IS PHYSICAL EXERCISE LINKED WITH MENTAL HEALTH?

We know how beneficial physical exercise is for our body but have you ever wondered if it is also helpful for your mental health or not. The answer to this thought is yes. Yes, physical exercise is very much beneficial for your mental fitness as well. This article primarily focuses on enlightening you with the benefits of physical activity on mental health.

Physical exercise can help boost your mood, improve your sleep and much more. Depression, anxiety, and ADHD can also be improved by regular exercise. In addition, it eases stress, enhances memory, improves sleep, and boosts mood. You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. It is proven that even moderate amounts of activity can have a significant impact on your health. Fitness can help you improve your physical and mental health, improve your outlook, and create a happier life, regardless of your age or physical fitness level. Let’s have a brief look at how physical exercise actually promotes mental health.

Relation with Depression

Exercising is just as effective in treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressant medications – without the side effects, of course. As one example, a recent study done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. Exercise not only helps relieve depression symptoms but can also protect you from relapsing.

There are several reasons why exercise is a powerful depression fighter. However, it is most important that it promotes brain development, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that encourage a sense of calm and well-being. Furthermore, it releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your body that energize your spirits and improve your mood. Lastly, you can also use exercise to distract yourself from depression, giving you some quiet time to stop thinking about negative things that feed the disease.

Relation with Anxiety

Exercising helps reduce anxiety naturally and effectively. By releasing endorphins, it relieves tension and stress, boosts energy, and increases well-being.

In addition to improving your physical condition more quickly, you’ll also be able to stop the constant flow of worries running through your head if you add this mindfulness element.

Relation with stress

How does your body feel under stress? Due to stress, you might feel tension in your muscles, especially at the face, neck, and shoulders, leading to pain in the back or neck and headaches. Your chest may feel tight, your pulse may pound, or you may experience muscle cramps. You might suffer from insomnia, heartburn, stomach aches, diarrhoea, or frequent urination if you are stressed. These physical symptoms can lead to worry and discomfort, which in turn can lead to even more stress, creating a dangerous cycle between your mind and body.

You can break this endless cycle by exercising. Exercising releases endorphins in the brain, which relaxes muscles and relieves tension. Due to the close relationship between the body and mind, you will also have a better mental outlook when you feel better physically.

We can say that exercising is one of the easiest ways to improve your mental health. So, keep exercising to stay fit physically as well as mentally.