Simply being told that you should exercise to feel better isn’t quite enough. Many people aren’t convinced by a simple statement, and must be taught the why before they understand. This article will explain how and why it is important to exercise to keep your mental health in order.
There is a reason you see a lot of people find time for exercise, and even get excited about it. The benefits far outweigh the inconvenience of finding the time and energy to exercise.
Why exercise works for your mental health:
1. Exercise is free medicine – There are studies that prove exercise can treat mild and moderate cases of depression just as effectively as the medication you would take to treat it. However, there are no side effects of exercise, except you may feel soreness of your muscles. Running for just 15 minutes in a day can reduce your risk of depression by 26 percent.
2. Exercise fights depression in many ways – Working out promotes changes in your brain that include reducing inflammation, promoting neural growth, and creating new brain activity patterns which promote calmness and feelings of well being. In addition, powerful feel good chemicals called endorphins are released that will make you feel good and energized.
3. Working out is a positive distraction – Keeping your routine to go exercise and take time for yourself can give you the quiet and calm time you need to break out of your negative thoughts or circumstances which can cause and feed depression. Maintaining your exercise schedule can help you avoid relapses of inactivity, anxiety, and depression. If your life is stressing you out, take a moment for yourself to work out, feel good, and take a break from home.
4. Breaking the stress cycle – When you are stressed, the body responds in many unfavorable ways. You get tense, you get headaches, your gut is in knots, you may feel sick, or just overall terrible. Stress can make you sick, which then makes your mind sad that you are sick. Then, you are going to avoid working out because you feel sick. Then, more stress builds up and you are on a fast decline to the bottom. Acknowledging the cycle and breaking it is important. Everyone gets stuck in this cycle, but it is best to break free. There is a delicate balance between resting when you need to rest and breaking through feeling icky by exercising. Sometimes, too much rest while stressed can make things worse. Listen to your body.
In summary, working out is essential for a human body and mind to succeed. Humans weren’t made to sit around and watch television and eat snacks. Humans have been doing hard work, running, walking far distances, and exercising for survival for a very long time. It is natural to get that exercise as often as you can. Your body and brain will thank you.