How Physical Exercise Benefits Mental Health

Sunday Shades: Sunglasses for Kayaking

Whether you care to admit it or not, there’s a 70% chance that are you are stressed. You can either be stressed directly from the pandemic or indirectly, perhaps from a greater workload as a result of the pandemic. Of course, some stress is good. It’s the extended exposure to stressors that can negatively impact our mental wellbeing.

In a recent survey of employers and employees in 5 countries, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the UK, the findings show Singaporeans were the most stressed of the lot. It appears that 7 in 10 Singaporeans are feeling stressed in the past 6 months. Although we’re not sure of the methodology employed in this survey, the fact remains mental health is vital to one’s well-being.

Mental health is not well-understood generally, and it’s remains a taboo in our society. If you know of someone who needs professional help, they should by all means see a professional. The Ministry of Manpower has even launched an online tool called iWorkHealth. Developed jointly with MOM’s Workplace Safety and Health Institute, together with Changi General Hospital, IMH and the Health Promotion Board, this self-administered online tool helps to identify common workplace stressors.

Apart from seeking professional help, are there other ways to help improve mental health? According to James Blumenthal, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Duke University, that there is good epidemiological evidence to suggest that active people are less depressed than inactive people. He also added that people who were once active and later stopped, tend to be more depressed than those who maintain an exercise program. Simply put, exercise is important to your mental wellbeing.

While exercise is beneficial to your mental health, it does not mean that the more you do, the better it is. In a recent large study involving 1.2 million Americans, and published in The Lancet, it concluded that even just 2 hours of any form of exercise will make a significant impact on mental health. 

Regardless whether you’re an exercise enthusiast or not, the bottom-line is: exercise is good for your mental health. This is especially important now that we are working more from home and interaction with our colleagues are largely confined to video conferencing. Getting physical activity in as part of our routine will help us draw a line between work and play, and essential rest. Studies show that being constantly connected to work via technology leads to the blurring of work and non-work boundaries. This is particularly true if you work from home. So, make time to get physical activity in, if you’ve not already done so.

At Sunday Shades, we’re proud to partner with organizations that promote various sports. Sunday Shaders, as our loyal customers are known, are leading examples when it comes to an active lifestyle. Keep it up! While you’re working out in the sun, protect your eyes too. Sunday Shades has a full range of UV 400 and polarized sunglasses that are designed for your comfort. They don’t bounce, are very light, and easy on the pocket. Check them out here!