What's the Best Type of Exercise for Your Mental Health?

As people, we all know that exercise is an integral part of a healthy and happy life. It helps us stay fit, improves physical health, and also enhances mental well-being. Exercise, in all its forms, has a huge impact on the mind, with sets of movements and breathing patterns tailored to address specific emotional, psychological, and social requirements.

But the question arises, what's the best exercise for mental health? The answer is subjective since what works for one person may not always be right for another. Still, science has suggested a few types of exercise that have a particularly profound effect on mental health.

1. Aerobic Exercise Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio or endurance exercise, can help you improve your mood, decrease anxiety and depression, and improve your cognitive function. A combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training can also help alleviate the symptoms of some mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

During aerobic exercises, the body releases endorphins, a chemical that is associated with the feeling of pleasure and happiness. These endorphins are natural painkillers that keep you calm, reduce depression and anxiety, making you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

2. Mind-Body Exercise Mind-body exercise is a type of exercise that combines physical activity with mental concentration and relaxation techniques. These exercises include yoga, tai chi, qigong, and pilates.

Yoga, which involves breathing exercises, meditation, and body poses, can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety while improving your overall mental health. Tai chi and qigong, on the other hand, involve slow motion movements, breathing techniques, and meditation, which help improve your mental focus and reduce stress levels.

Pilates, another mind-body practice, combines strengthening and stretching exercises with breathing techniques that help you release stress and tension, build up energy, and reduce anxiety levels.

3. Resistance Training Resistance training, also known as weight training or strength training, involves lifting weights or using resistance machines to strengthen and tone the body. This type of exercise helps to build muscle mass, increase bone density and reduce the risk of falls.

Resistance training can also improve your overall mood, reduce stress levels and improve your cognitive function. A study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology showed that resistance training improved executive functions like attention, reasoning ability, and cognitive flexibility.

4. Outdoor Exercise Exercising outdoors comes with an extra benefit of being exposed to sunlight, which helps increase vitamin D levels in the body. This vitamin is vital as it affects the production of a neurotransmitter called serotonin that regulates mood, appetite, sleep, and memory.

Spending time in nature, be it a park, a forest, or the seaside, is proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression levels. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that exercising in green settings led to better mental health outcomes than working out indoors.

5. Dance Dancing is a fun and rhythmical way of exercising that can also have a profound effect on your mental health. It involves moving to music, which helps to elevate the mood, reduce anxiety, and boost confidence.

Dancing also helps to improve cognitive function, including memory, focus, and concentration. In a study published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, researchers found that dancing helped improve the cognitive functions of older adults while reducing their risk of developing dementia.

In conclusion, the best type of exercise for your mental health depends on personal preference, physical ability, and mental health goals. The most important thing is to make exercise a regular part of your life and choose an exercise that you enjoy so that you are more likely to stick with it. Whether dancing, resistance training, or yoga, all forms of exercise can have profound benefits on your mental health. Exercise not only helps you stay fit but has been proven to also benefit your emotional and psychological well-being.