The Mind-Body Connection: Using Movement to Boost Mental Health and Performance

An interview with Eliza Martinez – educator, trainer, and advocate for integrated wellness in schools.

In both sport psychology and education, there’s growing recognition that movement is not just physical – It plays a powerful role in emotional regulation, mental clarity, and long-term wellbeing.

Eliza is the Wellness Department Head at Fusion Academy, a certified health coach and personal trainer, as well as a yoga teacher and mentor. In this interview, incorporating her background in psychology, Eliza shares her thoughts on how integrating fitness, yoga, and mindfulness can support both mental health and performance.

Q1: Eliza, you’re a certified health coach and personal trainer, yoga teacher and mentor, and wellness department head. Can you share a bit about what led you to this work, and the values that guide you?

I started out in college thinking I’d be an eating disorder therapist someday, but as I had my own children and worked for years as a freelance nutrition and fitness writer, before transitioning into the education field, I found that I have a passion for getting young kids started on a healthy path right from the start. When making healthy choices starts early, it becomes a routine that carries through.

When 2020 happened I was teaching Pre-K and was incredibly unfulfilled so I used my furlough to get certified as a health coach, personal trainer and yoga instructor. I tried my hand at community adult education, but my heart led me back to kids and now I work in a 6th-12th grade school, teaching kids personal fitness, yoga, health conscious cooking, nutrition, meditation and mindfulness, health, and life skills. I finally feel fulfilled and each day is rewarding in some way.

I strongly believe that there is something to learn each day and something to learn from everyone we encounter. Knowing that I can learn as much from my students as they can learn from me keeps me authentic and gives kids a place to feel seen, heard and loved in an atmosphere that doesn’t expect perfection. I want to make an impact on as many young people as I can and that’s what helps me show each of them the compassion and empathy they need as they learn how to care for their bodies and their minds.

Q2: You have a background in psychology and wellness. Can you tell us how you began integrating movement practices like yoga, fitness, and mindfulness into your work with students?

Again, the quarantine was quite eye opening in terms of youth and their mental wellness. As I worked through my trainings to get certified while I was furloughed, I was naturally spending quite a bit of time focused on healthy eating, exercise, yoga and breathwork. I started to notice that when I checked in with other people, they were not feeling as good as I was.

Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, I can say that this was actually a time in my life where I felt the happiest and could see my life’s direction and purpose so clearly. I was focused on my wellness and I started to see the connection to how I felt emotionally and mentally after I moved my body physically. That was really when I started seeing the value in integrating movement and mindfulness into all of my classes. If it worked for me, why couldn’t I make it work for my students?

This mindfulness piece comes naturally in yoga, but in fitness I like to add body scans and visualization practices to the schedule so my students can see how using the power of their minds lets them harness the confidence and motivation to try challenging things, both in fitness and in everyday life.

…using the power of their minds lets them harness the confidence and motivation to try challenging things.

Q3: Were there any key moments or experiences that helped you realise the connection between movement and mental health?

I’m so fortunate that I have many of those moments, but I’ll share one of my favorites here. I had an 8th grade yoga student who, about halfway through the term, came to class one morning and asked me if we could do a longer meditation that day because his body was telling him he needed a break from the poses. Not only was he learning to listen to and trust his body, but he was able to comfortably advocate for his own physical and emotional needs in that moment.

I still get emotional when I think about that morning because yes, yoga is a movement based class, but by moving through the poses and making the connection to his emotions leading up to that morning, he was able to recognize the value of stillness, even in the midst of a movement focused course.

Q4: How does movement (whether it’s yoga, running, or other activities) impact emotional wellbeing and mindset? Are there specific benefits you’ve observed?

There’s a strong correlation between mindful movement, such as yoga, and the nervous system. It can help tame and regulate the fight or flight response, activating the vagus nerve and helping us calm down. This is sometimes called rest and digest, which is the opposite of fight or flight.

There’s also a huge body of research that proves that movement can boost feel good hormones called endorphins and lower the release of the stress hormone, cortisol. For me, movement is like pushing the reset button. It’s grounding and it reminds me that when I move my physical body, I’m also creating space for emotional movement. I’m releasing tension and shifting my energy by putting the focus on the present moment, whether it’s yoga, lifting weights or even just walking my dog. It sets the tone for my mindset and gives my brain and body room to breathe.

I can preach these benefits all day long, but getting my students to feel it for themselves is so powerful!

Q5: Can you share an example or story of a time when a student experienced a noticeable shift in mood or focus as a result of participating in a session focused on movement or mindfulness?

I had a student come to class in a bad mood, he didn’t want to do anything. I offered a five minute workout and if he decided that was enough, we could be done.

He completed the entire workout, then when he turned in his written reflection, he wrote at the bottom: “That was a good workout. Thanks for making me do that. I feel so much better” – Proof that movement boosts mood!

As a side note, I never “make” my students do a workout. I encourage them to give it a try. More often than not, once they get started, they want to finish.

Q6: There are many different types of movement. How can someone choose the right activity depending on whether they want to calm down, boost their energy, or improve focus? Can you break down how specific activities might serve different mental health goals?

The single most important question to ask yourself when choosing movement is, “Do I enjoy it?” Because if you’re trying to do things you hate, it’s much less likely that you’re going to stick with it. But, it’s also important to know that movement is so powerful precisely because each type serves its own purpose.

Using movement intentionally allows you to choose the right type for the right moment. For example, if you need to calm down and counteract your fight or flight response, slow and grounding movement is ideal. Yoga and tai chi are great examples, but so is simply taking a walk in nature. Each will bring you back to your body and help you slow down a racing mind.

If you need to calm down and counteract your fight or flight response, slow and grounding movement is ideal.

If you’re looking to boost energy and wake up your body and your brain, something faster paced is sure to boost your mood. Try dancing, HIIT, or going for a run to get your heart rate up and get those endorphins flowing. When focus is the goal, something rhythmic and low to moderate in intensity is the best choice. Swimming, walking, and cycling are some examples.

By requiring your body and your brain to stay tuned in with the task at hand, you’re helping prevent your mind from wandering and the combination of movement and coordination are ideal for sharpening your mental clarity.

Keep in mind that movement isn’t a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. What’s energizing for me might not be for someone else. What centers my mood and emotions might differ from what works for someone else. So the goal is to have fun with movement. Try anything that sparks your interest. With time, you’ll discover what works best for you.

Q7: Some people may not immediately associate movement with emotional wellbeing. How can heart rate tracking or similar tools help people connect the dots between physical activity and their mental state?

That’s so true. Often, people think only about the physical aspect when they consider movement. But using tools like heart rate tracking can help bring the mind body connection to the workout. As you track your heart rate, your breathing rate, or your step count (just to name a few metrics), you start to find patterns. Those patterns can give you a lot of key info about your mental state.

For example, if you notice that you use deep breathing in stressful moments, you’ll start to notice your heart rate goes down during those times. This can be all it takes to turn on the lightbulb and give you the clues you need to link your emotional state with your physical state.

Tracking tools are also great for building self awareness. With that comes the ability to recognize when your body needs more stretching, or a lower intensity workout, or when it’s up for a new challenge. Self awareness is a powerful way to see which types of exercise are leading you toward your goals.

Maybe you notice that an afternoon bike ride keeps evening anxiety at bay. Perhaps you find that you don’t sleep as well if you skip walking your dog after dinner. Whatever it is, learning to listen to what your body is telling you gives you the tools to support your mental health at the same time. And in turn, you can choose the types of movement that align with both your physical health and your emotional wellbeing.

Q8: For people already training for a specific goal or sport, how can they also use movement to support their mental and emotional wellbeing?

This is a great question because training for a specific event or goal can create a laser focus on only the performance part of it. While that’s definitely important for a competition or event, movement can also be used to support emotional and mental wellbeing during training.

Intentional recovery is one of my biggest suggestions. It’s so easy to look at rest days as lost progress, but the reality is that they are a vital piece of success in athletics. That doesn’t mean you have to stay sedentary and do nothing on recovery days. Low intensity activities like yoga and foam rolling introduce gentle movement, while also giving the mind a chance to decompress and process. When you’re working toward a goal, the “go, go, go” mentality is only going to lead to burnout, which is definitely not going to get you to the finish line.

Another tactic I like to use in my classroom is emphasizing the satisfaction and sense of achievement that comes from completing something difficult. You get such a boost of confidence from your training session and that sense of control over your progress is a fantastic way to keep your training on track until you’ve reached your goal.

…Low intensity activities like yoga and foam rolling introduce gentle movement, while also giving the mind a chance to decompress and process.

Q9: What common barriers prevent people from accessing the mental health benefits of movement? How do you think we can overcome them?

I think the biggest barrier is simply not understanding the connection between movement and mental health. We grow up going to PE in school, learning that it’s something you do for your body, whether that’s to build bigger muscles or lose weight or run faster. But it hasn’t been until recently that more physical education teachers and fitness experts are adding the mental aspect to their course materials. I have a unit on the mental health benefits of exercise that all of my students go through. We talk about and practice breathing techniques and visualization. Having an awareness of this connection goes a long way to helping people access the benefits.

Of course, perhaps the biggest barrier is time. Many people feel like they are too busy to take the time to exercise. Or maybe they don’t do it because they are too tired and don’t want to take the time to go to the gym or roll out their yoga mat because it will drain their energy further. And, at the same time, if someone is feeling anxious or low, finding the motivation to get up and workout can be quite difficult.

Another misconception is that a workout has to look a certain way to be useful. If they can’t dedicate an hour at the gym or don’t have time to run a full five miles, they simply skip the workout altogether. Others are intimidated by the expectations that sometimes go with exercise, including the types of movement they should choose, the way their body should look while doing that exercise, and even the clothing they should wear for the workout. That pressure can be enough to keep them from even getting started.

Reframing movement as a personal journey is one way to overcome these barriers. When my yoga students get frustrated that they can’t do a pose the same way I can, I remind them that’s why it’s called a “yoga practice.” The more they do it, the more they advance their skills.

Movement doesn’t have to be formal either. You don’t have to go for a run, do bench presses at the gym or enroll in a Pilates class to get the benefits. A walk around the block works. Dancing with your kids counts. Gardening, tugging on a toy with your dog, moving furniture….there are so many ways to make movement work for you. The goal is just to do something.

An accountability partner is also valuable. When you have a standing routine to meet your friend for a walk around the lake, you’re more likely to show up because you don’t want to let that person down. Community can be incredibly powerful when it comes to sticking with a routine. And working out with a friend or partner makes it more fun too!

One final comment on this topic – if we can shift the focus from how exercise should look to how it should feel, we will make great strides in overcoming these barriers. When we use exercise as a way to support our wellness, regulate emotions, find clarity and stay centered and grounded, we can get both the physical and the mental perks that movement has to offer.

Q10: If you were designing a wellness programme for schools or sports clubs, what key components would you include to help support mental health through movement?

Oh my gosh! If only I could calculate the number of hours I’ve spent lying awake at night contemplating this exact question! We don’t want to shift completely to the mental health side of things because the physical aspect of movement is also important, so the approach would need to place value on both the physical aspect and the emotional.

For starters, I think the physical education curriculum in schools needs to diversify. Instead of the soccer unit, followed by the basketball unit, followed by volleyball, with the odd day of dodgeball thrown in, there needs to be more variety. And that variety needs to incorporate mindful movement. Yoga, stretching, breathwork, walking, dancing. These are all engaging forms of movement that would make PE more accessible and enjoyable to a broader range of students.

At the same time, kids go to PE and play the game for the day, but we’re losing the “why.” Why are they doing this, other than because it’s a requirement? Some kind of education is also needed. I start all of my fitness and yoga classes in my classroom before we ever move into the studio. This is where my students learn about the techniques, benefits and real world applications of the games we play and exercises we do. For example, when we lift weights, we are giving our body the tools to more easily climb stairs, lift a heavy backpack and reach for something on a high shelf.

With this comes the opportunity to add mindfulness, breathwork and reflection to the routine. When my students can see why something translates to real life, they are much more likely to be on board with it. Beyond making physical tasks easier, it also gives them a buy in when I start talking about how exercise can help them feel happier, be more productive and increase their general wellbeing. When they have already experienced the physical benefits, they are more likely to believe me when I talk about the emotional benefits.

Finally, consistency is important. Instead of making PE a once a week class, incorporating mindful movement needs to be a daily thing.

Choice is also important. When students feel like they can choose what they enjoy, they are more likely to do the activity, but also more likely to get the benefits you want them to get. Maybe that means rotating activity stations or a daily 5-minute body scan. Maybe it’s a movement menu or a school-wide challenge. Whatever it is, the goal is to make wellness the routine thing, not the extra thing.

In terms of sports, I think coaches need more training on the mental side of being a student athlete. As the parent of a high school basketball player, there are definitely some aspects of this that are getting lost during training. Incorporating yoga, visualization and breathwork into the process can have huge benefits. So many elite athletes use these techniques with great success. Signing up to be a coach should be so much more than just a willingness to do the job. It should also involve learning about the mental challenges that their players face in today’s society (which I guarantee are vastly different from the challenges those coaches faced when they were the player).

Signing up to be a coach should … involve learning about the mental challenges that their players face in today’s society

Q11: What would you want parents, educators, or coaches to understand about how movement affects mental health and emotional regulation? How can they help young people make the most of this?

The most important thing to know and understand is that exercise and movement is one of the best ways for youth to manage their stress and their emotions. I’d have to look up the stats outside of the United States, but here in America, the NCAA reports that more than 21% of student athletes report experiencing severe mental health problems. There are many factors that play a role in this and many treatment approaches are available. But, based on current and emerging research, there is such a strong correlation between exercise and improved symptoms, including those that go with depression and anxiety.

Movement helps regulate the nervous system, which is especially important for kids who are still learning to manage their big emotions. Even if kids don’t fully grasp the connection, they can recognize the difference in how their body and brain feels after a walk or a break to move. So, starting early is also key.

Variety is also important. Kids shouldn’t have to do the same things all the time. This gives them a chance to find the things they love best. When they are doing something fun that they love, they are getting both physical and emotional benefits without you ever having to convince them to participate. And again, that sense of control is useful for getting kids on board with movement.

… more than 21% of student athletes report experiencing severe mental health problems.

Q12: Finally, if someone is just starting out on their wellness journey – whether as an athlete or a beginner – what advice would you give them on integrating mental health practices into their physical training or routine?

I’d tell them to start small and be kind to themself. You wouldn’t expect to master a yoga pose overnight or be able to bench press your bodyweight the first time at the gym. Nurturing your mental health is a similar journey. It’s part of the training. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about showing up for yourself every day.

If you think about your mind the same way you think about your muscles, it makes it so much easier to stay connected to your goal. So, start where you are and celebrate every victory along the way. I know you can do it!

From Interview to Action: What Eliza’s Insights Mean for You

Eliza’s insights make it clear: movement is far more than physical exercise. It can be a powerful tool to nurture mental health, emotional regulation, and overall wellbeing. Whether you’re a student, athlete, educator, coach, or parent, embracing an integrated approach to movement and mindfulness can transform how you experience stress, focus, and resilience every day.

Ready to make movement a cornerstone of your mental wellness? Start by exploring activities you enjoy and listening to your body’s signals. If you’re an educator or coach, consider how you can introduce mindfulness and varied movement practices into your routines to support young people’s holistic growth.

Join the conversation! Share your experiences with movement and mental health in the comments below or connect with us on social media. And if you’re looking for expert guidance on incorporating mental wellness into your fitness or coaching journey, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Every step you take towards mindful movement is a step towards a healthier mind and body.