Almost 80% of teenagers and 31% of adults fail to meet the ideal levels of daily exercise. This figure is self-explanatory in that only a few individuals truly care about their health. In today’s life, where one can easily experience anxiety, both physical and mental health is detrimental.
And one of the primary steps to keep both of them healthy and sound is to exercise daily. Exercising every day boosts your mood, helps you battle depression, stress, and anxiety, and also improves your sleep. Physical activity at a basic level simply indicates the body movements that make use of the muscles.
On average, an adult must exercise for at least 75-150 minutes, either in the form of walking, riding bikes, or even going to the gym. But let’s admit it: not all of us have a solid treadmill or barbell storage at home. Hence, exercising can be done in various other forms, too.
So, let’s dive into this article and get to know a bit more about exercise and how it boosts mental health.
How Does Exercise Boost Mental Health?
No, I am not talking about just the muscle size or aerobic capacity of your body. That might enhance the physical well-being, not the emotional health. In today’s world, people need more affirmations in their life. And guess where does that comes from? Exercises!
Here’s how a daily punch of power-packed exercises boosts your mental health:
Battles Depression
Recent studies suggest that muscle tension in the body can help in curing moderate depression, and the result is more or less the same as an antidepressant drug. But the good part is, there’s no side-effect of exercise. A study by Harvard T.H. Chan School suggests that people dealing with chronic depression can treat it with a daily dose of exercise.
Not only does exercising promote different changes in the brain, but it also reduces inflammation. Thus, it gives you a lot of time to cope with depression and keeps your mental health strong.
Reducing Anxiety With Exercises
Did you know exercise is the most effective natural treatment for anxiety? Relieving stress and tension promotes a dose of mental and physical energy. Thus, if you are someone who is often anxious and finds it difficult to control your senses, try exercising every day in the morning.
By combining this mindfulness element, your body can really focus on getting charged. Moreover, enhance your mood by indulging in workouts that will help your physical conditioning get better with time.
Exercise and Trauma and PTSD
There is much evidence about how exercise helps to cal down the trauma from the human mind and body. It helps the nervous system to become unstuck by moving out of its immobilization stage.
In a study by HelpGuide, paying close attention to your joint and muscles’ physical sensations comes with regular exercise. Exercises involving cross-movement are the best choices for your physical and mental health.
Try to indulge in the following exercises:
- Walking
- Running
- Weight training
- Dancing
- Swimming
Mental Health Benefits Are Easier To Procure Than One Thinks
There’s no use of devoting all your day to gym and exercises. You just need to complete 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, THAT’S ALL! Now it’s your choice- either you indulge in a two 15-minuted exercise of three 10-minute sessions.
A Little Bit Of Exercising Is Better Than None At All!
It’s not mandatory for you to do 15-30 minutes of exercise. After all, it depends completely on the stamina of a person and it differs from one to another. Begin slowly by 5-10 minute sessions and then increase the time slowly. Give your body the time and space to absorb strenuous muscle movements without giving it a shock.
It’s equally ideal to commit some moderate physical activity. When your body develops the habit of exercising, you can keep adding extra minutes or other types of activities. All these habits will surely pay you off in the form of enhanced mental and physical health.
Do Not Suffer To Procure Results
Exercising gives a person with a lot of happy feels but only when it is done with a happy mind. The last thing you’d want to do is hit the gym just to post your workout selfie.
Don’t be too focused on the results, instead try moderate exercises that let you:
- Breathe heavier than you normally do, but don’t make you completely breathless.Â
- Your body should feel warm but not too sweaty or overheated.Â
If an exercise is strenuous enough to make you pant, it’s recommended not to try it in the beginning.
If It’s Not The Week, It’s The Weekend
5 days in a week, 9 hours a day and endless stress puts us in a position where we cannot work out during the entire week. It’s completely okay to feel overwhelmed, but at least, you have got the week all by yourself.
In fact, a study in the UK has shown that people indulging in exercise routines once every weekend experience greater health benefits than those who don’t. Try not to make your busy schedule an excuse for not working out. Get going whenever you find just a little bit of time!
Final Thoughts
It’s not important for you to spend all day in the gym. After all, you have a life for yourself, and there are 10 other things that need priority. But with everything else, it is important to keep your physical and mental health strong. This will keep you going higher in the long run.
If you want more motivation, ask your friends or people close to you to accompany you. Working out with a company has had proven results as it also makes you social. Do not hesitate from asking your fitness expert any question regarding the mental health benefits of exercises.
Only if we feel physically and mentally fit, we are likely to indulge in various activities. So, what is the wait for? This article is your final call to put up your running shoes and get some exercises going on. Thank you for reading till the end. Please let us know your thoughts on this by commenting below.
