[CHAT]: Physical health and exercise
Just like mental health, physical health is an important part of our overall wellbeing. However sometimes, it can be a little challenging to get active:
There are lots of ways to exercise and look after our physical health - you just have to find one that works for you. That might be a team sport, going for a walk, going rock climbing (yikes 
), or taking spectacular marks in the AFL.
Want to talk more about physical health and exercise? Come chat with us here at 8pm AEST on Monday 12th June!
I think that physical activity and exercise are the same. Sport's different though - it's physical activity, but it's competitive.
Being able to do everything you want to physically (within reason :P) adds to your quality of life. Engaging in social sports can also help your mental health.
Good point about sports being a good form of socialising @roseisnotaplant I'd like to amend my answer and add that in there
Next question!
How can good physical health impact our mental health?
Oooh interesting question!
Good physical health can have a really positive impact on our mental health.
I've had a few issues with my legs and have had to see a physio on and off all my life, and when my legs were at their best, my mental health was generally better too. On a day to day basis, if I've got a headache or a cold/some other physical ailment, I tend to be more sensitive and irritable. My concentration is worse, just to name a few mental consequences.
Physical health is your wellbeing around physicalness. I don't know how to explain it very well 😛
How can good physical health impact our mental health?
Good physical health can enable us to participate in sport and exercise which release endorphins (or happy hormones!) that can improve our mental health. It can also enable us to be more social by going out places and joining sporting clubs where you can meet like-minded people which improves your social health and and lowering the chance of mental health issues such as loneliness.
They should definitely change the name of endorphins and just call them happy hormones @FootyFan26
Great answer!!
The alliteration makes it so catchy @letitgo!
Next question...
4. How can poor physical health impact mental health?
4. How can poor physical health impact mental health?
I guess it depends on how bad someones physical health is but in generally it's detrimental (haha detri-MENTAL!) to a persons health. Not being able to participate in sport or exercise can cause a drop in mood because of the endorphins released when participating and can also cause loneliness especially if involved in team sports as the opportunity for social interaction isn't there.
Poor physical health really has an effect on mental health. For example I was sick for a few months earlier this year, and I just felt really down all the time, especially since I couldn't do all the things I normally would have like soccer.
Sorry to hear you weren't well earlier this year @roseisnotaplant. You've shown great awareness in being able to see how it impacted your mental health though!
Next question!
What are some enablers and barriers to maintaining good physical health?
For me, a big enabler is the fact that my legs are pretty much doing what they should be again. Also, there's a treadmill in my house, so that makes it easier to exercise when I can't be bothered going anywhere. A healthy diet is another enabler of physical health, I think. I know that if I've eaten well, I feel better, and if I've exercised I feel more inclined to eat healthier
Barriers are a lack of motivation to exercise or eat healthy. Another barrier could be the cost of health care. I think in general we're pretty lucky in this country to have stuff like Medicare, but medication etc. can still be pretty expensive, making physical health more difficult to maintain.
I think poor physical health can have the opposite effect on our mental health. That is to say, poor physical health can lead to poor (or poorer) mental health. I already touched upon this in my last answer (oops!) but poor physical health can manifest in many different ways, and these will often dictate how our mental health is impacted.
For example, having poor physical health that is visible to others could lead to insecurities/self-doubt. My legs used to shake quite a lot and I would walk very slowly and sometimes I had to use a wheelchair. As a result, I felt like a weaker person, and inadequate because I couldn't do something that everyone else had no trouble with.
I do Unit 1&2 of Physical Education and Health and Human Development so a lot of memorizing of definitions!
