Today's episode is in honor of mental health awareness month. I take a deep dive into some of the recent psychology, neuroscience, and sports medicine literature to talk about the relationship between exercise and mental health. First, I talk about how exercise can enhance mental well-being and help alleviate and prevent symptoms of common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Then, I go into the "why" behind this relationship. I talk about the neuroscience behind why and how exercise helps our mental health, by looking at brain structure changes, neurotransmitter changes, and metabolic changes. Finally, I take a deep dive into running specifically and how running cultivates overall better mental health. I especially touch on the runner's high and the neuroscience behind it! I wrap up by discussing the opposite effect when exercise can actually hurt our mental health through overtraining or exercise addiction, and how to obtain a healthy relationship with exercise. 

Some super cool research in this episode you won't want to miss if you are interested in psychology and exercise!