Mental Health and Movement

These days we’re all moving and exercising to make sure our bodies are in tip-top shape, but did you know exercise is equally as beneficial for our minds as it is our bodies?

According to the Better Health Channel Victoria, regular exercise and movement can improve mental health in a range of different ways some of which include:

Improves sleep patterns which in turn, helps with mood management.
Can improve your sense of control, coping ability and self-esteem. People who exercise regularly often report how good achieving a goal makes them feel.
Partaking in exercise can distract you from negative thoughts by providing opportunities to try new experiences.
It offers an opportunity to socialise and get social support if you exercise with others.
Exercise increases your energy levels.
Physical activity can be an outlet for your frustrations.
Exercise can reduce skeletal muscle tension helping you feel more relaxed.

Whilst exercise is a great way to improve your mental health, it doesn’t necessarily have to be strenuous forms of fitness. Simple forms of movement, such as Pilates, stretch classes, and Yoga are just as beneficial and give you the perfect excuse to use your favourite Yoga accessories.

Even just everyday activities like household chores can be excellent ways to get your body moving and start reaping the mental rewards of movement.

If exercise hasn’t always been your most favourable pastime but you’re looking for a new outlet, simple forms of movement can be the best way to dip your toe in – starting with your feet because you can start your fitness journey without your feet, right?

Toesox USA highlighted the importance of caring for your feet as part of your exercise regime:

Just as the body moves better when it’s stronger, so do the feet. The stronger your feet are the better they can move and the less they should ache. Take five minutes of your day (at bedtime feels awesome) to bring attention down to your soles with these little exercises:

With feet flat, lift and spread your toes. Repeat 10 times.
Curl your toes under as though you were raking leaves with them. Repeat 10 times.
Stand on a hard surface with your toes on the edge of a hand towel. Gather the towel under the arch of your foot with your toes.
To stretch, sit on the edge of a chair with a firm seat. Bring your foot onto the opposite knee and pull all the toes down with your hand until you feel a gentle stretch. Then push the toes up.
Lace your fingers through your toes – like holding hands – and circle your ankle 3 times in one direction and 3 times in the opposite direction.

Feet are your foundation and caring for them is crucial to your overall body’s health, and what better way to care for your feet than with a pair of Toesox or Pilates Socks?

Your toes naturally want to spread to help you balance and move. Painful bunions and hammertoes can be a result of toes being squished together. Therefore, it’s important to wear proper fitting socks and shoes that provide wiggle room. We can help.

We’re big into foot health so we design our grip socks with the architecture of the foot in mind:

For the toes… every pair of ToeSox has a 5 toe design to embrace the natural movement of the toes – let those baby move!
For the arches… we include an arch band to gently lift and support the mid-foot when it gets exhausted and wants to collapse.
For blood flow… wear compression socks to help circulation for optimal rejuvenation and recovery.

The feet bear the weight of your whole body and something as simple (and magnificent) as a technically designed sock can make all the difference.

Shop our collection of Pilates Socks and Yoga Accessories, or contact our team at Toesox Australia to find out more information.

Sources:

Katie Geer, ‘How to treat your feet right’, Toesox, https://toesox.taviactive.com/blog/how-to-treat-your-feet-right

Better Health Channel Victoria, (2021), ‘Exercise and Mental Health’, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-and-mental-health