It’s a trait we all need – mental resilience. It’s no secret that we live in a fast-paced world that tosses lots of challenges our way. From weather events, like hurricanes, to challenges at work and at home. Sometimes they all come at once and create mental chaos! And what helps us weather these challenges? Mental resilience. You might wonder what this term even means. It’s the ability to show courage and stay mentally strong in the face of trauma or challenges.

Fortunately, resilience is a trait you can learn and become better at. You might think the best way to boost resilience is through activities like mindfulness. This can be an effective approach, but there’s another way to build resilience- through exercise. Let’s look at how mental resilience and exercise are linked. A 2014 study found that exercise reduces the body’s response to stress and may also lower the risk of developing mental health issues in those who are susceptible. But how? Let’s look at how mental resilience and exercise are best friends.

Neurobiological Mechanisms

When you launch into a workout, there’s lots happening behind the scenes in your brain and nervous system. You’re familiar with runner’s high, right? This is the beneficial mood changes and tranquil feelings runners get when they engage in their sport. But you don’t have to launch into a long-distance run to enjoy the benefits of endorphins. Any exercise that elevates your heart rate for sustained periods of time, including high-intensity interval training can stimulate the release of endorphins too. Once released, endorphins bind to receptors in the brain that trigger a positive feeling, including feelings of strength and empowerment.

But that’s not the only neurobiological change happening in your brain when you exercise. Research shows that exercise stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth and survival of neurons. Your brain has a remarkable ability to adapt and reorganize itself in response to various stimuli, a trait called neuroplasticity.

Think of your brain as a busy city. When you launch into a workout, you’re reshaping your neural landscape. Under the guidance of BDNF (the construction crew), you build new nerve connections, just as you lay down new roads in a city. These new connections build mental resilience.

Plus, exercise boosts serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters linked with mood, that your brain and nervous system pump out. When these brain chemicals are balanced, you feel happier and have a greater sense of well-being. When they’re disrupted, it can lead to feelings of helplessness and emotional instability – the opposite of resilience!

Hormonal Balance

Exercise also helps regulate hormones that cause you to feel stressed. These include stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. When these hormones surge, you feel anxious and less capable of dealing with the stress life throws in your path. But when you exercise regularly, your body learns to regulate these stress hormones, creating a more balanced hormonal environment. When you adopt a regular exercise routine and stick with it, the curve balls life throws you seem more manageable.

Improved Self-Efficacy and Confidence

To be more mentally resilient, you must believe you can manage and succeed in challenging situations. Planning and achieving your fitness goals, such as building strength or better stamina, gives you a greater sense of self-efficacy and empowerment. This benefit spreads over into other areas of your life, giving you a “can do” mindset and outlook. For example, self-efficacy makes it easier for you to tackle a challenging project at work or at home. Why? Because you’ve convinced yourself that you can achieve other goals. Muscle strength translates into inner strength!

Practical Applications: Building Resilience Through Exercise

For building mental resilience, choose forms of exercise that are sustainable, and you can stick with. Ensure the activities you choose elevate your heart rate (to maximize neuroplasticity). You’ll also need strength training to flex your muscles, including your mental muscle. Also, add some form of Zen exercise for your mind, like a yoga flow to balance out the picture.

Make sure the goals you set in the beginning are manageable and achievable. Conquering small goals builds confidence, self-efficiency, and, yes, mental resilience. As your body and mind adapt, boost the intensity or duration, or add a more challenging goal. A steady stream of accomplishments is a confidence builder!

Be Mindful Too

For greater mental resilience, be mindful and present to your workouts. Notice how the movements feel and appreciate the marvel that your body is. Don’t just go through the motions. Feel your breathing and the energy flowing through you. With the right awareness, you can turn your workout into moving meditation. Doing this teaches your body to stay calm and be present in the face of other challenging situations unrelated to exercise. When you feel your muscles burn, celebrate! Pushing through discomfort builds mental muscle too.

Conclusion

Exercise is your secret “go to” strategy for building physical resilience and mental resilience too. Through physical activity, you learn to cope with stress and manage and recover from challenges and adversity. So, don’t just see working out to slay your physical fitness goals but to empower your mind and build inner resilience. It works!

References:

• Saanijoki, T., Tuominen, L., Tuulari, J. J., Nummenmaa, L., Arponen, E., Kalliokoski, K., & Hirvonen, J. (2018). Opioid release after high-intensity interval training in healthy human subjects. Neuropsychopharmacology, 43(2), 246-254.
• Childs, E., & de Wit, H. (2014). Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Physiology, 5, 161.
• “Running from Stress: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced ….” 01 Nov. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9654650/.
• Walsh JJ, Tschakovsky ME. Exercise and circulating BDNF: Mechanisms of release and implications for the design of exercise interventions. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2018 Nov;43(11):1095-1104. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2018-0192. Epub 2018 May 18. PMID: 29775542.
• Medrano-Ureña MDR, Ortega-Ruiz R, Benítez-Sillero JD. Physical Fitness, Exercise Self-Efficacy, and Quality of Life in Adulthood: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Aug 31;17(17):6343. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176343. PMID: 32878182; PMCID: PMC7504332.
• Wei Y. The Effect of Mindfulness Practice on Individual Mental Resilience and Happiness. International Journal of Education and Humanities. 2024;16(2):514-516. doi: https://doi.org/10.54097/mwg9g688.
• “What Is Resilience? Definition, Examples, and Tips – Psych Central.” 06 Jan. 2022, https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-resilience.
• “Resilience – American Psychological Association (APA).” https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience.
• “Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress – Mayo Clinic.” 03 Aug. 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469.
• “Five Science-Backed Strategies to Build Resilience – Greater Good.” 09 Nov. 2016, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience.

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