Many of us are mindful of various the physical benefits of doing exercises, including maintaining weight, lower blood pressure, strengthens bones and muscles, and reduce the risk of diseases. Apart from that exercises can also be used to enhance mental well-being of the people and can even help with the symptoms of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
How exercise is beneficial for mental health?
Individuals who exercise daily feel more energetic, enjoy better sleep at night, feel more relaxed and optimistic about themselves and their life. According to research, even small quantities of exercise can have a significant impact. Some of the important mental health effects of exercises are:
1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety can affect our body, our emotions, and how we behave in various ways. When you are under stress your body starts to get tighten and get tense, you may feel a pain in the chest, high blood pressure or difficulty in breathing. And also you may feel loneliness, hard to concentrate and remember things, and find it hard to make decisions.
However, Exercise relaxes our bodies' muscle tension and tightness and also relaxes our mind, which can be major signs of stress and anxiety. It also gives people a feeling of control over their bodies and health, which can enhance mood and reduce the feelings of loneliness and helplessness. Many studies and researches, for example Depression and Anxiety Journal have discovered that the person who engage in more physical exercise are more resistant to the effects of anxiety and stress.
2. Helps for Depression
According to a recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, walking for an hour or running for 15 minutes a day lowers the risk of major depression by 26%. In addition to relieving depression symptoms, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing.
Exercise encourages a variety of changes in the brain, including neuronal development, a decrease in stress, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and wellbeing. It also causes the production of endorphins, potent brain chemicals that lift your mood and make you feel happy.
3. Promotes Better Sleep
Exercise can be a great way to sleep well and peacefully if you find difficulties in sleeping well at night. Exercises increases the body temperature and gives a relaxation to the body leading to less sheep counting and more likely to sleep. Exercise also helps in controlling your circadian rhythm, our bodies' internal alarm clock that controls when we feel awake and when we are tired. Many researchers and Sleep specialists have advise against exercising close to bedtime, despite the fact that one of exercise is improved sleep.
4. Boost Memory and Thinking Skills
Exercise has a physiological effect on your body, which means it can enhance your memory and cognitive abilities. According to the Harvard Health that people who exercise have much more volume in the areas of their brains that influence thinking and memory than people who don't. Which means that exercises can be used to protect against cognitive impairment as you get older and memory loss. And also exercises protect you against from dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Getting started with exercise
Exercise can benefit people of any age, an it is not too late to start exercising. Here is how you can begin.
1. Start Small and Don't Overdo
Don't push yourself too hard at first because doing so can physically injured you. It's important to keep in mind that exercising can be enjoyable and reduce anxiety and mood disorders, it shouldn't harm your body. Start out slowly and build up to more intense workouts over time.
2. Focus on What you Enjoy
It doesn't matter what you do as long as you move. This could entail riding a bike, playing Frisbee with a dog or companion, or walking laps through a mall window-shopping. Try a few different activities if you've never exercised before or are unsure of what you might enjoy. Activities like weightlifting or going to a gym, yoga and gardening or tackling a home improvement project can be fantastic ways to start moving more when you have a mood disorder—as well as helping you become more active,
3. Make Exercise a Social Activity
Doing Exercises will be more enjoyable and fun when done with your friends or loved one. It can also motivate you to keep up a regular workout routine and also you will feel better than exercising alone. In fact, the companionship can be just as important as the exercise when you have stress and depression.
4. Be Consistent
Make an effort to exercise at the same time each day to establish a routine. Even if you have a busy schedule, you may find little ways to fit exercise into your daily routine, such as walking during your lunch break or taking the stairs instead of elevator.
So, why not take a step towards better mental health and start incorporating exercise into your life today?