How are Mental and Physical Health Related?

The Importance of Mental Health in Relation to the Risk of Chronic Physical Conditions

by Kaylee Erneston


Wellness Center Student Volunteer




When you think about the word “healthy,” what is the first association that comes to mind? Do you think of a physically fit individual? Or maybe you think of being healthy as the mere absence of disease. Do you regard mental health as being just as important as physical health when it comes to being healthy?




All these aspects make up the World Health Organization (WHO)’s definition of health: “a complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Mental fitness is not always considered when we think about a healthy individual, even though mental, and physical health are fundamentally linked.




How do we know mental and physical health are related?


One way we can quantify the linkage between mental and physical health is through the study of chronic diseases. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, those with poor mental health are at greater risk for physical chronic conditions, including risk factors for stroke and heart disease such as diabetes and high blood pressure.




Knowing this connectivity, one may attempt to increase their mental fitness and, in turn, lower their risk for chronic physical conditions. And what is one way to do this? Studies have shown that working out can significantly improve mental health!

So physical activity may improve mental wellness, and vice versa?


Yes. It may seem like one big loop: participating in physical activity can lead to better physical health, which then leads to better mental health, which then leads to more physical activity and better physical health. This “loop” exemplifies the ways in which physical health and mental health are intertwined.