You already know that exercise is good for your body. But did you know that it can also boost your mood, improve your sleep, and help you deal with depression, anxiety, stress, and more?
What are the Mental Health Benefits of Exercise?
Exercise is not limited to aerobic capacity and muscle size. Sure, exercising can improve your physical health and fitness, shrink your waistline, improve your sex life, and even add years to your life. But that's not what motivates most people to stay active.
People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them a tremendous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic during the day, sleep better at night, have a sharper memory, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their life. It is also a powerful medicine for many common mental health issues.
Regular exercise can have a profound positive effect on 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 modest 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 for dealing with mental health issues, improving your energy and outlook, and getting more out of life.
Exercise and Depression
Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression just as effectively as antidepressant medications, but without the side effects of course. As an example, a recent study by Harvard T.H. The Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduced the risk of major depression by 26%. In addition to relieving symptoms of depression, research also shows that maintaining an exercise program can prevent you from relapse.
Exercise is a powerful fighter against depression for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neurodevelopment, reduced inflammation, and new patterns of activity that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, which are powerful chemicals in your brain that revitalize your spirit and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can act as a distraction, allowing you to find a quiet moment to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that fuel depression.
Exercise and Anxiety
Exercise is a natural and effective anxiolytic remedy. It relieves stress and fatigue, increases physical and mental energy, and improves well-being by releasing endorphins. Anything that gets you moving can help, but paying attention instead of being distracted will do you more good.
Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the sensation of wind on your skin. By adding that element of mindfulness, and really focusing on your body and how you feel while exercising, you will not only improve your fitness faster, but you will also be able to interrupt the flow of constant worries running through your head.
Exercise and Stress
Have you ever noticed how your body feels when you are under stress? Your muscles may be tense, especially in your face, neck, and shoulders, leaving you with back or neck pain or an excruciating headache. You may feel tightness in your chest, a racing heart, or muscle cramps. You may also experience problems such as insomnia, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, or frequent urination. Anxiety and discomfort from all of these physical symptoms can in turn lead to more stress, creating a vicious cycle between mind and body.
Exercise is an effective way to break this cycle. In addition to releasing endorphins in the brain, physical activity helps relax muscles and relieve stress in the body. Because the body and mind are closely related, when your body feels better, so is your mind.
Exercise and ADHD
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 levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain, all of which affect focus and attention. This way, the exercises work the same way as ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall.
Exercise, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma
Evidence suggests that if you really focus on your body and how you feel while you exercise, you can really help your nervous system to "clear" and begin to break out of the static stress response that characterizes PTSD or trauma. Instead of letting your mind wander, pay close attention to the physical sensations in your joints and muscles, even deep within you as your body moves. Exercises that involve cross-motions that engage your arms and legs, such as walking (especially on sand), running, swimming, weightlifting or dancing, are your best options.
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