This week, the Living Room Cardiff's expert in sport, fitness and addiction, Sian Edwards speaks has shared her insights into mental wellbeing, exercise and fitness with Silver Lining.
About Sian, in her own words:
"I am an athlete and a psychologist. My athletics career started when I was 11 (although it was mostly just running around having fun with my friends at that point) and I started competing internationally when I was 16 (running around having fun with my friends in different countries and at a faster pace). I'm not competing as much as I used to when I was younger but I still run regularly and get the odd race away with the Welsh endurance squad.
My psychology career started a little later. I did my undergraduate degree at Loughborough University and decided I would like to pursue a career in clinical psychology. I worked as an assistant psychologist for a few years in a number of different mental health services and completed an MSc in clinical psychology. In 2016 I decided to combine my love of psychology and my love of sport and started an MSc in sport psychology. With my clinical background my area of interest is athlete mental health and I am now embarking on my PhD, studying the role of sport in the manifestation and treatment of addictive behaviour.
Q: A lot has been said in recent years about the connection between exercise and mental health. How does staying fit affect mental wellbeing?
A: They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives.
Exercise is brilliant for our wellbeing. We all know that exercise is good for our physical health. The mental health benefits, although lesser known, are just as great!
When we exercise, our brains release chemicals that positively influence our mood, helping to protect against symptoms of depression and anxiety. Exercise also has a positive influence on how we view ourselves, bringing about improvements in self-esteem, satisfaction with life and confidence in our ability to rise to a challenge. As if that wasn’t enough, people who exercise regularly report higher energy levels and improved sleep – both of which are important for wellbeing!
Q: Why do many people find it difficult to start new exercise habits and stick to them?
A: There are a number of reasons why starting to exercise is difficult. Firstly, many people associate exercise with hard work, difficulty and discomfort. That’s somewhat true - exercise can be hard work, but it doesn’t have to be.
New habits don’t have to be formed by jumping in the deep end. It can be useful to start by setting small, short-term goals. Starting small takes away a little bit of the fear. Secondly, we often prioritise immediate reward (e.g. staying inside in the warm with a cup of tea watching Netflix) over long term rewards that require effort in the short term (e.g. braving the Welsh weather and going for a brisk walk or run). This means that we often delay the exercise that we intended to do, telling ourselves that we will ‘do it tomorrow instead’ or even better ‘start on Monday’ (because it’s impossible to start something new midweek, right? Wrong!)
A handy way of getting over this is to arrange a time for your exercise. For example, arrange to exercise with a friend join a group or book a place in a class. If you plan ahead and make a commitment to exercise with other people then you are more likely to stick to it. Having some company can also make exercise more fun and means that you can include team games as well as individual exercises.
In terms of sticking to exercise we are vulnerable to the same issues that make it difficult for us to stick to all sorts of things – diets, work schedules, new years resolutions – the list goes on. One of the major things that puts an end to a new habit is giving up if we miss a few days or break the rules that we have imposed on ourselves. It is important to remember that we are not perfect and that there will be occasions when we don’t achieve what we have set out to achieve.
At this point, instead of giving up give yourself a break instead. Accept that you haven’t exactly stuck to your plan and pick up where you left off rather giving up. It’s better to be a little behind schedule than going back to square one. Developing routines can also be helpful in forming a habit. If you can plan to exercise on specific days or at specific times then you will find that it starts to become more automatic and you won’t need to expend quite so much energy to build the motivation to get out the door!
Q: How much should an average person exercise each week in order to maintain a healthy mind and body?
A: The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends doing 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate exercise each week. That can include anything that raises your heart rate or causes you to breathe heavily. There is no harm in doing more than this but be sure to build yourself up steadily to avoid injury.
Q: What effect does exercising in a group have on motivation and mental health?
A: Connection with others is a basic human need so spending time with other people is important in protecting our wellbeing. Group exercising is a great way to do this. People who have similar goals to ourselves (e.g. to get fitter, stronger, faster) are a great source of information, advice and support, and can help us overcome obstacles that stand in the way of our success. Similarly, we can support others to reach their goals, creating a team atmosphere and shared success.
Working together with other people in this way enables us to feel valued, boosts confidence and increases our self-esteem. Most importantly of all, perhaps, is that exercising in a group is fun and if we’re having fun then our mood will be better and our motivation to continue to exercise will be high!