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Physical Fitness And Mental Health – You already know that exercise is good for your body. But did you know that it can improve your mood, improve your sleep, help you deal with depression, anxiety, stress and more?
Exercise is not just about aerobic capacity and muscle size. Of course, exercise can improve your physical health and fitness, shape your waistline, improve your sex life, and even extend your life. But that’s not what motivates most people to be active. People who exercise regularly tend to do it because it gives them a great sense of well-being. They have more energy throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel calmer and more positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s a powerful remedy for many common mental health problems.
Physical Fitness And Mental Health
Regular exercise can be very beneficial for depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and improves your overall mood. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research shows that even small amounts of exercise can make a real difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to address mental health issues, improve your energy and outlook, and get more out of life.
Mental Health: Exercise Is 1.5 Times More Effective Than Medication Or Counseling, Study Claims
Research shows that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressants, but without the side effects of course. One example is Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that jogging for 15 minutes or walking for an hour a day can reduce the risk of depression by 26%. In addition to relieving symptoms of depression, research shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can help prevent relapse.
Exercise is a powerful depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it supports all kinds of brain changes, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote calmness and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that make you feel energized and feel good. Finally, exercise can act as a distraction, allowing you to find quiet time to break free from the negative thought cycles that feed your depression.
Exercise is a natural and effective treatment for anxiety. It relieves tension and stress, increases physical and mental energy and improves well-being by releasing endorphins. Anything that gets you moving can help, but you’ll benefit more if you focus instead of zoning out.
Try to notice the rhythm of your feet hitting the ground, the rhythm of your breathing, the feel of the wind on your skin. By adding this element of focusing on your body and how you feel during exercise, you’ll not only improve your fitness faster, but you’ll also be able to stop the constant stream of anxiety running through your head.
Issue No. 160: The Mental Health Gym
Ever notice how your body feels when you’re stressed? Your muscles feel tight, especially in your face, neck, and shoulders, and you may experience back, neck, or headache pain. You may experience tightness in your chest, palpitations, or muscle stiffness. Problems such as insomnia, heartburn, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and frequent urination may also appear. The worry and discomfort of all these physical symptoms can in turn lead to more stress, creating a vicious cycle between your mind and body.
Exercise is an effective way to break this cycle. Movement releases endorphins in the brain while relaxing muscles and helping to release tension in the body. Body and mind are so closely connected that when your body improves, so does your mind.
Regular exercise is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce ADHD symptoms and improve focus, motivation, memory and mood. Physical activity immediately increases the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain, which affect focus and concentration. In this way, exercise works almost as well as ADHD drugs like Ritalin and Adderall.
Evidence shows that focusing on your body and how you feel during exercise can help you “disconnect” your nervous system and relieve the static stress that characterizes PTSD or injury. Instead of letting your mind wander, focus on your joints, muscles, and even the sensations within as your body moves. Some of your best options are exercises that involve both arms and legs, including cross-body movements such as walking (especially in the sand), running, swimming, weight training, and dancing.
How Exercise Can Help Our Physical & Mental Health
Outdoor activities such as hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, water skiing, and skiing (downhill and cross-country) have been shown to reduce PTSD symptoms.
Even if you don’t have a mental health problem, regular exercise can benefit your mood, outlook and mental well-being.
Sharper memory and thinking skills. Endorphins that make you feel better help you focus and sharpen your mind for the task at hand. Exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent dementia-related decline.
Respect yourself. Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body and soul. When it becomes a habit, it creates a sense of self-worth and makes you feel strong and powerful. You’ll feel better about yourself and feel a sense of accomplishment even if you reach small exercise goals.
Flexin’ On Your Brain
Sleep better. Short bursts of exercise in the morning or afternoon can help regulate your sleep patterns. If you prefer to exercise at night, relaxing exercises like yoga or gentle stretching can help you sleep better.
More energy. By getting your heart rate up a few times a week, you can get up and move more. Start with just a few minutes of exercise a day and build up as you become more energetic.
Stronger endurance. When faced with life’s mental and emotional challenges, exercise can help you build resilience and cope in a healthy way, rather than turning to alcohol, drugs, or other negative behaviors that make your symptoms worse. Regular exercise can boost your immune system and help reduce the effects of stress.
You don’t have to take hours out of your busy day to hit the gym, work up a bucket of sweat, and run monotonous mile after mile to reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. All it takes is 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. It can even be broken up into two 15-minute sessions, or even easier, three 10-minute sessions.
Not Just Physical, Exercise Improves Mental Health Too: Know Benefits
If you don’t have time for a 15 or 30 minute workout, or if your body tells you to take a break after 5 or 10 minutes, that’s okay too. Start with 5 or 10 minute sessions and gradually increase the time. The more you exercise, the more energy you’ll have, so eventually you’ll be ready for a little more. The key is to do some moderate physical activity most days. As exercise becomes a habit, you can gradually add extra minutes or try different types of exercise. If you keep at it, you’ll start reaping the benefits of exercise.
1. You’re breathing a little harder than usual, but you’re still short of breath. For example, you should be able to chat with your walking partner, but not easily sing along.
Even if you know that exercise will help you feel better, taking the first step is easy to do. The barriers to exercise are very real — especially when you’re struggling with mental health issues.
Exercising when you’re tired, depressed, or stressed seems to make you feel worse. But the truth is that physical activity is powerfully energizing. Research shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce fatigue and increase your energy levels. If you’re really tired, promise yourself to walk briskly for 5 minutes. Once you start moving, you’ll have more energy and be able to walk longer.
How Does Your Physical Fitness Impact Your Mental Health?
Being overwhelmed. When you’re stressed or overwhelmed, the thought of adding another responsibilities to your busy daily schedule can seem overwhelming. Exercise just doesn’t seem practical. If you have children, finding childcare while you exercise can also be a big hurdle. However, if you start thinking about physical activity as a priority (and essential for mental health), you’ll find ways to squeeze a little exercise into even the busiest of schedules.
Even if you’ve never exercised before, you can find ways to exercise comfortably. Start with a few minutes of easy, low-impact exercise every day, such as walking or dancing.
I feel bad for myself. Are you your own worst critic? It’s time to try a new way of thinking about your body. Regardless of your weight, age, or fitness level, there are many people in the same boat. Ask a friend to exercise with you. Accomplishing even the smallest fitness goals can help you gain body confidence and improve your self-esteem.
Pain. If you have a disability, severe weight problems, arthritis, or any other injury or illness that limits your activity.
