Mental Health and Exercise

Have you been procrastinating your workout session because you are not in the mood OR are you not in the mood because you are missing your workout session? Have you ever noticed that working out makes you feel happier and more lively? Well most of us do, and its not just a feeling, IT'S SCIENCE.

Everyone is aware of the enormous benefits of exercise on our physical health like preventing Diabetes,Hypertension, Heart disease & Obesity, but have we ever come across the fact that it might be as beneficial for our mental health too? Lets find out.

According to research in 2021, about 28% of Americans have some sort of mental health need, that number seems low but actually represents a significant population.

Can they be helped only by medications that carry along so many side effects? Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health seem to disagree as they found that exercise can be as effective as antidepressants! Wow!

How Exercise boosts Mental Health?

You might be curious by now how can something physical like exercise exert good effects on your mind.

According to Psychiatria Polska 2004, Exercise helps brain release several hormones:

● “Endorphins” that relieve pain, reduce stress and make you a happy-happy person.

● “Dopamine” which activates brain’s reward system alleviating your mood & provides a sense of well-being.

Exercise also aids Neural Growth,which means it helps brain to grow & regenerate.

Apart from all this Chemical stuff, Exercise acts as a healthy distraction from your routine & gives you a perfect outlet for all the negative energy & thoughts.

How much Exercise do you need to achieve this effect?

You must be worried that you might need to run five miles 8-days a week(pun-intended) to reach this magical exercise euphoria. You may be wrong this time as Researchers at Harvard have found that running for only 15 minutes a day or walking for just an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%.

If you don't like running, you can try out other aerobic exercises like swimming, cycling, dancing or even gardening as they too have been proven to reduce rates of Anxiety & Depression by researchers in Poland.

Exercise as a Preventive aid for Mental health

Apart from being the cure as suggested before, research suggests that regular exercise can actually prevent you from developing any mental health needs.

Exercising outside or in a gym environment gives you an opportunity to socialize & feel part of a community which boosts your confidence, self-esteem preventing you from feelings of loneliness and sense of not belonging.

Exercise boosts your mood, concentration, and alertness hence you might perform better than ever before at your academics or job.

One of the major benefits of exercise is better sleep by reducing sleep onset time & decreasing the time people lie awake in bed, according to research by Sleep Foundation.

Where to Start?

One of the best tips to start exercising is to make a mental note to exercise for 5 minutes. Once you begin to do it, you will get energy to continue it. The most difficult part is to Start, once you do that, things start to get easier.

30 min workout is recommended but research suggests that breaking it down to two 15 min sessions or even three 10 min sessions can prove to be evenly effective, so you can fit it as possible into your daily busy routine.

So whenever you feel a mental-block or an impending doom of anxiety, grab those headphones, and rush outside (or even insides) for a run or any type of workout you like!

Care for your body and brain alike.

Wishing you the best of Mental Health.