Mens sana in corpore sano (Classical Latin: [mẽːs ˈsaːna ɪŋ ˈkɔrpɔrɛ ˈsaːnoː]) is a Latin phrase, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body". The phrase is widely used in sporting and educational contexts to express that physical exercise is an important or essential part of mental and psychological well-being.
The phrase comes from Satire X (c. 2nd century AD) of the Roman poet Juvenal (10.356). It is the first in a list of what is desirable in life:
orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano. |
You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body. |
—Roman poet Juvenal (10.356-64) |
Traditional commentators believe that Juvenal’s intention was to teach his fellow Roman citizens that in the main, their prayers for such things as long life are misguided and that the gods had provided man with virtues which he then lists for them.
Over time and separated from its context, the phrase has come to have a range of meanings. It can be construed to mean that only a healthy mind can lead to a healthy body, or equally that only a healthy body can produce or sustain a healthy mind. Its most general usage is to express the hierarchy of needs, with physical and mental health at the root.
An earlier, similar saying is attributed to the 6th century BC Greek pre-Socratic philosopher Thales of Miletus:
τίς εὐδαίμων, "ὁ τὸ μὲν σῶμα ὑγιής, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν εὔπορος, τὴν δὲ φύσιν εὐπαίδευτος" |
What man is happy? "He who has a healthy body, a resourceful mind and a docile nature."[1] |