Most of us are home more now than ever before, and have been since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many of us are even working from home, like my team, and are still trying to create the perfect work-life balance to maintain our mental and physical health.
We all know that exercise can improve our aerobic capacity and muscle size, but there is a key benefit that is often overlooked, which is the improvement of our mental health. By maintaining a healthy mind, we are ultimately bettering our potential productivity and concentration levels for our busy days at work.
So whether it’s the winter blues or high anxiety that’s got you feeling down, exercise may be the right answer!
Exercise And Depression
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%.
According to the Help Guide, “Exercise is a powerful depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.”
Exercise And Stress
Oftentimes when we’re under stress, our muscles tend to be tense specifically in our face, neck and shoulders, leaving us with back or neck pain, and sometimes painful headaches. Insomnia, heartburn, stomachache, diarrhea or frequent urination can also come with being overly stressed on a day to day basis. The discomfort and worry of these physical symptoms can lead to even more stress, creating a vicious cycle between the mind and body.
The Help Guide says, “Exercising is an effective way to break this cycle. As well as releasing endorphins in the brain, physical activity helps to relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body. Since the body and mind are so closely linked, when your body feels better, so will your mind.”
Exercise And ADHD
Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin levels, all of which affect our focus and attention. In this way, exercise works similarly as ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.
Exercise And PTSD
Instead of allowing your mind to wander, pay close attention to the physical sensations in your joints and muscles, even your insides as your body moves. Exercises that involve cross movement and engage both arms and legs have the most beneficial effect on your mental health.
Here are a few activity suggestions:
- Walking/running.
- Swimming.
- Dancing.
- Hiking.
- Rock climbing.
- Skiing.
If you or someone you know experiences PTSD, learn more by clicking here.
Other Mental Health Benefits Of Exercise
Mental health problems aside, regular physical activity will still offer an enjoyable boost to our mood, outlook and well-being.
Exercise can help boost:
- Sharper memory and thinking.
- Higher self-esteem.
- Better sleep.
- More energy.
Something Is Better Than Nothing
You don’t need to suffer or devote hours out of your busy day to train at the gym, sweat buckets or run mile after monotonous mile to reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. Just 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week is enough. And even that can be broken down into two 15-minute or even three 10-minute exercise sessions if that’s easier.
If you don’t have time for 15 or 30 minutes of exercise, or if your body tells you to take a break after 10 minutes, that’s okay too. Start with 5- or 10-minute sessions and slowly increase your time. Because the more you exercise the more energy you’ll have, so eventually you’ll feel ready for a bit more.
To learn more about leading a healthier life to better your mental health, give the Corwin-Rey team a call at (360) 414-8754.