“I stopped exercising for a week – here’s how it impacted my mental health”

Strong Women editor Miranda Larbi has dreamt of sacking off the daily runs and gym classes in favour of lie-ins. So what happened when she ditched all exercise for a week?

I can’t remember the last time I didn’t do any exercise for more than 48 hours. That’s not to say that I don’t sometimes wish I could spend a week lying in, not looking at my step-count. But when you know it’s good for you, it’s almost impossible to stop moving, guilt-free. I work out on around five times a week, and my rest days are days which the 10,000 steps are non-negotiable. I’m more OK with not achieving that arbitrary goal on rest days if I’ve cycled the 90-minute round trip to work.

Exercise and mental health go hand-in-hand. Daily walks, for example, have been proven to improve mood while more high-impact workouts can serve as an anxiety-reliever (although if done to excess, they can also exacerbate stress). Engaging in daily exercise – 10k steps and a run or gym class – is my main tool for keeping energy up, staying calm and feeling accomplished. 

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So, when I was asked to take part in a study to assess the impact that not doing exercise might have on mood and mental health, I was keen to see if daily exercise was as beneficial to my mental health as I believed it to be.

The experiment involved exercising as normal for a week, before taking a week off any form of intentional movement. I could commute to work but couldn’t go out to get my daily steps, go running or do any classes. And after that rest week, normal service would be resumed. 

Week one: normal exercise

I start the first week with a nice, easy 5k before work with my partner. We run along the canal, bombarded with green and blue space and a stellar sunrise. It’s the ideal way to start a Monday as running gives us the opportunity to discuss the weekend, set our agendas for the upcoming week and benefit from local nature. 

The following morning, I run a solo 5k and Wednesday starts bright and early with 7am Barry’s class (a 35-minute cycle from my flat). Thursday, I cycle into town for a shoot and on to Southwark for a show – altogether about 90 minutes on the bike, Friday is another 5k and Sunday starts with a breezy 9k (so that’s 24k over the week). As we have family over, we go walking for miles and my final step count is over 25,000. 

Week two: total rest

OK, so I don’t usually go on massive walks on the weekend but generally speaking, week one is an accurate reflection of how I move. I’m lazy – I like doing 5k jogs because I don’t have to think about what I’m doing. It takes a lot of planning to get to a 7am gym class, especially if it’s a cycle away. By week two, I’m excited to not have to get up before 7am.

I’m working all week in town so the only exercise I’ve been permitted is cycling to and fro; I live in an area which has no Tube so it tends to be quicker to cycle. Instead of waking up early to move, I read the paper in bed, have a shower and then a sit-down breakfast while reading emails. After I’ve digested, I get on my bike and head into town. For the first couple of days, that feels really good. I go for Wednesday drinks with a friend, and the next evening, meet up with a mate I’ve not seen since we graduated seven years ago. 

But by the last morning, things change. I miss my runs. I feel antsy and full of nervous energy. I’m thankful for every minute spent on the bike but I realise that a lot of my thought processing and alone time is spent exercising. Is that a good thing, or a sign that I need to stop relying on movement so much? Our generation is often accused of chronic navel gazing and without being able to expend energy physically, I get sucked into way more thought spirals than usual.

Week three: back to normal

I tried two new gym classes in a bid to enjoy every session more (a 50 minute core class and a 75 minute yoga class), before a few short jogs. My week ended in a 17k run along the canals in the bright winter sun. I felt incredible – despite my Whoop warning me that my strain level was right at its max (which is supposed to warn that you need to recover ASAP). While I’d done a lot less socialising than during the week before, I felt really ready for a weekend of hanging out with pals after working hard all week.

How does exercise impact my mental health?

Without exercise, I’m a lot more flat. I have no real lows (I’m not tired) and while I had social highs, they’re not as intense as the rush you get from a good run or class. With exercise in my life, I’m a lot more extreme. I fall asleep on the sofa every night at 8pm and I wake up early to get a load of movement done before work begins. Mentally, however, I’m better primed to deal with the latter: I know that a 30-minute lunchtime jog will help to think through work-related problems. A morning chomp around the canals with my partner helps us to connect and feel ready for the day ahead. Gym classes offer unparalleled feelings of accomplishment.

I’ve realised that perhaps I could do with a little more balance in my life but fundamentally, I’m mentally stronger on the move. 

For more first-person fitness stories, follow Strong Women on Instagram (@StrongWomenUK).

Images: Getty

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