Exercising on a rowing machine keeps the mind healthy as well as the body, a Nottingham healthcare facility is telling its users.

A grant from NHS Nottingham City has allowed Emmanuel House in Hockley to buy a rowing machine and other exercise equipment and offer homeless people the chance to use a gym, the Nottingham Evening Post reports.

The gym is part of the centre's Wellness Recovery Action Plan, which aims to improve overall wellbeing - in body and mind.

"We want to promote the positive relationship between exercise and good mental health," worker at the facility Alastair Paylor told the news provider.

One homeless man who will be using the rowing machine and other facilities added that exercise makes him feel like he has achieved something and cheers him up.

The mental health benefits of exercise have also been highlighted recently by SAD.org, which pointed out that staying active can help combat seasonal affective disorder.