Exercise is a widely known for its many benefits on overall health and wellbeing, physique and boosting immune functioning. But did you know exercise is also good for your mind? It can improve your mood, sleep, energy levels, thoughts, memory and further, it can also help you deal with depression, anxiety, stress and many common mental health concerns.
Exercise and mental health
Many researches show that incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine or building a habit of physical activity is beneficial for your mental health, helpful in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, low moods. This works mainly on three levels:
- Physical activity releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that make us feel happy, leading to an improved mood.
- Exercises can further help in regulating stress hormone levels i.e., cortisol and adrenaline.
- Engaging in physical activity and exercising fosters a sense of accomplishment, a higher self-esteem and motivation to replicate that feeling.
This is where the concept of “runner’s high” comes from, when endorphins are released during physical activity or exercising, making you happier, lighter and euphoric, even.
What type of exercises can be beneficial?
You don’t need to build a heavy exercising regime or gym routine to reap the benefits of exercise. Building a habit of daily physical activity or exercising on alternative days, keeping it light or heavy as per personal preferences is a good place to start.
Physical activities that can be incorporated include structured exercise, aerobics, Zumba, dancing, sports, outdoor recreational activities such as hiking or cycling, walking or gardening.
Mental exercises are also important for mental health including activities that stimulate cognitive or executive functioning such as memory, attention or agility games or activities. It includes puzzles, brain games such as sudoku, card games, crosswords, reading, chess, learning or teaching a new skill, pursuing creative pursuits such as painting and learning an instrument.
Mental exercises are also helpful in keeping the brain sharp as they exercise cognitive and executive functions, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and related disorders. These exercises can be administered as mental health group activities for adults and children alike.
Mental exercises for anxiety and depression include meditative and breathing exercises, visualizing, painting, drawing, singing or learning how to play instruments.
Benefits of exercise on mental health
- Releases happiness neurotransmitters, elevating and improving mood and creating a feeling of euphoria.
- Reduces stress and improves responses and resilience towards stressors
- Improves sleep quality and duration, resulting in improves cognitive functioning and emotional regulation
- Reduces risk of developing mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, stress and cognitive decline
- Boosts self-esteem and confidence, provides a sense of accomplishment and improves self-image
- Enhances cognitive and executive function including decision-making, problem solving, memory and attention
- Fosters social interaction, engagement and relationship building through group exercises, team sports or outdoor activities.
- Helps in coping with stress, anxiety, depression, negative thoughts and worries, by providing a healthy channel or shifting the focus out of the loop of negative thought cycle.
Exercise and physical activity have numerous benefits on mental health and overall well-being. Let’s look at some specific ways it can help in improving mental health conditions.
Exercise, depression and anxiety
Exercise can be effective for management or treatment of depression and anxiety, as it releases endorphins in your body that energize and make you feel good, relieves tension and stress, boosting physical and mental energy. It can create a break in the negative thought cycle, it can promote changes in the brain such as development of new activity patterns.
Best physical exercises for depression and anxiety include walking for an hour or running for 15 minutes a day, moreover, maintaining a regular exercise pattern is the most important aspect of developing a habit or routine.
Mindful meditation, deep breathing exercises and yoga are the physical and mental exercises for anxiety and depression that can promote relaxation, reduce stress and rumination and increase self-awareness.
Deep breathing exercises for anxiety and depression include diaphragmatic breathing, 3-6-9 breathing, box breathing, alternate nostril breathing is some helpful and easy to learn exercises that can be beneficial.
Exercise and stress
Deep breathing exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, 3-6-9 breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), can be extremely beneficial for reducing stress. PMR involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body in a systematic manner under guidance of a therapist to release tension and promote relaxation.
Exercise and ADHD
Regular physical activity, coordinated sports or team sports, martial arts or dancing help individuals with ADHD improve concentration, impulse control and mood regulation.
Mindfulness meditation, mindful breathing can be helpful in reducing distractibility, and increasing or sharpening focus or attention.
Overall, incorporating regular exercising or physical activity in a structured way or in combination can be tremendously positive for enhancing mental health and wellbeing, stress, reducing tension and anxiety, resilience, cognitive functioning, sleep and overall quality of life.
At North America Behavioral Health Services we connect you to rehab centers that help you bring back the stability in your life by working physically to also improve your mental health. Exercise is a great way to deal with addiction as it keeps you busy and helps invest extra energy. So, take the plunge today, put on your workout shoes, and head towards a better life!
