Mental Health Resources

Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.

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Poor mental health, simply put, is when our mental health is not what we would want it to be. Finding it difficult to manage how we think, feel, act with respect to daily stresses could be a sign of poor mental health.

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Physical activity has a huge impact to enhance our well-being. Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety. It also plays a role in preventing the development of poor mental health and in improving the quality of life of people experiencing poor mental health.

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To learn more about the mental health benefits of exercise, click here for a great article explaining how exercise can boost your mood, improve your sleep, and help you deal with depression, anxiety, stress, and more.

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To learn more about the effect of exercise on mental health, click here for a research article explaining the evidence of the exercise-mental health connection as it is becoming impossible to ignore.

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To read some stories of other athletes struggling with poor mental health and how they have overcome it, click here for an article published from participACTION about Justyn Knight, an athlete who makes physical activity and sport a key part of his every day life.

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Exercises to Reduce Stress

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Getting up and moving around is a powerful way to reduce stress. It allows our muscles to move, encourages blood flow and helps us feel more like ourselves.

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It gets us breathing deeper, which triggers the body's relaxation response.

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Some exercises are more helpful than others when it comes to stress reduction. Running on a treadmill while watching Netflix doesn't really cut it. Instead, pursue activities that encourage the mind and the body to work together.

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Here are a few stress reducing exercises to try out:

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