7 Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Mental Health with Exercise and Spending Time Outdoors

What is a “runner’s high” and what does that mean? The science behind the effects of physical activity on your brain.

To understand the “runner’s high” phrase, we must first look at some key components related to our brains! There are three terms we want to understand; endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. Dopamine and serotonin are both neurotransmitters. They play a role in regulating our mood, emotions, sleep, memory, and motivation to name a few. Exercise has been shown to increase our dopamine and serotonin levels. Why is this important? If our levels are increased, then we get to experience improved mood, increased motivation, and decreased or alleviated symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Endorphins are hormones that are responsible for being natural pain relievers as well as mood enhancers. These endorphins are what provides the sense of euphoria created after physical activity - hence creating the term, “runner’s high.”

So you might still be asking, “why is this important and what happens if some of those levels are low?” Well let’s look at it in terms we use more regularly, mental health. Mental health can include emotional, psychological, and/or social wellbeing and when our mental health is being negatively impacted, we can make poor decisions or suffer from mental or physical disorders. “Research shows that participating in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, dancing, and household chores can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and poor health outcomes. Exercise and physical activity (PA) can be used, not only to prevent mental disorders, but treat them as well. Positive outcomes to engaging in PA include maintaining a healthy weight, bone strength, heart health, cancer prevention, social benefits, brain health, academic achievement, and mental health.” (Gustin, L., & Thomas, A. (2021). Benefits of Physical Activity on Mental Health.)

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The science continues! Benefits of spending time outside.

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Spending time outside has been linked with positive effects on our parasympathetic nervous system. Our parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for promoting healing, improving digestion, and can help with pain relief. Being outdoors can be another way to trigger our production of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins - again leading to more of those happy feelings. Lastly, being outdoors can also lead to reducing your cortisol levels, the body’s stress hormone, which in turn, allows you to feel more relaxed.

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So knowing what we know about our brains and bodies' relationship to the positive effects of exercise and time outside, let’s look at 7 tips and tricks to get out and move on a regular basis.

Making small changes on a daily basis can be an easy way to implement more movement if you're stretched for time. Here, I will provide some tips and tricks to help you easily incorporate more ways to move your body during the day. I will also provide a few examples of things you can add to your daily or weekly routines if you're someone with a bit more time on your hands.

1. Park further away from the entrance or take the stairs when possible. Walking has been shown to be one of the most beneficial movements you can do, not only for your body but for your mental health as well. It is easy on the joints and is most likely something you're already doing in one way or another during the day. Extending your walk by parking further or taking the stairs will allow for a bit more time to walk off any frustrations or help you get some fresh air.

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2. With the warmer weather quickly approaching, incorporate fun outdoor activities into your weekly schedule! Go on a bike ride, take your dog to the dog park, find some easy  (or challenging) trails to hike, or try your hand at kayaking. It doesn't matter what you do to get moving but doing something fun and interesting is an easy way to become engaged in the activity and enjoy yourself. Chances are, if you enjoy the activity, you're more likely to do it again. 

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3. Have you ever tried goat yoga? No? Me either. I'm not saying you need to try goat yoga but doing one or the other could be helpful. Yoga, in general, can be easy movements to help you focus on your breath and relax your mind. Living by the beach, there are plenty of pop up yoga classes near or on beaches. That can be a great way to start or end your day - on the beach, breathing in rhythm to the waves rolling in and out, and finding your zen zone.
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4. You're probably wondering why I brought up goat yoga in my last point but only discussed the yoga part. Well I thought the goats (and other animals) deserved their own point here. Animals can be great ways to feel comfort, love, and support. All of those things typically make us feel safer and calmer, thus impacting our mood and brain positively. Going to zoos, aquariums, or even participating in goat yoga can be a great way to get outside, walk around, and feel the sense of security that comes with being around animals. 

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5. If you're a parent and your kid(s) are involved in sports, it can be pretty difficult to find time for yourself. However, playing that sport with your child(ren) can be a great way to build that relationship with them while you also get the benefits of moving your body and not having to worry about finding more time in an already busy schedule for your own activities. Precious time with your kid(s) while reaping the benefits of moving your body and improving your mental health - that's a win win to me!

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6. Join a gym or look up in-home workouts on YouTube! Now this doesn't have to be a big box gym if that’s not your style. There are plenty of boutique gyms, spin classes, kickboxing classes, or running clubs available.YouTube can also be a great tool to find different types of movements and workouts that can be done in your home or at a local park. Joining a gym or a free online gym class can be a way to create a community for yourself. Our mental and emotional wellbeing depends on having support systems and joining an established gym or class can be a great way to meet other people also focused on self-improvement. Whether you like to lift heavy, run for hours, or power kick some bags, all are great options to release pent up frustrations, channel and redirect your negative energy into a positive outlet, and force yourself to focus on controlling your breath in order to maintain the movements you're doing. 

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7. Sign up for local charity walks or runs. There are 3k and 5k events pretty regularly and each of those runs typically allows for participants to walk. This is a great way to get moving, engage in your community, and help raise awareness or funds for a cause that matters to you.

All of these tips and tricks can be used to get you moving, engage in new or old activities that you enjoy, get you involved in your community, or help you build a support system. So yes, physical activity and spending time outside will not only help you improve your mood and positively benefit your mental health, but can also help you build new relationships or foster old ones, become engaged in your community, and help you learn new things about yourself - all of which can also have a huge positive impact on your mental and emotional health.

Gomes da Silva, S., & Arida, R. M. (2015). Physical activity and brain development. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 15(9), 1041–1051. https://doi.org/10.1586/14737175.2015.1077115