We often hit the gym, go for a run or roll out a Pilates mat in the name of better physical health – to tone up, slim down or strengthen our bodies. But did you know that movement is just as powerful a tool for supporting mental wellbeing? According to psychologist and Asics ambassador Meg McClurg, a regular workout routine can do far more than sculpt your physique – it can boost your mood, calm anxiety, and even improve your sleep. Here’s how lacing up your sneakers (like the new Asics Gel-Kayano 32) might be the first step to a healthier mind.
1. Endorphins = instant mood boost
Movement can lift your mood fast – and it’s got a lot to do with brain chemistry. As McClurg explains, “Physical activity increases the creation of endorphins, which are natural mood-enhancing chemicals that promote feelings of wellbeing.”
These endorphins are also responsible for what’s often described as a ‘runner’s high’. “Endorphins are the neurotransmitters most responsible for the reported ‘runner’s high’ as the nervous system produces them to manage pain and stress, which can be felt directly after physical activity.”
Not all movement impacts endorphins equally. “Research suggests that exercise must exceed an intensity threshold to boost endorphin levels. However, if the intensity is too high, to the point where you can’t finish your workout, or finish it feeling absolutely depleted, the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters can lose their ‘feel good’ effect. Moderate aerobic exercise, such as running, and HIIT both increase the creation of endorphins.”
2. Calm your anxiety
When it comes to anxiety, exercise can help rebalance the nervous system. “When we begin exercise, we mobilise the sympathetic branch of the nervous system, which it’s designed to do to help us achieve the physical outcome goal of whatever movement-based activity we are doing,” McClurg explains.
“It is in the post-exercise period that there is a significant shift towards the parasympathetic branch of the ANS as the body begins to downregulate. It is this rebound effect that assists with moving you towards more parasympathetic dominance, where the perceived calming effects are felt.”
For people living with chronic anxiety, she advises: “Start low and go slow. This means starting with lower intensity exercise to assist with increasing more oxygenated blood to the brain and upregulating neurotransmitters (feel-good hormones) without creating a highly stressful internal state.”
McClurg also suggests, “For those beginning their anxiety-management fitness journey, investing in proper supportive running shoes like the Gel-Kayano 32 can provide the stability and comfort needed to build confidence gradually without fear of injury.”
3. Better sleep starts with morning movement
The time of day you move could impact how you sleep. “This can depend on your sleep chronotype, but typically morning workouts assist with body temperature regulation and peak cortisol release throughout the day, which assists with the onset of sleep in the evening.”
And again, gear can make a difference. “Morning runs in supportive shoes like the Gel-Kayano 32 can help establish consistent exercise timing while providing the joint protection needed for sustainable daily activity.”
4. Social sweat sessions lead to less loneliness
According to McClurg, “In 2022, for people aged 15 years and over: one in five (20%) reported feeling lonely (ABS).”
She adds: “When people connect through movement, they are connecting via a common interest or value that is health-promoting.”
Movement not only affects mood – it can build the confidence that supports social engagement. “Movement, as previously discussed, is positively influencing our internal state. It’s also shown to have a positive impact on our confidence: ‘I exercise and then I feel good about myself.’ Those two factors may make it feel easier to connect socially with others.”
That said, McClurg is clear on the limits of exercise as a substitute for therapy: “No. While exercise, and in this question specifically team-based physical activities, have a positive impact on the brain, body and social connection, it doesn’t serve a similar role to talk therapy. Talk therapy is a complex process that has differing goals, processes, impacts, methods and structures. The therapeutic environment and relationship also differ greatly from a team-based, social experience.”
5. Confidence through action
Fitness goals can be transformative. “One of the most effective ways to build confidence is through experience. Achieving fitness goals is hard work and a process. By staying engaged in this process to experience achievement, we develop confidence through experience.”
And McClurg emphasises that it’s not just about how we look. “Confidence is also likely to increase in ‘what my body can do/is capable of’ when goals are set around measures of fitness rather than body image.”
As for mindset shifts, she says: “Exercise can’t shift the focus from aesthetic outcomes to self-worth and personal empowerment. This comes from mindset.”
Still, exercise has powerful neurological effects: “Exercise increases BDNF in the brain. Thought of as brain fertiliser, BDNF works to strengthen existing pathways in the brain and connect new ones. This leads to improved cognition, adaptability, memory, mood and learning.”
She adds, “Changes in the brain such as this may have a flow-on effect to changing perspectives, goals or beliefs. But it’s not the only reason someone might have a shift. It might be due to social reasons, intrinsic values, increased awareness, and environmental circumstances.”
6. Stress hormone regulation
Finally, McClurg explains that “exercise assists with the timing of peak cortisol distribution in the morning, but also assists in its regulation, as mentioned previously, during the rebound effect from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance of the ANS.”
But balance is key. “If the need/expectation/goal to exercise increases to the point where it becomes another stressor to exercise, then this can negate the positive impacts of exercise itself. It is also more likely to result in injury, which can be another stressor in someone’s life.”
And since every person’s threshold is different, she advises: “Everyone’s balance will look different depending on personality, interests, time, accessibility, cultural influence, competence, safety etc. So, it’s important to first become aware of the needs of your mind and body and then do your best to nurture those needs through a balance of stress and recovery.”
