Mens sana in corpore sano: integrating sport, community, and mental health in Andalusia, Almería, Southern Spain
Exercise and brain health: the evidence base, our work in progress
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Summary: this post explores the scientific and community-based foundations linking physical exercise with mental health recovery. It highlights recent initiatives in Andalusia that incorporate sport into mental health policy and practice, and it presents the pioneering work of Professor Adolfo Cangas and the Grupo de Investigación HUM760 - Psicología, Salud y Educación at the University of Almería, in collaboration with FAISEM. Written from Indonesia, where I continue work on the abolition of pasung -shackling- and other forms of medical torture in domestic and community settings, the piece argues that a healthy mind in a healthy body is not only a classical ideal but a pressing scientific and clinical imperative.
Exercise and brain health: the evidence base
I am proud to announce my joining of University of Almería research team as soon post-doc. “Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano,” wrote Juvenal in his Satire X (Juvenal, 1918/100 CE). This maxim, commonly rendered as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, finds renewed relevance in contemporary science. The evidence is clear: physical exercise contributes decisively to brain health, emotional regulation, and recovery from severe mental illness. Today, Andalusian health authorities and research groups are putting this principle into practice, weaving sport and social engagement into strategies for mental health care.
Modern science confirms what Juvenal implied. Physical activity rewires the brain and regulates mood. Research shows that exercise induces neurogenesis and brain plasticity, especially in regions affected by depression and schizophrenia (Salmon, 2001; Hillman et al., 2008). Even modest activity, such as a daily walk, can generate dividends for mental health (Sharma et al., 2006). Physical exercise acts as a powerful preventive medicine and a mean to recovery, it increases neurotransmitters and growth factors that reduce stress and alleviate anxiety and depression (Mikkelsen et al., 2017). For example, a recent controlled study by the University of Almería and FAISEM found that even a single sports session significantly improved the emotional well-being of people suffering severe mental distress (Peña-Muñante, Ramos, & Cangas, 2025). In that study, activities like athletics, soccer-7, pickleball and hiking all produced immediate mood and relaxation benefits.
Andalusian initiatives: policy and community action
“Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano.
Fortem posce animum mortis terrore carentem,
qui spatium vitae extremum inter munera ponat naturae,
qui ferre queat quoscumque labores,
nesciat irasci, cupiat nihil et potiores
Herculis aerumnas credat saevosque labores
et venere et cenis et plumis Sardanapali.
Monstrum nulla virtute redemptum a vitiis,
inane et sine corpore animus.”
Translation (Ramsay, 1918):
“You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Ask for a brave spirit, free from the fear of death,
one that thinks the end of life is among nature’s gifts,
that can bear all kinds of hardships,
that knows not anger, lusts after nothing,
and deems the labors of Hercules more worth
than the soft delights of feasting and of love,
and downy cushions of Sardanapalus.
This is the only path to a life of virtue,
a soul redeemed from vice by no other power.”
Although Juvenal frames this as advice to individuals, the satire is deeply civic in tone. By rejecting greed, lust, and ambition, he is also diagnosing the ailments of an ancient Roman society already in a decadent path. A citizen who embodies mens sana in corpore sano is not merely healthy for himself but contributes to the health of the res publica. Thus, when we read this in modern contexts, such as in Andalusia today, the line can be understood as a call for communities built on resilience, balance, and shared well-being, not just individual self-care. Andalusian authorities are taking these findings to heart. In 2025 the regional government opened public consultation on a new Mental Health and Addictions Plan, whose priorities include promoting mental health and preventing illness (Junta de Andalucía, 2025). Importantly, exercise and community-based action feature prominently. Media reports highlight several recent initiatives: for example, Andalusia’s official health agencies now include structured exercise programs in mental health services, and studies like the one above are disseminated widely.
At the II Andalusian Foro de Deporte y Salud Mental (Sport and Mental Health Forum), officials and experts gathered a few months ago to praise the importance of physical activity in people’s well-being (Canal Sur, 2025). The Almería City Council noted that youth mental-health problems are rising, and that sport is a fundamental tool in prevention, reinforcing self-esteem, resilience, and the ability to face adversity. Representatives emphasized that mental health is a pillar of well-being and of social development, and that continuing to make sports environments accessible is vital. Canal Sur’s director added that sports offer a unique opportunity for socialization, which strengthens social ties and thereby mental health (Canal Sur, 2025). The Andalusian Mental Health Foundation (FAISEM) emphasized that sports foster self-esteem and personal relationships, and pointed to research confirming this link (FAISEM, 2025). These conversations are grounded in data. In Almería, researchers presented results showing that physical activity yields both clinical and social gains. Lirola and colleagues explained how their study in collaboration with FAISEM highlights the benefits of exercise in persons with mental illness, improving not only their physical state but their quality of life through a sense of belonging, and noted that exercise contributes to reducing healthcare and pharmaceutical spending (Canal Sur, 2025). In the same forum, the delegate of Health and Consumption affirmed that Andalusia will continue betting on integral health, understanding sport as a powerful tool of prevention and emotional care (Canal Sur, 2025). He recognized the silent work of many professionals who use sport as a tool of integration, of overcoming, and of recovery for people with severe mental disorders, expressing admiration and gratitude for this effort that transforms lives and breaks stigmas (Canal Sur, 2025).
I am also proud to note that University of Almería is the official host of the COST action EU BEACON One Health Education I founded and now co-lead. The name itself of the city and province, Almería, brings a beacon of hope to mind. It derives from the Arabic al-Mariyya (المَرِيَّة), which means the watchtower or the mirror. Founded by North African traders and mariners, it was built to protect its harbor and commercial routes, as a defensive outpost with a watchtower along the coast. Over time, that outpost developed into a city in its own right.
HUM760 and CiBiS: innovation and impact
At the University of Almería, the Grupo de Investigación HUM760 - Psicología, Salud y Educación (Psychology, Health and Education, PSE) constitutes a leading reference point in this field. Its members include twenty researchers such as Adolfo Javier Cangas Díaz (principal investigator), María Jesús Lirola Manzano, José Manuel García Montes, Israel Mañas Mañas, and Gonzalo Sebastián Peña Muñante, among others. The group’s research lines cover activity and mental health, stigma, inclusion, new psychotherapies, cultural processes in psychopathology, and severe mental disorders. Its keywords alone, such as inclusive sport, schizophrenia, and social inclusion, speak volumes to its core priorities and bold goals. Recovery is possible, attainable, and ours the task to bring the evidence and best practices to all.
The HUM760 - PSE group is also connected to the Centro de Investigación para el Bienestar y la Inclusión Social (CiBiS). Under the leadership of Professor Cangas, HUM760 - PSE and CiBiS develop innovative, non-coercive therapies, inclusive programs, and international collaborations. Among their flagship initiatives stands the Inclúyete program, which since 2016 has pioneered socio-educational inclusion through sport, art, and culture. It has been awarded multiple prizes for its impact and originality. Studies led by HUM760 - PSE confirm measurable benefits in well-being and social integration for people with severe mental disorders (Peña-Muñante et al., 2025). Advancing this agenda also means training professionals in new paradigms. The UAL-FAISEM Chair on Citizenship and Mental Health offers formal courses for this purpose. One example is the University Expert in Open Dialogue in Mental Health certificate, coordinated by Professor Cangas and Jaakko Seikkula, co-developer of open dialogue in Finland. This program ensures Andalusian and other Spanish practitioners acquire evidence-based skills in the most advanced dialogical practice, already regarded as bleeding edge by top health bodies (World Health Organization, 2021). By certifying a new generation of clinicians, the group propagates its ethos: collaborative, rights-based care powered by community and dialogue.
Mens sana in corpore sano keeps on being a much needed guiding principle for research and practice. A wealth of neuroscience and clinical evidence confirms that movement bolsters mental health. Andalusia’s policies and programs reflect this wisdom: plans now formally integrate exercise, and regional studies find that sports increase resilience, mood, and social inclusion while lowering costs (FAISEM, 2025; Canal Sur, 2025). The University of Almería’s HUM760 - PSE group and CiBiS exemplify how to translate the motto into action. Through rigorous study and community partnership, they show that recovery is possible: an active lifestyle and a supportive network can lift people out of crisis and into thriving lives. This holistic model, blending psychology, physiology, and social support, holds promise for the full development and prosperity of individuals and society alike.
I extend thanks to Professor Adolfo Cangas, FAISEM, and all colleagues in HUM760 - PSE for their welcome. It is an honor to join this team. Together we will advance a scientifically solid, compassionate vision of mental health -one where a healthy mind and a healthy body grow together.
References:
Canal Sur. (2025, February 27). El II Foro de Deporte y Salud Mental pone en valor la importancia de la actividad física en el bienestar integral de las personas. Canal Sur Radio y Televisión.
FAISEM. (2025, March 3). Un estudio de la Universidad de Almería y FAISEM constata que el deporte mejora la salud mental. Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Integración Social de Personas con Enfermedad Mental.
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(1), 58–65.
Junta de Andalucía. (2025, February 5). Andalucía incluye el ejercicio en su Plan de Salud Mental y Adicciones. Consejería de Salud y Consumo.
Juvenal. (1918). Satires (G. G. Ramsay, Trans.). London: William Heinemann. (Original work published ca. 100 CE).
Juvenal. (1918). Juvenal and Persius (G. G. Ramsay, Trans.). London: William Heinemann. (Original work published ca. 100 CE).
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, 106, 48–56.
Peña-Muñante, F., Ramos, D., & Cangas, A. J. (2025). Benefits of a single session of sports activities on emotional well-being in people with severe mental disorder. Revista de Psicología Aplicada al Deporte y al Ejercicio Físico, 10(1), 1–12.
Salmon, P. (2001). Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: A unifying theory. Clinical Psychology Review, 21(1), 33–61.
Sharma, A., Madaan, V., & Petty, F. D. (2006). Exercise for mental health. Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 8(2), 106.
University of Almería. (2025). Grupo de investigación HUM760 - Psicología, Salud y Educación. Universidad de Almería.
World Health Organization. (2021). Guidance on community mental health services: Promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches. Geneva: WHO.