Fascinated by the mental health advantages of exercise? Or how exercise can reduce anxiety or depression? Exercise releases chemical substances such as endorphins and serotonin which improve your mood. There is a new study that was just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that shows evidence exercise works just as well or better than many of the drugs and psychotherapy that are being prescribed. Andreas Heisel is an exercise scientist at the University of Potsdam in Germany. He led the study; it is the largest of its kind. He stated that people don't have to run marathons or train strenuously to get the benefits. He said, "something is better than nothing". I guess one of my old sponsors was much wiser than I thought, or maybe he even knew. He would always tell me, "Move a muscle, change a thought". He also told me to "Keep IT Simple".
So, what is good mental health? Good mental health is a state of wellbeing where an individual realizes their own potential, is able to maintain relationships and has control of all of their emotions and actions. The sense of having a purpose, goals and adding value to each of these things are all signs of good mental health.
How Does Exercise Improves Mental Health?
Below are five ways through which exercise or physical activity improves mental health:
1. Being A Mood Booster.
2. Decreasing Stress.
3. Increasing Self-Esteem And Self-Confidence.
4. Improving Sleep.
5. Forming New Brain Cells.
1. Being A Mood Booster
Exercise is a mood booster that reduces both depression and anxiety symptoms. Physical activity increases endorphin levels, the powerful "feel good" chemical that produces a feeling of joy and euphoria in the body. That's the reason why some people like to perform exercise when they feel stressed.
2. Decreasing Stress
Physical activity, such as exercise, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system's function that increases the overall capacity of the body to respond to stress. As mentioned above, exercise produces endorphins (natural painkillers of the body) that reduce stress naturally. Exercise also improves our sleep, which consequently reduces stress. Meditation, massage therapy, deep breathing and acupuncture are other forms of physical activity with similar benefits.
3. Increasing Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
Doing physical activities will cumulatively lead to a whopping increase of self-esteem — and self-confidence along with it! Weight loss or body toning from these activities may allow you to get better-fitting clothes, a slimmer physique or the opportunity to climb a hill without getting winded. Being able to strengthen the body as well as the mind is one of the many advantages of physical exercise.
A useful way to approach exercise is to set goals. When someone performs exercise they will have an underlying end goal; it may be to lose weight, be more active, reduce stress or any other fitness goal. Completing the goal leads to a feeling of accomplishment and leads to a confidence boost. Studies show that a physically fit person is more confident than someone who has not achieved their desired fitness level.
4. Improving Sleep
If you have trouble having a good night's sleep, then exercise can help. Physical activity raises the body's temperature and can have relaxing effects on the mind, resulting in better sleep.
5. Forming New Brain Cells
Studies show that aerobic exercise helps generate new brain cells — a process called neurogenesis — and improves overall brain efficiency. It also prevents memory loss and cognitive impairment by reinforcing the hippocampus (the brain's portion responsible for memory and learning). Moreover, exercise pumps blood to the brain so you can think more clearly. It is then clear to see that moderate physical activity is beneficial for us all.
Exercise has many benefits, and we can use it to have better physical and mental health.
Seems to me that the benefits outweigh the cons. So why do we struggle to take care of ourselves? Why is it so hard for us to prioritize our health over our comfort? That is a question for another day.
If you would like help with an exercise and nutrition plan you can contact me below.
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