(Collaborative post) There is a lot of information available about the benefits of exercise on physical health. Exercise is known to help with many health conditions from high blood pressure and obesity to cancer. What’s becoming clearer is that exercise can have a profound effect on mental health. It may not be the complete answer to every mental health condition, but it can be an effective tool to deal with many types of issues. Having run gyms myself in the past I can honestly say that regular exercise can really boost people of all ages. This post looks at The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.
The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
Exercise Can Help You Manage Stress
Stress affects many of us young and old and affects us both mentally and physically. Headaches, tight muscles and a tightening in the stomach are some of the symptoms that sufferers may experience. Continued stress can even lead to memory loss, depression, insomnia and heart disease.
Exercise increases the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain (we look at this below) and also stimulates the release of endorphins which are commonly referred to as happy hormones. These hormones are what would result in a “runner’s high” and are a great way to counter negative feelings and stress. Don’t forget to ensure you have the right type of footwear to avoid injusry.
Exercise Can Improve Your Ability to Think
A number of studies have shown that a person’s ability to think can be improved with exercise.
A study by The University of British Columbia found that aerobic exercise improves blood circulation within the body. As a result, oxygen and nutrients from our food are delivered more effectively around the body, particularly to the brain. More specifically the hippocampus. This led to a growth in the size of the hippocampus. This part of the brain is responsible for thinking, learning and memory. Exercise also increases the amount of neurotrophins. These are proteins that increase the growth and production of neurons. This is beneficial for those with depression and also reduces the chances of illnesses in later life such as dementia.
Exercise Improves Your Self-Confidence
When you exercise you naturally want to push yourself a little bit further each time. This feeling of progression and achievement can do wonders for your self-esteem. It begins to translate to the world around you too. If you can achieve so much through exercise, then you can apply the same approach to other areas of your life.
It’s important not to overdo it if you are new to exercise. Set yourself weekly goals and you’ll be surprised how much progress you will make. The type of exercise you do is really up to you but if you fancy some strength training then DN Fitness has equipment for beginners right through to more advanced Olympic weight lifting packages with a range of items in-between, perfect for creating a home gym.
Exercise Can Improve Your Sleep
When we exercise, the brain produces more Serotonin by converting an amino acid called Tryptophan found in various sources of dietary protein. Serotonin is a chemical neurotransmitter, used in the body for various processes. One of those processes is a person’s ability to “switch off” so the mind can rest, resulting in better sleep.
Add some essential oils and you’ll be well on your way to a restful night’s sleep.
The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
Understand the relationship between mental health and exercise is an important step in improving your quality of life. Introducing exercise into your daily routine will have a profound effect on the way you see things, how you feel and your ability to complete many other aspects of your day.
How often do you exercise?
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I try to run or walk 6 or 7 times a week. The benefits on weight alone are great and if it helps my mood and brain I will keep it up.
I do try to jog daily to get some exercise in. I find I feel better when I do this.
This is a great post! It’s so important to understanding how mental health can have a big impact on our body and mind! I think the benefits of exercising is important to improving your health
I exercise daily. I know that exercise is a huge mood lifter for me.
It can really make a big difference.
I have never thought about all of the benefits besides, of course, getting stronger / losing weight. Thank you so much for sharing!
This post is very informative. Exercising daily is so important.
I couldn’t agree more, it really helps with my sleep.
It’s true! I know the days I miss my walk I have a harder time getting to sleep as my brain is racing.
this is great. I know it’s true, because I stopped exercising and I feel awful. I need to get motivated again.
thats so very true re exercise and mental health – its great for mind body and spirit , just being out on a fresh air even walking my dogs helps me massively
Excellent mental health is the basis for a healthy and strong style of vision, also because it also reflects on the body!
I think exercise can do wonders for your mental health as much as your physical health. It’s just finding the motivation to do it for me.
One of the main reasons I exercise daily is for my mental health. I didn’t exercise for a few days because of the Covid vaccine and I have really felt the impact of this on my state of mind.
I have physio I have to do regularly for my health condition and I try to do as much as I can but it is not as much as I would like.
I totally agree with you. As soon as I’ve exercised, I feel so much better than I did before!
I exercise every other day and I must say, it helps me sleep a lot better
Exercise is definitely so important for good mental health. I always try to get out for a walk every day if I can.
Exercise has a lot of benefits and big impact on mental health. You’ll be surprised by what it can do
I can tell such a big difference in my mood when I workout. Even with my kids, if they lay around all day they are usually in a bad mood.
I have to say I do not exercise daily. I do know when I am in a routine how much better it makes me feel.
There is so much of benefits in exercising and we need to do more of it. I have reduced working out due to gyms being closed but I need to start again
I have been exercising more since the pandemic and I feel great. Exercising makes a difference.
I enjoyed this post. Exercise has so many great benefits and we all just need to find something we love doing and be consistent.
Because I work from home and stay seated most of the day, I make it a point to workout daily. The stress relief and ability to think are two of the main reasons I stay active.
Exercise does a lot to our mind and body. Definitely a must for everyone. Not just makes our body healthy but our mind too.
A big reason why I prioritize my physical health is for my mental and emotional well being..it really has a huge effect on my mood and outlook.
There sure are a lot of wonderful benefits. I need to work on getting more exercise in daily. It can make such a difference.
Exercising does make a difference. I notice I get an energy boost when I workout that day.
Exercise has cheered me up lately and made a big difference to my emotional state!
Nice tips of exercise benefits on mental health.
Exercise is so good for us overall. This is a good reminder of all the great benefits of exercise!
It sure is. It has so many positive effects.
On days that I have lots of work to do, I always try to run in the morning. It clears my mind and gives me energy to tackle the day!
That’s great. It helps if you can set aside time specifically for exercise.
It’s so curios how sport helps sleeping better. My husband had a lot of sleeping problems that disappeared when he began to do exercises.
They are so many benefits to exercise for me it helps me relax and distress! Definitely part of our day.
Thank you very much, I’ve got back issues that are stopping me from exercising well but I try and get out for a decent walk everyday and it really does help my mood and stress levels
I try and go for a brisk walk everyday as it really helps me to relax
It has a big impact on mental health.
This is so true, I feel so much better after fresh air and exercise. I have a physical job and I also walk there and back and do 15,000 steps a day. I should do more really but im too tired after work and I have a young child but when she is older I will be back at the gym.
I totally agree. Exercise has so many benefits for the mind, body and soul.
I’m grateful we have a dog and enjoy daily walks otherwise I wouldn’t do any exercise.
It does help encourage you to get out daily.
I completely agree with all the points that you have mentioned in this post! I do light yoga daily 🙂
That’s good, any exercise is a start although more aerobic exercise is better where you can.
I know its good for you I try to walk as often as I can
It really is, I’m glad you get walks in. They can be so relaxing for the mind.