

too much, that’s where things can go bad. For example, “People who were physically active for

over 90 minutes every day also saw some improvement in mental health, but people who

exercised for more than 3 hours actually had worse mental health than those who did not exercise

at all.” Working out for the right amount of time is the key to improving your mental health. In

his article, Magnus said “Light to moderate physical activity gave the best results with the
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patients having favorable mental health patterns” (Magnus 1). There is also a chance that you

could become addicted to exercise. Levine says “People overdo exercise, like with any addiction,

and neglect other things in their life” (Levine 8). There is also a chance that you could get

injured working out. Dr. Kamm says “some athletes compulsively exercise to a point of muscle

damage and destruction to lose weight and control body fat” (Levine 8). An injury could cause

you to not be able to work or play sports and that can really put someone in a dark place. Levine

states that “overtraining can bring on depression, fatigue, and psychological problems like sleep

disruption”. People may not think that people obsessing over their weight and how they look

from lifting is a problem, but it is. Eating disorders can occur when people get too caught up in

how much they weigh or how they look.

Overall, there are more positives to working out on a regular basis than there are

negatives when it comes to your mental health. Many people think that the only benefit of

exercising is to look good and have more energy. Those two things are benefits that you can get

from working out, but there are many more benefits that not many people know about. Your

mental health can improve because exercising helps with depression and anxiety, being able to

sleep better, giving you another option of therapy, and improving your mood. Your mental health

can also be affected in a negative way if you overdue the exercise. If you can find the ideal

amount of time on how much to exercise, the benefits to your mental health are incredible.
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Works cited

Bartels, Stephen J., et al. “Implementation of a Lifestyle Intervention for People With

Serious Mental Illness in State-Funded Mental Health Centers.” Psychiatric Services, 2

April 2018 https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.201700368 Accessed

on 28 February 2019

Breus, Michael J. “Better Sleep Found by Exercising on a Regular Basis.” Psychology

Today, Sussex Publishers, 6 Sept. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-

newzzz/201309/better-sleep-found-exercising-regular-basis-0.

Cohen, Ilene Strauss. “7 Unexpected Mental Health Benefits of Exercising.” Psych

Central, Psych Central.com, 8 July 2018, https://psychcentral.com/blog/7-unexpected-

mental-health-benefits-of-exercising/ Accessed 3 March 2019

Cohut, Maria. “Exercise for Mental Health: How Much Is Too Much?” Medical News

Today, MediLexicon International, 10 Aug. 2018,

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322734.php. Accessed on 3 March 2019

Levine, David. “Can Exercising Too Much Affect Your Mental Health?” U.S. News &

World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 16 Nov. 2018,

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/mind/articles/2018-11-16/can-exercising-too-much-

affect-your-mental-health Accessed 3 March 2019

Lindwall, Magnus. “Self-Reported Physical Activity and Aerobic Fitness Are Differently

Related to Mental Health.” 2012. https://gup.ub.gu.se/publication/163369 Accessed on 27

February 2019
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Schwarzenegger, Arnold. “Schwarzenegger: How I Fought My Way Back to Fitness.”

CNN, Cable News Network, 2 Jan. 2019, www.cnn.com/2018/12/11/opinions/arnold-

schwarzenegger-fitness-takes-work-dont-give-up/index.html.

Walden University. “5 Mental Benefits of Exercise.” Walden University, Walden

University, 14 Feb. 2019, www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bs-in-

psychology/resource/five-mental-benefits-of-exercise. Accessed 3 March 2019

Picture-https://www.runnersworld.com/beginner/a20847956/6-ways-running-improves-your-

health-0/