If you’ve had one of those days where your brain feels foggy, tense or overstimulated, you’re not alone.
Modern life puts an enormous load on your nervous system - and one of the simplest, most effective antidotes is movement.
Not exercise in the traditional sense.
Not chasing steps or smashing PBs.
But the kind of movement that calms your mind rather than taxes it.
Elite athletes rely on this daily. And now more research shows that movement designed for mental reset is just as crucial as training for fitness.
Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has spoken often about the psychological demands of elite sport. In a BBC Sport interview, she summed up why movement has always been her anchor:
"Movement has always been the place where I reset. Even in my most stressful moments before major championships, going out for a light session or a simple jog made everything feel clearer.
"It wasn’t about pushing my body — it was about giving my mind space. That’s something I still rely on now. Movement helps me process things, settle my nerves and find my balance again."
Her words capture something most of us forget: that movement can be restorative, not just strenuous.
The science: Why gentle movement calms the brain
To explore the neuroscience behind this, let's hear from Dr. Pippa Grange, a performance psychologist and author who has worked with the England football team and various Olympic athletes.
Dr. Grange explains:
1. Movement lowers cortisol - quickly
Low-intensity physical activity has been shown to lower the stress hormone cortisol within minutes. This reduces irritability, overwhelm and 'brain fog'.
2. It interrupts negative loops
Gentle movement breaks the cycle of rumination - the repetitive, unhelpful thoughts that spiral during stress.
3. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system
Activities like slow running, mobility work or steady cycling activate your 'rest and recover' system, countering the fight-or-flight state.
4. It boosts clarity and decision-making
Studies from Stanford University show that even a 10-minute walk increases creative thinking and problem-solving ability by up to 60 per cent.
Movement doesn't just relieve stress - it resets the entire mental operating system.
Three types of movement that help you reset
This isn’t about fitness goals. It’s about feeling more grounded, more present, more in control.
1. The 'Mind-cleaner' walk (10–20 minutes)
A walk without headphones or notifications. Just footsteps, breath and scenery.
Why it works: sensory grounding plus light aerobic movement equals mental clarity.
2. Mobility flow (6–10 minutes)
Think: cat-cow, thoracic rotations, hip circles, shoulder mobility, slow lunges.
Why it works: mobility activates the parts of the nervous system linked to calm attention.
3. Rhythmic cardio (5–12 minutes)
Slow jogging, light cycling, rowing or skipping.
Why it works: repetitive, low-intensity movement creates a meditative effect similar to breathing exercises.
How athletes build mental reset into their day
Jessica Ennis-Hill isn’t the only one.
Jack Nowell says he uses movement “so my mind doesn’t get stuck.”
Jofra Archer has spoken about long walks during rehab helping him “feel normal again.”
Ben Stokes has said that light mobility work helps him “flush the noise out” during a busy Test series.
Athletes don’t wait for stress to hit - they move to stay ahead of it.
The takeaway
Movement doesn’t just change your body. It changes your state.
And in a world that never switches off, the ability to reset - quickly and reliably - might be the most valuable skill of all.
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