How Does Exercise Effect Mental Health

There have been multiple studies that show an increase in mental health connected to exercise. The studies show that when a person exercises more, their mental health improves. In January, 2026, I interviewed John O’Donnell about his running journey. I asked him to describe how running has affected his life over the past couple of years. He explained to me that running is a way to clear his mind, while also getting exercise. He conveys that running makes him a stronger person both physically and mentally.  He says that when he goes on runs, “The things that previously bothered him will bother him less or sometimes not all.” In addition, it has given him more opportunities to make friends. He enjoys running with people as it pushes him to be better and builds stronger connections.

But what are the results and benefits of exercise? For many years, studies have shown a correlation between an increase in physical exercise and mental health. It is known to boost your mood and concentration, resulting in a more clear headspace. Furthermore, the chemicals that make up your brain also shift during exercise. Some of these chemicals include serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is known to have “feel good” effects on your brain and body, stress hormones, and endorphins, which are also “feel good” chemicals that work as self-produced pain relievers. Combined, these results of exercise are seemingly very good for your mental health and even physical health too. Another way that exercise and mental health are connected is that exercise can help build communities, as John O’Donnell mentioned in our interview. Those who participate in a certain sport can develop relationships through training, talking, or just working to achieve similar goals. Finally, exercise is commonly known to distract people from negative thoughts or feelings that arise during their day.

Recently in my life I’ve found many benefits of exercise. Exercise not only makes me more physically fit, it also improves my mental health drastically. I’ve done rock climbing for about three years, but only recently did I start bouldering. This form of exercise drives my motivation because I know I can always be better. This trait has made me a harder worker, improving my grades and social life. Climbing also works me physically which helps me sleep better, something I struggle with regularly. In addition, my sport has a big community around it, leading me to make more friends and talk to new people; both skills that have improved since I started climbing. Whenever I’m at the climbing gym, I try my hardest to talk to the people around me because it always lifts my mood and makes me more confident. To summarize, exercise has had many positive impacts on my life and I think it has made me a better person.

In conclusion, exercise has had many positive effects on not only myself, but lots of others around me. It drastically helps mental health problems, physical strength and the social lives of different communities. Exercise is an important aspect of life that has many benefits to many people.