Introduction
As you get older, you may notice some changes in your mental health. You may feel more sad, anxious, or forgetful than before. You may have trouble sleeping, concentrating, or remembering things. You can lose interest in things you used to enjoy. These are some of the common symptoms of mental health issues many older adults face. They can affect your quality of life and well-being.
But there is something you can do to improve your mental health and prevent or delay some of the problems that come with aging: exercise.
Exercise is not only good for your body, but also for your mind. It can help you feel happier, calmer, and sharper. It can also help maintain cognitive health, preventing or slowing down the decline of your brain function and memory, which can have a significant effect on mental health as we age.
Benefits of Exercise for Mental Health
You may already know that exercise can help you stay in shape, lower your blood pressure, and prevent diseases like diabetes and heart disease. But there are psychological benefits of exercise for older adults as well that shouldn’t be ignored. Here are some of the benefits of exercise for your mental health as you age:
- Exercise can make you happier. When you exercise, your body makes chemicals called endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These chemicals affect your mood and happiness. They can make you feel more positive, optimistic, and satisfied with your life. They can also help you deal with negative feelings like sadness, anger, and frustration. A study showed that older adults who did aerobic exercise felt less depressed than those who did not.(1)
- Exercise can lower your stress. When you exercise, your body reduces a hormone called cortisol. This hormone makes you feel anxious, nervous, and overwhelmed by the problems you face in life. By lowering cortisol, exercise can help you relax, calm down, and handle your stress better. A study showed that older adults who did a broad variety of exercise types during the Covid-19 quarantine felt less anxious and helped to mitigate other negative mental health consequences than those who did not.(2)
- Exercise can improve your brain function. When you exercise, your body sends more blood to your brain. This gives more oxygen and nutrients to your brain cells. Exercise also makes new brain cells and connections, which improve your brain’s ability to change and adapt. These effects can help you improve your memory, attention, concentration, learning, and problem-solving skills. A study showed that older adults who did balance training did better on tests of executive function than those who did not. Executive function is the ability to plan, organize, and control your actions.(3)
- Exercise can prevent or delay dementia. (4) When you exercise, your body protects your brain from aging and damage by improving circulation and spurring the generation of new neural cells and connections. These factors can help prevent or delay the start of dementia, which is a condition that affects your memory, thinking, behavior, and daily activities.
Types of Exercise for Mental Health
Now that you know how exercise can improve your mental health, you may be wondering what kind of exercise you should do. Well, the good news is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Different types of exercise can target different aspects of your mental health, and doing a variety–aerobic, strength, balance and mobility–provide the best overall results. Here are the four main types of exercise that you can do to boost your mental health as you age:
- Aerobic exercises. These are activities that increase your heart rate and breathing, such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, etc. They can improve your mood, reduce your stress, enhance your cognitive function, and prevent or delay dementia by increasing oxygen and nutrients to the brain and stimulating neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. Some examples of aerobic exercise are:
- Walking briskly for 30 minutes a day.
- Cycling on a stationary bike for 20 minutes a day.
- Swimming laps for 15 minutes a day.
- Strength exercises. These are activities that use resistance to build muscle mass and bone density, such as lifting weights, doing push-ups, squats, etc. They can improve your mood, reduce your stress, enhance your cognitive function, and prevent or delay dementia by helping to balance brain hormones and encouraging neural plasticity. Some examples of strength exercises are:
- Lifting light weights for 10 repetitions per set.
- Doing wall push-ups for 10 repetitions per set.
- Doing chair squats for 10 repetitions per set.
- Balance exercises. These are activities that challenge your ability to maintain your posture and stability, such as standing on one leg, doing yoga poses, tai chi movements, etc. They can improve your mood, reduce your stress, enhance your cognitive function, and prevent or delay dementia by increasing vestibular function and proprioception and improving attention and coordination. Some examples of balance exercises are:
- Standing on one leg for 10 seconds per side.
- Doing heel-to-toe walks for 10 steps per side.
- Doing side leg raises for 10 repetitions per side.
- Flexibility exercises. These are activities that stretch your muscles and joints to improve your range of motion, such as doing pilates exercises, yoga, or stretching routines. They can improve your mood, reduce your stress, and enhance your cognitive function by balancing cortisol, the stress hormone, increasing blood flow to the muscles and joints and improving relaxation and mobility. Some examples of flexibility exercises that are suitable for older adults are:
- Doing shoulder rolls for 10 repetitions per direction.
- Doing neck stretches for 10 seconds per side.
- Doing hamstring stretches for 10 seconds per leg.
My Tips and Recommendations
As a physical therapist with 20 years of experience, I have personally witnessed the improvements exercise has provided to my patients’ mental health. I know that starting and maintaining an exercise routine can be challenging, but it is an essential part of healthy aging. Here are some tips and recommendations that I give to my clients who want to exercise for their mental health:
- Talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program. This is very important, especially if you have any medical conditions or injuries that may affect your ability to exercise safely and effectively. Your doctor can tell you what kind of exercise is best for your health and fitness level, and how to adjust or avoid certain exercises if needed. They can also check your progress and change your program as needed.
- Begin slowly and gradually increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of your exercise sessions. This is the best way to prevent injury, fatigue, and boredom. You don’t have to do too much too soon. Start with something that is easy and comfortable for you, and then slowly challenge yourself to do more. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two sessions of strength exercise per week, as recommended by the World Health Organization.
- Choose activities that you enjoy and that fit your lifestyle and preferences. This is the key to staying motivated and consistent with your exercise routine. You are more likely to stick with something that you like and that matches your needs and goals. You can also change your exercises to avoid boredom and monotony. For example, you can switch between different types of aerobic exercises, such as walking, biking, and swimming, or between different types of strength exercises, such as lifting weights, doing push-ups, and doing squats.
- Find a partner or a group to exercise with. This can increase your motivation and accountability, as well as make your exercise sessions more fun and social. You can find a friend, a family member, or a neighbor who shares your interest in exercise and who can join you in your workouts. You can also join a local senior center or a community program that offers exercise classes or activities for older adults. You can meet new people, learn new skills, and get support and encouragement from others who have similar goals and challenges.
- Monitor your progress and celebrate your achievements. This can help you stay focused and positive about your exercise routine. You can use a fitness tracker, a journal, or an app to record your exercise sessions and track your goals. You can also reward yourself with something that makes you happy, such as a healthy snack, a movie, or a book.
Remember, exercise is not only good for your body, but also for your mind. Just as something like neuropathy exercises can help other parts of your nervous system, we now know mental health is included in exercise benefits as well. By exercising regularly, you can improve your mood, reduce your stress, enhance your cognitive function, and prevent or delay dementia in meaningful ways.
References
- Yao L, Fang H, Leng W, Li J, Chang J. Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Mental Health in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 6;12:748257. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.748257. PMID: 34867538; PMCID: PMC8634786.
- Marconcin P, Werneck AO, Peralta M, Ihle A, Gouveia ÉR, Ferrari G, Sarmento H, Marques A. The association between physical activity and mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2022 Feb 1;22(1):209. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-12590-6. PMID: 35101022; PMCID: PMC8803575.
- Zheng J, Su X, Xu C. Effects of exercise intervention on executive function of middle-aged and elderly people: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 Aug 12;14:960817. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.960817. PMID: 36034137; PMCID: PMC9413534.
- Wang S, Liu HY, Cheng YC, Su CH. Exercise Dosage in Reducing the Risk of Dementia Development: Mode, Duration, and Intensity-A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 17;18(24):13331. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182413331. PMID: 34948942; PMCID: PMC8703896.