Muscle mass and aerobic capacity are not the only factors in exercise. Yes, exercise helps enhance your physical well-being and appearance, reduce your waist size, enhance your sexual life, and even lengthen your life. However, most people are not motivated to stay active by that.
Regular exercisers typically do so because it greatly enhances their sense of wellbeing. They have sharper memory, feel more rested and optimistic about their life, and have more energy throughout the day. They also sleep better at night. It’s also an effective treatment for a variety of prevalent mental health issues.
Frequent exercise can significantly improve symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and sadness. Additionally, it lowers stress, enhances mood, enhances memory, and facilitates better sleep. Furthermore, you don’t have to be an exercise enthusiast to benefit from it. Studies show that even small quantities of exercise can have a significant impact. You may learn to use exercise as a potent tool to deal with mental health issues, boost your energy and outlook, and get more out of life—regardless of your age or level of fitness.
Exercise and depression
Research demonstrates that exercise, without the negative effects of antidepressant drugs, can treat mild to severe depression just as well. For instance, a recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discovered that walking for an hour or jogging for 15 minutes each day lowers the risk of serious depression by 26%. According to study, exercising regularly can help you avoid relapsing in addition to easing the symptoms of depression.
For a number of reasons, exercise is an effective depressive treatment. Most notably, it stimulates a variety of alterations in the brain, such as the formation of new neurons, a decrease in inflammation, and the development of novel activity patterns that enhance emotions of peace and wellbeing. Additionally, it releases endorphins, which are potent neurotransmitters that lift your mood and induce positive feelings. Lastly, exercise can work as a diversion, giving you the opportunity to find some alone time to end the vicious loop of pessimistic thoughts that prolong sadness.
Exercise and anxiety
An excellent and natural way to reduce anxiety is to exercise. By releasing endorphins, it eases tension and stress, increases vitality both mentally and physically, and improves overall wellbeing. Anything that gets you moving will be beneficial, but paying attention will yield more results than dozing off.
For example, focus on the sensation of your feet striking the ground, the cadence of your breathing, or the touch of the wind on your skin. You’ll not only improve your physical condition more quickly by incorporating this mindfulness element—truly focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise—but you may also be able to stop the constant stream of worries that are going through your mind.
Exercise and stress
Have you ever noticed how stress affects your body? It’s possible that you have stiff muscles, particularly in your face, neck, and shoulders, which could be causing headaches or back or neck pain. Muscle cramps, a racing heartbeat, or a constriction in your chest could all be experienced. Along with these issues, you might also have heartburn, stomachaches, diarrhea, sleeplessness, or frequent urination. An endless loop of stress can result from the anxiety and discomfort brought on by all of these bodily symptoms, intertwining your mind and body.
One efficient strategy to end this cycle is to exercise. Physical activity helps to release tension from the body and relax the muscles in addition to releasing endorphins in the brain. Since the body and mind are so closely linked, when your body feels better so, too, will your mind.
Exercise and ADHD
One of the simplest and best strategies to lessen ADHD symptoms and enhance focus, motivation, memory, and mood is to exercise on a daily basis. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels in the brain are all raised by physical activity, and these chemicals have an impact on attention and focus. Exercise functions similarly to ADHD drugs like Adderall and Ritalin in this regard.
Exercise and PTSD and trauma
Research indicates that you can actually assist your nervous system in being “unstuck” and starting to transition out of the immobility stress response that is characteristic of PTSD or trauma by paying close attention to your body and how it feels as you exercise. Pay great attention to the physical sensations in your joints, muscles, and even insides as your body moves, rather than letting your thoughts stray. Some of your greatest options are cross-training exercises that use both arms and legs, such walking (particularly on sandy surfaces), jogging, swimming, weight training, or dancing. Outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and skiing (downhill and cross-country) have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD.
Other mental health benefits of exercise
Even if you’re not suffering from a mental health problem, regular physical activity can still offer a welcome boost to your mood, outlook, and mental well-being.
Exercise can help provide:
Improved recall and cognitive function. The same endorphins that improve your mood also aid in concentration and mental clarity for the job at hand. In addition, exercise promotes the development of new brain cells and slows down the aging process.
Increased sense of self-worth. Engaging in regular exercise is an investment in your body, mind, and spirit. It can strengthen your sense of self-worth and give you a strong, powerful feeling when it becomes a habit. You’ll feel better about the way you look and will experience a feeling of accomplishment when you reach even modest fitness goals.
Better sleep. Even short bursts of exercise in the morning or afternoon can help regulate your sleep patterns. If you prefer to exercise at night, relaxing exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching can help promote sleep.
More energy. Increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more get-up-and-go. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise per day, and increase your workout as you feel more energized.
Increased resiliency. Instead of turning to drink, drugs, or other harmful behaviors that ultimately only make your symptoms worse, exercise can help you develop resilience and manage in a healthy way when faced with mental or emotional obstacles in life. Frequent exercise can also strengthen your defenses against illness and lessen the
Frequent exercise can also strengthen your immune system and lessen the negative effects of stress.
Even a little bit of activity is better than nothing!
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