Mental Health Benefits of exercise
Reduce Stress & Anxiety
Exercise reduces stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins that boost mood.
Improve Cognitive Function
Exercise increases heart rate, promoting blood flow to the brain and enhancing cognitive abilities.
Boost Mood
Regular physical activity stimulates brain chemicals that leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.
Regular physical activity helps you fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake feeling more energized.
Better Sleep
How Exercise Supports Mental Health in Psychiatric Hospitals
Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine — chemicals that naturally elevate mood and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
Studies show that consistent physical activity can be as effective as medication for treating mild to moderate depression, while also providing numerous other health benefits.
Even short bursts of activity — as little as 10-15 minutes — can provide immediate mental health benefits and help manage stress.
What we can provide for mental and physical wellbeing
Personal Trainer
Working with a personal trainer provides coproduced exercise plans. Trainers can help you stay motivated and accountable while ensuring proper form and technique during 1:1 and group sessions.
Sport
Team sports and recreational activities combine physical exertion with play, making exercise enjoyable. The team dynamic builds social connections while the competitive element can boost confidence and self-esteem.
Group Session
Group fitness classes combine the benefits of exercise with social connection and community integration. This environment can reduce feelings of isolation while providing structure and routine to your fitness journey.
Yoga
Yoga combines physical postures with breathing techniques and meditation, creating a holistic approach to mental wellness. Regular practice can reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance body awareness.
Case Study.
Written by specialist Dr. Angus
A specific service user is a patient transferred to our unit from prison. His mental health declined significantly within the prison setting due to not taking his medications and depression at being detained. Despite having access to a gym facility in the prison, he didn’t make use of it and was very sedentary in his behavior. He didn’t have any support to use the gym whilst in prison. Following transfer to Meridian ward, he was recommenced on his medication. Unfortunately, this medication has a recognized side effect of weight gain. The specific service user started to gain significant amounts of weight and continued to live sedentary in his bedroom, not engaging in the ward processes or therapy programme.
The specific service user started to work with Sam, the personal trainer in the ward gym. Now that he had the specialist support to use the equipment correctly and encouragement to exercise in a programme, he made rapid progress. He started to counteract the weight gain by regular exercise and building his cardiovascular strength. But equally as important, he built a good therapeutic relationship with the personal trainer that bridged the gap between him and the MDT. It allowed him to build trust with the staff on the ward and was the starting point where his engagement with the wider psychology programme increased. It has been noted that he is now far more outgoing in his personality and confident with the weight he has lost. If he is confident he can control his weight with exercise, he is far more likely to remain compliant with his treatment regimen and less likely to stop taking his antipsychotic due to the side effects.
I would recommend that every Cygnet unit employs a personal trainer to work with the patients on the ward.
Kind regards
Dr Angus.