The Powerful Effects of Exercise on Mental Health
We often hear about exercise being essential for physical health—stronger muscles, better heart health, and weight loss. But what’s equally important, and sometimes overlooked, is how exercise impacts mental health. From reducing stress and anxiety to boosting mood and cognitive function, physical activity is one of the best natural remedies for mental well-being.
How Exercise Positively Affects Mental Health
1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins—natural chemicals that promote relaxation and happiness. Additionally, movement helps lower cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress. Whether it’s a CrossFit workout, brisk walk, or yoga, physical activity is an excellent way to calm the mind and relieve tension.
2. Boosts Mood and Fights Depression
Regular exercise has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression. It increases levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that enhance feelings of happiness and well-being. Many studies suggest that exercise can be as effective as medication for some people dealing with mild to moderate depression.
3. Improves Sleep Quality
Struggling with sleep? Exercise can help regulate your sleep cycle by promoting deeper, more restorative rest. Physical activity increases the production of adenosine, a chemical that promotes sleepiness, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.
4. Enhances Cognitive Function and Memory
Exercise isn’t just good for the body—it strengthens the brain, too. It increases blood flow to the brain, supports neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to form new connections), and boosts memory and concentration. Research even suggests that regular physical activity may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s.
5. Builds Resilience and Mental Strength
Engaging in exercise helps develop discipline, perseverance, and resilience. Overcoming physical challenges in workouts can translate into greater mental toughness in daily life, improving self-confidence and coping skills.
6. Encourages Social Connection
Whether it’s joining a CrossFit class, running club, or simply going for a walk with a friend, exercise fosters social interaction, which is essential for mental well-being. Social connections help combat loneliness and provide emotional support.
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to reap the mental health benefits of exercise. The key is consistency. Here are some general guidelines:
Moderate exercise (e.g., brisk walking, cycling, swimming): 150 minutes per week
Vigorous exercise (e.g., running, HIIT workouts): 75 minutes per week
Strength training (e.g., weightlifting, bodyweight exercises): 2–3 times per week
Final Thoughts
Exercise is one of the most effective, natural ways to support mental health. Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, boost mood, or enhance brain function, regular movement can help. Start small, find an activity you enjoy, and make exercise a part of your routine—it’s a powerful investment in both your body and mind.
Consistency is King
When it comes to fitness, Consistency Is King.
Throughout my coaching career I have had countless clients, friends, coworkers and family ask me some variation of the same question “What is the best (workout plan, diet, supplement, sleep schedule) for me to improve my health?”. This is a big question and early on I would often spend quite a while talking through the various options of why CrossFit is the most optimized, why Paleo is the only way to go, and why creatine is a must. Over time, however, I have learned that these answers, while well intentioned and reasoned, were wrong. The correct answer to these questions, and infinitely more, is simply “The best (workout plan, diet, supplement, sleep schedule) is the one you will do consistently.” I know this is not the sexy, one size fits all solution that everyone is looking for, but it is the truth.
Take physical fitness as an example. Think of a single day in the gym. Warm up, work out and cool down in about an hour. In that hour did you completely change your fitness level and unlock your highest potential? Heck no! What you did do however is get 0.1% better. I can already hear you saying “but that is nothing, that is just a drop in the bucket.” In the short run you are correct Mr./Mrs. Negative Nancy, however, if you keep collecting those drops, day in and day out soon you start to see your efforts begin to grow slowly but surely. This growth with a consistent healthy diet and solid sleep will transform your life before you realize what is happening.
Now let’s take the inverse of this example, instead of working towards steady improvements you decide that you are going to get fit by working out for 4 hours, 1 day a week. While you are still getting in 4 hours of exercise a week you are definitely not getting the same benefits as if you had spread this over the whole week. In fact, there is a pretty good chance that injury or burnout may be on the horizon. Instead of gaining 0.1% you could potentially lose 5%, 10% or 15%.
While it may not be flashy or sexy, by prioritizing consistency you are setting yourself up for dramatic, lifelong improvement.
Remember, CONSISTENCY IS KING!
Is CrossFit for you?
One of the most common refrains we hear in CrossFit is “Well that is great for some like you, but I could never do any of that!” There is a perception of CrossFit that it is only for high powered, elite athletes who are on ESPN or plastered all over Instagram. The thinking is “If you are not already in elite shape, don’t even bother.”
Is this true, is CrossFit only for elite athletes in their 20s? The short answer is no, CrossFit is for anyone. Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, put it best when he said, “CrossFit isn’t for everyone, it is for ANYONE.” What this means is that not everyone will WANT to do CrossFit (although we would love it if you did) but anyone CAN do CrossFit.
Whether you are a 20-year-old fire breathing athlete, a soccer mom in her 30s, a CFO in their 40s/50s, or a someone who is enjoying the finer points of retirement, yes, CrossFit is for you. The beauty of the CrossFit is the concept of “scaling”. What this means in practice is that the movements you do in the gym will be tailored specifically to your abilities and skill level.
What if we are doing handstand walks and you have never been upside down in your life? No problem, we can scale to a handstand hold against a wall, a pike hold on a box, or horizontal plank hold to strengthen your core. The goal is to constantly improve and live our best lives, but we know in order to do that we need to meet our athletes where they are at.
If you are a person who has always felt that “CrossFit just isn’t for me”, we encourage you to check out your local gym - CrossFit Snowdrift being an great first step. You will find our training staff looking to guide you through your fitness journey and as well as a loving community to support you along the way.
Wishing you the best on your fitness journey,
Dave and Julie Trembath
Founders and Owners,
CrossFit Snowdrift
WHO WE ARE
Regardless of where you are at in life, we are confident that we can help you find a path to health and fitness.
Hello,
Allow us to introduce ourselves, we are David and Julie Trembath the founders and owners of CrossFit Snowdrift. We have lived in Rosemount for over 10 years, and we have two wonderful children, Logan and Quinn. We have a passion for health and fitness, and we cannot wait to share that passion with you!
At CrossFit Snowdrift our mission is to empower individuals to live a life of health and fitness. This mission is personal to us because we have seen what an impact our health and fitness has made in both our lives as well as the lives of our children.
We also understand that a mission statement is just words without the proper values to guide us. At Snowdrift we evaluate every decision using our core values of: Integrity, Growth, Excellence, and Caring.
Regardless of where you are at in life, we are confident that we can help you find a path to health and fitness. We are not going to lie and say this will be a cake walk but through hard work and dedication we know you can reach your potential.
So, whether you are a young athlete looking to maximize your performance, a grandmother looking to keep up with your grandkids, or anywhere in between we know we can help you reach your goals through experienced coaching, goal setting, and nutrition training.
We cannot wait to see where this journey takes us, and we hope that you will join us along the way.