What Are The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise?

Not laughter; exercise is nature’s best medicine. You may already know that regular physical activity has numerous physical health benefits, such as stronger muscles, bones, heart, and lungs. But did you know it has a significant impact on your mental health too?

Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders are rising faster than ever. While medicine and talk therapy are both effective treatments, they are costly and can have adverse effects.

On the other hand, exercise is economical, very effective, produces immediate benefits, and has no side effects if done appropriately. This blog will teach you how physical activity benefits your mind and how to get started.

How Does Working Out Affect Your Mentality?

Regularly working out can:

• Release Endorphins and endocannabinoids: Physical exercise may lead to the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids. Endorphins control your body’s ability to manage pain and experience pleasure. Generally, it is released when you are injured or stressed or activate your body’s natural reward system with activities like sex, acting, and exercising. The euphoric feeling you get after a hard workout is because of endocannabinoids. These neurotransmitters are released after 30 minutes of exercise, so don’t stop before that.
• Release serotonin and dopamine: Moving your body is like taking an antidepressant. It increases neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels in the brain, thus boosting your mood.
• It can help you make more friends: Isolation is a common symptom of a mood disorder. But isolation itself can worsen your mood. Therefore, having a social life can be therapeutic. You can meet new people and make friends while indulging in outdoor exercises. Talk to your trainer or other gym members if you are in a gym. Plus, you can attend group workout sessions. This can provide you with adequate social support as well.
• Reduce stress: It is no surprise that regularly training your body is an effective way to reduce stress. You may have experienced this by yourself. For example, perhaps you’ve come home from a particularly stressful day at work and chosen to go running or cycling. You may suddenly feel a sense of relaxation.
  Exercising may relieve stress by lowering stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline levels. Regular workouts may help provide resistance to various stressors.
  In other words, physical activity may not only help you deal with stress, but it may also help you avoid stress in the first place. As a result, those who work out may be able to cope better with everyday stressors, potentially benefiting their overall quality of life.
• Improve sleep hygiene: Sleep quality is an often-overlooked component in preserving the peace of mind. Although several things influence your sleep quality, the amount of physical activity is especially important. Any type of workout can improve sleep efficiency and duration. As a result, if you struggle with this, regular training may bring significant advantages and give you better sleep.
• Reduce the risk of other illnesses: Aiming for physical fitness can reduce the risk of illnesses like heart and lung disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cancer, dementia, and memory loss. It is natural for someone with chronic illnesses to have a mood disorder. So, if your body is healthy and fit, your mind is more likely to be as well.
• Improves Self-Esteem: Exercising can help you with weight loss if that is your goal. This can be good for your health and self-esteem. Starting to work out is not easy, especially for someone with mental health issues. So when you do make time and commit to it every day, you will develop self-confidence. You will understand that you are a self-sufficient person, which in turn, reduces anxiety.

Types of Conditions It Can Help

We have established that the effects of exercise are countless. Let’s take a look at some common mental health disorders that can be treated with physical activity:

Depression

Depression is a common illness. The National Health Survey (2015-2016) found that one in every twenty Indians suffers from severe depression. Its main symptoms are sadness, loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities, low self-worth, disrupted sleep, distorted cognitive functions, and, in severe cases, thoughts of suicide. Regular physical training can help manage the symptoms and deal with depression. It can increase our self-esteem, provide better life satisfaction, and reduce negative thoughts multifold.

Anxiety

People with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experience excessive anxiety. In other words, they worry a lot in their daily life. It can cause restlessness, sleeplessness, lower energy levels, irritability, and fatigue.
Treatment options include medications, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and meditation. Exercising is a potential therapeutic option for anxiety disorders, and higher-intensity regimens may be more effective than lower-intensity regimens. Also, it helps distract from thoughts and stressors, which reduces anxiety.

ADHD

ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is when you have trouble paying attention and show impulsive behavior and overactivity. It is a result of an imbalance of chemical messengers in the brain. While ADHD is often treated with medications, exercising is an excellent treatment too. Physical activity can help regulate dopamine levels in the brain and improve executive functions and attention. If you have ADHD, it is best to incorporate resistance and aerobic workouts into your workout program.

Stress

Stress is a natural feeling of inability to deal with specific tasks and circumstances. If not managed properly, it can become a chronic problem.
Work, relationships, financial obligations, and other conditions can generate stress, but anything that poses an actual or perceived challenge or threat to a person’s well-being can induce stress.
When under stress, you may feel your muscles tense up. It is common to have neck pain, jaw pain, and headaches. In severe cases, you may feel chest tightness and a pounding pulse. Regular workout sessions can improve your mood, and moving your body relieves muscle tension.

How to Get Started

Now that you understand the benefits of physical activity, you must learn how to keep up your dedication to the gym, yoga, or an exercise routine. You may be busy with a million things to take care of, from work to household responsibilities and other commitments. Plus, most times, people lack the motivation to start exercising. Here is how you can solve these problems:

• Choose something you like: When you start to work out, it is encouraged to seek activities that you enjoy. But you can also look for things you’re confident doing or would like to become more proficient in. If you’ve always wanted to learn self-defense, you can take martial arts classes. This way, you are learning a skill and fulfilling your life goals while keeping yourself happy.
• Group workouts are the best: Working with a group is a great way to find motivation and enjoy your workouts. It creates competition, so everyone puts their best foot forward. It is a great way to meet and socialize with people, and you may end up with a workout partner. Isolation is a symptom of depression. Talking to others and making new friends can help manage your mental state.
• Find an accountability partner: We all procrastinate and think about turning off the alarm and sleeping. When your mind tells you to hit the couch instead of the treadmill, a workout partner will help you get to the gym or yoga class. It’s easier to bail on your exercise program than on your workout buddy. Plus, the workout will become more fun, and you will be less worried about judgment passed by others.
• Do not overdo it: Sometimes, people start to work out too much, causing them to get exhausted. If you are going to feel worse after doing something, your brain is going to mark it as something you should avoid. Consequently, we will never be motivated to work out again. If you are getting exhausted, it is time to go home.
• Stay motivated: A lack of motivation is probably the most significant barrier to exercising. We may even want to work out, but we often can’t make ourselves do it. One thing that may motivate you is to focus on why you are working out. Remember that your end goal is to be happy and mentally healthy. Working out for 45 minutes daily is a small step you need to take to ensure your peace of mind.
• Nobody is judging you: If you are at the gym, and it is your first time, you will feel like people are watching and judging your form and body. But that is not the case. Everybody is preoccupied with their insecurities, troubles, and workouts. Plus, they have all gone through it. They know what it feels like to be clueless on your first day at the gym. No one has perfect form on the first day, and every workout takes practice. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep making an effort.
• Mix it up: Try different sorts of workouts to keep things interesting. Instead of using the elliptical machine, try the stair climber for some cardio. When strength training, alternate between using machines and free weights. You don’t have to change your entire routine every week, but you should shake things up a little. Otherwise, you may get bored.
• Start with a light activity like walking and swimming: You would never try to run 10 miles on day one, right? If you do too much too soon, you’ll end up sore, injured, and discouraged. Half of all people who start a new training program ditch it within the first year. It often happens because they push themselves too hard. It’s better to work within your limits and gradually get stronger. Take it easy as you get started. Maybe you only run a quarter of a mile your first week. When that becomes easy, you can make it more challenging.
• 30-45 minutes is enough for 4-5 times a week: You don’t have to grind for hours to boost your mood. While more vigorous exercise provides more significant benefits than light physical activity, people who work out between 30 and 60 minutes, three to five times a week, have the lowest stress and anxiety levels. A 45-minute session appears to be the most effective. This duration is easier to fit into normal routines without taking over too much, encouraging you to stick with it.

Find the Best Care with a Trusted Therapist on Docvita Today!

Depression, anxiety, stress, and other mood disorders are becoming more common. We all have experienced it, if not clinically affected by it.

If you have mental health conditions, you should seek treatment from your health care provider. While regular exercise will help you reduce the symptoms of mood disorders, it will not solve what’s causing them. Mental health professionals can help you identify the root cause of your mood disorder and teach you how to manage them more effectively. And to get in touch with a good specialist, all you need to do is visit our website and book your first therapy session with Docvita today!