How Exercise Improves Your Mental Health-1
We all know that exercise is good for your health. That is no great secret. But what about our mental health? Can exercising help us with our emotional problems, our intellectual problems or our addictions? The answer to all of these is a resounding YES. Exercising is one of the best things you can do for yourselves, not only for the sake of your physical body, but for your mind as well. Below you'll find 11 ways exercising a few times a week will help your overall mental health.
1. Reducing Stress
Have you had a rough day? Are you stressed? Head right out of the house and take a walk somewhere. You can also go to the gym and run for a bit. One of the best effects of exercising is stress relief. Getting a healthy sweat going can help manage your mental and physical stress responses. So go ahead and work off those anxious feelings.
Have you had a rough day? Are you stressed? Head right out of the house and take a walk somewhere. You can also go to the gym and run for a bit. One of the best effects of exercising is stress relief. Getting a healthy sweat going can help manage your mental and physical stress responses. So go ahead and work off those anxious feelings.
2. Boosting your body's happy chemicals
Exercising is never easy, but if you can do it, the body will reward you for it. Exercising releases endorphins, which in their turn create feelings of euphoria and happiness. Several studies have shown that exercise has such a powerful effect it can even alleviate symptoms of clinical depression among the afflicted. Many doctors recommend that people who suffer depression or anxiety to start working out. In many cases, exercise can be just as, if not more, effective as antidepressants. Don't worry, you don't need to become a gym junky, just 30 minutes a few times a week can give you this effect.
Exercising is never easy, but if you can do it, the body will reward you for it. Exercising releases endorphins, which in their turn create feelings of euphoria and happiness. Several studies have shown that exercise has such a powerful effect it can even alleviate symptoms of clinical depression among the afflicted. Many doctors recommend that people who suffer depression or anxiety to start working out. In many cases, exercise can be just as, if not more, effective as antidepressants. Don't worry, you don't need to become a gym junky, just 30 minutes a few times a week can give you this effect.
3. Boosting your self-confidence
Along with anxiety there are usually other unwanted guests - low self esteem and low self confidence. It doesn't matter how old you are, hopping on that treadmill and getting those endorphins will make you feel better about yourself for the whole day. Working out a few times a week will make you feel more secure, less threatened by external factors and more confident in your own abilities and self worth.
Along with anxiety there are usually other unwanted guests - low self esteem and low self confidence. It doesn't matter how old you are, hopping on that treadmill and getting those endorphins will make you feel better about yourself for the whole day. Working out a few times a week will make you feel more secure, less threatened by external factors and more confident in your own abilities and self worth.
4. Fighting depression by exercising outdoors
While the gym is a good place to work out, being outside has been proven by studies to improve our mood and encourage euphoria. Find an outdoor workout that fits you, it can be hiking, climbing, rafting or just taking a jog in a nearby park. An added bonus to the great feeling you'll get and the reduced stress levels is all that vitamin D you'll be soaking from the sun (don't forget your sunscreen!) that can alleviate symptoms of depression. So remember, a little fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for your mental state.
While the gym is a good place to work out, being outside has been proven by studies to improve our mood and encourage euphoria. Find an outdoor workout that fits you, it can be hiking, climbing, rafting or just taking a jog in a nearby park. An added bonus to the great feeling you'll get and the reduced stress levels is all that vitamin D you'll be soaking from the sun (don't forget your sunscreen!) that can alleviate symptoms of depression. So remember, a little fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for your mental state.
5. Preventing a cognitive decline
It's not fun to talk about, but we all know it's true. As we get older our brains a little hazy from time to time. Aging, as well as degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, kill off brain cells and shrink the brain in the process. While obviously exercise is not a cure for any of that, they CAN help immunize the brain somewhat against cognitive decline, boosting the chemicals in the brain that help prevent degeneration of the hippocampus - the part of the brain in charge of memory and learning new things.
It's not fun to talk about, but we all know it's true. As we get older our brains a little hazy from time to time. Aging, as well as degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, kill off brain cells and shrink the brain in the process. While obviously exercise is not a cure for any of that, they CAN help immunize the brain somewhat against cognitive decline, boosting the chemicals in the brain that help prevent degeneration of the hippocampus - the part of the brain in charge of memory and learning new things.
Om Namah Shivay
No comments:
Post a Comment