Almost everyone knows that exercise does wonders for your physical health. Having a regular exercise routine can help you lose unwanted weight and even make your body look good. Physical activity can also help reduce your risk of getting cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and other illnesses.
But did you know that exercising also benefits your mental health? Here are some of the effects of exercise on your mental health:
There are several studies that show how exercise impacts your mood. One study asked participants to assess their feeling immediately after engaging in physical activity and some time of inactivity. Their assessment showed that the individuals were more likely to feel content, awake, and calm after engaging in some kind of physical activity, such as going for a walk or doing chores around the house. The study also revealed that the participants who initially had low energy levels benefited more from physical activity.
In general, studies that focus on the effect of exercise on people’s moods have found that regular low-intensity aerobic exercise is the most effective in increasing your enthusiasm, alertness, and positive mood. Exercising for 30 to 35 minutes, three to five times a week, for 10 to 12 weeks will help you regulate your mood and make you feel more positive.
If you’re constantly stressed about work and other things in life, you might have experienced some physical symptoms. Stress has been proven to cause tense muscles, neck and back pain, and headaches. In more severe cases, stress may even trigger your body’s fight or flight response and cause you to experience insomnia, loss of appetite, and excessive sweating.
Dealing with these physical symptoms makes completing daily tasks harder. Furthermore, the discomfort and pain you’re feeling may even produce more stress, creating an unending cycle.
One way to alleviate stress and its symptoms is exercise. A benefit of physical activity on your mental health is that it can help relieve the tension in your muscles and other physical symptoms. It also releases endorphins in your brain, which reduce your pain perception and decrease the level of stress hormones in your body.
Physical activity has been shown to have positive effects on people’s self-esteem. First, exercise helps you tone your muscles and makes your body look better. This then improves your body image and boosts your confidence level.
Creating and sticking to an exercise plan and reaching your workout goals can also provide you with a sense of achievement. Additionally, having a regular exercise routine boosts your energy levels, oxygen capacity, and general physical fitness, which all contribute to an increase in your self-esteem.
You don’t even have to choose vigorous exercise to enhance your self-esteem. Your confidence level will still improve even if you do less taxing exercises, such as yoga, meditation, and tai chi. These types of physical activity stimulate the part of your brain that controls your happiness and healthy immune function. With regular practice, you will sleep better and get more effective in regulating your emotions, which can help you have a more positive self-perception.
Studies have shown that people with mild to moderate depression benefit the most from exercise. Physical activity does what antidepressant medication does to their body without the side effects on their health. Having a regular exercise routine has also been proven to help people avoid relapse.
Exercise is an effective antidepressant because of the different effects it has on your body. First, exercise promotes neural growth in your brain and increases positive feelings. It is also helpful in promoting the release of endorphins, a powerful chemical that contributes to your energy levels and makes you feel good.
Regular physical activity is also an effective distraction from your negative thoughts. Instead of focusing on things that feed depression, you can spend your time exercising to divert your attention.
Aside from helping you fight depression, exercise can be useful as an anti-anxiety treatment. It helps you relieve tension and stress and improves your overall well-being by releasing endorphins.
To make the most of your physical activity, consider mindful movements. For example, pay attention to how your feet are planted on the floor, the rhythm of your breathing, or how your muscles feel as you move. When you add mindfulness to your exercise routine, you can distract yourself from any worrying thoughts that may be triggering your anxiety.
Improve your mental health by establishing an exercise routine. You can start by finding a physical activity you enjoy doing. Then, you should decide if you want to exercise at home or in a gym and if you prefer working out alone, with a friend, or with a large group.
Once you have all the details smoothed out, you should start slow and steadily build your ability. Then, make exercise a part of your lifestyle and do it regularly.
In time, you’ll notice its benefits on your mental health and your overall well-being. It’ll even help improve your physical health, which can make applying for medical health insurance easy.
