We often talk about training the body, but what about the mind that drives it?
Over the past few years, more clients have walked into gyms not looking for a six-pack, but for relief from anxiety, low energy, self-doubt and the mental noise that never seems to stop. What we’re seeing in the industry is the beginning of a movement that is one of the most powerful forms of therapy we can offer.
At the same time, conversations about mental health first aid have become far more common. Trainers are starting to recognise that being able to spot the signs of distress, low mood or burnout in a client can be just as important as teaching them how to squat or deadlift correctly. Supporting someone’s wellbeing now means understanding both their physiology and their psychology.
Across all personal trainer courses, more attention is being paid to behaviour change, motivation and stress management. The science is clear, exercise isn’t just helping people get fitter. It’s helping them heal.
The Mental Health Landscape
Mental health is now one of the defining public health issues of our time. In the UK, about one in six adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression in any given week, according to the Office for National Statistics (2024). Globally, the World Health Organization (2024) estimates that depression alone affects nearly 300 million people.
The drivers are complex and include such things as work pressure, social isolation and financial stress, but the search for practical, daily ways to cope is leading more people to movement. Walking, lifting, cycling and yoga are no longer just fitness choices. They’re coping strategies. And for many, these habits are proving to be life-changing.
Across all our personal trainer fitness courses, mental health is now a recurring theme. Trainers are learning that even small amounts of structured activity can shift a client’s mood and that routine itself can bring back a sense of control and self-worth.
How Exercise Changes the Brain and Mood
Exercise literally changes chemistry.
When someone moves, their brain releases dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, all of which are neurotransmitters associated with motivation, mood and wellbeing. A 2024 study in Scientific Reports examined this directly, finding that regular aerobic activity influenced levels of dopamine and serotonin, both key in reducing stress and improving emotional regulation (Hossain et al., 2024).
Dopamine, often called the “reward” neurotransmitter, plays a role in drive and goal pursuit. Serotonin supports calm and stable mood. Endorphins create that post-exercise feeling of lightness and satisfaction. Together, these chemicals explain why movement can feel like medicine.
A separate paper in Research Gate (Sauers et al., 2023) reviewed evidence showing that consistent physical activity not only stimulates these neurochemicals but also improves focus, decreases rumination and helps reduce physiological tension associated with anxiety. Another 2025 study explored short bouts of moderate aerobic exercise and found they enhanced executive function, including things like attention, decision-making and working memory, through mood improvement and stress reduction (Peng et al., 2025).
This biochemical and cognitive shift is powerful for trainers to understand. Every workout is an opportunity to help clients regulate emotions, sharpen their focus and reconnect with a sense of agency in their own lives.
The Confidence Connection Between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy & Body Image
Feeling good mentally isn’t just about neurotransmitters. It’s also about how people perceive themselves.
The link between physical activity, self-esteem and mental health is well documented. A 2024 systematic review in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity analysed dozens of studies and found strong evidence that self-esteem, self-efficacy, physical self-worth and body image satisfaction all mediate the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes (White et al., 2024).
In simpler terms, movement improves how people feel about themselves and that improved self-view drives better mental health.
A Nature Scientific Reports study (Zhou et al., 2025) also found that body image and loneliness mediate the link between physical activity and exercise self-efficacy. Participants who were more active tended to have higher confidence in their ability to exercise and this was partly due to how they felt about their bodies and their level of social connection.
Similarly, a BMC Public Health meta-analysis (Zhang et al., 2024) found that exercise had a moderate positive effect on body esteem in women, especially in relation to perceived physical condition and attractiveness. Programmes that combined resistance and aerobic training achieved the strongest results.
For us as trainers, this suggests that how we frame goals matters. Encouraging clients to focus on capability and progress as well as how their bodies perform and adapt, can shift self-image from appearance-based to function-based. Over time, this reframing supports sustainable motivation and better emotional health.
The Dark Side, When Exercise Becomes Compulsion
Exercise isn’t always positive when it’s driven by anxiety, guilt or unrealistic ideals.
A meta-analysis published in 2025 (Guo et al., 2025) found a moderate correlation between poor body image and the risk of exercise addiction. Another study among female college athletes reported that 17.2% met the criteria for exercise dependence, often linked with body dissatisfaction and perfectionism (Salleh et al., 2025).
These patterns highlight how easily healthy habits can become compulsive. Overtraining, distress when missing a session or using exercise to “earn” food are all red flags that mental health support may be needed.
Trainers play a key role in spotting these early signs. Open conversations, flexible programming and the normalisation of rest days help clients rebuild a balanced relationship with exercise. The goal is to move because it feels good, not because it feels necessary.
The Social Factor
Humans are wired for connection and exercise provides one of the most accessible ways to find it.
A 2024 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that physical activity reduced feelings of inferiority through two main pathways including improved emotional regulation and increased social support (Peng et al., 2024). The 2025 report by Zhou in Scientific Reports also linked loneliness with lower exercise self-efficacy, suggesting that isolation can directly reduce the likelihood of staying active.
Social bonding during group workouts, team sports or small community classes helps reinforce consistency. It creates accountability and offers a sense of belonging. These are two psychological anchors for better mental wellbeing.
Trainers can leverage this by fostering group camaraderie, pairing clients for partner drills or celebrating milestones together. Simple practices like these strengthen emotional resilience just as much as muscles.
Designing Sessions That Support Mental Health
For coaches, the practical question is how to make mental wellbeing part of everyday programming.
It starts with intention. A few minutes of mindful breathing before a session helps calm the nervous system and improve focus. Encouraging clients to notice what feels good during movement builds awareness and body appreciation.
Ending each session with reflection, asking “What did you do well today?”, helps reinforce dopamine reward pathways and promote self-efficacy. Varying intensity across the week also supports balanced mood regulation and prevents the physical and mental fatigue associated with burnout.
Goal setting should emphasise mastery and progress. Clients thrive when goals are framed around competence, not perfection. That might mean chasing a new pull-up, improving a 2k row or holding a deeper squat. All of which are measurable, performance-driven wins that enhance confidence.
Gyms as Mental Health Allies
It’s very important for us as fitness professionals to remember we are not therapists, but we are often the first people to notice changes in a client’s energy, behaviour or engagement. The relationship built in those regular sessions provides a trusted space for conversation, reassurance and encouragement.
The fitness industry is slowly embracing this broader view. A 2025 Frontiers in Communication study found that functionality-focused imagery, that is, showing people moving, lifting or achieving something physical, improved body appreciation and mental wellbeing compared to appearance-based images (Song et al., 2025). This shift in messaging can help reshape the cultural narrative around fitness from aesthetics to ability.
By acknowledging mental health as part of training, gyms can become supportive environments for personal growth, not just physical transformation.
Movement as Medicine
Movement builds muscle, but it also builds resilience.
Exercise regulates brain chemistry, boosts confidence, encourages social connection and strengthens self-belief. For many people, that’s the foundation of mental health recovery and prevention.
Every time we guide a client through a workout, we’re helping someone reconnect with their sense of control and optimism. Movement becomes a language for self-care, one rep at a time.
Reference
- World Health Organization (2024). Mental Health: Strengthening Our Response. Click here to review the full research article.
- Hossain MN, Lee J, Choi H, Kwak YS, Kim J. The impact of exercise on depression: how moving makes your brain and body feel better. Phys Act Nutr. 2024 Jun;28(2):43-51. Click here to review the full research article.
- Sauers, E. (2023). Improving mental health through exercise. Kines – 4350: Senior seminar in kinesiology, Our Lady of the Lake University. Click here to review the full research article.
- Peng, y., Zhang, G., Pang, H. Impact of Short-Duration Aerobic Exercise Intensity on Executive Function and Sleep. ArxivLabs 2025. Click here to review the full research article.
- White RL, Vella S, Biddle S, Sutcliffe J, Guagliano JM, Uddin R, Burgin A, Apostolopoulos M, Nguyen T, Young C, Taylor N, Lilley S, Teychenne M. Physical activity and mental health: a systematic review and best-evidence synthesis of mediation and moderation studies. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024 Nov 28;21(1):134. Click here to review the full research article.
- Zhou, F., Wang, W., Wu, J. et al. Body image and loneliness as mediators of the relationship between physical activity and exercise self-efficacy in college students. Sci Rep 15, 30782 (2025). Click here to review the full research article.
- Zhang, Y., Wen, Z., Zhu, Y. et al. Effects of physical exercise on body esteem among females: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health 24, 3387 (2024). Click here to review the full research article.
- Guo S, Kamionka A, Xue Q, Izydorczyk B, Lipowska M, Lipowski M. Body image and risk of exercise addiction in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Behav Addict. 2025 Feb 6;14(1):39-54. Click here to review the full research article.
- Salleh, R., Rosli, N. Body Image Perception, Eating Disorders and Exercise Addiction among Malay Female College Athletes. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science 2025. Click here to review the full research article.
- Peng B, Chen W, Wang H, Yu T and Kong M (2025) A study on the relationship between physical exercise and feelings of inferiority among college students: the chain mediating effect of social support and emotional regulation ability. Front. Psychol. 15:1521510. Click here to review the full research article.
- Song, S., Adnan, H., Ibrahim, M. The impact of functionality-focused social media images on positive body image: an experimental study among young Chinese women. Frontiers in Communication 2025. Click here to review the full research article.
Spot the Signs, Support the Person
Supporting clients’ wellbeing means more than planning workouts. It means recognising when someone might be struggling. In a 2024 review published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, researchers found that self-esteem, confidence and social connection are the strongest links between exercise and improved mental health. Yet around 1 in 6 adults in the UK experience anxiety or depression each week (ONS, 2024). The TRAINFITNESS Mental Health First Aid course helps fitness professionals bridge that gap, teaching how to identify early signs of distress, start supportive conversations and guide clients towards the right help. You’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively, create safer spaces and become a true ally in your clients’ mental wellbeing journey.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) – Live-Virtual
Many clients know what to do, they just struggle to do it consistently. In a 2024 review published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, researchers found that self-efficacy and confidence were key mediators linking exercise to improved mental health outcomes. When people believe they can change, they do. The TRAINFITNESS Life Coaching course teaches fitness professionals how to help clients build that belief by utilising goal-setting, motivation and communication skills grounded in behavioural science. Learn how to guide clients past barriers like self-doubt, stress and inconsistency, and support them in creating meaningful, lasting change in every area of life.
Life Coaching – Distance Study
