Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 29
For many years,
exercise was mainly
spoken about in
terms of weight,
fitness, muscle tone
or heart health. Today,
the conversation is
shifting. More people
are recognising that
movement is not just
good for the body, it
can also be a powerful
tool for supporting
mental health.
In fact, Exercise for Mental
Health has become a
leading 昀椀tness trend.
It re昀氀ects a growing
understanding that
physical activity can help
people manage stress,
improve mood, build
con昀椀dence, feel more
connected and support
better overall wellbeing.
Of course, exercise is not
a cure-all. It should never
replace professional mental
health care, medication
or psychological support
when these are needed.
But as part of a broader
wellbeing toolkit, regular
movement can be one of
the most accessible and
effective ways to support
mental health.
According to the
Australian Bureau of
Statistics, around one in
昀椀ve Australians aged 16 to
85 experienced a mental
disorder in the previous
12 months, with anxiety
disorders being the most
common. At the same
time, many Australians
are not moving enough.
National data shows
only around one in 昀椀ve
adults aged 18 to 64
met the physical activity
guidelines in 2022.
Globally, Around 1.1 billion
people were living with a
mental disorder in 2021,
which is nearly 1 in every
7 people worldwide and
nearly 1.8 billion adults
worldwide did not meet
The Statistics
recommended physical
Mental health is one of the
biggest health challenges,
in Australia and around
the globe.
activity levels in 2022.
This equates to around
31% of the global
adult population.
