How Physical Challenge Leads to Mental Resilience

There’s a connection between physical challenge and mental resilience.

The first time you walk a 5k, climb a mountain, walk unaided to the mailbox, do one pushup or fifty, or complete a marathon, you discover that you are stronger than you were yesterday and can do more than you thought you could.

Seems to me that we readily accept that challenges can make us stronger physically. Yet we don’t think as much about how that strength translates from our bodies to our brains. But it does.

How? Why? So many reasons. Here are two.

First, our brains literally get stronger through physical activity. We add neurons to our gray matter and strengthen our brain's connective white matter. We improve our concentration, focus, memory and executive function. Yup, physical activity literally makes our brains better.

Second, we strengthen our grit. In any meaningful physical challenge, there is likely to be a moment when we feel like quitting. Halfway up the hill, we think about turning back. Some days we think about giving up before we even get out the door. Heck, some days we do give up before we get out the door. But when we go – when we persevere – we teach ourselves that challenges can be met and goals can be crushed. And that is the lesson we can take into the other aspects of our lives.

So climb the mountain. Take the walk. Do more than you did yesterday. Take on the challenges to grow stronger physically and your mental wellbeing will grow stronger too.