Benefits of exercise spotlighted on World Mental Health Day 2023

October 10, 2023

Karen Sweaney

With today, 10th October, marking World Mental Health Day, events around the world are being held to raise awareness about mental health globally and to mobilise efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) defining mental health is a basic human right for all people, World Mental Health Day 2023 is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme 'Mental health is a universal human right' to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone's mental health as a universal human right.

Exercise and movement are one way to keep both our body and our mind healthy and help improve our mental health. It is not necessary to be professional athletes or sporty to benefit from being physically active. From walking to dancing or going to the gym, the best exercise is simply the one enjoyed.

This Saturday, 14th October, TELL - an accredited not-for-profit organisation (NPO) with a 50-year history of providing mental health support in Japan - will hold their fifth Tokyo Tower Climb. TELL invites teams, individuals, schools, and community groups to participate in the event at the iconic Tokyo landmark to help create awareness about mental health needs in Japan.

Australian Government service Health Direct which provides quality approved health information and advice has also spotlighted the benefits of exercise on World Mental Health Day.

Health Direct notes that exercise can benefit your mental health as well as your physical health, with regular exercise reducing stress, boosting memory, helping improve sleep quality, reducing symptoms of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety or schizophrenia, and aiding in recovery from mental health issues.

Exercise can also help reduce any feelings of loneliness and isolation, as it can create opportunities to get outside be social and interact with other people.

Health Direct advise that good mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. It means you are in a state of wellbeing where you feel good and function well in the world.

According to the World Health Organization, good mental health is when you can:

Cope with the normal stresses of life
Learn and work productively
Use your talents and abilities
Contribute to the community

If you have good mental health, you might feel happy, confident, hopeful and generally satisfied with life. You are likely to feel connected to other people and to be making a contribution to society. You might also have a sense of meaning or purpose and a feeling of being at peace.

Writing in Australasian Leisure Management last week, AUSactive Chief Executive Barrie Elvish explained the challenges of mental health, pointing to the role exercise and physical activity plays in supporting our mental wellbeing as well as physical health.

Click here for more information on Health Direct.

TELL operates a telephone and chat Lifeline, a clinic with professional face-to-face counseling, and an outreach program that engages with the community through events and workshops.

World Mental Health Day is observed every year on 10th October.

Image: World Mental Health Day is observed every year on 10th October (top, credit: Pexels/Humphrey Muleba) and TELL's Tokyo Tower Climb (below).

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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