Exercise is good for your health. Did you know that exercise can improve your mood and sleep quality and help with anxiety, depression, and stress?
What are the mental benefits of exercising?
It’s not about your aerobic capacity or muscle size. Exercise can help you improve your body and shape and your sexual life and add years to your lifespan. However, that is different from what motivates most people who exercise.
Regular exercise is a great way to feel good. They are more productive throughout the day, feel happier, have better memories, and feel more positive and relaxed about their lives. It’s also an effective treatment for common mental health problems.
Regular exercise can have a tremendously positive effect on anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Exercise can also reduce stress, improve memory, help you sleep better, and increase your mood. You don’t need to be a gym rat to reap the rewards. Studies show that even modest amounts of exercise can make all the difference. You can use training to manage your mental health, increase your energy, and live a more fulfilling life, regardless of your fitness level.
Exercise and depression
According to studies, exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication in treating mild-moderate depression. However, there are no side effects. Harvard T.H. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that walking for at least an hour and running for 15 minutes daily reduces significant depression risk by 26%. Research has shown that exercise can help you avoid relapsing.
Exercise can be a powerful way to fight depression for many reasons. It promotes various brain changes, including neural growth and reduced inflammation. New activity patterns promote calmness and well-being. Endorphins are potent chemicals released by your brain, which can energize you and make you feel good. Exercise can also be a distraction to help you break the cycle of negativity that feeds depression.
Exercise and anxiety
Exercise is an effective and natural anti-anxiety treatment. Exercise reduces stress and tension, increases physical and mental energy, and improves well-being by releasing endorphins. You can do anything to get you moving, but it’s more beneficial to pay attention than to zoning out.
Pay attention to the sensations of your feet touching the ground, your breathing rhythm, or the feel of the wind on the skin. This mindfulness element – focusing on your body as you exercise and the way it feels – will help you improve your physical condition. It may also allow you to stop worrying about the future.
Exercise and stress
Have you ever noticed how your body reacts to stress? You may feel tightness in your muscles, particularly around the neck and shoulders. This can cause pain in the back, neck, and shoulders. Tightness in the chest, pounding pulse, or cramps may be symptoms. Other symptoms include frequent urination, insomnia, stomachache, and heartburn. All of these symptoms can lead to anxiety and discomfort, which can then create a vicious circle between your body and mind.
This cycle can be broken by exercising. Physical activity releases endorphins in your brain, relaxes the muscles, and relieves tension. Because the mind and body are closely connected, your mind will feel better if it feels good.
Exercise and ADHD
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to lower ADHD symptoms and improve your mood, concentration, motivation, and memory. Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels are immediately boosted by physical activity. All of these factors can affect attention and focus. Exercise works much in the same way ADHD medication Ritalin or Adderall does.
Exercise and Trauma and PTSD
There is evidence that focusing on your body and how it feels while you exercise can help your nervous system get “unstuck.” This will allow you to break the immobilization stress response that can characterize PTSD and trauma. Instead of letting your mind wander, pay attention to your body’s movements and the sensations you feel in your joints, muscles, and even your inner ear. Cross-movement exercises that use both your arms and legs, such as running (especially in sand), swimming, weight training, or dancing, are some of the best options.