Beginning of a new year is usually synonymous with thinking about working out (again), but beyond just physical wellbeing research is showing that there’s a connection between physical exercise and mental health, as in emotional states and cognitive health. So, now that we’re into our second week of the new semester I put the question to my students about what they were going to do as far as physical fitness going forward to help with their mental health. They seem to have endless amounts of energy, it can be difficult to relate, or get the message across that physical health is connected to mental health.

Back almost ten-years ago when my immune system and body betrayed me, one of the first symptoms was how difficult it became to get up off the ground when I was setting up cables for my various computer systems. So nowadays, when I’m back on the ground, I pay attention to how difficult I might find it to pop back up to my feet (like I really can pop back up to me feet!). I usually find myself thinking that I really need to do daily stretches because I can feel the tightness in my legs and I do so much sitting every day. And look what just popped into my email inbox:

Yeah, a good brisk walk (at least) every night will probably really help with the sleep and just my daily mental state. What are your going to do physically to improve your mental health?

*Example Source: The Link Between Exercise and Mental Health, UCLA Health, 10/17/2018, https://connect.uclahealth.org/2018/10/17/the-link-between-exercise-and-mental-health/