The Importance of Physical Exercise for Mental Strength

Choosing an Echelon membership for the whole family

Looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. Luckily, exercising and getting your heart racing is a great way to look after yourself mentally, whether you're going on a brisk walk on your lunch or having a more intense workout with an indoor exercise bike or smart rowing machine after work.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we are exploring how your physical and mental health are linked, and how important regular exercise is for maintaining mental strength. This year, the theme is community, and fitness communities are crucial for supporting one another during exercise and improving mental health.

The link between physical activity and mental health

Physical activity and exercise can have an extremely positive impact on your mental health.

Exercise promotes positive mental health. It affects a range of physical aspects of our lives, like reducing the risk of some long-term health conditions and heart, muscle and bone health, but it also impacts our mental wellbeing, through managing stress, improving sleep, encouraging socialisation and managing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Consistent and regular physical activity releases endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, sometimes known in the fitness community as "feel-good" hormones. These hormones can then impact your mental health:

• Endorphins can reduce pain and discomfort but also contribute to the sense of happiness and euphoria after a workout
• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the brain's reward system and promotes feelings of pleasure after exercise
• Serotonin helps to regulate your mood and your sleep, meaning you feel better and sleep better after working out

Building an at-home workout routine

Your daily life is probably filled with work and socialising, and you might not always have the time to exercise regularly at the gym. With Echelon's smart rowing machine, the Echelon Row Smart Rowing Machine, and smart exercise bikes, like the Connect indoor exercise bikes, you can build an effective at-home workout and exercise at a time that suits you.

There are several benefits of rowing and benefits of cycling, like reducing the risk of conditions including diabetes and heart disease. With your smart rowing machine or smart exercise bike, you will have access to an Echelon membership, which has a range of workouts for you to follow in your own time, all whilst improving your mental health through physical exercise.

The Importance of a fitness community

Being part of a fitness community means you can exercise with friends or a workout partner.

This means not only do you have people to talk to during your exercise session, but you have a group of likeminded people who can offer support, shared knowledge and shared fitness throughout your fitness journey.

Our Premier Membership provides access to our 24/7 social media community, so you compete against family, connect with new friends and share your fitness achievements together. You can also refer a friend to Echelon and receive benefits, too!