Move for your mind: Create a fitness routine that supports mental health
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, and is the author of the book 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.'
(CNN) — We already know exercise is good for our bodies, but it's also an essential tool for managing mental health. Yet many people still separate physical fitness from mental wellness, viewing them as two different goals rather than parts of the same whole.
Too often, workout routines are designed with only the body in mind, focusing on burning calories, building strength or improving flexibility. What's often missing is intentionality — movement designed not just to make you sweat but also to help you feel better mentally and emotionally.
Research shows that consistent physical activity can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, sharpen executive functioning and improve sleep quality, a key factor in emotional regulation and overall mental health. But not all movement is created equal when it comes to mental health. The type of movement — and how you approach it — matters.
As a mind-body coach in professional sports for more than two decades, I have helped elite athletes build durable, mobile bodies while also supporting their mental resilience — using movement and breath to regulate the nervous system, stay grounded under pressure and maintain sharp focus. These same tools and principles can help anyone strengthen body and mind, improving how they move and feel every day.
Pushing yourself through a high-intensity workout while mentally checked out or disconnected from your body doesn't offer the same mental health benefits as moving with awareness. True mind-body fitness involves being present during movement, using intentional breathing and training in ways that support your nervous system.
The brain and body are deeply interconnected through the nervous system. One of the key players in this connection is the vagus nerve, which runs from your brain stem to your gut and influences functions as varied as heart rate, digestion, mood and emotional regulation.
When you exercise with focused, deep breathing — you stimulate the vagus nerve, which activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your 'rest and recover' state). Doing so can calm your mind, lower stress and improve focus by shifting your body out of 'fight-or-flight' mode, helping you achieve restful states more easily.
On the other hand, when exercise is overly intense or performed with poor breathing patterns and no recovery, it can spike stress hormones and leave you feeling more depleted than energized. That's why it's important to choose exercises and formats that align with your needs and goals — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too.
You don't need to overhaul your workout regimen to make it more mind-body focused. Start by layering in these five simple strategies. Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain.
Breath is the most efficient and effective way to influence your nervous system. Use slow, intentional breathing before, during and after your workouts.
• In warm-ups: Use diaphragmatic breathing to downshift from your day and connect to your body.
• During mobility work: Use your breathing to move your rib cage in ways that support better posture, positioning and rotation. For example, when twisting your upper body to the right, use inhalations to expand your ribs on the right side and exhale to contract your ribs on the left side, to facilitate the rotation.
• During strength training: Exhale through the effort phase — as you would when pushing up in a push-up or standing up from a squat — to activate core control and regulate tension.
• In cooldowns: Practice extended exhales, which further stimulate the vagus nerve, to promote relaxation and recovery. I recommend doubling the length of your exhales during recovery sessions by practicing a four-count inhale with an eight-count exhale.
Mobility training improves flexibility and joint health, but its benefits go beyond the physical. Practicing breath-driven mobility drills, such as the three-way hip flexor release and windmill twist to also sharpen body awareness and support nervous system regulation. Add exercises such as these to your warm-ups or active recovery days, focusing on coordinating breath and movement to build physical control and mental clarity.
High-intensity workouts have benefits, but overdoing them can chronically elevate stress levels and impair recovery. To support your nervous system, balance your weekly training with lower-intensity sessions. Activities such as walking, yoga, breath-focused mobility and body-weight strength work help keep you active while promoting resilience, emotional regulation and injury prevention.
No matter what type of training you're doing — strength, mobility, cardio or recovery — your mental presence affects how your body performs and adapts. Rushing through reps or zoning out increases the risk of poor form, injury and missed benefits. Focus on the quality of your movement: Pay attention to alignment, control your pace and stay aware of how your body feels. When your mind starts to wander, use your breath to ground yourself in the present and reconnect with your body. Presence turns every exercise into an opportunity to build both physical skill and mental clarity.
Before, during and after your workouts, take 30 seconds at a time to assess how you feel. Ask yourself: Where am I holding tension? How's my breathing? What do I need right now — intensity or grounding?
These moments of self-awareness turn your fitness practice into a tool for emotional regulation, not just physical conditioning.
Here's a sample weekly structure to balance strength, mobility and nervous system support:
Two days: Strength training with breath-focused movement prep and mobility cooldown.
Two days: Breath-driven mobility or Pilates and low-intensity cardio (walking, light cycling, etc.).
One day: A recovery day with breathwork and gentle stretching or yoga.
Two days: Mixed training (circuit or flow-style) that blends mobility, strength and cardio.
Although having a plan is important, mind-body fitness is about listening to how you feel and adjusting accordingly. Movement can shift your mental and emotional state, but it works best when you begin with awareness and choose what best meets your needs, whether that means calming down or boosting energy. The goal is to support — not override — your system.
Remember, a mind-body fitness routine isn't about doing less, it's about doing what serves you more completely. By training with awareness, incorporating breath and mobility, and respecting the needs of your nervous system, you'll not only feel stronger — you'll feel more focused, resilient and grounded in everyday life.
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