The Connection Between Movement and Mental Health: Why Your Pilates Class is More Than Just a Workout

I think most of us have had the experience of rushing to a workout class between meetings or after work. You are on your way and kind of irritated with yourself for overbooking but unwilling to pay the cancellation fee. Then, after moving your body you leave the class with a brand new mindset. Whether you can relate to this specific example or not, you can likely agree that it feels good to exercise. This good feeling extends from your body to your brain. You physically feel calmer and more positive after class, right?

Moving our bodies is helpful for our physical health, but it is also good for our mental health. Regular physical activity has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Exercise can lead to improvements in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and executive function. Working out also improves sleep, boosts your mood, and reduces stress. 

Let’s talk about the relationship between the brain and the body in more scientific terms. 

The Science Behind Movement & Mental Health

Physical activity boosts mood

When you exercise, your levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine increase. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which means it’s one of the brain’s key chemical messengers. Often referred to as a “feel-good” chemical, serotonin plays a major role in regulating mood, promoting emotional well-being, and supporting functions like sleep, digestion, memory, and even pain perception. 

Exercise is one of the most natural ways to boost serotonin levels. When we engage in physical activity—especially aerobic forms like walking, jogging, dancing, or Pilates—our bodies increase the availability of tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin. At the same time, exercise reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol, which can interfere with serotonin production. Increased blood flow to the brain during movement also enhances overall brain function, making neurotransmitters like serotonin more effective. 

Dopamine is another powerful neurotransmitter often referred to as the brain’s “motivation” or “reward” chemical. It plays a key role in how we experience pleasure, motivation, focus, and learning. When we achieve something—whether it’s finishing a task, eating a delicious meal, or hitting a workout milestone—dopamine is released, reinforcing that behavior and making us want to repeat it. It’s the brain’s way of saying, “That felt good—let’s do it again.” 

Exercise is a natural way to boost dopamine. Physical movement—especially activities that are challenging, rhythmic, or goal-oriented—helps stimulate dopamine release in the brain. Over time, regular workouts can even increase the number of dopamine receptors, making the brain more responsive to the dopamine it produces. This contributes to better mood, sharper mental clarity, and a greater sense of motivation and satisfaction after moving your body. If you’ve ever felt more energized and focused after a workout, dopamine is one of the main reasons why.

Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter and hormone that plays a key role in the body’s stress response. It helps regulate alertness, attention, energy, and mood—essentially acting like a natural stimulant produced by the brain. When you face a challenge or feel stressed, norepinephrine kicks in to heighten focus and prepare the body for action. It increases heart rate, sharpens thinking, and mobilizes the brain and body to respond to demands. 

Exercise helps regulate and boost norepinephrine levels, making it a powerful tool for improving focus and emotional resilience. When you engage in physical activity—especially moderate to intense workouts—your brain releases more norepinephrine, which contributes to the post-exercise feelings of mental clarity and alertness. 

Over time, consistent movement helps balance this neurotransmitter, leading to better energy levels, sharper attention, and a more stable mood throughout the day. It’s one of the reasons why movement can feel like a mental reset—especially on days when your brain is feeling sluggish or scattered.

Exercise reduces stress hormones

Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress—it’s part of the “fight or flight” system. While helpful in short-term situations, chronically high cortisol can lead to anxiety, sleep disruption, fatigue, and even weakened immune function.

Regular aerobic and resistance exercise helps regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls cortisol production. Studies show that moderate, consistent physical activity can lower baseline cortisol levels and improve the body's ability to return to baseline after stress. For example, a 2010 study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that people who exercised regularly had a healthier cortisol awakening response and reduced cortisol reactivity to stressors.

Additionally, exercise increases endorphins and neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin, which buffer the effects of cortisol and promote a calmer nervous system. In short: movement trains your body to handle stress more efficiently, both hormonally and mentally.

Mindful Movement 

When you plan your week of workouts, consider including a few classes that are good for your mental health. Some forms of exercise target muscle failure or heart rate elevation. While these are great for your physique, we suggest balancing them out with more intentional forms of movement like functional strength training, pilates, or yoga. Think of classes where instructors draw attention to your breathing, classes where they focus on specific body posturing, or classes that build the mind body connection. 

An instructor that cues you to make a small movement or engage a specific muscle helps you build proprioception. Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense its position, movement, and balance in space—even without looking. It's what allows you to touch your nose with your eyes closed, walk without watching your feet, or adjust your posture without thinking about it.

Why does this matter for mental health and movement? Activities that challenge proprioception—like Pilates, yoga, and functional fitness—help deepen your connection to your body. That kind of embodied awareness has been shown to reduce anxiety, enhance emotional regulation, and support nervous system regulation. Essentially, when you’re tuned into your body, you’re more likely to feel grounded, calm, and present. You are also more likely to recognize shifts in your own needs. Have you ever been so in the zone (read: back-to-back meetings) at work that you look up and realize it is already 2:00 p.m. and you haven’t drank any water or had lunch? Yeah, that is not great. Physical attunement helps us take care of ourselves which keeps our mood regulated. We all know someone that gets hangry… 

A strong connection between mind and body also helps us recognize our emotions. Are your shoulders bunched up? Is there tension in your jaw? Are your muscles feeling tight? You might be irritated or anxious. Maybe you should walk outside or listen to a fixation song. Are you feeling tired, low energy, and running through your to-do list? Maybe you need to stop, take a breath, and get some water before you run through your front door and release that energy onto your loved ones. 

Movement as a Form of Self-Care

If you want to incorporate more mindful movement into your routine, there are a few subtle mental shifts you can make. First, change your attitude. You don’t “have to” exercise, you “get to”— it is a ritual that nourishes both mind and body. Pause and take that in next time you are rushing to get to a class you are frustrated you couldn’t cancel. You are taking this time for YOU. Enjoy it. 

Another way to help integrate movement: tune into your body’s needs. Are you sore from being hunched at a computer? Are you craving some time outside? Are you feeling less motivated and wanting an instructor to guide you through? Ask yourself, “what kind of movement feels good today?” Use your own awareness to incorporate what is going to make you feel your best. 

One big, important shift I would encourage you to make not just in regards to exercise, but with many areas of life is letting go of “all or nothing” thinking. Sometimes you only can get to a 10 minute stretch or a walk around the block and that is SO much better than not moving your body at all. Celebrate the wins rather than comparing them to something bigger.

Mental Health Support Beyond the Mat

Movement can support mental wellness—but sometimes, deeper healing needs space in therapy. I named my practice La Jolla Wellness because I believe in a holistic perspective towards health. Feeling good doesn’t exist in a vacuum. If you take care of your mind and your body, you are likely to feel good. Neglecting one will impact the other. 

Therapy and movement complement each other. La Jolla Wellness focuses on helping our clients connect with themselves, manage stress, and build emotional resilience. Movement is not about perfection or performance and neither is therapy.

The next time you walk into a Pilates class, know this: you're doing something powerful for your mind, not just your muscles.